New Cycle, New Plan

Sorry for being MIA this week! I needed to share some information with J&S, and I wanted to make sure they didn't find out through my blog. I was waiting to post until everything had been figured out. 

So for a long list of reasons, I am unable to attempt an embryo transfer in August or September. We are now waiting until October, which I feel really bad about, but I have to take care of my family too. There was a very long list of obligations, commitments, and special events scheduled during the week of the possible August transfer, and a huge fundraising event that my husband and I put on for our special needs daughter during the week of the September one. Since the RE wants to do a natural cycle with me this time, there was no changing the transfer dates. So, we are now waiting until October. Although I am sad to have to put it off, I am excited to have a fresh start for the surrogacy, with nothing else weighing on my shoulders!

My IF's were very understanding, and they told the RE they would like to take this opportunity to do ultrasounds and blood work anyway, to see if my lining looks the way it's supposed to. I think this is a great idea, it only makes sense since we are waiting to transfer anyway! The RE agreed, so I'm supposed to start the ovulation prediction kit on cycle day 10, then I will go for blood work and ultrasound about a week after a positive OPK. I started the OPK this morning (it was negative), and I will continue to test every morning until I get a positive result.

At the ultrasound, if my lining measures 6mm or less, they will schedule an endometrial biopsy. The doctor will insert a long tube and use suction to take a small piece of my uterine lining. This will allow them to see if the lining of my uterus is at the right stage for the time in the menstrual cycle when the biopsy was done. This does not sound fun, so we are going to think fluffy thoughts!!! I'm hoping that by continuing to stay off the birth control pills, my lining will start to look better. I pretty much don't get a period on the pill, so I suspect that may have been the problem last time. So fingers crossed, fluffy thoughts, and I will let you know when I get a positive OPK!

Transfer Canceled

As you can tell from the title of this post, this morning’s monitoring appointment did not go well. My lining was actually THINNER than it was on Friday, just 4.4 mm, down from 5.6 mm. I had an agonizing day waiting to hear from the RE’s office. My surro-sisters and IF’s had to listen to a teary, worried mess of a girl all day. I’m so thankful to have such supportive friends, and I’ve said it before—I’m a lucky girl to have J&S.

So I just finally heard from the RE that they are canceling this cycle. No transfer for me this weekend because my uterus was being a bitch and decided not to get fluffy in time. Strange thing is that my hormone levels were all exactly where they should have been, so my body was absorbing the estrogen properly. For some reason though, there was some disconnect with my lining increasing. Stupid uterus.

Anyway, so my instructions are:

1. Stop Lupron effective immediately (easy to do since I'm out of syringes).

2. Continue taking one Estradiol twice a day (by mouth now instead) for 7 days. It's going to be a little weird putting these pills in my mouth again after where they've been going for 2 weeks!

3. Tonight, begin taking one Provera (progesterone) pill every night by mouth for 7 days.

4. Once these meds are finished, I should start a "good, cleansing" period shortly after that. Then we'll start cycling again.


The ED is still going through with her retrieval on Friday, and then they will freeze the embryos. New estimated transfer date, depending on when AF shows up, will be August 16th. It will now be a frozen embryo transfer, instead of fresh. If AF takes too long to show her face, transfer won't be until the middle of September (since the clinic's lab is closed for the last 2 weeks of August).

Wait, you say.

Didn’t you have some major fundraiser for your disabled daughter on September 14th?

Yes, in fact we do. So keep your fingers crossed that the transfer date will fall AFTER the 14th if we have to do it in September.

My IF's are so supportive and worried about me, and of course I feel bad for them. They thought they were getting pregnant this weekend. I thought we were getting pregnant this weekend. The ED was already in Connecticut, and so is S!! He flew here all the way from Sweden for this!! I can't help but feel like I failed them before we even got started. I'd obviously prefer a canceled cycle over a failed transfer, but this sucks.

End Rant.

Just a Thought

So....

If a pregnancy actually starts 2 weeks before conception, and our embryo transfer is in two weeks, that means we're technically pregnant....right now. :D

Monitoring Appointment #1

Just had my first monitoring appointment at a local fertility clinic since starting my cycle meds. This clinic, selected by our actual IVF clinic in Connecticut, will do my blood work and ultrasounds leading up to our transfer next month. I have an appointment here weekly to see how I'm responding to the cycle medications. I started Lupron on June 18th, and took my last active BCP on June 24th, so at this appointment they are looking for my ovaries to be inactive and my uterine lining to be very thin. If it is, then I will reduce the amount of Lupron I'm on, and start taking the estrogen.

My uterine lining measured 2.5mm, and the ultrasound tech had a very hard time finding my ovaries. She finally found the left one, but had to call for back up to find the right one. That involved several uncomfortable minutes with the weenie wand! I was getting worried (even though I know I have two ovaries!), but they explained that the ovaries are harder to see when they are "so quiet." Eventually they saw both ovaries, and I guess that means I am responding well to the meds so far!

Hopefully I'll hear from our actual IVF clinic with the results later today!

My Cycle Calendar!

I received my cycle calendar from the IVF clinic this afternoon! I am so excited to be taking this huge step, and the guys are super excited too! They were Skyping and calling their family to tell them the updates! All the dates are technically tentative, but here's what my current cycle looks like:

June 18th: Start 10 units of Lupron injections every evening.

June 24th: My birthday! Take the last active birth control pill. Call IVF clinic with the first day of my period after stopping the BCP.

June 27th: Appointment at a local monitoring IVF clinic for blood work and an ultrasound. Anxiously await results (I'm adding that to the calendar, because I already know it will happen).

June 28th or 29th: Possibly start taking Estrace three times a day. Cut Lupron back to 5 units every evening.

July 5th: Appointment at local monitoring clinic for blood work and ultrasound.

July 12th: Appointment at local monitoring clinic for blood work and ultrasound.

July 15th or 16th: This is dependent on the egg donor's stimulation, but I will most likely begin the Crinone the day before the egg donor's retrieval. Start Crinone twice a day, once in the AM and once in the PM. Remain on the Estrace three times a day. Discontinue Lupron injections.

July 20th: Final blood work and ultrasound at our actual IVF clinic in Stamford, Connecticut.

July 20th, 21st, or 22nd: TRANSFER OF ONE FRESH EMBRYO!!! I will be on bed rest the day of the transfer and for one full day after.

One week after the transfer: I will have blood work done to check my estrogen and progesterone levels.

Two weeks after the transfer: I will have blood work done to check my beta levels and see if I am pregnant!

Somewhere before the beta test, I should probably add

"Try to resist the urge to pee on a stick 57 times."

I love that J said he got two sentences in to this calendar, and got completely lost. I've been reading about other surrogate's journeys for so long now, I think I had my cycle calendar memorized before I even saw it. :)