Step Four: One Option Left.

My husband had committed to being there every step of the way so that in case nothing happened we would be able to maintain a good relationship. From this point on he was there for absolutely everything. In December we met with our doctor for our consultation and made up our schedule to start the IVF process in January pending a medical board review that was mandatory for this clinic. We waited a couple of weeks taking the birth control that was prescribed to let my body rest and prepare. At the end of December we received a call telling us that the medical board had decided that we were not optimal candidates for the procedure and that we would have to pay a considerable amount more for them to be willing to accept us as IVF patients. My husband and I were devastated because we felt that if they didn't think that we were good candidates then we would likely not get pregnant and we would just be throwing our money away. After a few days had passed we decided to seek a second opinion and have our records transferred to another local clinic and go for a consultation there.

The doctor we met at the second clinic told us that he felt that based on our test results there was no reason why we should not be able to conceive a child. The only bad news was they could not get us in on the original timeline we had planned with the other clinic, so we would have to wait a little while longer. By February we had all of the paperwork signed, our IVF education courses taken, and all our fees paid and we were ready to go. I began taking a low dose of Follistim subcutaneously to begin growing eggs and then after ten days we went in for a transvaginal ultrasound, something you can never get away from during fertility treatments. The results showed that I had many eggs beginning to form which was great news, because during IVF you want a lot but not too many which can be dangerous. I had a blood test done to test hormone levels and waited to be called that afternoon with more information. The nurse called that evening to let us know everything was on track but to increase the dose of Follistim. This was so the developing eggs could get more hormones and to return in two days to repeat the process.

I went to the clinic a few times and each day I would go in the eggs would get a little bit bigger and there would be a few more developing. By this time because of all of the shots my stomach was bruised and I was running out of fresh spots to do the shots. I was several days past when they had estimated they would be doing my egg retrieval. Fear set in again that not even this was going to work so we were resolved to ask the doctor what could be done at this point. At the next appointment after being evaluated we asked the doctor what was wrong. He told us it was normal in some cases to go longer than the estimated time. The doctor was trying to be conservative so that I did not produce a dangerous amount of eggs. Increasing the dosage might push the eggs that are close to maturity over the edge or it could cause many more unmatured eggs to form. We discussed our options and decided that we would increase the dosage but I was going to have to come in for an appointment every single day. After a few days I began to get close to the goal and took a shot of Cetrotide to prevent ovulating to soon this medication caused a painful burning sensation for me. Shortly there after I had enough mature eggs for the egg retrieval. I took my Ovidrel shot and waited for Egg Retrieval Surgery.

The next morning I went in for the surgery where I was put under general anesthesia and my mature eggs were harvested. I was given the first of my Progesterone Shots to be taken as an intramuscular injection until either nine weeks of pregnancy or until it was confirmed I was not pregnant. The shots are not the only option but it was the best option for us. The shots are very thick oil solution and are done in the hip. For me these shots were so painful that some days it was difficult to walk and I spent many hours with a heating pad on my hips.

When I woke up the doctor came in and told us that they had harvested twenty-two eggs. Since I had produced so many eggs this was a good sign that I would have embryos to work with but I would need to monitor myself very closely at home for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). This was because of the large number of eggs I produced, fortunately I did not develop OHSS. The days following the retrieval I was in extreme pain. The lower part of my body hurt so much that I could not stand up straight and spent the majority of my time in bed. The day after the surgery the embryologist called to tell us that sixteen of our twenty-two eggs had been fertilized successfully. They would begin monitoring the quality and if the survival rate of the embryos was good they would try to get them to a day five blastocyst stage. He explained to us that a day five blastocyst has a stem cell sack that can be seen under the microscope, embryos with a stem cell sack will become a baby if they are able to attach to the uterine wall. Everyday the embryologist called us to let us know how they were doing. After four days we received a call that we had four good quality embryos that would be available for transfer the next day.

We set up a time to go in and when we got there we discussed with the doctor that two embryos was the proper and safe amount to transfer. The remaining embryos would be frozen in case I did not get pregnant or we wanted to use them in the future. I was given a sedative and prepared for the Embryo Transfer.

My husband and I got to watch our embryos on a screen as they prepared for transfer them and as they were sucked up the catheter.

Once the transfer was complete we made an appointment to have a blood pregnancy test done 15 days later but before this date arrived I began bleeding. We called the doctor's office and they advised that we still come in for the test to be sure that I was not pregnant and I was not. This was one of the most depressing days of doing fertility treatments, I had never felt worse and now we were going to have to wait for awhile for my body to heal before we could get a chance to use the two remaining embryos that we had frozen. A few days later we went to see the doctor to get started on whatever our next step would be. At that time I received a prescription for Estradiol to begin taking on a certain date to prepare my uterine lining for another embryo transfer. On May 9th we were ready for the transfer and went in that morning with the hope that the embryos would survive the thaw and we would have at least one to transfer. As we were signing the paperwork the doctor came in and told us both embryos had survived the thawing process. Now I were ready to take a sedative and have the transfer. As before we got ready and went in to have the embryos transferred.

Again we went home and waited until we would have our blood test. We were more hopeful this time because there had been no bleeding but you can never be sure. On May 22nd I went in and had my blood drawn. Since Jon and I could not be together that day to get the results together and I couldn't bare getting bad news alone we asked the nurse to call Jon with the results. That afternoon Jon called me and asked me if I loved him. I said yes and he said good because you are pregnant with my baby. I broke down crying, after all the time, pain, and struggle I was finally pregnant for the first time in my life.