Here goes...

Well I think it’s time to start telling you about IVF.  I’m sorry but I just haven't feel comfortable doing live updates throughout the process. It is an intensely difficult process, both physically and emotionally. But I know it will be 100% worth it if everything works out well!

We started as soon as possible after we got the good news that the cancer and all atypical cells were gone. Most people would start an IVF cycle coordinated with their natural cycle, but I haven’t had a period since February of 2011 so things went a little differently for us!

Basically as soon as we got the good news I stopped megace (finally!) and started back on prenatal vitamins (5/4/12) and progesterone-only birth control pills (5/5/12). They use birth control pills (ironic) to regulate your cycle until you start the ovarian stimulation.

I had the mock embryo transfer that I mentioned in the last post. Turns out my uterus is shaped “normally” or something like that. This basically just meant that if/when I have embyros transferred it did not need to be done by ultrasound (or with a full bladder – a plus).  We also had a MASSIVE amount of medications delivered from a pharmacy. If I can figure out how to upload a picture of this, I will!  (success)  

Then we started on the first of many injectable medications, Lupron, and a baby aspirin a day (5/22/12). The plan was to take the Lupron for 9 days (stopping the birth control pills in the middle) and have baseline bloodwork (hormone levels) and a baseline transvaginal ultrasound at that time. My husband and I were both nervous to start the injections but he did a fantastic job. I barely felt the first one and told him that he should have been a nurse!  Apparently aspirin, since it is a blood thinner, can improve blood flow to the ovaries throughout the IVF process. Most protocols use aspirin until the day of the pregnancy test.

On May 31 we had our first setback. I went in for my baseline ultrasound. The doctor (my doctor’s partner) looked at my left ovary first and said it looked good – there were potential follicles and “no cysts.” Until he said that I hadn’t really thought about the potential for a cyst before. Then he moved to the right ovary and was quiet for a minute, measuring something. Turns out I had a rather large cyst on my right ovary. He said that there were several options and they depended on my bloodwork. If the cyst was “functional” or producing estrogen it would show in my bloodwork. If not, then we could likely continue the cycle. If it was functional then they would probably recommend birth control pills for a month with the hopes that it would go away.  Apparently cysts are fairly common when you start Lupron.

Of course, with my luck, it was functional. Like I need any extra estrogen anyway… The doctors talked and modified the plan for my unique situation (of needing to get pregnant asap for medical reasons, in addition to desperately wanting a child like the rest of those going through IVF). The plan was to increase the dose of Lupron to see if that would “suppress” the cyst. I would return in a week to see if the cyst had improved and for more hormone levels.

After another week of Lupron, I went back to the fertility center for my next ultrasound. I was so nervous that I was shaking in the waiting room. Unfortunately the cyst was still there and had grown. An ultrasound tech did this US and then I walked out of the room to talk to the nurses. The one nurse at the center who is not my favorite (although I do like her more now) said “Wow! That is a huge cyst!” Not so encouraging. I had my bloodwork and left feeling totally discouraged. It was a long wait until I could call for results early that afternoon. Hubby and I were devastated about another potential longer delay and just not sure what to expect. That morning I sat on our new deck and tried to distract myself with a good book and a mug of sister tea (the tea my sisters gave me for my 30^th birthday although I promise that I am STILL NOT 30!).

We got a great surprise that afternoon. My estrogen level had dropped so the cyst, despite growing, was no longer functional. We were all set to proceed with the cycle. We were to start the ovarian stimulation medications that night! 

I think that IVF is often filled with ups and downs. We definitely started out with some.