It has been awhile since my last post. I should probably get better and this. We went ahead with the IVF this last month. It was a roller coaster for sure. We started our appointments to Salt Lake just like last time, and everything started out great. They were doing blood draws on me everytime I went in. The folicals were getting big (which I could have told them that, I was hurting so bad) to sit and stand was utterly painfully. But we got through it. We ended up going to Salt Lake 3 days in a row. Which wouldn't have been bad but I had to be in Kemmerer for Drill Team Tryouts. But it actually worked out we probably saved money. Since we didn't have to buy a hotel room. On the 3rd trip down the doctor told me that the lining was not thickening like it should and that we might have to stop and start over. They needed the lining to be about .5 mm thicker, then what it was. Nathan and I were like "I don't think so", we had dumped to much money already in and we didn't want to give up. So they told me to go home and take 800 mg of Vitamin E. Really Vitamin E! So I did just that, the next day when we went back, the lining had thickened 2 mm, which was amazing we were back on track!!! We were so excited!! That meant we didn't have to go back the next day and we could do retrival on May 19!! And they expected to retrive 15 eggs. For them to consider a foical mature it had to be an average of 17 to 20 mm around. I had 15 that big!!! Holy crap!!! We were so excited, but this now meant if we got more eggs we would need to consider freezing the embroyo. That night I had to take my final injection at 12:30am, we both were so exhausted. On Thrusday, May 19, we went for egg retrival!! It was the craziest thing. I have never been put out before, and this was to be my first. I remember the guy telling me you will start feeling it in 7 seconds, next thing I remember is waking up and it being all over. (which is kinda freaky) I mean what did they really do while I was out. lol Anyways they came in and told us they got 14 eggs. Which is really awesome!! Once I was able to get up, Nathan took me home I was to stay relaxed and take it easy. The ride home was horrible!! I don't know how I made it. For the next few days I was miserable, I hurt so bad, I think I layed on the couch for 3 days with a heating pad on my belly, but it was all worth it. On Friday I did get some bad news, of the 14 eggs they took out only 2 made it. We were really bummed but at the same time excited because they were going to put both back in, they those two were our little fighters. On Sunday May 22 we went back to Salt Lake for Transfer. Those of you who have been pregnant know that some ultrasounds you have to have a full bladder, well I am here to tell you a full bladder with over stimulated ovaries completely sucks. When they did the transfer which Nathan and I both got to watch, with the help of some Valium. It was really cool to so the embroyo and watch them place them. It hurt really bad but I was really excited to be able to watch. And they gave us a picture of them. After transfer I was told I needed to be on bed rest the rest of the day! So Nathan pampered me, we just relaxed and hung out. We now had to wait two weeks before we would know if it worked. And two weeks and one day later I started. I wasn't going to go in for the blood work because I knew it didn't work, but after much coaxing from family and friends I went. On Tuesday June 5, we got the results....NEGATIVE!!!!
We are very disappointed that it didn't work. If we decide to do it again we will have to wait until next year before we will be able to do so. We had a rough week last week, but are now doing alot better. The future is bright and Nathan and I are extremely happy to be together and healthy. This gives us more time to do things that we won't be able to do once we have our family. there is no doubt in my mind that one day Nathan and I will have a family of our own. I just wish we knew when that day was.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Great News
We went to the doctor on Friday March 4, 2011. We went for a consultation with our Doctor. At this appointment we were anticipating for him to tell us that we should move ahead with the Conventional IVF. As we sat down with the doctor he told us that we still have to options. OPTIONS..... He told us that we could go ahead with another low stim but the medication will be a little different. More medication. Or the other option is to go forward with the Conventional. I can only imagine the look on our faces because he asked us "what we were thinking when we walked in" we told him that we thought that we would be doing the Conventional. I did have some concerns with doing the low stim again. I told him that my concern with doing another low stim and have it not work, that we would have to wait until next year before we would get the money together again. His response to me, proves what a great doctor and facility they have. He told us that we should move forward with the low stim, but if we have to convert like we did before he would comp us the money we already paid and we would only have to pay the different between the Low-Stim and the Conventional. So we will trying another round of a Low-Stim, but it will more of a Medium Stim. It is the cost of a Low-Stim, but they will be giving me more medication. I will have to go back on Clomid but for only a month. I can tough it out for a month, I think!!! I have to say that my doctor is amazing. So we are still moving ahead as planned. Hopefully next year at this time we will have a brand new little one at home!!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Our Pregnancy Trials
As many of you know that Nathan and I have been trying to start a family for quite a long time, 3 years and 5 months to be exact! I have tried to be positive about the whole thing, but at times it is very difficult. Especially when everyone around is getting the one things you want.
Which brings me to the reason I have decided to put this all on paper or I guess on this blog. I was watching KSL News at 10 last night, and saw a piece about a couple going through a similar situation, they are currently at 19 months trying to conceive. They are working with the same Feritilty Specialist that we are currently working with, Reproductive Care Center, in Sandy. They also have a blog and her thought process is the same as mine, if I can help someone else with what I have dealt with, then this process and trial has been worth it.
Nathan and I decided to start trying for a family the winter of 2007 at which time we had been married for about a year and a half. I had a feeling that I would have trouble getting pregnant so we decided that I would get off the pill in October of 2007. Since my family has so many birthdays in May our hope was to avoid a May birthday if at all possible. In the first year off the pill, I had many people telling me different ways to know if you are ovulating, as well as the ovulating predictor tests. We did it all. After about one year I went to my doctor here in Kemmerer. At that point, we decided to start me on Clomid, a cheap fertility drug. I did January and February 2009 at 50mg of Clomid and March and April 2009 at 100mg. Clomid is a pill that you take for 5 days usually on days 3-8 or 5-10, depending on your doctor and body. I went back to the doctor at the end of April, he decided to send me to a Baby Doctor in Jackson, one that they work with regularly. Nathan and I knew that this was going to be the time that this was going to start getting expensive. But we moved forward. In June, the doctors wanted me to get my tubes checked, which means they inject a dye, this dye moves up through your uterus and into your ovaries. This test came back negative for blockage. So far all is well with me. At this point we have never done anything to check Nathan. Dr. George, the doctor from Jackson, wanted a Sperm Analysis. We ended to Rock Springs to get this done since Rock Springs is closer then Jackson. This test also came good.
So this begins our trips to Jackson. Jackson is three hours away for us. But we decided it would be worth it if it worked. Dr. George decided to up my dosage of Clomid to 150mg. (this is the highest dosage they have women take), the only side affects I experienced was hot flashes and seriously moody! He also wanted to try a procedure that they called IUI, interuteran insemination. Which is a procedure that is all about timing. I would take the Clomid on days 3-8, then about a week later I would start the ovulation predictor tests. Once I got a positive ovulation test, I would call Jackson and they would set an appointment for the next day. Nathan and I would drive over, Nathan would have to go in to give a sample specimen. That specimen would be washed and energized. The washing would get the dead out and would help speed up the slower moving. That would be completed about 90 minutes before my appointment. We would then take the specimen to my appointment and they would implant the specimen right into my uterus. Then the old wives tale of let gravity take its course would come into effect. They would tip me so that my head was down and I would have to hang out for about 20 minutes. The first time we did this, I will never forget. We didn't know what to expect so Nathan was reading a magazine (in the room with me). The doctor comes in and we start. She tells me that I will feel pressure, within seconds I felt pressure. Still okay!!! Then a little cramping. Still Okay!!! Finally she says that I will feel a TUGGING!!! Not Okay!!! I felt as if she was tugging out all my reproductive organs out through a tiny hole. I just about crawled off the table. I think I pulled a muscle from tensing up to much. Can began to cry. Meanwhile, Nathan still reading his magazine....lol After the doctor left he came to me to make sure I was okay. Obviously this procedure didn't work. But after the first time, I asked Nathan to hold my hand because they pain was horrible. He has been very supportive and amazing through this whole thing. We did that procedure 3 times. On the fourth and fifth time we added to injection shots. One that would really pump up my ovaries, really making them produce folicals. Then I we would go to Jackson for an ultrasound. Making sure the ovaries were producing. Then that night I would take the second shot and then would trigger my body to ovuale within 36 hours. We would then go back to Jackson for the IUI, we did this twice. The second time being October 2009. The second one we did, I was really starting to brake down. We headed over to Jackson for a weekend appointment. Which the weekend appointment made this a little difficult. The seman washing went really well, but then our problems started. Once the specimen has been taken you have approxmately 45 minutes to get it injected into the uterus. We walked to the doctors to find the power out, the door locked, and no doctor in sight. I called the hospital, she was in the building but happened to be in the emergency room. I called her 3 times only to get her answering maching. We waited for 90 minutes. Once she arrived she said that she had been delivering a 14 year olds baby. I just about lost it on her. I can't even put into words how upset we were. The doctor called the lab, where the specimen was taken, and she said that we were still okay. Yeah Right!!! I finally broke!! Not only did we just waste about $500, but now she is really going hurt me with this dumb procedure. Remember is the power is out. So she has to have Nathan hold her iPhone with a flashlight so she can what she is doing. And can't check the speciman again to make sure that we were still good. She did have the good nature to not charge for the procedure (my portion only).
After that didn't work, I told Nathan I couldn't do it anymore. The drugs were killing me. I was having a really hard time with the Clomid and hotflashes. Plus after the last time going to Jackson I had lost all confidence in them. I would never recommend going there for infertility issues. We decided to give ourselves a break from the whole thing for a few months. Once we were ready we could try the Reproductive Care Center in Sandy at the recommendation of a family member.
We took approximately 4 months, in February 2010, I was late starting, so as every month you are late your hopes get up just to be crushed. After that disappointment I decided I was ready again. I spoke with Nathan and he was ready too.
We first spoke with Dr. Blauer, in March 2010. The consult we had was both a relief and a disappointment. I was relieved to be in good hands, that we knew had success and that would tell us ALL the information. We had to send our records from Jackson over ahead so Dr. Blauer could see what we had done to decide our fate. The first thing he told us was that he was concerned with the specimen results from Jackson. Indicating that they were low quality. THIS WAS THE FIRST WE HEARD OF THIS!!! We were both instantly upset. Not only did Jackson waste about $3000 of our money, but now we find out that they had been lying to us as well.
With this information they wanted to do a Kruger test on Nathan, and if that came back good, then they thought a Low-Stim IVF would work for us. Two days later Nathan went back for the Kruger. When the results came bad, we were so excited. The results were great!!! Finally some good news... Our next move would be a Low-Stim IVF. Which costs about $6000, by the time you pay for Medication and the cycle. We were able to get the funds lined up for a June cycle. With an IVF cycle, they put you on the Birth Control pill for a couple weeks then start you on the drugs. But in order to make the Cycle you have to start by a certain date. I was 2 1/2 weeks late to start my period and missed the deadline by 3 days. So not only can't we do the cycle, but I had thought that I was pregnant. So we planned for the August cycle. Making sure that I made the deadline I started the pills as soon as I could.
They give you a calendar to work off of, While taking the birth control you also take a fertility drug called Femara. After the last birth control pill you go in for a Suppression check. This is to check the lining of your uterus. Then you start the injections to really start working your ovaries, one thing they really want to make sure of is you don't over extend your ovaries. So they have to be really careful.
The suppression check went very well... Good News!! Then I went to see how my ovaries were producing getting ready to take the eggs from me and the specimen from Nathan. This is where it starting falling apart. The wanted me to have 7 or 8 follicals at 18mm or greater. I had one at 11mm and the rest were smaller. So they decided to have me to a few more injections and then try and see if the follicals grow, but chances are they won't get much larger. If they don't they wanted to do another IUI.
Well, it tured out that we ended up doing the IUI. As we went into the room with the nurse. I asked her to please not hurt me while doing this procedure. I was freaking out. I think I had an anxiety attack. She looked at me like I was crazy, she asked me, "Does this hurt you." I told her yes. She then told me that it shouldn't hurt, it should be no more uncomfortable then a Pap. Really!!! As she did the procedure everything went as planned, except it was not painful. Apparently Jackson has screwed me again, they were using a device, that takes out IUDs, which according to the nurse at RCC, was not necessary for them to use. So thank you to the jerks in Jackson for now wasting my money and hurting for no reason.
This brings us to today, after the unsuccessful IUI in August. We have had to wait to get our funds back in order. We have had a few set backs, but we are now ready to move forward. We have decided to do a Conventional IVF cycle, which differs from a Low-Stim in that there is more Medication and more monitoring, but essentially the same idea. We will hopefully we doing this in May. I look forward to working with Dr. Blauer and his team again. We have a consultation tomorrow.
We are ready for our turn to be parents. I have a wonderful support system. I don't tell you all of this to gain your pity or sympathy. I feel the same way the couple on KSL news last night. If my trials can help someone else. I would be happy to explain everything.
There may be some that view me as a dramatic baby, looking for sympathy. to you, I just hope that you or someone you love never have to deal with the pain that couples who would love to start a family deal with everyday.
I have to say though, that my husband has been amazing through this whole this. I would never be able to handle this without him. I am so blessed to have him in my life.
Which brings me to the reason I have decided to put this all on paper or I guess on this blog. I was watching KSL News at 10 last night, and saw a piece about a couple going through a similar situation, they are currently at 19 months trying to conceive. They are working with the same Feritilty Specialist that we are currently working with, Reproductive Care Center, in Sandy. They also have a blog and her thought process is the same as mine, if I can help someone else with what I have dealt with, then this process and trial has been worth it.
Nathan and I decided to start trying for a family the winter of 2007 at which time we had been married for about a year and a half. I had a feeling that I would have trouble getting pregnant so we decided that I would get off the pill in October of 2007. Since my family has so many birthdays in May our hope was to avoid a May birthday if at all possible. In the first year off the pill, I had many people telling me different ways to know if you are ovulating, as well as the ovulating predictor tests. We did it all. After about one year I went to my doctor here in Kemmerer. At that point, we decided to start me on Clomid, a cheap fertility drug. I did January and February 2009 at 50mg of Clomid and March and April 2009 at 100mg. Clomid is a pill that you take for 5 days usually on days 3-8 or 5-10, depending on your doctor and body. I went back to the doctor at the end of April, he decided to send me to a Baby Doctor in Jackson, one that they work with regularly. Nathan and I knew that this was going to be the time that this was going to start getting expensive. But we moved forward. In June, the doctors wanted me to get my tubes checked, which means they inject a dye, this dye moves up through your uterus and into your ovaries. This test came back negative for blockage. So far all is well with me. At this point we have never done anything to check Nathan. Dr. George, the doctor from Jackson, wanted a Sperm Analysis. We ended to Rock Springs to get this done since Rock Springs is closer then Jackson. This test also came good.
So this begins our trips to Jackson. Jackson is three hours away for us. But we decided it would be worth it if it worked. Dr. George decided to up my dosage of Clomid to 150mg. (this is the highest dosage they have women take), the only side affects I experienced was hot flashes and seriously moody! He also wanted to try a procedure that they called IUI, interuteran insemination. Which is a procedure that is all about timing. I would take the Clomid on days 3-8, then about a week later I would start the ovulation predictor tests. Once I got a positive ovulation test, I would call Jackson and they would set an appointment for the next day. Nathan and I would drive over, Nathan would have to go in to give a sample specimen. That specimen would be washed and energized. The washing would get the dead out and would help speed up the slower moving. That would be completed about 90 minutes before my appointment. We would then take the specimen to my appointment and they would implant the specimen right into my uterus. Then the old wives tale of let gravity take its course would come into effect. They would tip me so that my head was down and I would have to hang out for about 20 minutes. The first time we did this, I will never forget. We didn't know what to expect so Nathan was reading a magazine (in the room with me). The doctor comes in and we start. She tells me that I will feel pressure, within seconds I felt pressure. Still okay!!! Then a little cramping. Still Okay!!! Finally she says that I will feel a TUGGING!!! Not Okay!!! I felt as if she was tugging out all my reproductive organs out through a tiny hole. I just about crawled off the table. I think I pulled a muscle from tensing up to much. Can began to cry. Meanwhile, Nathan still reading his magazine....lol After the doctor left he came to me to make sure I was okay. Obviously this procedure didn't work. But after the first time, I asked Nathan to hold my hand because they pain was horrible. He has been very supportive and amazing through this whole thing. We did that procedure 3 times. On the fourth and fifth time we added to injection shots. One that would really pump up my ovaries, really making them produce folicals. Then I we would go to Jackson for an ultrasound. Making sure the ovaries were producing. Then that night I would take the second shot and then would trigger my body to ovuale within 36 hours. We would then go back to Jackson for the IUI, we did this twice. The second time being October 2009. The second one we did, I was really starting to brake down. We headed over to Jackson for a weekend appointment. Which the weekend appointment made this a little difficult. The seman washing went really well, but then our problems started. Once the specimen has been taken you have approxmately 45 minutes to get it injected into the uterus. We walked to the doctors to find the power out, the door locked, and no doctor in sight. I called the hospital, she was in the building but happened to be in the emergency room. I called her 3 times only to get her answering maching. We waited for 90 minutes. Once she arrived she said that she had been delivering a 14 year olds baby. I just about lost it on her. I can't even put into words how upset we were. The doctor called the lab, where the specimen was taken, and she said that we were still okay. Yeah Right!!! I finally broke!! Not only did we just waste about $500, but now she is really going hurt me with this dumb procedure. Remember is the power is out. So she has to have Nathan hold her iPhone with a flashlight so she can what she is doing. And can't check the speciman again to make sure that we were still good. She did have the good nature to not charge for the procedure (my portion only).
After that didn't work, I told Nathan I couldn't do it anymore. The drugs were killing me. I was having a really hard time with the Clomid and hotflashes. Plus after the last time going to Jackson I had lost all confidence in them. I would never recommend going there for infertility issues. We decided to give ourselves a break from the whole thing for a few months. Once we were ready we could try the Reproductive Care Center in Sandy at the recommendation of a family member.
We took approximately 4 months, in February 2010, I was late starting, so as every month you are late your hopes get up just to be crushed. After that disappointment I decided I was ready again. I spoke with Nathan and he was ready too.
We first spoke with Dr. Blauer, in March 2010. The consult we had was both a relief and a disappointment. I was relieved to be in good hands, that we knew had success and that would tell us ALL the information. We had to send our records from Jackson over ahead so Dr. Blauer could see what we had done to decide our fate. The first thing he told us was that he was concerned with the specimen results from Jackson. Indicating that they were low quality. THIS WAS THE FIRST WE HEARD OF THIS!!! We were both instantly upset. Not only did Jackson waste about $3000 of our money, but now we find out that they had been lying to us as well.
With this information they wanted to do a Kruger test on Nathan, and if that came back good, then they thought a Low-Stim IVF would work for us. Two days later Nathan went back for the Kruger. When the results came bad, we were so excited. The results were great!!! Finally some good news... Our next move would be a Low-Stim IVF. Which costs about $6000, by the time you pay for Medication and the cycle. We were able to get the funds lined up for a June cycle. With an IVF cycle, they put you on the Birth Control pill for a couple weeks then start you on the drugs. But in order to make the Cycle you have to start by a certain date. I was 2 1/2 weeks late to start my period and missed the deadline by 3 days. So not only can't we do the cycle, but I had thought that I was pregnant. So we planned for the August cycle. Making sure that I made the deadline I started the pills as soon as I could.
They give you a calendar to work off of, While taking the birth control you also take a fertility drug called Femara. After the last birth control pill you go in for a Suppression check. This is to check the lining of your uterus. Then you start the injections to really start working your ovaries, one thing they really want to make sure of is you don't over extend your ovaries. So they have to be really careful.
The suppression check went very well... Good News!! Then I went to see how my ovaries were producing getting ready to take the eggs from me and the specimen from Nathan. This is where it starting falling apart. The wanted me to have 7 or 8 follicals at 18mm or greater. I had one at 11mm and the rest were smaller. So they decided to have me to a few more injections and then try and see if the follicals grow, but chances are they won't get much larger. If they don't they wanted to do another IUI.
Well, it tured out that we ended up doing the IUI. As we went into the room with the nurse. I asked her to please not hurt me while doing this procedure. I was freaking out. I think I had an anxiety attack. She looked at me like I was crazy, she asked me, "Does this hurt you." I told her yes. She then told me that it shouldn't hurt, it should be no more uncomfortable then a Pap. Really!!! As she did the procedure everything went as planned, except it was not painful. Apparently Jackson has screwed me again, they were using a device, that takes out IUDs, which according to the nurse at RCC, was not necessary for them to use. So thank you to the jerks in Jackson for now wasting my money and hurting for no reason.
This brings us to today, after the unsuccessful IUI in August. We have had to wait to get our funds back in order. We have had a few set backs, but we are now ready to move forward. We have decided to do a Conventional IVF cycle, which differs from a Low-Stim in that there is more Medication and more monitoring, but essentially the same idea. We will hopefully we doing this in May. I look forward to working with Dr. Blauer and his team again. We have a consultation tomorrow.
We are ready for our turn to be parents. I have a wonderful support system. I don't tell you all of this to gain your pity or sympathy. I feel the same way the couple on KSL news last night. If my trials can help someone else. I would be happy to explain everything.
There may be some that view me as a dramatic baby, looking for sympathy. to you, I just hope that you or someone you love never have to deal with the pain that couples who would love to start a family deal with everyday.
I have to say though, that my husband has been amazing through this whole this. I would never be able to handle this without him. I am so blessed to have him in my life.
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