About Us

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After an 8 year battle with infertility and countless struggles, our family is finally complete. This blog chronicles the journey it took for us to start and build the family we always wanted. Background on the blog (started in 2012, just days before I found out the embryo transfer for our son worked).... I decided to start a blog after realizing I have only been able to make it through my TWW's (two week waits) with the help of Google and with the openness of other women suffering from infertility sharing their own stories and giving others hope. I have time and time again found my exact symptoms on other women's blogs and felt an overwhelming sense of calmness they provided me. I thought it was time to pay it forward and hopefully provide this same thing to other women on their own journeys.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

8dp3dt

Symptoms:  
Nothing yet this morning.   Facial acne.   Starting to see veins in my chest.

HPTs:
Sorry to keep everyone in suspense.  We have movement on the tests but didn't want to get everyone excited just yet!   Please bare with me (us) until we feel comfortable writing about it.  We sooooo don't want to jinx anything by talking about it too early!   (AKA, don't want to relive Nov '11).


KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING!



Friday, May 30, 2014

7dp3dt

Symptoms:
10:30 feeling a little queasy.   slight headache.   little bit of heart burn.   acne on chest.   queasy in the evening.

KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING!


Thursday, May 29, 2014

6dp3dt

Symptoms:
None so far.   Maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe a tinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny amount of queasy feeling mid morning?
After work:  Uterine pinches on and off.  Right side.  And bladder side.   Two shadowy BFPs on wondfos.   Warm cheeks.  Facial acne. Right boob pinching for only a few minutes.

HPTs:
Morning:  BFN (wondfo)
Morning:  BFN (FRER)
After work:  BFN (wondfo)..........came back later and a shadow is there!
Evening:  BFN (wondfo)..........came back later and a shadow is there!
Evening:  BFN (FRER)

KEEP PRAYING FOR US!


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

5dp3dt

Symptoms:
None so far.  Stay tuned.  I hope things get rolling today!   Cramps after work.

HPTs: 
Morning: BFN.  Still very early.
After work: BFN.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

1dp3dt through 4dp3dt

Symptoms so far:
1dp3dt (Saturday evening) nothing
2dp3dt (Sunday morning) cramps when I went to bed
3dp3dt (Monday) cramps when I wok up
4dp3dt (Tuesday/Today) nothing so far  :(......   Left boob ended up tingling for a few hours in the evening.  Maybe a few cramps here and there.  Gassy but I also ate tons of apples for lunch with lots of fiber.

POAS so far:
3.5dp3dt BFN (evening)
4dp3dt BFN  (morning)
4dp3dt BFN  (after work)
4.5dp3dt BFN  (evening)

Friday, May 23, 2014

Frozen Embryo Transfer

Well I am officially PUPO!  (Pregnant until proven otherwise!) Transfer went well!!   We transferred our last 2 frosties.   A 9 cell and a 12 cell.  Both with fragmentation so hopefully they're fighters!!!

Here's me in the shirt I've worn to all FIVE embryo transfers as well as wearing my new "lucky" socks.  What could be luckier than sloths and a unicorn pooping a rainbow???



Thursday, May 22, 2014

Pineapple Core Smoothies

Pineapple core smoothie 1 of 5 complete!



Doxy, Medrol, Lovenox + Ranting

Added two new drugs to my FET regimen today:  doxycycine (antibiotic) and medrol (steroid).   They are standard with FETs and I've taken them with each transfer.   Lovenox, on the other hand is new, I will start that tomorrow.  It's a blood thinner and I found it in my last ditch research to salvage this transfer after finding my mega counts of antithyroid antibodies in my blood stream.   Research has shown having antithyroid antibodies in the body DRAMATICALLY reduces success rates.   Research has also shown that 50% of women with antithyroid antibodies also have elevated NK (natural killer) cells in the system that make it impossible for an embryo to implant.  So....many people have asked me if I still plan on transferring tomorrow....the answer is yes.  We are just going to go for it.  If it fails, we will test for the NK cells - which, if found, can be treated with an intralipid infusion in the weeks leading up to an embryo transfer.  Are we being irresponsible transferring without doing the NK test?  50% chance yes.  Psychologically I don't know if I can handle two cancelled cycles back to back that wouldn't have needed to be cancelled if my FREAKING doctors did their FREAKING jobs.  I am livid.  My thyroid wouldn't have even been tested if it wasn't for me demanding it.   My hashimoto's (and antithyroid antibodies) wouldn't have been found if it wasn't for me demanding the testing.  Even the lovenox, the last ditch med to salvage this transfer wouldn't have even been prescribed if it wasn't for me demanding it.   And if this cycle fails, testing for NK cells I can ASSURE YOU wouldn't have been done if I didn't demand it.   I am sick of being my own doctor.  For once I just want to "let go" and have someone else worry about me since that's what they are being paid to do.  Is all this ranting going to help me succeed this cycle?  Chances are it's not...since now I have extra stress hormones in my system which hinder implantation.....however....it feels good to the internet to anyone that will listen.

PS....my transfer is scheduled for tomorrow at 11am..... Dr. Goldfarb will be doing the transfer as well.  I'm sure he's going to LOVE seeing me (since I email him every day it seems).


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Thyroid Tests

TSH = 1.19  (normal 0.35-4.94)
T4 = 1.06  (normal 0.70-1.48)
T3 = 2.16 (noraml 1.71-3.71)

Anti-thyroid testing:
Thyroglobulin AB = 71.84   (normal 0.00-4.11)  REALLY BAD
Thyroid Peroxidase AB = 62.15   (normal 0.00-5.61)  REALLY BAD


Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Bomb From Yesterday

So yesterday my thyroid doctor confirmed that I have an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's.   I have no clue what this means or what it means for my fertility and my baby making journey.  A lot of people have kindly sent me information.  It's a lot to take in.  The thyroid doctor said he thinks it's fine to move ahead with the transfer.  My RE doctor said he thinks it's controversial what Hashimoto's dose to fertility and it's up to me if I want to proceed or not.  He gives me this answer for everything.  I am leaving him for sure if these last two embryos don't make it.  He's so inferiating.

PIO Starts Tonight

PIO (progesterone in oil) injections start tonight!   These are the big gun needles that hurt like a mother effer.  I even had nerve damage after being on these for 10 weeks with Victor's cycle.   This is the first cycle I don't have circles drawn on my upper cheeks.  Mom, if you're reading this... I'm gonna have you draw these the next time I see you!


Friday, May 16, 2014

FET right on track

Nurse Peggy called (not sure what happened to Dawn but haven't heard from her in a while!) and said that we are still on track for transfering next Friday!  My lining looked perfect.

Plan:
  • Stay on 3 estrogen everyday
  • Stay on 2 vag pills everyday
  • Tuesday start 1ml of progesterone in the evenings.
  • Wednesday morning - last vag pill
  • Thursday start doxycycline for 4 days (1 at breakfast, 1 at dinner)
  • Thursday start medrol for 4 days (1 at dinner)
  • Thursday will hear from clinic about the time for transfer
  • Friday is the transfer!

Lining Check

Had my lining check this morning.  My lining is at 10.3mm and trilaminar!  Which is kick ass for being only cycle day 9.  I knew it would be thick though because of the 3 estrogen patches and 2 vag pills a day.  Anyways, the report will be sent to my clinic and then they'll call this afternoon with the plan.  The plan to-date is to transfer next Friday.  Transferring next Friday would be awesome because I'd only have to take off 1 day of work, relax all weekend, and we have Monday off.  I also have no clients what-so-ever next weekend so I can utterly relax!!!!  Check back later to hear about the call from the clinic!




Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Chugging Along

Not much to report.  FET (frozen embryo transfer) cycles are way more boring than IVF cycles.

Just chugging along with my 3 estrogren patches a day and 2 vagina pills a day.  Sorry male readers, I am now using the word vagina freely on my blog as a few posts ago some a-hole decided to leave a comment that I sounded like I was 12 leaving out the big adult words like VAGINA.  lol.


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Dates are Set!

The dates are set!

We will do a lining check on Friday May 16th to make sure my uterine lining is getting nice and thick (sometimes women's lining suffers during FET cycles).  

If that all goes well we will do the transfer on Friday May 23rd.

If that all goes well we will have our beta check on Friday June 6th!

Let the games begin!


Patches Instead of Pills

AF arrived today so the FET cycle officially got underway as of today.  I spoke with my RE and basically told him I wanted to be on patch form of estrogen instead of pill form as pill form has contradications with synthroid and I am not about to jeopardize my beautifully low TSH (sorry for the run on!).  :)   So yeah, slapped on THREE patches this morning and told to do 2 pills in the you know what a day to help the lining.  I think I'll wait to do those until after AF is done.  Honestly, the FET I had success I only needed to put them you know where for like 2 days.....not 12 as they want me to do this time.  So I think it will be okay to wait a couple days to start that mess.  ;)

Monday, May 5, 2014

FET #3 Rebooted!

Got the news just now that my thyroid level is officially 0.82!!!  Wooooooo hooo!!    That is the best news ever.  I was scared it would come back under their acceptable level (3.5) but not under my acceptable level (2.5).  Now I don't have to worry!   I am on cycle day 26 now so as soon as I get AF (aunt flow) I will be starting up my estrogen pills and the FET will be a go!!!!!