Update

Well, I guess I better post an update, though the message is not going to be what we wanted. We've known since Sunday, October 18th that we weren't pregnant this time. I haven't felt like posting the news because then it makes it more real.

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions! I've definitely been sad, but I've also been angry too. Why is this so easy for some and not for us? Is there something the doctors did wrong? Have they missed the important piece to our puzzle? Was there something that could have been tested ahead of time so we didn't have to go through all of this time, effort, pain, emotions and money for nothing? All in all, we just want them to tell us they have learned something that will help us be more successful the next time. I'm now just anxious to move to the next step. It is so hard waiting! We both feel like we're waiting for a new chapter of our lives to start, but we just don't know when. It is very difficult being patient.

So, everyone asks...what next? Well, we wait until the doctors put together a report of the process and recommendations for the future. Then we wait some more to meet for a post IVF consultation to make a plan. I went to see a new OBGYN and he suggested that I get a mammogram now that I know I'm not pregnant, so I have that scheduled. I'm also going to have a polyp and septum removed from my uterus. These were 2 things they found in ultrasounds and though they don't think that is why I haven't gotten pregnant, they could potentially cause a miscarriage. So, since I have to wait at least 2 cycles to start IVF again...I might as well! Hopefully I can have that done and be recovered in time to start everything over in Dec/Jan time period, if that is what they recommend. So, we'll see. That's it for now. Thanks to everyone for their love and support!

And then there were 3!

We went in at 8 a.m. this morning and Dr. Peterson said there were actually 3 eggs that fertilized and could be used! He said the fertilization rate is about 60% so were right on. I guess they weren't sure about the development of one of the eggs, so they didn't mention it yesterday. One fertilized early, one as expected and one late. There was one egg that allowed 2 sperm to penetrate and that one had to be thrown out.

They are multiplying a little slower than they would like to see. One had divided to 8 cells, one to 4 cells and the other to 2 cells. Because of their slower division rate, they thought it would be best to transfer them on Day 3 vs. Day 5. He said that our chances of getting pregnant transferring all 3 would be between 25% and 40% and if I was his daughter, he would encourage me to transfer all 3 to increase our chances. There would only be about a 3% chance of triplets. He then left us alone with pictures of our 3 embryos to decide how many we wanted to have transferred.


Clay and I talked about it quite a bit and we decided on transferring all 3! We went from planning on 1 to now 3! I'm such a planner that it is hard for me to adapt easily to this ever-changing world. But we're going with their recommendations and even though we were surprised and a little scared, it felt like the right decision.

We had some more time to talk to the doctor before the actual procedure. He said that they tested the follicular fluid for HCG levels and it was around 20 and they want it to be around 100. He thought that was probably the reason there weren't more mature eggs. HCG is what causes the eggs to mature within the follicles. We just don't know why... whether my body didn't react as expected or if there was something that went awry with the medication. They are going to be researching this with the company that provided the HCG I took last Tuesday. I feel a little better after having a chance to talk with the doctor and really felt that they were looking out for our best interest and wanted the same results we do.

The procedure was quite amazing! There was a TV on the wall with a video of the petri dish of embryos. We first saw our names flash and then the catheter suck up the little embryos. They were then brought right to us and inserted into the guiding catheter that was already in, just 1 cm from the top of the uterus. They said I needed to relax, relax, relax over the next 4-5 days and try not to get my blood pressure up at all. I was curious if there was anything that I could do to dislodge them and the nurse said that they were like sand in a sponge...very difficult to shake free.

Clay's been great! He's been grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. Boy, I could get used to this! We're just chilling out watching movies and TV today. Quite a coincidence, but we watched a show on National Geographic about kangaroo joeys. I didn't realize this, but they develop partially inside the mother's body for only a few weeks and then they climb up about 12 inches outside of the body (quite a journey for such a little one with no legs yet) to the pouch where they continue their development for months. If those joeys can be that strong, so can ours!

So, now is the tough part...waiting! Keep all of your thoughts, prayers, wishes and good vibes coming our way! Thanks for all your support thus far! We love you all!

A slight change of plans

Well, things haven't gone exactly as we were expecting. We went in on Thursday for the retrieval of the eggs. There were about 12 follicles that were seen in the ultrasounds, but there wasn't a mature egg in each one. We did get 5 mature eggs though. Dr. Peterson said that yes, we were expecting more eggs, but at least we have some eggs to work with. He said that not every body reacts the same to these hormones and sometimes it is actually going through the process of extracting the eggs that helps us learn more about why I haven't been able to get pregnant. I was pretty out of it when he was talking to us, so I'm looking forward to learning more when we meet with him again.

With the lower number of eggs and the likelihood that about 1/2 would fertilize, he prepared us for no longer being candidates for their Single Embryo Study. He thought that we will probably do the implantation on Day 3 vs. Day 5 and implant 2 embryos (as long as we get 2).

Sure enough, we heard from the Embryologist this morning and he said that 2 eggs fertilized and Dr. Peterson wants us to come in tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. Then he will talk to us about the quality of the embryos and how many he recommends we implant. They should have pictures of them!

We feel blessed that we have these two and hope that they continue to divide and grow over the next day. We are anxious to get them out of the petri dish and into the safe comfort of my uterus. My sister Abbie reminded me that nurturing is what I'm good at. My body will know what to do and will be a great home for them!

I started taking the progesterone shot the night of the extraction. The needle is long and thick and the medication is in sesame seed oil so it takes longer to plunge. I got the worst cramp the first night and could barely walk. The nurse recommended massaging the area and walking around afterwards and that helped last night. My hips are going to be so sore!


Other than that, I'm feeling much better today. The egg extraction was quite a painful process...thank goodness for the drugs! I was so relaxed and sleepy that I really didn't really care what was going on. I do remember the doctor poking hard at the ovaries and saying they were "bouncy". I guess I was wincing because Clay asked if it hurt me. The doctor compared my pain to grabbing his testicles with a vice grip! Yes, painful! Here's a picture of me after the procedure while I'm drinking juice and eating crackers to avoid nausea. Not so cute with a hospital gown, no make-up and a little groggy! But we're documenting everything, right?


I've been taking it easy over the past two days. I have a few more days of bedrest coming up. I'm looking forward to watching movies and reading! I'll report back tomorrow after we talk with the doctor.

We're Ready!

So, we are definitely going in on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. to do the egg retrieval. I am so excited and very ready! Tonight Clay is going to give me the HCG shot right at 9:30. This one is a bigger needle and goes in my back hip right into the muscle. They recommend that I take it pretty easy today and tomorrow since my ovaries are getting so large. I can definitely feel it!

Tomorrow I'll be shot free! I'll just start taking the Doxycycline tomorrow night with dinner and fast afterwards. I'll start the progesterone shots Thursday night and continue them for 6-8 weeks (as long as I stay pregnant).

After we leave Thursday we will at least know how many eggs were retrieved. They mix them with a fresh sperm sample, let them fight like crazy to fertilize the eggs and hopefully all of them will turn into viable embryos. The Embryologists will watch them for 5 days and will give us updates along the way. Then we will go in on Tuesday for the transfer. We're hoping for a number of perfect embryos just in case we ever have to go through this again, I can skip the egg harvesting part and just go right to the transfer. That won't happen for awhile since we are positive that this is going to work this time!

We Have a Plan!

We went in this morning for an ultrasound and blood work and it went really well! Dr. Petersen saw at least 8 follicles on the ovaries nearly ready, but he said he'd like to wait until Thursday to do the retrieval because by then, he thought there should be at least another 4! He wanted to check my estrogen levels before deciding, so I had to wait until around noon and the nurse called to set up an appointment for tomorrow for another ultrasound. She said I should plan on getting the HCG shot tomorrow night for a retrieval on Thursday. I'm so glad that everything looks good, there are so many eggs and we now have a plan!

I'm feeling pretty good! I haven't had any more headaches and the shots haven't been too bad. I definitely feel like my lower abdomen is more full. I feel a little bloated and crampy. I imagine that it's a bit like actually being pregnant. I went to another acupuncture appointment today. It is supposed to help improve my blood flow and focus energy in the reproductive area. I believe it's helping me!

Fortune Cookie

So, last weekend we went to Pei Wei for dinner and my fortune cookie message said something to the effect of "You will receive the support you need this week". So True! Monday I received messages of encouragement from my dad and sister. I've had calls from my mom and multiple e-mails with well wishes from our family and friends. Today, Helena sent us a little package with a good luck note and this cute onesie. Isn't it darling? It's Joey's first gift! It was so sweet of her and we really appreciated it!

We wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the support! We always talk about how fortunate we are to have such great family and friends! We love you all!

Week 3

We got back from Oregon on Sunday night and we had a great time! We visited with Wynton and Tony, walked around Portland, ate at some nice restaurants, golfed, went to the beach and to the 2nd largest Oktoberfest in the world (next to Munich)! The game was very disappointing, but it was a wonderful weekend! We travelled with the Lupron, which had to be kept cold, but it was pretty easy and just kept refilling baggies with ice. The clinic gave me a note to travel with medication and needles in case there were any questions.

Monday morning I started 3 shots a day. I am now taking 1/2 the amount of Lupron and have added the Follistim and Repronex. The Follistim is easy with the pen. The needle is smaller and I don't have to measure the dose myself. Each dose of the Repronex has to be mixed daily. I mix with the larger needle and then replace with the smaller one. Thank goodness! Both of these new shots take longer to administer and they hurt more. I'm starting to get a little bruising and a few welts. Other than headaches and slight cramping, I haven't felt any side effects. I had an acupuncture appointment yesterday and she did a special treatment on me for headaches. I'm sure I looked quite comical with all the needles in my head. A bit like Hellraiser! :o)

We found out that I do not have the cystic fibrosis gene, so that is a relief! They recommend avoiding caffeine, alcohol and heavy exercise or twisting (like in yoga). I'm sure that cutting caffeine out has a bit to do with my headaches! My ovaries are growing so large that they could twist or be harmed in some way. I can go on walks, which I love anyway! I will just need Clay to take Oscar in case he pulls or chases after another dog.

We are getting new carpet in the family room on Friday, so we'll be busy cleaning up and putting everything back in it's place. Clay's going to need some help since I won't be able to move anything big. This weekend should be pretty mello though. We do have a U of U game on Saturday (no tailgating for me!) and visiting with friends and family on Sunday. We go in next Monday at 8:00 am to see how my ovaries are doing and check the number of eggs. The doctors will then decide if I'm ready for the egg retrieval or if I need an adjustment on the dosage of the Follistim. Hopefully, I'll be ready for the egg retrieval sooner than later!

Week 2

So, everything is going well. No side effects from the Lupron at all. I've been giving myself all my shots at 7 am each morning. Clay is glad that he doesn't have to get up early with me. It really hasn't been too bad at all. It's strange, I'm almost excited to get the shot... it's like I'm one step closer to the ideal end result... a healthy little Joey!

We went in for an ultrasound this morning so the doctor could look at my ovaries and determine the correct dosage of the stimulating drugs. He said that my ovaries are "dainty". Although I loved being called "dainty", it's not exactly a compliment in this situation. So, the doctor is going to have me take a higher dosage of the Follistim. We ordered all of the rest of the drugs that we'll need. They will arrive tomorrow, but we don't start taking them until next Monday. I'll then be taking 3 shots (Lupron, Follistim and Repronex) until the retrieval. The nurse said the Repronex is going to be painful and I'll have welts at the injection sites. It is also one medication that I have to mix every day. Fun! The Follistim is easy... it comes in a pen to make the injection easier and the dosage more exact. Clay will start taking an antibiotic (Doxycycline) on Monday as well. He'll take that until the day of the fertilization.

We are leaving for Oregon tomorrow and will enjoy the last few days before we really get into it. We are looking forward to the trip with Mom and Craig to see the U of U play the Oregon Ducks! We'll get a little golfing in and a trip to the coast one day! GO UTES!!!

Ready...Set...Go!

First things first... we were very excited to get Clay's test results back on Wednesday. His sperm penetrated 15 out of 15 eggs! They are just looking for 50%, so this was great news! We also learned that there was an average of 10 sperm that penetrated each egg and anything above 2 is considered normal! The morphology report showed that less that 1/2 the sperm weren't normal size and shape, but it seems that the ones that are normal are really good at doing what they are supposed to do! We were very happy!

Today was the first shot of Lupron at 7 am. I take 10ccs and the shot goes in my tummy. The needle is pretty small and I barely felt it go in. It went okay though it was a little itchy afterwards. I have to take the shots at the same time everyday, so I had to pick a time that would work for the next weeks. I was pretty nervous about the first shot so Clay gave it to me. I think I'll be able to give it to myself soon.

It was explained to me that the Lupron turns off my body's natural production of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Basically, I'm in menopause for a few weeks so the stimulating drugs that I'll be taking in 2 weeks take over and overproduce eggs. Here are pictures of the drug and the needle:

We went to our injection class last Thursday. We were there with another couple and a woman alone who is using her husband's frozen sperm because he's in Iraq. I can't imagine doing this by myself!!! We had samples of all the different drugs and we went through each one learning about the purpose of each drug and how it is administered. We learned about how we take care of each one (refrigerate or not) and how much to expect to pay. They told us that we needed to eat a diet as if I were already pregnant (less caffeine, no alcohol, prenatal vitamins and lots of fruits and vegetables). I was also told that once I start taking the stimulating drugs on Monday Sep 21st I will get very bloated (retaining water) and my ovaries will grow to be 2-3 times their normal size. That means that I won't be able to exercise at all and shouldn't do any twisting (like Yoga). The reason is the ovaries can get twisted which would be really bad. Take it easy... oh okay... no problem... Clay can help out! :o)

The University Fertility Clinic uses a pharmacy named IVP Care and they overnight the drugs to us. The University Pharmacy had the Lupron, so we picked up the 2 week supply after the class. I also had my blood drawn to screen for cystic fibrosis, which is a recessive gene. If I have the gene, then we test Clay. We would both need to have it for us to produce a child with it. We have a very small chance of having the gene so we're not too worried about it.

So, we will go in next Tuesday morning for an ultrasound to see how things are progressing. We are going to Oregon on Wednesday.

Anxiously Awaiting!

We haven't received the results from the Hampster Egg Penetration Test (HEPT) yet, so we're waiting for that and for our injection class on Thursday. I just want to get going on this. It is so hard waiting for our start time! I know it is important because we want to make sure it is timed right. I'm sure that in the next few weeks when I've been pricked, poked and prodded multiple times, I will be wondering why I was ever so anxious to get started.

We are trying to enjoy the last few days of being unrestricted. We have enjoyed some nice dinners and special wine (I can't drink for most of the IVF time period) and we're heading out to Wendover on Saturday. Gotta win some money to pay for this whole thing! Just kidding! We just want to go have some fun before the shots start! We are also excited for the first University of Utah football game on Thursday! We have season tickets this year!

Stay tuned for more information soon!

The Plan...

Clay and I went to our IVF consultation on the 12th and talked to Dr. Gibson and one of the nurses about the process and our calendar. We had to work around our trip to Portland, so we will start injections on Sunday, Sept 6th. We have an injection class on Thursday, Sep 3rd to learn about the whole process. The doctor also suggested that we may want to get a genetic screening for cystic fibrosis, so I’ll have that done in the next few weeks. I’m sure it will be fine.

Next week we’ll know if Clay’s sperm is able to penetrate a hamster egg. That will determine whether or not we will have to do ICSI, which basically means they take the sperm and insert it directly into the egg. It’s over $1000 more, so we’re hoping the little guys are strong at infiltrating eggs!

I’ll be taking Lupron for up to 4 weeks. The 3rd week, I’ll start taking Follistim and Repronex. This is all to produce as many eggs as possible. I’ll go in for ultrasounds and bloodwork every morning during the 4th week until they set a date for the egg retrieval. The embryos will then be watched and the best one will be transferred 3 or 5 days after the retrieval. I start taking Progesterone right away to help the embryo stay implanted. If all goes as planned, I should know if I’m pregnant right after my birthday!

Typically, during a regular IVF they transfer 2 embryos, but they have asked if we want to be part of a study where they will only transfer one. They will cryopreserve the other embryos for up to three years and I can have them transferred at no cost. It sounded like a perfect plan for us!

I’m just getting anxious about getting started. This will be a very long 8 weeks! More updates to come!

Oh, by the way… the bean growing has been interesting! One has really flourished and the other is struggling, but has finally poked his head about the soil. I’d like to think it’s representative of our long wait and struggle to be parents, but when it happens, it will be worth it!

Planting a Dream!

We went to the "Park Silly" local market in Park City today. There was a company called ibeaninspired at the market that caught my eye. The idea is that you plant your inspiration bean and it grows up to the sky, just like your dreams. There is a purpose, a life and an energy in each bean and helps remind you of what is most important. It's a visual...to help keep you focused and on-track.

We bought 2 beans to plant together and inscribed on the beans are "Happy Family" and "Healthy Baby". First we soak the beans for 12 hours and watch for them to start growing. We then will plant them with our wishes/desires and watch them grow!

Anything to help! Send us good vibes and inspiration! Wish us luck!

Learn more...

http://www.ibeaninspired.com/

Introduction

Clay and I have been trying to start a family for nearly 3 years now. We've been seeing a Reproductive Endocrinologist at the University of Utah for about a year. It seems like we have tried almost everything, other than IVF at this point. I have tested my ovulation, done cleanses and acupuncture treatments, taken herbal supplements, taken Clomid and HCG shots along with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). We've had multiple tests done and the conclusion is "undiagnosed infertility". Basically, everything is functioning fine within our bodies and they simply do not know why we haven't been able to conceive.

We have an appointment set-up in August to learn about IVF and make sure we are good candidates for the procedure. I thought this would be a good forum for us to document the process and allow our friends and family to stay informed.