A Bug Odyssey: a journey through infertility: So THAT'S how it works!

July 25, 2010

So THAT'S how it works!

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A little ditty...

... 'bout Jack and Diane...

This blog is about 'Mrs. Buggy's' journey through infertility: a crushing diagnosis (MFI and b.a.l.a.n.c.e.d. r.e.c.i.p.r.o.c.a.l t.r.a.n.s.l.o.c.a.t.i.o.n.), a miraculous pregnancy despite all odds, only to end in loss at 12w5d, a D&C, laproscopic surgery, and the seemingly never ending wait to undergo IVF, ICSI, and PGS.

Join me for my daily rantings as I try to put a little faith in ART, to have patience with my family and friends, and to navigate the daily bullshit that is infertility.

We've been trying to conceive for over 3 years, and now we're waiting on a February 24 due date after a successful cycle #2 of fertility treatments (IVF with PGS) in June 2011.

Excuse the language and rantings - and remember: infertility causes stress, it's not the other way around.

ivfbuggy@gmail.com

IVF+PGS Cycle #2

2011

IVF+PGS #2: Short "Flare" Protocol

 April: Follow-up appointment to discuss previous cycle attempt

 May 3: Appointment to orientate new protocol

 May 5: Back on the acupuncture bandwagon

~ Here We Go AGAIN: IVF|ICSI|PGS Cycle #2 ~

 May 12: Acupuncture

 CD18-24, May 14 - May 20:

Marvelon, once daily for 7 days

 CD23, May 19: Acupuncture for both DH & I

 CD25, May 21: Start Lupron, 0.2cc, twice daily

 CD27, May 23: Add to Lupron:

(am) Menopur 150i.u.

(pm) Bravelle 225i.u.

 CD30, May 26: Acupuncture

 CD31, May 27: e2 = 317pmol/L

(stim day 5) No changes to doses.

 CD34, May 30: e2= 989pmol/L

(stim day 8)

L= 5 follicles measuring 11-13mm; 2 follicles measuring 10mm; 1 cyst 15mm

R= 3 follicles measuring 10-12mm; 1 cyst 21mm

(am)225iu Menopur

(pm)225iu Bravelle

 CD36, June 1: e2= 3,182pmol/L

(stim day 10)

L=4 measuring above 17mm

R=2 measuring above 17mm

FUCK! Now we're down to 6?!

 CD37, June 2: 10,000iu hCG 'Trigger'; Acupuncture

 CD39, June 4: Egg retrieval. 10 eggies! WOOT!

 CD40, June 5: Fertilization report - 9 mature; 6 of those fertilized

 CD42, June 7: PGS Biopsy Date

 CD43, June 8: Acupuncture; HPTs negative - no more trigger in my system

 CD44, June 9: Transfer 1 Grade 5BB blast; no frosties; Acupuncture

 CD55, June 21: First beta: 496

 CD62, June 28: Second beta: 7283

We're Officially Pregnant! HOLY SHITBALLS!

 9w0d, July 22:

FHR=174bpm

 10w4d, August 2: BP=112/73 | HR=124bpm

 12w3d, August 15: BP=114/70 | HR=122bpm

FHR=160bpm

 15w4d, September 6: Midwife Appt. #1

BP=122/66 | HR = 110bpm | total wt. gain = 5lbs

FHR=156bpm

 16w5d, September 14: Midwife Appt. #2

BP=124/60 | HR = 108bpm | total wt. gain = 4.5lbs

FHR=150bpm

 18w6d, September 29: Fetal Anatomy Scan

 21w5d, October 19: Midwife Appt. #3

BP=122/70 | HR = 109bpm | total wt. gain = 10.0lbs

FHR=153bpm

 24w3d, November 7: 3D Ultrasound

 25w6d, November 17: Midwife Appt. #4

BP=120/74 | HR = 108bpm | total weight gain = 15.2lbs

FHR=148bpm

 29w6d, December 15: Midwife Appt. #5

Baby Buggy Girl, born end of February, 2012

The light of our lives is finally here

IVF & PGS Cycle #1

2011

IVF+PGS #1: Long Protocol

Cancelled: Poor Responder

 January 18:Purchased 'lucky' red socks.

 January 27: Another post-op re-check of L. ovary | AFC=13. Protocol Appointment. - Long Protocol

~ Here We Go: IVF|ICSI|PGS Cycle #1 ~

CD1, February 10: Marvelon Day 1

CD14, February 23: Synarel Day 1

CD21, March 2: Last Marvelon

CD24, March 5: Bleed Starts

CD26, March 7:

Bravelle 187.5iu Menopur 75iu

CD29, March 10: E2= 204pmol/L

Bravelle 225iu Menopur 150iu

CD31, March 12: E2= 655pmol/L

5R (2x14mm, 13mm, 11mm, 10mm) 1L

CD33, March 14: E2 = 1764pmol/L

1L (11mm) + 'a few' 10mm or under; confirmed endometrioma

4R (19mm, 18mm, 17mm, 16.5mm) + 'several' 10mm or under

CD34, March 15: E2 =2587pmol/L

Pulling the plug on this cycle:
poor response

Stages of Growth: 3d vs. 5d Transfer

3-DAY TRANSFER:

1dpt - embryo is growing and developing

2dpt - embryo is now a blastocyst

3dpt - blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day

4dpt - blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining

5dpt - implantation begins,as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining

6dpt - implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining

7dpt - morula is completely inmplanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells

8dpt - placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood

9dpt - more HCG is produced as fetus develops

10dpt - more HCG is produced as fetus develops

11dpt - HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT

5-DAY TRANSFER:

-1dpt - embryo is growing and developing

0dpt - embryo is now a blastocyst

1dpt - blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day

2dpt - blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining

3dpt - implantation begins,as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining

4dpt - implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining

5dpt - morula is completely inmplanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells

6dpt - placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood

7dpt - more HCG is produced as fetus develops

8dpt - more HCG is produced as fetus develops

9dpt - HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT

Our TTC Timeline - A Bug Odyssey

2009
 July: First SA done; results are catastrophic

September: First fertility clinic appointment; Genetic testing requested for DH (karyotyping & Y micro-deletion testing); bloodwork and ultrasound for me (AFC = 13)

 October: Results: DH has a balanced r.eciprocal t.ranslocation. Clinic's only option for us is IVF+ICSI+PGD. Told PGD program is in the works and should be up and running by January.

 November: Several Geneticist and genetic counselling appointments; miscarriage risk in a natural pregnancy is about 50%; chances of an abnormal (Angel.man's Syn.drome) live birth to term is 10%. Chance of obtaining a natural pregnancy monthly is less than 1% with the MFI and Genetic Factors.

We are devastated.

2010

 January: Contacted FC - they're passing me off to one of their competitors - their PGD program won't start for up to a year because of staffing issues. Here we go again.

 February: First appointment at new clinic; prelim bloodwork

 March 24: Hysterosalpingogram. Normal! Tubes open.

 April: Clinic suggests saving some money if we're willing to do amnio given my tubes are open & everything's normal with me & DH's numbers have improved drastically (SPERMIE DIET!!); decide to go ahead with an IUI in May, see what happens.

 May 10: Clomid IUI cancelled due to fluke natural BFP

 July 10: Miscarriage, baby angel at 12w5d

Serial Betas Begin:

July 23: 155 | July 30: 79

August 5: 58 | August 16: 26

August 27: 14 | September 11: 0

 August 19: Sperm sample frozen for ICSI

 September 16: Hysteroscopy - retained tissue

 September 21: Antral Follicle Count = 14!

 September 21: Dilation & Curettage (D&C)

 October 2: Fetal karyotype inconclusive on 2 tests.

 October 22: Laproscopic Cystectomy - Mucinous cystadenoma

 November 28: Post-op Appointment; tubes open, normal uterus, no endo present. Bloodwork: (CD5: E2-362pmol/L| FSH-4.6IU/L| Prolactin-9.0ug/L| TSH-2.4mU/L). 2nd hysteroscopy suggested.

 December 13: ~~Protocol Appointment~~ Antral Follicle Count = 13; wait on protocol appt. GAH! 2nd hysteroscopy cancelled.

 December 22: PGD Consultation Appointment with G.enesis G.enetics, Detroit MI

Skipping straight to ICSI/PGD... can't handle the possibility of another miscarriage

2011

 January 17: Due date of one and only BFP

 February 10: Start IVF+PGS Cycle #1, Long Protocol

 March 15: Plug pulled on day 9 of stims, over-suppressed

 April 6: Follow-up appointment with RE; new protocol discussed (estrogen priming, short protocol)

 May 3: Appointment to orientate new protocol

 May 21: IVF+PGS Cycle #2 starts

 June 9: Transfer 1 genetically normal blast @ 5dpER

 June 21: Beta #1, 496

 June 28: Beta #2, 7283

July 22: 9weeks,

=174bpm

Definitions of Abbreviations

2ww: Two Week Wait

AF:Aunt Flow

A.R.T.: Assisted Reproductive Technology

BCP: Birth Control Pill beta: Quantitative blood hCG testing

BFN: Big Fat Negative

BFP: Big Fat Positive

cc: Cubic Centimeter = mL

CD: Cycle Day

DH: Dear Husband

dp: days post

dpo: Days Post Ovulation

dt: Day Transfer

e2: Estradiol

ER: Egg Retrieval

ET: Embryo Transfer

FHR: Fetal Heart Rate

hCG: human Chorionic Gonadotrophin Hormone

HPT: Home Pregnancy Test

ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

i.u.: International Units

IUI: Intrauterine Insemination

IVF: In-vitro Fertilization

LH: Lutenizing Hormone

LP: Luteal Phase

MFI: Male Factor Infertility

OCP: Oral Contraceptive Pill

OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit

PGD: Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis

PGS: Pre-implantation Genetic Screening

POAS: Pee On A Stick

PUPO: Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise

RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist

TCMD: Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor

TTC: Trying to Conceive

July 25, 2010

So THAT'S how it works!

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A little ditty...

IVF+PGS Cycle #2

IVF & PGS Cycle #1

Stages of Growth: 3d vs. 5d Transfer

Our TTC Timeline - A Bug Odyssey

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