The In Vitro Journey - The Longest Overdue Update of All Time(Sorry!)

I am officially the worst blogger ever. I left you all hanging with no answers after our embryo transfer and 2 week wait. I'd like to think I have a pretty good excuse but in all reality I've just been lazy. Alas, I promise to give you the whole update and not skimp out on any details.

My last update ended at 4 days past our embryo transfer. Well 2 days later at 6dpt (days past transfer) we got this result:

See that super faint, almost invisible line? Well so did we. That was the start of some very happy news. I then continued to take at home pregnancy tests daily and we watched the line get darker and darker.

Our first blood test at the fertility doctor was on 10dpt. The doctors consider anything over 50 to be a positive pregnancy test.. Ours was WAY above 50:

The doctors were very happy with this number and considered us totally pregnant. They even said with a number that high they expect there could be multiples! We were pretty confident there were two babies in there as well. We had our second beta test on 12dpt. A normal result would be around 1,500-2,500. Ours, again, was WAY above that:

We were over the moon! We both cried and decided we were in the clear to start telling our friends and family. Since people were already so involved in our IVF process there wasn't much room for surprises. My parents were asking about the blood test results before I even had the blood drawn. Luckily, I was able to hide it from my two best friends and revealed it to them like this:

So all was well, everyone was happy and excited and we started to really celebrate our IVF success. We've come so far! We deserve this and we are so happy to see the fruits of our labor paying off. Then came the scariest moment of our lives when I began bleeding. We're not talking a little bit of blood that could be considered spotting; we're talking a LOT of blood with blood clots and abdominal cramps. We expected the worst. The doctors put me on bed rest until they could see me the next day. I was seen at 5w3d and they told me it was too early to see anything and they were right. They also told us that bleeding is common in IVF pregnancies and that I could bleed again. They told me not to stress and when it happens to lay down and put my feet up. It happened again at 5w5d. I was seen again at 5w6d. This is when the doctor confirmed there were TWO gestational sacks! Twins! 

She was also able to find the sub-chronic hematoma which was the bleeding area. She said it was fairly small compared to those she's seen before and she was not worried about it at all. She also said there was a good chance I would bleed through my whole pregnancy but it would not affect the babies. We left there feeling really relieved and so happy that it was confirmed that we were having twins! We started telling pretty much everyone, "we're having twins!" We started to really wrap our heads around what that meant for us.. Double diapers, double feedings, double EVERYTHING! We're gonna need a bigger house, bigger cars, two babies?! What!? We started talking twin names, looking at twin products. We got to see our twins and their tiny little heartbeat flickers @ 6w5d:

Baby B on the left was right on track, measuring at 6w5d. Baby A was a little behind measuring at 6w1d. The doctors weren't worried at this point and said as long as they are measuring plus or minus 5 days it is nothing to worry about. Today we went in for our 7w5d ultrasound. This is when we got the news that Baby A hasn't grown much in the past week and they didn't see a heartbeat. Baby A measured at 6w2d while Baby B measured at 7w2d. The doctor informed us that this is common in twin pregnancies and it is likely that Baby A will either miscarry or absorb into the uterus. Yes we we're sad. The loss of one of the lives inside me is not something you just shrug off. But at the same time we have SO much to be happy about! We got to hear Baby B's heartbeat and it was the most amazing sound I've ever heard. Here's he is in all his glory; our alpha fetus:

We mourned the loss of Baby A for however we knew this was a possibility and we are just as happy to have one healthy baby as we would have been to have two. We also graduated from the fertility clinic today. Que another onset of emotions. What a journey this has been! To be leaving the comfort of this clinic we know so well; the doctors and nurses and even the receptionists we have grown to love and trust; to be discharged out into the world as a regular ol' pregnant couple. We have accomplished what we set foot in there to accomplish and now it's time for my body and nature to run its course. We are so grateful for this experience and all the wonderful people it has lead us to. All the trials and tribulations, every monumental step in the right direction; it was all worth it for this outcome. We are pregnant with a child that is equally me and equally him. We will raise it together in love and unity; teach it right from wrong and love it unconditionally. 

Next week we go to Kaiser for our first OB appointment. A new set of doctors, a new facility, new rules and protocol. We are beyond excited for the continuation of this journey. Thank you to every single one of you who have tuned in to read the updates, supported us through kind words or prayers, and held my hand as I cried and rejoiced through this journey. 

This is truly a Christmas Miracle we will never forget.

The In Vitro Journey: Cycle #1 - Day 1 & 2

The "shooting up" has officially started! Yesterday was our first injection night and we were more nervous than was necessary. It ended up to be a breeze; no pain, no side effects. I gave myself the first shot and David gave me the second one. At first he was timid and didn't want to hurt me but once he realized it didn't hurt he was excited to do it again today.

The Follistim pen is so easy and convenient. The Menopur injection stung a little bit today but nothing I can't handle. 

Don't mind my crazy beach hair... Spent the day riding jet skis at the bay :)

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The In Vitro Journey: Cycle #1 - Stimulants

Yesterday we went into the clinic for our baseline ultrasound and blood tests. The purpose of the ultrasound was to confirm there were no cysts on my ovaries, check the position of my uterus, and count how many follicles are present in each ovary. We counted 9 on my right ovary, and 10 or 11 on my left ovary. These are great numbers and everything looks perfect & normal in my uterus.

Tomorrow is the day that makes this whole thing even more real than ever before... We start injections! Some people have been asking me why I have to take stimulants when I'm not the one with the fertility problem. But here's the thing... Infertility is a medical diagnosis. We, as a couple, are infertile. These stimulants are part of the process. Our clinic does not give the option for a "natural" IVF cycle.

In a woman's natural cycle the body releases one single egg. The hormone stimulants I will be taking will force my body to create multiple eggs in the follicles that will be retrieved when they are matured. Multiple eggs means maximum opportunity to create healthy embryos. If we were to do this without the stimulants, we would be working with one egg at a time, significantly decreasing our chances of creating any embryos let alone healthy, growing, multi-cell embryos.

Let's also keep in mind that not all eggs retrieved will be mature and not all mature eggs will be successfully fertilized. The doctors could retrieve as many as 30 eggs but maybe only 20 of them will be mature and only 10 will fertilize. Of those 10 maybe only 5 will grow to 5 day blastocysts. These hormones stimulants are absolute imperatives to the success of our IVF cycle. 

Now lets talk about what exactly I'll be injecting. For the first week I will be doing nightly injections of Follistim & Menopur. Follistim is a man-made form of the hormone FSH which occurs naturally in the body. The injection is administered through a 
pre-filled, pre-mixed pen which allows the user to dial a specific dose and inject by pushing in on the plunger. 



Menopur is a highly purified preparation of naturally derived gonadotropins. It comes in powder form and is mixed with sodium chloride to be injected daily. Both medicines help to stimulate egg production in the follicles and assist in ovulation.

After a week I will stop taking the Follistim and will begin taking Cetrotide and decrease my dosage of Menopur. Cetrotide prevents eggs from being released too early by blocking the hormone that causes woman to ovulate. 

I will have monitoring appointments 3x a week during all this and the doctors will closely monitor the size and count of my follicles. My meds will be adjusted if necessary and when everything looks right I will be scheduled for egg retrieval. I will be instructed to take my trigger shot 36 hours prior to the ER.  

We are so excited for the next step in our journey. As always, it may not be easy but it will always be worth it. More soon...

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The In Vitro Journey: Cycle #1 - Calendar

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
July
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13 Cycle start	14	15	16 Start Birth Control	17 BC	18 BC
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
BC	BC	BC	BC	BC	BC	BC
26	27	28	29	30	31	1
BC	BC	BC	BC	BC	BC	BC
August
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Last BC Pill			Baseline Ultrasound & Bloodwork		Start 225 units of Follistim Start 75 units of Menopur	6pm - Injection
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
6pm - Injection	6pm - Injection	Start taking Centrotide Increase dose of Menopur TBD        6pm - Injection	Ultrasound & Bloodwork 6pm - Injection	6pm - Injection	Ultrasound & Bloodwork 6pm - Injection	Start taking 1 tab Azithromycin 6pm - Injection
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
6pm - Injection, 1 tab Azithromycin	Ultrasound & Bloodwork 6pm - Injection, 1 tab Azithromycin	Egg retrieval? (12 hrs prior - inject Ovidrel, take 1 tab Zofran)	Egg retrieval?	Egg retrieval?	Egg retrieval?	Embryo Growth/Watch
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
Embryo Growth/Watch	Embryo Transfer?      (Start 1 tab Prednisone, start 1 tab Prometrium, start 100mg Endometrin)	Embryo Transfer?      AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endometrin	Embryo Transfer?      AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	Embryo Transfer?     AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin
30	31	1	2	3	4	5
AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin	PREGNANCY TEST! AM - Prednisone, Prometrium, Endomtrin

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The In Vitro Journey: The Plan, Part II

Well I know it's been a while since I've updated.. I've been debating continuing to post here, thinking maybe something would happen down the road that I want to keep private.. But then I guess I just wouldn't write about it. At the same time, writing it down helps me to process this huge thing that's happening.. This huge process that is so much bigger than me. 
Anyways, these things take time. We've been actively moving forward with the requirements of the process, and are growing more and more excited as time passes. We have officially began our first round of IVF! Today we had an appointment to review the timeline and each part of the procedures in our future. We'll talk more about that later.. first let's back up a couple months.

We chose to participate in the Success Guarantee Program through San Diego Fertility Center. This program basically guarantees that you achieve a successful pregnancy or you will receive a (almost) full refund. We had to be approved for this program by meeting certain requirements such as BMI under 30 and normal blood work/health screening. We were accepted into the program on June 16th.


We wanted to get started right away but the timing had to be right with my cycle and the dates just didn't line up. We decided it was a perfect time to take a trip up to San Fransisco to meet the boyfriend's newborn nephew, Auden Emory. We took the 8 hour drive up and spent the weekend with his sister Susie and her husband Mike. It was a great little lesson into what life will be like after this IVF journey comes to an end.

Today at our appointment we watched a 25 minute video including detailed looks into each step of the process:

✓Testing

✓Planning

Hormone Therapy, 

Egg Retrieval, 

ICSI (Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection),

Embryo Watch/Growth 

Embryo Transfer,

Pregnancy Test.

Of course there are possible complications to all of the above, there are also all kinds of possible scenarios and statistics involved in making the best "next" decision. We will be in constant contact with the doctors and nurses from the clinic and will be instructed at every turn. 

Today, in hearing that this whole process is a cash deal for us since insurance will not cover it, the nurse who helped us was able to find some of the prescriptions I needed to order in her office and gave to us for free! Saved us around $2,000!! 

I will work on posting our calendar of dates in the next posting.. I know that right now it seems like it's taken forever to get here. But I think from now on, it will zoom by.

Crossing my fingers and toes for success, good health, and all around happiness. ✌ 

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The In Vitro Journey: The Plan, Part I

Originally, when I created this blog, my intention was to showcase some sneak peaks into our daily life and follow us on a journey we have been building up to for quite some time. It has turned out to be very little of that and more of a place for me to sort out all my book reviews & obsessions. If you're one of the people who tuned in to follow our little love story, I apologize for falling off track. I promise when there is more exciting info to share, I will do so in as much detail as possible.

We have been doing well over the past few weeks at opening the lines of communication regarding our upcoming procedures. We have began taking small steps towards healthier lives including more fruits and veggies, less fast food, more cardio, water, and vitamins. I am down 18 pounds in two months and the target BMI is in close sight.  

Us yesterday before our 3 mile walk along the boardwalk @ sunset

(Our favorite old person past time, next to watching 

Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy 5 nights a week)

We seem to have a more concrete plan and time frame now as far as our plans to begin our IVF Journey goes. We will be moving in May and have a vacation planned in June, both of which will be a bit costly and not an ideal time for hormone shots and resting/preparing the body for pregnancy. We plan to meet with our doctor in mid to late June to schedule out our treatments and procedures and begin moving forward in July.

It's crazy how often I get asked by parents, "do you have any children?". When I respond with "no, not yet" the response is ALWAYS "lucky you! Wait as long as you can" and "kids change everything."

Going through all of this, I don't even know how to respond to that. Of course the standard thing to do is just laugh and say something like, "Oh, I bet!" But inside I'm thinking, "there's nothing lucky about my answer to that question" and  "yes, I realize kids change everything, that's what I'm going for here!"

If nothing else this is a lesson for me to not judge a book by it's cover. You really never know the details of someones life until you sit down with them and really get to the nitty gritty. Maybe statements like "consider yourself lucky" shouldn't be a blanket thrown over everyone in child bearing years without a child. Maybe assumptions shouldn't be made that because you don't have children it must mean you don't want them or aren't ready for them. Or, maybe, possibly, I'm just over thinking it because it's something that hits close to home. Either way, I'll take the "advise" in stride and continue on this journey until we have our missing puzzle piece and can start putting together our own family puzzle.

It's late and the mister is already dead asleep. Time for me to join him.

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The In Vitro Journey: Blueprint Phase

Becoming a mom has always been a really big deal to me. I am so fortunate to have found someone who not only can’t wait to be a father, but also can’t wait for me to be the mother to their child. Having a baby is something David & I have talked about and wanted for a long time, regardless of the struggles we know it will take to do so. We realize how big of a commitment this is and how it will completely alter our lives forever and we are SO ready for that.  

Over the past five years our love and acceptance for one another has grown exponentially and in the past year we have decided that there’s no time like the present to set foot on this journey. After lots of doctor’s appointments and tests we have recently received a clear picture of what our future holds in respect to getting pregnant. 

Basically, our baby will be made in a Petri dish and directed to my uterus with hopes that it implants and grows. This process is called In Vitro Fertilization and is necessary when the sperm is not able to penetrate the egg on it's own. 

We spoke with a financial advisor to discuss the cost of this type of procedure and left the doctor’s office feeling overwhelmed but educated and excited at the same time. This is something we’ve been saving up for for quite some time and we expected the high cost but the idea of depleting our entire savings account is not something we’re ready for. Also, the doctor recommended that in order to achieve the best results with the process I decrease my BMI (body mass index) by 5% (aka lose 27 pounds).

We took this in stride and decided to get to work on achieving that goal (12 lbs down, 18 to go!).  In the meantime, we plan to increase our savings and decrease our spending. We started to look into different ways to raise a portion of the money we need using crowd funding, however asking for hand outs is a very humbling experience and I don’t know that either of us is ready or willing to do that.

Luckily, we have a lot of positive factors going for us. Both of us are actively working in the real estate industry and creating revenue every day. We also have an awesome support system of friends and family behind us that would contribute without hesitation if we asked. 

We are both so excited to start this journey but more than anything want to make sure we are 100% prepared both mentally, physically, and financially. We are grateful for the support from our family and friends (whether we know you in real life or not) and can’t wait to share our story.

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