Day Three

Day Three following retrieval: transfer went fabulously well today ... as hoped by embryology team, two embryos were transferred into my uterus, both with the desired 7 cells on their way to 8 cells, one with a grade of 4 and one with a grade of 4+ ... (remaining 5 pre-embryos will continue developing, hopefully reaching desired quality so as to be cryogenically frozen for future cycles.) self is on modified bedrest for three days, meaning relaxing in bed watching TV or sitting up watching TV or reading ... allowed to get up to use bathroom, take shower or check mail ... nothing strenuous and nothing involving being on feet for more than a few minutes ... IVF is over, and self made it through ... hooray!!

Day Two

Day Two following egg retrieval: ok, instead of trying to explain the complete science currently in use self will just bottom line whole situation ... of 11 fertilized eggs, 2 multi-nucleated (not the desired pro-nucleated) and 9 pro-nucleated. now here we go ... on day 2 (today) the pre-embryos are given a grade of 1,2,3,4, or 5 based on the symmetry of the cells and the extent of cell fragmentation ... pre-embryos with a grade of 4 or 5 have a higher rate of implantation; anything graded 1,2 or 3 has a lower rate of implantation. so of our 9 remaining pre-embryos only 2 have a grade of 3, and 7 have a grade of 4 or higher. make sense?? basically we're in good shape going into tomorrow's embryo transfer ... of course, as always, anything can happen, but self feels good having made it this far and knows, again as always, that God is in charge ...

Day One

Day One following egg retrieval: of 17 eggs which were retrieved yesterday we now have 11 fertilized eggs ... still seems good number as of original 17 eggs, 14 were mature, and of those 14 eggs, 11 of them have now fertilized normally ... a smidge scientific and confusing but am re-reading lots of info, books, etc. as this part is hard to understand. will receive update tomorrow from embryologist following assessment of cell division ... will attempt to explain whatever self has figured out by then ...

The Love Shack

egg hunt very successful ... doctor retrieved 17 this morning but no need to panic or picture self on cover of good housekeeping with 17 children because not all eggs will be mature; however, doctor VERY pleased with 17 as is only looking for 4 mature eggs. self is over-achiever when it comes to active ovaries. fairly easy procedure this morning ... spent only a short time in recovery drinking Coke and watching SportsCenter before heading home ... was hooked up to IV, blood pressure cuff which annoyingly and automatically took self's BP every 5 minutes or so and also attached to some kind of EEG machine. moment of paranoid panic when EEG machine beeped ... thought self had flat-lined but realized was still talking to knight in shining armor and was just fine. room where egg retrieval performed is nicknamed "the love shack" by retrieval team ... wonderful group of people who almost make this fun. am scheduled for embryo transfer Saturday morning at 8 AM ... more later ...

Final Countdown

drumroll, please ... after a total of 43 days, 48 injections, 21 birth control pills, 7 trips to Mobile (6 in the last 11 days), one cyst aspiration and one almost catastrophic parking garage traffic backup due to elderly driver in super-long land yacht of a car trying to park in a tiny space ... THE EGGS ARE READY!! self has been given the go ahead for final injection at 9 PM tonight to be followed by one more trip to the vampire lab in Mobile in morning to be followed by egg retrieval at 8 AM Wednesday morning ... am cautiously excited as know there is always possiblity of no quality eggs during retrieval but still ... self is proud of making it this far ... after all, real fun begins after retrieval... will be done under anesthesia so will be able to come home later that day ... that night self will begin Medrol (a steroid to prevent body from rejecting embryos during transfer), Doxycycline (an antibiotic) and (my personal favorite) Progesterone in oil injections. Progesterone is used to supplement pregnancy and is an intramuscular injection given every night by knight in shining armor ... involves hip muscle and 1 1/2 inch needle. if become pregnant, will continue progesterone injections for first 12 weeks. but self is jumping ahead ... will get through retrieval and hopefully a transfer somewhere around 3-5 days later ... one day at a time and no more super long cars allowed in parking garage ...

Feisty Follicles

all systems still go ... ultrasound this morning was fine, and follicles are still growing ... #@*^&% bloodwork fine, too, but self is getting tired of having blood removed from body. minor annoyance in grand scheme of things. plan from here: new injectible med tonight (Repronex, still a follicle stimulator) in place of usual follicle stimulator (Gonal-F), then usual Lupron and Gonal-F injections in morning and repeat trip to Mobile for (bet you can't guess) ultrasound/bloodwork. doctor very complimentary of self's progress and is looking for egg retrieval around Thursday or Friday. more on that as it gets closer ...
must go ... have passed the point of no return with Harry Potter and must finish book tonight ...

Memo from a Muggle

Alright, for your reading pleasure I bring you a return to the planet of IVF. The ultrasound this morning went absolutely great, almost as well as it could, at least considering my feet were in stirrups, and my private parts were flappin' in the breeze ( a phrase just for you, Kel.) I have lots of follicles on both ovaries and am responding extremely well to the meds. This is all very good news ... please keep up the prayers as I have no doubt that's the reason we've gotten as far as we have. Our next dr's appt. will be Sunday morning for the ultrasound and it's-really-getting-SUPER-old bloodwork. I'm beginning to feel as though the lab staff has some sort of vampire streak in them ...
In the meantime, I've finally begun the new Harry Potter book, much to the happiness of my cousins, Kelly and Kate ... they are anxious to discuss theories, etc. about the new book. Incidentally, the new Potter book was well-discussed in a PACKED waiting room this morning. It took my mind off my usual in-my-head competition with others regarding ovaries, follicle size, etc. For all of you non-Potter readers out there, I'm sure all the frenzy is a bit annoying; however, I must say that from a writing standpoing, J.K. Rowling's is as good as it gets. Especially in this book, her writing is crisp, and not a single work is wasted. And of course, her imagination is beyond description ...

Power Tool Ban Lifted

no IVF talk today ... will update after dr's appt in the morning ...
recall now why self's ban on using power tools was in place ... got home from Wal-Mart short while ago (WILD there since kids out of school now) and decided would shape front shrubs. bad idea. dragged nice extension cord and power shrub shaper to front of house and got to trimming. suddenly shaper stopped and noticed self was now moving freely about in shrubs and no longer attached to cord. why, you ask?? because self cut right through extension cord ... yes, know was dangerous, Mom, but oh well. embarassment was first feeling as self dragged now two-piece extension cord back into garage. across the street neighbor witnessed incident, I believe, but maybe not as self was only working on shrubs for 15 seconds or so. terribly sad to look at nice extension cord just split like that but at least got one shrub shaped. power tool incident better than Christmas electricity incident when self decided to modify length of white Christmas lights by cutting strand with metal scissors ... lovely spark display but sometimes self just doesn't think things all the way through ...

Smokin' Hot Flashes

no more science blogs ... too boring. still rockin' along with injections, although self has been experiencing one common side effect: hot flashes ... apparently during IVF treatment, intensity of hot flashes is second only to hot flashes associated with menopause. delightful. at times feel smoke is radiating from my person as heat overtakes me ... is not fun by any stretch but not the worst side effect could be experiencing by far. grateful things have been non-dramatic so far. shall see as another injectible med (repronex) still must be added to the regimen ...
did not rebelliously use power tools today ... became self-conscious as shrubs self was going to trim with power tool are in front yard. afraid might lose control of power tool and have neighbors rushing over as self accidentally shaped shrubs into mickey mouse. opted instead for a lovely swim in inflatable pool. very relaxing despite constant threatening chatter by nearby squirrels ... have paranoid fear they will attack me one day as I lay defenseless on raft. have heard they can be mean creatures ...

Science and Power Tools

ok, all systems go for IVF after this morning's appt. very exciting as am in new territory; however must be cautiously optimistic as cycle could still be cancelled right up until the transfer of embryos into self's lovely uterus. possible reasons for cancellation you ask?? 1. poor response to ovarian stimulation by injectible meds (defined to be fewer than three or four follicles ... follicles are the little "house" for the eggs, and not to be an overachiever or anything, but I already have 9 on my right ovary and 6 on my left) 2. ovarian hyperstimulation ... just opposite of #1 and can lead to very,very swollen ovaries and hospitalization in rare cases. 3. premature LH surge ... LH surge triggers release of eggs from the follicles and doctors MUST get to eggs BEFORE release ... i.e. premature LH surge equals BAD THING and, finally, 4. abnormal estradiol (estrogen) response ... self has no idea what this means.
so planet of IVF continues to be opportunity for LOTS of learning and boring scientific blogs but oh well ... if super smart scientist happens upon modest blog and spots glaring error please refrain from writing me about it. thanks!
***must take moment as has been awhile and thank you ALL for continuing to read this little blog as well as e-mail me, etc. to see how things are going. self feels very, very grateful to have such wonderful friends and family ... and as for self's knight in shining armor?? absolutely no words to express gratitude as continue to be amazed by knight ... provides non-stop understanding, patience, laughter, unselfishness, optimism and of course, support. IVF is team sport and knight is going through it just as much as self, even if in slightly different way. thank God for him every day ...
next appt: Friday morning but certain will write before that as have plans to use power tools in front yard tomorrow ... not normally allowed to use power tools but aforementioned knight in shining armor is out of town. hmmmmm......

Day to Day to Day to Day

have had wonderful day in backyard mowing the grass, cleaning out the koi pond, cutting back shrubs, etc ... is nice to be outside in the morning before jungle heat takes over. despite self's almost fall into grass clippings graveyard just beyond small picket fence, all was well.
still feeling pretty good as continue IVF meds. as usual, small injections have gotten annoying but that's about it. ultrasound/bloodwork appointment in morning and will be day to day from here on out ... VERY tentative retrieval date is in one week but at this point anything goes ... cycle could still be cancelled at any time for variety of reasons. will discuss in tomorrow's blog as must re-research topic. expect MANY trips to Mobile in next few days ...

Forward March

all is still well ... cyst was aspirated with very little discomfort. no delicate way to describe procedure ... large ultrasound-guided needle inserted through vaginal wall to drain cyst. sounds much worse than actual experience, especially since wonderful doctor numbed the area. feel numbing medicine has surely worn off by now but still feel fine. cannot speak highly enough of doctor and nurses in Mobile. absolutely amazing ...
ok, so on we go to next part of IVF cycle ... here I must correct myself from a few days ago. Lupron injections will continue all the way through IVF cycle, not stop as I originally thought ... tonight have added Gonal-F injections to the mix (one injection in morning and one in evening) which will stimulate ovaries to produce lots of follicles (eggs.) will return to Mobile Tuesday morning for ultrasound and bloodwork. frequency of trips will greatly increase as doctor will very closely monitor follicles from now to retrieval ...
on we go on our little planet of infertility ...

Queen of Cysts

ok, unpredictability of IVF still very much intact ... appointment went fine today. have cyst on left ovary but will have needle aspiration done tomorrow morning to drain cyst and current IVF cycle WILL continue. really great news and very unexpected after seeing cyst on ultrasound this morning. needle aspiration procedure takes around 2 minutes and is in-office procedure. no worries ... may experience discomfort (hello, large needle) but will be short-lived. will most likely begin next phase of IVF injections tomorrow night. and so it goes ...

Hit By Eighteen Wheeler

very tired today, as if eighteen wheeler hit self, backed up and did it again ... am 14 days into Lupron shots so definitely to be expected. trying to downplay tomorrow in my mind but will be very big day ... mind distracted at present by Anthony and a friend of his playing the brand new NCAA football Playstation 2 game. thank God for sports and games, right??

Reproductive Endocrinology 101

Ok, I thought I would use tonight's blog to review the (maybe) upcoming portion of IVF. Right now, I'm finishing up Lupron, which is used to prevent the pituitary gland from interfering with ovarian function during ovarian stimulation. This basically means the pituitary gland is out of commision ... in other words, it won't send any signals to the ovaries to release eggs. This is all done so that the doctors are able to retrieve the mature eggs BEFORE they're released from the ovaries, a very crucial part of IVF. The next step is the bloodwork/ultrasound appointment on Thursday morning. This will be a big step as it will determine if we continue this cycle. Specifically they'll be looking for ovarian cysts which could throw off the whole cycle, but assuming we get the green light to continue on, I'll stop Lupron and start a drug called Gonal-F. This is still a daily injection, but it's part of the stimulation portion of IVF. This is the part where the drugs are used to stimulate your ovaries to produce as many eggs as they can. Approximately 5-8 days after beginning Gonal-F, I'll begin Repronex (also a daily injection.) These drugs are used in conjunction with each other because one contains FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and one contains a combination of FSH and LH (luteinizing hormone.)
Ok, I know all of this is incredibly foreign to most people, so here's the quick summary: Thursday is a huge day ... either we'll stop or continue IVF. If we continue, I'll take drugs to stimulate my ovaries to produce a LOT of eggs. The end.

Out of Control

DO NOT mean this personally, but weather channel people are completely OUT OF CONTROL!! saw footage of Jim Cantore last night wearing swim goggles and standing on the beach as Hurricane Dennis roared in ... what is wrong with these people?? in middle of his broadcast a tiny cloth came into view wiping rain off the camera lens ... have mercy. of course on flip side of coin, what is wrong with self as weather channel viewing lasted most of yesterday? can't help but be sucked into frenzy, a frenzy which will likely remain as tropical wave is now in picture. will be Hurricane Emily if becomes a named storm. why not call it Hurricane Extra Dangerous??
Lupron bleed continues ...

Hurricane Preparedness

feel obligated to take a moment to share a few things self has learned during hurricane preparedness ... first (and brace yourselves here), the moon is set to explode in six months. yes, it is ... was able to speed-read this little morsel of info from a tabloid yesterday while in line at wal-mart. second, always wear gloves while handling plywood ... prevents spending time digging out splinters. third, exercise LOTS of patience with weather channel people as they are whipped into frenzy by current weather situation. bear with them as they say things like, "will rain continue to affect the midwest over the weekend? stay with us and find out after the break." no need to scream "WHO CARES ABOUT THE MIDWEST??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" at tv as self is more interested in finding out how far west hurricane-force rain and wind will reach ... finally, best not to voice OUT LOUD self's fear that koi pond may develop mini hurricane during storm, causing fish to be thrown onto land and die. won't happen ... at least husband waited until he was out of the room to laugh.

Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season

Dennis has now become overachieving Category 4 hurricane with winds around 145 mph ... should be in the Gulf soon and will have better idea of its track in next 24 hours or so ... have plywood if decide to stay and full tank of gas and place to go if decide to evacuate ... watching and waiting.
in meantime have had wonderful event in IVF world ... usually 7-10 days after beginning Lupron injections one gets (male readers avert your eyes) the "lupron bleed." never had this happen last time as had cyst that threw whole cycle off ... however, today find self in beginning of lupron bleed (like a period) and am very excited! know sounds gross but is hopeful sign that all is progressing normally and perhaps cycle will be cyst-free ...

Shout Out to Dennis

hello, hurricane dennis!! is category three at the moment and who knows where it's going. went to grocery store for supplies today ... enterprising employees construct delightful displays this time of year ... almost makes being hit by a hurricane seem fun. big coolers, food on the grill, festive paper cups and plates, etc. can see self sitting outside no electricity home grilling delicious meals whilst serving canned beans, canned vienna sausages and bottled water to neighbors if dennis comes here. keeping close eye on things ...
day 8 of lupron in the books. still doing fine ... trying not to look too far ahead and only focusing on july 14.
frogs still being exceptionally bold ... as trying to respect all of God's creatures will say no more than that.

*$&%*#@*&^ Frogs

(Update: radio ghost completely OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
many happenings since last entry ... Tropical Storm Cindy roared in early this morning, leaving over 5 inches of rain at our house ... yes, as always, horny frogs accompanied rain ... self thought ahead of the game and covered the pond well before bed last night but alas, no good. around 4 AM heard freakishly loud mating call (loudest ever) so quietly left bedroom for guest room across house and FAR away from love pond ... found someone already in guest room (husband) so moved into other guest room with mary and hope ... self and self's husband investigated pond situation this AM and discovered frogs have become VERY bold ... found HUGE frog "coupled up" with other frog friend ON TOP OF pond covering ... self has been outsmarted by horny frogs ... very depressing thought.
on IVF front, am at end of 7th day of Lupron injections ... still feeling pretty good except for being tired. self is willing ovaries not to grow cysts but shall see ... in meantime, am very much enjoying new infertility book written by two women who have actually been through all of this. very funny and honest.
sweet Hopie has been to the vet today ... has allergy problems so have now spent small fortune for antihistamine, antibiotic to treat skin infection, medicated shampoo, medicated conditioner, and skin treatment to eliminate flea issues ... money well spent as she's our baby.
weather channel meteorologist still in town as Hurricane (?) Dennis now heads our way ... very exciting but is still days away. lots can still happen.

Cindy and Dennis

ah, the excitement of hurricane season ... tropical storm Cindy (but possibly on her way to being a weak hurricane?) is en route to our fair coast and dennis is close behind ... very exciting as mike seidel (of the weather channel) is in Biloxi just outside Treasure Bay casino ... plan mini-trip to beach for autograph.
not great day with radio ghost AT ALL -- got inspection sticker for car today ... was out of car with motor running and driver side door open assisting (holding bulb) mechanic with replacing rear brake light ... suddenly Van Halen was BLARING across the garage with numerous mechanics staring at me and my possessed car ... very mortifying but at least michael will be proud ...
IVF schedule moving along ... finished birth control pills last night and continuing lupron shots ...9 more days of shots til ultrasound ...

Redneck Pet Parents

continuing Lupron injections, still with no problems ... big test will be July 14 ultrasound to check for ovarian cysts ... is point where IVF cycle was cancelled last time so should be interesting how it goes ...
have enjoyed beautiful afternoon in inflatable pool with Anthony, Mary and Hope (our border collie) ... Hopie took to a raft and floated around for a bit ... Mary loves to swim but as pool is three feet deep she is unable to stand up ... she swam some then we became redneck pet parents ... self and self's husband sunk a canvas fold-out chair in pool so she could stand up. good grief. expect jeff foxworthy to be calling anytime now.