IVF update

Well our appointments only last 4 hours and 15 minutes rather than the full 5 hours projected. One other couple was there with us for our initial training with the nurse at 9am, and they still had appointments left to complete after we left so it definitely does take 5 hours for some couples. I didn't really learn much during the "class" we took with the other couple; the only things I learned were as follows:

• They usually won't do an ER if you have less than 4 follicles (I have no worries about that as I have always stimulated very easily) and the most they will allow is 30.
• If you have more than 30 then they will still retrieve the eggs, but they will not do a fresh transfer (just a frozen transfer later) due to the risk of OHSS.
• The ideal number they are aiming for is 12 follicles. I feel I could easily have 12 follicles, and I am glad to know that is what they are aiming for (rather than say 30).
• As for the 3 day vs. 5 day transfer, if you have more than 10 embryos (and they said typically 75% of eggs are fertilized the traditional way when they put 500,000 sperm in the petri dish with each egg, and about 50% of the eggs are fertilized when they inject one sperm into an egg which is called ICSI and costs more $$) then they will do a 5 day transfer (at the blastocyst stage).
• If you have nine or fewer embryos then they do a 3 day transfer and any embryos that are still alive at day 5 are frozen at the blastocyst stage (as the thaw rate for embryos frozen at the 3 day stage is only about 50% compared to about 100% at the 5 day stage).
• They strongly discourage only transferring one embryo. They recommend two, but will allow a couple to transfer three at the most. If we have three embryos I want to transfer three. I know there's a 14% chance for triplets and 28% chance for twins, but I also know the chance of getting pregnant at all is higher and I'm okay with twins or triplets.

The mock transfer and hysterosonogram were VERY painful in my opinion. As in tears rolling down my face painful while I squeezed the living daylight out of Paul's hand. They said it would hurt a little (as the uterus doesn't like having objects thrusted into it), but I would not define this as a "little." The doctor said #1 my cervix is tighter than "normal" (I was told that with my first IUI in 2004) and #2 my uterus is titled a little to the left so he said having to put the catheter at a sharp angle made it more painful. Well it's over. I will be under sedation with the retrieval and the transfer won't be as painful as this was. So he said the worst is over in terms of most painful procedure. I had taken Advil prior to the HSG in 2003 as the doctor in Allentown recommended (dye through the fallopian tubes test); I wish they had suggested I do that prior to this test as I think it might have helped decrease the pain and cramping.

Well the doctor was surprsied I was on the pill (not a good thing to do if you're trying to get pregnant, lol), but I told him I only started it a few days ago just in preparation for IVF as sometimes my cycles are very long (although not lately but still I never know for sure what might happen). So anyhow he said that in light of that I didn't need to wait until August to get started. He said to ask the nurse if I could start the Lupron in July. So she checked her calendar and said if we started the "usual" day (21) it would be too late as then my ER would be falling during their first "down" week in August, but she said when you're on the pill you don't have to wait until day 21 (since I won't be ovulating); she said you can start on day 14. So over the last week I went from #1 being told the ER must be schedule 3 months in advance (ie. late Sept at the earliest) to #2 on Monday being told oh yes I could have it the last week of August (2 months in advance) to today being told I can have it the last week of July (5 weeks in advance). Yikes!!! But this is good news. It means that everything will be done LONG before school starts in the fall. Presuming we aren't on strike (I hope not but will find out in the next 3 days) I will be teaching Mon/Wed pm from July 9- Aug 15. So those teaching times do not interfere At All with doctor appointments. The only possible glitch is VBS which I teach in the mornings the week of July 16 but that shouldn't pose a problem as I'll just need one appt that week (July 19) and I can schedule it for like 8:00am long before VBS starts that morning.

So here's what the timeline is looking like:

1. July 5 Paul and I go back to meet with the doctor to sign consent forms and to be trained on all the shots I will be taking (which won't be hard as we've already done two of the kinds already)
2. July 6 I will start the Lupron shots (daily) which will sort of make my body think it's in menopause (in other words I might have hot flashes and such)
3. July 19(or so) I will come in for an ultrasound and labwork and soon after that will start two more types of injections (one in the morning and one in the evening) in addition to the Lupron
4. August 2(or so) I will have the egg retrieval

So I ask for prayer:

1. For me emotionally throughout this whole rollercoaster ride experience especially as my body is being pumped with high doses of hormones.
2. For me physically (such as that I not get OHSS or an ectopic pregnancy).
3. If it's the Lord's will, that I would give birth to a baby (or babies!) in April 2008.
4. That just the right amount of embryos would be created (not that we will destroy any "extras," we would give them up for adoption if we felt we already had as many kids as we could "handle," but I'd rather not be in that situation).