Hi Everyone!
Jonathan texted me and they've just finished the retrieval. Now, we just wait for the count! Say some prayers, people!
Jamie
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
All set for a Happy Halloween!
I met with my doctor today who informed me that things looks fantastic as far as the number and size of the follicles and estrogen level. I just need to make sure that I drink lots of water to prevent OHSS. I had a small amount of fluid in my endometrium so I was instructed to take Mucinex D until transfer as a precaution. Apparently it dries up things other than just your sinuses. The fluid isn't a huge deal, but it can make my uterine lining "spongey" for transfer. I don't really understand it, but "spongey" doesn't sound like anyplace I'd like to hang for nine months.
Egg retrieval will be on Halloween at 9am. I know not many of you will be up at 9am on a Saturday, but please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as always! I'll have Jamie give an update as soon as we know the number of eggs retrieved and then fertilized.
Transfer will be either Tuesday or Thursday, depending on egg development and quality.
Thanks everyone for reading. I really do appreciate all of your kind words, so comments are encouraged!
Egg retrieval will be on Halloween at 9am. I know not many of you will be up at 9am on a Saturday, but please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as always! I'll have Jamie give an update as soon as we know the number of eggs retrieved and then fertilized.
Transfer will be either Tuesday or Thursday, depending on egg development and quality.
Thanks everyone for reading. I really do appreciate all of your kind words, so comments are encouraged!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Busy ovaries
Hi everyone! Here is a quick update on the progress this cycle:
With an AFC of 44 as opposed to last cycle's 30, along with more FSH this month, my ovaries are very busy and pretty sore. I am incredibly happy about this because it means that we're getting even better results than last time. I'm on cycle day 9 right now and I have 31 measureable follicles compared to last cycle's 21 measureable follicles on this same day. Also, my estrogen levels are almost 1,000 points higher than this time last cycle. More estrogen = more follicles! I had an unexpected sushi lunch with my dad today as well so it turned out to be a great day. I'm hoping it was the last time I get to eat raw fish for quite a while!
Jonathan will definitely be injecting the trigger shot tomorrow night. Nancy will call us after my appointment tomorrow to tell me exactly what time to administer the shot and what time egg retrieval will be on Saturday. I have a personal goal of 30+ eggs retrieved, but we'll see what happens. I can't exactly train for this. Well, maybe that's what I've been doing for the last 3 years! I agree with one of the sonographers this week when she said, "You've certainly paid your dues; it's time for you to be pregnant!"
With an AFC of 44 as opposed to last cycle's 30, along with more FSH this month, my ovaries are very busy and pretty sore. I am incredibly happy about this because it means that we're getting even better results than last time. I'm on cycle day 9 right now and I have 31 measureable follicles compared to last cycle's 21 measureable follicles on this same day. Also, my estrogen levels are almost 1,000 points higher than this time last cycle. More estrogen = more follicles! I had an unexpected sushi lunch with my dad today as well so it turned out to be a great day. I'm hoping it was the last time I get to eat raw fish for quite a while!
Jonathan will definitely be injecting the trigger shot tomorrow night. Nancy will call us after my appointment tomorrow to tell me exactly what time to administer the shot and what time egg retrieval will be on Saturday. I have a personal goal of 30+ eggs retrieved, but we'll see what happens. I can't exactly train for this. Well, maybe that's what I've been doing for the last 3 years! I agree with one of the sonographers this week when she said, "You've certainly paid your dues; it's time for you to be pregnant!"
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
On to round two!
Hi folks! Sorry we've been MIA, but there really hasn't been much to report in the month we didn't cycle. My medication is in, including the new stuff: heparin and prednisone. As I mentioned last month, the heparin is meant to thin my blood to prevent the micro-clots from interfering with implantation and the prednisone is a steroid used for eliminating any uterine inflammation that might be present and lower my immune system just in case my body was attacking the embryos last time.
It was a bit of a surprise, but my cycle started this morning. That would have normally meant that we would head up tomorrow (day 2) to get clearance to begin taking the FSH. However, since Jonathan just happened to have an appointment in the same building today, our wonderful nurse let me do my cycle check one day early to keep us from having to drive any more than we already do. I won't know what my estrogen levels are until tomorrow, but she said everything looks great so we should be good to go.
What I DO know is that my AFC was 44 today! Last cycle it was 30 and we got plenty of eggs at retrieval, but the 50% higher count means that we could get even more eggs this time! That is very good news for us and a fantastic start to the new cycle. Let's pray things keep going this well. With the new protocol and today's AFC, we really hope this is a sign of great things coming our way!
Oh, one more thing. Our retrieval is tentatively scheduled for October 31. Yep, Halloween and more importantly, Gators vs. Dawgs. If the Gators can make them look like chihuahuas, I'll take that as another good sign! (Please still pray for us if you're a GA fan! We need it!)
It was a bit of a surprise, but my cycle started this morning. That would have normally meant that we would head up tomorrow (day 2) to get clearance to begin taking the FSH. However, since Jonathan just happened to have an appointment in the same building today, our wonderful nurse let me do my cycle check one day early to keep us from having to drive any more than we already do. I won't know what my estrogen levels are until tomorrow, but she said everything looks great so we should be good to go.
What I DO know is that my AFC was 44 today! Last cycle it was 30 and we got plenty of eggs at retrieval, but the 50% higher count means that we could get even more eggs this time! That is very good news for us and a fantastic start to the new cycle. Let's pray things keep going this well. With the new protocol and today's AFC, we really hope this is a sign of great things coming our way!
Oh, one more thing. Our retrieval is tentatively scheduled for October 31. Yep, Halloween and more importantly, Gators vs. Dawgs. If the Gators can make them look like chihuahuas, I'll take that as another good sign! (Please still pray for us if you're a GA fan! We need it!)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
New plan
So by now everyone is aware that our first IVF cycle was not successful. My beta (a test that measures hCG levels in the blood) was less than 0.5 so that indicates that neither embryo ever implanted. My doctor was very surprised that we had such a perfect cycle and then BFN. BFN is an acronym in the infertile community that means "Big F***ing Negative." It's certainly not scientific, but a great description of what we had.
Jonathan and I have decided to move on to another fresh cycle instead of using the frozen embryos we have in storage. Chosing another fresh cycle requires that we sit this month out to allow my ovaries some time to rest from all the hormones. It will also allow us a greater chance of success and possibly more embryos in storage for future siblings if we are lucky enough to get pregnant our next round. It also give all three of us (me, Jonathan, and our doctor) time to regroup and determine the next plan of action.
Bear with me, this next part is hard to explain. It's hard for me to understand and I've been researching it for months......
I have been on Folgard since May of this year, when I was tested for MTHFR (methylene-tetra-hydrofolate-reductase) abnormalities. MTHFR is a gene important to the production of the amino acid homocysteine. Too much homocysteine in the body can increase a person's risk of heart disease and blood clots. I have heterozygous A1298C MTHFR. This means that one copy of my MTHFR gene is normal, and the other is not. Of all the clotting factors to have, mine is the least severe. It's treated with baby aspirin and the Folgard I mentioned above. Folgard is just a prescription strength Folic Acid and B-complex that I will take for the rest of my life.
Now, what do blood clots and vascular problems have to do with pregnancy? A lot actually. When an embryo is trying to implant the uterus, the tiny, microscopic blood vessels must be able to form so that the embryo can grow into a baby. If a microscopic blood clot were to form in one of these vessels, the embryo would be unable to implant and there would be no pregnancy.
Because I have tested positive for a genetic clotting factor, it is likely that there are other factors I would test positive for that have not even been isolated for testing by the scientific community. So my doctor wants to add another medication in the battle against my blood: heparin. Heparin is an anticoagulant used for people with blood clots. It is also used for women with more severe MTHFR abnormalities or who have reccurent miscarriages. Even though it is not typically used for heterozygous A1298C, thinning my blood even more than just the baby aspirin and Folgard already do will reduce the chances of microscopic clots in my uterus even more.
She would also like to put me on steriods after the retrieval for a longer period of time just in case my immune system is trying to attack the embryos. The steriods will suppress my immune system and calm any inflamation that might be present.
There were also some indications last week that my progesterone (the hormone that supports a pregnancy) levels were low. Next cycle we will be supplementing the injections with oral progesterone as well and checking the levels from earlier in my cycle.
There are certainly some risks to the new plan. Jonathan and I have an appointment with our doctor next Wednesday (9/23) and hope to have more information on what exactly those risks are so that we can make a decision. Though the news that we aren't pregnant is heartbreaking, we are very excited that our doctor is already looking ahead and determined to get us a baby! We feel very blessed to have her knowledge and experience to help us along and we are certain that we're in the right place.
Thank you all so very much for all your prayers and well wishes. We have felt very supported and uplifted by all the comments on the blog, facebook, and in person. Please continue to pray for us in this month off. We need patience and wisdom.
I'll be certain to update everyone of what we learn at our appointment next week.
Love,
The Strunks
Jonathan and I have decided to move on to another fresh cycle instead of using the frozen embryos we have in storage. Chosing another fresh cycle requires that we sit this month out to allow my ovaries some time to rest from all the hormones. It will also allow us a greater chance of success and possibly more embryos in storage for future siblings if we are lucky enough to get pregnant our next round. It also give all three of us (me, Jonathan, and our doctor) time to regroup and determine the next plan of action.
Bear with me, this next part is hard to explain. It's hard for me to understand and I've been researching it for months......
I have been on Folgard since May of this year, when I was tested for MTHFR (methylene-tetra-hydrofolate-reductase) abnormalities. MTHFR is a gene important to the production of the amino acid homocysteine. Too much homocysteine in the body can increase a person's risk of heart disease and blood clots. I have heterozygous A1298C MTHFR. This means that one copy of my MTHFR gene is normal, and the other is not. Of all the clotting factors to have, mine is the least severe. It's treated with baby aspirin and the Folgard I mentioned above. Folgard is just a prescription strength Folic Acid and B-complex that I will take for the rest of my life.
Now, what do blood clots and vascular problems have to do with pregnancy? A lot actually. When an embryo is trying to implant the uterus, the tiny, microscopic blood vessels must be able to form so that the embryo can grow into a baby. If a microscopic blood clot were to form in one of these vessels, the embryo would be unable to implant and there would be no pregnancy.
Because I have tested positive for a genetic clotting factor, it is likely that there are other factors I would test positive for that have not even been isolated for testing by the scientific community. So my doctor wants to add another medication in the battle against my blood: heparin. Heparin is an anticoagulant used for people with blood clots. It is also used for women with more severe MTHFR abnormalities or who have reccurent miscarriages. Even though it is not typically used for heterozygous A1298C, thinning my blood even more than just the baby aspirin and Folgard already do will reduce the chances of microscopic clots in my uterus even more.
She would also like to put me on steriods after the retrieval for a longer period of time just in case my immune system is trying to attack the embryos. The steriods will suppress my immune system and calm any inflamation that might be present.
There were also some indications last week that my progesterone (the hormone that supports a pregnancy) levels were low. Next cycle we will be supplementing the injections with oral progesterone as well and checking the levels from earlier in my cycle.
There are certainly some risks to the new plan. Jonathan and I have an appointment with our doctor next Wednesday (9/23) and hope to have more information on what exactly those risks are so that we can make a decision. Though the news that we aren't pregnant is heartbreaking, we are very excited that our doctor is already looking ahead and determined to get us a baby! We feel very blessed to have her knowledge and experience to help us along and we are certain that we're in the right place.
Thank you all so very much for all your prayers and well wishes. We have felt very supported and uplifted by all the comments on the blog, facebook, and in person. Please continue to pray for us in this month off. We need patience and wisdom.
I'll be certain to update everyone of what we learn at our appointment next week.
Love,
The Strunks
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Frozen embryos
Well, of the eight embryos that we did not transfer on Monday, three were frozen that day because they looked happy and healthy enough that they might be able to survive thaw. The other five were watched (I like to picture the embryologists babysitting the little guys) to see if they continued in their growth and could be frozen along with the others. Only one of the five kept growing and looked healthy enough to survive thaw and was frozen yesterday. That leaves us with a total of four frozen embryos if it is determined that a frozen IVF cycle would benefit us if this cycle isn't successful. Hopefully we won't ever have to worry about that!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Eight-celled children
Alright, everyone! It's the long-awaited photo of our "kids" in all their eight-celled glory! Don't they look like happy little Strunk Babies? We hope they're both happy enough to hang around for nine more months!
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