It's unusual…

..what started out as an IVF journey and ended up being about life

Another Positive Week… April 27, 2009

Filed under: Pregnancy — gertyrae @ 9:10 am
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I’m not sure I can handle this…I’m starting to get overly optimistic here, really. And at this point, that’s probably not a good thing.

Anyway – we have made it through viability. BabyMack would now survive outside the womb if he were born. His odds would not be great, but he’s got a much better chance now than if he were born a week ago. That is such a comforting feeling, I can’t even begin to explain it.

Went to the Perinatalogist for a check-up on Thursday. BabyMack looks good still and my cervix actually got longer – it’s up to 3.5 cm and 3.1 with pressure. That was the most positive news yet. And proof that the bedrest really truly works! 

I am getting truly bored…although the nice weather this weekend was a bit of a break. I went and laid outside on the chaise lounge each day for a couple hours. I got sunburn the first day – something that never happens to me, but I guess the pregnancy has altered my skin somewhat. So, it was 30 sunscreen after that.

BabyMack is moving almost constantly now and you can feel it easily, sometimes you can actually see him move – my belly kind of pops for a second. It’s a wonderful feeling and I get so happy every time he starts really moving around. It makes this worthwhile…he’s truly growing right now and I am starting to think we might get through this with a little man in our arms. Something I honestly hadn’t been able to visualize until this point due to what happened with Rogan.

The March for Babies was yesterday and although I wasn’t able to walk myself – Our team raised over $3000!!! What a great feeling!!! I am so proud of the team and all the hard work they did fundraising!! I’m also proud of my hubby…He got out there and walked without me and brought Munchkins for the crew.

BabyMacks Profile

BabyMacks Profile

He's sucking his thumb!! <3

He's sucking his thumb!! ❤

 

Weekly Update… April 19, 2009

Filed under: IVF,Pregnancy — gertyrae @ 4:43 pm
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Since I can’t seem to update every day or so, I’ll settle for every week…

Anyway, had a week full of visitors this past week, which truly helps the time go by. Just a few hours passes so quickly when you have visitors and then before you know it, the day is almost over.

Gave myself a good scare this past Monday. Was taking a shower and felt some kind of pressure in my cervix so I called the OB. They told me to come right down and they would check it out. He took me right in and did an internal…cervix was closed, stitch holding. He did send me to labor and delivery to be monitored for a couple hours. Everything seems to be okay.

I went back to him for a regular visit on Friday and all seems to be well. Although he didn’t do an internal this time since he doesn’t want to increase any risk of infection.

Wednesday is 24 weeks…BabyMack is viable at that point….it’s so nervewracking trying to get to this day…

Thursday, I go back to the Perinatologist for steroid shots and a cervix check. Hopefully, all has stayed the same…that’s all I can pray for at this point.

Mom is about the same…she is living on the feeding tube right now. We are hoping that that might change in the future, but for now we’ll take what we can get. I haven’t seen her since the bedrest started and honestly don’ t know when I am going to see her again.

And since I have to post Misty pics every time…here’s one of her sleeping on me….april-2009-015

 

I’m back…it was a really long walk. September 8, 2008

Filed under: Infertility,IVF,Pregnancy — gertyrae @ 1:28 pm
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Okay, so I left off on the transfer after OHSS. Went back for the beta on Valentine’s day and it was negative, which was actually a good thing.

I had 49 eggs retrieved, 36 of which fertilized and are embryos…we transferred 3, so I have 33 frosty babies.  I proceed to do frozen transfers in February (4), March (5), April (6), May (6), June (6) and July (4) and we lost two in the thaw process. Not one pregnancy, not even a chemical.

So I go for a second, third and fourth opinion. All the RE’s seem to agree with my RE’s protocol. They all think it’s unusual for me to have gotten 36 embies and not one pregnancy – but I’m starting to get used to this by now. One RE suggests that I have a D&C and Hysteroscopy to check out my uterus and clear the scar tissue off my cervix. I go back to my RE with the idea and he decides it’s not a terrible idea, but doesn’t think he’s going to find anything.  We do the D&C in August, find nothing and in September start another IVF cycle.

Thankfully, this time there is no hyper stimulation and there are 55 eggs retrieved. 36 of which fertilize and become embryo’s. We transfer six and still no pregnancy. So, we set up for another frozen cycle. I have my transfer of six embryos on November 6 and on November 21, I find out I am PG with a beta of 735! This is amazing news…I am thrilled to death. The best Christmas EVER!!!

I proceed to have an amazingly easy and wonderful pregnancy. I feel great. A little nauseau here and there but nothing to serious. I do have a couple of bleeding incidents but am told to stay on pelvic bedrest. In early February, I have a serious bleeding incident. Lot’s of bright red blood and heavy. Rush to the Dr. and he finds nothing. He sends me to a peri-natalogist and they can’t find anything on the sonogram or anything. All looks completely normal and it’s chalked up to a broken blood vessel. I have my Level II on March 7th and we find out it’s a boy. We decide to name him Rogan Daniel and are thrilled.

On March 15th I am at a St. Patty’s party with my husband and some friends. I go to the bathroom and feel strange pressure. I call my Drs. emergency number and am told to go to Labor and Delivery. DH and I rush off to the hospital and they take me in right away. I am immediately hooked up to a sonogram machine and everything looks great. Rogan is moving around, heartbeat is fine, plenty of amniotic fluid. Then they do an internal – my bag of water has broken through my cervix and is pretty compromised. I am immediately put on an 45 degree angle upside down, catheterized and told I will have to remain like this until I give birth. Which is hopefully in about 8 weeks minimum. My Dr. arrives at the hospital and tells us, after an examination, that he doesn’t think I’m going to make it through the night. He expects me to go into labor within the next few hours. But I don’t….Rogan and I hang in there…and in there…and in there. Everything is going fine. My Dr. is amazed (and of course tells me how unusual this all is) and we start to talk about steroids and possibilities. Then, exactly one week after my admission to the hospital, the unthinkable happens…..my water breaks. Now, it’s bad. We are worried about infection, early labor, etc. , etc. Within four hours of my water breaking, my temperature starts to spike…I have an infection and labor must be induced. At 9:30 p.m. on March 22, 2008 I gave birth to Rogan. He took a breath and his heart beat for a few moments and then he passed. We were devastated and didn’t think we could go on.

Well, time heals most wounds and we started to get better and decided to try again. I still had 20 embryos left so why not. I set up with my RE for a frozen cycle and we begin. I have six embryo’s transferred in June and on the weekend of July 4th, I decide to POAS and get a BFP!!! It’s a friggin miracle!!! I’m pregnant already…I go in for my beta on July 7th and am ecstatic….until the RE calls to tell me my beta is 49. Positive, but I know that it’s not a good sign. I took a HPT three days ago and got a positive – beta should be more than 49 by now. I go back a week later for a follow-up beta. Comes back at 69. So, I go back again at the end of the week – 79. Obviously, we are dealing with a chemical. So, three days later and another beta of 64 and I’m told to go off all my meds and come back when I get my period for another beta – which is 54. Okay, come back in three days for another beta – 27. Do you think this is unusual….are you starting to see a pattern? Go back in three days for another beta and we finally, finally, finally get a negative.

On to transfer number eleven. Obviously, by this time I am on a first name basis with nurses, doctors, PA’s, you name it. I can practically call in the meds myself. We do the transfer and against my better judgement, I POAS again and get a faint positive the day before beta. Why I do this to myself is beyond me, but what the hey? Anyway…go in for beta the next day and it’s 6.7 – – – are you friggin kidding me?! Not a negative, so stay on the meds.

Thankfully, I go back on Monday (only three days of waiting) to find that it’s negative now.

Which brings us to this week….my twelfth transfer coming up. And my last FET with my frosties. I can’t begin to say how much I have invested in this transfer. How badly I want this one to work. How frightened I am to have to think about doing another IVF cycle. And how worried I, my husband and my Dr. are about OHSS.

So, I decided to start this blog to help alleviate some of the stress. And maybe help me get through this transfer. And hopefully, there will be great news at the end of this. We shall see…I shall keep updating although I’m sure no-one is reading except me.