Hello All!

Since my last update, I had my MET (mock embryo transfer), got my medications (today!) and also received our recessive genetic testing results (also today!).  Today has been crazy to say the least!

The MET went well.  I was obviously very nervous about the procedure, given my experience with the last one.  I took 3 Ibuprofen prior to the procedure, just in case, but honestly it wasn't needed.  It was done in his regular exam room with a TV televising Dr. Oz, surprisingly (I thought all doctors weren't crazy about him), but no TV was set up for the doctor to see where he was going.  The procedure consisted of him inserting a scope into my uterus and measuring how far it took to go from different points and if there were any curves.  The actual embryo transfer will have a camera on the scope so he can see exactly where he is placing the embryo.

When Dr. R entered the room he smiled, shook my hand, and asked if I was nervous.  He has an extremely good bedside manner and just a calming presence in general, so I always leave his office feeling at ease.  He assured me the procedure would be quick, and that it was.  As soon as I started to feel the cramping like I felt with the hysteroscopy, he said "all done."  He asked if I was getting excited and told me it'll be here before I know it.  Time really is flying!

His assistant sent my medication order off to the pharmacy that day and gave me $1400 worth of free meds!  I was so appreciative!!!  Especially since the rest of my medications were $2900!!

I got a call yesterday afternoon from a nurse at my doctor's office about our recessive genetic results.  Her message went something like "so I have your results, and although they're not too bad, you both did test positive for a couple of things.  Give me a call when you get a chance so we can discuss the results."  I really like the nurse who called, but naturally it was 4:30 in the afternoon, I got off at 6pm and was freaking out the rest of the night into this morning.  Turns out we both tested positive for MTHFR, which can cause an elevated risk of pregnancy loss.  The gene makes it difficult to absorb folic acid, which is the most important supplement to take when pregnant.  Because of this, it's important for me to take an increased dosage (4mg, instead of 1mg) daily.  I picked up my prescription and started tonight.  The pharmacist even questioned why I was taking such a large dose.

Lee didn't have much of an opinion about the genetic testing, which was optional for us, and said it was up to me.  He felt like it may just increase worry in me, and last night I was cursing myself for even doing it because all I did was worry.  Today, I'm so grateful we did!  From talking to the nurse, it sounds like MTHFR is something relatively new they are finding out that contributes to pregnancy loss, which is my second biggest fear after the obvious fear of IVF not working.

Here are the results of our genetic testing, hot off of the press (I haven't even had a chance to google and learn about each condition, more than the description given):

Positive: CARRIER (Michelle) for GSD type V  Risk of affected child: 1 in 3,200

Glycogen storage disease type V (GSD-V) prevents the body from turning glycogen, a stored form of sugar, into glucose, which is used for energy. People with the disease experience pain, cramping, fatigue, and soreness during and after exercise. Symptoms of GSD-V usually begin in one's 20s or 30s, but can begin anywhere from infancy to later adulthood. The disease does not typically affect lifespan. 

Positive:  CARRIER (Michelle) for PPT1-related NCL  Risk of affected child:  1 in 4,200

PPT1-related neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis causes degeneration of the brain leading to a progressive loss of mental and motor skills. It can also cause blindness. There are two forms of the disease - one with symptoms that begin between 6 and 24 months of age which is typically fatal in childhood and another with symptoms that begin between 4 and 10 years of age which is typically fatal in the teens or 30s.

Positive:  MILD CONDITION (Lee) for HFE hereditary hemochromatosis

HFE-associated hereditary hemochromatosis is an adult-onset condition that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron, potentially damaging organs such as the liver, heart, and pancreas. However, the majority of people with the condition do not develop symptoms of the disease at any point in their lives. For those with symptoms, effective treatment is available and can allow for a normal lifespan. 

Positive:  MILD CONDITION (Michelle & Lee) for MTHFR deficiency

MTHFR deficiency is a mild condition associated with a slightly higher risk of neural tube defects and pregnancy loss. Roughly 40% of Americans are carriers of MTHFR deficiency, while another 13% have the condition. For the vast majority, it causes no problems with their health or the health of their children.

Our next appointment is together on Wednesday, July 1st for medication training = the day Lee has been waiting for!!  It's also the last day I'll take my birth control bill.  They want me to have a light menstrual cycle for four days, then I'll start on injections Monday, July 6th after a morning baseline hormonal blood draw.  This is really the official start of my cycle, and somehow I feel the point where things will calm down a little.  Yes, I will be bumped up with crazy hormones, but I've been so stressed and running myself tirelessly until now, that I somehow feel I can concentrate on myself at that point.  

In case you are wondering what my little pharmacy looks like here's a pic (minus 3 boxes of a hormone I forgot to put out):

I am most nervous about learning I'll be on Prednisone, and can't find it anywhere in my calendar the dose or how long I'll be on it.  If we make it out alive, please send Lee to a retreat far, far away from me and remind him how good of a person I really am!  For me, I'll definitely need some hugs and some "there, theres."

We have a very busy and fun week planned ahead!  Lee's cousin, Stephanie and her husband Duke flew in tonight from Missouri with their two daughters.  We haven't seen them in probably… 8 years??  They are staying in Ken & Lynn's RV so we won't be able to see them until Thursday night.  Lee's aunt Peggy and her husband Jeff will be arriving tomorrow and Marc (Lee's bro) gets here Thursday.  All of them, minus Marc, are going to southern Cali for the weekend, but our good friends Paul and Leandra and coming in late Friday night to spend a short weekend here.  I'm taking Friday off to spend with the family, and boy do I need it!

XOXO,
Chelle

Happy June!  The weather here is finally warming up and we're seeing more sun recently, which has really brightened my mood.

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile.  I've been sick since Memorial weekend, and just this week started to feel like my old self and get my energy back.  The past two weeks I've had everything from a weird stomach bug, severe flare of my eyelid eczema (which rarely bothers me), a flare of asthma, chest congestion and a sinus infection for the finale.  Fortunately the doctor I work for called in an antibiotic for my infection, but recommended I see an ear, nose and throat doctor since I get sinus infections so frequently (my last one was just 3 months ago, but I average 3-4 a year).  For anyone that has had them, you know how draining they can be.

Despite not feeling the best, I pushed through and had an awesome Memorial weekend!  Lee's brother, Marc, came into town the week before and his girlfriend, Jeana, came in for the long weekend.  Sunday we went to the California Roots reggae festival in Monterey which was a blast!  Monday was his brother's birthday, so his parents booked a trip on a popular sailboat here called The Chardonnay.  It was my first time on a sailboat; the sun was out, the wind was strong (and freezing at times), and the wine and pizza they served were plentiful.  It was a much needed, stress free weekend!

Since my last update I've had two appointments.  The week before last was my pelvic ultrasound.  It's an ultrasonic view of my pelvic area to make sure there is nothing abnormal that would prevent IVF from working.  Everything looked fine and I was given the green light.  The only thing he did find were 3 fibroids.  I had a surgery in 2006 to remove a fibroid (that had grown to the size of a softball!), which wasn't the greatest experience, to say the least.  I asked if they ever dissolve on their own, and he said no.  I also asked if they will grow with the hormones both injected, and my natural bodies hormones with pregnancy and was told they will, but they are slow growing and usually take 5-10 years before they need to be dealt with.  I'm so happy they are still small and won't interfere with IVF, but am a bit bummed I'll have to deal with them in the future.  He said fibroids are the number one reason women get hysterectomies.  I was told in 2006 it was abnormal for someone my age (I was 26) to have fibroids; they usually develop in the 40's.  I guess genetically I'm just a fibroid-making girl!

Thursday was my hysteroscopy, and all I have to say is thank goodness I didn't know how painful it would be!  This is the procedure where he inserted a scope into my uterus to make sure everything looked okay, and the same procedure my gynecologist wanted to me put under general anesthesia for.  I was reassured several times that it's a quick procedure and pretty painless.  I can now see why the procedure is done under anesthesia.  It was only supposed to take 5 minutes, but ended up taking 14…. and was almost canceled because he couldn't get the scope in.  Apparently I have a very small cervix (sorry if that's TMI), and I instantly started dilating, which meant cramping.  I had been forewarned that there might be "mild cramping", so they gave me an injection of Toradol before (basically a super strong Motrin), and I took 800mg of Ibuprofen 30 minutes prior to the procedure.  I brushed off the warning of cramping, because I have dealt with some pretty excruciating cramps during some of my menstrual cycles!  These cramps were right up there; there was no mild about it!  To say it hurt would be an understatement; I was crying and moaning in pain; I kept my eyes covered and just tried to breathe through it.  When cramping is that severe my position of choice is the fetal position, not with my legs in stirrups laying on a exam table.  I kept telling myself to stick with it, "I'm sure it's almost been 5 minutes," which was about the point I realized he hadn't even made it into my uterus!!  He kept trying, but the pain was so severe he had to keep stopping.  I could tell he was getting frustrated and he mentioned stopping and scheduling me to have the procedure under sedation.  I told him I didn't want anesthesia, so he tried one more time and THANK GOD made it!  Hallelujah!!!  I am so thankful my uterus looked great and was given the green light to proceed with my cycle!  He promised after the procedure that the hysteroscopy was the worst of it and the embryo transfer will be a breeze.  I will hold him to that promise!

Dr. R has only had one patient stop during the hysteroscopy because of the pain and reschedule under sedation.  I guess most women tolerate the procedure well.  He was proud of me for pushing through; I told him I'm pretty stubborn.  I don't know if was the Toradol, or the stress of the procedure, but I was so wiped out Thursday night and even part of Friday.  The procedure was done in their ambulatory center downstairs and his assistant gave me a guide of where all the action takes place.  There are three rooms set up like the ER and one large operating-type room (where I was).  This is where I'll be for the mock transfer, retrieval and actual transfer.  I asked his assistant how last month's cycles were going and she said they were just starting to get the HCG results in.  They do frozen cycles first and 3 out of 4 were pregnant.  She said she wishes they could always be 100%; one cycle they almost got 100% of pregnancies!

All the diagnostic testing has been done (yay!), except the recessive genetic testing that we screwed up.  It's a simple spit-in-a-vial test that apparently we failed miserably at (Lee forgot to label his vial, my vial was put in the box under his barcode), so we are being sent new kits that will arrive early next week.  The test makes sure we aren't carriers for horrible diseases like cystic fibrosis.  The other 100 diseases they test for I've never even heard of; maple syrup urine disease (whaaa??), muscle-eye-brain disease (that can't be good!!) and so on.  If you really want to freak yourself out, start googling those diseases.  I had to stop myself as I was sinking into a state of paranoia!

I can't believe how fast time is flying!  The fertility office keeps telling me July will be here before I know it.  Tomorrow I will be only a month away from starting my injections and just a little over 5 weeks from the retrieval!  I don't have any appointments next week, which is nice.  Lee and I celebrate our 11th anniversary next Friday.  We are going to spend the weekend doing some outdoor activities and relaxing, which he needs also because he's been working 6 day work weeks for several weeks now.

The following week, June 17th is my mock embryo transfer.  It's treated just like the transfer, except nothing is actually transferred.  He does the procedure to map out my uterus so when the transfer is done, he knows exactly where to go and can do it quickly.  I just now realized they told me I'll be given Valium after the actual transfer (which is a muscle relaxer), but nothing was mentioned for the mock transfer.  I think I'll send an email to learn why I'll need the Valium, if the mock transfer is supposed to be a breeze.  On July 1st we have our medication training scheduled where Lee will learn how to give injections and practice on me (I guess with saline).  I think he's a little nervous, but secretly excited about it; he keeps asking when that appointment is.  I'll have all my medications by then and the nurse coordinator will organize everything for me and provide me with a calendar that tells me exactly when each dose needs to be injected.  I talked to a patient of ours this week who went through IVF and she said the actual injections aren't that bad.  She said the hormones aren't that bad either; she teaches elementary school and didn't feel extra agitated with her students.

So that's about it!  We are moving right along, with fortunately no bumps in the road!  I hope everyone is doing well!  Please continue to pray for our little baby Stewart-to-be!

XOXO,
Chelle