tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88204963329234907422024-02-19T03:35:00.936-08:00Our Journey Through Infertility & IVFAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-76013823843560216742018-09-15T05:40:00.001-07:002018-09-15T05:40:21.745-07:00We're pregnant!We're pregnant! (again)<br />
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On Sunday April 29, 2018 we transferred our frozen embaby who survived the ice age! I began taking pregnancy tests right away and found out 4 days later, on May 3, 2018, that we were pregnant!<br />
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Of course, we were very happy that this FET worked and we were pregnant again. But anyone who has experienced infertility and multiple miscarriages understands that a pregnancy after loss can be filled with very complicated emotions. We were overjoyed it worked, but at the same time, we were anxiety-ridden for fear of losing yet another pregnancy. We wanted to be hopeful, but also wanted to be prepared for the worst (which is all we had known prior to this). And then we felt guilty and angry, for not being able to enjoy the beginning of this pregnancy like we wanted to. All this to say - its complicated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iaC8NbmwyLgDArQvEk6rfbFiPEMxZZzri2P-EwJARNMRsUpGln9NWtrXt-Ei3OGXwQF93pjUxlAqwinCm_JUOoWxX2nUH5URcOSSEkYrOhdKaUAKFaZb92aI4JJZEW9maOvTyBSOv740/s1600/IMG_0391.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iaC8NbmwyLgDArQvEk6rfbFiPEMxZZzri2P-EwJARNMRsUpGln9NWtrXt-Ei3OGXwQF93pjUxlAqwinCm_JUOoWxX2nUH5URcOSSEkYrOhdKaUAKFaZb92aI4JJZEW9maOvTyBSOv740/s320/IMG_0391.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unlike our prior two pregnancies, we kept this one an ultimate secret between ourselves and our doctor at the Ottawa Fertility Centre (OFC). We were not ready to utter the words "we're pregnant" until we felt more confident and excited.<br />
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On May 13th and 15th I had blood work to monitor my hcg (the pregnancy hormone) and progesterone (I was on progesterone suppositories for the first 10 weeks to help this pregnancy thrive). Our hcg was high and was more than doubling. This had also been the case for our prior pregnancies, so was not as reassuring as one would think.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dCPuzkIhqQj8jDFFqqBMbBXbkHRlj24oDbLOl25XZuhiWpluwAwbOP6bnzlcxHxixv41ugpkgo5wZBo7ydGpCPlvjudN7_RdnlfOMsS-EmHRuzeAT63gcce9CZvAJ40ol0_-W8V2InxV/s1600/IMG_0197.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dCPuzkIhqQj8jDFFqqBMbBXbkHRlj24oDbLOl25XZuhiWpluwAwbOP6bnzlcxHxixv41ugpkgo5wZBo7ydGpCPlvjudN7_RdnlfOMsS-EmHRuzeAT63gcce9CZvAJ40ol0_-W8V2InxV/s320/IMG_0197.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bruises from the blood work</td></tr>
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On May 22, 2018 we had our first ultrasound. We were 6 weeks pregnant and everything was measuring right on schedule. The heart beat was seen but was still too small to measure the rate. We had asked for this early ultrasound, but because all of our prior pregnancies had been lost after 7 weeks, we were still very worried.<br />
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Finally our 7 week ultrasound happened on May 29, 2018! Everything was measuring perfectly and there was a strong heart beat of 124 bpm. We had never seen a 7 week ultrasound like this. I cried out of relief and happiness! We were still cautiously optimistic, but started thinking that this could work out!<br />
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There was also one interesting piece of news we found out at this ultrasound - this pregnancy had been an identical twin pregnancy. Of the one embryo we transferred, it had split into two - there was one gestational sac that had two yolk sacs. Unfortunately, one of those was not growing properly. We were worried that it would impact the healthy living pregnancy, but the doctor tried to reassure us that typically the second baby would just be consumed by the living one, with no negative impact. We were hoping this would be our case. We were surprised and sad for the other life that could have been, but worried and hopeful for the other that was still living.<br />
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We had another ultrasound at 8 and 9 weeks at OFC, until we finally "graduated"! This was one of the BEST feelings! We had never made it this far before! Our fertility doctor released us to our OBGYN who would continue to see us through the remainder of this pregnancy. It felt so good to say "see yah" to OFC, and take a break from a place where we had many difficult moments, but also a place where science had given us so much!<br />
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We met with our OB at 9 weeks, who made me cry she had such amazing bedside manner! She completely understood everything we had been through, and offered me weekly ultrasounds to help ease any anxiety I was having. I took her up on her offer, and we had ultrasounds at 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 19 weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLfoE_QD3hSJ-WyQrQkQLEede5j7KuFeKXkeYDiiLetK4oT0k0WSR2A_W9n9QDcTGbMoFSuHm4n-bnxqz90bcA4XmlYe1DNfAbFH1ZtZa7x6L7Aa48kO3-JQmtEcevzG-J9Bwa4XgxiYd/s1600/IMG_0500.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1600" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLfoE_QD3hSJ-WyQrQkQLEede5j7KuFeKXkeYDiiLetK4oT0k0WSR2A_W9n9QDcTGbMoFSuHm4n-bnxqz90bcA4XmlYe1DNfAbFH1ZtZa7x6L7Aa48kO3-JQmtEcevzG-J9Bwa4XgxiYd/s320/IMG_0500.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-XNbkZn2mAS8CDQDJ0TnNrAMNUVl0nrhx0f2OLaLseYhLuhdqu-Nih-vdRzaKKfIpXIQdXQTc410VB3eW50C8jK446FduO9C6wLTcrU3I9qC9SymhoJiFcbJx8aAI_O0iF-qu8OQbCbn/s1600/IMG_0642.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-XNbkZn2mAS8CDQDJ0TnNrAMNUVl0nrhx0f2OLaLseYhLuhdqu-Nih-vdRzaKKfIpXIQdXQTc410VB3eW50C8jK446FduO9C6wLTcrU3I9qC9SymhoJiFcbJx8aAI_O0iF-qu8OQbCbn/s320/IMG_0642.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdk2k-6-L5BTSeu7pV3CxE-qA9V94AR6Fyr_YE4n3UYBexOB6QjyaAXXt4VJB6HRoQMSMpoFqBa-z9zYlOeEfX1quLt_2Wx32lvT4_kWHaKs8TGZ9Thv1P1kIbfayK0CX2CnAiWGZpeyU/s1600/IMG_0746.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdk2k-6-L5BTSeu7pV3CxE-qA9V94AR6Fyr_YE4n3UYBexOB6QjyaAXXt4VJB6HRoQMSMpoFqBa-z9zYlOeEfX1quLt_2Wx32lvT4_kWHaKs8TGZ9Thv1P1kIbfayK0CX2CnAiWGZpeyU/s320/IMG_0746.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7hU3gv-yToIdvoWlXpjwSj2fsQf9pZF9DUTxGzSBdzFKlKd4sYGwZAQYW2RBDHp5gDuGiWan7ORkgqFhyY4_yraBVIjaLDk_PUibzXm1bDubkk_MkWBludfU0enVwk9_IX7RmRACqaGT/s1600/IMG_0856.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7hU3gv-yToIdvoWlXpjwSj2fsQf9pZF9DUTxGzSBdzFKlKd4sYGwZAQYW2RBDHp5gDuGiWan7ORkgqFhyY4_yraBVIjaLDk_PUibzXm1bDubkk_MkWBludfU0enVwk9_IX7RmRACqaGT/s320/IMG_0856.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivveL6F_Qwgwr1t9UL3KzBlpE7qLElYGneYCIgYJRo-Nm6t7S0GQi00eI1jwPUyONuGEYkLdWbPXTh_h8_hydLwXKyoB7j8Sgxvg5CaJR_Q3Zcf-IRWBXsGHDtFWMd4OFLWPqvD5OPOd4a/s1600/IMG_0889.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivveL6F_Qwgwr1t9UL3KzBlpE7qLElYGneYCIgYJRo-Nm6t7S0GQi00eI1jwPUyONuGEYkLdWbPXTh_h8_hydLwXKyoB7j8Sgxvg5CaJR_Q3Zcf-IRWBXsGHDtFWMd4OFLWPqvD5OPOd4a/s320/IMG_0889.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZP_-MsoxVoMi0eBNxi4xO3uhOrhafOIDvXbju3dHkQbR2S6H-xcT0_PWJh3CKcX3nVSvNmatrslgAVtQ8JQgAza_gsOl6sOjKA-pXFkyyvbhvQ7gJfkiKeNsZ3GdwgqcuGWTmP-M1RChq/s1600/IMG_0923.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1600" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZP_-MsoxVoMi0eBNxi4xO3uhOrhafOIDvXbju3dHkQbR2S6H-xcT0_PWJh3CKcX3nVSvNmatrslgAVtQ8JQgAza_gsOl6sOjKA-pXFkyyvbhvQ7gJfkiKeNsZ3GdwgqcuGWTmP-M1RChq/s320/IMG_0923.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivZfGxkWVns2Ry9pNncVNYlAIp7MkH5_L4vXg_cGgw_QDUKYLf_-fjW4niaVcXKTRt_vC_P0Byq20Ww1MpwV-sS-NPr11PG-BvgxOSxB_KraB2DNWo04IXo40EE3aOk7oB3yBcxxH4reO/s1600/IMG_1394.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivZfGxkWVns2Ry9pNncVNYlAIp7MkH5_L4vXg_cGgw_QDUKYLf_-fjW4niaVcXKTRt_vC_P0Byq20Ww1MpwV-sS-NPr11PG-BvgxOSxB_KraB2DNWo04IXo40EE3aOk7oB3yBcxxH4reO/s320/IMG_1394.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRheNel5yB9ECegByWBcAlJ0S_DAeoGU1L7pOZ-h7mC3IR7aBhyItumSAvYfAYNcsvxd_UJdsUC_C_wzHP421q16snHDIR68Nowi1sA83AI0dKCB4KqKjVfAKR7UMdlYORuSoO5ppMS_P/s1600/IMG_1850.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1287" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRheNel5yB9ECegByWBcAlJ0S_DAeoGU1L7pOZ-h7mC3IR7aBhyItumSAvYfAYNcsvxd_UJdsUC_C_wzHP421q16snHDIR68Nowi1sA83AI0dKCB4KqKjVfAKR7UMdlYORuSoO5ppMS_P/s320/IMG_1850.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19 week ultrasound</td></tr>
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Every ultrasound was more and more reassuring and finally after our 11 week ultrasound, we decided to tell our families! We told our families by putting a "big brother" bandana on Tobi.<br />
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Our 12 week ultrasound was particularly reassuring, where we were screened for genetic and chromosomal issues. Very fortunately, everything came back normal. At this point, we started to share the news with the most special people in our lives.<br />
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Our 19 week ultrasound was also extremely reassuring. This is the morphology ultrasound that took an hour to complete. All of the organs were measured and checked and everything was absolutely perfect. This is when we could have found out the gender, but we wanted to wait. We looked away and have asked all the ultrasound techs and doctors to keep it a surprise from us! We can't wait to find out what we're having when he or she is born!<br />
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Overall we had a total of 10 ultrasounds in the first 19 weeks of pregnancy. I continued having ultrasounds for extra reassurance, until I started feeling the most AMAZING feeling ever - feeling our baby move!!!<br />
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We are now 22 weeks pregnant, due January 15, 2019, and OVERJOYED! It is still very surreal, but with every kick and punch from this active babe, we're reminded that we're FINALLY HAVING A BABY!!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 12 week ultrasound photo, within a heart, <br />shaped from all the medication and injections I took to make this FET happen <3 </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-86749359712419087972018-09-15T05:03:00.001-07:002018-09-15T05:03:50.659-07:00Our embryo survived the ice age!In March 2018, we FINALLY got the go ahead to try again with a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). Based on our previous failed protocol, this protocol was different (and suggested my me).<br />
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In April, I got my period and started injections again. Depending on where we were at in the cycle, I injected myself 1-3 times a day with the goal of thickening my uterine lining to 7mm. Although we only needed my uterus to thicken, this protocol was the same as my prior September 2018 IVF cycle and it meant that I was growing a gajillion follicles. I was essentially doing a second IVF cycle, without the egg retrieval. Instead, once my lining reached about 7.5mm thick, I "triggered" and ovulated all 20+ follicles (OUCH). We were instructed to abstain from all sex, for fear of getting pregnant with multiples (very doubtful, but we did not want to take any risks).<br />
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Finally the day came for our FET. We did not find out until we were at the Ottawa Fertility Centre (OFC) that morning, whether our embryo had survived being thawed or not. We were SO happy when we found out that our embaby survived the ice age! We got over that hurdle.<br />
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That morning, we transferred our embryo - the embryo that was created from our eggs and sperm which were retrieved and combined in our September 2018 IVF cycle, cryogenically frozen over the winter, thawed, and then transferred back into my uterus on April 29, 2018.<br />
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That day I was wearing what I deemed my "lucky fertility earrings" - these were pineapple earrings I bought for myself, for this FET. In the infertility world, pineapples are a sign of good luck and fertility.<br />
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And then we were to wait (again), to find out if this embryo decided to settle in and make a home in my uterus! We had very mixed emotions - we were very hopeful but also preparing ourselves for the worst.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-64444322000272245732018-09-15T04:52:00.001-07:002018-09-15T04:52:17.027-07:00A Failed Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) AttemptAfter our second devastating miscarriage and a few months of recovery and testing, we finally got the go ahead to do a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) in January 2018. Our plan was to transfer one of our two frozen embryos that had been retrieved and created thanks to our IVF cycle in September 2018.<br />
<br />
After our second miscarriage, we felt that so much time over the past few years had been spent waiting with very few chances to actually "try", so we wanted to move ahead as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />
I started the typical protocol which involved taking oral estrogen pills and eventually wearing estrogen patches. My bloodwork and lining was monitored at the Ottawa Fertility Centre (OFC). They needed my uterus lining to be at least 7mm thick; however, this seemed to be a struggle and they kept having to increase my estrogen dosage to try and get my lining to thicken. Unfortunately, the levels of estrogen in my body became so high that I ended up having bad reactions and side effects. One morning, I woke up feeling impaired - I could barely walk. I called OFC and they instructed me to go to the emergency unit immediately. They feared I was having a stoke.<br />
<br />
The Ottawa General Hospital checked me out and very fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong. However, I did not react well to the high doses of estrogen and my cycle was cancelled. This meant that there wasn't a chance to even try to get pregnant.<br />
<br />
More waiting.<br />
<br />
Well this was frusterating!<br />
<br />
We were instructed by OFC to wait to try to get into a specialist at a dizzy clinic in Ottawa. They seemed to think this was required before I could do a FET again. However I had only ever had bad side effects while on estrogen, and once off of it, I felt completely normal. In my mind, there was absolutely no need to wait to see a different specialist. I was sick of waiting and pleaded with OFC to reconsider and help me proceed.<br />
<br />
OFC ended up booking me in and I decided to take matters into my own hands. We knew that I reacted poorly to the high doses of estrogen that were typically used to prepare for a FET, but I knew I needed to avoid that protocol. I also knew that in my prior IUI and IVF cycles where I took injections, my lining always thickened nicely. I proposed to my doctor that I follow the same protocol I did for IVF, using injections to thicken my lining. We would avoid doing another egg retrieval, but take advantage of the thickened lining to do a FET. Apparently I was the first patient at OFC to do a protocol like this, but there had been cases in other clinics where this worked, and they agreed.<br />
<br />
So finally, in March 2018 we got the go ahead (again) to do a FET.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-68156012822987961822018-09-15T04:40:00.002-07:002018-09-15T04:40:23.630-07:00Testing after our 2nd miscarriageAfter our second miscarriage, we decided to undergo additional testing to try to understand if there was anything else that could be causing these miscarriages.<br />
<br />
After having the pregnancy removed via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_aspiration">Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA)</a>, we had the remains of pregnancy sent to a company in Montreal (called <a href="https://www.igenomix.com/">Ignenomix</a>) for testing. This testing included a service where we could speak with a genetic counsellor. The doctor explained all of the results to us. We found out that it would have been a little girl; however, there was a chromosomal error known as Trisomy 16. This explained why the pregnancy stopped developing properly. We found out that this chromosomal error is the most common cause of first trimester miscarriages. We also found out that it was not something we passed onto the baby - this was a common chromosomal error that happens in early pregnancy, which very devastatingly enough, happened to us (likely twice in a row).<br />
<br />
We also did additional blood work to test for any clotting issues. Fortunately these were also normal.<br />
<br />
After about a month of testing, and a another month waiting for results, we finally got the go ahead to attempt a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) using one of our remaining two frozen embryos from our September 2018 IVF cycle.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-10957525525166054782017-11-14T16:51:00.001-08:002017-11-15T14:44:52.114-08:00A Successful 1st Round of IVF Ending in Another Missed Miscarriage...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It’s sad but
it’s true, and a hard lesson to learn for those who experience it. A positive
pregnancy test does not always end with a happy, healthy baby 9 months later.
In fact, 1 in 4 pregnancies in Canada end in miscarriage and 1 in 6 Canadian
couples experience infertility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Here we go again
(or at least this is what we're thinking), with this being our 2nd miscarriage
this year... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">But how did we get here? Here's a bit of our story, before we get to the present day sentiments:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">In 2015, we tried for a year on our own, with no
success. We were referred by our family doctor to the Ottawa Fertility Centre
(OFC) where I was eventually diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
and hypothyroidism. 1 in 10 women in Canada have PCOS. It can prevent
women from ovulating naturally, among having many other difficult side
effects (weight gain, acne, the list goes on...).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">During 2016, while under treatment with OFC, I
took ovulation-inducing medication for 12 months. Unfortunately, all that those
medications came with was a year of crappy side effects.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">In January 2017, after 2+ years of trying to
conceive, we had our first attempt at Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) with
super-ovulation (SO). It worked and we FINALLY got pregnant! We were ELATED, to
say the least. Unfortunately, during our 7 week early dating ultrasound,
we found out that the pregnancy was not progressing normally. It took 3 more
ultrasounds and by 10 weeks, the doctor confirmed that we had a "missed
miscarriage". We were obviously devastated and we were given options
of what to do next. Initially I tried taking misoprostol to medically induce a
miscarriage, however after 2 failed rounds of misoprostol and another 2 months
passing by, we realized there were still retained products of conception and I
needed a medical procedure to finalize the miscarriage. Finally, in May of
2017 (after 5 months of the worst roller coaster ride yet) I had a Manual
Vacuum Aspiration (MVA). As our fortune would have it, this didn't work
either, and I ended up having a D&C which was finally successful to
terminate the non-viable pregnancy.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Needless to say, we needed to take a break during
the summer of 2017.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">In August 2017, we received a call from OFC that
we were next in line for the Ontario government-funded In-Vitro Fertilization
(IVF) program. This meant that most of the costs of the procedure were covered
under OHIP (things like medication were not covered). We did IVF in September
and it worked, and we were pregnant, again! After all that effort and
pain, it was initially reassuring to know IVF seemed to have worked. We were
cautiously optimistic and thought that after all our troubles, this pregnancy
was sure to work out. However, all that reassurance came crashing down
when we experienced déjà-vu and were diagnosed with our 2nd missed miscarriage
of 2017. It took about a month of repeat ultrasounds to receive the official
diagnosis, but we ended up having a MVA at 9 weeks and 4 days (of
pregnancy) to treat the missed miscarriage in November 2017.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Both of these missed miscarriages (or "silent
miscarriages") were first-trimester “early” losses, but still
heartbreaking nonetheless, especially following all of our struggles with
infertility.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So this brings us to present day...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This current miscarriage might sting a little more than our last one because it
follows an initially successful In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. We were SO excited to start getting positive pregnancy tests
before Thanksgiving (just 6 days after our 5 day fresh embryo transfer).
We received confirmation of our pregnancy just after Thanksgiving with
OFC. Our bloodwork was looking so strong that they didn't even want
to repeat it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">However, we received an initial warning at our first viability ultrasound on October 27th, 2017. We
should have been 6 weeks and 6 days pregnant, but we were measuring only
6 weeks. It took about a month of repeat ultrasounds (3 ultrasounds over 3
weeks) to receive the official diagnosis of another missed miscarriage. By November
10th 2017, we should have been 8 weeks 6 days, but we were still only measuring
6 weeks 4 days and there was no longer a heart beat.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We ended up
having a Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) at 9 weeks and 4 days on November 14th
2017 to treat the missed miscarriage. If you want to rant with me about our
Canadian health care system, ask me about ironically-enough having to go to an
abortion clinic to get the health care I need and deserve. This loss is
considered a first-trimester “early” loss, but still heartbreaking nonetheless.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mkBp1XdZbGUdvLSZip2TVlYUzvtGKUl3jPjN_Y-_u4De6wgAovCZp_ZUYn7FlSYTEJGg8hRPtm9SkFxdQZ5gsjnWDVUYI1TrbsWkSaa3qvA4Wh_1p_5UvX2_4TppokBxhPxnsiBORxfP/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-15+at+5.32.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1026" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mkBp1XdZbGUdvLSZip2TVlYUzvtGKUl3jPjN_Y-_u4De6wgAovCZp_ZUYn7FlSYTEJGg8hRPtm9SkFxdQZ5gsjnWDVUYI1TrbsWkSaa3qvA4Wh_1p_5UvX2_4TppokBxhPxnsiBORxfP/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-15+at+5.32.14+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Going through 3
years of infertility, with only 2 pregnancies and 2 missed miscarriages, is not
an easy road. Being pregnant or experiencing a miscarriage for 80% of 2017 is
not fun, especially when you have no baby to show for it. Life isn’t always
fair and not every infertility road has a happy ending - at least that's how
we're feeling at the moment. IVF is not always a miracle solution as
miscarriages are just as likely as they are with a natural pregnancy. This is
the unfortunate reality that I’m trying to accept right now.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">No matter how
hard we work, we cannot control our life when it comes to fertility. This has
been a hard lesson to learn, since my husband and I have been people who have
been told and who’ve learned that when you work hard, and if you work hard
enough and for long enough, you can achieve your dreams. Unfortunately it seems
that this is rarely this case with infertility and recurrent miscarriages. Or maybe
we are just jaded and in a negative space at the moment... But these are our
current sentiments. Unfortunately, words of hope and prayers get wasted on us
at the moment - we feel we are more resilient and prepared when we are
realistic and prepared for the worst. All we need is for people to say “that
really sucks”. At this point in our lives, words of encouragement or
hopefulness are more hurtful than they are helpful because we feel that we can
not realistically live up to those hopes and prayers. Sometimes I miss our past
happy-go lucky, everything is sunshine and butterflies, younger selves...</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Other than the
physical challenges of pregnancy and missed miscarriages, the emotional
rollercoaster can be rough. Due dates like October 22nd and June 16th will
always be difficult for us. Pregnancy announcements, baby showers, and even
socializing with our peer group often surrounded by their babies is very
difficult. We often feel left alone or left behind to fend for ourselves. And
thinking about trying again is not as easy as it might initially seem. This
will likely involve more testing from our fertility clinic in hopes to ensure I
don’t have scar tissue or complications from the procedures I’ve needed to
treat our missed miscarriages, forking out thousands of dollars to do genetic
testing to see if these two back-to-back miscarriages are just bad luck or if
there is another problem going on, a frozen embryo transfer (we only have 2
frozen embabies and there are no guarantees that those could
de-thaw successfully, implant successfully, or go on to become a healthy baby),
and the stress and anxiety of another embryo transfer working or not working -
all of these processes and scenarios are equally stressful for different
reasons and this process can take months.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Although this
miscarriage this time might have stung a little more because it was after IVF,
at the same time, it was a tiny bit easier because I was empowered. I knew what
resources existed in my community to help me get through this and I knew what
to expect. I was not alone and I had knowledge. Knowledge really is power. This
was the exact opposite experience I had with our 1st miscarriage. At that time,
I felt like I was in the dark and our medical professionals didn’t provide us
with any information to support us.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I have been
volunteering for the <a href="http://www.butterflyrunottawa.ca/"><u style="text-underline: #420178;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: #420178; text-underline: none;">Butterfly Run Ottawa/Gatineau</span></u></a>
this year. I can truly thank the Butterfly Run Ottawa/Gatineau for arming me
with this power of knowledge, this sense of pride, and this feeling of
community. Without the Butterfly Run, I would not feel as strong as I do under
these circumstances. It is for this reason that I’m choosing to share our
story. I hope that by sharing our story, another person might feel less alone
in their journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If you're
interested in reading more about my journey, here are some other
stories/snipits I've shared during our journey (writing and sharing has also
been helpful for me):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><u style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: #420178; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/amandamariereath/posts/10101846794227576">Our first
miscarriage announcement on social media</a></span></u></li>
<li><u style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: #420178; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://fertilitymatters.ca/oneinsix/amanda/">Our 1 in 6
story with Fertility Matters Canada</a></span></u></li>
<li><u style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: #420178; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://jakeandamandasjourneythroughivf.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;">This
personal blog journaling our experience with IVF</a></span></u></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Also, I wanted
to caveat this post, or end this post rather, with saying I’m sorry if I share
my feelings bluntly or if they are not the most positive thoughts at the
moment... I don't mean to share these negative sentiments to offer
the cruel realities of infertility and miscarriage (perhaps the first half of
my post was a little dark and dreary). If you are going through this, or
something like this, and feeling hopeful or positive, I do not want to take
that away from you. Please continue to feel anything you are feeling! Every
journey is different, and our feelings can change throughout this journey.
Unfortunately, my personal feelings are not as positive at the moment, but I
still feel they are important to share. By sharing these feelings, I do not
want to take away your hope, but if by chance you are also feeling
something similar to me, I would like you to know that there is someone who you
can relate to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">XO Thanks for
listening! And hugs to you if you’ve been through or are currently experiencing
infertility and/or miscarriage. It’s not an easy road but hopefully we can make
it a smoother and clearer road together.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-88895584409451971982017-09-28T10:31:00.002-07:002017-09-28T10:38:15.967-07:00Embryo TransferOn Day 3 post Embryo Retrieval, we received an update from OFC. This was either going to be good news or bad news - a lot can happen to the fertilized eggs in just a few days, so we were anxious to know how they were doing.<br />
<br />
We were told that they were doing well, and that we could plan to do an embryo transfer on Day 5 which was Thursday September 28th. This is the ideal scenario because it gives the embryos a chance to turn into blastocysts (typically by day 5) and be better assessed by the embryologist.<br />
<br />
Jake and I both took the Thursday off work. We were scheduled to have a consult with the IVF doctor-on-call at 9:30 and our transfer was tentatively scheduled for 10:30. Because we still weren't sure if there was fluid remaining in my uterus, the transfer was only tentative.<br />
<br />
OFC was running behind schedule that day. There had been a big storm in Ottawa the day before, so many patients were late or running behind because of road and traffic issues due to the storm. So that meant everything was pushed back that day. We got called in around 10:15. Jake changed into scrubs and I changed into that awesome hospital gown again.<br />
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We finally met with the IVF doctor and we were given all the info about how our embryos were doing. We had a total of 4 viable embryos plus an additional 2 non-viable embryos. Each embryo was evaluated by an embryologist and graded.<br />
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Of the 4 viable embryos, we had 2 excellent quality (the highest quality), 1 good quality, and 1 fair quality. The other 2 non-viable embryos would be destroyed.<br />
<br />
Based on our discussion with the doctor, we agreed that if we still had fluid in my uterus, we would transfer the 1 fair embryo. Embryos rated as "fair" can't be frozen, so rather than let it go to waste, we could try and transfer the fair embryo and see how we would do - but likely it wouldn't work due to the fluid.<br />
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On the other hand, if there was no fluid in my uterus, the doctor advised us that we should transfer our highest quality embryo!<br />
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Shortly after that discussion, we were pulled into the operating room where an ultrasound tech did an ultrasound to confirm if there was any fluid left in my uterus. Fortunately, there was none, which meant that we could transfer the highest quality embryo!<br />
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It was a very cool process! Before transferring the embryo, the embryologist showed us a picture of the embryo (now known as a "blastocyst"). We were able to watch it be transferred into my uterus via a catheter and thanks to ultrasound technology.<br />
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They pulled everything out of me and the embryologist confirmed that there was no embryo left in the catheter (meaning it was now in my uterus left to do its thing)!<br />
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So now we cross our fingers and toes, and wait and see what happens to our little em-baby!<br />
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We also decided to freeze the other remaining embryos that were of high-enough quality to freeze. The 1 remaining fair-rated embryo had to be destroyed since it would not survive the freezing and de-thawing process, but the 2 other embryos (1 excellent quality and 1 good quality) would be frozen. There were still no guarantees that they will be successfully frozen, but OFC will call us tomorrow (Friday) to let us know if the freezing process for those 2 remaining embryos was a success. We really hope that they can be successfully frozen, because those would be our future options for Frozen Embryo Transfers if this embryo transfer doesn't work, if we miscarry, or if we want to try for more kids in the future.<br />
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So wish us luck!<br />
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Regardless of the result, we most likely will not be posting any further updates or news on here, but hopefully these blog posts helped you understand the process and everything we were doing to try and have a baby. AND if we're ever lucky enough to have a child from this IVF cycle, we will likely use these records if they are ever being a little-shit-teenager to remind them how much they were wanted and why they should be good lol!<br />
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Thanks for your support everyone! Now we wait and let science and possibly a little bit of magic do their things!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-85086665456042162712017-09-28T10:05:00.003-07:002017-09-28T10:11:14.612-07:00Egg RetrievalOn Saturday September 23rd we had our scheduled Egg Retrieval (ER).<br />
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As luck and the wonderful timing of life would have it, Jake had his final customs exam for work scheduled at the same time, so unfortunately he wasn't able to come with me. He got up super early to do his thing at OFC, and then rushed off to his exam which started at 9 AM.<br />
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My mom and dad drove back from the cottage to take me to the ER. I was going to have conscious sedation so technically I would be legally impaired for 24 hours, which means I needed someone to drive me (thanks dad). I also wanted to have someone with me throughout the procedure and in the ER (thanks mom).<br />
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We showed up at OFC at 8:15 AM and my mom and I were brought into a separate area of the clinic that I had never seen before. My mom changed into scrubs and I changed into a lovely hospital gown. After that, we were given a locker where we could safely keep our things, and I was directed to a chair (a hospital-type Lazy-Boy chair). A nurse set me up with an IV in my hand and started giving me fluids and a medication that was supposed to help me relax and forget things (yeah... I don't think it worked...).<br />
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At exactly 9:15 AM, I had the ER. I walked into the ER with my IV cart in hand, and my mom not far behind. They gave me 3 doses of fentanyl through the IV to "help" with the pain (this was the conscious sedation)... but I really don't think the meds worked because it hurt like a F@#$ing B*&$%! My mom was able to sit beside me throughout the process.<br />
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Our results were much better than expected! Based on the last ultrasound we had, it looked like I would only have about 5-8 follicles (and not all of those would have eggs), but it turned out that those follicles grew like crazy in the last 3 days and I had around 15 follicles. They were able to retrieve 12 eggs. OUCH! But that was good news!<br />
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The whole procedure lasted about 15-20 minutes and definitely wasn't a walk in the part, but we were very happy with the result! Here we are showing how many eggs were retrieved = 12!<br />
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After the procedure, I had to rest at OFC for an hour. They gave me some more fluids and offered me some food. I had to make sure I could pee before I could leave lol. Finally that happened and we left that morning.<br />
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I felt decent when leaving OFC and for the majority of the afternoon after the ER; however, that evening was HELL ON EARTH! I have never experienced such awful pain. Jake ended up calling the doctor-on-call at OFC during the night to see what I could do to help the pain. Luckily, they allowed me to take a Percocet (which I had left over from our miscarriage) and that made me feel so much better and I was finally able to sleep!<br />
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The next 2 days after the ER were also very painful. I had to take Tylenol every 4-6 hours, but it didn't seem to do much for the pain. My stomach was very tender and swollen! It was difficult to walk around - even getting in and out of bed sucked.<br />
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Luckily, by Tuesday, I was feeling almost 100% and back to my normal self!<br />
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Hopefully I never have to have an ER again in my life, but if I do, I will be more mentally prepared for the awfulness of the procedure and recovery!<br />
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Now let me back up in time again. So the day after the ER (Sunday September 24th), we were called by OFC and told that of the 12 eggs we had, 7 were successfully fertilized using ICSI. That was good news for us as well! From there, we needed to wait until Wednesday September 27th which was day 3 following the ER. We would be told how many fertilized eggs survived and if they were going to do a day 3 or 5 transfer.<br />
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Also as life would have it (good ole' life), there was one other potential snag in the process. Due to all the hormones in my body from the injections, the doctor found fluid in my uterus during the ER. This was fine during the ER, but it could potentially impact the transfer if the fluid was still there. If the fluid was still there on the day of the transfer (day 3 or day 5), they most likely wouldn't proceed with a transfer because there would be no chance of the embryo implanting - it would just float around in there.<br />
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So that brings us to day 3 after the ER - and I'll do a separate post about all that jazz!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-75873114293264144222017-09-21T12:27:00.003-07:002017-09-21T12:27:49.916-07:00Injections!Tonight is my last night for injections! YAY!<br />
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I've pricked myself, typically with 3 needles a day, for 8 days now. So I am happy to say that the "stimming" stage of IVF is over!<br />
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This is what happens when you are rushing to give yourself an injection in the morning... you end up pricking yourself in the wrong place! That might look like a small drop of blood... but when you aren't expecting it and inject that needle deep into your finger, yowzers!<br />
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Also, this is what it looks like when you're trying to maintain a social life, but you have to keep up with your injections at the same time! Injections in a parking lot... not sketchy at all... ;-)<br />
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Yesterday we went into OFC for our first ultrasound to check-in and see how I was responding to the injections. It turned out that I was responding quicker than average - most people need around 10 days of stimming, whereas I was only at 7 days at that time. I figured I was responding to the meds because I have been feeling very tired and my ovaries feel like a million pounds! They found 2 follicles that were over 17 mm, 3 that were between 15-17 mm, and another 3 that were between 10-15 mm = 8 potential follicles total. Some people on the high end of the spectrum of IVF will have 15-20 follicles, and some on the low end will have around 1-2... so they said I was somewhere in the average in terms of our response quantity. They scheduled our egg retrieval for Saturday (EEK), expecting that the follicles will continue to grow until then.<br />
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Of course, as life would have it, our egg retrieval is scheduled at the exact same time as Jake's final customs exam for work. He can't reschedule his exam, and we can't reschedule the egg retrieval. So I've asked my mom to take me and come with me to the egg retrieval while Jake does his exam.<br />
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Soon after the egg retrieval we will know how many eggs they were able to retrieve (if any - there are no guarantees). If we have eggs, they will do ICSI and inject 1 sperm into each egg. We will get a call about 24 hours later (on Sunday I hope) to tell us how many eggs were fertilized. And from there, we monitor them.<br />
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Here's hoping that Saturday goes well - Im hoping for a few good eggs that can get fertilized by Sunday!!! If that all works out, hopefully we will transfer a healthy embryo next week!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-4273944669848924502017-09-13T13:05:00.003-07:002017-09-13T16:42:10.381-07:00It's a go!Yesterday I went back into OFC for another ultrasound and blood work. At the ultrasound, they checked and measured the cyst on my right ovary. It had shrunk from about 4 cm to 2 cm. It was still big enough that they were considering it a cyst, but not big enough that they were too worried. They said that they would continue monitoring it throughout IVF... but... we still had to wait for the results from the blood work to confirm that we were officially a GO! It turned out that they had a problem with their blood lab that day, so they needed to send the blood out to another clinic. They promised to call me the next day to confirm if we were to go ahead with IVF or not.<br />
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Today they called and confirmed that we can officially start IVF! My progesterone and estrogen levels were normal, which confirmed that the cyst shouldn't interact with the IVF protocol.<br />
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So I went to OFC to pick up the injectable medications.<br />
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This is what 10 days of injectable meds looks like (ignore our dusty kitchen table):<br />
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Looks like we will be clearing out a shelf in the fridge for these bad boys. I start taking Gonal-F (275) and Luveris (250) tomorrow (Thursday September 14th 2017) between 4-7 PM at the same time each day. I will take these for +/- 10 days. On September 18th, I will also start taking Cetrotide (250) every morning at the same time, before 11 AM, to prevent ovulation from occurring before the egg retrieval. They want to ensure that the follicles do not release any eggs before the planned egg retrieval.<br />
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Now we just wait until tomorrow to start poking myself!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-37748862988289878582017-09-06T12:35:00.002-07:002017-09-06T12:35:29.142-07:00Things are back up in the air!Well in the last 24 hours, I've been to OFC 3 times! Ugh!<br />
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Yesterday (Tuesday September 5th, 2017), I went to OFC to have my blood work drawn and an ultrasound. Unfortunately, it turns out that I currently have a cyst on my right ovary...<br />
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Today (Wednesday September 6th, 2017) I went back into OFC to meet with our fertility doctor, Dr. Vause. She told us that if the cyst doesn't go away on its own within the next week, our IVF cycle will have to be delayed. They do not want to proceed with IVF until my ovaries are clear of cysts because cysts can mess with my body's hormones and interact with the hormones that I would inject myself with.<br />
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I also had to go back into OFC for the 3rd time in 24 hours for our IVF "scheduling appointment." For this appointment, I met with a nurse who walked me through what would happen on each day of our IVF schedule; however, because of the cyst, the schedule is still up in the air.<br />
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So this means that I am still waiting for my next period to show up (+/- the next 7-10 days). Once I have my period, I will go back into OFC on day 2 of that cycle to have my blood work checked again and also have a repeat ultrasound. IF my progesterone is too high, and/or IF the cyst still exists, our IVF cycle will be delayed.<br />
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So now we wait, for results from the day 2 tests... Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820496332923490742.post-38303035651483625442017-08-31T18:24:00.000-07:002017-09-13T18:35:24.185-07:00It's Official! IVF is our next step!Well guys, it's official! We're preceding with In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) as our next step for our infertility treatments!<br />
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Today we went into our local fertility clinic, the <a href="http://www.conceive.ca/">Ottawa Fertility Centre (OFC)</a>, to meet with one of the nurses for a "consent signing appointment". The purpose of this appointment was to find out what protocol (the process) we would be doing, what the success rates and risk factors are, and to basically sign our life away on a bajillion medical forms.<br />
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We found out that we would be doing an <a href="https://www.fertilityauthority.com/fertility-treatment/vitro-fertilization-ivf-explained/ivf-antagonist-protocol">"Antagonist" protocol</a> with <a href="http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection-for-infertility">intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)</a>. ICSI is the procedure where they inject 1 single sperm into an egg, rather than letting all the sperm swim around the egg and fertilize it themselves.<br />
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We're also lucky patients of the <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-fertility-treatments">Ontario government funded IVF program</a>, which means that much of the costs of IVF will be covered by our health care (hallelujah!). What's not covered is the cost of injectable medications (roughly $6,000) and cost for annual embryo freezing should we be lucky enough to have high-quality embryos to freeze for later ($500/year). I also have prescription drug coverage through my work so part of the medication will be covered, which will help us out a lot. We've been on a waiting list at OFC since November 30th of 2016, so we're very happy to be moving forward with the government funded program.<br />
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So what are some of the things we found out at our appointment today?<br />
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<ul>
<li>We were told that the expected pregnancy success rate was 42% - this was a stat individualized based on us, our age, health, medical history, etc. However, we're staying realistic because that means there's also a 58% chance that it won't result in a pregnancy. This stat shouldn't be confused with a live birth rate, because just because there's a 42% chance we could get pregnant, that doesn't mean the pregnancy would be viable. </li>
<li>We also found out that there's about a 10% chance of our cycle being cancelled by the clinic... that could be for reasons such as poor stimulation or over stimulation to the meds, problems accessing my ovaries, no eggs being retrieved, zero eggs that were fertilized, or no surviving embryos... we really hope that we won't fall into that 10% and have our cycle cancelled. </li>
<li>Because I have PCOS, there's also a 20% chance I could get ovarian <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-hyperstimulation-syndrome-ohss/home/ovc-20263580">hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS)</a>, which if you read about it, would really suck... so lets hope that also doesn't happen!</li>
<li>Apparently there's also a 25% risk of multiple pregnancies, even if they only put back 1 embryo (yes, only ONE) on day 5 (day 5 after egg retrieval)... this rate is much higher than the general population who might have that occur naturally at a rate of 3% in Canada. </li>
<li>Rates of miscarriage are still the same - so even if this works and we get pregnant, we still have about a 15-20% chance of having another miscarriage...</li>
</ul>
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Hope we didn't bore you too much with all of those stats... but we found them helpful to keep us realistic about the process. Many people believe IVF is a magical solution to infertility. And while it is an incredible advancement in the field of medicine, there are still many people who it doesn't work for. I might sound jaded, but I'm just being realistic.<br />
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Also at this appointment, we had to make a lot of decisions that weren't necessarily prepared for. It would have been great if we had a heads up from OFC about the types of decisions we should be prepared to make at this appointment. For example, if one of us were to die, would we allow the other living person to use the remaining embryos to have a child on their own (or via a surrogate in Jake's case). Would we donate our embryos to science if we didn't or weren't able to use them. Would we allow for the clinic to destroy our embryos once we were done with them... these seemed to be tough questions for us to answer, so we made quick judgement calls to the best of our ability today, but we may revisit and revise these decisions over the next little while if we change our mind.<br />
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I'm also happy to report that I met the weight limit for IVF (based on OFC's restrictions), after losing 30 lbs with Weight Watchers (WW) since April. Yeah!!! OFC said I can stick with WW as I go through IVF, until we know a result at the end of all this. I plan on continuing to do so, especially since I won't be able to work out, other than just walking, while going through IVF. This is because any fast movements/turns/jumps/crunches can highten the risk of an ovary twisting and having the blood supply cut off... so yeah, walking it will be!<br />
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Overall, we're excited to be moving on. The last 2.5 + years have seemed to drag on and have seemed to move very slowly to get to the next step. So here's hoping this one goes by fast, and even maybe better, works, and sticks for good!<br />
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What are the next steps?<br />
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<ul>
<li>We have a "scheduling" appointment on September 6th where we will get all the details about the process, meds, restrictions, etc.</li>
<li>Once I get my next period, I call OFC to report my "day 1" </li>
<li>I'll be scheduled to have blood work drawn on day 2. The purpose of this will be to check my progesterone levels. If they are too high, our IVF cycle could be delayed by a month. They don't think that mine will be, and this is a standard test, but they are checking it nonetheless. </li>
<li>I'll start injectable medications between days 2 and 4 (depends on if my day 1 falls on a weekend, OFC's schedule, etc.). I'll probably be on medications for around +/- 10 days.</li>
<li>And of course... more to come... but it gets fuzzy/complicated/up-in-the-air from here. </li>
</ul>
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Anyway, until next time!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08608270556171229184noreply@blogger.com0