So what happened with the cycle?

So now I have you caught up... right?   Well not exactly... haha

One of the hormone "aids" I take is progesterone.  It is a hormone that the body starts to make as soon as you ovulate.  Well for some people there is a problem with the production and to leave nothing to chance my RE has had me use it this cycle (and the previous two).  It gives you the same symptoms one might have if say they are pregnant.. and ironically... the same for PMS.. cruel cruel mother nature let me tell you!

Anyway.. since four days since the IUI I have been having what I assumed to be the progesterone lying, cruel symptoms.  After seven days.. I took a pregnancy test.. why you ask.. well remember that trigger shot?  That is the pregnancy hormone so you test positive on pregnancy until it is out of your system.. the last time I took it it was gone around 7 days so I tested it out and sure enough STARK white!  Which means that if I get weak and want to test early I can believe what the test tells me.

Nine days after the IUI I am starting to feel the itch to test... and I was told by the pharmacist that if I am pregnant I should not be taking my allergy medications... well boo.  My head tells me how many times have you been through this.. just test and see and if nothing you can continue to take the medication.  I tell my mom that I WILL not be testing until Saturday..

September 2, 2011

I wake up and my boobs are hurting so bad I wonder... maybe I SHOULD test... so I do

Yup.. that is right... POSITIVE!

Holy crap.. I am in such disbelief... I look again and again.. and again... then I run downstairs to show hubby.  At first he doesn't see it.. then he does and is concerned it isn't very dark.. I assure him that after two and a half years of stark white it is any line at all that means it is positive.. and that I am in fact pregnant!  He still wants to wait for the doctor before calling it.. I tell him there is NO way I am sitting on this information all weekend not after everything we have been through!  And I test again later in the day.. that is the second test shown above... he believes it this time.. but he is worried about getting too excited in case something happens.. he doesn't want me to "be upset" (how sweet).. I tell him that no matter what if something happens I will be upset so we might as well be happy and enjoy this moment.  He finally agreed.

Two days later we see this.. the cool thing is that my sister brought this test for me to use when I test.. it is the second test from her box where she got her positive!

At this point I stop testing.. until I go to the doctor.

At 14dpo I go to the doctor for a blood test.  My hormones are great and I am in fact PREGNANT for the first time EVER!

I go back two days later and my numbers are increasing.  We have our first ultrasound set for Sept 20th!  I wonder how many little ones we have in there?

HOLY SHIT... against all odds, I am PREGNANT!    Please, Please, Please, Please.. let me carry this baby to term!

Update Part 3 - August 2011

And so we get to the last well two months of crazy.. haha

We go to the RE and get our plan for this next cycle.  We will be doing Clomid, Follistim (injections), and Ovidrel (injection to induce ovulation) then IUI (inter-uterine insemination).  We can start as soon as my period arrives which should be any day.

Hubby and I celebrate our four year wedding anniversary!!   We got away for a wonderful weekend evening.  We knew that we would have a busy month and wanted one last time to relax.  I started my period on our anniversary so during our weekend get away I am to take the clomid pills to start our cycle.  When we get home he is to give me the first injection of the cycle (Sun).  I am to come to the office to start ultrasounds and bloodwork in two days (Tues).  Hubby gives me an injection that night and again in two nights (Thurs) and I am to go back the next morning (Fri).  He is to give me another shot that Saturday night and I am to go back on Monday.  When they tell you doing a cycle is a full time job they are not kidding.. I am running back and forth between the doctors office and then to work.. then I have to wait til later in the afternoon to get the results of the blood work and they give me instructions for when I am to do my next shot and when I have to come in again.. it is crazy!

Hurray.. Haylee turns two years old!


So I go back the next Monday..at this point people are usually about ready to ovulate... but NOT me.. oh no.. I get to be difficult.. the RE adds an injection to the mix (menopur).. so I am now to do two shots the next two nights and come back on Wed morning.. I go back.. still NOT enough.. so we go two more days of double injections.. now mind you I have follies (eggs)  forming they just aren't growing big enough... typically one takes over and dominates and the others get smaller.. so you have one egg that ovulates..  By Friday morning.. I now have A LOT that are getting bigger... I am terrified that they are going to shut down the cycle completely.. however.. they want me to come back Saturday morning to see how things are going and then the RE will decide what he wants to do.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

I go back for another ultrasound and blood work.  The RE decided that in order or us to continue with the IUI as planned, they will have to go in and aspirate some of the extra eggs before the procedure.  He instructs two more injections tonight, and trigger shot tomorrow night at exactly 7pm.  We are to decide by Monday if we wish to have the extra eggs destroyed or if we want to have them fertilized and frozen for a possible FET (Frozen Egg Transfer) down the road.  This aspiration procedure is pretty much the same as one would have if under going IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization).  We do the shots and am scheduled for the retrival at 8am on Tuesday (8/23) and the IUI for 1pm that same day.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Hubby and I arrive for the retrieval.. I am put under general anesthesia during the procedure they removed 10 eggs and leave in 4 for the IUI later that day.  We go home for a few hours and then return for the IUI at 1pm that afternoon.  My ovaries are VERY sore and have been for the past week and a half but the egg retrieval makes them even more sore and me uncomfortable for about five day following.  However, hubby gives a stellar "sample" and the ultrasound shows I just ovulated so our timing is PERFECT... our hopes are high as we leave the office... I have to return for blood work in one week to make sure my hormone levels are good and again in two weeks for a blood test to see if I am pregnant.  I go home and rest the rest of the day.

The next day I get a call.. of the 10 eggs that were removed, 9 of them were mature enough to fertilize.  They did what is called a ICSI where they take the sperm and put it right into the egg for fertilization.  It is more successful then just letting the sperm do their thing.  Well all 9 eggs fertilized and they froze all 9 for later FET use.  This fills me with great relief.  We have a back up plan that will cost us a whole lot less than traditional IVF.. I know that if this IUI doesn't work we have another option that has a higher chance of working.. how wonderful!

One week later my hormone test shows everything is going well.

Update part 2 - January 2011- July 2011

January 2011

We start our third round of clomid.  I also have other supportive hormone drugs and am being monitored which means going in to the doctors office every couple of days to have ultrasounds and blood work done to see how my body is progressing.  I ovulate on CD 17, earliest EVER... but we don't get pregnant.

 February 2011

We mark two years of trying to conceive... on the same day that I am to call the doctor to tell them it didn't work.  I come "out" on Facebook as being infertile.. the response is pretty amazing.. I was terrified but it turned out okay.    We go into our final attempt before we have to consider surgery.. I have three eggs that are mature enough to ovulate, so the RE gives the go to use a Trigger shot to make sure they all ovulate.  This is done in a shot in the stomach.. it is the first one I do... well hubby does it and we were totally not prepared as it was a last minute thing.. but it is done... and I ovulate on CD 15... and we wait.

March 2011

We do not get pregnant.  I call the doctor to set up the 3D test again.  The test showed I had a polyp in my uterus and for sure a septate uterus.  All pretty scary.  The RE wants to do surgery to remove the polyp, "cut back" septate, and to explore for endo as my left ovary appears to rest under my uterus. He will be performing a Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy. Also stated that uterus is tilted a bit to the side. We were given more information on the septate (a birth defect): it is preventing implantation in 1/3 of the uterus and that in the event that we do get pregnant there is a high risk of miscarriage, preterm labor, and preterm delivery because it also causes a "weak cervical canal" so we will need to be monitored closely.  We were also informed that my LH and FSH levels while in the "normal range" in relation to each other are "off".. further confirming my PCOS.  The surgery is Scheduled for May 23rd.

April-May 2011

We have to take time off til the surgery and I will be put back on birth control pills to get ready.  We will have to wait for me to heal after the surgery too so we have the summer off!

May 2011

I have the surgery.  After the surgery they were not able to stop my pain for a while and had to give me a large quantity of pain medication before sending me home.  They told hubby that he would see me in an hour but it ended up being over three hours.  During the surgery.. they removed the septate, a polyp and some cysts on my ovaries.  They did not find endometrosis and my ovary was where it was supposed to be so it must just "float".  Also during the surgery they left a small catheter in my uterus for a week to help with the healing.  After a few days of healing that ended up being the most annoying part of being laid up.. I was feeling better but still had that to contend with.. no fun... however.. I did end up losing 10 pounds that week because I didn't eat a whole lot.. thank you pain medication.  I have to continue to heal and take hormones to aid in that process.  After about six weeks I have to call to set up another ultrasound to see how everything looks now.

July 2011

Have the ultrasound.  We are cleared to begin trying again once my period arrives.  We set up a consult for the beginning of August (RE is on vacation).. to see what the plan will be.

My sister finds out they are expecting baby #2.  This information is bitter sweet.  I adore my niece and am so happy that my sister will NEVER have to endure this pain I have had for the past two and a half years.  But what about my turn?  We have been trying to have baby # 1 since I knew my sister was three months pregnant with my beautiful niece... that niece is about to turn two and my sister and her husband conceived on their first month and we haven't even been able to try all summer long.  Please oh please God.. let us be able to be pregnant together this time!

To be continued...

Update from August 2010-December 2010

Wow... I can't believe it has been so long since I have updated this blog.  It has been a hard year and a half since my last update that much I can say.  I am now wishing that I had kept up with this blog so that I had something to look back on and remember everything that we have gone through.  I will try to recap as best as I can...

August 2010

My niece turned one :) She continues to be the apple of my eye.  I so adore her smile and everything she does. 

We also began to get tested and "officially" entered the infertility realm.  I went back to my OB and set up an appointment with an urologist to have hubby checked out too.  I had what is called a HSG... this test really sucked and the radiologist stated that my tubes were clear and everything seemed to be okay (remember this later because everything wasn't okay).  Hubby came back borderline (thought to be because of a fever he had),, and a second test was set for October.  OB said that we are okay to start the first type of fertility drugs!

September 2010

I don't ovulate.. and I must induce my period.  I start the first round of fertility drug (clomid).  I am at a pretty low dose to start.  The medication didn't work very well.. I still didn't ovulate until CD26 :(  But at least I DID ovulate... we don't get pregnant.

October 2010

Hubby goes back to the urologist and has his second test.. it is okay but it was discovered that he has some hormonal issues going on and starts to take clomid at a low dose to see if it will help him.  My OB is out on medical leave and doesn't increase the dose for my clomid, so we get proactive and call the fertility specialist (RE) and set up an appointment for Nov.  In the mean time I take the second round of clomid.  

November 2010

Ovulation comes a little sooner at CD 24 but still not great... we don't get pregnant. We go to the RE and he reviews our tests and have hubby take a third test.  His third test comes back in the normal range of things.  However, upon review of my HSG test (from August).. he thinks he sees a septum at the top of my uterus which is a birth defect.. and he wants to do more ultrasounds (2D and 3D to see what is going on) and blood work.

December 2010

When I went in for the test they were not able to do the 3D test as the machine was broken, so we were given the option for me to have surgery to fix the septate or try two more rounds of a higher dose of the clomid while being monitored by them... we opted to try two more cycles and then reschedule the test if we were still not pregnant.. We won't be able to start until next year with the medications, so we decide we are going to take the holidays off. Go figure I ovulate the earliest ever at CD18 the week before Christmas.

To be continued with 2011

Updates..

Wow it really has been a long time since I have written anything on here, hasn't it.  Well my beautiful neice turned seven months old over the weekend.  She is growning so fast it amazes me.  I get updates a few times a week but it is still hard becasue she lives in another state.  Thankfully I do get to still see her about every six weeks anyway.. thank goodness for that or I would go crazy.  But anyway.. she is now crawling.. "chasing the dogs was the last update".. and moving faster by the day.  She has also cut her first tooth too.  When I last saw her just a few short weeks ago, she had just started to move forward and now she is moving across the room in a few short seconds.. I have one month before I see her again.. this will actually be the longest time I have gone without seeing her.  And I feel like everytime I talk to my sis she is doing something else amazing.  But she also starting to remember me too, so this last time wasn't as bad for her because she didn't have to re-learn who I was.  I am still dreading the next couple of months though.. you know the big separation period.. where she will start to miss her mama when she is not there.. as one of her "usual" babysitters this period coming up may not be the most heartwarming period... I just hope she keeps remembering me and it won't be so bad as I fear.

Other updates.. Geoff and I have officially been "trying to conceive" (ttc) for over a year now.  Sadly the doctors don't consider it that long because of all the diagnosis' I had last year.   But things are getting better.  Still no baby but we are getting closer.  I have lost a total of 30 pounds now and I am feeling great.  My last few cycles have been pretty steady with them going 37 days, 36 days, 42 days and 40 days.  They are much more closer to "normal" than before.  In December I started a new montioring system that monitors my hormone levels (by peeing on a stick when it tells me too) and is supposed to give me a window of ovulation by showing low, high, or peak days.  It can only be used with cycles that are up to 42 days long and the first month I used it I had to pee on the stick for almost three weeks (when it told me the first month it could be "up to 10 days as it gets used to my cycle")  Plus I almost wasn't able to use it anymore because that was the cycle that went 42 days.  It literally started an hour before it was going to be too long to use it.. kinda stressful because it wasn't cheap.  So anyway it had me use the sticks for 20 days and never showed that I peaked and ovulated but it had me in the high range for about 13 days (not likely).  I was very upset.  But then I went to my OB/GYN late January and she asked that I chart my temperature for four cycles before I come in for more testing. Temping is the only way to know if you ovulate or not because your temperature raises right after ovulation because of a hormone your body produces to keep you pregnant if fertilization happens in that cycle.  So I have been waking up every morning taking my temperature before doing anything.. sitting up, moving, anything!  This is something I avoided before because you only know after the fact if you ovulated or not, it is not a predictor but a confirmation of that particular event... So anyway this last cycle I was charting my temp and using the monitor, plus checking my body's signs.   I also started using this site called Fertility Friend to help track all my hard work in one place.  I put all the information in and it reads it and gives me a graph for the cycle, while also keeping track of the days of the cycle, when to test among other things.  Now this time the monitor had me using the stick for 19 days but I only showed high for one day and never peaked.  VERY disappointing.  But the fertilty friend site saw a raise in my temp (two days after the monitor stopped testing mind you).. which means.. hurray I did ovulate!!!  It then stayed raised for 12 days when my period started.  Boo to that!!  So now we are an the quest yet again this month.  And it seems everytime I turn around someone else is getting pregnant... I bet I can count over 20 people that I know that are.. oh and there have been three added just this week, how about that for ouch!  The first one I took pretty well because it is one of my best friends.. the other two were facebook friends that happened to post their news within a day.. one at a time might have been okay but all at once... not so great.  Thankfully I have Geoff here as my sounding board.  This is the scene..just one day after I get my best friends great news  and I was very impressed that it really didn't hurt as much as it has in the past which I can only chalk it up to being that I know that I ovulated last cycle and knowing that it could happen at anytime now.. right.. when I am checking facebook
I say "you have got to be kidding me"
He says: "what"
I say "so and so is pregnant"
He says "another one"
Then not one minute later I keep reading updates and say
"no way"
He says "what"
I say "look at this"
He looks and I say "so and so is pregnant too" and I laugh because what else can I do
He says "seriously is God trying to rub it in"
I just shake my head and walk away from the computer because at this point I have reached my limit of what I can take that day... actually that was yesterday so it is still a little fresh on my heart.  But the best part was  Geoff asking a few minutes later "so when is our next window"... so now he is more eager than ever to keep trying.. and we are hoping that this time is successful!!

Sadly the monitor is at it again.. on day 9 of this cycle it wanted me to start using the sticks.  I was like WTF I ovulated on day 28 last cycle.. that is another 19-20 sticks again this month.  I refused to start on day 9 and will start instead on day 15... plus I am giving this thing one more month (hope I can stick to it).. it has not worked well for me at all.  My doctor also asked about this type of monitor when I went in to see her yesterday for my health care paperwork I have to do every year at this time.  I told her I was already using one... sigh.  But on a high note, she was very happy with the weight loss progress I have made this past year.  I am kinda at a stand still at this point.. keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds.. lose it then gain it back... getting a little frustrating.. but I am hoping with the warmer weather I can cross the threshold... so far this week is going good with being more active.. so I am on the right road.  So here I am at cycle day (CD) 12... keep your prayers up!!

Haylee is Two months

My beautiful niece is two months old today.  I can't believe it has been two months already.  Of course I am not the one getting woke up every night to feed her but for me time has gone by so fast.  She is smiling and holding her head up.. she is growing so fast.  I miss her like crazy and I am so excited that she is coming into town in just two short weeks.  When I get a new picture from today I will post it!

Pictures of my beautiful neice..

Some of my favorites that I stole from Facebook!  Haha... She is growing up so dang quick... I am not sure exactly how old she is while these are being taken but I am sure it is within the last month.. lol  Her mom reports that she is smiling now.. awww.. I can't wait to see that... going to melt my heart for sure!

Tummy Time to make her strong... go Haylee

Cutie Pie

I am sure this is one of her favorite spots for the time being... enjoy it Sis,  cuz once she is moble forget it!  I just love this picture though and she will too when she is older!

I gotta give the credits for these pictures to my brother in law... thank you for the fix!