Moving on to IVF...

I have been putting off blogging about the last IUI, mostly because I have been too heart broken. Kenny's count was at an all time low. The other problem with the infection cleared up, but his count hasn't gotten better, it has actually gotten worse. I looked up the chances with his count and they are about 2.5%. Not good odds at all. So, now the Dr. has told us that our only chance for conceiving is IVF (in vitro fertilization). Before you even ask, because I know you were going to (some already have)...No, I am not worried about higher order multiples!!!! IVF at my clinic has a little over a 50% success rate, (the Dr. says we have a little better chance because we have male factor only) 25% twin rate and 0% chance of Triplets. This is because when you do IVF the Dr. only puts a certain number of embryos in the uterus. If you only put two, you can only get two babies at the most. So what went wrong with Octo-mom? She didn't have a wonderful and smart Doctor like I have. Her Dr. implanted 6 embryos (two of which split into identical twins), well above the norm, which is 2-3, 3 being the number they transfer for older woman with unhealthy eggs or low ovarian reserve, or if after fertilization the embryos are of low quality.

My biggest worry, other than it not working, is the price tag. The financial coordinator called me this afternoon with prices and I almost fell out of my chair! Added to the thousands that we have already paid we could own a small island! But, a baby is better. If there was ever anything that was so worth the money it would be this. Becoming a Mommy is my number one goal. Everything else is secondary. We will have to cut back our spending A LOT, but I don't mind at all. We will obviously have to finance...unless anyone out there has about 13 grand they would be willing to part with:p

The process...

Step 1: Birth control
BIRTH CONTROL! Yes, you heard me right. I will have to be on Birth control for a cycle before they start to stimulate my ovaries. This is kind of the calm before the storm. They want the ovaries to be calm for a cycle because they are going to get their butts kicked in the next cycle, that is, if ovaries had butts to kick. It also helps to time things so that we can start the next cycle at a time that is convenient for the us and the Dr. At the end of this cycle they will give me a drug called Lupron, which will keep my body from releasing any eggs, which I will be on until they are ready to retrieve my eggs (a self administered daily injection of course)

Step 2: Stim Start
This is the start of the stimulation phase. During this time I will take daily hormone injections called gonadotropins which will stimulate my ovaries to make lots of follicles, rather than just one. At the end of this cycle they will give me progesterone in either an injection or vaginal suppository (never thought I would prefer a suppository) which will make the uterine lining nice and thick for an embryo to implant itself in.

Step 3: Egg retrieval
This is by far the hardest part of the process. The eggs have to be harvested surgically in an operating room, under anesthesia. Basically the Dr. will use a sonogram to guide a long thin needle through the vaginal wall, pierce the follicles on the ovaries and draw up the fluid and egg, which are contained in the follicle.

Step 4: The embryos
The embryologist will inject a single sperm into the each mature egg. (we are paying an extra $1,200 for this procedure, usually they just combine them in a dish and let them fertilize, but since we have low count, we are doing this process known as ICSI). The embryos that make it will then be transferred 3-5 days later. If we have extras, which I am REALLY hoping for, they can be frozen and used at a later date. This would be our only opportunity to have more children, because I will not do this process again. I may change my mind down the road, but for now I only see myself doing this once, unless we don't conceive, then I would do it again as soon as we could afford to.

Step 5: The Transfer
This is similar to the IUIs that I have done in the past and involve a catheter through the cervix, they then transfer the embryos into the uterus.

So there ya have it. Our next step in this crazy process of becoming parents. There have been so many tears shed already, and I know there are more to come. IVF is a long, painful process, both physically and emotionally, but I think I am ready. The Birth control cycle will more than likely be in August and IVF in September. If I seem crazy over the next few months you can be sure it is either emotions, or hormones, or both. It is going to be a long hard road which may, or may not lead to a baby, but we had to try it. We are out of options and want a baby so desperately. If you are reading this and have children go into the other room and give them a big hug and kiss. You are blessed and don't ever take it for granted. Please keep Kenny and I in you prayers. XOXO

Follicle Scan/blood work

Today I had blood work and a follicle scan. I only had one mature follicle, which was a little disappointing because last time I had two at this point. I did have LOTS of smaller ones. The 3 largest were 19mm, 14mm, and 12mm. Last time they were 19mm, 18mm, and 14mm (18mm is considered mature, only mature follicles will release an egg) I felt a lot better about it after getting the results of my blood work. Last time I was about to ovulate and had the IUI done the next day. This time I was not quite ready, which is why the follicles are not that big. So, I will do my HCG trigger (a shot that releases the eggs form the follicles and makes them grow) tomorrow night and will be inseminated on Monday. I am PRAYING that it works this time! The bad news is Dr. Storment is going on Vacation this weekend, so I will have to see a different Dr. this time. I just knew I would ovulate over 4th of July weekend!

Day 3 Ultrasound looked good

Today I went for my baseline Ultrasound. Everything looked good. I will take my fertility drugs tonight at bed time. So, by tomorrow morning I will be a hormonal mess, but it will all be worth it in the end:)

Here we go again!

Despite the fact that our urologist knew NOTHING about infertility, we were able to force him to run tests and found out the source of the infection. So...drum roll please....After two more weeks on the antibiotic Cipro, Kenny's semen was white blood cell free!!!!! Well, not exactly free, but there were under 1 million, which is completely normal! As soon as my next cycle starts we will be picking up again with the IUIs. We are so happy, excited and most of all hopeful.

The urologist is officially wrong!

We got the results back on the semen culture and white blood cell count. Dr. Storment was right! They are indeed white blood cells and Kenny does indeed have an infection. The urologist just KNEW that was not the problem and I had to BEG for the testing!! Dr. Storment is a GYNECOLOGIST and knows more about sperm than this so called urologist! I hate that he tried to belittle the only Dr. that I can trust acting like he didn't know what he was talking about when he was the one that was wrong!! As you can see, I'm pretty cheesed off and am thinking about giving that Dr. a piece of my mind! We are, of course, looking for a new urologist.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT DR. SORMENT AND HIS TEAM!! EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MALE FERTILITY HE HAS BEEN AWESOME AND VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. HE IS AN AWESOME DR. AND DOES SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. I AM BLESSED TO HAVE FOUND HIM!

Haven't updated in a while...

That is because I have no clue what is going on! Kenny finished his antibiotics a few months ago, but they told us it may take a few months to see a difference. So...we have been waiting....and waiting...and waiting! Finally our appointment came. Things were pretty much the same. The urologist seems to think that it isn't white blood cells, but immature sperm. They look the same under a microscope and the only way to see a difference is a special staining process. So, today he says he is sure that they are immature sperm. Well, did the lab do the staining I asked him (he seemed surprised that I had done my research and new what I was talking about). "Well, no...they don't do that here" was his response. "So how do you know?" He didn't answer that question, just scheduled ANOTHER semen analysis (which will have to be sent off) and semen culture to check for infection. I can't understand why he didn't do that before!!! I am really aggravated. He made up his mind what the issue is and refused to test for anything else. He just wants us to do more IUIs. The problem is, if it is white blood cells, the IUI won't work! Each IUI is about $1,000 (we've already done 1 w/out success) with meds (not to mention uncomfortable, the meds have terrible side effects and I have to give myself shots in the belly!). It makes me mad that he would want us to waste the time, money, and sanity without being sure.

Sooo, what's our next step? Kenny will do another semen analysis this week, we'll get the results, then start looking for a new Urologist. Preferably one OUTSIDE of Lake Charles! Most (not all) of the Drs here are Qacks! In the mean time we are busy packing and will be in our new house by the end of this month. It has been a real blessing having something to distract me!

Still waiting for our Rainbow

Kenny had his appointment with the urologist today. The dr. said it could be a number of things. He said if it is an infection, after the antibiotics it could take a few months for things to go back to normal. So, he wants us to wait two months, then go back for ANOTHER semen analysis. This was not the news that I wanted to hear. We want to have a baby so bad and it is VERY hard to wait when you want something so badly. Of course, I was devastated. It took all I had not to cry at work today.

After Kenny gave me the news, I felt horrible. It seems like all we get is bad news. I kept asking myself, "is the news ever going to get better". In the midst of feeling sorry for myself, I was looking out the window with the kids in my class. The weather matched my mood perfectly. It was raining, depressing, and bleak outside. We were talking about how yucky it looked outside when one of my kids out of the blue said, "after it rains you get to see a rainbow, remember!" Those words touched my heart. I felt it was God. I felt like he was saying to me, "just wait, things may seem bleak now, but I have wonderful, beautiful plans for you." So, for now we have to go through the storm for a few more months. But I know one day, not sure when, but one day we will have our rainbow.