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| It feels so good to get back outside, walking the dogs and getting some exercise |
Well, Hello, Aunt Flow
Aunt Flow showed up unexpectedly early. For context, after my first round of IVF, I didn't start my period until day 36, which was 10 days longer than my normal cycle! After our canceled cycle, I started on day 32. So, I was really surprised when my period showed up on day 22 this time! In fact, I thought I was having abnormal bleeding from the egg retrieval. I called the nurse to let her know that I was concerned. It was so early on in my cycle and had only been a week since my egg retrieval.
She said that it was totally normal and that they had expected me to start that soon. Then, she told me that I needed to start taking birth control on day 3 of my cycle. Her exact words were, "Continue taking birth control until we get the PGS results back on your embryos. We're kind of in a hold until we get those results and then we can move forward with transfer preparation." My jaw dropped. I seriously feel like this is all happening so fast. I was expecting another two weeks before starting a new cycle... and now I'll be starting birth control!?!?! I didn't even know I was supposed to call when I started. I'm so glad I did!
PGS (Preimplatation Genetic Screening) Results
We already have the results from the genetic testing of our embryos!! Remember how they told me it would be 7-10 business days before we found out? Yeah, well, they lied! It was just 2 days! I was not prepared to get the news so soon. They screened the biopsies last Tuesday and the clinic called with the results on Thursday. I was driving home from work calculating how many more days until we had the results when I realized it had only been two days. "How am I going to make it another week or two without knowing?" That is exactly what I was thinking when I looked down at my phone and saw that I had a message from the RE's office. I assumed it was about scheduling our follow-up appointment so I listened to it.
The voicemail was upbeat as they let us know that 1 of our embryos tested normal and the other was abnormal. She congratulated us and wished us luck. And, that was that. I almost had to pull the car over. How did this news make me feel? Was it good or bad? I hadn't had time to prepare myself and sort through my feelings on the possible outcomes. I was in a serious state of shock, driving on in complete silence. I texted my two best girlfriends before anyone else and their reaction was of subtle support and excitement. Which helped me sort through my mood. It could be worse. We could have zero. At least we get this one chance.
This also happened to be a big day for my husband: his final day of grad school! I decided not to tell him about the embryos until after he got home and had time to celebrate finally being finished with school. He deserves to celebrate this huge accomplishment without infertility hanging on his shoulder. I surprised him with some decorations and a bottle of Crown Royal Black when he got home. He loved it! How do I know? He took a picture!!!! That's a big deal for a guy who hates pictures. :)
I told him about the embryo once he had a glass of Crown in his hand and was ready to chill on the couch. He was pretty upset. He definitely took it harder than me. I just have to keep reminding him that I have crappy eggs. Calming him down helped me sort through my feelings on the topic some more. The reason we chose to do genetic testing was because we had a very real chance of not getting any normal embryos. We knew this going into it. So, the fact that we were able to rule one out is a good thing because that was the point. Now we know, for sure, that we have a good embryo and can prepare for transfer.
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| surprise for my husband's last day of grad school |
Frozen Embryo Transfer Prep
Once again, I am in awe over how quickly this is all happening. I called my nurse the day after receiving the PGS results. She immediately began working on my FET (frozen embryo transfer) protocol. I sent her an inventory of the meds I still have so that she could put in an order for what I would need. When I tell you that this protocol is crazy, I'm not doing it justice. It is insanely crazy! I've had to set reminders and alarms on my phone for the next month just to make sure I don't forget anything. Check it out (if you can keep up):
August 29- Start prenatals and low dose Aspirin (I've been on prenatals for over 3 years now but, yes, I'll continue taking them).
August 31- Start birth control pills
September 13- Take last birth control pill
September 15- Baseline Ultrasound/ Bloodwork
September 17- Start taking Estradiol- twice a day
September 22- Increase Estradiol- three times a day
September 30- Mid-cycle ultrasound and blood work (This appointment will determine if my uterine lining is ready for a transfer. If it's too thin, we may need to up the dose of Estradiol or cancel and wait til my next cycle. If it's thick enough, we move forward).
October 1- Start Progesterone in Oil injection (.5 ML per day)
October 2- Increase Progesterone in Oil (1 ML per day)
October 3- Begin taking Medrol
October 5- Blood Draw. Follow a low sodium diet and stay very hydrated
October 6- Embryo Transfer Day! Take 1 Xanax an hour before arrival. Take 800 mg of Ibuprofen to relax the muscle of the uterus. Come in with a full bladder.
After the transfer, take a Doxycycline with lunch and with dinner. Continue Medrol, Estradiol, and Progesterone injections. No exercise or intercourse until after the pregnancy test.
Were you able to keep up? I'm overwhelmed just typing it out! And guess what? That's not everything! I got a call this week telling me that I need to schedule a hysteroscopy and trial transfer while still on birth control. So, I have that scheduled for next Tuesday, the 13th. Today, I received an e-mail explaining that Tuesday's appointment would not be covered by insurance and is not included in the Attain Program we paid for. What does that mean? Another $1500 or so out-of-pocket costs. UGH! This crap is bleeding us dry.
In The Meantime
Right now, I'm trying to enjoy being normal for a bit. I've started eating a little better and have gotten really strict with my gluten-free diet. I'm to the point of calling restaurants and speaking to the chef about my options beforehand. I quit drinking alcohol (again) and am really cutting back on the caffeine. I allow myself 1 cup of coffee on Tuesday and Thursday only. Eventually, I'll cut out caffeine all together. I'm slowly getting back into exercising and am feeling great!
Yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary. But, we started dating 10 years ago! We celebrated with a morning hike then had lunch at a little cafe near our house. My best friend sent a date-night gift card the day before my egg retrieval so we used that to help us celebrate at dinner. I spent the in-between time relaxing and enjoying the day off. I took the longest, most relaxing bubble bath and enjoyed every single second of it. I felt like a new woman afterwards! It is so nice to just live a normal life for a little bit. My goal is to continue doing what makes me feel good. I'm not stressing out about anything and am trying to stay positive. What happens next is beyond my control.
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| Happy Anniversary to us! |
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| Beautiful view on our Anniversary hike |
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