2WW Blood Work & Random Thoughts

I think every time I call the Dr. with a question regarding my medication/treatment he has me come in for blood work. Not that I mind getting more information about my hormone levels so I will have peace of mind through this LOOOONNNNNGGG wait!! My question was about taking Estrace so late because in my previous two cycles I had started taking it before the transfer and this time I was going to start it 6 days after the transfer. So he had me come in to check my Estridol and Progesterone levels.
In I went to have my blood drawn,I got one of the good blood drawing nurses, and was told that they had just got two positive pregnancy tests that day from difficult IVF cycles. That helped me feel more confident that things will end up differently this time around. She was saying that she had read that laughter helped you to conceive, I have been doing a lot of that by keeping myself busy with friends and family. I actaully have a long list of things I do "just in case" they make this one stick:
- lay/sleep only on my back & slightly elevated upper body
- smell my husband to get lots of Pheromones
- laugh
- No heavy lifting
- Limited bending over
- Walk slowly
- No bouncing
- Keep distracted
Pretty much if someone gives me a "theory" I do it "just in case".

Back to my blood work. The nurse called back and said to that my Estridol levels were low at 34 and my Progesterone levels were great at 33.92. I was told I needed to start taking 4mg of Estrace instead of 2 mg and to start immediately. I am hoping that this has not affected the implantation or upcoming implantation of these embryos. I got varying information of the internet on what were normal levels and it doesn't seem that it is too far off for someone not on Estrogen supplementation. I am going with everything will be fine.

Twinges

All day I have been feeling what you might describe as "twinges" or a "pinching" feeling on my left side. I am going to go with that it is those little embryos implanting, if not whatever it is just better knock it off!!

2 WW in Progress

I am three days into my 2 WW, and yes it is still as nerve racking as the other two IVF cycles. I have been trying to stay off the IVF chat groups and reading peoples worries because of course they become mine!! I did do a little research about 10 and 12 cell embryos and if that meant they were stronger than the normal 8 cell day 3 embryos. The 12 cell embryo is called a morula, the stage right before blastocyte, and the 10 cell embryo is an intermediate growing embryo. Both of these have higher implantation rates and are supposed to be, statistically, stronger embryos than the 8 cell. I will take that as this time is the lucky round of IVF!!

I have been laying around, flat on my back with my head raised higher than my feet so those embryos stay low in my uterus. I know they say once they are in there isn't much you can do except wait and pray that it will be successful. I am a bit paranoid that my one tube will suck those embryos right out of my uterus thinking they are foreign objects instead of expensive babies that I desperately want to stay put!! I have been minimizing the amount of time I am standing or sitting to make sure my uterus is calm and relaxed as well. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that these little embryos are growing and thriving in my uterus!!

Embryo Transfer

They are in!!! It was a bit different this time around in seeing the embryos than in Panama. The microscope is in this NICU looking bed so we could walk into the same room and actually look into the microscope to look at each one. There were 4 that were looking the most promising so we only looked at those since really there are 14 to look at. The embryologist had a sheet that has been tracking each embryo from fertilization that showed us how they have grown and changed each day, that was pretty cool to see. Of the 4 we had 2 A and 2 B grade embryos to choose from. The first A was a 12 cell with less than 5% fragmentation, the second A was a 10 cell with less than 5% fragmentation, the first B was a 6+2 (6 even sized cells + 2 smaller uneven sized cells) cell with less than 5% fragmentation and the second B was 4+4 cell with 15% fragmentation. It was pretty cool how the embryologist knew which embryo was where on the petri dish and I like how well he explained the qualities of each one to Mr. Explorer Bud and I. He showed us our name that was written on the petri dish and then each dot of liquid to the right of our name going clockwise was a different embryo. The other 10 embryos were varying degrees of B's and C's but were uneven cell sizes and/or fragmented. The embryologist said there is about a 10% chance the other 10 will freeze and if they have a fragmentation over 45% they will not freeze them. We find out in 2 days if any will freeze.
Getting back to the embryo transfer, talking with the Dr. and embryologist they suggested I put back the 2 A's and one of the B grade embryos due to my age, PCOS, Hypothyroidism, tubal pregnancy and past failures in IVF. I agreed and so we then got to pick between the two B's. Funny that we are choosing which embryo we will put back??!! That is IVF for you so weird but cool at the same time!! I was talking with some friends the other night and we were laughing because I know the exact process of how the female body produces follicles, eggs, ovulates, travels, fertilizes and attaches. I apparently went to reproductive school by being infertile, an expensive education!!
With the help of the embryologist we chose the 4+4 B grade embryo because it was a more evenly dividing embryo even though it had a higher fragmentation. The transfer itself went smoothly, the nurse commented that my lining was looking good since she could see it on the ultrasound clearly and the whole process was smooth and painless. I was worried that there would be some discomfort with my cervix but there was none. I get to be on bed rest for the next two days and modified bed rest the next two days, then ease into normal activity. I am feeling good about this transfer and the embryos we chose so I am feeling hopeful at this point.

Embryo Update

Mr. Explorer Bud once again got the phone call for the embryo update!! So I had to call to get more clarification on the report. We have 4 good embryos and 10 that have a lot of fragmentation and aren't growing as well. When I spoke with the Dr. he said that they will keep watching the 10 and if they make it to blastocyte stage they will freeze them and it means they are hearty embryos. Great that we have 4 good ones and a bit bummed that 10 are not doing well. I think you always want them all to be great and grow but I need to just remember the positive aspects of this cycle. Also, we may change the transfer day to this afternoon but we will have to wait and see how the embryos are growing.

Egg Retrieval

Yesterday was the Egg Retrieval at 8am. I was glad our time got moved up on Tuesday so I didn't have to wait around for the procedure. Mr. Explorer Bud got up and got to work with his sperm sample while I got ready for the procedure and took care of the dog. We hopped in the car right on time and zipped down to the Dr.'s office. The Dr. did an ultrasound to make sure that I hadn't ovulated yet and that everything looked good for the procedure. Then my nurse came in and took my vitals and asked me a bunch of questions about what I am allergic to and other health issues that may pose a problem being put under. I was then taken to the back room which was way more high tech looking than in Panama. In Panama it was the anesthesiologist, the Dr. and the Embryologist on a normal looking exam table. Here it was a bit intimidating the huge leg stirrups and arm pads where they tied my arms to (after I was out cold). I had my own nurse, the Dr., the Dr.'s nurse, the anesthesiologist and the embryologist.

I don't even remember getting the medicine to knock me out in the IV I just remember laying there and then waking up in the next room. So weird but I am very glad I get knocked out for the procedure. I have read that some Dr.'s don't put you under and how very uncomfortable it is, which with how sore my ovaries are right now it would be unpleasant!

We were able to get 15 eggs retrieved, 15!! Everyone was really surprised that there were that many in there. So we get to wait and see how many will fertilize and when our transfer date is.

I feel soo blessed that this cycle went from thinking about cancelling it due to poor response to 15 eggs retrieved. There has been some definite miracles and blessings here throughout this cycle. I am also amazed at the technology that we have to be able to conceive a child when otherwise there would be very little chance of us having a child of our own without adoption.

Retrieval is Scheduled

Today we had our 4th IVF appointment with the Dr. The eggs are looking great, we have one 18 mmm, 3-4 17 mm, 1 16 mm and 4 15 mm eggs. I took a shot of Lupron tonight at 8:30 and we will do the transfer 8:00 am Tuesday morning. I will POAS tomorrow morning to make sure that I have enough HCG in my system and if not I will need to take more HCG to make sure they can get the eggs on Tuesday.
I am feeling really excited because things are progressing and feeling like they are back on track. My lining is continuing to look great and the eggs are growing good so I feel positive about this cycle. I wonder if my body will do better because the cycle is longer, more like my natural cycle is. I have never had a 28 day cycle so maybe when doing IVF forcing my cycle to fit into that 28 days wasn't working for it. Who really knows but that is the only thing different this third time around, so I am hoping that will be a positive. Oh and tomorrow is my one day of no shots!! Tuesday I start up with the Progesterone shots which I am not looking forward to but I will just focus on the one day of no shots!!

Good News

Photo Credit

Today's appointment was a success!! The increase in Menopur worked and we have 6 good sized eggs that are large enough to be good candidates to retrieve. We have (1) 12, (2) 11, (2) 10 and (1) 9. To be ready to harvest they will need to be between 16 - 20 mm in diameter and they grow at about 1-2 mm per day. So if we do the retrieval Monday almost all the larger sized eggs will be good to take and fertilize. Let's just say I did a little dance once the Dr. left the room I was soo excited that we weren't going to have to cancel this cycle and start over. Mr. Explorer Bud is the Optimist of the partnership and he was full of "I told you so's" which I am perfectly fine with that he was right and I was being the Debbie Downer. Better than me being right!! So I will continue to take three vials of Menopur along with a shot of Repronex to keep me from ovulating, till Saturday morning when I have another ultrasound to see how they are developing and when we will have the retrieval.

Thank you for all your positive vibes, prayers and crossed limbs, I know it all was helpful!!

Appointment Disappointment

Welcome Bossy Bud, it is great to have you here!!

Today was our second IVF appointment where we were doing an ultrasound to check how the eggs were growing. Well...it seems I don't respond all that well to Clomid & Femara and my eggs are not growing. So we had two choices, cancel the cycle now or the next two days up my dose of Menopur and do another ultrasound Thursday to see if they have grown so we can retrieve them. I feel like banging my head against a wall!! We of course went with option 2 since who bails when you have a slight chance to get something out of the cycle. So we went home and Mr. Explorer Bud gave me 4 vials of Menopur in my rear. Luckily with some good numbing I didn't feel a thing. Really numbing does wonders when it comes to shots!! So I am keeping my fingers crossed that the eggs will grow so we can harvest them soon.

1st IVF Appointment

Today was our first appointment for the start of the IVF process. We did our baseline ultrasound and there were some follicles hanging out in the ovaries and no cysts. So off to a decent start. We did have to dialate my cervix which was quite the unpleasant experience. I am not sure why I didn't have to have that done the first two times but man am I glad I didn't. I wanted to throw up and pass out while trying to relax my uterus so my cervix would keep expanding. Next time I will drug myself heavily!!!

We went over the medication schedule, set up our second appointment for the 29th, got our needles and syringes and got my hip/butt marked for the Menopur injections. The Dr. said he felt they were absorbed better intramuscular instead of subcutaneous in the abdomen so sadly I will be getting more butt shots than I had hoped for but the Dr. did say they are supposed to hurt less that way as well. Can I really trust him to know that info??!!

I start Clomid and Femara tomorrow and then Menopur on Thanksgiving! I will be in rainy California for the rest of this week visiting with family so that will be good but a new twist of going through an IVF cycle doing normal life stuff.

Oh and we got to pay for the procedure, dilation and needles to a nice total of $4,710. So far with our medication costing $1,093 (I still need to purchase HCG shot and the Progesterone shots), the mini-stem IVF w/ ICSI $4,600 and cervix dilation $100 we are at $5,793. Not too bad, we will still need to pay $500 for the anesthesiologist, and the last two ultrasounds are $500 and any blood work so it will be interesting to see the grand total compared to Panama.

Med's Arrived

I received the majority of my medications in the mail the other day. I feel like I am mostly ready for this third round of IVF. We are doing a mini-stim cycle so it is more Clomid and less injectionables but it is still pricey over in the US!! In Panama we paid about $1,200 for the full round of injectionables, progesterone, Clomid and all the miscellaneous pills I was blessed to take!!

I am done with BCP's tomorrow and Progresterone pills which is good because my body is whollly confused. I have been spotting the past three days and have had to start taking a double dose of BCP's to prevent AF from coming too early. I have been really crampy and feeling bloated which I will be glad will be over in a few days as well.

My first appointment for the start of this cycle is this Monday. I am going to really go over ways we can ensure my lining is up to par and that we are taking all available measures, since that is something I have a "feeling" is part of the problem that those embryo's aren't sticking.

Medications Purchased

Congratulations Buttercup Bud and your wonderful birth! What a great story to get to read!!

I made the purchase of the majority of my medications from an online pharmacy in England called IVFmeds.com. I saved about $1,200 from going through them but I do have to wait 2 weeks before they arrive. I am going to get the HCG, progesterone shots and Femara, I think, through my local pharmacy who seems to have competitive rates. My first appointment is the 21st and then I will start the medications the on the 22nd. I am excited to get going but truthfully really scared it isn't going to work again and I am not sure I am ready for another BFN or ectopic for that matter!! I guess that isn't any reason not to go forward but I don't think I can be truly optimistic about this round after two failed rounds, pretty much a successful one will be the only thing to make me hopeful! Oh the many joys of IVF, it takes the joy out of trying to have a family!!!