Beta #2

My beta today was 864! It more than doubled and looks great! My progesterone was 48.5 which looks good too! They are going to call me Monday and set up my ultrasound. Praising God for a great pregnancy so far!

Beta #1

I went yesterday morning for my first beta blood draw. Dawn, Dr. Ke's nurse, called me around 12:30 to let me know it was POSITIVE! And the actual number is 304! I go back tomorrow to get my second beta blood draw to make sure the numbers are doubling like they should! Thank you for all your prayers! We feel incredibly blessed that this round of IVF was successful!

Transfer

The transfer went well on Tuesday! I haven't blogged because I have been on bedrest. Here is how the transfer went... We got to East Memphis Surgery Center at 9am Tuesday morning. They finally called me back about 9:45. They took my vitals, had me and Rob change into our gowns, and I took my Valium! Dr. Kutteh came and talked to us before the transfer. He was very nice and knowledgeable. We transferred two embryos grade A- ! We were thrilled! The procedure went smooth! No pain! Just uncomfortable because I had to pee really bad! (They want you to have a full bladder for the transfer because they can see the uterine cavity better.) The transfer took about 10-15 minutes and then I laid flat on my back in recovery for 30 minutes before we headed home! I am missing Ry and Mercer like crazy! I know they are having a great time at their grandparents though! They will be back in the morning :) I got a call yesterday morning from the embryologist and they were able to freeze 3! We have been shocked at the outcome of this cycle! Praise be to God for blessing us greatly! They froze one B+ by itself and the other two are Bs and they froze them together. I go back on Thursday, November 20th for a blood pregnancy test! Only 7 more days! I am so excited about Lord Willing adding a member (or two!) to our family! We are praying for positive results next week! We are praising God for blessing us and keeping us safe and just being with us through this entire journey. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Transfer is Tomorrow!

I have to be at East Memphis Surgery Center at 9am tomorrow morning for the transfer at 10am! I need to eat and drink lots of water before I go to have a full bladder and bring my Valium with me! I really wish I could take one tonight because I have a feeling I will not be able to sleep.

I am very nervous... Dr. Kutteh is doing the transfer and I have never met him before because he is not my doctor. And the embryologist didn't look at my embryos today, so I won't know til tomorrow how they look and how many I will have to transfer! I am really hoping and praying that we have two precious babies to transfer!

I am very anxious, but I feel really excited and great about this venture tomorrow! I can't believe the day is finally here to transfer the babies so I can grow them! I pray that they attach and they grow into healthy little babies!

Please continue to lift us up in prayer. We have seen some amazing events happen already through this cycle and we feel very blessed!

I will update tomorrow at some point with the news, Lord willing!

Now... to go get my pineapple cut up for the next 5 days, my socks all ready to keep my feet and uterus warm and cozy, and those walnuts and almonds to eat this week!

Embryo Update

The embryologist called this morning around 9am to let us know all about our 8 babies! Here is the update:

4 are good B+
3 are low grade but still developing 1 C+ and 2 B
The last one quit developing

We are getting to do a 5 day transfer! A definite answered prayer! We really hope and pray that we are able to transfer 2 blastocytes!

The transfer will be Tuesday morning and they will call me Monday with all the information! Now to enjoy a relaxing weekend with my family and church family!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We are still feeling the great power of prayer and we know God is raining down more and more blessings on us through those prayers.

On a different note, Robbie gave me my first progesterone shot last night! It went really well! I am a tiny bit sore today, but no biggie :) Praying I get to do 8 more weeks of those shots to help our babies grow!

Egg Update

The embryologist called to tell me about my precious eggs! Out of the 14 that were retrieved 11 were actually mature. The egg has to be mature in order to fertilize. Out of the 11 that were mature, 8 fertilized! She said she would call me tomorrow to update me on the eggs to tell me which ones made it to the pre-embryo stage (meaning starting to divide in cell number). I am praying I have 2 that make it to the blastocyte stage (8 cells) and I can do a 5-day transfer. I am so glad God is in control of this entire situation and not me! They did to ICSI to fertilize my eggs. ICSI is where they actually inject my egg with the sperm instead of just allowing them to fertilize on its own. Please continue to pray!!!

Egg Retrieval

I went in this morning at 8:30 to East Memphis Surgery Center for my egg retrieval. When I arrived I signed a lot of paper work and paid our last payment. Robbie was called back first to go upstairs and do his thing. Then they called me back and asked me a lot of preliminary questions, had me change into the hospital gown, and got my started on my IV. Robbie came back to the room and we talked, prayed, and took a picture pre-retrieval! Dr. Ke came and talked to me about the procedure (I was so glad my doctor was the one to retrieve the eggs!), the anesthesiologist came and talked to me (the nurse anesthetist even prayed with us!) and then I was transferred to the IVF procedure room. They had me lay down on the table which my thighs in stirrups loosely strapped down so my legs wouldn't fall off the stirrups. I was very comfortable. It was cold, but they gave me the awesome warm blankets! After that I don't remember once they started my "knock out" medicine through my IV! The procedure started around 9:40 and I woke up in recovery around 10:35. I stayed there for 30 minutes never really fully waking up! I got really nauseated and was in pain, so the nurse gave me some pain and nausea medicine through my IV. Plus ginger ale and crackers! They had me go to the bathroom, get dressed, the nurse took my IV out, and wheeled me out to the car. My mom, Robbie, Mercer, and I went to eat at Wendy's. Rob went to work and I rode with my mom to get Ryder from school. I came home and took a 2 hour nap! My mom watched the boys at her house til Robbie got off work. Rob stopped and got pizza and Muddys cupcakes for us to eat for dinner! I am still in a little pain, but I am laying down with the heating pad. It is just uncomfortable to cough or go to the bathroom. 

I definitely appreciate all the prayers and they have been answered so far! 14 eggs were retrieved (6 from my left ovary and 8 from my right) and I will hear tomorrow how many were mature and fertilized! In the meantime, they are in an incubator with their first babysitters at a Fertility Associates of Memphis lab! 

I am taking prednisone and doxycycline for the next 4 days and start progesterone injections tomorrow evening. 

  We would still appreciate your prayers because the next few days and weeks we are still continuing our journey. I ask you to pray for our sweet babies and Lord Willing we will be able to make it to a 5 day transfer with one or two embryos! I will keep you all updated. I will leave you all with a verse from Psalms, "The Lord has done great things for us and our hearts are filled with JOY!" This has been one of my favorite verses throughout this entire experience! I can't wait to Lord Willing share some really great news with you all over the next few days and weeks! Thank you so much again for your thoughts and prayers!

Ultrasound #4 and Bloodwork

Today went so well! I am so excited and I definitely am seeing answered prayers!

Retrieval is THURSDAY! I am officially done with all my stim meds! Tonight I take my HCG trigger shot (5000 units) at 9:30pm. I am supposed to take a home pregnancy test in the morning and if it is positive then the trigger shot worked! If not, I am supposed to call them to let them know. I take a valium at bedtime tomorrow night and I have to be at East Memphis Surgery Center Thursday morning at 8:30 for retrieval at 9:30!

Bloodwork results:
E2 2472 (This amazes me that I am not having to do estrogen patches this time!)
Lining 11.2

Ultrasound results:
I have 9 really great big follicles on my LEFT! I know... I can't believe it either!
And I have around 13 on my right that are between 14-16mm so hopefully they will grow bigger before retrieval. I also have several small ones on both ovaries.

Please continue to pray for us and our precious embryos-to-be! And for a smooth retrieval and that ICSI will go well on Thursday!

Ultrasound #3 and Bloodwork

My appointment yesterday went good! I definitely know that prayers are being answered!

Bloodwork results:
E2 1093

Ultrasound results:
Lining 11.2
I had 3 follicles on my left side measuring 16, 18, and 19mm. And I had several on my right side. At least 5 measuring between 12 and 14mm. My right side definitely produces a lot more than my left. It was such a great feeling seeing all those follicles on my right side and how much they had grown! They are growing slowly but they are growing! I had a friend who is going through a FET right now and she encouraged me with these words, "Slow and steady wins the race!" Dr. Ke wants the right ones to get bigger, so he is having me stim a few more days. I am guessing I probably will not get any retrieved from the left side because those are large now that they will probably pass. I only got 1 from my left side last time as well!

I continue the same dose of 225u Follistim or Gonal-f at night and 75u Menopur and Ganirelix in the morning.

I go back Tuesday morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork!