Luck of the Irish

After the transfer on March 4, we waited for 2 weeks and it felt like torture.  On Saint Patty's Day we were able to take our pregnancy test! We are so excited to say that we are expecting our first baby in November!!!!

Thank you for your love and support!

xoxo

We have arrived!

It happened! I'm sorry I left you all in the lurch last week so let me rewind and give you an idea of how the trigger and transfer went. So at last we met, I had been for monitoring on Monday morning and the eggys weren't quite ready. I've got to admit that as we drew closer to the trigger I progressively felt more and more yucky.  I guess since my ovaries were so enlarged and stimulated it translated into feeling wildly bloated, nauseous and icky! We went back to Delaware on Tuesday morning and by 4pm that afternoon we had big news...

TRIGGER TIME!

So at 12:15 Tuesday night, Matt gave me a giant needle full of Progesterone in my bum! It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated and after 36 hours of waiting we headed to RAD for my retrieval. Now, Adrienne gave me the strict orders to stay off the internet and not read anything about IVF cycles and to DEFINITELY not post on any forums..so I didn't. I went into the retrieval without any outside opinions. They put me partially under, in a twilight state...I wish I would have been knocked out completely, because to put it lightly, the retrieval sucked. Bad. I had a tender spot on my left ovary and Adrienne could tell, even with me under, that it bothered me so she did the whole procedure and saved that for the end. Of course that is the part I remember. It felt like an eternity, but apparently it only lasted a minute or so!

With the retrieval under our belts, we found out that I produced 21 eggs! And you all thought I was being dramatic about being a hen!  Of the 21, 16 were mature. This means that 5 of the eggs were unable to be fertilized.  On Thursday afternoon the lab fertilized my 16 eggs with a fresh sample that Matt (obviously) gave them that morning.  RAD uses a fertilization technique called ICSI(intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, a process that involves injecting a single sperm into each egg) as opposed to putting some sperm in a dish with an egg and letting them battle it out.  Something worked, because by Friday we had 14 embryos (embyBROS as Matt calls them) and on Sunday during the 3 day check we still had 14 healthy babies in training.  Yesterday we went for the transfer.  In the morning we had 5 "beautiful"(Adrienne's word) embryos.  By the time we arrived at RAD at 2pm, we had 7 embyBros for freezing!  Doctors say that of the fertilized embryos that survive to day 3, 40-60% will survive to transfer/freezing.  The lab also rechecks the embryos on day 6.  So with all of that being said, we hit the 50% mark on day 5 and then Adrienne texted this morning to let me know that we sent 3 more to the freezer! 10 embryos in the freezer! And don't forget the transfer was yesterday, so of our 16 mature eggs, 14 fertilized and 11...11 survived! We are over the moon!

Ok, so the transfer was by far the easiest part of this entire process. We went in around 2 and walked out around 3...after they made me lay flat for 45 minutes!  Adrienne came in before hand to show us a picture of our little embybro that was being transferred.  She said it was beautiful and that she couldn't have asked for more from this cycle. We have a picture of the embryo for the fridge...is that weird?  After my 24 hours bed rest, I am ready to head back to work and stay busy...no pregnancy test for a while! I will post the picture of the little embybro later in another post and we can talk about all it's beautiful traits!

That's enough for now!
xoxo

Halfway there!

We are over a week into this experience and things are progressing well. I feel pretty good, like a hen sitting on a nest. :) Seriously though, aside from a bit of nausea, I feel ok. I spent last week going back and forth from Marlton and staying with friends. I am so lucky to have them in my life and to have been allowed a place in their home, but it is nice to be home.  We went to RAD for monitoring on Saturday and Sunday and the eggys aren't quite ready. I had a small spike in estrogen over the weekend, but it is back under control and after being monitored this morning, the docs think that trigger will be soon. It's so hard to pin down though, so we'll see.

Matt continues to be absolutely ameezing. I am seriously so lucky to have him in my life. On Saturday he set out all my meds for me and he has been taking such good care of me! How did I get so lucky?

As things get closer to the finish line, I can't thank everyone enough for their support and love.  We are very excited to continue on to the next step!

CLUCK! CLUCK!

Love is in the Air!

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend! Happy President's Day! Happy Birthday Matthew Francis!!! What a busy weekend! Oh...did I forget to mention Happy Let's Get on the Baby Cooking Train Weekend! ? hehe, we are officially TTC via IVF. This is really happening! I am so happy, we are so excited and to be honest, so far, it isn't so bad.

We had a huge let down from FedEx last week, our meds were late! They arrived on Tuesday night at 6, but Matt's work closes at 5...so we couldn't have the meds until Wednesday...AFTER our med training appointment! I was a very angry elf! I am typically very patient and understanding...but oh nay nay...not towards Cynthia at FedEx!

So once all of the medication drama was settled (By Walgreen's, who are amazing!!! Shout out to Casey!) I organized all of the medication that we have for the cycle. Stim meds, Post Retrieval meds, sharps container, vitamins...the whole shebang!

There is so much and honestly, it is a bit (read:a lot) overwhelming! I seriously wouldn't be able to get through this without Matt. He has been so ameezing! 

When it was med time on Friday, I had my very first panic attack. It was about injecting myself. Matt was able to calm me down by patting my arm and shooshing me...so simple, but I'm sure he'd be the only one able to do so.  Matt is very adamant about me injecting myself because I am staying with friends this week who live near my monitoring facility.  He won't be able to help with the injections at all!  So far, so good! Kelly has offered to help if necessary, but tonight went smoothly and hopefully the week will be good!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I gave Matt what I thought to be a romantic gift....

"Matt- Over the last 10 years you have supported me, loved me and been my (insert gift 1).  As we start this next chapter in our love story, I know you will be (insert gift 2). Thank you for being mine. Happy Valentine's Day! (insert gift 3). xoxo Roni"

Gift 1-Anchorman Calendar

Gift 2- Superman tshirt

Gift 3- I Love You, Man movie

Clever? Yes? Romantic? Wellll, not as much so as the card Matt gave me. It made me cry..and the Pandora charms that completed this little ditty.

I am so lucky to have this guy by my side as we begin this journey.  Thank you everyone for the support! It means the world!

xoxo

que sera sera

Oh hey there.  The marathon of appointments on Tuesday went really well.  There was a lot of information, and we were there forever...but I feel so good about everything! Like I can finally feel excited, or cautiously optimistic at least.  We have our med training and baselines on Wednesday and then the meds start on Friday! AHHHHH it's here! My focus right now is being healthy, and relaxed. Que Sera, Sera. There is only so much we can do from here on out. I am staying away from the internet as much as possible! :) no forums, no posts. I am focused on relaxing. Yoga, reading for pleasure, shopping! All things that calm me!

Matt and I went to breakfast at the Batter this morning, they officially invited me back for the summer! I had no doubt that they would, but it is still nice to be asked. I love working there. The people there have become a family to me and I can't wait to get back...soon.

Gearing Up!

Just a little check in. It's been a while, but things have been quiet.  We have our first appointment tomorrow morning. Barb is going along because Matt has to work. Tomorrow's day starts at 9 and will go alllll morning into lunch. We have ALOT to cover! I'm starting to feel anxious.  Have you ever wanted something so badly? You would do anything, give anything to have it? We've arrived there. Matt and I want this. We are so ready to have a family of our own, to start a new chapter.

Sorry, that got serious. Another post to follow. Tomorrow, maybe Wednesday. I leave you with a little laugh. xoxo

Step By Step (oooh baby)

We heard from the insurance company yesterday. They accepted our request for IVF!  We are fully authorized for the February cycle. The number is good until May of this year...what does this mean? I dunno. I'll have to ask my coordinator.  Things are even realer now! :)  

I have my monitoring appointments scheduled for February 18-21. Carla (the coordinator at Del Val Genetics and Infetility) told me that they don't start monitoring until 630 (I swear this is not true. I didn't make up the idea that they start at 6!) So I will have to suck it up for that one week.  It's only a max of 6 days with a weekend in between, so it won't be too bad.  The next thing is the meds...I need to figure out a schedule. That's the next thing on our list to tackle. OMG. We are so excited!!!!

PS: I love Oprah. And I love using her to express emotions...so I'm not even mad about her 2x appearance this week...are you?

The question will be....are you fat or pregnant?

If I don't watch myself.

Ok, dramatic....well, I gained 7 pounds over the Christmas holiday. Seriously? Who does that? Ugh. How obnoxious. Oh well, back to the grind today. We went shopping this weekend and filled the house with healthy choices and I did a ton of prep work for crock pot meals and lunches...so hopefully it helps...I think the scale was the kick in the butt I needed!

In other news...I had a nice long talk with Dorri from RAD on Friday.  We talked about our upcoming cycle and the important dates. And while we are waiting for the final approval from the insurance, we planned some things out. And so it begins...February 4th! This will be a day full of appointments. Matt can't make it, so mad props to my Mama for agreeing to come along! 

Moootha!

Our next appointment will be during the week of the 10th...probably the 12th. This appointment will include a baseline ultrasound and med training...at which point, Matt will be taught all about sticking me with needles. (ummm? really?) The official cycle will begin on, none other than, Valentine's Day! I'll start my meds and have my first ultrasound on the 17th, Matt's birthday! I'll have the first ultrasound at RAD. Then I will have 4 days of monitoring at the facility in Marlton that I talked about in my previous post. I thought I would be lucky and able to be monitored in Vineland, but in order to have same day blood work and an ultrasound I'll have to go to Marlton. It's ok, because I have a friend who lives close by and we worked it out so that I'll stay with her for my week of monitoring. This way my 6am monitoring is easier to get up for :) I have to work out a few logistics with work, but after 4 days of monitoring in Marlton, I'll be back to RAD for a weekend of monitoring. At this point in the cycle Dr. N will decide if we need 2 more days of monitoring or if we're ready for the retrieval.

From that point, we'll schedule the retrieval and then 5 days later we'll have the TRANSFER!!!

So in other words...

Now listen here. And listen good.  Once the transfer occurs we will know if it has worked 2 weeks later. But don't expect me to jump on the interwebs and scream it from the rooftops...cause that ain't happening. Sorrynotsorry. That is not my style.

Love you. Mean it.

Rambling to follow...#sorryboutit.

So these last few days I've been sick. Off and on fever, sore throat, body aches and just all over yuckiness. So I headed over to Urgent Care, where they ruled out strep and the flu...so who knows what it was! The doctor gave me some medicine and it seems to have worked! I feel so much better! She suggested I take a day off to rest so I did just that! While I rested up I made some phone calls to figure out the logistics of our first IVF cycle.

You see, we live all the way here in CMNJ and unfortunately, we aren't close to anything...except a Walmart...and especially NOT Dr N. at RAD so we have to find a doctor's office who can/will monitor me during the first 12 days of the cycle. (This is the time when I need to go for daily ultrasounds and blood work.  They monitor me until they consider the eggs to be "ready" or mature and then they give me a shot that tells my body to ovulate and then they retrieve and then a few days later they transfer) Anyway, I digress. This first part requires a lot of meds...I mean, a lot.  Like pills and shots and the blood work too. So to add the extra stress of a 2 hour drive to RAD and back again, every day for 10-12 days is not something that I consider to be ideal. So Dr. N suggested I put some calls in to a few doctors "down here" (the closest being 20 minutes away).

So I started there. I called my OBGYN, who I love. Nope sorry, they don't do it. OK. I didn't think they did. So then I called the leading fertility specialists in South Jersey. They have their own "outside monitoring" coordinator! This could be it! My lucky phone call! Well, SJFERT doesn't take insurance for non patients. It's all out of pocket.  They charge a one time 100$ convenience charge, 230$ per ultrasound and 60$ per blood draw! That's almost 300$ plus gas per visit...for 10-12 days! Yeah, sorry. NOOO! We just can't justify that kind of spending this early in the process. My next call was to the High Risk doctor, who I'll have to see anyway once we are pregnant. The nurse there said "there is no way ANY doctor will do that kind of work for another doctor." Ummm, ok Isabel...calm the F down! I didn't ask for your sass!

Finally, I called a clinic in Vineland...which is an HOUR away. They offer outside monitoring. To the best of the front desk lady's knowledge, they take insurance for said monitoring. They have same day blood work. All available in their MARLTON office...which is an hour and 45 minutes away! CURSES! She said they can do the ultrasounds in Vineland but they can't guarantee the blood work everyday. I don't know what that means really...but I left a message for the coordinator and I await her call back. Unfortunately, I think I'll find myself making a lot of trips to DE over the next month...but it will all be worth it. That much I know!

But speaking of trips to DE...I am super stressed out over the amount of days I'll need to take off for this. A day here, a day there. Then 2 more days over here.  It is seriously stressing me out. My hair is falling out! OK not really...but I feel it coming. Once it is all planned out, I will feel better. But right now, I find myself giving Matt extra apologies and stealing a few extra hugs...<3

I leave you with a picture of our littlest fur baby, Eleanor. Who came to us in December.

My New Year's Resolution...?

Happy New Year!!!

So I guess, since I have been nothing short of inactive since May 2013, I should bring the blog up to date with what Matt and I have been up to!  And since I can anticipate a new life journey beginning, perhaps I'll be a bit more committed to updating the blog on the reg..so anyway...

Matt and I have been trying for our first baby since November 2012.  We tried everything you could possibly think of...green tea, Robitussin, vitamins, hanging upside down...you name it...we did it! So after months with no success, I called upon an old friend...the nanny babies' mom, who happens to be a Reproductive Endocrinologist and super woman!  We had our initial appointment, an exam and some blood work.  Everything came back normal. Matt's sperm are in tip top shape. My ovaries and uterus look good. Although my uterus was a bit heart shaped...no big deal.  I also have an incredible amount of eggs! And I get my period regularly! YAY! Except, doc was concerned about the amount of debilitating pain and suffering I go through every month when Flo comes. She suggested a laparoscopic procedure to confirm that Endometriosis was the culprit in my pain and our infertility.  So on December 11, I underwent a minimally invasive procedure where the doctor "cleaned me out" so to speak and while she was in there, she reshaped my uterus!

**heart like this

**not like this

OK! GREAT! What does all of this mean? Well, I have been diagnosed with Stage 3 Endometriosis with severe tubal damage. Dr. N is not confident that we will be able to conceive naturally, and the longer we wait, the more time the Endo will have to grow back...so this means that we will begin our first IVF cycle in February.  It is a very exciting time for Matt and me. We are ready for this next chapter in our love story.  As things get underway, I will try to keep the blog up to date...even though I never anticipated being the girl who put all her bidness out on the interwebs.  A big shoutout to The Bestie for all of her support and love and to the amazing staff at RAD for making this journey (even if it is just the beginning) a smooth sailing and love filled process.

xoxo