The gumball machine has officially been emptied! And let me tell ya, it was certainly a gumball machine since my doctor removed 22 follicles from my ovaries. It's important to note that on my last IVF cycle, they were only able to retrieve 5 follicles...so this was definitely good news AND worth the wait!
As I laid on the gurney looking around the room I couldn't help but notice a stark difference between CCRM and Dr. Thompson's office. I guess this is the difference between a world class office and a mediocre office. This was certainly a night and day experience for both myself and Jim. CCRM felt more like a surgery center whereas Dr. Thompson's office felt like a doctors office. At Dr. Thompson's office I swear I was placed in stirrups, given an IV, and knocked out for retrieval. At CCRM I was completely hooked up to monitors and given IV fluids for an hour prior to retrieval. Than I was wheeled to an OR where retrieval took place. I actually awoke in a full recovery room where I stayed for an additional 2 hours before I was released!
Jim left Denver once again immediately following retrieval and I'll be making the rest of this journey on my own. If my follicles fertilize properly than retrieval should be on Monday, which means I will not be returning to work on Monday as scheduled. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, especially considering I'm suppose to be on "vacation".
My estrogen levels continue to spike which means I'm still at a high risk of hyperstimulating. If I continue to hyperstimulate than it's possible that the rest of this cycle could be canceled and we would end up doing a frozen transfer at a later date when my estrogen levels out. Dr. Surrey ensured us that they have a 98% success rate on defrosting embryos. My ovaries are still in some pain and I feel really bloated. This is a direct result of the hyperstimulation so I'm on new medication and a very strict diet to try and combat these symptoms. In the meantime, I plan to spend another relaxing in our hotel room in front of the television.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Good To The Last Drop
My husband has one job and only one job in this process, to provide a plentiful and robust sample to be used to fertilize my follicles. Obtaining that sample can at times be a little tricky. Since I'm not a guy I don't fully understand the stress and anxiety that he feels when completing this task and something tells me I never will. In my view, this should be an easy and relaxing experience and rather enjoyable. Considering the tests that I had to go through his few minutes in a plastic cup should be a walk in the park. However, according to him, I'm dead wrong on this notion! Instead this is a completely stressful experience filled with dread.
Let me just put something out on the table...in case you've ever wondered, yes the "collection room" is equipped with dirty magazines and a few porn flicks to help speed up the process. I typically accompany Jim for his appointment. In an odd sort of husband and wife way, this is a tradition for the two of us. We each like to feel like we have walked the same experience and been by each others side through the whole process. I often wonder what the office staff thinks when the two of us show up together to do the deed. Not that the two of us really care since we'll never see these people again and it's not like we'll be bumping into them at the grocery store. But can you imagine what some of these staffers have seen working this job?
My job is simple, do a few things to speed him up and make sure that every drop gets into the cup! It's not a pleasant experience when you realize that you've missed...which we've done. I like to call this Good to the Last Drop...obliviously a play on the Folgers commercial, which often plays in my head. As we head into retrieval tomorrow I'm only concerned about Jim. I hope he can perform and I pray that he doesn't miss a drop! Did you know that the highest concentration of sperm is in the first few drops? Now ponder that one for a few hours.
Let me just put something out on the table...in case you've ever wondered, yes the "collection room" is equipped with dirty magazines and a few porn flicks to help speed up the process. I typically accompany Jim for his appointment. In an odd sort of husband and wife way, this is a tradition for the two of us. We each like to feel like we have walked the same experience and been by each others side through the whole process. I often wonder what the office staff thinks when the two of us show up together to do the deed. Not that the two of us really care since we'll never see these people again and it's not like we'll be bumping into them at the grocery store. But can you imagine what some of these staffers have seen working this job?
My job is simple, do a few things to speed him up and make sure that every drop gets into the cup! It's not a pleasant experience when you realize that you've missed...which we've done. I like to call this Good to the Last Drop...obliviously a play on the Folgers commercial, which often plays in my head. As we head into retrieval tomorrow I'm only concerned about Jim. I hope he can perform and I pray that he doesn't miss a drop! Did you know that the highest concentration of sperm is in the first few drops? Now ponder that one for a few hours.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Trigger Time!
Finally, after waiting almost an extra week I get to do my trigger shot tonight! I'll be wide awake at 1:30am to inject my butt with HCG. I'm really nervous about this particular injection though since it's a muscular injection rather than the sub-q injections that I've been use to. Typically Jim does this injection for me, but since he's not available than that leaves me to do the deed. I sure hope I can reach the pretty little "X" that marks the ideal spot on my butt.
I still have over 20 follicles brewing in the gumball machine with my right ovary doing most of the work. My right ovary has always been a high achiever with over 20 follicles on that side alone. Unfortunately not all of those follicles are of mature size, but about 12 of those follicles will be a good size. My left ovary has been a little lazy and we only have about 15 follicles on that side, 8 of which should be a good size to work with.
Retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday and I'm toying with the idea of leaving Denver for a few days and heading back to New Mexico until transfer. My stay in Denver has cost my wallet much more than I originally anticipated and I think a few days back home will be a welcomed relief to my bank account. Obliviously I'll have to check with the office prior to making this decision, but I was wide awake at 3am debating this one. Not to mention I could use a few extra days with my husband.
Well please pray for me tonight so that I can magically hit the bulls eye on my butt!
I still have over 20 follicles brewing in the gumball machine with my right ovary doing most of the work. My right ovary has always been a high achiever with over 20 follicles on that side alone. Unfortunately not all of those follicles are of mature size, but about 12 of those follicles will be a good size. My left ovary has been a little lazy and we only have about 15 follicles on that side, 8 of which should be a good size to work with.
Retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday and I'm toying with the idea of leaving Denver for a few days and heading back to New Mexico until transfer. My stay in Denver has cost my wallet much more than I originally anticipated and I think a few days back home will be a welcomed relief to my bank account. Obliviously I'll have to check with the office prior to making this decision, but I was wide awake at 3am debating this one. Not to mention I could use a few extra days with my husband.
Well please pray for me tonight so that I can magically hit the bulls eye on my butt!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Delay After Delay
Well here I sit with very little progress since my last update. It's been a very emotional week and frankly I'm a wreck and in a deep depression. My estrogen levels continue to be sporadic and the Cetrotide has slowed my follicle growth to a snails pace. I had a few days when my estrogen began to stabilize and Dr. Surrey was comfortable enough to place me back on my primary stimulation drugs in an attempt to try and speed up their growth. Unfortunately after two days I once again began to hyperstimulate and I was pulled off of the medication. Thankfully, I don't feel physically sick this time as I did last week but without the synthetic stimulation my follicles won't grow much on their own. I still have about 12 follicles that they are monitoring closely and those are the follicles that we hope to "harvest" at retrieval. These follicles range anywhere from 14mm to 19mm.
So when is retrieval? I wish I knew, but at this point I have no clue. When I originally left New Mexico, retrieval was tentatively scheduled for Friday April 1st but now they are unable to give me a date. The doctors office continues to monitor me on a daily basis with blood work and ultrasounds but I still haven't been able to do the all important "trigger shot". After I preform the trigger shot than retrieval will be 35 hours later.
Since things have begun to progress slowly, Jim decided to go back to New Mexico. It was a tearful goodbye when he left and I broke down shortly thereafter. I have no idea when and/or if he will be returning to Denver, but he felt compelled to go back to work. I'm hoping he returns for retrieval but we can't say for sure...it all depends on if he can get additional time off from work. We do have a frozen sample at Dr. Surrey's office that we can resort to but a fresh sample is always better.
Currently I feel defeated and I feel like a failure. My ovaries aren't performing well and now my husband isn't here for emotional support. I've retreated to solitude in an attempt to shield myself from the outside world and I'm fearful that my dream is slowly slipping away...one follicle at a time.
Stay tuned.
So when is retrieval? I wish I knew, but at this point I have no clue. When I originally left New Mexico, retrieval was tentatively scheduled for Friday April 1st but now they are unable to give me a date. The doctors office continues to monitor me on a daily basis with blood work and ultrasounds but I still haven't been able to do the all important "trigger shot". After I preform the trigger shot than retrieval will be 35 hours later.
Since things have begun to progress slowly, Jim decided to go back to New Mexico. It was a tearful goodbye when he left and I broke down shortly thereafter. I have no idea when and/or if he will be returning to Denver, but he felt compelled to go back to work. I'm hoping he returns for retrieval but we can't say for sure...it all depends on if he can get additional time off from work. We do have a frozen sample at Dr. Surrey's office that we can resort to but a fresh sample is always better.
Currently I feel defeated and I feel like a failure. My ovaries aren't performing well and now my husband isn't here for emotional support. I've retreated to solitude in an attempt to shield myself from the outside world and I'm fearful that my dream is slowly slipping away...one follicle at a time.
Stay tuned.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hyper Ovaries
Just when I think things are going well with no complications, my ovaries have decided that the medication regimen I'm on is their new best friend. I wish this was good news, but the fact is my ovaries are in a mild form of hyperstimulation. I guess this means that I have to many gumballs in the machine and frankly my ovaries are freaking out and throwing my estrogen levels in a dangerous tailspin. Thankfully, my doctor is pretty confident that they can control the OHSS and prevent my estrogen from reaching the dangerous 5,000 level (currently my estrogen is over 3,000).
When I awoke this morning not feeling well I just assumed that the medication was kicking my butt. I had my usual ultrasound and blood work this morning and I originally had plans to drive to Fort Collins today but I was so nauseous that I decided to stay in town for the day. Later this afternoon I received a call from Dr. Surrey's office stating that I was beginning to hyperstimulate and that they needed to change my medication. They have since pulled me completely off the Lupron and Gonal-F and started me on a new medication called Cetrotide. The Cetrotide is supposed to prevent an early release of my follicles and help control my estrogen levels. I was given two doses and now I just need to hope and pray that things stabilize in these hyper little ovaries that I have.
A part of me isn't surprised by any of this considering I've always been one to progress at a hurried pace. I actually consider Alabama's "I'm In A Hurry" as my personal theme song for how I live my life. Goodness, maybe I just need to give my little ovaries a small dose of valium to get them to chill out a bit? So, here's hoping that I can magically keep my estrogen low and keep the gumballs in the machine until the proper time comes when they will be emptied.
Stay tuned!
When I awoke this morning not feeling well I just assumed that the medication was kicking my butt. I had my usual ultrasound and blood work this morning and I originally had plans to drive to Fort Collins today but I was so nauseous that I decided to stay in town for the day. Later this afternoon I received a call from Dr. Surrey's office stating that I was beginning to hyperstimulate and that they needed to change my medication. They have since pulled me completely off the Lupron and Gonal-F and started me on a new medication called Cetrotide. The Cetrotide is supposed to prevent an early release of my follicles and help control my estrogen levels. I was given two doses and now I just need to hope and pray that things stabilize in these hyper little ovaries that I have.
A part of me isn't surprised by any of this considering I've always been one to progress at a hurried pace. I actually consider Alabama's "I'm In A Hurry" as my personal theme song for how I live my life. Goodness, maybe I just need to give my little ovaries a small dose of valium to get them to chill out a bit? So, here's hoping that I can magically keep my estrogen low and keep the gumballs in the machine until the proper time comes when they will be emptied.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hello Denver!
I can not believe the time has finally arrived and I'm now in Denver! Actually, I've been in Denver since Thursday and so far things are progressing well. Jim was here for the first few days but he traveled back to New Mexico yesterday. With Jim's departure I'm a little lonely and I feel like I'm making this journey on my own...sigh! I just need to keep reminding myself that the loneliness is a small price to pay and that I need to keep my head up and move forward.
Anyhow, I've been trucking right along thus far on my injections. My stomach is looking like a war zone, but that's just part of the process. Currently my regimen consists of Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur, which are actually different medications than what I used in the past. My ovaries like the medication too and they are responding well. So much so that my doctor has had to back down my meds to slow the growth. I have roughly 20 follicles growing at this point and I recently decided that I'm a human gumball machine. I have 13 follicles on my right ovary and 7 on my left ovary. Only time will tell if all of those follicles will be harvested or not. It's not uncommon for some of those follicles to flat out stop growing to make room for the other follicles. Retrieval/emptying of the gumball machine is tentatively scheduled for Friday and transfer should follow five days later, or at least a 5 day transfer is optimal. All of which will depend on how well the follicles divide after insemination.
I've been going to the doctors office almost daily to have my follicles monitored and blood work performed. The office staff is fantastic and they've been very friendly/supportive to both myself and Jim. I'm still shocked at the number of patients they have, their lobby is always packed. I can't help but think that there is an infertility epidemic in this country. You know there is problem when you're driving on the interstate and you hear a commercial on the radio for a respective infertility office, or see a billboard for an office. And I find myself wondering, is there a problem, or are they desperate for new patients? Anyhow, just a few random thoughts that run through my head.
Anyhow, I've been trucking right along thus far on my injections. My stomach is looking like a war zone, but that's just part of the process. Currently my regimen consists of Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur, which are actually different medications than what I used in the past. My ovaries like the medication too and they are responding well. So much so that my doctor has had to back down my meds to slow the growth. I have roughly 20 follicles growing at this point and I recently decided that I'm a human gumball machine. I have 13 follicles on my right ovary and 7 on my left ovary. Only time will tell if all of those follicles will be harvested or not. It's not uncommon for some of those follicles to flat out stop growing to make room for the other follicles. Retrieval/emptying of the gumball machine is tentatively scheduled for Friday and transfer should follow five days later, or at least a 5 day transfer is optimal. All of which will depend on how well the follicles divide after insemination.
I've been going to the doctors office almost daily to have my follicles monitored and blood work performed. The office staff is fantastic and they've been very friendly/supportive to both myself and Jim. I'm still shocked at the number of patients they have, their lobby is always packed. I can't help but think that there is an infertility epidemic in this country. You know there is problem when you're driving on the interstate and you hear a commercial on the radio for a respective infertility office, or see a billboard for an office. And I find myself wondering, is there a problem, or are they desperate for new patients? Anyhow, just a few random thoughts that run through my head.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
$18K Baby
What is the cost of a baby? How much would you pay to have a child of your own? For me that cost is $18,000. Yep, unfortunately today I took out a loan to pay for having this baby. Here I stand at the threshold of the casino with $18,000 in my hand for one shot at creating a life that both Jim and I will be proud of. In a way I’m playing black jack and placing a full bet on red. I worked hard getting myself out of debt and moving away from living paycheck to paycheck, but here I was forced to take out a big fat loan so that Jim and I could realize our dream. That’s a hard bet to swallow and the fact that I have that loan hasn’t been sitting well with me….I’ve even been tempted to pick up a second job to payback that loan. I keep reminding myself that the end result is more important than the cost to obtain that goal, but I’m an accountant at heart and all I see are dollar signs.
It’s not uncommon for infertile women to hope and pray for twins…and I’m no different. Yes, we may be naive about how hard twins or multiples would be in comparison to a singleton. And yes we are fully aware of the risks twins or multiples bring, but I like to call it the two for one special. I certainly don’t want to pay another huge chunk of money to walk this journey a second time.
On a happier note, Jim and I have gotten all of our testing completed and on February 4th we had another phone consult with the doctor to go over the test results and figure out our game plan. Considering my age, everything looks excellent! In fact, most of my hormone levels are better now than when Jim and I did IVF in 2007. I have no explanation as to why my hormone levels actually improved over a three year period. I would like to think that 6 months of acupuncture helped to bring everything back in balance, but I have no way to prove that fact.
Shortly after our phone consult with Dr. Surrey, we also received our official calendar. I’ll be traveling to Denver on March 24th where I’ll be staying for about two weeks. I’ll start my injections here in New Mexico and I’ll even undergo two ultrasounds in New Mexico before traveling to Denver. However, beginning March 24th I’ll need to be monitored on a daily basis via blood work and more ultrasounds. Tentatively we are scheduled for retrieval on March 31st and transfer is tentatively scheduled for April 5th. Of course, depending on how ripe my ovaries become will determine this timeline.
Today I called the office to place my order for our medication. Which means our medication and supplies should arrive next week. I’ll be doing the injections myself again and since it’s been three years, I’m actually a little nervous. Thankfully, most of my injections will be sub-q and not muscular… I’m sure I’ll quickly become a pro again.
Well that’s the latest from Jim and I, things should be relatively quiet until I start my injections in about two weeks. Take care, and please pray for us!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
My Deep Dark Abyss
I'll be the first to admit that there have been times in my life when I should have been sent away in a straight jacket. Undergoing IVF is certainly no exception. I haven't even started taking any synthetic hormones yet and already I'm unbearable to be around. Since the moment that we walked out of the CCRM clinic, my emotions have been all over the board. I want nothing more to be a mother but can't understand why we have to spend so much money on something that ordinary people get for free, or worse take for granted. Where did I go wrong in my life to deserve this fate? Long ago I stopped attending baby showers and it pains me to no end to see a pregnant women. Even worse, I always seem to get to get the pregnant employees at the office and I often listen to them complain about being pregnant. I want nothing more than to scream at the top of lungs how blessed these women are for the gift that has been bestowed upon them. They still don't listen. My wonderful mother doesn't seem to help this either. She's always been quick to point out a cute baby in my presence and it hurts knowing that I can't give her the blessing of a grandchild.
I hit my all time low in 2008 when a tumor was discovered on my spinal cord between L1 and L2 vertebrae, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Just before undergoing the necessary back surgery, I turned to my husband and said, "please write on my tombstone..greatest legacy never achieved." Obliviously my condition wasn't severe enough to bring me to deaths doorstep, but the thought of not having children was enough to kill me. I was afraid that this latest illness would certainly be the end of my fertility. Which of course was my biggest fear heading into our first official appointment at CCRM. After talking to our new Endocrinologist he informed me that the radiation therapy could have thinned the walls of my uterus...making pregnancy extremely dangerous. After undergoing an ultrasound we luckily learned that I had no residual effects from the radiation to my uterus.
I seriously need to pull myself out of this funk before I'm sent to my own private desert island...
I hit my all time low in 2008 when a tumor was discovered on my spinal cord between L1 and L2 vertebrae, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Just before undergoing the necessary back surgery, I turned to my husband and said, "please write on my tombstone..greatest legacy never achieved." Obliviously my condition wasn't severe enough to bring me to deaths doorstep, but the thought of not having children was enough to kill me. I was afraid that this latest illness would certainly be the end of my fertility. Which of course was my biggest fear heading into our first official appointment at CCRM. After talking to our new Endocrinologist he informed me that the radiation therapy could have thinned the walls of my uterus...making pregnancy extremely dangerous. After undergoing an ultrasound we luckily learned that I had no residual effects from the radiation to my uterus.
I seriously need to pull myself out of this funk before I'm sent to my own private desert island...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Electro Shock Therapy
It didn't take long for me to become an acupuncture believer! I've been an acupuncture patient for over six months, but it only took a few small treatments for me to become addicted. I would highly recommend the practice, even if you are not trying to conceive. Acupuncture can be used as a way to relieve pain and relieve stress. You might also be surprised to know that acupuncture is very relaxing. It isn't usual for me to leave the office in what can only be described as an acupuncture coma. So much so that I often wonder if it's safe for me to drive. I've seriously gotten into my car and said to myself, "should I be driving?" Luckily, I've always made it home safely.
If you have any fear of needles, it's time to put those fears behind you! The first few times, it's a little disturbing to look down on your stomach and see a handful of needles sticking out of you like a science experiment. I recently had a new spin placed upon me during my last acupuncture appointment. I actually had electro shock therapy on my back. I'm still a little undecided if I liked it or not, but it is necessary at this point. Unfortunately while we were in Denver we learned that the blood flow to my uterus is incorrect. Very incorrect. Apparently the blood is flowing in reverse. Imagine my surprise when our nurse announced that information to me! Seriously, how does that happen? Is there some internal switch that tells your body, "no, I think it's time to flow in the other direction." And on the same token, how do you get it to flow in the proper direction? In case you haven't figured out the answered to that question is...electrco shock therapy. Now imagine my horror as my acupuncturist announced my therapy. I honestly don't know the science behind it, but supposedly the electricity corrects everything in 8 simple treatments.
Here's how the protocol works. Needles are inserted up and down my spine on each side, and also on my upper butt. Finally, needles are inserted in the back of my calves. Then (here's the kicker) they attach jumper cables to some of the needles and turn on the electricity. Okay, so not actual jumper cables...but you get the point. Finally I get to lie there for 1/2 an hour with the electricity turned on. It's not exactly comfortable, but it doesn't really hurt either. Somehow this is all suppose to correct my blood flow issue. I need to have 7 more treatments of this prior to our scheduled transfer. Due to my hectic work schedule, I can only see my acupuncturist once a week (for those of you that don't know, my acupuncturist is in Albuquerque..which is a 2 hour drive each way). If I ever have extra time, I can go twice a week for those treatments and if it was up to me, I would opt for twice a week...but work has me downing at the moment.
If you have any fear of needles, it's time to put those fears behind you! The first few times, it's a little disturbing to look down on your stomach and see a handful of needles sticking out of you like a science experiment. I recently had a new spin placed upon me during my last acupuncture appointment. I actually had electro shock therapy on my back. I'm still a little undecided if I liked it or not, but it is necessary at this point. Unfortunately while we were in Denver we learned that the blood flow to my uterus is incorrect. Very incorrect. Apparently the blood is flowing in reverse. Imagine my surprise when our nurse announced that information to me! Seriously, how does that happen? Is there some internal switch that tells your body, "no, I think it's time to flow in the other direction." And on the same token, how do you get it to flow in the proper direction? In case you haven't figured out the answered to that question is...electrco shock therapy. Now imagine my horror as my acupuncturist announced my therapy. I honestly don't know the science behind it, but supposedly the electricity corrects everything in 8 simple treatments.
Here's how the protocol works. Needles are inserted up and down my spine on each side, and also on my upper butt. Finally, needles are inserted in the back of my calves. Then (here's the kicker) they attach jumper cables to some of the needles and turn on the electricity. Okay, so not actual jumper cables...but you get the point. Finally I get to lie there for 1/2 an hour with the electricity turned on. It's not exactly comfortable, but it doesn't really hurt either. Somehow this is all suppose to correct my blood flow issue. I need to have 7 more treatments of this prior to our scheduled transfer. Due to my hectic work schedule, I can only see my acupuncturist once a week (for those of you that don't know, my acupuncturist is in Albuquerque..which is a 2 hour drive each way). If I ever have extra time, I can go twice a week for those treatments and if it was up to me, I would opt for twice a week...but work has me downing at the moment.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
From the Beginning
I wasn't sure where to begin in the timeline of this blog and I wasn't sure which topic to tackle first. I have so many ideas flying in my head that I honestly don't think there will be enough space out here to compile everything. So where do I begin? I suppose like everything else, it's best to start from the beginning. Which means in order for you to understand our quest, you must first understand how Jim and I landed on IVF's doorstep.
I'll spare you most of the details from my prior attempts to get pregnant during my first marriage. While I'm sure that my first marriage will creep in here from time to time I'm really not in the mood to discuss it tonight. With that said, I'll start when my life really mattered...when I met Jim. Jim and I decided to start a family pretty much right off the bat. In fact I think we went through some testing and a few IUI's prior to the wedding. I remember thinking that since our relationship started in reverse than it would be perfectly normal to start a family prior to the actual wedding. And so that's what we did...
New Mexico doesn't pride itself on having the greatest medical care and the field of infertility isn't any different. In fact the entire state only has one Endocrinologist....Dr. Thompson resides his practice in Albuquerque. I had been a patient at Dr. Thompson's office prior to meeting Jim, but I was uncomfortable using him again as I was afraid Dr. Thompson would look at us as a cautionary tale. Through the grapevine I had learned that there was a Endocrinologist that practiced at UNM Hospital. Dr. Magarelli splits his practice between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. Dr. Magarelli is equipped to perform IUI's at his UNM office, but he needs to send his patients to Colorado Springs for those undergoing IVF.
Before I continue, I feel like I need to define a few terms so that all of us are on the same page. IUI translates to intrauterine injection and is commonly refereed to as artificial insemination...as a joke you'll also hear it called turkey basting. During this procedure on the day of ovulation, sperm is collected, washed, and injected back into the woman's uterus. Nature is than allowed to do it's own thing and hopefully eggs will fertilize in their natural environment. IVF translates to in-vitro fertilization and is sometimes still refereed to as test tube babies. In this procedure, a woman's follicles are removed from the ovaries (by way of surgery), sperm is collected, washed, and then both sperm and follicles are allowed to interact in a small petri dish until the sperm penetrates a follicle. Once the follicles are fertilized than the fertilized product is injected/transferred back into the uterus.
Anyway, under Dr. Magarelli's care Jim and I decided to try a few IUI's. Obliviously the IUI's were unsuccessful, but I did get one positive pregnancy test. The pregnancy didn't last long and Jim and I were heartbroken. We met with Dr. Magrelli numerous times while we were at his office and each time we sat down with him, we felt he was more of a used car salesmen than a doctor. He was constantly trying to sell us on IVF and we always felt like new patients as Dr. Magarelli went to great lengths to educate us on how a pregnancy occurs...as if we didn't already know. Needless to say, at some point we decided that Dr. Magarelli wasn't the right fit for us and we should probably make our way to Dr. Thompson's office.
When Jim and I first met with Dr. Thompson I expressed my concerns to him about my prior experiences with his office and he seemed genuinely sympathetic and willing to work with us. We decided to skip the IUI's and go straight to IVF. Our first IVF cycle started out well. I responded well to the prescribed medication and all of the ultrasounds came back normal. On the day of retrieval, 5 follicles were removed and allowed to mingle in the petri dish with the prepared sperm. When I called the next day to inquire about fertilization, the nurse gave no indication that anything was wrong. A few days later when Jim and I arrived for our scheduled transfer, we were told that there was a problem with the fertilization. Typically one sperm enters the follicle and no other sperm are allowed to enter. Unfortunately in my case, I had several sperm that entered each follicle and when this happens the follicle doesn't divide properly and eventually dies off on its own. This event is known as polyspermy, but its unclear if this is "normal" for my follicles. The only way we'll know if this is a normal occurrence is to undergo another round of IVF.
Jim and I had originally planned to wait a few months before undergoing round two of IVF but our lives quickly got hectic. So we decided to put it off a year while we got ourselves more financially stable. During that year I fell ill and had several setbacks in terms of my health. I'll explain my other health problems in a later post. After I had been healthy for a consecutive year we decided to revisit building our family. A co-worker of Jim's told him about a fertility clinic in Denver that they used and I was quickly placed in touch with his wife. After speaking to his wife, I was confident that Denver was where we needed to be.
I contacted the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in October and was informed that we needed to set-up a phone consult with one of the doctors. After filling out a tower of paperwork, we were scheduled for our phone consult the week of Thanksgiving. As usual I was super nervous prior to this phone call because I was afraid that as a result of my prior medical problems we would be rejected. Thankfully we weren't rejected...in fact we were welcomed with open arms. We were also informed that we needed to schedule an appointment in Denver to undergo a "one day workup". I decided to wait until after the holidays before I called CCRM again to schedule the one day workup. At the beginning of January I called the office and was soon scheduled to have our workup on January 14th.
Jim and I traveled to Denver the night before our appointment and we stayed with my aunt and uncle in Lakewood. Both Jim and I were once again super nervous about these appointments...well at least I was nervous. Jim said he was nervous, but I can't imagine why...his test was a walk in the park compared to what I had to go through. Our day started promptly at 7:30am and we were whisked from one appointment to another while we met with nurses, doctors, undergoing tests, blood work, and signing more paperwork. The entire day was information overload...I mean when we first arrived, we were handed a three-ring binder of information. It was good information though and Jim quickly fell in love with them. I've never met office staff so friendly, so compassionate, and so professional. It was clear that the office held high standards for their staff and we appreciated that.
As we stand today, I'm still undergoing some more tests and we're still waiting for results on some prior testing. We have decided to pursue IVF using CCRM and I'm hoping to have all of our test results by our next scheduled appointment on February 4th.
I'll spare you most of the details from my prior attempts to get pregnant during my first marriage. While I'm sure that my first marriage will creep in here from time to time I'm really not in the mood to discuss it tonight. With that said, I'll start when my life really mattered...when I met Jim. Jim and I decided to start a family pretty much right off the bat. In fact I think we went through some testing and a few IUI's prior to the wedding. I remember thinking that since our relationship started in reverse than it would be perfectly normal to start a family prior to the actual wedding. And so that's what we did...
New Mexico doesn't pride itself on having the greatest medical care and the field of infertility isn't any different. In fact the entire state only has one Endocrinologist....Dr. Thompson resides his practice in Albuquerque. I had been a patient at Dr. Thompson's office prior to meeting Jim, but I was uncomfortable using him again as I was afraid Dr. Thompson would look at us as a cautionary tale. Through the grapevine I had learned that there was a Endocrinologist that practiced at UNM Hospital. Dr. Magarelli splits his practice between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. Dr. Magarelli is equipped to perform IUI's at his UNM office, but he needs to send his patients to Colorado Springs for those undergoing IVF.
Before I continue, I feel like I need to define a few terms so that all of us are on the same page. IUI translates to intrauterine injection and is commonly refereed to as artificial insemination...as a joke you'll also hear it called turkey basting. During this procedure on the day of ovulation, sperm is collected, washed, and injected back into the woman's uterus. Nature is than allowed to do it's own thing and hopefully eggs will fertilize in their natural environment. IVF translates to in-vitro fertilization and is sometimes still refereed to as test tube babies. In this procedure, a woman's follicles are removed from the ovaries (by way of surgery), sperm is collected, washed, and then both sperm and follicles are allowed to interact in a small petri dish until the sperm penetrates a follicle. Once the follicles are fertilized than the fertilized product is injected/transferred back into the uterus.
Anyway, under Dr. Magarelli's care Jim and I decided to try a few IUI's. Obliviously the IUI's were unsuccessful, but I did get one positive pregnancy test. The pregnancy didn't last long and Jim and I were heartbroken. We met with Dr. Magrelli numerous times while we were at his office and each time we sat down with him, we felt he was more of a used car salesmen than a doctor. He was constantly trying to sell us on IVF and we always felt like new patients as Dr. Magarelli went to great lengths to educate us on how a pregnancy occurs...as if we didn't already know. Needless to say, at some point we decided that Dr. Magarelli wasn't the right fit for us and we should probably make our way to Dr. Thompson's office.
When Jim and I first met with Dr. Thompson I expressed my concerns to him about my prior experiences with his office and he seemed genuinely sympathetic and willing to work with us. We decided to skip the IUI's and go straight to IVF. Our first IVF cycle started out well. I responded well to the prescribed medication and all of the ultrasounds came back normal. On the day of retrieval, 5 follicles were removed and allowed to mingle in the petri dish with the prepared sperm. When I called the next day to inquire about fertilization, the nurse gave no indication that anything was wrong. A few days later when Jim and I arrived for our scheduled transfer, we were told that there was a problem with the fertilization. Typically one sperm enters the follicle and no other sperm are allowed to enter. Unfortunately in my case, I had several sperm that entered each follicle and when this happens the follicle doesn't divide properly and eventually dies off on its own. This event is known as polyspermy, but its unclear if this is "normal" for my follicles. The only way we'll know if this is a normal occurrence is to undergo another round of IVF.
Jim and I had originally planned to wait a few months before undergoing round two of IVF but our lives quickly got hectic. So we decided to put it off a year while we got ourselves more financially stable. During that year I fell ill and had several setbacks in terms of my health. I'll explain my other health problems in a later post. After I had been healthy for a consecutive year we decided to revisit building our family. A co-worker of Jim's told him about a fertility clinic in Denver that they used and I was quickly placed in touch with his wife. After speaking to his wife, I was confident that Denver was where we needed to be.
I contacted the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in October and was informed that we needed to set-up a phone consult with one of the doctors. After filling out a tower of paperwork, we were scheduled for our phone consult the week of Thanksgiving. As usual I was super nervous prior to this phone call because I was afraid that as a result of my prior medical problems we would be rejected. Thankfully we weren't rejected...in fact we were welcomed with open arms. We were also informed that we needed to schedule an appointment in Denver to undergo a "one day workup". I decided to wait until after the holidays before I called CCRM again to schedule the one day workup. At the beginning of January I called the office and was soon scheduled to have our workup on January 14th.
Jim and I traveled to Denver the night before our appointment and we stayed with my aunt and uncle in Lakewood. Both Jim and I were once again super nervous about these appointments...well at least I was nervous. Jim said he was nervous, but I can't imagine why...his test was a walk in the park compared to what I had to go through. Our day started promptly at 7:30am and we were whisked from one appointment to another while we met with nurses, doctors, undergoing tests, blood work, and signing more paperwork. The entire day was information overload...I mean when we first arrived, we were handed a three-ring binder of information. It was good information though and Jim quickly fell in love with them. I've never met office staff so friendly, so compassionate, and so professional. It was clear that the office held high standards for their staff and we appreciated that.
As we stand today, I'm still undergoing some more tests and we're still waiting for results on some prior testing. We have decided to pursue IVF using CCRM and I'm hoping to have all of our test results by our next scheduled appointment on February 4th.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Getting Back Into The Saddle
Holy cow, it's been almost three years since I last made a post out here! Let me begin by saying why I discontinued my blog. The original blog was started as a way to update friends and family on our quest to build our family. Jim and I underwent one round of IVF that is detailed here in earlier posts. Unfortunately IVF was unsuccessful for us and today we are still on the same quest. When we stopped IVF the blog turned into more of a diary than my ultimate vision, so I discontinued blogging.
Well here we are three years later and Jim and I have decided to take a leap of faith. We are once again going to the IVF casino and we are certain that we will come out a winner! So this blog will again be used so that all of you can pray for us and follow us through this emotional journey. However, due to the sexual content of this journey some of the posts may become graphic so please be advised. With that said welcome to;
A Girlfriends Guide to Infertility, by Margot and Jim Liberty Our Personal Quest to Build the Family of our Dreams
Stay tuned!
Well here we are three years later and Jim and I have decided to take a leap of faith. We are once again going to the IVF casino and we are certain that we will come out a winner! So this blog will again be used so that all of you can pray for us and follow us through this emotional journey. However, due to the sexual content of this journey some of the posts may become graphic so please be advised. With that said welcome to;
A Girlfriends Guide to Infertility, by Margot and Jim Liberty Our Personal Quest to Build the Family of our Dreams
Stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)