June ICLW!

Hello, if this is the first time stopping by!

My hubby and I are currently going through our second round of IVF.  We were diagnosed at the beginning of this year with severe male factor infertility.  Only option of conceiving is through IVF + ICSI, and even with that, I'm not sure how good our chances are.  Our first round of IVF was a fail.  After stimming too fast- I had between 40-50 follicles- they backed off on all my meds and two days before my retrieval, my estrogen fell really low.  They were able to get it back up with my hcg shot (trigger shot), but they were only able to retrieve 12 poor quality eggs.  Crappy eggs + really really crappy sperm = poor quality embryos which turn into a BFN.  I am not a HUGE fan of my current RE office.  I felt like they really downplayed the fact that my estrogen dropped real low, they almost had to cancel my cycle, and I had really poor quality eggs (not to mention only 12 eggs out of 50 follicles) and completely blamed the failed cycle on our MFI.  I'm not a doctor or a specialist of any kind, but from what I have read, egg quality is more of a factor of embryo quality then sperm quality-- especially when you are doing ICSI... so here we go again! 

Today was cycle day five (I think? I get all confused!) and my first appointment after starting stims last Friday.  Everything looked good.  I'm on a lot lower dose of medicine this time around and the name of the game is slow and steady. Let's hope it keeps going this way.  I think we are looking at around the Fourth of July for our retrieval.

Also, if you are new to the blog- I absolutely love taking and posting pictures (especially of our puppy Sidney).  Yesterday we went on a five mile walk (since no more real exercise during stims!) and these are some pics from our walk!

This is our baby Sidney.  She is an almost two year old yellow (or strawberry blonde as I call her) lab that we rescued from Lab Rescue of the Mid Atlantic.  We love her more than anything. 

 Posing for the camera.  We were coming up on mile four here... so she was getting a little hot.



The lily pads in the water.  This is good as you can get with a phone camera! 

The lake where we go running.  It has a 2.5mile path that goes around it, so I come here often for runs.  It is just so quiet and beautiful here... doesn't even feel like you are in Maryland!

May ICLW

Hello ICLW visitors! This is my second time doing this since I haven't been blogging very long.

My husband and I were diagnosed with Severe MFI and given pretty much a <1% chance of ever conceiving on our own. We just completed our first failed IVF cycle. Since I am only 27 and haven't been diagnosed with any issues that would prevent us from conceiving - I responded too well from the meds. They were extremely concerned for OHSS and was pretty much coasted on meds from day five. The day of my trigger I had close to fifty follicles, but my e2 levels dropped extremely low and they almost canceled my cycle. After my trigger shot my e2 came up enough for retrieval, but they we're only able to get 12 poor quality eggs. Unfortunantly bad eggs and bad sperm equals poor quality embryos. We are now gearing up for our second cycle hopefully starting in June.

A little about me... I grew up in Tennessee. I absolutely LOVE college football. My team is the Tennessee Volunteers. I bleed orange. My lab even has a Tennessee cheer outfit. After graduating nursing school- I randomly on a spur- moved to Maryland and have been an ICU nurse for five years. I met my husband here and we married in Nov. 2007. We have a yellow lab named Sidney after S.idney C.rosby on the P.ittsbur.gh Pe.guins. She is our spoiled rotten daughter. I enjoy running and being outside! It is my goal to run a half marathon! Ever since our diagnosis I have wanted to become a fetility nurse. I feel like with my experience it would make me a better nurse and support for those also going through infertility treatments.

Anyways. That's pretty much it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a good weekend!

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Updates (and my first ICLW!)

So, for those of you from ICLW - a quick run down! I'm 27 years old and my husband and I have been married since November 2009.  After trying to conceive for about six months (officially), we were diagnosed with severe male factor infertility.  We are currently at cycle day 7 (?) for our first round of IVF with ICSI.  We have been lucky so far that everything has been working out fairly easily for us.  We were diagnosed at the end of January, got to see a urologist right away (one of the top in the states - who diagnosed the man with a varicocele that we haven't decided if we'll repair), my insurance is cooperating with some of the payments, and were able to start our cycle in April!  Everything has happened so fast and hopefully by the first week in May we'll be pregnant!

I've been meaning to Update sooner, but work has been insanely busy (life as an ICU nurse and 12hr shifts).  I went to my first doctor appointment since starting stims on Wednesday.  Apparently I'm responding a little too well too quickly... I think the doctor said I had between 9-11 follicles on each side- the largest measuring about 9mm.  At my clinic they don't give out a whole lot of details (and I don't ask - because googling will just get me into trouble) - but I do have access to my medical results/labs since I work for the same hospital.  My E2 was 586, which when the nurse called me that afternoon said it was "a little high."  So we've decreased my Bravelle to 75uints a night, started Menopur 75uints and then started my first injection of Ganirelix last night.  Tonight I will continue with the Bravelle, Menopur, and Ganirelix and then tomorrow I will do just Ganirelix and Menopur.  Doctor appointment is scheduled for Saturday morning.  I am SOOOO stressed out about getting OHSS and I kind of feel like I should be going to the doctor more frequently for ultrasounds and labs.  I just keep trying to tell myself that the doctors and nurses know best (hopefully) and if they were more concerned they would want me to be seen more frequently.  The nurse said the EARLIEST we will go to retrieval will be on Monday.  I have a feeling it will be Monday or Tuesday since she said I am responding well.

As far as symptoms go - my "pooch area" is feeling a little "full" and I have gotten a horrible headache every night since Sunday night.  I have been getting migraines since I was in kindergarten (to the point of nausea/vomiting/light-smell sensitivity, etc) and with my hormones being all out of wack - it must be making me more prone to them.  I usually get a really bad one about twice a month - but this has been three times in four days!  They SUCK and I can't take my normal migraine meds for these.  Three times I have gotten to the point of throwing up and have had to take Tylenol PM which just leaves me feeling groggy the next day. UGH- I know that in the end it will be totally worth it!  Hopefully only a few more days!