So Thursday, October 25 we drove downtown to River North to 'pick up' our kids. Our appt. was at 9am, however they wanted us there at 8am....and I had to drink 20 oz. of water. We left around 6:30, but then got gas and John then realized that my tires were flat, so we had to fill those suckers up. By the time we got to the highway, it was jam packed....so I started freaking out cuz we weren't going to be there by 8am. John tried to calm me (several times actually) to say there is nothing we can do about it and we'll still make it there by 9.
We got there at 8:50 (geez....over 2 hours of traffic....ugh, ugh, ugh!). There was nobody in the waiting room and we were called in right away. The staff didn't seem bothered at all that we weren't there any earlier (my worrying was for absolutely nothing...still I apologized and blamed the traffic). I had drank probably about 40 oz. of water and had to pee badly. I was plopped in my same room (Room #1) again with my name on it (and on the other ever-so-important door to where our lovely embryo-children were). They were moving right on schedule so an ultrasound tech came to check my bladder...I had over-acheived and was told to pee 2 cups out....not a problem and gladly! :) Ah....I felt much better!
So the doctor came in and went over what was going to happen....which is not the order of how I wanted to discuss things...I interrupted him and asked how the kids were doing...how many survived....how many will freeze...what quality they were....and how many he wanted to put back in. Still he stopped to dwell on a few things here and there...but eventually got to what I wanted to hear (so I have little clue all the babble he said beforehand). He said that so far about 12 embryos degenerated.....several more still have some growing to do. He said that we had 2 Grade 1AA embryos...which apparently is the HIGHEST quality an embryo can have. Then there were already 3 more that were at a good enough quality to freeze and most likely survive a thaw. He estimated that a few more would make it.
So then he continued on how it was going to happen. He suggested only putting one of the BEST embryos in. He said that 1 would give us a 50% chance; 2 would give us a 60% chance so he thought just one would be good; I disagreed as did John. We previously discussed that we would rather have twins than nothing and I would regret the decision for the rest of my life if we only put one in and I didn't get pregnant. He said not a problem and we all made the decision to put 2 in. He left the room to get things prepped and notify everybody that 2 big embryos will be going back in.
The doctor came back in...along with a nurse and the ultrasound tech. I was prepped (just like any other insemination), but the ultrasound tech kept a picture of my belly on the screen so the doctor could make sure everything was going in the right place. Since we could see the screen too, it was SO cool to watch! John snapped a picture....and then the ultrasound tech snapped a few screen shots as well.....embryos are microscopic....but they travel in a glowing fluid so it shows up on the ultrasound screen....so we saw 2 glowing spots and knew they were in there safe and sound. (The nurses also hold the tube under a special light to make sure that 'everybody' got out of there safe and sound.)
I laid there for 15 minutes to let everything settle....and then we went home and I laid still there for 2 days not doing much at all....doctor's orders.
Now the dreaded two week wait for the 'big test' with only a progesterone check in between (that wouldn't tell us anything anyway).....okay, positive thoughts!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Egg Retrieval
So it was Saturday, Oct. 20th (Sweetest Day) and I was feeling ever so huge and bloated! We had to drive downtown Chicago to River North, so luckily it was a Saturday with zero traffic. :)
We got there with 'the men' at 7am...and boy oh boy were there lots of other couple all there for the same thing....it was kind of weird. We were called in around 7:30ish and they had Room #1 waiting for me with my name on it and everything! I changed into a fancy hospital gown (okay not that fancy) and we waited. There was another door opposite the one we entered into the room...that door went to the 'egg retrieval' room....a sanitary members only kind of place. My name was on that side of the door as well (just so there's no mixup...good!). Several nurses/doctors came in to see me and explain what was going to happen. In the meantime we could hear the embryologists in the back counting eggs from other patients...they shout it out so the doctor doing the procedure can know they successfully grabbed an egg from a follicle...it was pretty cool to hear. This one lady had 41 eggs...we were amazed! Then around 8:45 I was wheeled away.
John stayed in our room so he could hear the countdown. I was quickly drugged up. When I got back into my room no more than 15-20 minutes later, I was slowly waking up and asked John what he heard...he said he heard 37....awesome!!!!! Then the nurse came in and told me to start drinking water (I had to pee before I left....it was a test). I also had some crackers as I wasn't allowed to eat anything all morning. The doctor came in shortly after and told us that we in fact had 44 EGGS!!!!!!!!! Holy crap! They must have gotten tired of screaming the counts when John was listening cuz he didn't hear all that! :)
I felt fine...needed no pain meds. I tried to pee, but was unsuccessful. So I downed 3 cups of water...and passed the test! I got dressed and we left....leaving our potential 44 children behind was tough, but we knew they were in good hands and had to stay there in order to join together with John's men and grow.
On the way home I talked on the phone a very little bit...but that was enough...John had to pull over so I could 'toss my cookies'.....eeewwwww.
When we got home I was starving and ate a small meal that was probably not the best thing for me to eat at the time.
Soon after I was home the pain and bloating started kicking in...so I started downing the tylenol. I looked 4 months pregnant already with my stomach being so huge. They said because I had SO many eggs, that my ovaries will be swollen for a while. Luckily I had the weekend to rest.
Sunday we got 'the call'. The call that tells how many of our 44 possibilities fertilized and survived. We had 32 eggs that were mature and of those 25 fertilized! A GREAT number!! They said we would most likely do a 5-day transfer, but they would call us Monday and let us know.
Sunday afternoon my Mom and Dad came over. My Mom made us many meals to last throughout the week...Chicken Noodle Soup, Roast, Company Chicken Casserole, Turkey Tenderloin....and Chocolate Chip cookies and a cake! Delicious!!!!! My Dad and John tackled the Hot Tub (it had stopped working mid summer....it was so hot and John couldn't use it anyway (gotta save those men) so we didn't bother fixing it). They did fix it and John hopped in the next day...he hasn't been allowed in for more than 30 seconds since we moved in a year ago!
Monday I worked from home...I was still way too bloated (not fitting any normal clothes) and I really didn't feel well. I got a call around Noon to say that we would definitely have a 5-day transfer. They also mentioned that all 25 appeared to be growing on their own, which was good.
Although I tried to ask the next few days how the embryos were doing...I was told that there was no update....I suppose they don't want to bother them daily to see how they're doing and let me know. Oh well....
We got there with 'the men' at 7am...and boy oh boy were there lots of other couple all there for the same thing....it was kind of weird. We were called in around 7:30ish and they had Room #1 waiting for me with my name on it and everything! I changed into a fancy hospital gown (okay not that fancy) and we waited. There was another door opposite the one we entered into the room...that door went to the 'egg retrieval' room....a sanitary members only kind of place. My name was on that side of the door as well (just so there's no mixup...good!). Several nurses/doctors came in to see me and explain what was going to happen. In the meantime we could hear the embryologists in the back counting eggs from other patients...they shout it out so the doctor doing the procedure can know they successfully grabbed an egg from a follicle...it was pretty cool to hear. This one lady had 41 eggs...we were amazed! Then around 8:45 I was wheeled away.
John stayed in our room so he could hear the countdown. I was quickly drugged up. When I got back into my room no more than 15-20 minutes later, I was slowly waking up and asked John what he heard...he said he heard 37....awesome!!!!! Then the nurse came in and told me to start drinking water (I had to pee before I left....it was a test). I also had some crackers as I wasn't allowed to eat anything all morning. The doctor came in shortly after and told us that we in fact had 44 EGGS!!!!!!!!! Holy crap! They must have gotten tired of screaming the counts when John was listening cuz he didn't hear all that! :)
I felt fine...needed no pain meds. I tried to pee, but was unsuccessful. So I downed 3 cups of water...and passed the test! I got dressed and we left....leaving our potential 44 children behind was tough, but we knew they were in good hands and had to stay there in order to join together with John's men and grow.
On the way home I talked on the phone a very little bit...but that was enough...John had to pull over so I could 'toss my cookies'.....eeewwwww.
When we got home I was starving and ate a small meal that was probably not the best thing for me to eat at the time.
Soon after I was home the pain and bloating started kicking in...so I started downing the tylenol. I looked 4 months pregnant already with my stomach being so huge. They said because I had SO many eggs, that my ovaries will be swollen for a while. Luckily I had the weekend to rest.
Sunday we got 'the call'. The call that tells how many of our 44 possibilities fertilized and survived. We had 32 eggs that were mature and of those 25 fertilized! A GREAT number!! They said we would most likely do a 5-day transfer, but they would call us Monday and let us know.
Sunday afternoon my Mom and Dad came over. My Mom made us many meals to last throughout the week...Chicken Noodle Soup, Roast, Company Chicken Casserole, Turkey Tenderloin....and Chocolate Chip cookies and a cake! Delicious!!!!! My Dad and John tackled the Hot Tub (it had stopped working mid summer....it was so hot and John couldn't use it anyway (gotta save those men) so we didn't bother fixing it). They did fix it and John hopped in the next day...he hasn't been allowed in for more than 30 seconds since we moved in a year ago!
Monday I worked from home...I was still way too bloated (not fitting any normal clothes) and I really didn't feel well. I got a call around Noon to say that we would definitely have a 5-day transfer. They also mentioned that all 25 appeared to be growing on their own, which was good.
Although I tried to ask the next few days how the embryos were doing...I was told that there was no update....I suppose they don't want to bother them daily to see how they're doing and let me know. Oh well....
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
IVF Cycle (#1....and I hope that's all!)
So here we are doing IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).
September I started taking Birth Control Pills (sounds backwards, right?) to help calm my body before the 'storm'. During this time, I had a couple more tests done to make sure my body was really ready for what was about to happen. John and I went to West Palm Beach, FL at the Four Seasons for a conference my work was hosting...we had a great time...and relaxing too. We left a day early to fly to PA for my Grandfather's Memorial Service and saw a bunch of family...many of them saying a lot of prayers for us, which is appreciated SO much more than they know...we are so lucky to have such a large support system.
Monday, October 1st I took my last Birth Control Pill and started my first dose of Lupron. Lupron is a drug that makes your body think that it can produce more than just one egg per month; this is a shot that goes in your stomach (small needle...no pain). I did that shot while I flew to GA for a business trip (not nearly as relaxing as FL...and I got a nasty cold while I was there from all the flying we'd done recently). Also during that trip I got my (hopefully last) period...good the ball is rolling.
When I got back I went to the doctor to again on October 9th to make sure my body is ready to start this VERY involved process. All was well. On the 10th I started Follistim (a drug that makes your body produce as many eggs as possible); this is a shot as well that goes in your stomach...very small, fine needle (no pain). I took this shot every night along with Lupron every morning. I started the (almost) daily doctor visits for bloodwork & ultrasound (vaginal) to check my progress.
My first appt. on the 12th showed that I already had about 9 eggs growing, which was great! Saturday I started a shot that John had to give me in my tush (IM...IntraMuscular)....after that night my stomach started bloating and hurting. They kept my meds. at the same dosage and I went back on Sunday the 14th. I had a couple more little buggers in there and I went back Monday the 15th....again a couple more...but this time they said that my Estrogen level was getting pretty high pretty fast and they decided to lower my meds from 225units to 200units. I went back Tuesday. Still my estrogen was climbing to fast (this could be bad....if my estrogen went past 6,000 or I had more than 35 mature eggs, my 1st IVF cycle would be CANCELLED)...so they dropped my meds to 150units. I went back Wednesday and by this time I had 16 mature follicles and 34 total (holy crap!)...however, my estrogen was still a bit too high....so they lowered me to 37.5units (barely anything)...I went back Thursday which by now it was almost uncomfortable to walk cuz I had so many eggs....they told me to LIMIT activity because my egg 'sack' is so fragile, they could bounce right out....I had a total of 42 follicles (yikes), 32 were measurable, and 20 are 'mature'. That night I did the Ovidrel (which is a bit thicker of a needle, in the stomach, but still no pain). Ovidrel is the 'trigger' shot...it tells my body to ovulate.
Friday was a day of rest...no shots...yay!
September I started taking Birth Control Pills (sounds backwards, right?) to help calm my body before the 'storm'. During this time, I had a couple more tests done to make sure my body was really ready for what was about to happen. John and I went to West Palm Beach, FL at the Four Seasons for a conference my work was hosting...we had a great time...and relaxing too. We left a day early to fly to PA for my Grandfather's Memorial Service and saw a bunch of family...many of them saying a lot of prayers for us, which is appreciated SO much more than they know...we are so lucky to have such a large support system.
Monday, October 1st I took my last Birth Control Pill and started my first dose of Lupron. Lupron is a drug that makes your body think that it can produce more than just one egg per month; this is a shot that goes in your stomach (small needle...no pain). I did that shot while I flew to GA for a business trip (not nearly as relaxing as FL...and I got a nasty cold while I was there from all the flying we'd done recently). Also during that trip I got my (hopefully last) period...good the ball is rolling.
When I got back I went to the doctor to again on October 9th to make sure my body is ready to start this VERY involved process. All was well. On the 10th I started Follistim (a drug that makes your body produce as many eggs as possible); this is a shot as well that goes in your stomach...very small, fine needle (no pain). I took this shot every night along with Lupron every morning. I started the (almost) daily doctor visits for bloodwork & ultrasound (vaginal) to check my progress.
My first appt. on the 12th showed that I already had about 9 eggs growing, which was great! Saturday I started a shot that John had to give me in my tush (IM...IntraMuscular)....after that night my stomach started bloating and hurting. They kept my meds. at the same dosage and I went back on Sunday the 14th. I had a couple more little buggers in there and I went back Monday the 15th....again a couple more...but this time they said that my Estrogen level was getting pretty high pretty fast and they decided to lower my meds from 225units to 200units. I went back Tuesday. Still my estrogen was climbing to fast (this could be bad....if my estrogen went past 6,000 or I had more than 35 mature eggs, my 1st IVF cycle would be CANCELLED)...so they dropped my meds to 150units. I went back Wednesday and by this time I had 16 mature follicles and 34 total (holy crap!)...however, my estrogen was still a bit too high....so they lowered me to 37.5units (barely anything)...I went back Thursday which by now it was almost uncomfortable to walk cuz I had so many eggs....they told me to LIMIT activity because my egg 'sack' is so fragile, they could bounce right out....I had a total of 42 follicles (yikes), 32 were measurable, and 20 are 'mature'. That night I did the Ovidrel (which is a bit thicker of a needle, in the stomach, but still no pain). Ovidrel is the 'trigger' shot...it tells my body to ovulate.
Friday was a day of rest...no shots...yay!
Background
So where do I start....John and I got married on June 30, 2001. We met at college where we were both Resident Assistants...we were friends for a few months, then started dating in March of 99. In June of 2000 we bought our first (fixer upper) house and he proposed right after the closing on the front stoop....awww. He started his new job as a programmer and I finished up school while planning a wedding. :)
A year and a few months later (November 2002) we decided to start trying to expand our family. We were very excited and anxious to see what the next month would bring. Little did we know at that time what a long road ahead of us we had....
Month after long month, we had negative tests. We tried SO many things...among them are: standing on my head 'afterwards', feet in the air, vitamins meant for old people (a friend said she knew 2 friends that got pg taking them...not so much me), charting temps, charting cycles, ovulation kits, herbal teas and vitamins, acupuncture, progesterone supplements, clomid, Follistim with insemination, no hot tub for John, limited caffeine intake, no alcohol (for me), relaxing vacations (Florida, Italy, Aruba), 'Not thinking about it'--bad advice,-it's impossible, 'listening' to my monthly ovulation pain I've gotten since I was a teenager, reading books and websites, PRAYER, I got a new 'less stressul' job (although I do travel with it, which makes it tough with doc. appts.), we got a dog (it 'worked' for many of my friends), we moved to a much nicer neighborhood, we have had doctor visits on and off...just letting nature do its 'thang'...
But we have since grown impatient. Getting pregnant is the one thing that is literally out of our control...we can only do so much (as shown above)....but it is all up to God. We've decided to help our chances a bit more and we are just finishing up our first IVF cycle. I never thought that I would conceive a child without having sex....but hey, it will make it easier to explain to our kids where babies come from, right? "Just go downtown Chicago and pick 'em up" :) Yeah right, it's not that easy....
A year and a few months later (November 2002) we decided to start trying to expand our family. We were very excited and anxious to see what the next month would bring. Little did we know at that time what a long road ahead of us we had....
Month after long month, we had negative tests. We tried SO many things...among them are: standing on my head 'afterwards', feet in the air, vitamins meant for old people (a friend said she knew 2 friends that got pg taking them...not so much me), charting temps, charting cycles, ovulation kits, herbal teas and vitamins, acupuncture, progesterone supplements, clomid, Follistim with insemination, no hot tub for John, limited caffeine intake, no alcohol (for me), relaxing vacations (Florida, Italy, Aruba), 'Not thinking about it'--bad advice,-it's impossible, 'listening' to my monthly ovulation pain I've gotten since I was a teenager, reading books and websites, PRAYER, I got a new 'less stressul' job (although I do travel with it, which makes it tough with doc. appts.), we got a dog (it 'worked' for many of my friends), we moved to a much nicer neighborhood, we have had doctor visits on and off...just letting nature do its 'thang'...
But we have since grown impatient. Getting pregnant is the one thing that is literally out of our control...we can only do so much (as shown above)....but it is all up to God. We've decided to help our chances a bit more and we are just finishing up our first IVF cycle. I never thought that I would conceive a child without having sex....but hey, it will make it easier to explain to our kids where babies come from, right? "Just go downtown Chicago and pick 'em up" :) Yeah right, it's not that easy....
Joining the Craze
Hey there! So after months of seeing a few of my friends blogs, I decided I would join the craze of Blogland. :) I am new at this, so bare with me. As my life with my family gets more exciting I'll post more to keep everybody updated.
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