In Vitro Frustration

Okay, this is officially getting frustrating. We’re unexplained, and now we know I can get pregnant, so why shouldn’t it work?! Fingers crossed.

IVF #2 – November 2010 = BFP!

Switch REs. We’ll begin immunology and genetics testing in September, as well as check out the ‘ole ute with a hysteroscopy.

9/13 – 15 vials of blood drawn for Thrombophylia Panel

9/14 – CD5, start BCPs

9/17 – WTF appointment with old RE. Total FAIL.

9/20 – Hysteroscopy – all clear! More blood drawn for me (4 vials) and DH.

9/29 – DQ Alpha and NKa tests; SA for hubby (6 vials of blood)

10/1 – Met with RE to discuss embryo testing in greater detail

10/5 – Started acupuncture again; started new diet

10/7 – Acupuncture; started herbs (Xiao Yao Wan) to improve my liver qi stagnation (4 pills, 3x a day); starting spotting

10/12 – Acupuncture; find out all test results are normal except I’m homozygous for MTHFR c-mutation

10/13 – Start high dose folic acid, B6, B12 (Folgard) and baby aspirin for MTHFR

10/14 – Acupuncture

10/19 – Acupuncture; switch herbs to Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan to also help with heat; meds arrive!

10/21 – Acupuncture; calendar review with the nurse; blood work for GSN (3 more vials)

10/23 – CYCLE START! Begin Lupron (10 units), Dexamethasone (.75 mg), and Folgard (2.2mg)

10/25 – Last BCP

10/26 – Acupuncture

10/27 – AF (lasted for about 4 days)

11/1 – Baseline ultrasound — all clear to start, E2 was 25 (1 more vial of blood); Acupuncture

11/2 – Decrease Lupron to 5 units

11/3 – Start Follistim (225 units); Acupuncture

11/5 – Decrease Follistim to 150 units and add Luveris (0.5 vial)

11/8 – Day 6 scan (ultrasound and E2) and told to decrease Follistim to 75 units and stop Luveris; Acupuncture

11/9 – Day 7 scan and told to increase Follistim back to 10 units and add Luveris back in too

11/10 – Trigger at 12:30am after taking one last dose of Follistim and Luveris; Acupuncture

11/12 – ER at Noon – 8 eggs; start 1cc of PIO

11/13 – Fertilization report – 6 were mature and 100% fertilized

11/15 – Day 3 embryo biopsy for PGS/CGH testing; Acupuncture

11/17 – ET; Acupuncture before and after

5 day hatching blasts, PGS/CGH normal embryos

11/23 – Acupuncture

11/28 – POAS and got a BFP!

11/29 – Beta #1 = 1,400 (!!!) and acupuncture

12/1 – Beta #2 = 3,183 (!!!!) and acupuncture

12/10 – First ultrasound

1/15 – Last day for PIO and suppositories

1/16 – Begin weaning off Dexamethasone (every other day for one week)

FET #3 – JULY/AUGUST 2010: BFN, C/P

7/23, CD1 – AF arrived! RE Appointment #1: blood work and ultrasound cleared me for FET #3. Lining was 9mm. Begin Aygestin twice daily for 7 days.

7/25, CD3 – Begin 20 units of Lupron nightly

8/2, CD11 or CD1 – AF makes her second appearance

8/6 – RE Appointment #2 (lining 3mm, 15mm follie on the left); decrease Lupron to 10 units nightly, begin Estrace (2mg 3x a day) and baby aspirin

8/13 – RE Appointment #3 (lining 7.2mm); continue Estrace (2mg 3xday) and stop Lupron after 8/14

8/14 – Last Lupron injection

8/19 – 1mL of Progesterone in the AM only.

8/20 – 1mL of Progesterone in AM and PM. Begin Medrol once daily for 5 days.

8/24 – 1pm embryo transfer of 4 blasts (no acupuncture this time)

Four for Take 4: Eeny, Meeny, Miny & Mo

9/4 – BFP, but very very faint

9/5 – BFP but even more faint  – looks like a chemical pregnancy

9/6 – BFN

9/7 – Beta = BFN

Goodbye RE #1. It was nice knowin ya.

FET #2 – JUNE/JULY 2010 = BFN

6/3, CD1 – AF arrived

6/5, CD2 – All clear to begin FET #2. Begin Aygestin twice daily for 7 days.

6/6, CD4 – Begin 20 units of Lupron nightly

6/13, CD11 or CD1 – AF makes her second appearance

6/18 – Blood work and ultrasound (5mm lining). Decrease Lupron to 10 units, start 2mg of Estrace 3x a day, and add baby aspirin to the mix.

6/25 – Next and final non-preggo date with the dildocam! Blood work and ultrasound (lining 8mm).

6/26 – Last night of Lupron!

7/3 – 1mL of Progesterone in the AM only.

7/4 – 1mL of Progesterone in AM and PM. Begin Medrol once daily for 5 days.

7/8 – 1pm embryo transfer of two hatching blasts. Acupuncture before.

5-day blasts

7/18 – POAS and got one line; stopped all meds

7/20 – Beta day

7/21 – WTF appointment

FET #1 – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010 = BFP, M/C – blighted ovum

2/10, CD1 – AF has arrived.

2/11, CD2 – Ultrasound clears me for FET! 5mm lining, no cysts, ovaries back to normal. Begin Aygestin twice daily for 7 days starting tonight.

2/13, CD4 – Begin 20 units of Lupron nightly.

2/21, CD12 – AF makes her second appearance

2/25 – Ultrasound and blood work. Lining 4mm. Okay to reduce Lupron to 10 units and add Estrace twice daily. Also add a daily baby aspirin.

3/5 – Final RE appointment: ultrasound. Lining 8mm. No change to meds.

3/8 – Discontinue Lupron after tonight. Keep taking Estrace and baby aspirin.

3/13 – 1mL of Progesterone in the morning only.

3/14 – 1mL of Progesterone in AM and PM. Begin Medrol once daily for 5 days.

3/18 – 11:30am EST, transfer of two frozen embryos. Acupuncture before and after.

5 day blasts

3/30 – Beta day! First ever  BFP! Continue Estrace and PIO twice a day. Also taking a prenatal and baby aspirin daily.

4/2 – Beta #2 (287) and everything’s doubling like it should! OMG, this is really happening!

4/5 – Beta #3 (600)

4/8 – Beta #4 (1,300)

4/12 – Beta #5 (~1,200)

4/15 – Beta #6 (1,600) and ultrasound. Confirmed miscarriage is in progress. Discontinue PIO, Estrace, and baby aspirin.

4/19 – Beta #7 (2,100) and ultrasound to confirm things are progressing as they should. Numbers are still rising. Ridiculous. The pregnancy is certainly not viable.

4/20 – Started bleeding and cramping 5 days after stopping meds.

4/26 – Beta #8 (119). My hCG is finally decreasing! Still bleeding.

5/3 – Beta #9 (13). Seriously? One more beta.

4/29 – Last day of bleeding (red for 8 days and spotting for 2 days).

5/10 – Beta #10 (6). Now this is just plain funny.

5/17 – Beta #11 to confirm (hopefully) that my hCG is at zero. It was 3.5 which is close enough. No more betas!

IVF – DEC 2009/JAN 2010 = BFN

Previously – Take daily baby aspirin in addition to prenatal, fish oil and vitamin D

12/22, CD17 – Visit to the RE, treat at CD 21 for blood work and ultrasound (18mm on the right and 4mm lining). Stop the baby aspirin and any and all OTC medications.

12/26, CD21 – Begin Norethindrone (Aygestin) twice daily for 7 days

12/28, CD23 – Begin Lupron nightly, 20 units injected subcutaneously (sometimes DH helps!)

1/1 – Last day of Norethindrone

1/5 – CD1, Started AF, if that’s what you can call it (lasted about one whole day)

1/8 – RE visit for ultrasound and blood work (4mm lining); ovaries need a bit more supressing

1/9 – Increase Lupron to twice daily (20 units)

1/11 – RE visit clears me to begin stims (Gonal-f). Decrease Lupron back to once a day, 10 units nightly. Start 300 units of Gonal-f nightly.

1/15 – RE visit for ultrasound and blood work. 10 follies (6 on the left and 4 on the right). Continue 300 units of Gonal-f and 10 units of Lupron nightly.

1/19 – RE visit for ultrasound and blood work. 9mm lining. 11-12 follies. Continue 300 units of Gonal-f and 10 units of Lupron nightly.

1/21 – RE visit for ultrasound and blood work. 10mm lining. 14 follies (5 on the left and 8 on the right). Discontinue Gonal-f and Lupron. Trigger at 1:30am (2 units of hCG).

1/22 – RE visit for more blood work. Start antibiotics (Doxycycline) twice daily.

1/23 – Retrieval! We got 18 eggs! Start progesterone injections (yay!) and begin Mederol.

1/25 – Fertilization report: 15 fertilized!

1/27 – 14 embryos made it to transfer day: 6 perfect and 8 very good. We did a 4DT of one perfect embryo. 13 embabies on ice.

4 day embryo

2/8 – Beta day – BFN