Egg Retrevial today!

Today was my egg retreival for IVF #2 it went very smooth and I have almost no pain afterwards. I came home and slept for several hours and feel pretty good right now (about 6 hours post retreival) they got 10 eggs, 9 of which were mature. It's a good number, our doctor was expecting 13- but obviously 3 follicles did not contain an egg. We are still waiting to see if that final egg was mature or not- so we may have 10 out of 10. I am happy with 9 mature eggs though- hopefully they will be better quality then last time. I am counting the hours down to our first fert report to hear how things look this time. We had a horrible fertilization rate last time so I will be interested to hear this time. I pray things are different. This IVF has gone so fast, I feel like I have not had any time to think about it, which I think is a good thing, I almost feel numb, like I am just going through the motions. Maybe that's my way of dealing with things so I don't get hurt anymore.

Tonight I start my PIO shots- I am scared- that needle is so big!!!

WOW! Stimming fast this time.

I had my ultrasound today to check my follicle process after 6 days on stims, and I have 16 follicles that are looking to be mature, with a few lagging behind. I cannot believe it! I am on a lower dose of meds this time and for less days and I have more eggs, who knew!? I think it was the Menopur that screwed me up last time, the Luveris seems to be working much better for me. I go back tomorrow for another ultrasound and I should be triggering tomorrow night and my egg retrieval should be on Thursday. So excited!!

4 shots a day!

Today I added yet another yet to my drug use, my Luveris. This is a new drug for me, my last cycle I used Menopur. My new doctor feels that the Menopur is way wrong for me, and that it damaged my eggs, he feels the Luveris will be better for me, and it helps with getting better egg quality.

The shot itself was easy, its in the belly and the medicine doesn't hurt at all. I really feel that I could have a serious career as a druggie if I ever needed to. As bad as that sounds it's so true. My PIO came today, which is the progesterone in oil, and I am a bit scared of that. Its a big needle and the medicine is thick, it's an oil, and it goes in your butt so I am not looking forward to that, but I don't start that for awhile.

I have my first ultrasound to check my follicle growth on Monday, I am excited to see how I am progressing, in the past I have been a slow responder- so I am expecting my dosage to be increased, but we shall see.

14 is my new favorite number!

I had my first ultrasound on Monday to check and see how my follicles were doing after 3 days of stims and I had 14 measurable follicles. The doctor was very happy, she said my follicles are slowly but surely kicking into gear. My left ovary seems to be the rockstar ovary- with 9 follicles, the right ovary had 5 follicles. The doctor upped my Follistim and added in another stimulate- Menopour, that is also an injectible- so I am up to 3 shots a day now. Wow, I feel like a druggie!

Overall I feel great, I am starting to have a little ovary pain- which is good- it means my ovaries follicles are growing and containing perfect little eggs!

I used my Anji IVF meditiation cd last night and it was great, I was very relaxed and slept great. It uses meditation and visualtion and there is a track for each part of the cycle, right now I am on the track- stimming- from shots to retreival.

At my doctors request I am going for acupuncture tomorrow- day 6 of stims that is the perfect day for acupuncutre- so I'm sure that will be nice and relaxing, I love going for acupuncture.

I do not have another ultrasound until Friday- so I have full confidence that everything will look great and my follicles will be nice and healthy and contine to grow until early next week- that is my projected egg retreival date.

Stims start your engines!

As instructed I started my Follistim on day 3 of my cycle, which was yesterday. Again, Follistim is a very small needled that is injected into the tummy area. It doesn't hurt a bit. Follistim is my friend, it's liquid gold (as I call it) it makes the follicles grow, therefore creating lots and lots of eggs.

I call it liquid gold because its VERY expensive, I am so lucky to have insurance coverage for it, otherwise it would run around $3000 for one IVF cycle. The more stimulation you need to get your ovaries going the more drug you need- so some women spend tons of money of these drugs. Other common drugs that are used to stimulate the ovaries, is Gonal F and Bravelle.

I go back to the doctor on Monday, so after 3 days of stims we will see where I am with follicle growth. I am also still taking a small dose of Lupron just to keep my ovaries from ovulating and releasing the eggs before the doctor is ready for them and before they are mature enough. So I am up to two shots per day, but again they are a piece of cake- I never thought I would say that.

I have a mix of emotions right now- I am super excited- we have been waiting for this for over a year- but I am also scared- because it's real! I am just taking it day by day and concentrate on what I have to do today- and not worry about tomorrow.

Where did my mind go?

Fiirst off I have to say that the internet is the single greatest invention ever! Thank you, Bill Gates, Al Gore, or whoever freaking invented it. But it can also be my worst nightmare. We literally have oddles of information at our fingertips and today it broke me. I started researching different fertility problems and before I knew it I am diagnosing myself with things that I don't even know they are. By the time I left my office for lunch I sat in my car and had myself a really good cry. I just cannot beleive that we are at this stage in the game. I have such mixed emotions, in a way I always knew we would be doing IVF, I was told back in October of 2007 and again in January 2008 that that's what it was going to take to get pregnant, I just cannot beleive that we are doing this. I always thought IVF was for old rich people who couldn't get pergnant on thier own, boy was I wrong, I know so many young couples who are going through this.

So after I calmed down and made my poor husband feel bad I got my shit together called my doctor and insisted that they rerun all my blood clotting labs and my recurrent pregnancy labs, so I can be sure that everything is okay and that I am property taken care of. I do feel better now about everything. I am a control freak so for me I am putting a lot in others hands.

On the up side my extra dose of Follistim come in the mail today, so I am offically ready. Here we go, ready or not!!

Trying to keep it all together!

Well, we are in the home stretch, in about a week and a half we will have our insurnace, which means that we can start our IVF cycle. I will start birth control pills when I start my period the first week of April, so its BCP's for about 3 weeks, about mid way through April I will start Lupron, to surpress my ovaries. Then after I am fully suppressed (checked almost daily with bloodwork) then I can start stims (which in my case is Follistim) daily injections to stimulate my ovaries to produce lots of eggs.
Then after about 12-14 days of Follistim and lots of ultrasounds to check follicle growth they will schedule me for the egg retreival. That is when they stick a big ass needle through my uterine wall and they asperiate each individual follicle to get the egg out. Then the eggs will be fertilitzed with John's sperm and will be put in the incubator to grown. In then in either 3 or 5 days they best embroyos will be put back into my uterus and will hopefully implant and I will finally be pregnant.
So I am going nuts waiting to get going! I feel like this entire process is waiting waiting and more waiting.

IUI #3 with 3 growing follicles

Well- I had my day 8 ultrasound and blood work this morning, and everything looks good! My blood levels are good, and I have 3 mature follicles that are growing like weeds. I have one at 15mm and 2 at 13mm, which means that I will most likely trigger on Wednesday night and have the IUI on Friday. I think its kinda funny because John has had all these weird things happen with the number 3, and now I have 3 follicles and its our 3rd IUI- so maybe its a sign.
They always say 3rd time is the charm lets hope this is it!

Back in the Game!

Well, after a much needed break from fertility treatments and one surgery we are as they say "back in the game!" Although its a little sad because part of me was secretly hoping that we would have "break cycle miracle baby" but no such luck. The only thing that makes me feel better about that not happening is that my body was still healing after the lap so getting pregnant was almost impossible, we did't even try, doctor's orders.
But today I had my day 3 ultrasound and blood work, everything looks good so I was given the go ahead to start my daily injections of Follistim. Giving myself those shots is nothing now, today my assistant walked in my office as I was doing it (I had the door closed) but that's how close she and I are, and I am very open about our fertiliy struggles.

So I go back to the doctor on Monday for my day 8 ultrasound and bloodwork, so hopefully my follicles get a growing here in the next few days and give us lots of healthy eggies!

This octuplet mother makes me sick!

Yesterday I had an appointment with my fertility specalist- and I couldn't help but bring up the octuplet story. My doctor said she is so mad about it, she said it gives fertility specalist's a bad name and gives people the wrong idea about fertility treatments. She is so right, I was discussing this very subject with some girls at my office and while they feel that she is crazy person to do what she did, the couldn't help but ask me if I could have eight kids with all the fertility drugs that I take.

People have such the wrong idea about fertility treatments, while yes there is a risk of multiple births, the chances are rather low. Fertility doctors will cancel a cycle in a heartbeat if you have too many mature eggs, or with an artificial insemination cycle they will request that you convert to an IVF cycle, so they can surgically take the eggs out and fertilize them. If there are lots of embroyo's the leftovers can be frozen for future use, but only 2 or 3 embroyo's would be put in the uterus for possible implanation, not EIGHT!

It has come out over the past few days that this crazy mother of eight did IVF, I really connot imagie that, what unetical doctor would put back eight embroyos, espically with her age of 33 and also knowing that she has 6 other kids at home.

This story makes me so sick, because I hold doctors in the highest standard, espically our fertility doctor- she is helping us to create life- what is a bigger deal then that? Because of her we can achieve our dream of parenthood, so if anyone tries to belittle her field it makes me sick. This woman is getting exactly what she wants, attention! We need to stop talking about her and giving her what she wants! Just let her be, and figure out how she is going to care for her 14 kids.

IUI success rates

Since we have been going through the IUI process I thought I would share the numbers side of it and answer the much asked question, just how effective is IUI?

For a couple with unexplained infertility, and the female is less then 35 years of age, and they have been trying to conceive for 2 years, with normal sperm- here are the numbers:

8% chance per month of conceiving and delivering with IUI- this is using Clomid as a drug to stimulate the ovaries.
10%- 30% chance per month of conceiving and delivering with injectable FSH medication (Follistim, Gonal F)

This is directly related to the number of mature follicles. Now using injectables will increase the number of follicles, for the best chance of success at least 3 mature follicles is the goal. The more follicles, the more eggs, therefore more targets for the sperm, therefore a better chance of conception.

I have done Clomid, and I had 2 mature follicles, with Follistim I have had 4 one cycle and 5 on another, so the injectable medication is definitely more powerful, my suggestion go for the injectables, its your best shot!

IUI #2 is a go!

Well, I had my last ultrasound today and I have 4 perfect follicles. Again our doctor is like, oh god here we go with 4, but she is very happy with my progress. So I will trigger tonight with the HSG shot and then the IUI is scheduled for Wednesday morning, then I will be on the couch for the rest of the day!

So hoping and praying this works!

Almost time for IUI #2

I go tomorrow for what I hope is my last ultrasound, hopefully all my follicles will be ready to go and I can trigger tomorrow night and our IUI will be on Wednesday. I am so ready for this to be the winning one! We had dinner with our friends last night, the wife is pregnant and due in like a month. It was so hard! They had asked us to meet them at their house, becasue they wanted to show us the finished nursery. Thank god John said, no we will just meet you at the restaurant. But the husband was still showing us pictures. I know he's proud of his work, he did a great job with the painting, but come on, you know we are struggling to have kids, WHY would you do that. Its like grinding salt into the wounds. I just kept saying, its really cute, I mean what else was I going to say? John and I both feel that they stole our nursery idea, pink and brown, and thats why they are making a big deal about it. Oh well, there are lots of pink and brown nursery's, it a very popular color sceme right now. I dont care about that, but its like, yes you did a good job, now SHUT UP!!!

Runaway follicle!

Today I went back to have another ultrasound- and I have 4 follicles growing strong. But if you remember I have 5 2 days ago, so I guess one got scared and ran away! No, that happens sometimes, it may have just not been mature, or it was not developing right. The doctor said it may catch up and reappear when I go back on Monday. So I have another ultrasound on Monday and hopefully the IUI on Wednesday, right before my Thanksgiving. My little turkey baby! How I would love to get pregnant on the most wonderful day of the year. I love Thanksgiving, and I am really trying to be thankful for everything I do have in my life, but to have a little one next Thanksgiving would be the best thing ever!

I want to take a minute to send out congratulations to my fellow nestie, Rachel, she gave birth to her son on Saturday! He is happy and healthy. This is one girl that has been through the ringer. They have had two failed adoptions and finally did it with IVF, it only took then 22 cycles! I am so happy for her and her husband. She sent out a video showing her son's birth, we were all in tears! Welcome to the world baby Brighton!

Follicle Check today

Today I went to have my first ultrasound and I have 5 follicles again! I cannot believe how well my body responds to the Follistim.
I would absolutely love to have twins, after everything we have been through it would be such a blessing, however I refuse to be greedy so one would be just as much as a blessing.

We are a little more then a week away from Thanksgiving, I love this time of year. When its not hot, but its still nice out. Its the jeans and sweater weather I call it. I still have the sunroof open in the car and its so nice. I am trying so hard to be thankful for what I have. A beautiful home, a great family, a husband who would do anything for me, but in ways I feel so empty, I want to celebrate the holidays with our children.

So its hard to spend time with our family who all have children, because we are the odd duck out, the childless ones! But I will get through it.

IUI in less then 12 hours!

Well our first IUI is tomorrow, very early in the morning. Poor John has to be there super early. I am nervous, but I am excited. I keep thinking, this could be it! This is a much better shot then us just trying on our own, so I am very optimistic.

Its been a long week so far, so I am so happy to be relaxing at home after my IUI tomorrow.
I have been feeling so sick all day, that is a side effect, and I am so bloated, with horrible ovulation pain. But tomorrow I will fee much better!
Wish us luck!

And the count is on!

Tonight was HCG trigger night, its a big needle with medicine that is needed to have my follicles release my mature eggs. It takes 36 hours to work so that is why my IUI is scheduled 36 hours after the shot. It didnt really hurt, so I was happy about that!
I feel really bloated and my ovaries hurt, but other then that I am holding up! I cannot wait to relax on the couch after the IUI, it will be nice just to put my feet up and not worry about a ringing phone or clients. I am happy that I decided to take the day off. I am planning on watching movies.

I was reading tonight about an organization called Fertile Dreams, they offer grants for people who could not otherwise afford fertility treatments. I love that idea, I am going to start an organization when my journey to parenthood is complete. I do not feel that money should stand in the way of people starting their family.
I am determined to have something good come out of all this.

Holy Follicles!

Today I had my day 7 ultrasound, and I have 5, yes you read that correctly, follicles. So we are a go for the IUI on Thursday. I took my last dose of Follistim today, I will do my HCG trigger tomorrow night and I will have the IUI on Thursday. I think John is a little nervous about having more then one baby. But, at this point we will take it as it comes.

Im so excited, I am very optimistic going into this. My lining looks great and my doctor said I was having a text book cycle.

Wish us lots of luck!

Follistim Day 6

Today is day 6 of the Follistim shots, I am starting to have some bruising on my stomach, but no pain. The needles are really small and I cannot even feel them. I am very surprised that there is even bruising. But its all worth it!

My doctor lowered my dosage because I was making too many eggs, so I guess its good to know that my body does at least know how to do something right!

John and I would be so excited to have twins, and we understand the risk of multiples when taking fertility drugs, especially in conjunction with IUI, but we have been waiting so long that we would be blessed to have twins, but I can tell you that would be it, I would have my tubes tied and we would be DONE!

I went and had my acupuncture done yesterday, its so relaxing, its really the only time that I can truly be calm and focused. I highly recommend it.

I go back to the doctor tomorrow to see how things are progressing.

IUI #1 we are a go for launch!

I had my day 3 appt today with our fertility specialist. I had my blood drawn, yet again! I swear they are vampires over there! No, the blood really doesn't bother me, I have had so much drawn, one tube is nothing! I also had an ultrasound, which shows how my follicles are growing so they can see how my eggs are developing. Everything looked good and I was told to start my injections of Follistim. Follistim is an overpriced drug (and I am not kidding, its way expensive) that causes your body to make more follicles, therefore producing more eggs. So the more eggs there are the more targets the sperm has.
Shots don't bother me, its such a small needle, but I had myself so psyched up for the shot that I made myself sick, I literally had a stomach ache after I left the doctors office. But after about an hour I felt fine.

So, I go back to the doctor on Friday for another ultrasound. to see how my follicles are growing, I will keep you updated!