YAHOO!
So...last night I went to bed around 10:30pm (after beating Jon in a game of crib!). I woke up around 2:00am/2:30am wide awake. I decided to use the expired home pregnancy test I had (it said it expires July 2010) as it was our last opportunity to use it and I figured it might allow me to 'rest' more because my mind wouldn't be racing. I did it, and it was positive, although I kept in mind that it could be a false positive due to the expiration date. I woke Jon up to show him and he smiled and went back to sleep. I, on the other hand, did NOT go back to sleep. I couldn't, no matter what I tried! My stomach was growling at one point so I got out and had a few crackers, and got out another time to go on the computer to tire myself out, but nothing worked. I eventually got up at 5:00am and played piano for 20 minutes before getting ready to leave for my blood test.
I got to LifeLabs just as they opened at 6:30am so I was out of there and at work by 7:00am. I only worked until 1:00pm because I didn't want to get "the call" from Genesis while I was at work. Jon only worked until 2:30pm so that he would hopefully be home for the phone call.
We both sat on the couch (dying of heat) waiting for the phone to ring, but it never did. At 3:15pm I called them and left a message for the nurses to ask when I would hear the results (I had initially been told that if I did the blood test first thing in the morning they should have the results by the end of the day). A nurse called back at 3:50pm and said the results weren't in yet so we wouldn't find out until the next afternoon. Oh well. We went to my parents' to tell my Mom so that they wouldn't still be waiting for the results (and so that the celebratory steak dinner she had taken out would have to be saved for possibly the next day). Little did we know that while we were gone, Genesis called and left a message to say that they did receive the results after all, and that "congratulations, it's very good news!" They'll call us tomorrow with more details (I would assume that means my beta number and date for my first ultrasound). As soon as we heard the message we went back to my parents' and Jon asked my mom if "she still had the steaks out for dinner?" At least we were kinda able to surprise our family after everyone had already been told that we had to wait one more day to find out.
So ya, that's our good news! Thank you, God! Here's hoping (and praying) for a smooth next 8 weeks until I'm in the second trimester!
After struggling with infertility for three years, we were blessed with the birth of Matthew and Kayla in March 2011 (by in vitro) , Nathan in October 2013 (by frozen embryo transfer), and Olivia in August 2015 (naturally!). We are loving every moment (well, almost!) of our lives as parents.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
1 More Day
I wish it were easy to describe our emotions at this point. Maybe "scared shitless" for a negative result tomorrow would sum it up? I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle a negative result.
I wish I had the "I know I'm pregnant" instinct, but I don't...so maybe I'm not? I have symptoms of pregnancy...but those are also the same symptoms that you get when you're on progesterone, like I am. My OHSS is better...although I still get bloated if I do too much. I have also started experiencing cramping on and off all day...which could be good or bad! I think that's the hard part...have symptoms that could go either way.
AHHHH
I'll go for the blood test first thing tomorrow morning and then will go to work. I'm expecting Genesis to call me in the early afternoon with the results, so I think I'll probably only stay at work until noon so that I can get the results when I'm at home. Jon doesn't want me to tell him the results until he is home after 5pm.
Please think and pray for us tomorrow! We're going to need a lot of strength if it's a negative result!
I wish I had the "I know I'm pregnant" instinct, but I don't...so maybe I'm not? I have symptoms of pregnancy...but those are also the same symptoms that you get when you're on progesterone, like I am. My OHSS is better...although I still get bloated if I do too much. I have also started experiencing cramping on and off all day...which could be good or bad! I think that's the hard part...have symptoms that could go either way.
AHHHH
I'll go for the blood test first thing tomorrow morning and then will go to work. I'm expecting Genesis to call me in the early afternoon with the results, so I think I'll probably only stay at work until noon so that I can get the results when I'm at home. Jon doesn't want me to tell him the results until he is home after 5pm.
Please think and pray for us tomorrow! We're going to need a lot of strength if it's a negative result!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
OHSS
OHSS = Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
The cause of OHSS is that superovulated ovaries contain many follicles which are loaded with estrogen. After ovulation, a huge amount of estrogen-rich fluid is poured directly out of the enlarged and fragile ovaries into the abdominal cavity. This fluid also contains chemicals like kallikrein-kinin and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), which then coat the lining of the abdominal cavity (called the peritoneum) and cause it to become very permeable (leaky). Fluid (serum) literally pours out of bloodstream into the peritoneal cavity because of the "leakiness" of the abdominal cavity’s lining. The ovaries balloon in size, the abdomen swells, and some women may get lightheaded with relatively low blood pressure, or dizzy because of the decreased blood volume.
(Stolen from a website and NOT cited...tsk tsk)
I definitely knew that I would have to be less of a "try to do everything" type person during our IVF cycle...but apparently I've still been overdoing it. I knew OHSS is quite common in young, thin women, but I thought you could only get it around the time of the egg retrieval. I was wrong.
I started feeling more bloated than usual starting at the end of last week. I was noticing that my jeans were tighter than normal around my waist and that my abdomen was starting to feel quite hard to the touch (and no, those aren't my abs lol). Saturday was fine, I managed to take it pretty easy while hanging out with Jon's family (although it killed me not to be able to play with my nieces and nephews!!) and Sunday was good too. I noticed my abdomen was larger and a I had a little more abdominal pain on Monday night, but I just attributed that to the fact that I was a tad constipated (sorry if that's too much info). I went to work on Tuesday but noticed that I was quite uncomfortable...and then when I went to laugh at a joke and ended up wincing in pain I knew it wasn't quite right. When I got home from work I cooked dinner (although I felt faint a few times...but I attributed that to being hungry) and then I plopped myself on the couch. By that point my abdomen was quite swollen...it was awful.
I started reading up on the internet to find out what other people who are/were 9 days post three-day transfer (9dp3dt) were feeling at that point. I found out that some of them started developing OHSS right around that time.
At that point I realized it was a little more serious than I realized, so Jon put me on "couch-rest" for the rest of the night and told me that I absolutely could not go to work the next day (today). He even went to my parents and told my mom she would need to babysit me to make sure I wasn't doing stuff around the house. What a brat. lol.
Sleeping last night was very uncomfortable because I could only lay flat on my back. I couldn't lay on my stomach because I would put pressure on my abdomen, and I couldn't lay on my side because my abdomen/stomach would be pulled down with gravity and put pressure on my sides internally. Sleeping proved to be quite difficult because I ALWAYS lay half on my front/half on my side. I woke up a few times and had to try to shift positions, but I couldn't really.
So, today, I spent the day at home...BORING! My back was getting sore from sitting/laying down all day. I hope I never need to be put on bed rest. I filled my day with watching a lot of TLC (A Baby Story, Bringing Home Baby, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, What Not to Wear) and by working from home (I managed to put in 6 hours today still!). My mom cut up lettuce for salad for us and made us a potato salad so that Jon would only have to cook a 'meat' for dinner tonight. She also baked us a zucchini bread because she knew I had planned on doing it today and she didn't want Jon to not have it. Aww.
After doing more research (aka forum and fertility site reading) I realized that this might be a good sign (that I'm experiencing OHSS). Most people get OHSS around the time of egg retrieval because the hCG shot triggers it (somehow...). Apparently if you're pregnant you start producing more hCG naturally which can cause the OHSS to flair up. If I am pregnant, then I'll probably be 'suffering' with OHSS for a few weeks, until the placenta develops. If I'm not pregnant, then it will stop when I get my period.
I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but everything is looking good so far (i think?). I do have the occasional cramp (some are quite strong) which kinda freaks me out...but it could be a sign that my uterus is starting to grow...or it could be a sign that my period is just around the corner. I'm trying to not to think about the end result of this and am just taking it one day at a time. 5 days until we find out!
I think I'm going to head to work tomorrow, at least for a partial day. There is only so much work one can do from home! I have a desk job, luckily, so I know I won't be running around too much. I think I'll go in and see how I feel...I can easily leave early if I feel like it. We'll have leftovers for dinner so I won't feel tempted (who am I kidding....pressured) to cook and can rest as soon as I get home.
The cause of OHSS is that superovulated ovaries contain many follicles which are loaded with estrogen. After ovulation, a huge amount of estrogen-rich fluid is poured directly out of the enlarged and fragile ovaries into the abdominal cavity. This fluid also contains chemicals like kallikrein-kinin and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), which then coat the lining of the abdominal cavity (called the peritoneum) and cause it to become very permeable (leaky). Fluid (serum) literally pours out of bloodstream into the peritoneal cavity because of the "leakiness" of the abdominal cavity’s lining. The ovaries balloon in size, the abdomen swells, and some women may get lightheaded with relatively low blood pressure, or dizzy because of the decreased blood volume.
(Stolen from a website and NOT cited...tsk tsk)
I definitely knew that I would have to be less of a "try to do everything" type person during our IVF cycle...but apparently I've still been overdoing it. I knew OHSS is quite common in young, thin women, but I thought you could only get it around the time of the egg retrieval. I was wrong.
I started feeling more bloated than usual starting at the end of last week. I was noticing that my jeans were tighter than normal around my waist and that my abdomen was starting to feel quite hard to the touch (and no, those aren't my abs lol). Saturday was fine, I managed to take it pretty easy while hanging out with Jon's family (although it killed me not to be able to play with my nieces and nephews!!) and Sunday was good too. I noticed my abdomen was larger and a I had a little more abdominal pain on Monday night, but I just attributed that to the fact that I was a tad constipated (sorry if that's too much info). I went to work on Tuesday but noticed that I was quite uncomfortable...and then when I went to laugh at a joke and ended up wincing in pain I knew it wasn't quite right. When I got home from work I cooked dinner (although I felt faint a few times...but I attributed that to being hungry) and then I plopped myself on the couch. By that point my abdomen was quite swollen...it was awful.
I started reading up on the internet to find out what other people who are/were 9 days post three-day transfer (9dp3dt) were feeling at that point. I found out that some of them started developing OHSS right around that time.
At that point I realized it was a little more serious than I realized, so Jon put me on "couch-rest" for the rest of the night and told me that I absolutely could not go to work the next day (today). He even went to my parents and told my mom she would need to babysit me to make sure I wasn't doing stuff around the house. What a brat. lol.
Sleeping last night was very uncomfortable because I could only lay flat on my back. I couldn't lay on my stomach because I would put pressure on my abdomen, and I couldn't lay on my side because my abdomen/stomach would be pulled down with gravity and put pressure on my sides internally. Sleeping proved to be quite difficult because I ALWAYS lay half on my front/half on my side. I woke up a few times and had to try to shift positions, but I couldn't really.
So, today, I spent the day at home...BORING! My back was getting sore from sitting/laying down all day. I hope I never need to be put on bed rest. I filled my day with watching a lot of TLC (A Baby Story, Bringing Home Baby, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, What Not to Wear) and by working from home (I managed to put in 6 hours today still!). My mom cut up lettuce for salad for us and made us a potato salad so that Jon would only have to cook a 'meat' for dinner tonight. She also baked us a zucchini bread because she knew I had planned on doing it today and she didn't want Jon to not have it. Aww.
After doing more research (aka forum and fertility site reading) I realized that this might be a good sign (that I'm experiencing OHSS). Most people get OHSS around the time of egg retrieval because the hCG shot triggers it (somehow...). Apparently if you're pregnant you start producing more hCG naturally which can cause the OHSS to flair up. If I am pregnant, then I'll probably be 'suffering' with OHSS for a few weeks, until the placenta develops. If I'm not pregnant, then it will stop when I get my period.
I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but everything is looking good so far (i think?). I do have the occasional cramp (some are quite strong) which kinda freaks me out...but it could be a sign that my uterus is starting to grow...or it could be a sign that my period is just around the corner. I'm trying to not to think about the end result of this and am just taking it one day at a time. 5 days until we find out!
I think I'm going to head to work tomorrow, at least for a partial day. There is only so much work one can do from home! I have a desk job, luckily, so I know I won't be running around too much. I think I'll go in and see how I feel...I can easily leave early if I feel like it. We'll have leftovers for dinner so I won't feel tempted (who am I kidding....pressured) to cook and can rest as soon as I get home.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Update on Our Embryos
Here is a summary of what has happened with the follicles that were retrieved:
Of the 13 follicles that were retrieved:
11 had eggs
2 did not have eggs
Of the 11 that had eggs:
10 eggs fertilized
1 egg did not (too immature)
Of the 10 eggs that fertilized:
1 was chosen to be frozen as a Day 3 embryo
2 were transferred into my uterus as Day 3 embryos
7 were left to grow in culture (their lab)
Of the 7 that were left to grow in culture:
1 survived to make it to Day 5 and was frozen
6 died :(
So ya, we have two frozen embryos now: 1 x Day 3 and 1 x Day 5. Kinda disappointing...we were hoping for more! I think only about 50% of frozen embryos survive the thawing process so that would leave us with only one embryo for our next round. My feelings right now, IF we have to do this again would be to do a full IVF cycle again and then freeze those extra embryos, and then IF we have to do it again we would use the frozen embryos. Hopefully we'll be successful this round and won't have to think about this for a while. Hopefully.
We've already had 3 days since the transfer so the embryos should have started implanting, or will be shortly. HOPEFULLY. We're doing really well right now, but I think it's easy because we know that it's not possible to know whether or not this round was a success or not. I think we'll be deathly nervous once it starts getting closer to the blood test.
I actually thought about everything a lot less today then I did yesterday. I'm feeling better each day and so there are fewer reminders from my body about what I just went through. I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning though...not good. I think I've gained about 5 pounds this past month, which I attribute to the water retention I have now as well as not being being allowed to be active. Not that I was overly active before, but a walk every other day does wonders! Oh well, so long as this works!
Of the 13 follicles that were retrieved:
11 had eggs
2 did not have eggs
Of the 11 that had eggs:
10 eggs fertilized
1 egg did not (too immature)
Of the 10 eggs that fertilized:
1 was chosen to be frozen as a Day 3 embryo
2 were transferred into my uterus as Day 3 embryos
7 were left to grow in culture (their lab)
Of the 7 that were left to grow in culture:
1 survived to make it to Day 5 and was frozen
6 died :(
So ya, we have two frozen embryos now: 1 x Day 3 and 1 x Day 5. Kinda disappointing...we were hoping for more! I think only about 50% of frozen embryos survive the thawing process so that would leave us with only one embryo for our next round. My feelings right now, IF we have to do this again would be to do a full IVF cycle again and then freeze those extra embryos, and then IF we have to do it again we would use the frozen embryos. Hopefully we'll be successful this round and won't have to think about this for a while. Hopefully.
We've already had 3 days since the transfer so the embryos should have started implanting, or will be shortly. HOPEFULLY. We're doing really well right now, but I think it's easy because we know that it's not possible to know whether or not this round was a success or not. I think we'll be deathly nervous once it starts getting closer to the blood test.
I actually thought about everything a lot less today then I did yesterday. I'm feeling better each day and so there are fewer reminders from my body about what I just went through. I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning though...not good. I think I've gained about 5 pounds this past month, which I attribute to the water retention I have now as well as not being being allowed to be active. Not that I was overly active before, but a walk every other day does wonders! Oh well, so long as this works!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Embryo Transfer
Yes, the title says it all. Today was embryo transfer day. We got the call at exactly 8:30am, just as I was finishing my shower. Candice came to the washroom to tell me, so I quickly got changed and hustled back to the trailer. We had to be at Genesis by 10:30am! My family had already emptied our tent and quickly cleaned it all up so we could get on the road as quickly as possible.
We were on the road by 8:35am. Our gas tank was pretty empty because we had wanted to tank up in Cultus ($1.02 rather than $1.17 a litre), so Jon did that while I bought a 1 L bottle of water. I had to go pee at 9:30am and then drink the 1 L of water before 10:30am. We left the gas station at 8:47am...and then made it home by 9:35am. I quickly did pee and then Jon had to (excuse my language) shit.
We left at 9:45am and made to to Genesis by 10:30am. I had no problem drinking the 1 L of water...but once we got to Genesis they made us wait in the waiting room. I started dying! I think we had been waiting for like 10 minutes (felt like an hour!) before the nurse came to get us. I got changed into the standard grey wrap-around skirt that they use for the retrieval as well and was brought into the procedure room. The nurse let us know that they were going to transfer 2 day three embryos (yay!), and they would leave the other 7 in culture for a few days to see how they progress, and then they would call us to know how many of those they were going to freeze. The freezing costs us $700 the first year, and then $200 each year after that. The benefit of freezing embryos is that if (when?) we have to do this again I wouldn't have to do any injections before to make me super-ovulate, we could pretty much jump right to the embryo transfer stage. The thing to keep in mind is that only about 50% of the frozen embryos survive the thawing process.
Anyways, we had to sign a few more consent forms while I was waiting in the procedure room. I don't even know what I was signing because I was in so much pain from having such a full bladder. Once the nurse had given us all of the instructions we needed she said the doctor was going to come. But she didn't. After a few minutes she went to find the doctor...meanwhile, I was dying. I have to admit, I let a few tears slip. I felt like screaming! The doctor finally came after a few more minutes. The nurse performed the ultrasound while the doctor transferred the embryos directly into my uterus. We could see the catheter on the ultrasound screen, and then we saw her inject the embryos. They aren't visible to the human eye, but they put an air bubble on either side of the embryos so that they doctor can see that they've been injected. On the screen, it looked like a grain of rice. We also got to take home a picture they had taken of the two embryos in the culture. It's neat because you can see the cells inside of them:
For today, I'm trying to take it super easy (I'm laying on the couch right now). The nurse said that so long as I'm not running and lifting heavy things I'll be fine...but also that I shouldn't do anything that would cause me to have regrets *if* this doesn't work.
During the drive home from Genesis I got really scared. Not scared of a positive outcome (although that will bring big changes to our lives!), but scared of a negative outcome and how I would be able to even handle it. I prayed to God for comfort and strength for the next two weeks and so far it's been okay, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. One of the articles Jon was reading in the waiting room today said something like "people with religious beliefs have less fertility distress". That was cool to read...cool that there might be others reading that article some time. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the knowledge and comfort that this is not in my control at all, that it's up to "the man up there and mother nature" as the nurse said in the procedure room today.
Our blood test is going to be on July 26, so this is going to be a long 15 days!
We were on the road by 8:35am. Our gas tank was pretty empty because we had wanted to tank up in Cultus ($1.02 rather than $1.17 a litre), so Jon did that while I bought a 1 L bottle of water. I had to go pee at 9:30am and then drink the 1 L of water before 10:30am. We left the gas station at 8:47am...and then made it home by 9:35am. I quickly did pee and then Jon had to (excuse my language) shit.
We left at 9:45am and made to to Genesis by 10:30am. I had no problem drinking the 1 L of water...but once we got to Genesis they made us wait in the waiting room. I started dying! I think we had been waiting for like 10 minutes (felt like an hour!) before the nurse came to get us. I got changed into the standard grey wrap-around skirt that they use for the retrieval as well and was brought into the procedure room. The nurse let us know that they were going to transfer 2 day three embryos (yay!), and they would leave the other 7 in culture for a few days to see how they progress, and then they would call us to know how many of those they were going to freeze. The freezing costs us $700 the first year, and then $200 each year after that. The benefit of freezing embryos is that if (when?) we have to do this again I wouldn't have to do any injections before to make me super-ovulate, we could pretty much jump right to the embryo transfer stage. The thing to keep in mind is that only about 50% of the frozen embryos survive the thawing process.
Anyways, we had to sign a few more consent forms while I was waiting in the procedure room. I don't even know what I was signing because I was in so much pain from having such a full bladder. Once the nurse had given us all of the instructions we needed she said the doctor was going to come. But she didn't. After a few minutes she went to find the doctor...meanwhile, I was dying. I have to admit, I let a few tears slip. I felt like screaming! The doctor finally came after a few more minutes. The nurse performed the ultrasound while the doctor transferred the embryos directly into my uterus. We could see the catheter on the ultrasound screen, and then we saw her inject the embryos. They aren't visible to the human eye, but they put an air bubble on either side of the embryos so that they doctor can see that they've been injected. On the screen, it looked like a grain of rice. We also got to take home a picture they had taken of the two embryos in the culture. It's neat because you can see the cells inside of them:
For today, I'm trying to take it super easy (I'm laying on the couch right now). The nurse said that so long as I'm not running and lifting heavy things I'll be fine...but also that I shouldn't do anything that would cause me to have regrets *if* this doesn't work.
During the drive home from Genesis I got really scared. Not scared of a positive outcome (although that will bring big changes to our lives!), but scared of a negative outcome and how I would be able to even handle it. I prayed to God for comfort and strength for the next two weeks and so far it's been okay, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. One of the articles Jon was reading in the waiting room today said something like "people with religious beliefs have less fertility distress". That was cool to read...cool that there might be others reading that article some time. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the knowledge and comfort that this is not in my control at all, that it's up to "the man up there and mother nature" as the nurse said in the procedure room today.
Our blood test is going to be on July 26, so this is going to be a long 15 days!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Egg Fertilization Results
I am feeling SO much better this morning. I took my last extra strength Tylenol last night at 10:00pm and haven't taken any since. I have minor pains every now and then (every couple hours), but it's nothing worth taking medication for. I'm just concentrating on taking it easy and not moving around too much (*sigh* I can't vacuum OR clean the bathroom now lol).
A nurse from Genesis Fertility Clinic called me with an update on our eggs.
Of the 13 eggs they retrieved yesterday, 11 were mature. That means that the 2 immature eggs would never fertilize. Of the 11 "fertilizable" eggs, 10 had fertilized! Yahoo! It's comforting to know that there is nothing genetically wrong with Jon or I that would prevent fertilization.
We won't hear from Genesis tomorrow, but they will call us around 8:30am on Sunday morning to let us know whether they are going to transfer the embryos that day (day 3) or on Tuesday (day 5). I believe there are pros and cons to transferring on either day, so the doctors make the best decision they can. We're pretty excited.
I didn't go to work today (but have been working from home *so nice!*. I worked 4.5 hours yesterday and 2.25 hours today), so that's two days in a row that I've called in "sick" (my boss and one of my colleagues are in on everything that's happening, so they're helping keep my sick story believable). Apparently those that don't know are quite concerned because I NEVER take ANY sick time. I think last year I took 0.5 days off because I had bad cramps lol. If the transfer is on Sunday then I won't be able to go to work on Monday for sure (maybe Tuesday?). If the transfer is on Tuesday then I'll go to work on Monday and then be "sick" again on Tuesday and Wednesday? Man, I have to think of a better story next time lol. I just don't really want people to know yet because if/when it doesn't work...hmm...let's not go there.
Jon and I will be in Cultus Lake this weekend so we'll get the phone call there on Sunday. I'm glad it's nice weather finally!
A nurse from Genesis Fertility Clinic called me with an update on our eggs.
Of the 13 eggs they retrieved yesterday, 11 were mature. That means that the 2 immature eggs would never fertilize. Of the 11 "fertilizable" eggs, 10 had fertilized! Yahoo! It's comforting to know that there is nothing genetically wrong with Jon or I that would prevent fertilization.
We won't hear from Genesis tomorrow, but they will call us around 8:30am on Sunday morning to let us know whether they are going to transfer the embryos that day (day 3) or on Tuesday (day 5). I believe there are pros and cons to transferring on either day, so the doctors make the best decision they can. We're pretty excited.
I didn't go to work today (but have been working from home *so nice!*. I worked 4.5 hours yesterday and 2.25 hours today), so that's two days in a row that I've called in "sick" (my boss and one of my colleagues are in on everything that's happening, so they're helping keep my sick story believable). Apparently those that don't know are quite concerned because I NEVER take ANY sick time. I think last year I took 0.5 days off because I had bad cramps lol. If the transfer is on Sunday then I won't be able to go to work on Monday for sure (maybe Tuesday?). If the transfer is on Tuesday then I'll go to work on Monday and then be "sick" again on Tuesday and Wednesday? Man, I have to think of a better story next time lol. I just don't really want people to know yet because if/when it doesn't work...hmm...let's not go there.
Jon and I will be in Cultus Lake this weekend so we'll get the phone call there on Sunday. I'm glad it's nice weather finally!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Egg Retrieval
This morning was our egg retrieval.
We had to be there by 8:00am so that they could get me hooked up to an IV, and to give me some tylenol, gravol (kids cherry flavoured!), and a calming pill (it dissolved under my tongue). They also only give you a tiny bit of water because they want your bladder empty for the procedure. Luckily I don't have any problems taking pills. They had trouble making the vein in my left hand big enough to insert the IV, but they finally got it. We sat there for about 45 minutes to an hour (not quite sure). Jon and I had both brought Sudoko books to keep us busy!
The actual egg retrieval process was really quick; it only took 15-20 minutes. They did inject a fast acting pain relief medication into my IV and I could definitely feel it. I kinda felt like I was walking on air...it was actually quite annoying.
Jon and I got to watch them insert the probe into my ovaries and then you could see them drain each of the follicles. For the most part, the draining process was not very painful, but there were a few where she had to really jab into me to get it.
The doctor told us that they got 13 eggs (keep in mind that not all follicles have eggs). I asked how that was compared to the average and they say for all patients (old, young, medical issues, etc) the average is 5 to 15 eggs. 13 is good then.
Once they had drained all of the follicles we were sent back to our waiting room and I was told to rest. I got to sit in a leather recliner with a heating pad and super comfy blanker, and Jon got a classic waiting room chair. Needless to say, he was jealous of me. I dozed off and on and had my blood pressure and resting heart rate measured a few times. When those numbers were good I was allowed to leave.
Tomorrow they we will get a phone call from them to let us know how many of the eggs fertilized (hopefully most of them!). After that, they'll call us when they are going to transfer the embryos. The transfer should be on Sunday (day 3 embryos) or Tuesday (day 5 embryos). I think it depends on how well they are growing.
Since we got home, I have been in a moderate amount of pain. It feels like there are knives poking in and out of my ovaries, and so I am trying to do as little walking as possible. When I do walk, I hunch over so that I'm not stretching out my abdomen. Luckily I'm able to work from home so I've put in a few hours already (in between naps!) and then Big Brother is on tv tonight. I also have a bunch of Super Nanny episodes PVRd that I could watch.
Jon's been good (so far!) at catering to my every needs.
"Jon, can you get me a glass of water please?"
"Jon, can you get a bucket of water to soak my feet in please?"
"Can you pass me the remote control"
etc etc
It's been nice.
I'm hoping to go to work for a little bit tomorrow, but if I'm not feeling up to it then I'll do some work from home again. The nurse told me I would not feel like going...but she doesn't know how determined I am! I just have to be careful that I don't get a severe case of OHSS. Mild symptoms include abdominal bloating, nausea, diarrhea, weight gain. I think I'm doing pretty good so far at resting. It's hard, especially when it's sunny outside and I want to tan!
Every morning and evening I now have to insert 1 tablet of Endometrin into me (vaginally). The Endometrin is a progresterone supplement that will encourage the growth of the lining of my uterus which will aid in implantation. I have to do this until we have the results of the pregnancy test (which I believe is in 17 days from today).
Thank you God for a relatively painless day! Here's to hoping that the "little eggies" hook up with Jon's "little spermies" tonight!
We had to be there by 8:00am so that they could get me hooked up to an IV, and to give me some tylenol, gravol (kids cherry flavoured!), and a calming pill (it dissolved under my tongue). They also only give you a tiny bit of water because they want your bladder empty for the procedure. Luckily I don't have any problems taking pills. They had trouble making the vein in my left hand big enough to insert the IV, but they finally got it. We sat there for about 45 minutes to an hour (not quite sure). Jon and I had both brought Sudoko books to keep us busy!
The actual egg retrieval process was really quick; it only took 15-20 minutes. They did inject a fast acting pain relief medication into my IV and I could definitely feel it. I kinda felt like I was walking on air...it was actually quite annoying.
Jon and I got to watch them insert the probe into my ovaries and then you could see them drain each of the follicles. For the most part, the draining process was not very painful, but there were a few where she had to really jab into me to get it.
The doctor told us that they got 13 eggs (keep in mind that not all follicles have eggs). I asked how that was compared to the average and they say for all patients (old, young, medical issues, etc) the average is 5 to 15 eggs. 13 is good then.
Once they had drained all of the follicles we were sent back to our waiting room and I was told to rest. I got to sit in a leather recliner with a heating pad and super comfy blanker, and Jon got a classic waiting room chair. Needless to say, he was jealous of me. I dozed off and on and had my blood pressure and resting heart rate measured a few times. When those numbers were good I was allowed to leave.
Tomorrow they we will get a phone call from them to let us know how many of the eggs fertilized (hopefully most of them!). After that, they'll call us when they are going to transfer the embryos. The transfer should be on Sunday (day 3 embryos) or Tuesday (day 5 embryos). I think it depends on how well they are growing.
Since we got home, I have been in a moderate amount of pain. It feels like there are knives poking in and out of my ovaries, and so I am trying to do as little walking as possible. When I do walk, I hunch over so that I'm not stretching out my abdomen. Luckily I'm able to work from home so I've put in a few hours already (in between naps!) and then Big Brother is on tv tonight. I also have a bunch of Super Nanny episodes PVRd that I could watch.
Jon's been good (so far!) at catering to my every needs.
"Jon, can you get me a glass of water please?"
"Jon, can you get a bucket of water to soak my feet in please?"
"Can you pass me the remote control"
etc etc
It's been nice.
I'm hoping to go to work for a little bit tomorrow, but if I'm not feeling up to it then I'll do some work from home again. The nurse told me I would not feel like going...but she doesn't know how determined I am! I just have to be careful that I don't get a severe case of OHSS. Mild symptoms include abdominal bloating, nausea, diarrhea, weight gain. I think I'm doing pretty good so far at resting. It's hard, especially when it's sunny outside and I want to tan!
Every morning and evening I now have to insert 1 tablet of Endometrin into me (vaginally). The Endometrin is a progresterone supplement that will encourage the growth of the lining of my uterus which will aid in implantation. I have to do this until we have the results of the pregnancy test (which I believe is in 17 days from today).
Thank you God for a relatively painless day! Here's to hoping that the "little eggies" hook up with Jon's "little spermies" tonight!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Injection Day 9 - Last One!
Injections (PM):
hCG
This injection had to be taken at 11:00pm SHARP.
BUT...funny (or not so funny) story.
We purchased the hCG this morning when we were at Genesis and they put it on an icepack for in our car "because it was hot outside". I assumed that they didn't want the medication to be in a car above room temperature. When Jon got home, he put the bag on the counter and I left for work. When I came home from work I moved the bag to the kitchen table.
At 9:00pm, Jon decided to read the instructions for the medication. The very first instruction read, "Medication must be kept in fridge." I called the emergency phone number for the nurse at Genesis to see if it mattered that it had been on the counter all day (on the ice pack). She called back to say that yes, it did matter. By this time it was 9:15pm. She had some at her house, in Tsawassen. She asked if we would be able to make it to the McDonald's in Tsawassen for 10:00pm. We drove there (FAST) and picked up the new vial of medication and made it home for 10:30pm. Phew! We almost ruined everything we had done so far!
The syringe came with a super thick and super long needle attached, and so Jon assumed that I would have to use that one. I was freaking out inside! When we met the nurse she explained that there was a smaller needled in the bag that we were supposed to replace with the larger one. Phew! I also was able to ask if it was normal to feel the symptoms of ovulation, and she said "yes". Another phew! My body is reacting to the fact that I have mature follicles, but it won't actually release an egg.
I'm starting to really get worried about the waiting period. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it if it doesn't work. We would have to wait a month before we could try again...which seems like a long time right now, but it also seems like a short amount of time. Sigh. Can't wait for this to all be over!
hCG
This injection had to be taken at 11:00pm SHARP.
BUT...funny (or not so funny) story.
We purchased the hCG this morning when we were at Genesis and they put it on an icepack for in our car "because it was hot outside". I assumed that they didn't want the medication to be in a car above room temperature. When Jon got home, he put the bag on the counter and I left for work. When I came home from work I moved the bag to the kitchen table.
At 9:00pm, Jon decided to read the instructions for the medication. The very first instruction read, "Medication must be kept in fridge." I called the emergency phone number for the nurse at Genesis to see if it mattered that it had been on the counter all day (on the ice pack). She called back to say that yes, it did matter. By this time it was 9:15pm. She had some at her house, in Tsawassen. She asked if we would be able to make it to the McDonald's in Tsawassen for 10:00pm. We drove there (FAST) and picked up the new vial of medication and made it home for 10:30pm. Phew! We almost ruined everything we had done so far!
The syringe came with a super thick and super long needle attached, and so Jon assumed that I would have to use that one. I was freaking out inside! When we met the nurse she explained that there was a smaller needled in the bag that we were supposed to replace with the larger one. Phew! I also was able to ask if it was normal to feel the symptoms of ovulation, and she said "yes". Another phew! My body is reacting to the fact that I have mature follicles, but it won't actually release an egg.
I'm starting to really get worried about the waiting period. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it if it doesn't work. We would have to wait a month before we could try again...which seems like a long time right now, but it also seems like a short amount of time. Sigh. Can't wait for this to all be over!
Check-Up #3
These early morning check-ups are killing me! Luckily this was the last one! That's right, the last one! The female doctor that measured by follicles was quite impressed. I quote, "we would have been happy with just your right ovary, but we still your left one too!" and "Beautiful!" :)
My follicle measurements (in mm) this visit were:
Right: 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 16, 15.5, 15, 14, <10 (x3)
Left: 20, 16, 15, 14, 13, <10 (x2)
Our egg retrieval is scheduled for 9:00am Thursday morning. We have to check in at 8:00am, get me prepped, and then Jon has to give his semen sample at 8:30am (no pressure! lol). The procedure itself usually only takes about 15 minutes, and they said I should be out of there before noon.
Here's praying that everything goes smoothly and that I have no side effects from the retrieval!
I find I do most of my praying while driving to work, along Harvie Road. This morning I was telling God that "it's all in his Hands" (or was I telling myself that, trying to settle my nerves?). It's going to be a rough few weeks until we find out the results of the blood test (pregnant or not) and then (hopefully?) a nervous couple of months after that until we're in the 2nd trimester. I'm trying to think only one day at a time but it difficult not to get excited and skip ahead.
My follicle measurements (in mm) this visit were:
Right: 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 16, 15.5, 15, 14, <10 (x3)
Left: 20, 16, 15, 14, 13, <10 (x2)
Our egg retrieval is scheduled for 9:00am Thursday morning. We have to check in at 8:00am, get me prepped, and then Jon has to give his semen sample at 8:30am (no pressure! lol). The procedure itself usually only takes about 15 minutes, and they said I should be out of there before noon.
Here's praying that everything goes smoothly and that I have no side effects from the retrieval!
I find I do most of my praying while driving to work, along Harvie Road. This morning I was telling God that "it's all in his Hands" (or was I telling myself that, trying to settle my nerves?). It's going to be a rough few weeks until we find out the results of the blood test (pregnant or not) and then (hopefully?) a nervous couple of months after that until we're in the 2nd trimester. I'm trying to think only one day at a time but it difficult not to get excited and skip ahead.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Injection Days 7 & 8
Injections (PM):
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
Nothing new. My mom watched my injections last night (day 7). I was nervous! When she asked what it felt like I said it compared to an ongoing bee-sting as the medication was going in...although the last time I was stung by a bee was in first grade (knock on wood).
Today's injection of repronex and bravelle was 100% painless. I didn't feel a thing.
Unfortunately, my skin was resistant to the needle of the orgalutran and I honestly wondered whether or not it was even going to break through my skin. That one hurt once it did.
We have another check-up tomorrow morning (7:30 am). This will be the first check-up where we have to drive to Vancouver in full rush hour traffic. We're hoping to leave by 6:15am. Jon's dreading having to wake up early, but for me, it's a little bit of a sleep-in :)
I will try to update before I head off to work tomorrow, but that will depend on how long it takes us to get back home. I'm hoping to be at work by 9:00am!
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
Nothing new. My mom watched my injections last night (day 7). I was nervous! When she asked what it felt like I said it compared to an ongoing bee-sting as the medication was going in...although the last time I was stung by a bee was in first grade (knock on wood).
Today's injection of repronex and bravelle was 100% painless. I didn't feel a thing.
Unfortunately, my skin was resistant to the needle of the orgalutran and I honestly wondered whether or not it was even going to break through my skin. That one hurt once it did.
We have another check-up tomorrow morning (7:30 am). This will be the first check-up where we have to drive to Vancouver in full rush hour traffic. We're hoping to leave by 6:15am. Jon's dreading having to wake up early, but for me, it's a little bit of a sleep-in :)
I will try to update before I head off to work tomorrow, but that will depend on how long it takes us to get back home. I'm hoping to be at work by 9:00am!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Check-Up #2
Once again, we just got back from our second check-up. The blood test went smoothly; they were able to get enough blood from the first poke into my arm.
Dr. Hitkari performed the internal ultrasound today. He's so nice! He said everything is looking good and we are continuing with the same dosage of drugs. That itself was music to my ears!
My follicle measurements (in mm) for today are:
Right: 15, 14.5, 14, 14, 13.5, 13.5, 13
Left: 16.5, 14, 13.5, 12, 10
I'm thinking that because the follicle count is lower he didn't measure anything smaller than 10 (the doctor last time did).
I'm not allowed to do physical exercise anymore because my ovaries are quite large. It will be hard, but hopefully it's worth it in the end.
With each positive check-up I'm finding myself getting more and more hopeful that this will work. I feel like I'm the Bachelorette...scared to give my whole heart away for fear of it being rejected. By getting hopeful that this will work I'm exposing my emotions to the possibility of being hugely disappointed. Scary stuff. Like I said to Jon on the drive home this morning, "It's in God's hands, there's nothing we can do but pray."
Dr. Hitkari performed the internal ultrasound today. He's so nice! He said everything is looking good and we are continuing with the same dosage of drugs. That itself was music to my ears!
My follicle measurements (in mm) for today are:
Right: 15, 14.5, 14, 14, 13.5, 13.5, 13
Left: 16.5, 14, 13.5, 12, 10
I'm thinking that because the follicle count is lower he didn't measure anything smaller than 10 (the doctor last time did).
I'm not allowed to do physical exercise anymore because my ovaries are quite large. It will be hard, but hopefully it's worth it in the end.
With each positive check-up I'm finding myself getting more and more hopeful that this will work. I feel like I'm the Bachelorette...scared to give my whole heart away for fear of it being rejected. By getting hopeful that this will work I'm exposing my emotions to the possibility of being hugely disappointed. Scary stuff. Like I said to Jon on the drive home this morning, "It's in God's hands, there's nothing we can do but pray."
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Injection Day 6
Injections (PM):
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
We are going to Genesis again tomorrow morning for another blood test and ultrasound. Hopefully they can get enough blood from me on one poke! Hopefully my follicles are still growing nicely.
I can definitely feel that my ovaries are swollen. My midsection looks bloated and is quite firm to the touch.
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
We are going to Genesis again tomorrow morning for another blood test and ultrasound. Hopefully they can get enough blood from me on one poke! Hopefully my follicles are still growing nicely.
I can definitely feel that my ovaries are swollen. My midsection looks bloated and is quite firm to the touch.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Injection Day 5
Injections (PM):
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
Tonight was my first night of two injections. The new addition was Orgalutran, which prevents premature release of the hormone 'LH' which starts ovulation. We weren't sure if the injection had to be in my stomach or thigh (the instruction booklet that came with the Orgalutran said to do it in the thigh, so we did it there to be safe. I've googled it now and some sites say in the stomach and some say the thigh, so I don't really think it matters. We are going to call Genesis tomorrow to confirm.
I just checking my thigh now and my skin has definitely reacted to the Orgalutran - there's a large red circle around the site of injection. I think it's supposed to be gone within 4 hours though.
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
Orgalutran
Tonight was my first night of two injections. The new addition was Orgalutran, which prevents premature release of the hormone 'LH' which starts ovulation. We weren't sure if the injection had to be in my stomach or thigh (the instruction booklet that came with the Orgalutran said to do it in the thigh, so we did it there to be safe. I've googled it now and some sites say in the stomach and some say the thigh, so I don't really think it matters. We are going to call Genesis tomorrow to confirm.
I just checking my thigh now and my skin has definitely reacted to the Orgalutran - there's a large red circle around the site of injection. I think it's supposed to be gone within 4 hours though.
Check-Up #1
We just got back from our first check-up.
I first had to give some blood. The nurse tried to take it from my right arm but they could only get a few drops. She checked my left arm but my vein didn't look good there either, so she asked if it was okay if she took it from the top of my hand. I told her to do what she needed to do.
After the blood 'donation' I had to have an ultrasound. Turns out that it wasn't a full bladder ultrasound (it was so nice to go pee!). They counted and measured the follicles in my ovaries (in mm):
Right: 13.5, 12.5, 11, 10 (x5), <10 (x2)
Left: 15, 10.5, 10.5, <10 (x3)
I think they want as many to be as close to 20 as possible before they retrieve them. Not quite sure, I'll have to google it.
The doctor said it was looking good. Our medication amounts stay the same (yay! I didn't want them to increase because then it would cost us more $), and I start my Orgalutran injections tonight. That means every night I have two injections. Grr.
While I was giving blood another husband was talking to Jon and he asked Jon if I fainted every time I had to give myself an injection. Jon replied, "no, she's actually pretty good about it". The husband said, "well that makes things easier then!" Poor them!
My stomach is itchy right now, and is a little tender if I lean against it. I also think I'm looking a bit more bloated, or I've gained a little more weight and haven't noticed until this week. Let's hope for the former!
Our next appointment is Sunday morning at 7:30. Traffic was good today because most people took it off so that they could have a long weekend. It's nice that our next appointment is on a Sunday because traffic shouldn't be too bad then. It will be interesting to compare the sizes of the follicles.
I first had to give some blood. The nurse tried to take it from my right arm but they could only get a few drops. She checked my left arm but my vein didn't look good there either, so she asked if it was okay if she took it from the top of my hand. I told her to do what she needed to do.
After the blood 'donation' I had to have an ultrasound. Turns out that it wasn't a full bladder ultrasound (it was so nice to go pee!). They counted and measured the follicles in my ovaries (in mm):
Right: 13.5, 12.5, 11, 10 (x5), <10 (x2)
Left: 15, 10.5, 10.5, <10 (x3)
I think they want as many to be as close to 20 as possible before they retrieve them. Not quite sure, I'll have to google it.
The doctor said it was looking good. Our medication amounts stay the same (yay! I didn't want them to increase because then it would cost us more $), and I start my Orgalutran injections tonight. That means every night I have two injections. Grr.
While I was giving blood another husband was talking to Jon and he asked Jon if I fainted every time I had to give myself an injection. Jon replied, "no, she's actually pretty good about it". The husband said, "well that makes things easier then!" Poor them!
My stomach is itchy right now, and is a little tender if I lean against it. I also think I'm looking a bit more bloated, or I've gained a little more weight and haven't noticed until this week. Let's hope for the former!
Our next appointment is Sunday morning at 7:30. Traffic was good today because most people took it off so that they could have a long weekend. It's nice that our next appointment is on a Sunday because traffic shouldn't be too bad then. It will be interesting to compare the sizes of the follicles.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Injection Days 3 & 4
Injections (PM):
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
No change from the other days. The redness around the site of injection is usually gone before the next evening, and I've started holding a plastic ice cube to the site of injection right away, and seems to ease the redness and swelling. I've started to feel the side effects of the medication; every now and then throughout the day I have a little bit of cramping. It's super mild and is only there for a few seconds. I have to be careful not to lean against anything with my stomach because it is a bit sore. I'm trying to be optimistic and am telling myself that I am 1/3 of the way done injections...hopefully I don't have to do this for longer than 12 days! I find it's more painful each time. Jon tried to tell me today that I need to inject the medication quicker and I got mad. I was doing it as quick as I could! The most painful part is the actually injection of the medication...sticking the needle in is fine.
Tomorrow morning we have our first appointment since we've started the injections. I'll have a blood test and ultrasound done. I can't remember if it was a full bladder ultrasound being done or an empty bladder...and I was too lazy to call today to find out. I think that it's full bladder, so that they can use my bladder as a reference on the ultrasound screen in finding my ovaries. I'll play it safe and go full bladder. They are going to count how many follicles I have and also measure them to determine if my medication doses are okay. I'm hoping I don't have to go to two shots a day! Wish us luck!
Repronex 75 IU
Bravelle 112 IU
No change from the other days. The redness around the site of injection is usually gone before the next evening, and I've started holding a plastic ice cube to the site of injection right away, and seems to ease the redness and swelling. I've started to feel the side effects of the medication; every now and then throughout the day I have a little bit of cramping. It's super mild and is only there for a few seconds. I have to be careful not to lean against anything with my stomach because it is a bit sore. I'm trying to be optimistic and am telling myself that I am 1/3 of the way done injections...hopefully I don't have to do this for longer than 12 days! I find it's more painful each time. Jon tried to tell me today that I need to inject the medication quicker and I got mad. I was doing it as quick as I could! The most painful part is the actually injection of the medication...sticking the needle in is fine.
Tomorrow morning we have our first appointment since we've started the injections. I'll have a blood test and ultrasound done. I can't remember if it was a full bladder ultrasound being done or an empty bladder...and I was too lazy to call today to find out. I think that it's full bladder, so that they can use my bladder as a reference on the ultrasound screen in finding my ovaries. I'll play it safe and go full bladder. They are going to count how many follicles I have and also measure them to determine if my medication doses are okay. I'm hoping I don't have to go to two shots a day! Wish us luck!
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