Month 28 - Follicle Check {Ultrasound}

Yesterday we drove to Sandy for our Dr. Appt. This round was 3 FSH injections and the 5 days of Femarra. 

We met with our Dr. Gilliland. Uterus lining looked good this month. We had 4 follicals, 3 on the right side and 1 on the left. 1 of the right was too small measuring under 11. The other two are in the correct size range. One at 25 and one at 17. The left side also had a 17. I was surprised to only see 3 this month.  Previous months we've had up to 8 total not all of which were big enough but when you add in the extra injection I thought we'd see more. However, we are just happy to see something this month since last month was a bust. I guess going in on my Birthday was lucky for us!

We spent the weekend at Andy's sisters in Spanish Fork. They just had a baby boy on the 9th. He's adorable and we loved cuddling him all weekend.

Another year older and another small hurdle to jump. Age is not helping this journey of ours, but we are still hopeful this round is the round!

A journey, not alone

The more I get into this whole INFERTILITY process the more people I meet that have gone through something similar or more. It amazes me just how many lives are / have been affected by the inability to get pregnant. 10 Months ago when we started Clomid I thought I was the serious anomaly. I thought I was so different and I was so hard on myself every day for being different. I have come to realize I really am not alone. Though there are many many days where I feel so alone, mad, frustrated, emotional, sad and empty to the core I realize there are other women and even men out there right now that feel the exact same way. Though I may not know anyone specifically at this moment in time it is a comfort to know that I am not alone in this journey and struggle.

I met a couple a few weeks ago that did IVF last year and had twins. They used the same clinic we are going to BUT went to the Sandy clinic. They did some of their check ups, ultrasounds, etc at the Clearfield office since it was closer and actually saw our Dr.

I also did photos for a newborn about a week ago that was born through fertility treatments. They didn't make it to IVF but they did injections.

Another family with twins in my clientele that I just found out were born through IVF and their first was born with Clomid.

Another of my clients is pregnant and ready to deliver any day with a baby from IVF, first round!

All of this in the last 2-3 weeks!

This gives me more and more hope every day. We hear so many great stories of success, but what we don't hear are all the failed stories. It hurts my heart to think of how many people try and try to have children and can't. Like us, they have to go through this emotional roller coaster, but theirs ends on a low. Here's to lots of prayers that our journey will eventually continue with leaps and bounds of joy for a new baby. Whether a direct DNA from Andy and I or an adopted child, we would be happy.

Reproductive Care Center | Dr. Swelstad

Friday we took half a day off work and headed down to a new fertility Clinic called the Reproductive Care Center in Clearfield. We met with Dr. Swelstad. We reviewed both my medial history and Andy's as well as our journey with trying to conceive. We were there about 2 hours. We had heard a lot of good things about Dr Swelstad. Two people we know recently (in the last year) got pregnant through him using IVF first round. We also know someone that got pregnant with the same plan we are going to do.

This is what HOPE looks like. He was hesitant to suggest doing IVF which is actually what we assumed we would be discussing. BUT he has additional options that are less money that he's also had good luck on! Wahoo. Less money at this stage in the game is a bonus.

We decided we would continue heading toward IVF and do the blood tests, ultrasound, xrays and semen analysis to help diagnose any issues possible. They won't even start IVF until all of those are done so we are going to proceed with doing them on the next cycle.

We are also going to continue doing IUI's for 2-3 months. However, instead of Clomid we are moving to Femara which is similar but supposed to have less side effects. In addition we are going to be doing FSH Injections, Trigger shot and an IUI (Pending my schedule). We'll try that for 1-3 months and then move to IVF as needed and depending on what our tests show.

So this month will look like this:
Day 2/3/4 - Ultrasound and 5 Blood tests
Day 3 through 7 - Femara
Day 6/7/8/9/10/11 - X-rays of Ovaries, Fallopian Tubes and Uterus
Day 7, 9, 11 - FSH Injection
Day 12 - Trigger Shot
Day 13 - IUI and Semen Analysis or timed intercourse depending on schedules

I'm hopeful taking a more aggressive approach will pay off. Money at this point is still an issue but it's the back burner and just getting pregnant is the highlight right now. If that means IVF, I think we are both on board to proceed.

Good News | Bad News

[Month 20]

Today was Day 12 of my cycle, which means a Dr. Appointment!

During the appt she did an Ultrasound to check my follicles. I have 3 that are PERFECT! Ideal size and all. Two on the left and one on the right. Wahoo. That's a huge step up from last month. WOOT WOOT. But that also makes me stress because my chances for twins or triples are much higher than normal. At this point though, we are good with any healthy baby we can get. Uterus lining looked good as well.

Sorry about random selfies :) lol 

Next up was the cervix scope/examination. She opted to check my cervix because of my scar tissue from the LEEP to make sure the Intrauterine Insemination would be successful before we scheduled that. There's no need to try IUI if they can't actually get through my cervix PLUS the Price ranges from $500-$1000 so it isn't cheap. She didn't see quite what she wanted and couldn't find an opening (which is likely why we are having a hard time getting pregnant). She decided to "MAKE" an opening, which actually hurt like hell. Exactly what she did I'm not 100% sure and I didn't recognize the tools they were talking about BUT it worked!! After about 5 minutes we had an opening that will likely bleed and spot for a few days but she said that's fine. AND she is very optimistic that this insemination will work OR that we will have BETTER luck on our own this if month turns out negative. Bonus. Great news on both accounts.

We talked about IUI and the process. They take the sperm, wash it, incubate it and then insert it through a tube into the uterus. The goal of the IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the Fallopian tubes and subsequent increase the chance of fertilization.

We tentatively scheduled the appt for tomorrow but they have to call the nurse that washes the sperm to confirm if she is available. Apparently there is only one or two in the valley that can do that process.

 So I left with great news, 2 prescriptions, an instruction sheet and a cup. As well as a tentative appointment for the following day. 

So what's the bad news, you ask? Andy's grandpa passed away yesterday. Bless his heart. The viewing is tonight and the funeral is tomorrow SO that makes our appointment for the fertility treatment SUPER tight and possibly hard depending on when the Nurse can fit us in. The appointment will take around an hour to hour and a half plus we have to have 45 minutes available before the appointment to collect the sperm. They are calling back to confirm time. I'M crossing my fingers and HOPING they can do the afternoon like we discussed. Otherwise, we'll skip this month and try again next month.