Many of you (okay, all of you) know that I had my bloodwork done today to find out if this cycle of IVF worked. Let me give you a little background on how they figure it out...
They test the level of hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in my blood. Anything below a 3 is considered negative. Anything 20 or above is considered definitely positive. That middle section is the "gray" area. It's technically considered positive, but it's not as high as they would like to see. In a positive result, the number should at least double every 1-2 days.
My level was at 7.1.
So, basically, they're not really sure. They are "cautiously positive" that I am pregnant. I go back on Friday to have my levels tested again. If they continue to go up, then I am. If they go down, then I'm not. I will stop all meds and that would trigger menstruation.
So that's where we're at right now! I'm continuing with all of my lovely suppositories and injections, and hoping even more for the best on Friday. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me with their thoughts, prayers and well wishes. It really means the world to me.
Happy reading!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
The Rollercoaster of IVF
So, I realize I haven't updated in a while, which I apologize for. As most know, it's a crazy time of year, and this whole process has just increased the craziness.
I had my egg retrieval Wednesday, December 2nd (wow, I didn't realize it was that long ago!). It went very well and I ended up sleeping off the anesthesia most of the day. Going into it, they were hoping to get 7-8 eggs. They ended up getting 12 eggs, which is great! They would spend the day working with the eggs and sperm and would let me know the next day how many embryos they were able to create. Following that, an embryo transfer day would be scheduled. I was also instructed to begin some new medications, including a new injection and two vaginal suppositories...yeah, they are just as much fun as they sound...
Thursday morning, they called me and let me know that out of the 12 eggs, they were able to create 7 embryos, with the possibility of an 8th!! We were ecstatic! Obviously all 7 or 8 embryos would NOT be transferred at once (no octomom here!!), but transferring 2 was a definite possibility, leaving several to freeze. They would give the embryos the weekend to continue to mature and we scheduled the transfer day on Monday, December 7th (which was also Lloyd's 38th birthday!).
Monday morning came, along with the excitement of our 9:30am appointment. I received a call from CNY first thing that morning - the 8th embryo never materialized, so that left 7. Of the 7, 4 dematerialized. Of the remaining 3, 2 stopped progressing, leaving one lone embryo. I was devastated. What began as having so many options suddenly felt hopeless. "It only takes one!" they said. Very true, and that is what we were (are) banking on.
That one embryo was what they called a morula. They like to see the embryo go through three beginning stages before transferring - it begins as a morula, progressing into a blastula, and finally into a blastocyst. While they usually wait for the embryo to achieve the blastocyst stage before transferring, they said that they have had women have successful, full-term pregnancies after having a morula transferred. They gave us two options - wait until the next day (Tuesday, December 8th) to do the transfer to see if the embryo would progress any further, or continue with the transfer that day. They said that there was no right or wrong answer, and that they were comfortable with either decision we made. We decided to go ahead the transfer that day. I figured, why not. Maybe the embryo would progress better actually being inside my body. So, we went in at 9:30am, they talked us through the process, and we got to actually see on the ultrasound them inserting the embryo. Modern technology is so amazing. The procedure itself lasted about 5 minutes, and then I had to lay there with the legs up in the stirrups for 15 minutes to make the embryo nice and cozy. They also gave us a picture of our little embryo:
I had my egg retrieval Wednesday, December 2nd (wow, I didn't realize it was that long ago!). It went very well and I ended up sleeping off the anesthesia most of the day. Going into it, they were hoping to get 7-8 eggs. They ended up getting 12 eggs, which is great! They would spend the day working with the eggs and sperm and would let me know the next day how many embryos they were able to create. Following that, an embryo transfer day would be scheduled. I was also instructed to begin some new medications, including a new injection and two vaginal suppositories...yeah, they are just as much fun as they sound...
Thursday morning, they called me and let me know that out of the 12 eggs, they were able to create 7 embryos, with the possibility of an 8th!! We were ecstatic! Obviously all 7 or 8 embryos would NOT be transferred at once (no octomom here!!), but transferring 2 was a definite possibility, leaving several to freeze. They would give the embryos the weekend to continue to mature and we scheduled the transfer day on Monday, December 7th (which was also Lloyd's 38th birthday!).
Monday morning came, along with the excitement of our 9:30am appointment. I received a call from CNY first thing that morning - the 8th embryo never materialized, so that left 7. Of the 7, 4 dematerialized. Of the remaining 3, 2 stopped progressing, leaving one lone embryo. I was devastated. What began as having so many options suddenly felt hopeless. "It only takes one!" they said. Very true, and that is what we were (are) banking on.
That one embryo was what they called a morula. They like to see the embryo go through three beginning stages before transferring - it begins as a morula, progressing into a blastula, and finally into a blastocyst. While they usually wait for the embryo to achieve the blastocyst stage before transferring, they said that they have had women have successful, full-term pregnancies after having a morula transferred. They gave us two options - wait until the next day (Tuesday, December 8th) to do the transfer to see if the embryo would progress any further, or continue with the transfer that day. They said that there was no right or wrong answer, and that they were comfortable with either decision we made. We decided to go ahead the transfer that day. I figured, why not. Maybe the embryo would progress better actually being inside my body. So, we went in at 9:30am, they talked us through the process, and we got to actually see on the ultrasound them inserting the embryo. Modern technology is so amazing. The procedure itself lasted about 5 minutes, and then I had to lay there with the legs up in the stirrups for 15 minutes to make the embryo nice and cozy. They also gave us a picture of our little embryo:
Yep, that little ball of cells (that is magnified a billion times to be able to see) is our embryo, our baby. That's where we all begin. Seriously, modern technology is so amazing, it's breath-taking.
Before leaving, we scheduled two appointments - one for Friday, December 11th, just for bloodwork to check my progesterone levels, in case my meds had to be adjusted at all. The other is for Wednesday, December 16th (yep, two days from now). That is THE day - they'll do bloodwork to determine if the embryo stuck and if I'm pregnant. So many emotions, just intensifying as we get closer to the day - excitement, fear, anxious, the list goes on and on. "Hope for the best, expect the worse" has been my motto. That's my attempt at not getting my hopes up too high. Too late for that, though. The prospect that I may actually be pregnant, something we have been hoping and longing for for the last 21 months... It's a feeling that can't be put into words. I have some "symptoms," but many of them are the same as the side effects of the hormones I'm on (mostly progesterone). I keep hoping that they are pregnancy symptoms, but I know that I will be completely devastated if Wednesday comes and I'm not pregnant. I can honestly say, IVF is not for the faint of heart. It is such a physical and emotional roller coaster ride. I just hope it all ends up being worth it in the end...
Monday, November 30, 2015
Getting ready to pull the trigger....
Two blog posts within 24 hours?! Holy cow!!
My appointment this morning went very well. Apparently, I have great looking ovaries (at least I've got that going for me...). There were a good 15 or 16 follicles between the two, so they're hoping for at least 7-8 eggs (apparently each follicle doesn't result in an egg). The egg retrieval appointment is scheduled for 7:30am Wednesday morning. To prep for it, I have to do a "trigger" injection tonight precisely at 9:30pm (yes, precisely) of the Leuprolide. This will help the eggs finish maturing and start the ovulation process. It has to be done at a precise time as the egg retrieval is supposed to take place 35 hours later (for those of you mathing, I realize it is 34 hours from 9:30pm tonight and 7:30am Wednesday - they bring me in a little earlier to get me prepped for the retrieval). Also as prep, I can not eat or drink after Midnight tomorrow night. That's gonna suck big time, as I always have a drink on my nightstand because I always wake up thirsty.
When I arrive for my appointment Wednesday morning, they'll begin by doing the usual baseline bloodwork and internal ultrasound, just to make sure everything is still looking good. Then, they'll sedate me, go up and drain the fluid and eggs from the follicles. The retrieval itself will only take, at most, 10 minutes, though I'll be there for around 2 hours from beginning to end. Since I'm being sedated for the procedure, I'm not able to drive home afterwards or for the rest of the day, so that means a day off for both me and L.! Anyways, after the retrieval, the follicle fluid is examined and the eggs are extracted and placed into petri dishes. The eggs then chill out for a few hours while L.'s semen is washed and processed to get the best quality sperm available. They'll then inject a single sperm into each viable egg and monitor the now-embryos as they grow. The embryos (number to be determined at that time) will then be transferred into my uterus. If I had to guess, I'm thinking that will take place either on Saturday or Monday. Luckily, there is no downtime after the transfer. And then, the wait begins. Gotta love waiting... (sarcasm inserted here)
I'll try to update on Wednesday after the retrieval, if I'm not too groggy...
Happy reading!
My appointment this morning went very well. Apparently, I have great looking ovaries (at least I've got that going for me...). There were a good 15 or 16 follicles between the two, so they're hoping for at least 7-8 eggs (apparently each follicle doesn't result in an egg). The egg retrieval appointment is scheduled for 7:30am Wednesday morning. To prep for it, I have to do a "trigger" injection tonight precisely at 9:30pm (yes, precisely) of the Leuprolide. This will help the eggs finish maturing and start the ovulation process. It has to be done at a precise time as the egg retrieval is supposed to take place 35 hours later (for those of you mathing, I realize it is 34 hours from 9:30pm tonight and 7:30am Wednesday - they bring me in a little earlier to get me prepped for the retrieval). Also as prep, I can not eat or drink after Midnight tomorrow night. That's gonna suck big time, as I always have a drink on my nightstand because I always wake up thirsty.
When I arrive for my appointment Wednesday morning, they'll begin by doing the usual baseline bloodwork and internal ultrasound, just to make sure everything is still looking good. Then, they'll sedate me, go up and drain the fluid and eggs from the follicles. The retrieval itself will only take, at most, 10 minutes, though I'll be there for around 2 hours from beginning to end. Since I'm being sedated for the procedure, I'm not able to drive home afterwards or for the rest of the day, so that means a day off for both me and L.! Anyways, after the retrieval, the follicle fluid is examined and the eggs are extracted and placed into petri dishes. The eggs then chill out for a few hours while L.'s semen is washed and processed to get the best quality sperm available. They'll then inject a single sperm into each viable egg and monitor the now-embryos as they grow. The embryos (number to be determined at that time) will then be transferred into my uterus. If I had to guess, I'm thinking that will take place either on Saturday or Monday. Luckily, there is no downtime after the transfer. And then, the wait begins. Gotta love waiting... (sarcasm inserted here)
I'll try to update on Wednesday after the retrieval, if I'm not too groggy...
Happy reading!
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Brace yourselves...
My period began a week ago Thursday (11.19), so it was officially game on. In terms of cycle days (everything is a cycle), Thursday was cycle day 1. I went to CNY on Friday (day 2) for baseline bloodwork, an internal ultrasound, and I was shown how to do my first injections, to be started on Saturday (cycle day 3). It's a whole lot to take in, and this kind of stuff is not for the faint of heart. I also had more appointments scheduled, since things have to be heavily monitored - I had an appointment this past Wednesday (day 7), Friday (day 9) and tomorrow, Monday (day 12). After my appointment last Friday, I sent the above meme to L. via text. He obviously didn't get the same humour from it as I did while making it:
You have to have some humour about the whole thing. If you can't laugh about it, there's no way to get through it! When I got home after my appointment that day, I went through my big box of meds to fish out the ones I'd be starting:
Yep, that was just one day (night, I should say - injections have to be done between 6pm and 9pm). A quick synopsis of what's going on in that picture - the clear tube with the blue cap (lower left) goes into the Follistim Pen (center). The pen is dialed to the appropriate dose (225 units) and injected into one of the Menopur (pink topped) vials. Then, take the syringe (top), unscrew the needle from it, put the Q cap (lower right) on it, snap it on top of the saline (gray topped) vial. Draw up 1 ml of saline, pull the syringe off of that vial and inject it into the Menopur vial you put the Follistim in. Gently swirl it around, draw it all up into the syringe, and inject it all into the second Menopur vial. Gently swirl again, draw it all up, take off the Q cap and replace the needle. Pick a spot on your stomach, swab it with an alcohol pad, pinch an inch (or 5) of fat in one hand, take the syringe in the other, stab and inject. Easy peasy... (sarcasm font needed here).
When I went for my appointment on Wednesday, they were pleased at the progress my body was making and decided to put me on another injection (in addition to the one I was already doing). So, they added the Cetrotide:
Yes, there are two needles - one for mixing, and one for injecting. Thank goodness, because the mixing needle is a 20 gauge (in terms of injections, that's pretty big).
The injections have actually been going fairly well (as well as injections can go, I suppose). The biggest side effect I've noticed so far is fatigue. Since starting the Cetrotide, I've been having a lot of cramping. I asked about it at my appointment on Friday (as it's also made the internal ultrasounds more uncomfortable) and it's as a result of the stimulation of my ovaries. Because they are trying to get as many viable follicles as possible (follicles = eggs), it's increased the size of my ovaries. Normal ovaries are approximately the size of almonds - mine are now the size of oranges. That explains a lot! Also, my stomach is turning a nice shade of black-and-blue with a variety of little pinholes (which usually go away after a couple days).
I go back for my next appointment tomorrow (Monday) morning. At my appointment on Friday, they found 6-7 good sized follicles, with a few more follicles having the potential to be a good size. I'll find out for sure tomorrow, but as of Friday, they were thinking my egg retrieval will take place on Wednesday. That'll be when they sedate me and go up and retrieve the good looking follicles, with the hope of the follicles having viable eggs. The eggs will be fertilized with Lloyd's sperm, and then placed into my uterus with the hopes of at lease one of them implanting themselves. This is becoming more and more real, and it's both scary and exciting. Also happening at my appointment tomorrow will be the addition of more medications...yay! (again, insert sarcasm font here)
We should know by just before Christmas if this cycle of IVF worked. Here's hoping for a Christmas miracle!
Happy reading!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
It's like Christmas!
Who knew receiving a box of medication could be so exciting?!
I came home Thursday evening to a very large box...
And inside the box was another box! As well as all sorts of fun medications and medical supplies (and by fun, I mean not so much)! The smaller box contained a cooler with a couple of medications that require refrigeration. Here's a better view of all the meds:
As well as the medical supplies:
Yep, those are syringes. And lots of them. Just call me a human pin cushion!! Oh wait, people already call me that... Hey, fun fact: People who have lots of tattoos and piercings don't necessarily enjoy bloodwork and/or vaccines. It's apparently a pretty big misconception. In fact, they (ie: me) may actually strongly dislike them.
But I digress...
So all of these medications do something different. Join me in discovering what each of them do!
Menopur and Follistim - Equal parts of each are injected together subcutaneously (just below the skin). Follistim is to stimulate the follicle growth in the ovaries, while Menopur is used to trick my ovaries into producing multiple eggs in one cycle. Side effects may include a higher chance of multiple birth; breast tenderness and swelling (just what I need, bigger boobs...); rash at the injection site; mood swings, fatigue and depression (because I don't already have enough of those things in my life); Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome, including enlarged ovaries, stomach pain and bloating.
Cetrotide - Injected subcutaneously to help prevent premature ovulation . Side effects may include tenderness, rash or swelling at the injection site (I'm going to be a tender, swollen, rashy mess apparently); headaches; nausea (preparing me for morning sickness...)
Leuprolide - Also injected subcutaneously, used to prevent the normal mid-cycle hormone surge (in laymen's terms - ovulation) so that premature ovulation doesn't occur. Side effects may include hot flashes (I already get these...goody...); headache; mood swings; vaginal dryness; decreased breast size (wait, wasn't I getting bigger boobs before? Now they're being taken away?!); painful intercourse (probably has something to do with that vaginal dryness... Sorry, L. - looks like you're outta luck this month...)
Estrace (Estradiol) - Basically estrogen. Used to enhance the uterine lining and make the ovaries more responsive to this whole process. It's in pill form (yay!), but is a vaginal suppository (uhhh....). As for side effects, breast tenderness; mild nausea; bloating; vaginal itching or discharge (oh joy...)
Endometrin (tablets) and Progesterone in Oil (injected) - Used to support the endometrial lining. No different side effects than some of the others: breast tenderness; menstrual-like cramping; nausea; mood swings and depression.
Doxycycline - An antibiotic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Sounds like enough meds??
L. was sitting with me as I was unboxing everything, and by the time I got to the end of it, he was suddenly very quiet (anyone who knows him knows that this is not like him...at all...). Whenever he is quiet, something is up. He finally admitted to me that actually seeing all of it made it very "real" - the sudden realization that this is actually happening. And he's right. It's a lot to take in; it's scary, and exciting, and sometimes almost surreal. But if I have to go through this with anyone, it's definitely with him (I think I'd have some explaining to do otherwise...).
Since receiving the medication last Thursday, I've spent the last week waiting for my period to rear her ugly head (I could feel it coming). Aunt Flo showed up today, and so begins our first IVF cycle! I have an appointment tomorrow morning at CNY for the routine baseline bloodwork and ultrasound, as well as learning even more about my medication and what we need to do when. As I text (texted?) to Lloyd this morning - "Hang on tightly, we're in for a hell of a ride!"
Happy reading!
I came home Thursday evening to a very large box...
As well as the medical supplies:
Yep, those are syringes. And lots of them. Just call me a human pin cushion!! Oh wait, people already call me that... Hey, fun fact: People who have lots of tattoos and piercings don't necessarily enjoy bloodwork and/or vaccines. It's apparently a pretty big misconception. In fact, they (ie: me) may actually strongly dislike them.
But I digress...
So all of these medications do something different. Join me in discovering what each of them do!
Menopur and Follistim - Equal parts of each are injected together subcutaneously (just below the skin). Follistim is to stimulate the follicle growth in the ovaries, while Menopur is used to trick my ovaries into producing multiple eggs in one cycle. Side effects may include a higher chance of multiple birth; breast tenderness and swelling (just what I need, bigger boobs...); rash at the injection site; mood swings, fatigue and depression (because I don't already have enough of those things in my life); Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome, including enlarged ovaries, stomach pain and bloating.
Cetrotide - Injected subcutaneously to help prevent premature ovulation . Side effects may include tenderness, rash or swelling at the injection site (I'm going to be a tender, swollen, rashy mess apparently); headaches; nausea (preparing me for morning sickness...)
Leuprolide - Also injected subcutaneously, used to prevent the normal mid-cycle hormone surge (in laymen's terms - ovulation) so that premature ovulation doesn't occur. Side effects may include hot flashes (I already get these...goody...); headache; mood swings; vaginal dryness; decreased breast size (wait, wasn't I getting bigger boobs before? Now they're being taken away?!); painful intercourse (probably has something to do with that vaginal dryness... Sorry, L. - looks like you're outta luck this month...)
Estrace (Estradiol) - Basically estrogen. Used to enhance the uterine lining and make the ovaries more responsive to this whole process. It's in pill form (yay!), but is a vaginal suppository (uhhh....). As for side effects, breast tenderness; mild nausea; bloating; vaginal itching or discharge (oh joy...)
Endometrin (tablets) and Progesterone in Oil (injected) - Used to support the endometrial lining. No different side effects than some of the others: breast tenderness; menstrual-like cramping; nausea; mood swings and depression.
Doxycycline - An antibiotic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Sounds like enough meds??
L. was sitting with me as I was unboxing everything, and by the time I got to the end of it, he was suddenly very quiet (anyone who knows him knows that this is not like him...at all...). Whenever he is quiet, something is up. He finally admitted to me that actually seeing all of it made it very "real" - the sudden realization that this is actually happening. And he's right. It's a lot to take in; it's scary, and exciting, and sometimes almost surreal. But if I have to go through this with anyone, it's definitely with him (I think I'd have some explaining to do otherwise...).
Since receiving the medication last Thursday, I've spent the last week waiting for my period to rear her ugly head (I could feel it coming). Aunt Flo showed up today, and so begins our first IVF cycle! I have an appointment tomorrow morning at CNY for the routine baseline bloodwork and ultrasound, as well as learning even more about my medication and what we need to do when. As I text (texted?) to Lloyd this morning - "Hang on tightly, we're in for a hell of a ride!"
Happy reading!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Getting the hook-up
The pharmacy (CVS/Caremark) was supposed to get in contact with me on last Monday, but of course, I didn't hear anything. So, I called them last Tuesday, just to see what was going on and if there was anything I could do or should be doing. The medications are only available through a mail-order pharmacy, and CNY had told me that it could take up to two weeks to receive the medications, so I didn't want to wait too long before I heard anything and risk not getting the medications in time (my next cycle is due to start on or around November 22nd, and I want to be ready). I spoke with a very kind woman at CVS/Caremark who was able to help me with all of my questions and concerned. I was able to chose the day I'd like to receive the medicine in the mail, as they do overnight shipping. Several of the medications have to be refrigerated, so she explained how I'd be receiving several boxes, including Styrofoam coolers containing the medicine. I chose to have the medication delivered Thursday, November 12th (tomorrow, already!!), as I knew I would be home during the day with Skylar, who has no school Wednesday through Friday. That way, I won't have the medicine just sitting outside my building unattended for very long, if at all.
Next came the explanation of all the medications I'd be receiving, the doses, and the co-pay amount for each. I've been really lucky, as I haven't had to pay any co-pays for any of the visits or tests I've had done up to this point (with the exception of a small LabCorp bill, which was for a couple of the tests on my blood that CNY doesn't do in house - Only $11.45). This round of medication is good for one cycle. Should this first cycle not take, I will need to refill of the prescriptions and pay the co-pays all over again. I have about 8 medications coming to me, as well as several batches of syringes and needles, alcohol swabs and a sharps container. Yes folks, most of the medications are injections. Wheeee..... As of right now, I have no idea what the role of any of the medications are that I'll be receiving. Once I have them in hand, I will be looking them up. For now, here is the list of medications, as well as the co-pay amounts (I'll be keeping a running total of how much has been spent thus far on this adventure):
Cetrotide (injection) - Quantity of 6 - $25
Follistim AQ 900IU (injection) - Quantity of 4 - $25
Menopur (injection) - Quantity of 20 - $45
Progesterone in Oil (injection) - Quantity of 2 - $5
Endometrin (tablets) - Quantity of 63 - $45
Leuprolide 2 week kit (injection) - Quantity of 1 - $5
Estrace (Estradiol) (tablets) - Quantity of 60 - $5
Doxycycline (capsules) - Quantity of 6 - $5
Total - $160
The syringes, needles, alcohol swabs and sharps container are included and do not have a separate co-pay attached to them.
I'm kinda looking forward to receiving them all tomorrow (well, today)! It'll almost be like an early Christmas! I'll share pictures along with the descriptions of the medications in my next post.
Total spent so far - $176.45 (there was a $5 antibiotic I needed to take for my SHG)
Also, I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone for joining me on this journey. The love and support I've received from so many of you means the world to me. Infertility, and especially secondary infertility, is considered to be a taboo subject that shouldn't be discussed. So many couples go through this journey feeling alone, feeling like they can't talk to anybody about what they are experiencing. I refuse to stay silent. People need to know that they are not alone. Please feel free to share my blog with anyone you think it may help. And again, thank you <3
Happy reading!
Next came the explanation of all the medications I'd be receiving, the doses, and the co-pay amount for each. I've been really lucky, as I haven't had to pay any co-pays for any of the visits or tests I've had done up to this point (with the exception of a small LabCorp bill, which was for a couple of the tests on my blood that CNY doesn't do in house - Only $11.45). This round of medication is good for one cycle. Should this first cycle not take, I will need to refill of the prescriptions and pay the co-pays all over again. I have about 8 medications coming to me, as well as several batches of syringes and needles, alcohol swabs and a sharps container. Yes folks, most of the medications are injections. Wheeee..... As of right now, I have no idea what the role of any of the medications are that I'll be receiving. Once I have them in hand, I will be looking them up. For now, here is the list of medications, as well as the co-pay amounts (I'll be keeping a running total of how much has been spent thus far on this adventure):
Cetrotide (injection) - Quantity of 6 - $25
Follistim AQ 900IU (injection) - Quantity of 4 - $25
Menopur (injection) - Quantity of 20 - $45
Progesterone in Oil (injection) - Quantity of 2 - $5
Endometrin (tablets) - Quantity of 63 - $45
Leuprolide 2 week kit (injection) - Quantity of 1 - $5
Estrace (Estradiol) (tablets) - Quantity of 60 - $5
Doxycycline (capsules) - Quantity of 6 - $5
Total - $160
The syringes, needles, alcohol swabs and sharps container are included and do not have a separate co-pay attached to them.
I'm kinda looking forward to receiving them all tomorrow (well, today)! It'll almost be like an early Christmas! I'll share pictures along with the descriptions of the medications in my next post.
Total spent so far - $176.45 (there was a $5 antibiotic I needed to take for my SHG)
Also, I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone for joining me on this journey. The love and support I've received from so many of you means the world to me. Infertility, and especially secondary infertility, is considered to be a taboo subject that shouldn't be discussed. So many couples go through this journey feeling alone, feeling like they can't talk to anybody about what they are experiencing. I refuse to stay silent. People need to know that they are not alone. Please feel free to share my blog with anyone you think it may help. And again, thank you <3
Happy reading!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Appointments Galore
I should've put a note in the first post on this blog saying that you will learn way more about me than you ever cared to know, so if that bothers you, you probably shouldn't continue reading. Better late than never! So, consider this your warning from here on out.
So at the end of my last post, I mentioned how I had to schedule an appointment with my regular doctor to get reimmunized for Rubella, since I was no long immune, and they would not begin an IVF cycle without being immunized for it. If Rubella is contracted during pregnancy, it can be deadly to both the baby AND the mother (one of the many, MANY reasons to always have your children, and yourself, vaccinated!). With being reimmunized, you must have the vaccine at least 30 days prior to the start of your IVF cycle. Knowing that I could possibly begin my first IFV cycle as soon as the end of November, I called my regular doctor immediately to get in as soon as possible to get the vaccine. This was the morning of Wednesday, October 7th. I spoke with the receptionist and was informed that they would not give me the vaccine without first having a physical (it had been a couple...okay, maybe a few years since I last had a physical). I told her that I really needed the vaccine ASAP and that if I could just get that, I would schedule a physical for another time. She said she would talk with the nurse and someone would call me back that same day. Of course, I did not hear back from anyone that day. So, I made sure to call first thing Thursday morning. I explained that I had been waiting for a call back yesterday, and they said "Oh, well, the nurse said you need to come in for a physical and we'll give you the vaccine at the same time. Besides, we don't keep the vaccine in house, so we need to order it anyway." Okay, great, let's get this thing scheduled then. Knowing that I would be able to start my first IVF cycle as early as the end of November, and keeping in mind the 30 day wait in between the vaccine and IVF, I told them I needed an appointment as soon as possible (as close to October 25th would be ideal). The conversation went a little like this:
Me: "Timing is really of the essence with this vaccine <sidenote - I had already told them why I needed it>, so I really need an appointment before the end of October."
Receptionist: "Okay, let me see...How does November 3rd sound?"
M: Did she not hear what I said??? "Do you have anything before that, by chance?"
R: "Okay, how about Friday, October 31th?"
M: "Umm, October 31st is a Saturday, not a Friday..."
R: "Oh! Okay, Friday, October 30th?"
M: "Is that really the soonest you have?"
R: "Yes it is."
M: "Okay, I guess that'll have to work then." <Getting the vaccine that late would mean I would possibly have to push my first IVF cycle to the end of December, around Christmastime, which is a really inconvenient time to try and schedule multiple appointments>
R: "Oh wait, I was looking at the wrong calendar! Hahaha" Really lady?? "How about Tuesday, October 27th?"
M: "Okay, yes, let's go with that..."
Finally, I had my appointment set to get my vaccine. Fast forward to Saturday, October 24th - I get my period, thus becoming Day 1 of my cycle (I told you you were going to know more about me than you ever wanted or cared to know). CNY wanted to me to call on Day 1 so I could schedule a blood work appointment (between days 2-5) and an SHG (a Sonohysterogram, between days 5-10, but could not be done on the same day as the blood work, as they needed the results of the blood work before they could do the SHG). Since Day 1 was a Saturday, I couldn't call and make the appointments, so I called first thing Monday morning. I was able to schedule the blood test for Tuesday before my physical, and the SHG was scheduled for Friday.
Tuesday comes and I go get my blood drawn. Luckily, only one vial this time. I also get another internal ultrasound done, just checking to make sure everything still looks good (oh yay... because that's exactly what I want is an internal ultrasound while I have my period...). While I was there, they also give me a prescription for antibiotics, which was to be taken the day before, the day of and the day after the SHG. This is common practice for them, as it helps prevent infection that may come from the use of the catheter for the SHG. Then I head over to my physical, where they ask me 10 million (and 1) questions and do the exam (which took about a quarter of the time they spent asking me questions). And finally, I get my vaccine. Seriously, I've never been so excited to get a vaccine as I was at that point.
A few days later, I go back to CNY for my SHG. They had told me ahead of time that it wasn't as bad as the HSG (which I didn't have any problem with, but apparently many women do), and to just take 800mg of ibuprofen about an hour beforehand to help with any discomfort that may occur. So I go in thinking that this will be a piece of cake. No, it definitely wasn't. What they do is slip a catheter with a tiny, uninflated balloon up into the lowest part of your uterus, inflate the balloon a little bit and add a bit of saline into the uterus to check that the lining doesn't have any fibroids, adhesions, etc. They then stick the internal ultrasound wand up there to view everything (yes, really. I wish I was joking). "You may feel some slight cramping," they said. Yeah, slight cramping my @$$. That sh#! hurt, plain and simple. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, but it was 10 of the slowest minutes of my life. Fortunately, everything looked good. After she was done torturing me, the nurse and I discussed the next steps in my treatment. She would fax in a prescription for all of the medications I would need for a cycle of IVF (which is only available via a prescription mail service) and told me that the pharmacy would call me Monday to verify all of the medications, as well as confirm my shipping address and get my billing information for any co-pays I may have. This means that with the start of my next cycle (which should be around the weekend before Thanksgiving), I could start my first round of IVF. The prospect of my first round of IVF being so close had me crying happy tears that day. Things are finally starting to look up, and there seems to be a slight glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
My next blog will be all about my call with the pharmacy and the medications I have coming my way. Stay tuned!
Happy reading!
So at the end of my last post, I mentioned how I had to schedule an appointment with my regular doctor to get reimmunized for Rubella, since I was no long immune, and they would not begin an IVF cycle without being immunized for it. If Rubella is contracted during pregnancy, it can be deadly to both the baby AND the mother (one of the many, MANY reasons to always have your children, and yourself, vaccinated!). With being reimmunized, you must have the vaccine at least 30 days prior to the start of your IVF cycle. Knowing that I could possibly begin my first IFV cycle as soon as the end of November, I called my regular doctor immediately to get in as soon as possible to get the vaccine. This was the morning of Wednesday, October 7th. I spoke with the receptionist and was informed that they would not give me the vaccine without first having a physical (it had been a couple...okay, maybe a few years since I last had a physical). I told her that I really needed the vaccine ASAP and that if I could just get that, I would schedule a physical for another time. She said she would talk with the nurse and someone would call me back that same day. Of course, I did not hear back from anyone that day. So, I made sure to call first thing Thursday morning. I explained that I had been waiting for a call back yesterday, and they said "Oh, well, the nurse said you need to come in for a physical and we'll give you the vaccine at the same time. Besides, we don't keep the vaccine in house, so we need to order it anyway." Okay, great, let's get this thing scheduled then. Knowing that I would be able to start my first IVF cycle as early as the end of November, and keeping in mind the 30 day wait in between the vaccine and IVF, I told them I needed an appointment as soon as possible (as close to October 25th would be ideal). The conversation went a little like this:
Me: "Timing is really of the essence with this vaccine <sidenote - I had already told them why I needed it>, so I really need an appointment before the end of October."
Receptionist: "Okay, let me see...How does November 3rd sound?"
M: Did she not hear what I said??? "Do you have anything before that, by chance?"
R: "Okay, how about Friday, October 31th?"
M: "Umm, October 31st is a Saturday, not a Friday..."
R: "Oh! Okay, Friday, October 30th?"
M: "Is that really the soonest you have?"
R: "Yes it is."
M: "Okay, I guess that'll have to work then." <Getting the vaccine that late would mean I would possibly have to push my first IVF cycle to the end of December, around Christmastime, which is a really inconvenient time to try and schedule multiple appointments>
R: "Oh wait, I was looking at the wrong calendar! Hahaha" Really lady?? "How about Tuesday, October 27th?"
M: "Okay, yes, let's go with that..."
Finally, I had my appointment set to get my vaccine. Fast forward to Saturday, October 24th - I get my period, thus becoming Day 1 of my cycle (I told you you were going to know more about me than you ever wanted or cared to know). CNY wanted to me to call on Day 1 so I could schedule a blood work appointment (between days 2-5) and an SHG (a Sonohysterogram, between days 5-10, but could not be done on the same day as the blood work, as they needed the results of the blood work before they could do the SHG). Since Day 1 was a Saturday, I couldn't call and make the appointments, so I called first thing Monday morning. I was able to schedule the blood test for Tuesday before my physical, and the SHG was scheduled for Friday.
Tuesday comes and I go get my blood drawn. Luckily, only one vial this time. I also get another internal ultrasound done, just checking to make sure everything still looks good (oh yay... because that's exactly what I want is an internal ultrasound while I have my period...). While I was there, they also give me a prescription for antibiotics, which was to be taken the day before, the day of and the day after the SHG. This is common practice for them, as it helps prevent infection that may come from the use of the catheter for the SHG. Then I head over to my physical, where they ask me 10 million (and 1) questions and do the exam (which took about a quarter of the time they spent asking me questions). And finally, I get my vaccine. Seriously, I've never been so excited to get a vaccine as I was at that point.
A few days later, I go back to CNY for my SHG. They had told me ahead of time that it wasn't as bad as the HSG (which I didn't have any problem with, but apparently many women do), and to just take 800mg of ibuprofen about an hour beforehand to help with any discomfort that may occur. So I go in thinking that this will be a piece of cake. No, it definitely wasn't. What they do is slip a catheter with a tiny, uninflated balloon up into the lowest part of your uterus, inflate the balloon a little bit and add a bit of saline into the uterus to check that the lining doesn't have any fibroids, adhesions, etc. They then stick the internal ultrasound wand up there to view everything (yes, really. I wish I was joking). "You may feel some slight cramping," they said. Yeah, slight cramping my @$$. That sh#! hurt, plain and simple. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, but it was 10 of the slowest minutes of my life. Fortunately, everything looked good. After she was done torturing me, the nurse and I discussed the next steps in my treatment. She would fax in a prescription for all of the medications I would need for a cycle of IVF (which is only available via a prescription mail service) and told me that the pharmacy would call me Monday to verify all of the medications, as well as confirm my shipping address and get my billing information for any co-pays I may have. This means that with the start of my next cycle (which should be around the weekend before Thanksgiving), I could start my first round of IVF. The prospect of my first round of IVF being so close had me crying happy tears that day. Things are finally starting to look up, and there seems to be a slight glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
My next blog will be all about my call with the pharmacy and the medications I have coming my way. Stay tuned!
Happy reading!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
First things first (I'm the realist)
C'mon, admit it, you totally sang that title to yourself :)
So I had my first appointment with CNY back on October 6th. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it was very informational. Long, but informational. Lloyd and I had "paperwork" that we had to fill out online previous to our appointment, so the doctor who met with us already had a general background on the two of us before we even arrived. We sat with the doctor for about a half an hour, going over said paperwork with us and discussing what our options were. Did you know that you don't necessarily go through the full-blown IVF process? I did not! The two most common fertility treatments are IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). IUI is not as intense and involved as IVF (to learn the differences between the two, click here. Because of the specific issues I'm having, the full IVF process is the best option for us.
After meeting with our doctor, we met with the benefits person, who was super helpful and knew the answers to all the questions we had. For instance, Lloyd and I have different insurance plans/providers. Mine covers IVF, his does not. Since he needs to be involved in certain areas of process (collection of semen and such), I wasn't sure if that would be billed to his insurance or mine (the answer is mine). Also, we found out that I do not have to pay co-pays for any visits until I achieve pregnancy! That's HUGE, since there are many, many appointments that take place before pregnancy is (hopefully) achieved. Once I do get pregnant, I'll pay co-pays while I am being treated by them (approximately 8 weeks). From there, I'll be released to my regular OBGYN, where I won't have co-pays for those monthly visits. It is such a blessing and relief knowing so much of this process is covered.
Next came the fun part of the appointment (there really should be a sarcasm font). We went into an exam room, where I would have blood drawn and an ultrasound (I knew ahead of time that these would be taking place). They took about 8 vials of blood (I was impressed they were able to get blood from the first vein they poked without it collapsing) for various testing - various carrier genes, vitamin levels, making sure I was still immune to rubella, and I'm sure other things I'm not remembering right now. Once they were done playing vampire, they asked me to strip from the waist down for the ultrasound. Unbeknownst to me, though not surprising, they were doing an internal ultrasound. It makes sense, since the internal ultrasound is superior for looking at the ovaries for egg follicles and checking to see if I had any fibroids or cysts. Egg follicles looked great, and they were able to tell that I would be ovulating from my right ovary (so much for the possibility of getting pregnant naturally this month!). I have no cysts, and though I do have one small fibroid, they don't think it should cause any problems.
After I was done being poked, prodded and probed, they gave us a folder full of various information, as well as a free book (written by one of the doctors at CNY - surprise, surprise lol) and sent us on our way with instructions to call them on the first day of my next cycle to schedule appointments for more tests.
Since that appointment, CNY has contacted me twice regarding results of my blood tests. The first time was to tell me that I was no longer immune to rubella (German measles). Not surprising, since it's been about 30 years since I had the vaccine. I needed to schedule an appointment with my primary doctor to get the vaccine. I'll talk more about that in my next post, which will follow my appointment with the doctor this coming Tuesday. The second time CNY called me was to let me know that I was fairly deficient in Vitamin D. When this happens, they usually recommend to patients that they take either 2,000 or 4,000 unit vitamins to make up for it, depending on how deficient the patient is. They recommended 4,000 units for me (go figure, I didn't get my pasty white skin from basking in the sun all day!). Since they haven't contacted me again, I'm going to go with the whole no-news-is-good-news adage.
Happy reading!
So I had my first appointment with CNY back on October 6th. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it was very informational. Long, but informational. Lloyd and I had "paperwork" that we had to fill out online previous to our appointment, so the doctor who met with us already had a general background on the two of us before we even arrived. We sat with the doctor for about a half an hour, going over said paperwork with us and discussing what our options were. Did you know that you don't necessarily go through the full-blown IVF process? I did not! The two most common fertility treatments are IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). IUI is not as intense and involved as IVF (to learn the differences between the two, click here. Because of the specific issues I'm having, the full IVF process is the best option for us.
After meeting with our doctor, we met with the benefits person, who was super helpful and knew the answers to all the questions we had. For instance, Lloyd and I have different insurance plans/providers. Mine covers IVF, his does not. Since he needs to be involved in certain areas of process (collection of semen and such), I wasn't sure if that would be billed to his insurance or mine (the answer is mine). Also, we found out that I do not have to pay co-pays for any visits until I achieve pregnancy! That's HUGE, since there are many, many appointments that take place before pregnancy is (hopefully) achieved. Once I do get pregnant, I'll pay co-pays while I am being treated by them (approximately 8 weeks). From there, I'll be released to my regular OBGYN, where I won't have co-pays for those monthly visits. It is such a blessing and relief knowing so much of this process is covered.
Next came the fun part of the appointment (there really should be a sarcasm font). We went into an exam room, where I would have blood drawn and an ultrasound (I knew ahead of time that these would be taking place). They took about 8 vials of blood (I was impressed they were able to get blood from the first vein they poked without it collapsing) for various testing - various carrier genes, vitamin levels, making sure I was still immune to rubella, and I'm sure other things I'm not remembering right now. Once they were done playing vampire, they asked me to strip from the waist down for the ultrasound. Unbeknownst to me, though not surprising, they were doing an internal ultrasound. It makes sense, since the internal ultrasound is superior for looking at the ovaries for egg follicles and checking to see if I had any fibroids or cysts. Egg follicles looked great, and they were able to tell that I would be ovulating from my right ovary (so much for the possibility of getting pregnant naturally this month!). I have no cysts, and though I do have one small fibroid, they don't think it should cause any problems.
After I was done being poked, prodded and probed, they gave us a folder full of various information, as well as a free book (written by one of the doctors at CNY - surprise, surprise lol) and sent us on our way with instructions to call them on the first day of my next cycle to schedule appointments for more tests.
Since that appointment, CNY has contacted me twice regarding results of my blood tests. The first time was to tell me that I was no longer immune to rubella (German measles). Not surprising, since it's been about 30 years since I had the vaccine. I needed to schedule an appointment with my primary doctor to get the vaccine. I'll talk more about that in my next post, which will follow my appointment with the doctor this coming Tuesday. The second time CNY called me was to let me know that I was fairly deficient in Vitamin D. When this happens, they usually recommend to patients that they take either 2,000 or 4,000 unit vitamins to make up for it, depending on how deficient the patient is. They recommended 4,000 units for me (go figure, I didn't get my pasty white skin from basking in the sun all day!). Since they haven't contacted me again, I'm going to go with the whole no-news-is-good-news adage.
Happy reading!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
A little background...
Hey there!
Yes, you there. Welcome to my blog! Come on over and pull up a chair. If it's more comfortable for you, feel free to pull up a bean bag chair and make yourself comfy.
This is a blog I never thought I would start. If you told me 5 years ago, or even 2 years ago, that I would start a blog about infertility, nevermind actually suffer from it, I would have looked at you like you had three heads and given you my best "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" imitation (spoiler alert - it's horrible). I already have a kid, and it took all of two weeks to get pregnant with her (no, seriously - from the time I went off birth control to the time she was conceived, it was two weeks). So what if that was 11 years ago, and so what if it was with a different man?? I'm Fertile Myrtle over here!!
Except I'm not. Not even close. After trying for over a year, we started to think there may be something up. So I made my husband, L. go get checked first. After all, it's far easier for guys to get their stuff checked than it is for girls to. He gets checked, and all is well. Now it's my turn. I have what's called an HSG (a hysterosalpingogram) done. It's where they shoot a dye up into my nether regions and use an x-ray machine to see where the dye is flowing to. Its primary purpose is to check to make sure my uterine cavity and fallopian tubes are open. As it turns out, my right tube is blocked. This stems from a surgery I had back in 2008 to have a fibroid tumor the size of a 20-week fetus removed from my uterus. Sounds like fun, huh? I now sport an awesome scar that looks like a Cesarean scar, without the baby (guaranteeing me to have a c-section once I DO finally have another child). Anyways, as a result of the surgery, my right tube is blocked from scar tissue. While this does not completely kill my chances of conceiving naturally, it does cut them in half.
With last month marking the 19th failed month of trying, combined with wanting to discuss the results of the HSG, I went to see my OBGYN (who I absolutely ADORE). It was a five minute appointment that I didn't even have to undress for - She looked at my file, looked at me, and said "Well, you're not getting any younger - let's get the ball rolling on IVF!" She sent me home with instructions to call the IVF center (which will be referred to as CNY from this point on) in a couple of days and sent a referral over to CNY. I had that appointment last week, which I'll talk about in my next post.
When L. and I first began trying to conceive (TTC), we discussed the possibility of infertility (though at that point, we never in our wildest dreams thought it would come to that) and what we would do in that situation. We mutually decided that in lieu of trying IVF, which is very costly and not a guarantee, that we would put that money toward adopting a child, which is also very costly and also not a guarantee, but the positive outcome is more likely, even if it takes years. So what changed our minds, you ask? This:
(excuse the poor choice of browser - I much prefer Chrome, but IE was all I had access to at the time)
My insurance will cover our IVF treatments. When does that EVER happen?? When we found that out, we decided that we couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's worth a shot at least, right?
So, that's where we're at! I invite you all to join me on my crazy journey, where there is sure to be a fair amount of laughter, and probably just as many tears, along the way. And feel free to share my blog with anyone you want!
Happy reading!
Yes, you there. Welcome to my blog! Come on over and pull up a chair. If it's more comfortable for you, feel free to pull up a bean bag chair and make yourself comfy.
This is a blog I never thought I would start. If you told me 5 years ago, or even 2 years ago, that I would start a blog about infertility, nevermind actually suffer from it, I would have looked at you like you had three heads and given you my best "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" imitation (spoiler alert - it's horrible). I already have a kid, and it took all of two weeks to get pregnant with her (no, seriously - from the time I went off birth control to the time she was conceived, it was two weeks). So what if that was 11 years ago, and so what if it was with a different man?? I'm Fertile Myrtle over here!!
Except I'm not. Not even close. After trying for over a year, we started to think there may be something up. So I made my husband, L. go get checked first. After all, it's far easier for guys to get their stuff checked than it is for girls to. He gets checked, and all is well. Now it's my turn. I have what's called an HSG (a hysterosalpingogram) done. It's where they shoot a dye up into my nether regions and use an x-ray machine to see where the dye is flowing to. Its primary purpose is to check to make sure my uterine cavity and fallopian tubes are open. As it turns out, my right tube is blocked. This stems from a surgery I had back in 2008 to have a fibroid tumor the size of a 20-week fetus removed from my uterus. Sounds like fun, huh? I now sport an awesome scar that looks like a Cesarean scar, without the baby (guaranteeing me to have a c-section once I DO finally have another child). Anyways, as a result of the surgery, my right tube is blocked from scar tissue. While this does not completely kill my chances of conceiving naturally, it does cut them in half.
With last month marking the 19th failed month of trying, combined with wanting to discuss the results of the HSG, I went to see my OBGYN (who I absolutely ADORE). It was a five minute appointment that I didn't even have to undress for - She looked at my file, looked at me, and said "Well, you're not getting any younger - let's get the ball rolling on IVF!" She sent me home with instructions to call the IVF center (which will be referred to as CNY from this point on) in a couple of days and sent a referral over to CNY. I had that appointment last week, which I'll talk about in my next post.
When L. and I first began trying to conceive (TTC), we discussed the possibility of infertility (though at that point, we never in our wildest dreams thought it would come to that) and what we would do in that situation. We mutually decided that in lieu of trying IVF, which is very costly and not a guarantee, that we would put that money toward adopting a child, which is also very costly and also not a guarantee, but the positive outcome is more likely, even if it takes years. So what changed our minds, you ask? This:
My insurance will cover our IVF treatments. When does that EVER happen?? When we found that out, we decided that we couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's worth a shot at least, right?
So, that's where we're at! I invite you all to join me on my crazy journey, where there is sure to be a fair amount of laughter, and probably just as many tears, along the way. And feel free to share my blog with anyone you want!
Happy reading!
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