Getting good results

     Last Thursday, I went to get my day 3 blood work and sonogram done. I also got some other blood work done as well. He measured each ovary and my uterus and then he talked to me about sending my day 3 test for FSH, LH, AMH and Estradiol to a research program. This program is to be getting much more accurate hormone levels than most local labs. I also scheduled my appointment for my sonohysterogram for today.

    When I got there, my nurse had just received my results back from the research group and let me see them. It takes the values for FSH, Estridiol, LH, AMH, and Inhibin B and calculates and egg retrieval score. My score was a 14 which is in the good category and is average for people age 31-35. It also gave me graphs for how many eggs I am likely to produce to be retrieved. When the doctor came in he said it looked good and he though I had a really good chance with IVF.

     The sonohysterogram was not bad at all. No pain, just messy. I had in my head that the saline would be held in my uterus somehow but it actually comes out as he pushes more through the catheter. He took several images from the sonogram. There was something present in the pictures but he believed it to just be debris left over and he said it did not look like a polyp or anything that would make an embryo unable to attach. He believe the specialist would be good with it. They gave me a copy of all my results and said they would fax them to Memphis as well.

     Memphis gives you an itemized list of all blood test, procedures and classes that must be done before you have IVF and there were a few items on my list that I had not done yet. I called and double checked and the ones I have left will be done after I start the first part of your IVF protocol which is a certain number of birth control pills. She also said all of the could be scheduled all in one day since I have a longer drive. All I have to do now is wait for my next day 1! I will call them that day and get my pills! This will be a long 18 more days. I am so eager to start. I have got to slow down and be patient! J

     The only thing is. I need around $10,000 more dollars. I do not want to charge it or take out a loan. I would like to pay it out right and I know God will help provide. I will need the biggest portion in 18 days. I have got to check with her for the actual due date. I do not have to pay my surgery center fees and anesthesia fees until the day of the egg retrieval so that gives me a little bit longer to save that. I would not need it until the end of March.

I have a few things in the works to help me reach my goal:

     I have four people hosting Pampered Chef parties in February. You can host as well or 

     purchase some great cooking supplies to help me earn commission. April and Jessica are brides so if  

    you will be attending their wedding, I will have their wish lists!

     I have a friend who will be selling individually wrapped cupcakes and chocolate

     covered strawberries for Valentine’s day. I should have pictures up and order forms in

     the next two days. 

     I am planning on hosting a bunco party on February 28 (Thursday). It will be at   

     Rosie’s downtown at 6:30. $20 There will be food and prizes. You can sign up by

     shooting me a message on facebook or emailing me, I will have to have people reserve

     their spots and pre-pay to ensure I have enough people to complete the tables.

     I will possibly be doing a paint party if I can find someone who will do one as a 

     fundraiser.

I have an online fundraising site at http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/nobabybump/25567 that can be used to pay for your Valentine’s items or for the bunco party if you need to use a debit/credit or your paypal.

Memphis and Our Decision

     Our last attempt in December again did not end in a positive pregnancy test. We did start another round of medication. My results from the CBC came back normal so my doctor did not let me take Decadron this month due to the side effects I was having. We had some trouble getting an insemination appointment since there was lots of holiday time that the office was not open and my husband was working during the day that Monday so since our Memphis consultation was on Wednesday, I decided not to make an insemination appointment and see what we would find out in Memphis.

     We traveled to Memphis this past Wednesday. The doctor met with us and went sheet by sheet through our medical records and asked questions and took notes. He first looked at my husband’s records first. We learned something new while going through them. He explained how my husband’s morphology (their formation/shape) was not good as well. The doctor told us that he only had 3 in 100 (3%) sperm formed correctly. The doctor then took one of the semen analysis results and did some math to give us and idea of how many viable sperm he would have in a sample. For that analysis, my husband only had around 7,500 viable sperm. This sounds like a lot but most people have millions. From this information, he told us we would have to do a different form of In Vitro Fertilization(IVF). One with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). He said we would be unable to perform standard IVF due to this low number of sperm. In standard IVF, the eggs are retrieved and the semen specimen is placed in a dish together and the sperm must penetrate and fertilize the egg on its own. When they perform this procedure, they need at least 15,000 sperm per egg. So my husband would not have enough to be placed with just one egg and we might have as many as 30 eggs. So with ICSI, individual sperm are chosen and then they are injected into the eggs.

     There are some risk we would be taking and most are the same as for any couple, but my PCOS lends me to a higher probability of suffering from Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Basically, the doctor explained that when you take injectable gonadotropins (which help you produce and grow multiple follicles containing eggs) there is a chance when your ovaries are growing that your ovaries keep enlarging and growing and cause some significant side effects. He told us that we might want to do a “freeze all” method. This method includes doing the same protocol as usual but when it came time to do the embryo transfer you would freeze all embryos created and wait a month to let my ovaries reduce in size and calm down. I would then return a month later to have the thawed embryos implanted.

     With this news, we looked at statistics and cost. As of 2009-2010, this center had around a 60% pregnancy rate in women my age. If we use frozen embryos then it would rise to around 67%. He did say that ICSI and frozen embryos would push us to 70% or slightly more. I asked him about the effectiveness the first time and he was hopeful and said we have those same odds and their goal is to get us pregnant the first time. As far as cost, it looks like we would need around $13,500 for one cycle including a freezing fee. If we have enough embryos to develop, the fee is only around $3,000 for a frozen embryo transfer in case we have to try again or want a second child.

     So we have decided to go with IFV at this time. We know this is not 100% but we have faith in Him! We have a few pre-screeners we must do before we can be approved for our first cycle. My husband had a current semen analysis so he only has to be tested this coming week for syphilis, HIV -1 and -2, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. I will had a pap smear and CBC that was current. I will have to get test for my blood type and RH, syphilis, HIV -1 and -2, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, and a rubella titer. I will also have some ovarian reserve tests. This includes tests for Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Luteinizing Hormone (LH). As well as a sonogram and blood test for Estradiol (E2) and Antimullerian Hormone (AMH) on day 3 of my next menses which will be around the 23^rd of this month. I will also have to have a sonohistogram performed between day 6 and 12.

     After these results are in, a decision will be made if we can or cannot start our first cycle. So it could possibly start mid-February. That is exciting! We just now have to work hard to secure the finances by then. So, I will be having fundraisers to help me raise $8,000 in one month since we already have around $5,000! So, if you have any ideas or would like to help me please just contact me.

    Before I end this post, let me say that I know some people do not support IVF or the freezing of embryos. We are all entitled to our thoughts and beliefs. I do want you to know that we are not entering this process with only the hopes of having a child and thinking into it any further. We know that major moral and ethical decisions must be made and we do not take those decisions lightly. We will be asking God to guide us. We must make these decisions before we start meds. This office has provided us consent forms to read so that we might discuss all the implications of certain procedures. So please pray for us as we try to make such decisions.