IVF got this... right?

     Well November has come and gone, meaning we were one step closer to hopefully being Parents or so we thought. November had us meeting with the doctor (another ungodly amount of money!) to discuss all our results and plans for the future. We knew what the plan was going to be, IVF, but when would we get to start? I was in the middle of the cycle then so we knew it would be some time before we could move forward. Towards the end of November, I had a progesterone level draw on day 21 of my cycle to make sure I had ovulated, which I knew I had. We also had to meet with our nurse to go over our plan for IVF, sign disclosures, sign agreements, decide on our plan for treatment, confirm we understood the plan, fees, and more. Over an hour, but this was one step closer. We had to pay a very large sum of money for the whole IVF process (labs, ultrasounds, monitoring, retrieval minus anesthesia costs,  twat- wand insertion, beating off into the cup, and who knows what else). After this appointment all we were waiting on was my period....
     Wouldn't you know that it started early, UGH (I still was hoping we wouldn't actually have to go through this), but hey now we can move along on this process. I was placed on Estrace priming on the day I had my Progesterone draw showing I ovulated. I quickly stopped that, went in on cycle day 2 for an ultrasound, which we did not have planned as it was 5 days early. While I was in there, I had another doctor at the clinic come in, who I recognized, and complete an ultrasound with my friend the twat-wand to show all was quite and good. Well, after she realizes "Oh, your not even my patient! I thought I was completing it. My Apologies!" hahaha. So, that is how this IVF cycle started.. I should have known then!
     That day I had to go buy all my meds, well not all of them, because you don't want to over buy due to the cost and not being able to return them. I had to go into work all frazzled from the day not going as planned (I like to plan on things). I ended up having to pick up my daughter from school that day then going to the pharmacy to pick up my medications. I bought 7 boxes of Gonal-F, 1 vial Micro-HCG, and 4 Cetrotide at this time (about $1400.00 with insurance). This only last me a week on the Gonal-F at $320 a vial which ended up being only about 1.25 doses early on.

My E2 (estrogen) level wasn't increasing like they wanted it to and I had only 8 eggs showing potential to grow. So we maxed out my Gonal-F dose in the first week. My doctor was not impressed with what my ovaries were doing on my 1st stimulation ultrasound on day 5. I had labs every other day and an ultrasound every four days or so. After a week, my doctor decided this cycle was not going to be worth going to retrieval for. We had maybe 6 eggs at that time showing growth. We decided to turn this cycle into an IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) instead and not waste the eggs we have. WHO KNOWS WE MAY GET LUCKY RIGHT? (Yes, because that is how our luck goes... NOT!)
       We decreased my Gonal-F to use what I had at home (which I had already spent another $1600.00 on week 2) and increased Micro-HCG to mature those eggs. During this time, my husband went to the fertility urologist again to go over his results from a DNA-Fragmentation test (another beat off into a cup exam... lucky him). So they decided to do a pooled-IUI, because his numbers were not great and we wanted to have at least 5 mil post wash (which simply means its the best of the best after the get all the nonsense out of the way). So Dan had to beat off every day at the clinic from Tuesday to Thursday and froze those spermies (Oh man, must be rough huh... HAHA). Friday we had him bring the goods to the clinic during our last ultrasound before the Trigger shot and insemination.

Where the "Magic" happened ... or didn't, but was an option for him.

Spermies go for a ride down the freeway! 

     At this time I had maybe 4-6 eggs that would be Mature. This is great, how could I NOT get pregnant. The best of the best spermies, 4-6 eggs, and it is straight up injected into my uterus avoiding all the nonsense travel they normally would have to go through. I mean we have gotten pregnant 3 times prior the good old fashion natural way, why wouldn't this work?! 

      Saturday night at 10:45pm (way past my old lady bedtime) I had to inject myself with the final TRIGGER SHOT (the one that shows you are pregnant on a test, so wrong, and tells your eggs to get ready to release). 

It's TRIGGER TIME! 

     Monday morning came mid December, I was nervous, anxious, and confident that this could work. I was uncomfortable with lots of ovary pain, extremely bloated (I could barely button my pants), and just didn't feel great. So early on my husband went in to give his donation (another beat-off session) while I took my Daughter to school. We met for breakfast to ease our minds and then off we went to our appointment. I had to be there at 10:40, but while driving in the parking lot they call me to ask, "Are you coming to your appointment?" So of course I start stressing out! I was on time to my appointment instead of my usual 10min early thanks to traffic. But wait, there was more.. they had to blend the post washed frozen sperm (the ones that survived the thaw) and fresh spermies into one. They apparently had trouble counting or something, which delayed us about 30minutes. Finally we go back to the room, the room she gave me the news that we couldn't move forward on IVF round 1 and convert to IUI, thanks to me asking her to. I brushed it off and we went in to get ready. 

 The final tube of all the best of the best

If I only knew what was about to happen.. 

   Here I was excited and anxious. I have had a catheter placed up into my uterus before, so this should be easy. First, my doctor stated this has never happened in their clinic ever before. The twat-wand goes in and it's good to go. She places the speculum in and then the twat wand once again to ensure the catheter goes into the correct spot before injecting the goods. As she slides the catheter in which I don't feel, I hear a click and instant pain. I cringe in pain and let her know something on the outside is hurting. It felt like the speculum moved and is pinching something very sensitive. She is calm through this whole thing, all is good we inject before trying to figure this all out. SPERMIES are set free to wait for my eggs. She removes the catheter and the wand and then tries to remove the speculum, but she can't because my labia is pinched in it! At this time, I'm in excruciating pain crying and trying to not move at all. Finally, the labia piercing is complete. HAHA.. after the pain settled down, I was able to laugh about it. I think I scared the entire clinic, I was not quite by any means. I mean that shit hurt. I will never trust a speculum again! 

     The night I ovulated and that was lovely as well. I feel discomfort when I ovulate one egg, now I have to ovulate at least 4-6 mature eggs and some other immature follicles (OUCH!). 

Oh, I forgot to mention- after the news of not progressing in the IVF plan and converting to IUI, my body decided to have me pass a kidney stone. As if I wasn't uncomfortable enough lets pass a stone too. (This is not my first time passing stones! I passed one in November while on our 1 year anniversary trip!) Im loads of fun, huh. hahahaha GOD BLESS MY HUSBAND! 

      And so the TWW begins... which involved progesterone vaginal suppositories three times a day! YAY! MORE VAGINAL FUN! In the end .. it was a bust! My heart was broken once again.. and I started Estrace again and wait for round 1 again of IVF for January 2018. You think that was rough, wait til you hear about the first 3 weeks of January! Talk about emotional rollercoaster... 

We Pray and a hope that someday this will all work out... 

#acquiringbabyMcGuire