The Baby Ruth Blog

Monday, February 7, 2011

Quickie Update

Just a quick update... for those of you who are medically minded, the docs are going to be adding in a growth hormone called Omnitrope in two weeks when I start stimming again. Also, they'll be replacing Lupron with Gonarelex (sp?) which will help me not to ovulate before they want me to, but it won't suppress me as much as before. For now, I'm just waiting, waiting, waiting. I put all my medicine away so I can get my mind off of it. I probably won't blog again till I'm up and running. Have a great two weeks!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Banzai

So I went in for my blood/ ultrasound today hoping for really great news. I've been poking myself like a maniac and I'm on the highest protocol the clinic offers. Unfortunately, my body has not responded as hoped. My follicle count was really low--2 on the right and 4 on the left. (A normal response would be a least double or triple this amount). Dr. B suggested that we stop right now and start over again next month after I get a cycle in hopes that maybe I could produce more follicles. This could be a bad month. He said if I don't get more, we would just press on and hope for the best. When there are so few eggs, it just doesn't give them a lot to work with. The term for my status is "diminished ovarian reserve" which seems to be more and more common. I actually know three other women experiencing something similar.

Breaking news...just got a phone call from the nurse with my estrodial, which was 134. Also, they have discussed my case and come up with something a little different. They want me to take the Menopur (one of the stims) for 2 more days so my eggs keep growing, then do a trigger shot on Feb.5th. This will give them more control over when I ovulate so they know when to start me out on medicine next month.

While all of this is super frustrating, all I can do is try to trust the Lord in His perfect timing. I don't put a lot of stock in numbers because it only takes one good egg. It's just the waiting that kills me sometimes. I hope this is building LOTS of character in me. I think of myself as a banzai tree getting clipped into an interesting little shape right now. When you're getting pruned, it is no fun being the tree, but it's worth it in the end! Here's the passage that comes to mind...

John 15:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

IVF Update

My suppression check was on Thursday the 27th. Everything went smoothly. The lining was thin and I had just a couple of small visible follicles. There were no cysts or polyps, thank goodness. I had blood drawn and later got a call that my estrogen was 15, which is nice and low. They gave me the ok to start the stimulating hormones. I'm on the highest dose because they want to make sure I get a good response this time. When I did IVF two years ago, my doses were lower and my results were below average (and no baby obviously). I'll do 2 vials of Menopur in the mornings and 300 IU's of Follistim in the evenings. I'll continue on Lupron as well, but they have reduced my dose to 5 units down from 10.

Thanks so much to those of you who have sent me messages. I have really appreciated so much support and enthusiasm about this new adventure!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Tropical Moments

Just checking in...everything is running smoothly so far. I'm finished with the 3 weeks of b/c pills and have been doing Lupron shots the last week along with aspirin, prenatals, doxycycline and dexamethasone. The Lupron is administered in tiny little shots in my belly each night--nothing painful or scary. I have Bryan give them to me while I close my eyes though just in case. My suppression check is on Thursday the 27th and then I'll be starting the stimulating hormones if all looks well. The only side effects so far are major "tropical moments" as the next generation up from me likes to call them! I have woken up in a sweat on more than one occasion in the past week. Maybe if I'm really creative, I can imagine myself on this fabulous white sand beach. ahhh!

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Year, New IVF Calendar

Happy New Year! Here we go again, moving forward with IVF. Tomorrow I start the bc pills. I'm focused and alert this time, so no mess-ups! ORM emailed us a brand new calendar today, which gives all of the details, so we know what to expect. Looks like Jan 27th will be the suppression check, then the retrieval will be sometime the week of Feb 9th. Approximately 5 days later will be the embryo transfer. We would love your prayer support for God's timing here and peace in the midst of this journey. As you can imagine, the waiting is the roughest part. It's a lot like being a kid on Christmas morning. I just opened a card from my friend Gretchen and she reminded me of a wonderful quote (perfect timing, thank you friend!)

" Nothing is wasted in God's economy: The events leading up to a miracle are just as significant as the miracle itself" ~ Marlinda Ireland

Thursday, December 23, 2010

This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?

They're here! The drugs are here! I'll be swallowing, mixing and getting poked very soon. However, I have had a minor set-back (again) because my brain was not working. Somehow I thought that I put the birth control pills I was supposed to be taking in my pill box and had been taking them every night with my vitamins. WELL, not so much. I missed 6 whole days. After a minor freak-out, I called the doctor and he got me in the next day (last Sunday) for blood work and an ultra sound. That night, he had me do a trigger shot to make sure I ovulated. By next weekend, Aunt Flo should arrive and I'm supposed to call the clinic. My nurse will then have me start taking the pill again and get me a new calendar. It's looking like February is going to be the big month now!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone!!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Injections Class

Yesterday we attended a training session on how to administer the injectible medications. Overall, I liked the class. The nurses were super nice and helpful. We got to practice our poking on little plastic things that represent bellies and backsides. I feel ready! I suppose it helps that I've done this before and know what to expect. The shots are not exactly fun, but I'm so looking forward to getting this process underway. This is making me tough!

Our Infertility Journey

Like many young couples, we thought that we would decide it was time to have a baby and it would just magically happen. We were the "perfect" ages..in our mid twenties, and we had been married for 3 years. It's embarrasing to admit, but I was so excited, I even bought some miniature Baby Ruth candy bars to hand out for when we would make our big announcement to friends and family! (Cute, huh?)

Well, after a year or so we began to worry. We were both tested and the doctors could find nothing wrong with either of us. I had a history of bad mentrual cramps, so I requested a laparoscopy to search for endometriosis, and nothing was found. We went through a couple years of the unsettling diagnosis of unexplained infertility, were treated with Clomid and underwent five unsuccessful IUI’s.

In the Fall of ‘07, we began to see a reproductive endocrinologist. After making sure that Bryan was tested more thoroughly and finding that he was very healthy indeed, our doctor performed another laparoscopy on me, and he found stage-two endometriosis. Because the clinic was outside of our medical insurance network, we had to pay for the procedure out of pocket. The specialist felt that after the laser procedure, we should have a good chance of conceiving naturally, so we knew that we were making an important investment. Unfortunately, many months of trying to conceive passed and nothing happened.

In May of ’08 I followed my dream of starting a support group for women who were going through a similar journey. It had been a long, hard, lonely five years as a barren woman! Through the support of our church, I was able to find eight other women who desperately needed someone to talk to. It has been a miraculous, life changing experience to have this group to laugh and cry with. We have come a long ways emotionally and spiritually together and have become great friends.

With the encouragement of the support group, we started to consider IVF. Our specialist felt that this was a very logical next step as well. After months of praying and discussing the financial side, we scheduled our IVF for October 2008. We decided that we would take out a loan from our home equity to cover some of the expenses. The doctor was able to harvest ten eggs, five of which fertilized. In the end, he transferred two six-day blastocyst embryos, and we all felt very confident! Despite so many things going for us, the babies did not implant and our dreams of becoming parents were crushed once again.

Just recently, in the Spring of 2010, we began seeing a new specialist and had some more tests done. Thankfully, an ultrasound helped the doctor discover a tiny polyp on my uterus that needed to be removed. After surgery, the biopsy revealed endometrial hyperplasia, a condition when left untreated can result in cancer of the uterus. We are so thankful that it was caught before it could cause trouble. To treat this condition, I was prescribed with a three-months of progesterone. With one month down and two to go, we are certainly looking forward to the next step in our journey.

I hope that by sharing this, we can connect with our friends and family on a deeper level. I know that many have been concerned, but not known how to show their love and support for us. It's a difficult subject, but if there's anything I've learned, it is to be open and honest, not ashamed. When we share our hearts, we can reach out and encourage others. If you have read this and struggle with infertility, or another battle, don't be afraid to talk to someone about it. Life is a roller coaster ride, but we're all on it together, so buckle up and let's go!