About
Here we are, my husband and I, in the place I don’t think anyone ever expects to be – the land of infertility. Here is a timeline of our journey thus far.
- 11/2006 – A perfect wedding
- 6/2007 – Honeymoon and started TTC
- 12/2007 – Started getting tested by OB/GYN – everything is OK with me
- 1/2008 – C (my husband) started getting tested – numbers aren’t great, need to get tested again
- 3/2008 – Another semen analysis – still low count, motility and morphology
- C started working with the urologist
- 8/2008 – C diagnosed with varicocele and had surgery to correct it
- 10/2008 – First post surgery semen analysis – according to urologist it improved, but still not great
- 11/2008 – Lost my job (another bump on this road)
- 12/2008 – Second post surgery semen analysis – a little better, urologist says we can get pregnant with numbers like these
- 1/2009 – More than a year and a half into TTC, I ask for referral from OB/GYN for an RE (I’m not getting any younger at 38 and wanted to make sure I was still able to conceive)
- 2/2009 – Met with RE, started blood tests, ultrasounds – I am still OK
- Time for semen analysis again – count and motility are low, but not hopeless, morphology is too low – will try again in a couple weeks
- Results of semen analysis not any better (what the heck was the urologist looking at when he said we could conceive naturally with that??)
- Diagnosed with Male Factor Infertility and were told only hope is IVF with ICSI, that was devastating news
- 3/3009 – Met with RE again to go over everything and talk to finance folks at the clinic
- Decided we would start first (and hopefully only) IVF cycle 6/2009 – 7/2009
- 5/2009 – Had TEACH appointment to learn about medications and injections
- 6/16/2009 – Medications ordered and arrive, 2 days later RE calls and says the lab will be closed in July so we have to change when to start the IVF
- Found out lab is changing protocol and they now will be lumping all IVF cycles into one period of time, also changed some of medications (this isn’t feeling good)
- We have 2 choices of when to start cycle, end of August or start of October, we chose October (it fit our schedules better)
- 8/20/09 – Start BCP – made me so nauseous
- 9/15/09 – C’s Birthday! Start Lupron injections, 20IU in abdomen every day
- 9/20/09 – Took last BCP, yea!!
- 9/25/09 – Baseline ultrasound and blood work – looks good
- 9/28/09 – Start 450IU Gonal-F, 150IU Menopur (both IM injections – ouch!) and reduce Lupron to 5IU
- 10/3/09 – Ultrasound and blood work, 2 11mm follicles on right side, 5 more smaller between the 2 ovaries
- 10/5/09 – Next ultrasound and blood work, 4 follicles on right and 6 on the left – given more Menopur and Gonal-F
- 10/7/09 – Next ultrasound and blood work, 6 follicles at 17-20mm (ready to go), 4 more at 14-15mm, a few more at 11-12mm – more Gonal-F and Lupron, but no more Menopur
- 10/8/09 – Yet another ultrasound and blood work appointment! 12 follicles ready to go!! HCG injection at 11:30 PM
- 10/10/09 – My 39th Birthday! Day of Retrieval – 6 eggs retrieved
- 10/11/09 – All 6 eggs fertilized, yea!!
- 10/13/09 – 3 day embryo transfer, 3 of them to transfer 4 cells, 5 cells and 6 cells all grade A
- 10/27/09 – BFN for IVF #1
My story continues (in less detail):
- 2/2010 – Met with a new RE – love him!
- 5/2010 – Started meds for next IVF cycle
- 6/2010 – Retrieved 15 eggs, 14 mature, 11 fertilized
- Don’t remember how may made it to 5 days, transferred 2 and 5 made it to day 6 freeze
- 2 weeks after retrieval – had first BFP ever! But HCG & progesterone are low, increased my progesterone injections
- Had first ultrasound at 6wks2days, saw gestational sac and yolk sac. Have to go back in 2 weeks – still hopeful
- Second ultrasound at 8wks2days, still just a gestational sac and a larger yolk sac – pregnancy is not viable. We remained hopeful with 5 frozen embryos.
- 8/2010 – Had D&C – it was awful!
- 11/2010 – Started meds for frozen cycle
- They went through 4 embryos to get 2 to transfer – only 1 frozen one left
- Another BFP – HCG better than last time, but still a little low. Hard to get excited about it this time, very nervous
- 12/2010 – First ultrasound at just over 7 weeks – only a gestational sac and yolk sac, not a viable pregnancy AGAIN.
- 1/2011 – Chose not to do D&C, miscarried naturally. (So much blood! – Sorry I know, TMI)
- 3/2011 – Miracle!! We got pregnant naturally! Wow!
- Saw OB at 5wks5days, bloodwork done and ultrasound scheduled.
- HCG & progesterone low, repeat bloodwork – HCG much better, but progesterone still low – started Prometrium.
- First ultrasound at 7wks2days – only a small gestational sac. DAMN! Another non-viable pregnancy.
- Repeated ultrasound 2 weeks later just to make sure – still not viable.
- 5/2011 – Miscarrying naturally and thinking donor eggs are our best option now (I am 40 and think my eggs are all too aware of that).
Next Round:
- 1/2012 – Met with RE & Donor Coordinator to talk about the using donor eggs
- 2/2012 – chose our donor! (another couple chose her, as well, but we get to go first because they have to have surgery)
- 2/2012 – waiting for period to start and trying to get meds ordered before vacation to Hawaii
- 2/2012 – period doesn’t show up because I am pregnant! Turned out to be chemical pregnancy
- Waiting for my HCG level to get to zero, meanwhile the other couple gets moved ahead of us in line. Oh well, everything happens for a reason.
- 3/2012 – get a message asking if we would be ready to go. OF COURSE!! (Not sure what happened with other couple, but am excited that we are getting started.)
- 4/2012 – stopped BCP & started Lupron (was on it for 5 weeks)
- My period was late, when it finally came it lasted 10 days, acupuncturist helped to stop it. I was worried the cycle would be jeopardized.
- 5/2012 – things going well, my lining looks good.
- About a week before retrieval, I start bleeding again. Crap!
- Acupuncturist helps to stop the bleeding again, but my lining has shrunk below acceptable levels.
- RE said we will go ahead with everything and have me come in on transfer day to see if my lining is thick enough. That was a stressful 10 days.
- Several acupuncture appointments, lots of berries and red meat, anything I could do to help the lining.
- 5/30/2012 – Retrieval Day! 28 eggs! (Oh to be young again) 27 mature, 21 fertilized
- 6/4/2012 – Transfer day – very nervous! 14 embryos made it to day 5. My lining is thick enough, we are going ahead with transfer.
- Transferred 2 embryos – the nurse looked at us like we were crazy, she said they are 2 very good, strong embryos – C said, at this point we are all in
- 6/13/2012 – Pregnancy test – BFP!!! HCG 176, Prog over 40 – Yea!
- 6/17/2012 – P test 2 – still good! HCG 736, Prog still over 40 – breathing a sigh of relief
- 6/22/2012 – P test 3 (just for peace of mind) – HCG 3571 – things are going well.
- 7/2/2012 – 1st ultrasound – scared to death – we have never had a good ultrasound. I covered my eyes, C couldn’t look either – RE asked if we wanted to look at the screen – C told him only if it is good news. I opened my eyes & immediately saw 2 sacs. RE then showed us two tiny fetuses with strong heartbeats! Woohoo! Twins!!!
- 7/9/2012 – 2nd ultrasound (I had a lot of pain the day before and we wanted to make sure everything was OK). Still good, saw heartbeats, heard both heartbeats, both babies growing like they should. Getting excited!
Derailed on the Baby Track 
sonja said,
January 29, 2012 @ 8:56 am
I just realized you had an About page and caught up on all you have gone through. I wish I had known sooner so I could give you some support … so sorry I missed this. Wow, you have been through so much. I hope that since your last update you have made the best choice for you and that things are going okay. Thinking of you! *hugs*
derailedonthebabytrack said,
January 31, 2012 @ 5:23 pm
Thanks! Nice to know you are still there checking on me – I appreciate it. I am thinking of starting to write again, working on a possible post now. Hope things are good with you!