Trial Transfer, Lupron, Birth Control...

There is alot I want to discuss in this post! Mainly for me to look back and read. I want to remember everything I possibly can about this unique and incredible experience!


I went in yesterday morning at 11am for my Trial Transfer! It went really well. Dr. Ke said I seemed very nervous... And I am! Especially since just minutes before we had paid a whole lot of money! I am also extremely excited! This is the most amazing thing to get to experience! While infertility is definitely not something I would ever want anyone to have to face, I am so blessed to be able to go through with this IVF procedure. I cannot wait to see God's plan for our life unfold! Tonight is my last night of birth control pills. It has been 3 weeks since we started our down regulation cycle and in just 3 more weeks we will be doing the egg retrieval and embryo transfer! It is really going by fast and I cannot believe it! Well, for those of you who do not know about a trial transfer.. let me explain! The trial transfer is a "practice run" for the embryo transfer. An empty transfer catheter is passed into the uterus just as it is when my embryos are ready to be returned to me. It allows the doctor to prepare for my transfer in order to increase chances of a successful outcome. In my case, everything went smoothly and there was not any unique instructions. Everything has just fallen into place! I can truely see God's hand in this and it makes me feel very much at peace!

The Lupron injections are going very well! So far no major side effects. Just a few headaches, but I am thinking that is mainly from the birth control pills. I have felt completely great! For those of you who do not really know what Lupron is or what it does to my body... It down-regulates ("shuts down" or "suppresses") the hypothalamic-pituitary control centers of the brain to prevent premature ovulation (release of oocytes). I give myself these injections in my stomach every night until the egg retrival. Right now they are taken alone, but around September 2nd, I will be adding another shot in my stomach along with Lupron. This shot will be my stimulation drug called Gonal-F. Next Tuesday morning (August 31) I go in at 7:30am for an ultrasound and blood work. This will be my initial blood work and ultrasound since I started the cycle 3 weeks ago.

Please continue to lift Robbie, Ryder, and myself up in prayer. We greatly appreciate all the prayers! God is SO great! Robbie and I had been richly blessed so far throughout this experience! Lord Willing in about 6 weeks we will know if we have a precious miracle on the way!

Lupron!

Well, I started my Lupron shot tonight! It was not bad at all. I am doing 10units right now every night! I am sure eventually my stomach will be sore, but the shot is very similar to the Follistim shots I took last year! I am so glad to finally have one shot down! This is flying by!

Injection Teaching

Robbie and I had our injection teaching yesterday! We also went over our whole IVF protocol. I did not have to give myself a shot during the teaching session yesterday because I have already done shots on myself before. Robbie did give me a shot in my booty though! It was not that bad at all. I just hope I can remember which needles go with which medication and what dose of each medication I am supposed to take... ALOT of things to remember! I start the Lupron shots Sunday night! Lord willing in about 5 weeks we will know if we are expecting a precious miracle! Please continue to pray for us and our journey! Keep checking back for more updates.

My medicine!

My medicine arrived FedEX this morning from Freedom Fertility Pharmacy! Robbie and I have injection teaching Thursday, which I am scared to death about. But it will be okay. I start Lupron injections Sunday! And in about 2 weeks I will start the gonadotrophin injections followed by Progesterone in ethyl oleate! I am getting nervous, but so peaceful about this and excited all at the same time! For my own personal record.. This batch of medicine costs us $168.78. Not bad... considering I got the Gonal-F and Ovidrel for free! We got accepted for a Compassionate Care program through our IVF clinic that allowed us to get one round of IVF gonadotrophin medication for no cost! That is amazing! 300IU of Gonal-F runs around 400... And I Have 2700IU... so you are talking thousands that we save! God is so GREAT and we are amazed at how His presence has definitely been in this entire process the whole way through. I cannot wait to see what the rest of our journey entails and what the Lord has in store for our family! We are so gracious and blessed to be able to be going through with this process!

Let's Get Started!

So today I started my cycle (2 days later than I originally thought I would start, but it does not really mess with my scheduling really at all).

Here is my timeline of scheduled events to take place over the next month or so!

Monday, August 2 ~ Started my cycle
Wednesday, August 4 ~ Start Birth Control Pills (for 21 days)
Thursday, August 19 ~ Injection Teaching and Consent forms due. Also, payment is due. 3pm
Sunday, August 22 ~ Start Lupron
Monday, August 23 ~ Trial Transfer at 11am
Tuesday, August 24 ~ Take last Birth Control Pill
Wednesday, August 25 ~ Pap Smear
Tuesday, August 31 ~ Blood work and Baseline ultrasound at 7:30am
Friday or Saturday, September 3 or 4 ~ Start ovulation injection meds
Week of September 13 ~ Egg retrieval

PLEASE continue to pray for us as we are now officially starting the process! We are so excited and cannot wait to see our journey unfold before us in the next few months!

Provera

So tonight I took my 3rd pill of Provera. It is a 10 day medication, so Lord Willing next Wednesday I should take my last one, start my cycle a few days later (Probably Saturday the 31st) and get this show on the road! Please keep us in your prayers over the next 8 to 12 weeks. God has worked amazing wonders so far throughout this journey and everything just seems to be falling into place!

Tips

UPDATE: In 5 days I will start Provera! This medicine is used to induce my cycle. I should start my cycle around July 30/31st.. which will begin my downregulation IVF cycle!

I am the type of person who researches everything! I think I have probably read just about every forum for fertility or IVF that there is out there. Not to mention I come across various blogs regularly of couples who are in the same boat as me and Robbie. So, lately I have been reading suggestions or hints on different areas in the IVF cycle. The egg retrieval and embryo transfer mainly. These are some tips I have found from doctors and other women who have done IVF:

~Drink a glass of milk every day.
~Drink a glass of pineapple juice or eat a cup of fresh pineapple every day starting with egg retrieval. (I have read this several places and believe me... the week of my egg retrieval don't be coming to Oakland Walmart or Kroger to find pineapple! There won't be any due to it being at my house!LOL)
~Eat a handful of almonds everyday starting with egg retrieval day.
~No chocolate, soft drinks, junk food, caffeine.
~No swimming, baths, sexual intercourse, bouncing activities (aerobics), sunbathing, hot tubs, exercising, housework (especially vacuuming), and heaving lifting.

One thing I really hope to do is be able to be awake for the egg retrieval and watch it on the screen. I also want to keep the petri dish my babies grow in if Dr. Ke will let me have it!

We are just so ready to begin this process. I am looking forward to it and experiencing it. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!