I hate Birth Control Pills!!!!

I don't know how i ever took the stupid things for 4 years. Maybe it's just the brand, or maybe it's the mixture of pills, but i have been feeling so sick lately. Very naseous like all the time and tired and having headaches. Blah!!!
But i keep telling myself that I'll feel like this when i'm pregnant, so i better suck it up and get used to it. However, if i don't get pregnant, and all i end up with is the stupid symptoms, I'll be kind of mad!

Today marks the 2nd week of birth control pills. Just 11 more days until I start the lupron injections. Then we'll see how long it takes for me to suppress. I didn't ovulate through the pills last time, so I'm hoping we'll have the same luck this time.

Oh, and I won a contest!!!! I entered the scholastic open book tour contest to win tickets to see JK Rowling in NY and I won!!! I'm sooo excited. The event is on the 19th which is the night before our tentatively scheduled embryo transfer, but I'm hoping that she'll bring us luck. And I have sworn that if she does, I'll use Rowling or something Harry Potter related as the middle name for my child!!!!

catching up....

Well, it's been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. I got totally distracted and all. So let's play catch-up.

Our second cycle of IVF with ICSI failed again. We had a good follow up with the dr and are trying some new medications for our third cycle which we just started. Right now, we're on the birth control pills and metformin for Polycistic ovarian syndrome. Looks like we're going to be doing egg retrieval and transfer somewhere in mid october.

In August, my dad passed away. That was really rough, especially since it took 14 hours for someone to call and notify us. Plus, we were pretty much ignored at the service, but what can I say? My dad's greatest loves were his car and lynyrd skynyrd, so it shouldn't have suprised me too much.

Lately, we've learned about several people that we're close to who are pg or have just had babies. It's disheartening. I mean, I know I can't make people stop trying to make them stop getting pregnant in general, but it doesn't stop me from being sad. We're only 2 months away from hearing that we will most likely never have biological children, and adoption is too expensive to even begin considering.

So, i'm going to try to be better about posting. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

We're off and Running Again

It's been a while since I posted, sorry!!!! At any rate, we're on our way to our second attempt. We started our stimming shots on Tuesday and go back for the first evaluation of the growing follicles on Friday. Right now, our tentative egg retrieval date is June 17th and embryo transfer June 22nd. We've decided that this time we will be putting 2 embryos back. This gives us the same chances of pregnancy (65%) but increases our chances of twins to 50%.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers!!

First Attempt Failed

Well, we found out last week that our first attempt was unsuccesful. No reason, just not good luck i guess. So, we're on hold for a month and then we'll start again. This time we'll put back two embryos which gives us a 50% chance of twins.

So, keep us in your thoughts.

And yet more waiting....GROWL

So, i know i've been lax in posting but blogger was giving me all kinds of issues!!! Anyway, we started our Lupron on the 19th and then went in for our lupron evaluation on the 26th. no go. i managed to ovulate despite the meds that were supposed to stop it, so they said keep going on the lupron and then we'll see what happens by thursday. So, today I go in again, still no go. My progesterone levels are still too high so we have to wait and repeat the whole thing on Monday. i swear, if i have to wait much longer, I'm going to scream!!!! All I want to do is be able to try to get pregnant!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!

Well on the Way

It's been a little bit since I posted and a bunch of stuff has happened--all good!

First: we passed our injection class!!! Mike overcame his fear of needles and injections and managed to do the intramuscular injection. Three of the meds will be subcutaneous, and I'll inject them in my stomach once a day. Those really didn't hurt too bad at all--so that's good. The intramuscular are 1 injection per day but they do hurt a little. Oh well.

Second: we had our mock embryo transfer today. Everything is looking really great right now. There's a small cyst on my right ovary which is probably just my body trying to ovulate on birth control and they're sure it will go away. The dr told me today that I have "a beautiful cavity." LOL.

We start our Lupron injections on Saturday--hooray!!! And then it's on from there!!!!

Protocol is Here!

Finally got my protocol. I'm sooooo excited!!!!! So, we'll start injectible meds on the 17th. Tentative dates then are egg retrieval on 3/9 and embryo transfer on 3/12 or 3/14. The reason there are two dates for embryo transfer is that it all depends on how long they decide to let them grow. If they transfer on 3/12, they will put 2 of the day 3 embryos back in, if they wait until 3/14 it will be one blastocyst.

So far, we're doing pretty good with all this. My body is starting to adjust to the birth control pills--but it isn't happy about it. And my insurance company approved coverage for the injectible drugs, so that's fantastic news. Tomorrow is our injection class and IVF seminar. Woo hoo.

No more antibiotics

Well, today marks the last antibiotic for a while. And it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. i usually have a lot of problems with antibiotics--I have sensitivities to several, but I did very well with these. Woo Hoo, because i'll have to be on them again later!!!

Thought the protocol would come yesterday, but no such luck. So maybe today. The office is great about getting stuff out right away. We watched the injection video, not nearly as bad and I had thought. Most of the injections will go into my stomach, and thank goodness there's a bunch of fat there to cushion it!!!!

Mike and I are still going strong with WW. I've lost almost 7 pounds now and Mike has lost over 12. And yet, we're still eating really yummy stuff!

the puppies continue to do well. Roger is a little rough with Sawyer, but he's getting better. Sawyer's having a tough time with housebreaking at times, not sure why, but I'm sure he'll get it together soon. At least he hasn't pooped in the house.

I sent my transcript requests in and applied to Penn State. I'm really excited about it. In the fall, I'll need to reapply for the nursing program and then wait to see if I get in there. I think I'll be in good shape. So, that's about all. Nothing super exciting, but we're moving along here.

And We're Off!!!

today is officially day 1 of our first cycle of IVF with ICSI. Thank god!!!!!!!!!!! The nurse called today and apologized profusely for having left us hanging there. At any rate, she's calling in our birth control prescription today and Mike will pick it up this afternoon. She's mailing out our protocol and we've scheduled our mock embryo transfer. I am just so excited i could scream!!!!!! I'm hoping that I can leave work a little early today because I'd love to go home and celebrate with Mike! At long last, we get to really try--instead of just trying without much hope!!!

Nurse called back--more waiting!

So, the nurse called back and looked over all the charts. She said everything that needs to be done to start a cycle has been done, but there's no treatment plan in there. She's going to email the dr and my nurse asking for a treatment plan and my nurse will follow up tomorrow. Stupid waiting!

And we're STILL waiting!!!!

Friday afternoon the nurse finally calls--well the sub nurse because my nurse is out. She says that everything is perfect and asks if we know what we're supposed to do next. UH...NO!!!!!! No one has told us what next!!! So, I explain that to her and she says that we have up to day 7 of my cycle to start BCP which is the next step, and to call my nurse Monday morning. Well, today is monday morning and I call and my nurse is still out of the office!!!!!

The recording says that if it's an urgent message, to leave a message with the other nurse, so I did, because I'm now on Day 6 and we're running out of time, and i'm not waiting another stupid 29 days!!!!! They check voice mail at 11am, so I'm hoping someone calls shortly after. And they better have the answer i'm hoping for!!!!

It's just so tough. I mean, they made us wait a whole stupid year for tests, then it was another 3 months til we got to the RE and the urologist and all that jazz. I don't want to have to wait any longer. Besides, I had to pay my big bucks already -- which i can't submit an insurance claim for until after the procedure is done--so I should be able to get to try for a baby now!!! okay, i'm done ranting for the morning. Will update once i hear from someone!

A Trip the RE for Baseline Numbers

Ahh...another wonderfully invasive trip to the RE!!! We went bright and early this morning to get all the baseline numbers, thinking they would then take us in to tell us what we do now....hahahaha!!! At any rate, it was quick and relatively painless, but uncomfortable. They drew some blood and did a vaginal ultrasound (as fun as it sounds, I assure you!). Mike was enthralled at the sight of my ovaries and follicles as show on the monitor. After that, they just kind of left us and we have to wait for our nurse to call with results and to tell us what we do now.

We also had to pay our deposit for treatment, so we did, thinking that we could then submit the claim to the insurance company. No such luck!!! We can't submit the claim until a procedure has been performed, but we can't have the procedure til we pay the money!!! So, that's totally annoying!!!!!

When we get the results, I post again.

And, one of our acquaintances who is also pregnant, was bemoaning the fact that they are going to have to pay $600 for the delivery of this baby. I wanted to reach out and punch her. Ummm...do you know how much we have to pay just to TRY??????????

So, keep an eye out for the update when we get results. We're hoping to be moving along here, and if they make me wait much longer, I'll scream!!!!

Jen's First Post 1/25/07

Good morning all and welcome to my blog--The Quest for a Miracle Baby. I created this blog as a way for all of you too keep up to date as Mike and I progress through our treatments and such in our journey to conception and birth.

Let me give you some background information. I'm 25 and Mike is 27. We started trying for a family in November of 2005, without success. After a few tests with an OBGYN, Mike was diagnosed with severe oligospermia--low sperm count and low motility. The cause is still unclear, but it means that we need some help to get pregnant. So, we got our referral to the reproductive endocrinologist (RE) that we're now seeing and love to death!!!!

The RE told us that she can definitely get us pregnant using a technique called IVF with ICSI. You've probably heard of IVF, but you might be saying "ICSI??? What in the world is that?" Well, it stands for Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a procedure in which the lab technicians take the best looking sperm and inject one into each egg retrieved during that cycle. Then they wait to see how many eggs fertilize, let them mature a little, and put some back in. sounds a lot simpler than it is!!!!

Tomorrow we go to see the RE to have an antral follicle count performed and one last hormone level check. Hopefully, they will say that we can start the Birth control pills to begin our first cycle! So, keep checking back to hear how things are going.

In dog news, Toby is waiting for a match in the Feb graduating class and should be a guide soon. Alex is still on Stud Watch, waiting to determine if he will be a breeding dog or go into training. Roger is having a good time with our newest puppy Sawyer, who is soo cute it should be a crime!!!

See you all tomorrow!