IVF Cycle #1 Break Down

Some people think a IVF Cycle is easy and takes no time or no effort.... WRONG.  It is 1,000% emotional,exhausting, frustrating, and many other things.  I am not going to sit here and act like it the hardest thing that one will do in life because it isn't but it's close enough.  It takes a lot of time, pain, traveling to the doctors office (mine is over an hour away one way), pills, inserts, injections, patience and most importantly support.

I'm going to break down this cycle for you so some can see what it really takes.  It is lengthy but it is reality for some of us that this is what it takes to have a baby or babies!

Summary:
19 BC Pills
13 Injections.. 12 done in my stomach by myself or husband
7 Endometrin Inserts....77 more to do
6 DR visits for B/W
6 U/S
1 Egg Retrieval with 14 eggs :D :D :D :D
8 Fertilized Eggs :D :D :D :D
1 soon to happen Embryo Transfer
1-2 soon to happen blood  pregnancy test
Ovarian Hyserstimulation Syndrome which at this time is mild.
THIS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT SOME HAVE TO DO!!!

Here is a complete history of our IVF Cycle #1 from start to Monday. 

IVF Cycle #1
6/19 Consult with my Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE)
6/22-6/27 AF came to visit
6/24 Day 3 B/W
                   E2 29
                   FSH 9.6
                   TSH 3.10
                   Prolactin 8.0
6/26 Start Junel Fe Birth Control Pills
6/28 B/W
                   Chickenpox, Measles- Immune
                   Cystic Fibrosis
                   Ab, RBC w/ REFL Titer
                   RPR
                   HIV 1/2
                   HepB Core Ab Total
                   HCV Ab
                   HBsAG Screen
                   ALL OF THE ABOVE TEST WERE NEGATIVE OR NON REACTIVE
                   TSH 2.16
                   ABO Group O
                   Rh Factor +
7/14 Stop Junel Fe
7/15 Suppression Check via B/W & U/S
                   E2 <25.0
                   U/S RT Ovary normal values
7/17 Aunt Flo came to visit again
7/19 Gonal-F subQ injection

7/20 Gonal-F subQ injection
7/21 Gonal-F subQ injection
7/22 Gonal-F subQ injection
7/23 Gonal-F subQ injection
7/24 B/W & U/S
                    E2 173.2
                    U/S RT Ovary Follicles
                    R1 12.7mm
                    R2 8.62mm
       Gonal-F subQ injection
7/25  Gonal-F subQ injection
7/26 B/W & US
                     E2 320.7
                     LH 0.6
                     U/s RT Ovary Follicles
                     R1 13.92mm
                     R2 12.32mm
                     R3 10.98mm
                     R4 11.33mm
7/26 Gonal-F subQ injection
7/27 Gonal-F subQ injection
        Ganirelix subQ injection

7/28 Follistim AQ subQ injection
        Ganirelix subQ injection

7/29 B/W & U/S

                     E2 702.3

                     LH 0.5

                     U/S RT Ovary Follicles

                     10 viable follies seen and are ready to go :)

        hCG Trigger shot given at 1900

 

7/30 A MUCH NEEDED BREAK FROM PILLS, B/W, U/S AND INJECTIONS :)

7/31 Egg Retrieval (ER)

                     14 eggs retrieved

                     13 viable

         Start Endometrin Progesterone Vaginal Insert

8/1 8 FERTILIZED EGGS were confirmed

         Start Endometrin 3 times a day, 8 hours apart

8/2 Endometrin TID

8/3 Endometrin TID 

8/4 Endometrin TID

       Phone call to confirm Embryo Transfer(ET) for following day.  Find out how many Blastocysts

       we have. Receive further instructions.

8/5 Embryo Transfer

As you can see this isn't an overnight process.  It takes time.  Everything is precisely planned out prior to even starting.  The doctors obviously tweak things if they need too.  I had to have an extra dose of FSH to make my follicles mature faster overnight and it worked :D  

Monday is only 3 days away..YIKES.... Thankfully John is able to go with me.  It is going to be amazing to look at the ultrasound screen and see the fluid containing our babies be injected into my uterus.  Between 12-14 days after the transfer we will do a BhCG test.  If it is positive we will do another one a few days later to make sure my hCG levels are continuing to increase.  It may test positive even if it doesn't take because of the hCG trigger shot.  I am still getting a positive when I take a pregnancy test.  Yes, I am taking a test every morning to see that line fade so I can hopefully see a more solid line in a few weeks :)  The line is actually almost gone :) 

Well ladies and possible gents that is what a IVF cycle looks like.  I know it is a lot to take in but we are still processing it all even now.  

Well until next time....

Egg Retrieval and Zygotes

I am going to try to make this short and sweet considering I was told to immediately leave work and go home and rest today.  I am showing signs of Hyperstimulation :(  I will be okay I just need to drinks lots of electrolytes, eat massive amounts of protein and rest.  I can so do that :)

Yesterday was the retrieval.  John did his thing and then they started on me.  Once I was under sedation the used the ultrasound wand to guide a 12 inch needle into my vagina and pierced the vaginal wall.  They guided the needle up to my ovary and aspirated my eggs.  Sounds painful right??  I'm very thankful I was knocked out for that part.  After about an hour after the procedure we left.  I was craving bacon so I had a BLT... It was so amazing then again I hadn't had for in over 15 hours so I think anything would have been good.

Today I got a glorious call from the nurse.  Here is what she said we had:
 14 Eggs Retrieved ( a HELL of a lot more than expected!!!!!!)
13 Viable Eggs (1 was no where close to being mature)
1 Non Viable Egg
AND HERE COMES THE BEST PART........
8 FERTILIZED EGGS (Zygotes)

That's right we have 8 potential babies in the lab right now.  I am so happy I've been crying on and off all day!!!  They haven't been graded yet but they said the looked great so far!!  Tomorrow they will be graded on quality and they will decide what is best for the eggs a Day 3 Transfer or a Day 5 Transfer!

We are so happy and excited!  Things got really, Really, REALLY REAL with that phone call.  Now anything can happen between now and tomorrow tot the eggs but we are hopeful all 8 will survive!  Here is a picture of what developing embryos look like from the time of fertilization to the time of transfer:

Day 0- Eggs are retrieved and sperm is introduced
Day 1- The egg is officially fertilized and it is now called a zygote!

Day 2- The zygote starts to divide and replicate. The embryos has now become a 4-cell embryo. This is the stage some embryos will be frozen at.

Day 3- It is now an 8 cell embryo

Day 4- They call this Morula. This is the stage right before blastocyst.  At this stage it is around 12-30 cells that have developed. It is at this stage that the sac around the embryo starts to disintegrate in preparation for blastocyst.

Day 5- Blastocyst stage!! This is the great day when they do the transfer. There are less than 100 cells at this point and it is almost ready to implant in the uterus lining. The cells are breaking out of the sac. Within the blastocyst there are 2 types of cells. There is an inner cell mass that will soon begin to divide rapidly and develop into the fetus. The outer mass will eventually turn into the placenta. 

Hopefully tomorrow we will get wonderful news like we did today :D  Prayers that our fertilized eggs will continue to grow like they are supposed to would be appreciated! 

Until next time.....

 

Update and Retreival

It has been VERY HECTIC around here to say the least!  Here is what has been going on:

6/26-7/14 Birth Control
7/15 Blood work and ultrasound--everything looked great
7/17 Period started
7/19-7/23 Gonal-F Injections
7/24 Blood work and ultrasound-- 2 follicles seen and everything looks great
7/24-7/25 Gonal-F Injections
7/26 Blook work and ultrasound-- 4 follicles seen.  My ovary was hiding behind my uterus and was getting caught in my intestine....yuck!  Doctor was concerned that it may stay like that until the time of retrieval.
7/26 Gonal-F Injection
7/27 Gonal-F Injection and Ganirelix Injection
7/28 Follistim Injection and Ganirelix Injection
7/29 Blood work and ultrasound-- 6-7 follicles seen and  my ovary wasn't hiding :)  After reviewing the ultrasound they confirmed I have 10 follicles ready to be retrieved!!!!  All of my hormones are where they need to be as a well :)
7/29 hCG Injection

With that said my EGG RETRIEVAL IS JULY 31!!!!!!  That's right in less than 2 days :D :D :D :D :D So, Wednesday John and I will go to Massachusetts.  He will do his stuff and then I will be put to sleep while they aspirate my follicles.  The following day I will be called and told how many follicles survived fertilization.  The doctor will then decide if a Day 3 or Day 5 Embryo Transfer will be best for us.  After the transfer we will wait 12-14 days before doing a blood pregnancy test.  We will have to do two test since I am using hCG to cause ovulation tonight.

I am so excited, nervous, scared, thankful and so many other things.  I can't believe that this time has come.  We weren't sure if we would ever get here and we did!!  Going from 4 follicles to 10 has improved my positive attitude even more :)

Without this technology we would  not be given the opportunity right now to have a baby.  While some believe we should just rely on God sometimes you have to do what you think is right at the time.  This is right for my husband and I.  My tube may eventually be cleared but it may not happen before my egg reserve is gone.

Please keep in mind while the burning question will be...Did your IVF cycle work??? we will not be announcing it to the world until we are out of the first trimester. I will be a High Risk Pregnancy and things sadly do happen that we can not control.  I do not want to announce a pregnancy and something happen.  Please respect that.  This has been a very emotional and painful journey for us.  

I will post again either after the ER or after the ET.  Please keep us in your thoughts and or prayers!

Until next time....

IVF Scheduled

I haven't updated this blog in a while.  I apologize.  Things have been very hectic around here.  I was also waiting on the right time to announce some BIG news(no sadly I am not pregnant)!!

John and I are very blessed to have such wonderful, loving, caring, kind and generous family and friends.  Due to these amazing people we have been able to pay for IVF and the medication a lot sooner than originally thought.  Everything is paid for :)  I have my IVF Protocol which is the OCP Antagonist Protocol.  Thankfully no Lupron is needed since I just came off of it.

On June 26, I started Junel Fe which is a birth control pill.  I know some are wondering why you would take BC while trying to get pregnant.  It was used to make sure I did not ovulate during last months cycle.  This past Monday I had a suppression check.  It consisted of blood work and a ultrasound.  All of my hormones were perfect and I actually had healthy follicles in my ovary :) :)  I stopped the bc later that day.  Since I was able to stop the BC and I am suppressed I was able to order my medications yesterday and they were delivered today.  I should be starting the injections and inserts this Friday.  Yes, as in 2 days...YIKES!!!! I wasn't expecting such a large box or this many items but in the end it will be worth it!  I have to admit when I opened this I got scared and overwhelmed!

 

 I will be on the following:
-Gonal-F 900IU Pen x3 (each have 4 days worth of meds)
-Ganirelix 250MCG/0.5ML x5
-hCG 10,000IU
-Endometrin Vaginal Insert x84

The Gonal-F is a Follicle Stimulating Hormone(FSH) which will regulate the growth and development of my eggs.  The Ganirelix will help prevent premature luteinizing hormone(LH) surges so I do not ovulate.  The hCG will induce the final maturation of my eggs prior to my retrieval.  The Endometrin contains the hormone Progesterone.  The Progesterone will prepare the lining of my uterine lining for implantation. 

So Friday, I start the medication and 3-4 days later I go back for more blood work and another ultrasound.  HERE IS THE BIG NEWS.....10-12 DAYS AFTER I START MY MEDICATION WE WILL DO THE RETRIEVAL!!! THAT MEANS WE COULD DO IT AS EARLY AS JULY 29.  THE TRANSFER WOULD BE 2-4 DAYS AFTER THE RETRIEVAL!  THAT'S RIGHT I COULD BE PREGNANT BY THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST!!!!!  I will have dates next week at my next appointment.

10-12 days after the transfer I will do a BhCG to see if I am pregnant.  Now due to the fact I will getting the hCG trigger shot I will have to do at least 2 BhCG test to ensure it is actually a pregnancy and not the medication.  If I become pregnant then I will continue a Progesterone regiment for the next 8-12 weeks to keep the uterus from contracting.  I am more prone to have a miscarriage due to past health but I will be monitored very closely.  I will be a High Risk Pregnancy.

Please know that if I become pregnant that I will NOT be announcing it to the world until after the first trimester.  I want to be at a point were I am less likely to miscarry.  I hope you all can try to understand.

Needless to say we are so blessed to be given the oppurtunity to start this adventure.  I will admit I am very excited, nervous, overwhelmed, elated, scared and a ton of other emotions.  However, I know that if it is meant to be this will work!  John and I are so grateful to have so many wonderful people that care about us and are here for us no matter what.

Well, until next time.......

Please send prayers, positive thoughts and baby vibes our way!  We are in need of them. This is a very emotional time right now not that it hasn't already been emotional.

Navigating Our Way to a Baby

 I never thought that at 24 I would be told that I needed to do IVF to have a family.  It is heartbreaking to hear that you having something like this wrong with you.  By that I mean Endometriosis, and a blocked tube.

We are finally at that road that we have waited for.  We have decided to do IVF.  We are shooting for October.  While we are OH SO VERY EXCITED, we are worried about coming up with $10,000-$12,000.  Our insurance does not cover anything for IVF.  This is a package that we are going to be doing if we can raise the rest of the money.  We are going to pay the same price for 2 transfers that some pay for one.  We are very fortunate that my doctor is able to provide this kind of package for us.  I have set up a donation page with youcaring.com.  The web address is:
https://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/navigating-our-way-to-a-baby/67847
 
Feel free to share this post or the donation page information.

We need to be able to pay 75% up front before the beginning of September.  September I will start all the hormone injections, testing and everything else I have to do before the egg retrieval and sperm harvest.  In October will be the actual transfer.  I will know by the end of October if I AM PREGNANT OR NOT.  If the first cycle doesn't work then we will do the second with no additional cost. 

I have gone back and forth for weeks now on if we should do this donation page or not.  Some have told me time after time that they don't know what to say to us or what they can do to help.  Well, if your able to help our dreams come true we would be forever grateful for your contribution.  If your not able to donate that is okay.  We understand times are hard.  Just be there and be supportive.  This has been a very stressful, and emotional time not just for myself but for my husband.

Well until next time........

P.S. We appreciate all of your support, donations, thoughts, prayers, and kindness more than you will ever know!

The Climb

I made a "Infertility Playlist" in itunes so I could listen to it when I was down in the dumps with everything going on.  Recently it was playing while I was driving.  Miley Cyrus' The Climb came on.  I was listening to the lyrics and it hit me.  This song is so PERFECT for our situation and others like myself.  It says everything that we feel, think and want to say.  Let me break it down for you verse by verse: 

 

"I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying "You'll never reach it" Every step I'm taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking"

 ----John and I are moving forward in most aspects toward having our own family.  We have been dreaming about this for almost a year now.  Granted we knew we eventually wanted children one day, we weren't planning on having these problems.  There is a voice inside my head and words from others saying we aren't doing the right thing and that it won't work out for the best.  There has been one issue after another in this almost year long journey with infertility and 4 year battle with Endo.  My faith is shaking so is my strength, courage and commitment to this battle we are facing.

   

"But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb"

----I need to be strong and positive not just for John and I, but for the others that are suffering like we are.  I can not give up.  We have come too far to just quit!  There is always going to be a "Negative Nancy", or obstacle in the way.  That is just the way it is.  Rather if its finances, surgery, thyroid problems or something else.  Some think we just want to do this and do it now.  Yes, that would be awesome but in reality it isn't going to happen over night :(  It WILL happen someday.  Remember, my biological clock is ticking a lot faster than most.  However it is about what is waiting on the other side.  This journey has pushed us apart and pulled us back together again.  This "Climb" is very hard and sometimes it is hard to continue. 

 

"The struggles I'm facing The chances I'm taking Sometimes might knock me down But no, I'm not breaking I may not know it But these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going And I, I got to be strong Just keep pushing on" 

----We are taking a risk by putting my body through all of these tests, surgeries, and treatments.  They all have deffienetly have knocked me down.  I have broken down but I Keep Calm and Chive On :P  I am going to remember how this journey has brought John and I closer, pulled us apart, our families support, our friends support and that this blog has helped women around the world.  My story has been read in over 16 countries by people from all walks of life.  I have to keep pushing forward and fight this ugly battle and know I CAN DO THIS!! 

 

"'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah! There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah! Keep on moving, keep climbing Keep the faith, baby It's all about, it's all about the climb Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa" 

----Believe me John and I will NOT give up!  We have a dream and it will come true one day.  One day we will have a beautiful family no matter how it happens.  This Climb has been a test for us.  So far we are passing.  I do not know how I would survive this without such an amazing support group. We are hoping, dreaming, keeping the faith, and saving for our "One Day".  We are not breaking <3

Until next time.... KEEP THE FAITH :)

Endocrinology and Other Appointment Updates

At the beginning of May I went to my first Endocrinology appointment.  It was awful.  The doctor would not listen to anything I had to say and rushed me right out.

I asked her about my fluctuating TSH levels and IVF.  She said go for it even though my TSH is all over the place.  Your TSH has to be under control to be a candidate for IVF.  This did not make me very happy.  She diagnosed me with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis even though my TSH is not too low.  I demanded medication to help some of the side effects I've been having.  She didn't want to help me.  She told me I was fat and needed to lose 20-40 pounds in the next 6 months and if I don't she will medicate me to do so.  This didn't make me happy.  The list of things that happened during this appointment goes on but I will move on.  I started Synthroid and started having "all day sickness". 

I went to my PCM a week after my Endocrinology appointment.   He was not thrilled with how that appointment went.  He said that the nausea was normal for my new medication and it should hopefully go away.  During his exam I was diagnosed with arthritis, shin splints, a sprained ankle and possible Sciatica.  They did x-rays and an ultrasound.  The ultrasound was done to look for possible hernias.  The ultrasound was negative and I find out the x-ray results this Friday.  They did say I could have pelvic adhesion's from my surgeries and that could be causing the pain.

I had some allergy test done and had a delayed rare reaction to mold.  Anyways, the Allergist said there is a link between my crazy sensitive skin and Hashimoto's.  So I have some new information on my allergies.  This is great :)

I had to go back to my PCM because I am not digesting my food properly, and having nausea and vomiting.  I swear if it isn't one thing it is 50 million more.  I did an x-ray and on Thursday I have a CT scan to check for blockages and hernias.  I may have Celiac Disease as well.  

I go for my second opinion with a new Endocrinologist on June 19th.  She is also an OBGYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist so she can help me in many ways.  She is trained in advanced tubal obstruction surgery as well.  Maybe she can take a look to see if she can clear my tube.  That would be awesome!!!!  I have been looking more into adoption so we have a better picture for both IVF and Adopting.  We will have to do some soul searching, have more medical questions answered, and save a lot of money before we can do either. 

Next post will be about my feelings towards IVF, adoption and how in the world we will pay for it.

Until next time.....

Pregnancy to Miscarriage to Years of Suffering

Well, this post is about something I don't really share with many people.  When I was 19 I had a miscarriage.  I finally realized that I shouldn't be ashamed of it, that it is part of me, and it is still causing pain.  Here is my story.........

I got pregnant at 19 years old.  I found out on April 1st.  Everyone thought it was an April's Fools joke but it was not.  I started having sharp pain in my side and I called my doctor I had then.  He said it could be ectopic and go to the ER, they would be waiting for me.  So I did what he told me to do.  Sure enough I was pregnant and I was around 7-8 weeks pregnant.  I didn't know what to say or think besides I had to take responsibility for my and my then boyfriends actions.  They did an ultrasound and they said they could not see anything in the uterus but they could see something around my tube.  They said it was ectopic before looking any further.  They gave me a double dose of Methotrexate.  They said they would test my hCG levels in two days to see if the drug was working or not.

April 3, 2009 I went and had lab work done.  I got a call within an hour after having my blood drawn saying the medicine wasn't working and my hormones were rising.  I had to have an Emergency Laparotomy so the "ectopic" pregnancy didn't force m tube to rupture.  I was scared, nervous and a little relived in a odd way.  I wasn't ready to have a baby by no means, but I had too.  I went into surgery and finally woke up in the recovery room.  I was in so much pain it wasn't even funny.  I finally saw the doctor and he told me I was going to have a baby!!!  I think every curse word came out of my mouth!  I went into surgery thinking I would wake up and not be pregnant anymore, instead I woke up and still was!  I was in total shock.  I had to stay a few nights in the hospital.  They told me I would still most likely have a miscarriage.  I was more more afraid of the miscarriage than the thought of having the baby.  I didn't know what to expect or what to do.  I was given medication to take once I started to bleed to produce contractions so I would pass everything on my own.

A week and a half later, I woke up with mild cramps and then I started bleeding.  IT WAS MY WORST NIGHTMARE!!!  The pain and bleeding lasted hours.  Finally, it was over.  I remember how heartbroken I was.  Imagine looking at that an thinking that was just inside of you, and was to be a beautiful baby.  It was anything but beautiful. 

Every time I see my scar across my stomach I am reminded of the pain, heartache, and horror that took place.  I think what life would be like if I didn't have a miscarriage.  I didn't loose a blob of tissue... I lost my baby!

It breaks my heart that I got pregnant with a guy I couldn't stand, and now I am unable to have children with my husband without help from science.  I do my best not to beat myself up about this but at times it is hard.  John and I have been through a lot and we have a lot more to go through before the "happy road". 

It is believed that the surgery to remove what they thought was an ectopic pregnancy caused my endometrial tissue to escape the uterus and cause my Endometriosis.  They also think it may of caused my tube to become obstructed.  They are looking into what was done.  

Remember, life is precious and your decisions have consequences.  I learned the hard way.

Until next time.......

HSG Nightmare and Options

On Wednesday I went and had my Hysterosalpinogram (HSG).  This was used to see if my right tube was still obstructed, if it had opened or see if they could open it. 

Things started like it normally would for an x-ray.  I got onto the table and laid down.  Then they start violating your lady parts.  My doctor numbed my cervix and the Radiologist came in to take the x-rays.  My doctor reminded me that there was a small chance that the Lupron had helped.  He also said it would hurt like Hell if the tube was still closed and the dye had nowhere to go. 

When we are all ready he started injecting the dye through the cervix and into the uterus.  he looked at me and said its about to hurt really bad!  Oh My Golly it hurt like HELL!!!  My left tube is sewn shut from my previous surgeries and my right tube is still obstructed.  There was a tiny portion of the tube that was open but it is right beside the uterus.

After the procedure was done and I was still in pain he started explaining things to me.  He did mention that after he reviews the films we could possibly do surgery to open the tube.  After the severe cramps started to get better I went home.

The next day I went to talk to my doctor.  I went thinking that he could do surgery and help us.  I was wrong on the surgery part, but he can help us.

I love my doctor  and he decided after reviewing the films that he would not operate to fix my tube.  He would have to do a major surgery to even attempt to fix it.  He would have to remove the upper corner of the uterus as well and reattach it.  This is very risky on many levels.  When you start cutting your uterus in pieces your risking never to be able to have a baby even with IVF. 

So no surgery and NO MORE LUPRON were decided to help improve my health.  I will have a period in about 1-3 months and it will probably be heavy, more clotting, and very painful.  So, if it turns out to be that way I will have Implanon implanted in my arm to help that.  We will see if my body has decided to ovulate via ultrasound and blood work after a few cycles.  The #1 thing that I have to do right now is get my thyroid under control!!!!

We also talked about how I feel and how things were going.  He said he has obviously seen people in our position before and  he opened up on what he thought about me.  He explained to me what he saw.  He said that I was thinking about right now and not my over all general and reproductive health!  I realized he was right.  It was hard to hear in some ways but I needed to hear it.  I mean our sex life has been based off of a calendar of when I should ovulate even though I know I don't ovulate.  It made me realize that I am making my husband suffer as well.  It is not fair for me to do this to him or to myself.  I have to think about what his needs are and my needs.  I have to think about our future,  getting myself health, and my reproductive health.  

At the end of the day IVF and Adoption are our only option.  It has caused us pain, heartache, and stress.  However, we will do what is best for our family.  We will one day have a beautiful family no matter how it happens.  

Until next time......

UCONN Appointment

On Thursday I went to UCONN.  I got good and not so good news. 

So, here we go.........

My Thyroid Antibodies are still increasing as my Thyroid starts to fail.  They are 24 times higher than the normal range.  My actual TSH is normal but is in the very low part of normal.  I am going be seeing an Endocrinologist so he can monitor my Thyroid and treat my symptoms.  I can start medication to replace Thyroid hormones once it actually fails. 

My fertility doctor wants me to have my HSG like my OB wants in a few weeks.  Everyone is very skeptical if the Lupron has done anything.  I have been advised to stop getting Lupron injections.  If it worked or at least helped and they can open the tube more we may be able to do an IUI.  That would be nice since it is a lot cheaper and less for us to go through.

IVF is going to actually be a little bit less expensive than we thought.  It will be about $10,000 for an entire cycle.  When we priced it out at other places it was between $15,000-20,000.  I will take $10,000 instead ;)  So that is excellent news.  John and I still need to discuss everything. 

I started the lab test to get the ball rolling just in case if we decide to do the IVF :) :) 

Now for the not so thrilling news.......

I have fluid in my uterus.  There is a chance that is side effect from the Norethindrone.  After I start cycles again they will look again to see if it is still there. 

My poor ovary was really small even for being suppressed.  It was smaller this time than what it was the last time I was on the Lupron. 

There was talk that there could be a chance that I don't have enough eggs :\ :\  We will have to wait for the Lupron to wear off to get a clearer picture. 

My doctor believes my pain I am having right now is being caused by hernias.  They believe the hernias are through the holes in the Peritoneum that supports the uterus.  So we have to wait and see what my PCM says.  If I do have them I will have to have them surgically removed.  

Needless to say John and I have lots to talk about and we also have a lot more waiting to do.  I appreciate all of y'alls support and prayers.  Thank you Bridget for going with me :)

Until next time.............