Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
They're in!
Well, frankly, things could not be going better. We had a couple of very healthy embryos implanted today. I'll try to figure out how the scanner on our printer works and I'll show you all what they look like. They're very clear bundles of cells with lots of definition. Jessica's acupuncturist said he sees lots of those photos and they rarely look as well defined as ours. So, that's going really well. We're currently watching Man vs. Wild and trying to take it easy.
Another bit of good news is they froze all 8 of the other embryos! So, we have lots of options between that and two vials of frozen sperm. Like I said, things could not be going better than they are right now.
Another bit of good news is they froze all 8 of the other embryos! So, we have lots of options between that and two vials of frozen sperm. Like I said, things could not be going better than they are right now.
Big day today
'Tis 8 AM and we're leaving in about 20 minutes to go up to Indy for implantation. Jessica has an acupuncture session before, the actual procedure at noon, followed by another acupuncture session. Beth is taking us and Janet is tagging along. I'll be there with Mergers & Acquisitions homework to occupy my time (yay?) while my wife is being poked by a variety of needles.
The hard part starts today -- keeping Jessica layed out on her back for a full week. Luckily, I'm moving around really well and should be able to take all the stairs necessary for the week. I'm even planning on going to classes this week. This part is also hard because it's the start of the long wait until we test to see if the implantation took.
So, I'm sure Jessica will post quite a bit over the next week because she has nothing but time, but there won't be any hard news for a while after today.
The hard part starts today -- keeping Jessica layed out on her back for a full week. Luckily, I'm moving around really well and should be able to take all the stairs necessary for the week. I'm even planning on going to classes this week. This part is also hard because it's the start of the long wait until we test to see if the implantation took.
So, I'm sure Jessica will post quite a bit over the next week because she has nothing but time, but there won't be any hard news for a while after today.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Updates coming frequently now
Got a call from from the biologist already this morning. Of the eleven eggs retrieved, 10 were fertilized and 9 are showing very healthy signs of cell division. They're going to keep an eye on the other one with the hopes it's just a bit behind the others.
Good news for me (Clint) is that they evidently found enough sperm to freeze "two vials". I don't know how many sperm that is, but it's very good news should we have to go through Round 3. They won't have to go digging in my balls! Yay!
So, we're not only doing well on our primary goal (fertilized eggs), we are looking good to attaining our secondary goal -- enough fertilized eggs to freeze -- and developed a very unexpected third benefit of allowing me to skip a round of surgery should things go way south over the next few days.
In short, things couldn't be going better to this point.
Good news for me (Clint) is that they evidently found enough sperm to freeze "two vials". I don't know how many sperm that is, but it's very good news should we have to go through Round 3. They won't have to go digging in my balls! Yay!
So, we're not only doing well on our primary goal (fertilized eggs), we are looking good to attaining our secondary goal -- enough fertilized eggs to freeze -- and developed a very unexpected third benefit of allowing me to skip a round of surgery should things go way south over the next few days.
In short, things couldn't be going better to this point.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Retrieval
The retrieval went well this morning. I was scheduled for 8:00 so I had to be there at 7:00. Clint's aspiration was at 9:00 so he was able to help me get dressed in my gown, booties and cap and get hooked up to the IV. He was sweet. When my nurse had a bit of trouble getting the IV in his eyes got a little moist. I asked him what was wrong and he said that he didn't like to see me get poked. I thought to myself, "a little late for that!" since I've been poked constantly in this process.
My mom and our family friend, Susan were with me when I woke up. Susan conceived both of her children through GIFT, which I guess was the predecessor to IVF so she knows exactly what I am going through. The doctor reported they retrieved 11 eggs which, while less than last time, is still a good number. After I dressed they wheeled me down to wait for Clint. Clint's doctor reported they only had to aspirate the left side and that they found "happy swimmers." I love the image that language provides me!
So, we begin the waiting period while my healthy eggs and Clint's happy swimmers get it on. I'm a bit sore, and I know Clint is very sore so we're just going to take it easy this weekend. My mom is here which is a help, and I'm sure she'd be happier if I moved around a lot less. She helped me prepare dinner, washed the dishes (and my stovetop, which was slightly embarrassing), and even brought in the trash cans since our sanitation guys aren't comeing for another week. My poor mother; she spends most of her winter in south florida and comes up here to help me during the coldest week of the winter season. Thank God for the maternal instinct.
We are incredibly appreciative of the many messages of support and love from our friends and family we have received lately. We are also grateful for all of our friends who are bringing food and entertainment to us, and are helping us with our household chores (particularly those associated with our four-legged crew). We are lucky people to have such a network of indiviuals who care for us. So, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
We will have a fertility report tomorrow afternoon and will report back then. In the meantime, please keep up your prayers!
My mom and our family friend, Susan were with me when I woke up. Susan conceived both of her children through GIFT, which I guess was the predecessor to IVF so she knows exactly what I am going through. The doctor reported they retrieved 11 eggs which, while less than last time, is still a good number. After I dressed they wheeled me down to wait for Clint. Clint's doctor reported they only had to aspirate the left side and that they found "happy swimmers." I love the image that language provides me!
So, we begin the waiting period while my healthy eggs and Clint's happy swimmers get it on. I'm a bit sore, and I know Clint is very sore so we're just going to take it easy this weekend. My mom is here which is a help, and I'm sure she'd be happier if I moved around a lot less. She helped me prepare dinner, washed the dishes (and my stovetop, which was slightly embarrassing), and even brought in the trash cans since our sanitation guys aren't comeing for another week. My poor mother; she spends most of her winter in south florida and comes up here to help me during the coldest week of the winter season. Thank God for the maternal instinct.
We are incredibly appreciative of the many messages of support and love from our friends and family we have received lately. We are also grateful for all of our friends who are bringing food and entertainment to us, and are helping us with our household chores (particularly those associated with our four-legged crew). We are lucky people to have such a network of indiviuals who care for us. So, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
We will have a fertility report tomorrow afternoon and will report back then. In the meantime, please keep up your prayers!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tomorrow's the day
Late to post, I know, but we're heading up to Carmel at 5:30 tomorrow morning for the retrieval. Our neighbor is a nurse and administered the scary deep-tissue shot into Jessica's butt at 8 PM last night to stimulate ovulation. Beth has arrived from Florida to care for us for a week. Books and DVDs have been loaned by Jessika Hane for Jessica's pending week-long bed-rest. Duriya is staying with the next family who will host her for the week. Chelsea is coming by to take the dogs to daycare once we leave. So, this is a pretty good team effort.
Jessica goes under around 8 tomorrow morning, me at 9.
Jessica goes under around 8 tomorrow morning, me at 9.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Delayed
Our appointment today confirmed that while things are going well, we are going to be delayed until at earliest, Thursday, but more likely, Friday. My estrogen levels are at 695, which is good so they are no increasing my dosage but my largest follicles are only at 13mm (18-20 is ideal). I have some growing to do but no one is worried. Right now, it feels as if I have golf ball sized ovaries. I'm not quite at the tennis ball sized stage where it hurts to tie my shoes--that will come around Tuesday or Wednesday.I'm just tired of hauling my butt up to Carmel all the time. I'm ready to have a finite time frame in front of me--a light at the end of the tunnel.
That being said, Friday is a good day. It gives me more time to get work done, Clint gets to go through the first week of his new classes and my mom will be here, so we won't have to go begging for rides. Not that I was not grateful for all the people who offered help to us, but I want my family with me. Its a very stressful procedure and humbling at the same time. I'm drugged, naked, hooked up to an IV with cold fluid running though my system, set in stirrups, poked and prodded in my netheregions while my husband is having a similar experience downstairs and afterward I need help even putting my underwear on. Generally, I don't like exposing people outside of my inner circle to all of the above. Plus, its nice to be able to share this experience, for good or for ill, with my Mom. She knows how much I want to have a baby and has walked in my shoes before. Call it the circle of life, but it is good to have her with me.
So, needless to say, we're looking at a Friday retrieval. I go back up to Indy on Tuesday and should have more specific details then. After my appointment I go have another acupuncture session. Hopefully during this upcoming week I will be able to do yoga after work for relaxation--that should help to. I just need this week to pass quickly, for both our surgeries to be successful, to have lots and lots of fertilized eggs, and for 1 (or more) to take. That's not asking so much is it??
That being said, Friday is a good day. It gives me more time to get work done, Clint gets to go through the first week of his new classes and my mom will be here, so we won't have to go begging for rides. Not that I was not grateful for all the people who offered help to us, but I want my family with me. Its a very stressful procedure and humbling at the same time. I'm drugged, naked, hooked up to an IV with cold fluid running though my system, set in stirrups, poked and prodded in my netheregions while my husband is having a similar experience downstairs and afterward I need help even putting my underwear on. Generally, I don't like exposing people outside of my inner circle to all of the above. Plus, its nice to be able to share this experience, for good or for ill, with my Mom. She knows how much I want to have a baby and has walked in my shoes before. Call it the circle of life, but it is good to have her with me.
So, needless to say, we're looking at a Friday retrieval. I go back up to Indy on Tuesday and should have more specific details then. After my appointment I go have another acupuncture session. Hopefully during this upcoming week I will be able to do yoga after work for relaxation--that should help to. I just need this week to pass quickly, for both our surgeries to be successful, to have lots and lots of fertilized eggs, and for 1 (or more) to take. That's not asking so much is it??
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Up up and away!
So I went from an estrogen level of 20 on just lupron to an estrogen level of 127 on Wednesday on just a few days of follostim. The funny thing is, that isn't quite high enough for my Md. He wants it a bit higher. This happened on the last cycle; I was just a bit lower then they wanted so they cranked up my follostim units. That made my estrogen to go off the charts so they're ratcheting me up slower this time, going from 150 units to 175 units. I'm interested to see where I'm at after tomorrow's appointment.Nonetheless, everything is looking good and on track. I have a very healthy, layered lining, and 5 follicles on each ovary. I will report back after tomorrow's appointment to see how things have grown.
After wednesday's appointment I had a consultation and treatment with the acupuncturist right across the hall from my Md. It was interesting. I had to fill out 5 pages of medical history. The acupuncturist was very professional. He thourougly explained things to me and let me ask as many questions as I wanted. I didn't have too many questions, I just wanted to see how it worked. I had a series of points on my back that he put needles in, concentrating around my lower back/hip region. Then I turned over and he hit some points in my lower abdomen to stimulate my ovulation. At the very end, he put three little dots, with either pressure points or magnets (they're so small) in a line from my belly button to near my public line. I had to leave those on until bedtime tonight. The main thing he emphasized to me was to reduce my stress...Hah. I will try but I make no promises. I did come home last night and do some yoga. Tonight was a different story. I didn't get home from work until 7 and went straight to making dinner. I did feel pretty relaxed all day and slept like a baby Wednesday night. My cold also cleared up, which I'm not sure is attributable to the acupuncture or just the passage of time.
I know... I'm adding insult to injury by doing acupuncture on top of all my other needles and injections but, if this is the way I de-stress and create a hospitable environment for my zygotes then so be it. I have another session on tuesday, then the day of the transfer both before and after the transfer. If this gets me pregnate, then I'll become the biggest advocate of eastern practices. If it doesn't then I can't say I didn't try everything.
After wednesday's appointment I had a consultation and treatment with the acupuncturist right across the hall from my Md. It was interesting. I had to fill out 5 pages of medical history. The acupuncturist was very professional. He thourougly explained things to me and let me ask as many questions as I wanted. I didn't have too many questions, I just wanted to see how it worked. I had a series of points on my back that he put needles in, concentrating around my lower back/hip region. Then I turned over and he hit some points in my lower abdomen to stimulate my ovulation. At the very end, he put three little dots, with either pressure points or magnets (they're so small) in a line from my belly button to near my public line. I had to leave those on until bedtime tonight. The main thing he emphasized to me was to reduce my stress...Hah. I will try but I make no promises. I did come home last night and do some yoga. Tonight was a different story. I didn't get home from work until 7 and went straight to making dinner. I did feel pretty relaxed all day and slept like a baby Wednesday night. My cold also cleared up, which I'm not sure is attributable to the acupuncture or just the passage of time.
I know... I'm adding insult to injury by doing acupuncture on top of all my other needles and injections but, if this is the way I de-stress and create a hospitable environment for my zygotes then so be it. I have another session on tuesday, then the day of the transfer both before and after the transfer. If this gets me pregnate, then I'll become the biggest advocate of eastern practices. If it doesn't then I can't say I didn't try everything.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Place your bets!
I had a bit of a scare today. I went to the restroom around 11am and found out I was spotting a bit. Considering that I'm supposed to be building up my endometrium lining in preparation of zygote implantation, any loss of blood is bad. I tried not to panic but I did end up calling the nurse and leaving a message for her. Then I went to lunch with my boss.
When I got back from lunch the nurse had left a message. She said that sometimes, patients experience spotting when they go from having really low estrogen levels to really high levels--they get overstimulated and their bodies freak out. She said this was likely the situation with me, considering that my estrogen levels on just Lupron last Tuesday were around 20 but now I've been on 3oo units of FSH for 3 days. I'm thinking to myself, what the heck is my level going to be on Wednesday when I go up for my next battery of tests? 100? 200? Does anyone want to place a bet? It could be fun! What does it need to be at? Ack!!!! Often I have such an out of body experience with this stuff thatI feel like my brain is floating 10 feet above my body, which has become a test subject for a lab, with people hovering over it, taking random samples from it and poking it in places.
No need to worry. Nothing more happened after that brief occurence and I went about my day as normal. I'm really tired right now but don't know if that is due to the sinus infection I've been battling for a while or all the meds I'm on. Sigh. I'm beginning to look forward to spending a week on the couch.
When I got back from lunch the nurse had left a message. She said that sometimes, patients experience spotting when they go from having really low estrogen levels to really high levels--they get overstimulated and their bodies freak out. She said this was likely the situation with me, considering that my estrogen levels on just Lupron last Tuesday were around 20 but now I've been on 3oo units of FSH for 3 days. I'm thinking to myself, what the heck is my level going to be on Wednesday when I go up for my next battery of tests? 100? 200? Does anyone want to place a bet? It could be fun! What does it need to be at? Ack!!!! Often I have such an out of body experience with this stuff thatI feel like my brain is floating 10 feet above my body, which has become a test subject for a lab, with people hovering over it, taking random samples from it and poking it in places.
No need to worry. Nothing more happened after that brief occurence and I went about my day as normal. I'm really tired right now but don't know if that is due to the sinus infection I've been battling for a while or all the meds I'm on. Sigh. I'm beginning to look forward to spending a week on the couch.
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