More about me…

A 28 yr old first-generation American living in Portland, OR who just can’t seem to get pregnant! There is nothing “wrong” with either DH’s or my health (Trust me… I have a hoard of tests to prove that).

We are just two “normal” people who have been shoved into the cruel, mean world of INFERTILITY.

Our journey so far…
Jul 06 – Started TTC
Jan 07 – Started charting, OPKs, etc
Aug 07 – OB appt to find out what the hell is going on
Aug 07 – HSG : Tubes opens, no probs
Aug 07 – SA : Amazing swimmers
Nov 07 – First RE appt
Jan 08 – IUI#1 w/ Clomid : BFN
Feb 08 – IUI#2 w/ Clomid : BFN
May 08 – IUI#3 w/ Clomid : BFN
Jun 08 – SIS#1 : Saw a tiny 2mm by 3mm uterine polyp
Jun 08 – Hysteroscopy & Endo Biopsy : Given go ahead for IVF#1
Aug 08 – IVF#1
Sept 3, 08 – Transfer of 2 8-cell, 3-day embies
Sept 12, 08 – Started blogging :)
Sept 18, 08 – Beta for IVF#1 : BFN
Sept 24, 08 – RE consult for IVF#2 – FET
Sept 26, 08 – SIS#2 (No polyps) : Given go ahead for IVF#2 – FET
Oct 21, 08 – IVF#2-FET (Estrace-only protocol)
Nov 10, 08 – Thaw & Transfer of 7-cell, 3-cell, and 2-cell embies
Nov 24, 08 – Beta #1 : 90 —- My very first BFP!!!
Nov 26, 08 – Beta #2: 238
Dec 8, 08 – u/s#1 @ 6w3d : Measures 6w3d. Tiny flicker of a HB.
Dec 10, 08 – u/s#2 @ 6w5d: Measures 5w5d. No HB.
Dec 16, 08 – u/s#3 @ 7w4d:  Measures 6w. RE claims a weak HB.
Dec 19, 08 – u/s#4 @ 8w:  Measures 6w3d. Saw/heard a HB of 93bpm.
Dec 26, 08 – u/s#5 @ 9w:  No growth. Sporadic HB of 115-80bpm.
Dec 29, 08 – u/s#6 @ 9w3d:  No growth. No HB. Its over!
Jan 2, 09 – Exactly @ 10w, took misoprostol to induce miscarriage.
Jan 5, 09 – b/w#1, 2dpm(days past miscarriage), hCG : 3386
Jan 7, 09 – b/w#2, 4dpm, hCG : 2151
Jan 13, 09 – b/w#3, 10dpm, hCG: 259
Jan 20, 09 – b/w#4, 17dpm, hCG: 51.1
Jan 27, 09 – b/w#5, 24dpm, hCG: 15.5
Jan 29, 09 – 26dpm, First AF after miscarriage
Feb 4, 09 – b/w#6, 31dpm, hCG: 5.5
Feb 18, 09 – RE consult for IVF#3
Mar/Apr 09 – IVF#3
Feb 28, 09 – Start BCPs
Mar 18, 09 – Baseline u/s and b/w
Mar 20, 09 – Follistim 150IU (AM) + Menopur 2 vials (PM)
Mar 23, 09 – 1st u/s + b/w
Mar 24, 09 – Follistim 100IU (AM) + Menopur 2 vials (PM)
Mar 26, 09 – 2nd u/s + b/w
Mar 26, 09 – Follistim 125IU (AM) + Menopur 2 vials (PM)
Mar 27, 09 – Follistim 125IU (AM) + Menopur 2 vials (PM) + Ganarelix + 50cc Micro-dose hCG
Mar 28, 09 – 3rd u/s + b/w
Mar 29, 09 – 4th u/s + b/w
Mar 29, 09 – Follistim 125IU (AM) + hCG Trigger shot @ 7:30pm
Mar 31, 09 – ER @ 7:30am, 15 eggs retrieved, 11 were mature and ICSI’d, 6 fertilized
Apr 3, 09 – ET of 3 6-celled embies w/ AH
Apr 15, 09 – Beta. BFN
Apr 29, 09 – WTF Appt w/ RE
May 22, 09 – CD3 bloodwork for immune testing and miscarriage testing
May 26, 09 – SIS#3 : cavity clear
Jun 16, 09 – Follow-up appt for b/w : Both thryroid antibodies are elevated, low antithrombin leves, single gene carrier for MTHFR
Jul 21, 09 – Appt w/ hemotologist – Recommend starting lovenox (blood thinners) as soon as PG is established (positive beta)
Aug/Sep 09 –  IVF#4
Aug 21, 09 – Start BCP
Sep 8, 09 – Last BCP Dose
Sep 9, 09 – Baseline u/s and b/w; E2: 30.2
Sep 12, 09 – Start Stims; 175IU Foll.istim + 2 vials of Me.nopur
Sep 15, 09 – 1st u/s + b/w
Sep 16, 09 – Change Stims; 225IU Foll.istim + 2 vials of Me.nopur
Sep 17, 09 – 1st acupuncture appt
Sep 18, 09 – 2nd u/s + b/w
Sep 19, 09 – 2nd acupuncture appt
Sep 20, 09 – 3rd u/s + b/w
Sep 21, 09 – Change Stims; 175IU Foll.istim + 2 vials of Me.nopur + Ganarelix
Sep 22, 09 – 4th u/s + b/w
Sep 22, 09 – 3rd acupuncture appt
Sep 23, 09 – 5th u/s + b/w
Sep 23, 09 – Follistim 125IU (AM) + hCG Trigger shot @ 8pm
Sep 25, 09 – ER @ 8am, 12 eggs retrieved, 10 were mature and ICSI’d, 5 fertilized
Sep 28, 09 – ET of 3 6-celled embies w/ AH w/ pre & post acupuncture
Oct 3, 09 – 4th acupuncture appt
Oct 12, 09 – Beta. BFN
Nov 4, 09 – Appt w/ endocrinologist – Recommend starting synthyroid to bring down TSH
Nov 5, 09 – Start weekly appts w/ therapist
Nov 17, 09 – Phone consultation w/ CCRM
Nov 30, 09 – Find huge cyst on breast
Dec 10, 09 – Experimental MRI w/ contrast dye
Dec 12, 09 – Core Biopsy of cyst: Negative for malignancy (Thank God!!)
Jan/Feb/Mar 10 – Time off!
Apr 1, 10 – One day workup with CCRM
Apr 11, 10 – Endometrial biopsy for Beta Integrin test (E-tegrity) : Negative for integrins; Endometrium is out-of-phase. Recommended 2 months of depo-lupron after ER and before ET! Yuck!
Apr/May 10 – IVF#5 – Freeze all/CCS testing
Apr 25, 10 – CD3 BW, Start BCPs, FSH:5.3, LH:5.5, E2:54
May 5, 10 – TSH test: 0.89. YAY.. it is in the normal range!
May 12, 10 – Start 10U Lupron + Dexamethasone
May 16, 10 – Last BCP
May 20, 10 – Suppression check + BW (at local clinic)
May 22, 10 – Start Stims; 5U Lupron (AM) + Dexamethasone (PM) + 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 75IU GonalF (PM)
May 25, 10 – 1st u/s + b/w (at local clinic)
May 27, 10 – Travel to main clinic
May 27, 10 – 2nd u/s + b/w
May 27, 10 – Change Stims; 5U Lupron (AM) + Dexamethasone (PM) + 1 vial of Menopur (AM)
May 28, 10 – 3rd u/s + b/w
May 28, 10 – Change Stims; 5U Lupron (AM) + Dexamethasone (PM)
May 29, 10 – 4th u/s + b/w
May 29, 10 – 10,000 IU hCG Trigger shot @ 10pm
May 30, 10 – 5th b/w
May 31, 10 – ER @ 8am; 10 eggs retrived; 6 were mature and fertilized; 4 more mature and were ICSI’d on day 2; 2 made it to blast – 2/3 and 4BB on Day 6; 2 blasts were biopsied for CCS testing and vitrified.
June 5, 10 – OHSS symptoms + fever
June 13, 10 – Start of cycle
June 15, 10 – Doc consult w/ Dr Schoolcraft; Recommended another cycle to “collect” more embryos (Different protocol w/ no BCPs and double trigger) and a repeat Beta Integrin test.
June 29, 10 – Detect LH surge
June 30, 10 – Start Prometrium 2X/day; Continue till day before biopsy
July 8, 10 – Endometrial biopsy for Beta Integrin test #2
July 12, 10 – CCS results are back! Both embryos are normal!! YAY!
July 13, 10 – Biopsy results are back! Postive for integrins! YAY!
July 15, 10 – Doc informs that chance of success w/ the two embryos is 35%. Decide to move forward with another IVF
July 10 – IVF#6 – Freeze all/CCS testing
July 16, 10 – CD3; Start Stims; 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 150IU GonalF (PM) + Dexamethasone
July 17, 10 – Change Stims; 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 75IU GonalF (PM) + Dexamethasone
July 19, 10 – 1st u/s + b/w (at local clinic)
July 20, 10 – Change Stims; 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 75IU GonalF (PM) + Dexamethasone + Cetrotide (AM)
July 21, 10 – Travel to main clinic
July 21, 10 – 2nd u/s + b/w
July 20, 10 – Change Stims; 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 150IU GonalF (PM) + Dexamethasone + Cetrotide (AM)
July 23, 10 – 3rd u/s + b/w
July 23, 10 – Change Stims; 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 75IU GonalF (PM) + Dexamethasone + Cetrotide (AM)
July 24, 10 – 4th u/s + b/w
July 24, 10 – Change Stims: 1 vial of Menopur (AM) + 2500 IU hCG Trigger shot @ 10:45pm + Lupron trigger shot #1 @ 11:45pm
July 25, 10 – 5th b/w
July 25, 10 – Lupron trigger shot #2 @ 11:45am
July 26, 10 – ER @ 9:45am; 19 eggs retrived; 12 were mature and ICSI’d; 11 fertilized; 4 more mature and were ICSI’d and fertilized on day 2; 9 made it to blast – 3BB, 3BB, 3BB, 5AA, 3AB, 4BB, 5BB, 5AB, 3BB; All 9 blasts were biopsied for CCS testing and vitrified.
Aug 11, 10 – CCS results are back! Five out of the Nine embryos are genetically normal!! YAY!
Sep/Oct 10 – IVF#7-FET
Sep 10, 10 – CD3; Start BCPs
Sep 17, 10 – Start 10U of Lupron 1x a day
Sep 21, 10 – Last day of BCPs
Sep 26, 10 – Reduce Lupron to 5U 1x a day, Start Vivelle 1 patch every other day
Oct 1, 10 – E2 check : 184. Needs to be above 50
Oct 4, 10 – Increase to 2 Vivelle patches a day
Oct 6, 10 – Increase to 3 Vivelle patches a day; Start 40ml of Lovenox 1x a day
Oct 8, 10 – Increase to 4 Vivelle patches a day
Oct 8, 10 – US + E2 check : triple lining of 11.7mm; E2 at 446. Transfer is a go!
Oct 12, 10 – Last day of Lupron
Oct 13, 10 – Start Prometrium 3x a day + Medrol 1x a day at bedtime + Tetracyclene 1 pill
Oct 14, 10 – Medrol 1x a day + Tetracyclene 4x a day
Oct 15, 10 – Medrol 1x a day + Tetracyclene 4x a day
Oct 16, 10 – Medrol 1x a day + Tetracyclene 4x a day
Oct 16, 10 – P4 check : 10.0. Looks good
Oct 17, 10 – Continue the Prometrium 3x a day + Lovenox + Vivelle 4x patches every other day; Arrive in Denver
Oct 18, 10 – Embryo Transfer. Thawed two blasts from previous IVF – 3AB and a 5BB. 100% thaw. Smooth transfer; E2: 250, P4: 5.9; Add 2mg of Estrace 1x a day to supplement E2
Oct 20, 10 – Home sweet home!!
Oct 21, 10 – Increase Prometrium to 4x a day for “peace of mind”
Oct 27, 10 – Beta#1 (14dpo) = 536. BFP!!!
Oct 29, 10 – Beta#2 (16dpo) = 1318
Nov 15, 10 – 6w6d ultrasound: Two amazing heartbeats!
July 5, 11 – Expected due date!

For a more detailed description of my history before I started blogging, please read the following posts.

Part I – How it all started
Part II – IUIs and IVF Intro
Part III – Pre-IVF Testing
Part IV – IVF Protocol