Pregnant in a Dish!!

I received the call from my IVF coordinator that 20 of my 21 eggs were mature, and 11 of them fertilized with ICSI.  We are so thrilled.  We were hoping that 10 would fertilize to give us something to work with, and 11 is even better!! We are officially pregnant in a dish; I cannot believe it!!  The embryologist is going to call us with an update on Saturday morning to let us know how our little embryos are doing.  I will be happy if we have 2 to transfer on Monday, but hoping we’ll have more to put on ice in case this first round doesn’t work, or for some siblings down the road.  Please keep our little embies in your prayers!! Love you all!

21 Eggs!

My egg retrieval went really well this morning; they retrieved 21 eggs!  We will find out tomorrow how many of them were mature, and how many of them fertilized.  I don’t remember too much about the procedure, but it wasn’t too bad.  Having Anthony with me was the best! He said I was funny when I was first coming off of the anesthesia because I kept waking up and going back to sleep, telling him about a new dream I had each time I woke up.  We’re back at home now, and I’m feeling sore and achy.  Thank God for the world’s best husband, he’s taking good care of me, and just went out and got me Dairy Queen!  Hopefully I’ll be feeling back to normal in the next few days.  My embryo transfer is scheduled for Monday, and my pregnancy test will be July 20^th!! I’ll update you guys again tomorrow with the fertilization report!

Here are some pre-surgery photos from this morning:

Update: Egg Retrieval Scheduled!!

On Sunday we made the trip up to Birmingham before the butt crack of dawn.  Fortunately, the long trip was worth it because we received the news that my follicles were progressing and my progesterone and estradiol were in the range that they needed to be.   The only bad thing was that she said I would have to return on Monday for another checkup.   This was only bad news because returning Monday meant I would have to drive to Birmingham again since the Mongomery office is closed on holidays. Another six hours of driving in one day!  

The repeat buttcrack of dawn drive was not fun, but I found out that my 18 follicles were ready to be triggered for egg retrieval on Wednesday.  I was instructed to take my trigger shot of HCG at 9:15 last night, 36 hours prior to my retrieval.  I was super nervous because the shot was an intramuscular injection, with a 1.5 inch needle.  I sucked it up and let Anthony stick me in the butt.  It didn’t hurt going in, but it really hurt while he was injecting.  It felt like he was moving the needle around inside my muscle, even though he wasn’t!  My butt is still sore! I am NOT looking forward to the progesterone in oil shots that I will have to daily; they are also intramuscular shots.  EEEEEK!!

So here we are, it’s Tuesday night and we’re at a hotel in Birmingham (third trip up here in three days).  At the last minute this afternoon, Anthony received approval to take me to my egg retrieval.  We didn’t think they would even consider letting him out of class, so we’re so thankful they did.  My surgery is scheduled for 9:15am, and Anthony has to report back at 2:30pm.  It will be cutting it super close, so let’s hope he makes it back on time.  I’m getting kind of nervous!  The fact that I had to give myself an enema definitely didn’t help with the nerves!  I guess multiple daily shots were not enough; enemas have been added to the list of requirements for optimal baby making.  Anthony must be thankful again tonight that he’s not a woman. 

Please pray that we’ll get some mature eggs out my 18 follicles tomorrow, and that some of them fertilize!  I will update you tomorrow night when the anesthesia wears off!

Here is a photo of the small needle I was using for lupron and stims, compared to the one I had to use last night, and that I’ll start using daily for progesterone injections. 

Stim Day Six

Today was stim day six, and the first appointment to check on my follicles.  I was super nervous all week that we’d go in and they’d tell us that I was responding too quickly (mature eggs take at least 8 days of stims), or that I wasn’t responding at all.  I was elated when the nurse practitioner said I was right where I should be!  She counted 10 sizeable follicles in my right ovary, and 8 in my left.  She said others could possibly catch up, but the 18 are looking good.  Another nurse practitioner (my favorite) walked in during the ultrasound, and said “You’re doing so good, Girl!”  Anthony grabbed my hand at that moment, and we were both filled with happiness.  You would have thought we were looking at a baby on that ultrasound screen, not just a bunch of follicles that may be eggs.

After our appointment, I got the call that my blood work came back good as well; my progesterone was .8, and my estradiol was 647.  I was instructed to continue on my current dose of meds tonight, and tomorrow night.  My next appointment is Sunday morning in Birmingham.  We normally go to Montgomery for appointments, but they’re closed on weekends, so we’ll be leaving our house at 4:30am on Sunday to make the trip to Birmingham!   

We’ve just about mastered the stim meds! We have the mixing down, and Anthony has become a pro in making sure he gets all of the medicine into the syringes, with absolutely nothing left in the little medicine jar (this is a very complicated task!).  I have many bruises on my tummy, but most of them don’t hurt.  I am just starting to notice bloating, but I did eat a huge dinner, so I’m not sure I can blame it all on the meds!  I’m expecting that the bloating will continue, and worsen over the next few days as my follicles and ovaries get larger.

Coming into this, I was scared to death, and thought there was no way I would be able to do all of these injections.  It’s odd to think now that they have become more of a nuisance, than a fear.  I think the most difficult part of IVF is that you have so little control over the entire process, and the outcome.  You can do everything you’re told, but no matter how perfectly you do them, you cannot control how your body reacts.  Each milestone means so much, and makes you so proud, but you are immediately left with the next waiting period.  You leave every appointment with a new sense of uncertainty, with no way of guaranteeing that things won’t go haywire by the next checkup.  You just have to keep hoping, believing, and praying that it’s going to work out.  That this time, it’s your turn to be blessed with a baby.

This song has been on repeat this week…

Randy Houser- In God’s Time

In God's time
A million years might only be a single day
And everything He does gets done His own way
In God's time

And in God's time
You'll find that certain someone you've been praying for
And they'll be everything you dreamed of and a little more
In God's time

Oh, but no one knows
Not you or me
It might be tomorrow or it might never be
Oh, but don't lose faith
Put it in His hands
'Cause it might be that He might have a bigger plan
Than you had in mind
Miracles happen
In God's time

And in God's time
You'll finally get the chance to hold your baby girl
And all the sudden everything'll make sense in this crazy world
In God's time

Oh, but no one knows
Not you or me
It might be tomorrow or it might never be
Oh, but don't lose faith
Put it in His hands
'Cause it might be that He might have a bigger plan
Than you had in mind
Miracles happen
In God's time

And In God's time
You go to sleep and wake up with wings and learn to fly
And you finally meet your loved ones on the other side
In God's time

Suppression Check Update!!

I am beyond happy to report that my suppression check went great on Friday! There were no cysts, my endometrium was thin, and my estradiol was at a 51 (supposed to be anywhere under a 100).  Anthony was able to come to my appointment and witness the vagina violation first hand…I think he left feeling thankful that he’s not a woman. 

We had already planned a weekend trip to the beach, but the good news made the trip so much more enjoyable!  I can’t get my body temperature too hot while doing IVF, so I spent my time reading under an umbrella, or in the water!  The beaches are so beautiful here; Anthony and I talked a lot about how we hope to bring our kids here often for family vacations.

We’re back at home now, and we just finished injections for my first night of stimulation medicine!  I had anxiety all weekend about these dang meds!  For stims, I am taking two different medicines: Follistim, and Menopur.  Some people inject them in two different shots, but my doctor said they could be mixed, so that it’s only one injection.  The mixing was a little confusing, and we questioned what we were doing a million times, but we finally did it!  I have heard that the Menopur stings really bad, but it didn’t burn at all.  Maybe the mixing helped?!  I am also still taking Lupron, but the dosage is now half of what it was before.  With two shots a day, I’m hoping that I don’t run out of places on my tummy to inject!

My next appointment is this Friday.  We will be checking to see how many follicles I have, and how big they are.  I am expecting to be very bloated over the next 10 days, as my ovaries are going to be housing so many (hopefully) growing follicles. 

I’ll keep you updated; thank you for your continued prayers! xo

Progestrone Results Are In!!

Anthony got to come with me to my appointment yesterday, and it turned out that I only had to give blood.  I think we were in clinic for a total of five minutes!  I was just happy that the ladies in the office didn’t have to wonder if my husband was imaginary anymore!  Anthony’s little sister, Alicia, is visiting so we made the hour and half drive to the doctor worthwhile by shopping and getting lunch before we headed back home. 

After each appointment, the nurse will either call, or leave a message on my patient voicemail with the test results, and next steps.  I think I checked my patient voicemail a hundred times yesterday, and finally heard “You have one new message” around five o’clock yesterday evening.  My heart started beating really fast as I prepared to hear bad news, but instead I got great news!!  My progesterone was just above eight, and they needed it to be six or higher!  

So, I started Lupron again last night!  The anxiety of injections started all over again.  The shot ended up being pretty easy; I looked away while Anthony pricked me, and barely felt the needle go in.  The strange thing was that immediately afterward, I had a big knot inside my tummy where the injection was.  Swelling is a side effect, but one I didn’t have last time.  With the last round of Lupron I would get one small bump on the surface of my skin, like a mosquito bite, and it would itch for a half hour or so.   The bump from last night is now gone, but the area is still tender, and I’m sure a bruise will appear soon.  At least I won’t forget where the last shot was, so I know not to inject in the same spot!

I go in for my suppression check (when my cycle got cancelled last time) next Friday, June 24^th.  I am going to try not to get my hopes up, but remain positive at the same time.  If everything is okay at my suppression check, then I will start my stimulation meds on Sunday, June 26^th. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers; we need them more than ever!! We appreciate and love you all so much!

 

Baseline Check Appointment

Hi Loves, I forgot to post an update after my last appointment!!  Everything went ok at my baseline check.  My estradiol and FSH were where they expected them to be at that point of my cycle, and my antral follicle count was somewhere around 22.  These are the resting follicles that have the potential to produce mature eggs with the stimulation drugs. 

My next appointment is on June 16^th; they will be checking my progesterone levels to ensure I’m at the right point in my menstrual cycle.  It’s called the Mid-Luteal phase.  If am, then I will start Lupron again that evening.  Lupron is the medication that shuts down your ovaries, and puts them at rest.  Please pray that I am able to start meds, and that they actually suppress my ovaries this time!!

I know this wasn’t the most exciting post, but thanks for reading, and for thinking about us!  I’ll update you again after my next appointment.