Trial transfer was a success! The full bladder part was again rough, but not nearly as rough as the transfer last time so I was thankful for that! It was nice (I suppose?) seeing Dr. O and there didn't seem to be any hard feelings or anything. He said it would be best for me to have an even FULLER bladder for the real transfer, and I know my mouth probably dropped open. That shit is torture! I think I had close to 50 oz of water in an hour. Ouch!
Mark was with me and we laughed at odd things like we always do in waiting rooms and it felt funny to be doing this all over again. We chatted with the nursing staff and my favorite nurse Sarah was still there. She gave me a hug and said she never forgot me and 'my spreadsheets' and that made me laugh. Her face turned to such warmth when she found out I'd left my job to be with Jonah full time. We ran into the embryologist who was commenting on my 'cool neck tattoo' and he remembered us from the previous cycle. I thanked him once again, as his information and guidance is what helped us in our final moments of deciding on whether or not to do an eSET. it's like consulting a gambling expert. heh.
so it was cool to see the ole gang, and everyone made "oh you're here for number two? gluttons for punishment these two!" and those kind of jokes but it was all so sweet cause you could tell they say those same things to many folks. It was just a great feel to it all. I was glad to be back.
Now, all the diagnostics are done! Sweet!
All that's left is for me to order the meds, transfer our frozen little embryo from the long term storage to the clinic and pick a date sometime in September!
Showing posts with label Trial Transfer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trial Transfer. Show all posts
May 25, 2010
T-4 hours until Trial Transfer
So far, so good. We woke up Jonah 2.5 hours early this morning so I could take Mark to work. We figured the early wake up would mean an early nap, which would mean the babysitter would not have a Cranky Jonah on her hands when I dropped him off.
Success! He's already down since 10:30am! Nice. So now I eat my cheetohs and turkey sandwich contemplating what's ahead. The only part I'm not looking forward to is the full bladder but I'm gonna power through it and it will be fine. I'm sure all will go well with the actual trial transfer itself and hell, we'll get to see Dr. O again.
Another one down! Next step? Baseline ultrasound when we're ready to start the cycle! Omg!
Success! He's already down since 10:30am! Nice. So now I eat my cheetohs and turkey sandwich contemplating what's ahead. The only part I'm not looking forward to is the full bladder but I'm gonna power through it and it will be fine. I'm sure all will go well with the actual trial transfer itself and hell, we'll get to see Dr. O again.
Another one down! Next step? Baseline ultrasound when we're ready to start the cycle! Omg!
May 10, 2010
Quick Update
Heh. Katie the nurse let me know that they meant to put 'per vagina'. Oh well. She said I had the office laughing, so that's good.
I'm feeling a bit anxious about my diagnostic procedures this week. I'm sure they will go off without a hitch. We were able to get a sitter for the trial transfer, so that's awesome. Now that we're thinking of pregnancy #2, everywhere I look are pregnant women!
Kind of like when you think about a new car you want and all you see is that car everywhere! I'm definitely not ready to BE pregnant yet, but I'm on the on-ramp - thinking about merging. :-)
I'm feeling a bit anxious about my diagnostic procedures this week. I'm sure they will go off without a hitch. We were able to get a sitter for the trial transfer, so that's awesome. Now that we're thinking of pregnancy #2, everywhere I look are pregnant women!
Kind of like when you think about a new car you want and all you see is that car everywhere! I'm definitely not ready to BE pregnant yet, but I'm on the on-ramp - thinking about merging. :-)
May 05, 2010
Appointments!
I chatted with the receptionist and we got our appointments scheduled!
SHG- May 14th @ 9:30
Trial Transfer - May 25th @ 3
She also said Mark and I would need to get a full blood panel once more, which is no big deal and I'm hoping they can fit that in with one of these appointments to minimize the scheduling impacts. I'm still nervous on how this is going to work with Jonah in tow, but I know we're going to make.it.work.
Funny, our trial transfer is with our "ex" doctor, Dr. O - so since we switched doctors at the beginning, this should be....uh....interesting to say the least.
"Hey there guys! Long time no see!" (inside he's thinking - what, I got you a kid out of the first one and you dump me?!)
"Hey great to see you. Wanna take a gander at my vag?" (inside I'm thinking - oh no, what the hell is he thinking??)
All will be well! As Tim Dunn says "Make it work!"
SHG- May 14th @ 9:30
Trial Transfer - May 25th @ 3
She also said Mark and I would need to get a full blood panel once more, which is no big deal and I'm hoping they can fit that in with one of these appointments to minimize the scheduling impacts. I'm still nervous on how this is going to work with Jonah in tow, but I know we're going to make.it.work.
Funny, our trial transfer is with our "ex" doctor, Dr. O - so since we switched doctors at the beginning, this should be....uh....interesting to say the least.
"Hey there guys! Long time no see!" (inside he's thinking - what, I got you a kid out of the first one and you dump me?!)
"Hey great to see you. Wanna take a gander at my vag?" (inside I'm thinking - oh no, what the hell is he thinking??)
All will be well! As Tim Dunn says "Make it work!"
April 23, 2010
Tentative Schedule!
Well, ladies and gentleman - our tentative schedule has arrived! I can definitely say getting this makes it all 'more real' and I was a bit surprised with how overwhelmed I felt by the whole thing.
I think my biggest fear is how I will react on all of these hormones and how that reaction will affect my family. I know the hormones the first time around literally made me bat-shit crazy. I cried almost every day, had crazy side effects like eye twitching, hot flashes, dizziness and more. The difference now is I'm responsible for our son, and most of this I will need to just 'suck up' to be functional for him. I can do this though. I have the support of my husband, friends and family and I need to just take it a day at a time. Each day that passes will feel like an accomplishment, I know it.
I chatted with the IVF coordinator yesterday at length about all of the upcoming appointments I need to get out of the way before August. She said when my period starts, I need to call the clinic and schedule the SHG. (CD 5-12). At that time I will also schedule the trial transfer (I need to make sure I've ovulated by then - I will be buying a 100 or so of the LH OPK strips online, along with HCG strips again!)
She said approximately six weeks prior to transfer, I'm to call Reprotech (where our little totsicle is living) and have them ship him/her over to the clinic. The nurse will order my meds and have those shipped to the house. We'll need to retake the needle injection class again.(although I feel fairly confident except for the IM injections but Mark will do those!)
All in all the coordinator was a lovely woman to talk to, excited for us and the upcoming transfer and had a real "I'm gonna take care of you" feel to her which if anyone knows me, customer service is definitely important.
Lastly, the amount of medications made me squirm. I'll list them all below. The only one that makes my skin crawl is the antibiotics, for many reasons, so I may forgo those. I've been reading up on why IVFers are prescribed these, and I feel at a low risk for uterine infection. I'll ask the doctor about it - perhaps they can prescribe me some Yeastie Meds and then I'll take them. Still, the amount of meds is a bit consuming:
I think my biggest fear is how I will react on all of these hormones and how that reaction will affect my family. I know the hormones the first time around literally made me bat-shit crazy. I cried almost every day, had crazy side effects like eye twitching, hot flashes, dizziness and more. The difference now is I'm responsible for our son, and most of this I will need to just 'suck up' to be functional for him. I can do this though. I have the support of my husband, friends and family and I need to just take it a day at a time. Each day that passes will feel like an accomplishment, I know it.
I chatted with the IVF coordinator yesterday at length about all of the upcoming appointments I need to get out of the way before August. She said when my period starts, I need to call the clinic and schedule the SHG. (CD 5-12). At that time I will also schedule the trial transfer (I need to make sure I've ovulated by then - I will be buying a 100 or so of the LH OPK strips online, along with HCG strips again!)
She said approximately six weeks prior to transfer, I'm to call Reprotech (where our little totsicle is living) and have them ship him/her over to the clinic. The nurse will order my meds and have those shipped to the house. We'll need to retake the needle injection class again.(although I feel fairly confident except for the IM injections but Mark will do those!)
All in all the coordinator was a lovely woman to talk to, excited for us and the upcoming transfer and had a real "I'm gonna take care of you" feel to her which if anyone knows me, customer service is definitely important.
Lastly, the amount of medications made me squirm. I'll list them all below. The only one that makes my skin crawl is the antibiotics, for many reasons, so I may forgo those. I've been reading up on why IVFers are prescribed these, and I feel at a low risk for uterine infection. I'll ask the doctor about it - perhaps they can prescribe me some Yeastie Meds and then I'll take them. Still, the amount of meds is a bit consuming:
- Birth Control Pills (for 20 effen days, wtf!)
- Lupron injections
- Vivelle Transdermal Dot
- Estrace
- Doxycycline
- Medrol
- Progesterone in Oil
- Tranxene
- Prometrium
April 16, 2010
FET Consultation
Yesterday we had our FET consultation with a new fertility doctor in the same clinic. Dr. K. We liked her dearly, a bit more than our previous Dr. So that started everything off on the right foot.
I came prepared to defend nursing to the tee, but she never asked. So me and good ole' Clinton went with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Sweet!
Here's the gist!
Because our lone embryo was frozen via vitrification instead of a 'slow cool' process, we now have a 90% chance that the little guy/girl will thaw out and survive. If the embryo does survive, it has the same pregnancy odds as if we did a fresh cycle, so approximately a 70% chance.
Thems some good odds! (What is Vitrification? Vitrification is ultra-rapid IVF embryo freezing instead of the traditional slow freezing process. It leads to better thaw, pregnancy and live birth rates. Relatively new.)
We went in thinking our embryo would only have a 40% chance of thawing out but because of this new technology it increased the odds significantly. Awesome.
The process:
Dr. K walked us through how it would work:
Before we do any of this, we have to do the following:
Deciding on Timing
After the appointment, Mark and I went to eat at one of our favorite Mexican places and we exhausted ourselves talking about timing for the transfer. July? October? August? We settled on......September!! September means I can still go to the work trip next year in Hawaii and I'll only be 7 months pregnant instead of almost 9 (ack). It means if I get pregnant, I will be in the glorified second trimester when I travel for Christmas. It means a due date of June or so, not the hottest month of our weather patterns and after the height of the nasty allergy season for me.
So, September it is.
Managing a Toddler while doing IVF/FET
Woo - doggy, this might be a challenging one. We don't have consistent child care, so we will likely be bringing Jonah to most of the appointments. Isn't it weird that he could participate in the making of his brother or sister? Most of the appointment times are at 7am, for blood work and ultrasound so I suspect on those days we will be waking him up super early and dragging him with us. While it sounds scary and chaotic, I know it will only be temporary and everyone in the family must 'pitch in' to get us through this part. Welcome to IVF Jonah! The doctor did say on the actual transfer day that we would not be able to bring Jonah (duh!) so we'll find someone to watch him that day for several hours.
Costs
The FET is considerably lower in cost than a full IVF cycle so we're looking at $5,000. Mark's insurance will pay for this, but if we have to repeat it, we may be looking at covering some of the costs ourselves. But I'm not going to jump too far into the future, and take it one step at a time on that one!
Emotions
Overall, I feel excited about this cycle. Sure, it may or may not work. Anything could happen. But I feel less in the 'unknown', more confident about the process and our stakes, and because I already have a child there isn't the looming 'this won't ever happen' feeling anymore. Not having that feeling relieves much of the stress I tell you. Mark is excited, less anxious than before, and is ready to start the journey come time. We're both thrilled the FET isn't as intense and overwhelming as a full IVF cycle is. If the FET doesn't work, I will be able to start a full IVF cycle the very next period, so that will be great.
I've been asking both my mom and Mark about 'having enough love for a second baby'. Both chuckled and told me this isn't a concern, that once the new little one arrives, I will realize my love grows exponentially. This is comforting to know. While I have worries about Jonah's needs, or his jealousy with a new little one, I also know I am giving him the gift of a built-in friend, a playmate, a complement to our family. Sometimes you just have to dive in feet first and hope the water isn't too freezing.
That's what jumping into motherhood feels like this time around. Shocking at first I'm sure, but warm once you get in. (maybe?)
Next Steps:
Crazy!
I came prepared to defend nursing to the tee, but she never asked. So me and good ole' Clinton went with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Sweet!
Here's the gist!
Because our lone embryo was frozen via vitrification instead of a 'slow cool' process, we now have a 90% chance that the little guy/girl will thaw out and survive. If the embryo does survive, it has the same pregnancy odds as if we did a fresh cycle, so approximately a 70% chance.
Thems some good odds! (What is Vitrification? Vitrification is ultra-rapid IVF embryo freezing instead of the traditional slow freezing process. It leads to better thaw, pregnancy and live birth rates. Relatively new.)
We went in thinking our embryo would only have a 40% chance of thawing out but because of this new technology it increased the odds significantly. Awesome.
The process:
Dr. K walked us through how it would work:
- After my period starts, I would begin birth control pills for approximately two weeks.
- I would then suppress my ovulation by taking Lupron sub-q injections.
- Then I begin estrogen patches and vaginal pills.
- THEN I begin taking progesterone IM shots.
- Then I come in for the embryo transfer.
Before we do any of this, we have to do the following:
- SHG Procedure - you can read about that here from my first blog.
- Trial transfer - you can read about that here from my first blog.
Deciding on Timing
After the appointment, Mark and I went to eat at one of our favorite Mexican places and we exhausted ourselves talking about timing for the transfer. July? October? August? We settled on......September!! September means I can still go to the work trip next year in Hawaii and I'll only be 7 months pregnant instead of almost 9 (ack). It means if I get pregnant, I will be in the glorified second trimester when I travel for Christmas. It means a due date of June or so, not the hottest month of our weather patterns and after the height of the nasty allergy season for me.
So, September it is.
Managing a Toddler while doing IVF/FET
Woo - doggy, this might be a challenging one. We don't have consistent child care, so we will likely be bringing Jonah to most of the appointments. Isn't it weird that he could participate in the making of his brother or sister? Most of the appointment times are at 7am, for blood work and ultrasound so I suspect on those days we will be waking him up super early and dragging him with us. While it sounds scary and chaotic, I know it will only be temporary and everyone in the family must 'pitch in' to get us through this part. Welcome to IVF Jonah! The doctor did say on the actual transfer day that we would not be able to bring Jonah (duh!) so we'll find someone to watch him that day for several hours.
Costs
The FET is considerably lower in cost than a full IVF cycle so we're looking at $5,000. Mark's insurance will pay for this, but if we have to repeat it, we may be looking at covering some of the costs ourselves. But I'm not going to jump too far into the future, and take it one step at a time on that one!
Emotions
Overall, I feel excited about this cycle. Sure, it may or may not work. Anything could happen. But I feel less in the 'unknown', more confident about the process and our stakes, and because I already have a child there isn't the looming 'this won't ever happen' feeling anymore. Not having that feeling relieves much of the stress I tell you. Mark is excited, less anxious than before, and is ready to start the journey come time. We're both thrilled the FET isn't as intense and overwhelming as a full IVF cycle is. If the FET doesn't work, I will be able to start a full IVF cycle the very next period, so that will be great.
I've been asking both my mom and Mark about 'having enough love for a second baby'. Both chuckled and told me this isn't a concern, that once the new little one arrives, I will realize my love grows exponentially. This is comforting to know. While I have worries about Jonah's needs, or his jealousy with a new little one, I also know I am giving him the gift of a built-in friend, a playmate, a complement to our family. Sometimes you just have to dive in feet first and hope the water isn't too freezing.
That's what jumping into motherhood feels like this time around. Shocking at first I'm sure, but warm once you get in. (maybe?)
Next Steps:
- Call "Katie" at the clinic and schedule financial consultation, SHG and the Trial Transfer
Crazy!
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