The Results Are In! 5 Tots Growing

I am sure that Jason and I officially have 5 of the most beautiful fertilized eggs growing in B'ham that they have ever seen. I would love to be caring for all 5 tots myself but I am sure they are in good hands. The egg retrieval was yesterday at 10:00 in B'ham. (which is not a minor procedure I can tell ya) I have been SO sick prior to the egg retrieval that I have neglected my blog. They only retrieved 5 eggs after having 14 follicles. I was very upset about the low number of eggs retrieved but to drugged to care. The shared risk program Jason and I qualified for allowed us to have 4 possible chances for IVF but we had to have 8 eggs at transfer. We will now only get 1 chance for IVF with a refund to use if we need another try. We are not going to need another try I'm sure! So, the GREAT news is that all 5 of my eggs are mature and fertilized as of this afternoon. God is good! My IVF is scheduled for Monday at 10:00 am in B'ham. I will be on bed rest for 5 days. Please keep us in your prayers!

The Fantastic 14

Great news! I went to my 2nd appt. in Montg.today. The NP (by now you have figured out the doctor is never at these appt.) did my u/s and blood work. My left and right ovary each have 7 growing follicles. That's right 14 possible eggs already! I hope I didn't give anyone a heart attack. No, we are not transferring 14 eggs just 1. However, we want as many eggs as possible to fertilize just in case we have to do IVF a second time.(Back-up plan)The culture results from last week show no bacteria growing in many uterus. The most exciting news is my lining is already very thick. This is just perfect for our future tot to snuggle in and grow after IVF in 2 weeks.The bad news is that the NP had the audacity to say we would need to go to B'ham on Sat.for another check-up. Doesn't she know ALABAMA is playing Sat.! Oh well, the things you do for your children. This is the first day of FALL.Happy Fall! I'm confused its 100 degrees outside. Enjoy your weekend! ROLL TIDE

The search is FINALLY over!

My mom and dad finally brought a new car. They went with me to transfer my warranty on my new car and ended up buying a Mercedes. I am so excited that the search is finally over!

Great News! Grow Follicles Grow! You can do it!

Sorry its been so long since my last blog. Well, I received great news from my doctor in Montgomery. My ultrasound (u/s) showed no cysts on my left or right ovaries. Cysts at this point in my cycle can delay IVF. In the back of my mind my main goal for this visit was to find out how many follicles I had on both ovaries and what size they were. (For my friends and family that are new to the infertility world a follicle is another word for possible egg. The follicle needs to measure 10 to 12 on the u/s to be considered an egg. I know almost enough to be dangerous!) Anyway, the u/s revealed several follicles growing but none measured 10 to 12 yet. The NP said that it was to early in my cycle to start measuring. She did say she would measure them at the next visit, Sept. 23rd. Of course, I am impatient and would love to know how many eggs I have so I know how many possible tots (I will refer to my eggs and fertilized embryo as tots for now) Jason and I will have to transfer. My blood work was great. My hormone levels are wonderful and my Beta was less than 5. (which means I am not pregnant imagine that) Ok, everyone knows that I love surprises. However, I have been very disappointed at the level of fun you can have at the doctors office when they say the word surprise. On my IVF calendar (the bible), it said so many abbreviations for things that I didn't have a clue what to expect. The abbreviation US CATH means they are going to stick a small catheter (IUI cath) in your uterus and drain fluid to culture. This was my surprise for the day! We want a baby! We want a baby! I repeated this the whole time they did the US CATH. This seemed to help because the NP said I did fine. A little cramping and a little spotting later we were off to pay for our procedure. We paid for IVF with the sweet receptionist and were headed home. In the waiting room, as we were leaving, I met a wonderful couple from Slocomb that were 8 weeks pregnant and in Montgomery for an ultrasound. Thank you Lord for this much needed push that everything we are doing is not in vain and the reminder that our time will come! On Sunday I will start my first STIM injection. This is two different medications, Gonal and Menopur, given in one injection that will stimulate my ovaries to produce numerous eggs. These medications make your ovaries swell because of the stimulation. The goal is to stimulate the ovaries just enough to produce lots of quality eggs. However, the ovaries should not be over stimulated or you can have a condition called OHSS Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. This can cause pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and in rare circumstances hospitalization. Please pray for the doctors as they find the perfect level of stimulation during the next 2 weeks. Egg retrieval is scheduled tentatively for Sept. 29th or 30th. IVF is scheduled for possibly Oct. 4th. Jason and I want to thank you for all your sweet comments, emails, calls, and prayers!

And I'm Back! Long Awaited News!

Well, its been forever since my last post. I have some exciting news for my blog followers! (The people who I hope can find me. You know who you are!) Jason and I took the plunge into IVF. In September, we were approved for IVF by the ART clinic in Birmingham. Let me say this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with either one of us. PRAISE THE LORD! We are totally healthy and 100% capable of physically having a bun in the oven. My team of wonderful doctors can't decide why we haven't conceived yet. However, the Lord has not blessed us with a bundle of joy YET. So, for my friends and family that do not know the terms IVF means In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). There is another language called fertility language and all they use are abbreviations. (Don't worry I will coach ya through the terms.) Some people say, "you could never say exactly how much a baby cost." Well, Jason and I can safely say our baby cost $15,350 so far. Well worth every penny I'm sure! We will pay on Wed. and want our baby delivered on that day please!

This is a picture of all the medicine I am taking. I borrowed these pics from a friend who went through IVF. Where it all begins...Birth control and the calendar in the background. Lupron is the first injection I started last week and is given with a small diabetic needle in the tummy. I am giving these injections to myself after one of my best friends Jennie showed me what to do.(Thanks again Jennie for being so wonderful to me.) Later all four vials are used each day as a stim. I will add a second shot on day 4 of stim. I will do this for roughly 10 days. Also, antibiotics are taken about 4 or 5 days before egg retrieval.
HCG trigger shot used to release eggs for retrieval. Progesterone oil shot begins a few days after retrieval and will continue until pregnancy test and or until doc is comfortable with levels when pregnant. Also, progesterone supplement this is an insert. FUN! (we will just leave it at that) These are all the medications I will use. There is still a chance I might have to do another shot the entire pregnancy, but whatever I have to do to get pregnant I will do. I try to have a smile on my face most of the time, but I know I don't. Please keep praying for us throughout our journey. Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Just read this verse and loved it, so I want to share...

Romans 5:3-5 says “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure”

My next doctors appt. is Wed. in Montgomery. More to come in the upcoming days so stay tuned!

Christie