PGD Results

Good Morning!

Though this update comes a few days late it is great news and I want to share it non the less.

A picture of an expanded blastocyst- amazing!

After 10 days of waiting for our PGD results.  I finally got a message in my patient portal from the embryologist....

We had originally sent 11 expanded blastocysts to the PGD lab.

A PGD lab checks for firstly unbalanced translocations( which is the cause for my previous miscarriages).  They also check for missing or additional chromosomes and are of course looking for normal/balanced embryos or babies.

Our results were as follows:

5 came back as have unbalanced translocations :( ( our reason for doing IVF in the first place)

2 came back as missing 1 chromosome

and...drum roll please....4 came back as normal/balanced!!!!!!!!!!!

Such amazing news to read and share!

We are SO excited with this number.  I started my Lupron ( to suppress my ovaries) yesterday and I continue to take birth control for a few more days.  Once I get my next period I start Estace ( estrogen- the really fun stuff :) ) then shortly after we will have our transfer.

The embryos will be thawed because they are currently frozen as of now.  Once thawed the doctor will chose 2 of the 4 to transfer!  The remaining 2 will remain frozen until we are ready for our other sweet babies!

7 days later they do a blood test to determine if I am pregnant or not.  We of course are so hopeful for positive results :)

More updates as I get a set transfer date!

Baby Biver Update

First off, thank you to all of you following our journey.  Thank you for writing to me, calling me and checking in on me regularly throughout the past couple weeks!

Today is Day 6 and we got the final call on how many were biopsied( to be sent to RGI in Chicago for PGD testing) and the embryos frozen here in the fertility center.

We have 11 that made it to either expanded blastocyst or even better hatching blastocyst stage and are now frozen.  To put it into perspective for those of you not sure, last round we had 2 reach this stage and 1 of those come back as "normal" or balanced.  To have 11 really helps my confidence that this will be our cycle!

11 frosties as of now :) I love them all!

Now to celebrate and relax until next week (7-10) days when we get the PGD results!

Thank you all for your sweet words of encouragement and love!

Fertilization Report

Yesterday was an amazing day full of anesthesia, apple juice and of course all of my eggs!


Here is the retrieval report and fertilization report that we received this AM!!

Fertilization Report

 

We have 35 embryos growing and developing right now!  I am blown away by the differences in my first IVF and this one.  I feel so thankful today.

 

Grow babies grow!

 

 

More updates as the week goes on!

 

Triggered and Ready for Thursday!!!!

Yesterday morning I went in to the Naperville Fertility Center and had blood drawn and another ultrasound.

Follicle Count:

Right Ovary: 14 measurable and several 16-17mm follicles

Left Ovary: 22 measurable and several 16-17mm follicles

Estrogen Level: 11,875- Can you say off the charts?!?

Got the call yesterday afternoon that I was going to trigger at 7pm last
night :)  They also warned me that I had OHSS ( over stimulated on the meds) and that I should start taking precautions ahead of the retrieval!

Two trigger shots (Lupron and Low Dose HCG done at 7pm!!)

 

I will update tomorrow after retrieval!!

Retrieval in Sight...

Sorry I haven't updated since I started stims(Injections) 10 days ago.  I will update on the past 10 days and get everyone up to speed where we are at today!

I have been stimming for 10 days today!!( I have been in for blood and ultrasound 5 times since I started stimming).  At first this past Wednesday it seemed like not to much was happening, the follicles seemed small and like the stims weren't doing to much yet.  I then started to add 2 more shots.  So total for the past 5 days I have been on Follistim, Ganerilix and Low-Dose HCG.  My tummy is full of shot marks and mini bruises at this point in the process.  Needless to say now there are so many follicles growing that it was hard to get out of bed this AM :)  Thank God!

Low Dose HCG

 

Since I am on a different protocol my meds and doses are different than my first go at IVF.  I feel exhausted, have had headaches, insomnia, and have been nauseous for 5 days.  All of this is most likely a result of the whole combo of strong meds as well as the HCG injections.  I basically feel pregnant which is a strange feeling that I haven't had in a few years.  I have finally been crying again, over anything and everything :)  After the last miscarriage followed by our failed IVF I became very numb and didn't cry about anything.  I felt cold and like my heart was protecting itself from hurting anymore.  But thanks to this wild thing we call IVF meds I am back to crying over Subaru commercials!



Reflecting on the unexpected in life.



All in all, its been a interesting week filled with many emotions!

As of now, I have over 20 follicles and several are close to 15-17mm while several are still in the 13-14mm range.  FYI they like to trigger at around 17-18mm.  The ultrasound tech said today she thinks I will stim one more day then trigger tomorrow.  however, it depends on my estradiol results that will come back this afternoon and what the doctor decides.  So I am either triggering today or most likely tomorrow!  After I trigger it is an exact number of hours ( not exactly sure but something like 38 hours) until our retrieval!!!!

Retrieval will either be Wednesday or Thursday, then the waiting game begins!

Let The Baby Making Commence :)

Today I went in hoping for a much better experience than Tuesday had brought.  After 3 Ganirelix injections and receiving another period( from stopping the birth control) I felt as though something must be going on in my body, and I was right!


Giving myself my unplanned injections....

Todays Update:

My uterine lining went from 10 to 3 (which is great news).

Today she could locate and measure both ovaries...woohoo!!  I Have about 6-10 in each ovary at this point.  Once I start stimms I will probably show even more!

Greatest news came about 30 minutes ago.  I checked into my patient portal and saw that my lab results had come back in. 

My estradiol(Estrogen) had dropped....



Some of my meds that arrived yesterday!

I get to start stimms tomorrow and start making our babies!

 

"Weeping may stay for the night,
    but joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 30:5

 

 

Thank you God for good news!

Before Starting Injections...

On Tuesday( yesterday) I headed into the Fertility center with Roger at 6AM.  We got the early appointment so that Roger could get out to work close to on time!

Ultrasound:

The nurse said my uterus was way to thick.  She kept commenting on how thick it was.  (Note:  this has been told to me countless times before, I think I just have a naturally thicker lining than most :).  I tried to not get to disheartened and waited for her follicle count. 

Funny thing is...SHE  COULD NOT FIND MY OVARIES...seriously?  She was moving the wand all over and kept saying " can't find em"  I seriously almost karate chopped her from the stirrups.

They told me my estradiol level( or E2) was likely going to be high( too high) because of my thick lining but that I would find out that afternoon if I could proceed this cycle and start everything as planned.

Naturally we drove home in silence, as we have several times before, in shock that this to may not work.  I didn't even make it up the stairs before sitting down halfway and sobbing while Roger  told me" everything will be okay".  This time however I wasn't buying it, I felt so angry and frustrated.  I told him I wanted to give up, I was done.

After hiding under my comforter for a while and Roger leaving for his long drive to the office I came to and realized I was not ready to give up and look into adoption.  I was not ready to throw in the towel or surrender.  I still have some fight in me, even if it is just a little.

Later that afternoon I received a call saying my estradiol came back at 118.  It needs to be below 50 to start injections Saturday.  They think that the birth control wasn't doing its job ( to suppress my ovaries) and that I needed to start injections of Ganirelix that night.  I drove to the office and picked up the shots came home and stuck myself.

Now its a waiting game until Friday.  Friday I will go in and do another blood draw and have another ultrasound to see how everything is going.  If my level comes back as below 50 I can start injections on Saturday.  If not, this cycle is over and I have to wait another month and start all over. 

Hoping for the best.