Sunday, January 30, 2011

Uterine Lining Check!

Just wanted to share some exciting news from a recent doctor appointment with you guys.  Went in for a uterine lining check and blood work before work at FCI to see how the new Viagra and pentoxifylline med protocal is working with my body and it is WORKING!!!!  My body had a 50/50 shot of working with this new set of drugs.  The new mix of meds are working exactly the way Dr. Uhler wants it to in order to get the optimal results she wants for my transfer!  Significant increase compared to the last 2 cycles that were cancelled!  As of right now, everything is looking great!!  My uterus is looking thick and "fluffy" already!!  Turns out the experimental med protocal was the missing piece to the puzzle!!  Needless to say there was a small celebration at FCI - Naperville that morning!  haha  Whew!  What a relief!...The side effects I have been expereiencing with this med protocal are dizziness, shortness of breath, and sore lower abdomen.  It kind of feels like I just did 500 situps to give you an idea.  Keep the prayers going and fingers and toes crossed!!!  Looks like transfer is just around the corner!  :)

Next decision....how many embryos do we want to transfer!  Stay tuned! :)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

We are Almost There! We are So Close!

Hello Everybody!

As we continue forward, we learn that this process is much more complex than what most people think.  We are learning that each case is so unique that the general process is tweaked to be matched to each patient.  Patience is key to IVF.  IVF is an art....no two cases are the same!

As you all know we have our 5 embryos waiting for us.  We love knowing our babies are already all genetically created and are just waiting for a home to grow in for nine months to become little human beings.  I can not wait until we get to see them in the lab!  I know they will be microscopically small, but still, they are our babies.  The whole idea is a miracle.  We will get to see them implant them inside me on an ultrasound monitor.  We will get to see our little ones from the very beginning!  Some say they compare this experience as the same feeling as watching Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon.  We were told we will be in complete scientific awe.  I am so glad that they will let Patrick in the lab with me to hold my hand.  They treat this as a minor "surgical procedure".  We will both have to wear scrubs with pre and post care instructions.  I was told it will not be painful, other than some mild cramping. 

Presently, after doing so many trials with my body to understand me well, my doctor has matched me with a different medicine protocal than previous cycles to see if it will maximize optimal results.  My doctor wants my uterine lining to be above average by the time we put those little ones inside!  I love that she will settle for nothing less than perfect.  I am eager to try these new stim meds!  Patrick has been reading in medical journals at his school, Rush University, to read all the studies conducted on this protocal in the entire world.  We love the results!  Hopefully, it will be perfect for us as stated in the medical journals!  :) 

For those familiar with the medicine protocals here is my list of drugs I have been prescribed for our cycle after several trials of different meds:

Valerate .25mg in the PM every 3 days (injection)
Estrace 2mg everyday at bedtime
Pentoxifylline 400mg twice daily
Viagra 25mg 4x daily
Vitamin E 400mg 2x daily
Baby Aspirin 81mg 1 daily
PIO - 1ml everyday (injection) using 25gauge needle
Endometrin - 3x daily

Sound like fun?  haha I can't wait to see and feel the results! 

Another amazing part of this journey is that we know dates.  Of course they are tentative, but still I LOVE having dates!  At this moment, we know the day I am going to the lab for my transfer and our potential due date!  It is amazing!  We are going to keep the "conception" date secret for now, but it is going to be the greatest day!  Also, we know our potential DUE DATE!  Just hearing these things makes it more surreal...it makes us want it even more! 

In addition, we still are on the fence about how may embryos we will want to transfer.  We think we know what we are going to do, but are not sure yet!  I am sure we will know the right decision as the situation approaches us!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on our journey!  ....and The rollercoaster ride of emotions continues!  We are almost there!  :)