Lilypie

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Our Transfer Story

Our transfer went well yesterday and here are the specifics. We got there at 11:30am-- transfer scheduled for 1:45pm. I had to do a blood draw upon arrival to check my P4 (progesterone) and E2 (estradiol) levels. My levels came back last night and while my E2 was great at 697, my P4 was low at 3.7 (they want it to be 6). So, I am switching to PIO beginning this morning. Totally fine with me as I've had a really hard time with the supps. I had to go to the ER on Thanksgiving night due to having an acute bladder infection with lots of blood in my urine. I'm now on Keflex for the infection and am doing better, but needless to say, I'm glad to not be taking the supps anymore which I've felt horrible with since beginning them last Sunday. So, bring on the PIO lumpy butt (lol)!

We had acupuncture pre and post transfer. And I also got 10mg of Valium, so needless to say I was pretty relaxed when my transfer time finally rolled around. Thank goodness for sweet people-my ultrasonographer looked at my bladder and told me it was REALLY full and that I could go to the bathroom prior to the transfer. I don't remember feeling more "relieved" in my life. Between the bladder infection and drinking water to try to get my bladder full for the transfer, I was miserable.

Dr. Surrey then came in our room and informed us that both of our embryos survived the thaw at 100% and that both were already growing and hatching out of their shells after being thawed. Yeah! Then John (the embryologist) wheeled in a little incubator, just like you'd see in any hospital nursery, with our little embabies staying warm inside. I have to tell you that I'm a person who rarely cries, but I teared up at that sight. He also had a 20" monitor atop the incubator where he showed us their first pictures. I did cry then. They were just beautiful. We didn't take pictures for fear of the flash going off and disturbing them. John said that the little incision in the placental cells where they were biopsied for the genetic testing was the area they were now exploding out of and growing like crazy! Then, Dr. Surrey placed them inside my uterus. Transfer was complete.

We then spoke to John about the genetic testing results and we did find out the sexes-both were BOYS! So for now, I have 2 boys hopefully growing inside me. This is the furthest we've ever made it-5 day transfer with genetically normal blasts. I am in awe of them. Needless to say, we are so, so hopeful that this will be our turn. I am continuing my bedrest today, but all I can think about is our boys. Steve has named them Dallas (after his beloved boys-the Cowboys) and Denver (our new favorite place on the planet). So for now, that's what we're calling them I guess (lol).

Thanks again to each and every one of you for your amazing support. My beta is in a little over a week. I have a lot of anxiety already about it, so just know that I'll post something when I feel able to do so. For now, I want to focus on enjoying every moment of being pregnant with them.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

We arrived safely in Denver

We arrived on-time around 11am this morning in Denver. It is COLD, but it will be warming up over the next few days. The good news: we found somewhere that was open serving Thanksgiving dinner. The food was yummy and definitely hit the spot! Thanks Christi for the recommendation. For all current/future CCRM patients, it was Mimi's Cafe located off Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree. They also have a great looking breakfast menu!

We have to be at CCRM tomorrow around 11:30am. We have to sign consent forms, get my E2 and P4 b/w drawn, and I'm also doing acupuncture pre-transfer. We don't know which doc yet will be doing the transfer (I forgot to ask yesterday), but our transfer will take place at 1:45pm. Then, I'll be doing acupuncture post-transfer as well. Throwing in every chance possible for success here, so I didn't pass on the acupuncture.

We are both so excited! Hope all of you had great turkey days!!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Does my ticker really say 2 days???

And just like that, the time has finally arrived for our embabies to return home. I had my final bloodwork draw yesterday and my progesterone looked great at 12.8 (CCRM wants it above 6). I can't wait for our FET! So far, so good!

To answer a few of your questions: we are transferring our 2 normal embryos and plan on keeping our no result embie frozen. Hopefully, we will get pg this go around and maybe have a future pregnancy chance waiting for us with that little embie in the future. We are still waiting for CCRM to give us our transfer time and our assigned physician (Dr. Schoolcraft is not doing it, so that leaves one of the other docs).

And, the biggest question was the one I posed to you guys on my poll regarding finding out the embabies sex at the time of transfer. I think it's so funny that the results were split almost 50/50. So, we've decided to find out the sexes on Friday. I was originally against it mainly because I was afraid that if this didn't work out for us that I'd just be devastated even further by knowing that our 2 boys or 2 girls or boy/girl didn't implant. But, Steve kept pointing out that we'd be crushed either way, so why not just find out now? So, I let him win this one. He was really hoping more of you had voted "yes" to further support him, but he won just the same. Marriage is all about compromise, right?

I'm busy getting last minute stuff completed today. Hope all of you have a fantastic Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for your overwhelming support and reassurance. :-)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Buh-Bye Lupron, Hello Endometrin

That's right: today is my last shot of Lupron! Woo freakin' hoo!!! I had a good check-up yesterday with local RE. My uterine lining looked really good at 14.2mm (CCRM wants it >8 and <18) and my Estrogen was at 516 (needs to be >300). Sounds like my uterus is ready to accept some embabies! In 6 days!!

I begin the lovely Endometrin progesterone suppositories tomorrow at a 3 times per day regimen. If we get pregnant, then I get to continue them for a long time along with my fun estrogen patches. BTW, I gotta say thanks for the tips and laughs on the patch removal effort. From vodka to WD-40, I learned and laughed a lot. :-) I did purchase Johnson's baby oil to assist in the effort. It did help and I've combined it with the rubbing alcohol and soap regimen. Seems to be working.

I also begin the Medrol and Erthromycin tomorrow as well to prepare for the FET. My friend and I were laughing the other day about all of the meds we take--we could easily be mistaken for 80 year olds with all of these meds! But, hopefully they will be worth it at the end of this!

I'm trying to spend this weekend doing productive things like cleaning out the garage as I know I'll be put on lifting restrictions next Friday. I still haven't figured out how to do my job and not lift over 5 lbs, but I'm working on it. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!

I've been okay with the estrogen patches up until this morning. OMG. They really hurt when I have to take them off. A lot. I've been trying some tips like using alcohol to loosen them up while ripping them off. That still doesn't help much. Any other advice is greatly appreciated ladies!

I find it kinda laughable that I can give myself several shots a day from little needles to really freakin' big needles and not complain about them. I also haven't had problems with progesterone supps. in the past. So, why am I so tripped up with a topical patch? Who the heck knows.

I did advance up to 4 patches today. Nothing else to report until Friday.

On a side note, I really liked my ticker with the turkey. However, I just couldn't stand it being inaccurate anymore. I could not get it to give the exact date of my FET, so I had to replace it. No fun turkey, but it's a ticker that works properly. Okay, finished with OCD behavior for the evening.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Two weeks til Denver!

I had a blood draw earlier this week and my estradiol level was 60. Yay-they wanted it to be over 50. So, looks like we are on track. I've moved on to the 2 patches every other day part of the FET regimen. Doing okay with the change thus far...

Today is exactly 2 weeks from Thanksgiving and when we leave for Denver. Yippee! I'm excited and scared at the same time.

Finally, I'm adding a poll regarding our ability to find out the sex of the embryos. Because we did micro-array genetic testing, we are able to know the sexes of our transferred embryos as soon as the FET is complete. Steve and I are not able to come to an agreement on what we want to know at the time of transfer. So I would like to know what you girls would do if you were in this situation. Would you find out the sexes at transfer if they were your embryos?

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Hope

I vacillate from feeling hopeful to feeling scared. Hope is important and without it I know I could have never made it this far. I would describe myself as a tenacious, strong-willed individual who sets a goal and attempts to achieve it no matter how many times I may have to try to get there.

Everyone knows how much I want this. I'm an extrovert. It's been really, really hard not to talk about my quest for baby. All of our family and friends know, and after almost 2 years, lots of my customers know as well. Everyone knows. So what's the problem? Everyone knows. There will be no hiding if this IVF cycle fails. I don't want to think about failure. I really, really don't.

So, I'll keep thinking hopeful thoughts. The best news I've had all weekend? My dear friend, Christi, tested positive this weekend and got a fantastic first beta today. I could not be happier for her. We've become very close over the last year (wow, how time flies!). This was her IVF#3 and she had decided to to go to CCRM. After learning more about CCRM, I was thrilled she was taking a chance and cycling in Denver. She has been one month ahead of me since her first consult in May. I can't think of a more hopeful story than hers today. Obviously, her success is just that: her success. But, it gives me just a little more hope that miracles do happen. Maybe, hopefully, one can happen for us?

"There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow." Orison Marden

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Estrogen patches: Check.

I began my patches yesterday. So far, so good. Didn't fall off after my spinning class this morning or even my shower thereafter. Hope they all work this well.

Still doing the Lupron shots. I think I can officially say that I'm over Lupron. I think I've had enough. We need to go our separate ways. Our relationship just isn't working for me anymore. Seriously, my two months of no shots was really nice. I can endure the Lupron for a couple more weeks. I have to say that I truly have a real empathy for diabetic patients who have to endure daily insulin shots. Even though the needles are little, it's still a daily shot and therefore still sucks, in my opinion.

Think that's about it. My first estrogen blood draw is next Tuesday. I'm slowly getting around to catching up on some blog reading. Hope everyone is doing okay!

P.S. Those of you who selected Barack Obama as our next POTUS on my blog poll were correct. What a historic moment for all Americans. And on a much smaller (but important) level, the Colorado Amendment 48 did not pass! Therefore, embryos have not been granted "personhood" status, which ultimately lets the couple, rather than the government, decide what to do with their embryos.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Guess who showed?

LOL. Yep-AF arrived and so we are officially on track for our upcoming transfer. Weird thing is that she showed exactly today, when she was supposed to. That rarely happens for me. Oh well, I'll take it!

Got all my meds ordered. There was A LOT of extra stuff apparently I needed! Anyway, getting lots more Vivelle patches, Endometrin, Erythromycin, and Lupron syringes in the mail later this week. One would think that I would've had enough based on that ridiculous pic I posted of my IVF meds when they arrived back in August, but I guess not. I'm also hoping that I have to order lots more after a positive beta in December. :-)

So, I start with the estrogen patches on Wednesday and continue them every other day for a week. I've never experienced a patch before. I thought about going on Ortho Evra a few years ago, but decided to stick with my tried and true (BCPs). I always envisioned it falling off and then the "oh crap" happening. What a laugh remembering the long ago days when I thought I was actually fertile. My, oh my, how things change...

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Finished with BCPs and I added a poll...

That sure was a fast BCP stint! I took my last BCP last night! Woohoo! Hope the rest of my cycle milestones continue to fly by so quickly. Next up: AF needs to arrive in the next couple of days...

I'm adding a poll on over to the right hand side of the blog. I've always seen polls on other people's blogs, but I just never got around to adding one to my blog. Of course, I'll add one about our cycle in the near future, but in the spirit of the upcoming election, why not add a political poll. Will it rival Rasmussen or Zogby? Who knows, but we'll see on Wednesday morning.

Finally, I also added a live feed below to see where all of my blogger friends are chatting with me from. Thanks for commenting on my blog, ladies. I appreciate all the support!