Follow Our Treatment~
We resumed our infertility treatment this year...actually starting last week (May 21 of '98) with a laparoscopy/ hysteroscopy. Before I get the details of the surgery I would like to explain why we had to resume treatment in the first place. Last February, we finally realized we had a problem & the likelihood of achieving pregnancy on our own was minimal to zilch. We sought a local physician, an ob/gyn, that was "certified" in infertility. I still don't really know what "certified" means. Anyways, we were assured of a high pg rate and professional care. We proceeded to have a couple of test done. The doctor wanted us to bypass the complete workup b/c of financial reasons (which is enormous!). I had an HSG, hysterosalpingogram done. The HSG is a x-ray type procedure that basically checks to make sure the fallopian tubes are open. They insert dye into a balloon device that spills into the tubes. Well, we were told that I had scar tissue and slight blockage. My husband had a semen analysis done as well. The results were: his morphology was lower than "normal". The doctor put us on clomid and recommended IUI. An IUI is insemination...putting the sperm directly into the uterus during ovulation. Our first attempt was unsuccessful. We then tried another month of the clomid w/o IUI. We started getting very discouraged when we were unable to get our questions answered by the physician and his staff...after weeks of calling to obtain bloodwork results. We both felt that we were putting our hopes and money into a treatment with an uncaring staff & discontinued treatment. We felt it was essential to find a Reproductive Endocrinologist with an excellent reputation and with legitatmate statsitics. And alas....we found one!!! We did our homework, asked others about their experiences. We are now going to the Center for Applied Reproductive Science, C.A.R.S.That brings us up to date.
5-21 I had the Lap done. The Laparoscopy/ Hysteroscopy is an exploratative look at the the inside of the uterus and pelvic cavity. It is considered minor (day) surgery. They view the organs by using a small camera...that is inserted through the navel (lap) and another through the pubic area (hys). My RE filmed the whole thing...and WOW...it was amazing! They can also treat endometriosis, if they find some, by attacting a lazer. I am NO medical expert, so I will just tell you what you can expect and how my surgery went. You can expect: a transvaginal ultrasound prior to the surgery. During ours we found one egg (a size 15 on day 9 of my cycle)that would hopefully reach maturity and be released during ovulation. You can also expect some bloodwork done and lots of medication. My anastesia (sp) was an IV and gas. The must use some type of gas that will make you bloated enough for them to look around. Later that gas will end up in your shoulders and may cause discomfort....although I had none. To tell you the truth, the entire procedure was a Blah to me. After I was put to sleep, I felt NO pain. The doctor prescribed some pain killers for the next day....and there was no need for me to even take them. I felt blessed to have such a smooth surgery. Within a couple of days I was back to normal. Our diagnosis was mild endometriosis. I had 2 small spots which were zapped away and scar tissue (that was fixed as well). The RE felt that what we found had not impacted our fertility. So, if I am not pregnant this month, we will most likely try clomid again (which I seem to respond well to...thank $$ goodness) and possibly another IUI. By the way, our previous test...the HSG....was inaccurate...the lap gives much more valid results & is covered by your insurance (even if infertility treatment is excluded). We're just crossing our fingers we become pregnant on our own this month.
6/9 Well, this month proved to be unsuccessful. We went in for a routine ultrasound torule out any cysts before progressing in treatment. Everything checked out there so we will begin taking 50 mg of clomid day 5-9. Next, we will take an ovulation predictor test to determine when I will have an LH surge. The LH surege indicates impending ovulation. I also keep daily basal body temperatures (better known as bbt's) to help me figure out when I am ovulating as well. This is sorta a back up metheod to ensure I have not misread the reading of the opk. When I get a positive reading, we will go in for another ultrasound to see how many "good" eggs I have made. If I have at least one decent egg and dh (darling husband) has a fair amount of sperm, we will have an IUI done. In order to do the IUI, they will take another sperm analysis (with sperm washing,which is the separation of the sperm and fluid). If all goes according to schedule, we should have this done in about 9 days. Again, I am hoping this will be our lucky month and there will not be the need to progress any further.
6/15 Today was the last day that I had to take the clomid. It wasn't bad at all! I had some mild hot flashes on Day 1 and 2 of taking the med...but nothing that I couldn't handle. However, today I feel tingling in my ovaries (only an IF patient would know that they are feeling tingling in the ovaries~ Ha). I am taking this as a good sign that I have made at least one good egg (although I think I will have more than one~ maybe wishful thinking). We start using the opk in two days. That may be a little early to begin, but it's better to be safe than sorry...you can always buy another opk. I found a GREAT list of opks and home pregnancy tests (hpt) at ONNA. They have listed the sensitivity, best buys, and more. It's a great link to check out so that you know you are getting an accurate test. We should be having the IUI in only about 5 days. It's so strange how the first phase of the cycle just flies by and the second half drags on & on & on!
7/8 We ended up having our IUI on June 20th. It was quite a memorable day. We got two flat tires on the way to the clinic, we got lost, and we ended up being about an hour late for our appointment! So, we were both totally stressed before we even got there. Come to find out, dh doesn't have a low sperm count. Another test we did with the olddoctor was inaccurate...dh's sperm was actually very good (count, morphology, motility!). After collecting the sperm, we did an ultrasound. I had two follicles, one was a size 27mm and the other was 17mm. The RE was pleased. This was great news because we have now ruled out male factor IF and know that I respond well to clomid. We took a little walk around the hospital while they prepared/washed the sperm. Then we did the IUI. It only took a few minutes and was completely painless. After only a few moments we were out of the office and going to get new tires. :0) However, this month was once again unsuccessful. We are taking a break this month and will continue tx in August...same treatment. I guess it is very important to keep in mind that our chances of concieving last month were that of any fertile couple...which is still only about 20%. So, we will probably try the IUI+ clomid a couple more cycles, and then move on to IVF if necessary.
9/21 It's been another unsucessful month...the doctor had us take a month off from treatment in July. We started the clomid again this cycle and planned to have 2 IUI's this month just to make sure the timing was right. The opk indicated my LH surge on day 11, and we scheduled the IUI for the next day...which was on Sunday. I couldn't sleep at all that night filled with anticipation of following days events. I tried to sleep in the car...with no luck. So, needless to say I was already physically exhausted. We got in there, had the ultrasound to find tha I didn't have any follicles. That was a disappointment! So that cycle was cancelled! The doctor asked what's next...another cycle of clomid? I have made the personal decision to not continue with that particular medication anymore. We have decided to take a couple of months off again and then progress to humegon and IUI. At first I was so upset that we had to move on to injectables...mainly b/c of the high cost. However I found a pharmacy outside of the U.S. where you can buy the meds at discounts...matter a fact, we can save over $600 at this pharmacy!!!! Check it out: Pharma-Med . I have done much research on this company and I have found nothing but positive feedback!
11/9 I apologize in the delay of keeping everyone up-to-date with our treatment. Our computer has been on the skids off and on for quite some time now. Let's see...where to begin. After our lengthy break between tx cycles, we finally got started again. We did end up buying the meds from the pharmacy mentioned above out of Europe. We went for the initial U/S and bloodwork appointment. Things looked excellent! On day 3 we were instructed to begin the injections. I decided to give myself the shots...and WOW!...it's empowering! It certainly gives one a sense of control! I took 2 amps daily, 1amp of follistim, and 1 amp of repronex. You are able to put both amps in one syringe,so I only had 1 shot per day. I gave myself the shot at the same time every evening and gradually learned the ART of injection. Never go in the skin at an angle and always get the air bubbles out (by pushing the syringe until the first couple of drops come out and flicking). I had no serious reactions to the meds (not even emotionally). The only slight reaction was localized redness and swelling...and that was because I was going in at an angle. RE didn't want to me to respond TOO well to the meds, seeing that we were doing an IUI this cycle instead of IVF. We were cautioned that if I had too many mature follicles that we would either cancel the cycle or opt for IVF. The reason for this is b/c of the high risk of multiple births. So, I panicked the first couple of nights... worrying that I had left too many drops of the meds either in the vial or in the syringe. But fear not, they seem to expect this. Whatever I did was correct. We ended up having at least 4-5 mature follicles. We did HCG shot and scheduled the IUI for the next mid-morning. U/S revealed that I had indeed ovulated 3 eggs. We had been instructed the night before to "try on our own"...which we did, and the night before...so we were definately taken care of. We did the IUI as well. DH's SA was pretty good considering all the hard work those little spermies had been doing over the last couple of nights. We also came home and tried one last time. We are awaiting the results now. I am unable to test until at least 10 days since the HCG shot. If one would test before the HCG shot had time to get out of the system, they would get a positive result even if there was no pregnancy. I am able to test in 2 days but have decided to wait until 14 dpo. I have provided a link below to look at "normal" hormone levels. Each clinic seems to have their own interpretation of what is normal, but you may use this as a guide. Hormone Levels. I'll let you know the outcome! :0) Best wishes to all those who wish to conceive!
12/21 No luck with the last cycle! I was more disappointed than ever before. But once again decided to pick myself up and try, try again. We are scheduled to have in vitro, IVF, done next cycle. It is necessary to prepare for the IVF cycle during the month before tx. Some RE's will recommend you take Lupron to prevent a natural LH surge during the IVF cycle...which would cause a cancelled cycle. So, we will begin daily Lupron injections on December 30. It is necessary to take 1 shot per day for 12 days, at that time you should start your period. You start taking Lupron on day 21 of the cycle prior to IVF. Once you start your period after taking the Lupron, you go in for your normal U/S, bloodwork, and office visits...you also begin to take your FSH & LH meds again. Then on to the IVF. I will write more as we begin this process! I am scared too death but feeling very positive it will be successful. Say some prayers for us please!!!!!!
2/11/99 It's new year...and what wonderful news there is to share!!!! I had such a good feeling about this year! We started our lupron as expected. The shots weren't bad at all. However, I had been used to administering my shots later in the evening...around 6ish...but you really should give the lupron at approximately the same time each morning instead. So, I switched the shot times mid-cycle and took the hmg's (this time we used fertinex, follistim, repronex, and humegon. Basically because follistim and fertinex are the same thing, having only FSH. And repronex and humegon have FSH & LH) at night. Our progress started out slow, and I was getting very upset. On day 8 though, we started noticing more and more follicles developing. On cycle day 14, we had the aspiration. There were several (20 or so) follicle that were aspirated. I took some pain relieving medication just before the procedure...but it still wasn't a pain-free procedure. The pain was completely gone for me as soon as the aspiration was over. We called the clinic the next day to find out that 12 eggs were retrieved, and 6 eggs had been fertilized. When we got to the clinic 3 days later for the transfer... they had frozen 3 of the embryos and the other 3 were thriving (and now 8 cells). We got the wonderful opportunity to view the embryos. HOW AMAZING! They were all in good condition. Very little fragmentation and so forth. We went ahead with the transfer, which is completely painless and very similar to IUI. Then we waited! Well, needless to say...I am not very patient so I decided to take an Equate Brand HPT 8 days after my transfer. It came back positive to my amazement! So, I needed to be sure that it wasn't my hcg shot showing up and giving me false results...so I went for bloodwork. My beta (serum) hcg level came back 35 and my progesterone was 262! I just about fainted. Both levels are quite high for my stage of pregnancy. To learn more about HCG levels, CLICK HERE. From this point on, thing have gone smoothly! Today I am exactly 17 days post transfer...and we just did our first ultrasound to determine how many babies "took". So, now you can follow our long awaited pregnancy and find out how many babies we are having!!!!!!
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