Round Two: Stimulation Injections

The On April 30th we began stimulation shots. This part of the process is designed to help the ovaries to make enough follicles and eggs using mediation. Without stimulating medications, the ovaries make and release only 1 mature egg per cycle. The goal here is to have several follicles grow so multiple eggs can be retrieved at one time. Ive listed the protocol for both rounds to compare.

Round 1 -

Stims Day 1-3 ~ Gonal F 175 & Menopur 75

Stims Day 4-6 ~ Gonal F 100 & Menopur 75

Stims Day 7-8 ~ Gonal F 100, Menopur 75, Cetrotite 0.25mg

Stims Day 9 ~ Trigger Shot Pregnyl

Day 10 ~ No Shots!  Oral Pills Zithromax, and Fluconazole.

Day 11 ~ Retrieval Day! (Retrieved 16 eggs, 11 were mature, 9 fertilized and 7 made it to day 5 blastocyst. Unfortunately only one was normal and nonaffected after PGD/PGS testing and resulted in a BFN after transfer.)

Round 2 -

Stims Day 1-5 ~ Gonal F 125 & Menopur 75

Stims Day 6-8 ~ Gonal F 125, Menopur 75, Cetrotite 0.25mg

Stims Day 9 ~  Gonal F 200, Cetrotite 0.25mg (this was only because I was out of Menopur and my coordinator said this would work the same) 

Stims Day 10 ~ Trigger Shot Ovidrel

Day 11 ~ No Shots!  Oral Pills Zithromax, and Fluconazole.

Day 12 ~ Retrieval Day! (Retrieved 32 Eggs, 22 were mature, 20 fertilized, and 16 made it to day five blastocysts)

Its hard to explain how differently these two rounds of stimming have been. I injected in my legs both times. Iced the injection site first, then Justin administered my shots. Menopur burns regardless, but the actual shots turn into a simple chore and I get a super cute Bandaid as a reward for. The first round I was so nervous and anxious and could not stop researching everything. I was eating well but added more sodium, stopped drinking completely, cut all caffeine and worked out lightly after the first 3 days. This time, it was just different. I was calmer, less anxious and knew what to expect. I had a glass of wine the night before we stated and once during. I had my usual cup of coffee in the morning. Drank ALOT of water. I worked out lightly after three days (that's when you can usually start to feel the bloating and they advise against anything extraneous). I still ate well but added more sodium as directed.

I felt well during the week of stims until around the end I was more and more losing my appetite. After retrieval I immediately gained 5lbs (that day!) and the insane bloating began to set in. It was much more painful this time and still took about a week to heal. My doctor did tell me that its worse depending on the higher number of eggs retrieved, but hey, it was worth it! Im also REALLY glad this part is over.

Now we wait the two weeks to find out how many of the little embies are healthy and unaffected by our disorder. Then the real fun begins!

I am so unbelievably thankful that we had such a successful stim round. I wish I knew who or what to give credit to from a protocol perspective. Im just so thankful that we were so blessed. Im really thankful for those we have in out life that are with us through this journey. Im also really happy and Justin and I are dedicating time to form our own opinions within our faith and God together. I know personally this has made me feel much better. Everything has been happy lately. Im beyond appreciative for everyone's prayers and support. I really really hope and pray that we continue to have happy news to share!

Egg Retrieval and Embie Update

Well! Our Retrieval Day was on the 11th and went very, very well. I felt fine leading up to and on the day of retrieval. I didn't notice many side effects from the injections other than some minimal bloating, and I was a bit on the emotional side. Luckily not the crazy hormonal side, just the crying a little more randomly and a bit more over the moon happy and positive. It was nice actually. After retrieval I felt fine, I came home and slept most of the day, ate ice cream and watched movies. The following days I experienced more and more swelling. So much swelling, that I looked very very VERY pregnant. I even woke in my sleep one night to use the bathroom and felt that I was in a very real flashback of waking up while carrying Liam in the middle of the night to do the same, trying to roll out of bed, hold my belly and waddle over to the bathroom. Queue random crying.
Originally after the procedure I was told to expect some minor PMS like pains and cramps and if it was anything more to go to the ER, and that I would be good to resume my daily routine the following day. So here I am with completely different pains and immense swelling - panicking but trying to stay calm and tell my self its fine. I call and talk to my nurse & thank God I took it easy for so many days because I was told very, very wrong information from the discharge nurse. My Dr was wondering why I wasn't already in pain and that it was definitely better. She also explained that I was not clear to go back to my normal routine, and the swelling is normal, and was also expected to get worse before it got better. Wow. I was so reassured that what I was feeling was normal! I was so worried that something was wrong and I was at risk for OHSS (Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a medical condition affecting the ovaries of some women who take fertility medication to stimulate egg growth. Most cases are mild, but rarely the condition is severe and can lead to serious illness or worse.). It took 6 days, but I finally felt back to normal and having my swelling going to normal. I am so so so happy that everything went well and that I healed as well and fast as I did.


I am happy to say that we retrieved 16 eggs! 11 of them were mature, and 9 successfully fertilized via ICSI. After 5 days, lucky 7 of them made it to blast. A good explanation of the process of the embryos after retrieval can be found here (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ob-gyn/fertility-center/our-services/infertility-treatment/ivf/ivf-step-by-step.aspx) Now they will be tested (PGS and PGD) and frozen until transfer. We are unbelievably happy to have so many make it to this stage.

Now we are waiting for our results to see how many transfer eligible embabies we have. Our transfer should be in January if everything works as planned. Until then, we wait, relax, and enjoy this happy news and place that we are in right now. I remember being disappointed at the timeline of this IVF process because originally I thought I would be transferring in November and December. Now that we are this far in the process, Im glad that I have been able to enjoy the holidays without the stress of worry and pressure of the "two week wait". Im really happy to have this holiday time to be us, remember, honor and miss our Liam, and get a fresh start in the new year.






Everything has been going so well so far. We are unbelievably blessed, happy and thankful. Thank you all for your continued support and love. Happy Holidays!

Our Stims Experience and Update!

Hello!


Stim update - We began stims on December 1st. We were prescribed Gonal F, Menopur, Cetrotide, Pregnyl, Zithromax, and Fluconazole. I know when I was getting ready to start and in the process I was so curious to compare with others. I really appreciated those that opened their lives and shared their progress. It was so nice to hear others thoughts and experiences. Here's a little breakdown of our progress.

 

Blood Tests and Ultrasounds
Baseline Tests (Day 1 prior to injections)

• Estradiol - 55.30
• Follicular Ultra Sound - 3 Follicles on Left Ovary, 3 Follicles on Right Ovary.

 

12/4 Tests (Stim Day 4)

• Estradiol -  837.3
• Follicular Ultra Sound - 5 Follicles on Left Ovary, 10+ Follicles on Right Ovary.

 

12/7 Tests (Stim Day 7)

• Estradiol -  2710
• Follicular Ultra Sound - 6 Follicles on Left Ovary, 10+ Follicles on Right Ovary.

 

12/9 Tests (Stim Day 9)

• Estradiol -  2664
• Follicular Ultra Sound - 9 Follicles on Left Ovary, 10+ Follicles on Right Ovary.

 

Stims  Process

Stims Day 1 - 3

• Gonal F 175 & Menopur Vile
   

Stims Day 4 - 6

• Gonal F 100 & Menopur Vile
   

Stims Day 7 - 8

• Gonal F 100, Menopur, Cetrotite
   

Stims Day 9

• Trigger Shot Pregnyl
   

Stims Day 10

• No Shots!  Oral Pills Zithromax, and Fluconazole.
   

Day 11

• Retrieval Day!

The first night starting injections I felt very hot and almost dizzy afterwards. I'm pretty sure this was from me building up so much anxiousness about it. I could feel movement that almost felt like bubbles in my lower stomach. I may have just been over analyzing everything, but I swear I could feel bubbles! The Menopur BURNS, but its short lived. The Gonal F was easy and pain free. I those my legs for the injection site, and iced the area for 10-15 minutes prior to having my husband injecting them. When the Cetrotite was added I was afraid that the longer needle (3/4 vs the 1/2 I was used to) would hurt more. It was effortless and pain free too. At least it didn't burn! Doing all three in a night wasn't awful either. On the third day I started to feel pressure and bloating. I didn't gain any weight but I could feel the difference in my stomach. On day 6-8 it was on and off pressure and bloating. I was careful when sitting down because the pressure became so much. It wasn't painful, I was just overly cautious. The day of the trigger shot I was SO worried. The Pregnyl shot needle was almost 3 inches long - AND had to be injected in the rear! EEKeeekkkk! Again, all the fear and anticipation for nothing, it was no more painful than the others and didn't burn at all. It hurt the next day feeling extremely bruised, but it was easy. :)


So far I'm so thankful that I have responded so well to everything. I'm so happy that the injections weren't torturous and that my husband is sweet and supportive enough to be gentle about it all! I'm glad that I didn't turn into some raging hormonal nutcase either! I was actually extra happy during most of this time. I'm really excited about retrieval but not looking forward to being back to just waiting. I feel so helpless and down when there's nothing I can do to work towards our future little potential children. I will be looking forward to a break in the process to just relax, but after about a day Ill be back to anxiousness. Hopefully the holidays will be a great distraction while we visit with our families and loved ones.


Hoping, wishing and praying for many, MANY healthy quality IIAC free eggs!

Starting IVF Injections! First Day of Stims!

Leading up to the point of finally starting injections was (there's SO many words I could use right now...) - HARD.


I was SO anxious, stressed, worried, excited, scared, nervous, depressed, restless, frustrated, impatient, and just, ugh, all if it.... x 1,000. I have been so wrapped up in it all. To the point that I couldn't sleep at night, because I literally could not stop thinking about it all. Its all I want in the world to have a family. To have a baby that is healthy and home with us. Its my biggest dream of all dreams. Between missing Liam and longing for that family feeling again, I've been a wreck. All these scenarios and fears would just run on repeat in my head. I would feel like I just laid in bed, with my eyes closed all night without sleeping for a minute. If I dreamt, it was about IVF or hospitals, or stress in general. Just once, JUST ONCE, I would love to just have a peaceful dream about Liam, something that would comfort me, and reassure me that he's handpicking a sibling, but instead, Ive just been 100% unable to stop stressing, wondering and worrying about it all, about what our future will hold. 


I KNOW this is out of my hands.
I KNOW this is out of my contol.
I KNOW there is nothing I can do to "make" it happen.
I KNOW regardless of if we every have living children or not, that we will be "okay".


But I want it. So. Badly. Even with accepting all of these things and telling myself not to stress about it all, and giving myself endless discractions to give myself a break, It was obvoius I was failing miserably. I couldnt "turn it off". I would wake up thinking about everything - What could go wrong, what already has, what we have lost, what we should have...... Its consuming. Its awful. I just kept telling myself, to keep going, and it will all work itself out...


We had out baseline ultrasound and bloodwork appointment to get the green light to finally start injections. Simple appointment right? I truely believe this is what has been adding to my stress. I was so worried, that they would find something that would prevent this IVF round. My biggest "comfort" for this process in the beginning was my health. At least Im healthy! I have/had asmtha, but I lift and work out regularly and acomplished a half marathon, Ive got this! I was so happy that above everything else, I had my health. It would help my odds, everything would be great, and I had that on our side. When they told me about PCOS, I was hurt. I thought AT LEAST through all of this, that me, my eggs and ability to make a baby were what they should be. I think that knowing this made me feel more helpless. I think subliminally, I was so worried that my health would be another odd against us. I was starting to feel bad physically. I would get dizzy and feel my blood pressure rise for no reason. It was just constant reminders of everything that is wrong. I kept trying to stay positive, but it was a never-ending, exhausting process.


BUT - We had the appointment. Everything is GREAT! The ultrasound tech said that we were "boringly normal". THANK YOU!!! After hearing this, and getting the "okay" to start injections, it was just a relief! I was still so scared about the actual shots, but FINALLY! Finally WE get to actually get to do something! Since July this process has just been alot of payments, blood work, phone calls, and appointments. Now, we are starting it! I just wish I knew this is what had been bothering me this whole time.... What a torturos period of stress... For nothing...

                             

SO! Stims night #1!
I was so scared. How hard do you push the needle in? Do you do it quick or slow? Jab or push!? And there's TWO of them!? I didn't even want to try it myself, so, in steps my big strong brave man husband, Dr. Schlosser. I chose the top of my legs for the injection site... I have to sit on my bottom all day so that was not ideal. My arms? Not a chance... and my stomach? EEKkkkk... I cant. My legs gave me less anxiety... So I went with that. I used an ice pack for about 20 minutes to numb the area ( I had heard that makes a great difference) while Dr. Schlosser measured the dosage, mixed the solutions and attached the needle. I was "okay" during this time... Still on a high from getting the green light to start.. Then he had the syringe in his hand, ready to go, about two inches from my leg.... All the panic in the world came over me in that one moment. He did it quickly because he knew I would just get more worked up. It poked. It burned. It bled. It was over. EASY!


The next one was more like a pen, same type of needle, but you had to hold it in the skin for 5 seconds after the medication was released. I was nervous about that, but, again, it was even less painful than the first one. The ice pack REALLY helped, I don't think I even felt the needle, just the medicine being pushed through. To be honest, I felt hot, and a little tingly from the shots, but I think it was more from being SO worked up and stressed about the idea of it than a reaction to the actual medication. I'm SO SO SO beyond thankful and appreciative of my husband. He's unbelievably dedicated, supportive and loving to me. I put two shots in his hand and he was SO gentle, focused, and kind. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself since this was only day one, but I'm really looking forward to these next two weeks and getting this part of the process going. I hope we get an abundance of eggs to start with - a percentage will be eliminated from fertilization problems, abnormal chromosomes, and ruled out from our genetic disorder. The more we have to start with, the more we should have after all the tests are complete. IF for any reason round 1 doesn't work, if we have remaining embryos, we wont have to repeat this part of the process for round 2, we would just be able to transfer our remaining embryos. That's very comforting to know as a backup option.


So far, Stim day #2 is going well. I'm not sure if I'm still just overly happy and excited from beginning everything or if its already the hormone overload, but I've been in a GREAT mood all morning, got myself out of bed on time (rare), and almost randomly started crying to two different songs from Adele's 25 albumn on my drive to work.... For no reason at all. My leg is barely sore, and I feel great! I know that the side effects will come and I will be more sore, etc. But, I'm hoping the rest of the process goes just as smoothly! Ill take all the happy I can get in the meantime!


Thank you (everyone) again for your continued love, support, positive thoughts and prayers. Please keep it coming! We love you all. - The Schlossers