Our Protocol

Cross my fingers, hope not to die.... while I stick a needle in my thigh

Well, decision has been made...all eggs are in one basket.  We are going with the one shot IVF.  Based on egg quality and quantity, age and sperm quality...the doctors have given us an approximate 87% chance of success.  That's a high number.  So that's that.  Ryan and I talked about it and this is the route we are taking...and we feel pretty good about it.  Yes, I would love to have the safety net that costs $4000...

Birth control pills will start on Friday 4/22 and I will be on continuous active pills until I go for my medication teaching on May 23rd.  This is when I get to start poking myself with needles everyday for weeks on end. This is when I will go through $2500 worth of medication in 10 days (yikes!)

Anyway... with us taking the one shot option, I am asking everyone who reads this to say a little prayer for us.  Send us all the positive energy and good luck that you can muster up!  :) 

 

Unless something changes, I will blog again after the end of May!

They say "Never put all of your eggs in the same basket"

I have never been much of a gambler, but for the first time in a very long time...I am considering putting all my eggs in one basket so to speak.

We have all but $4000 of the required money ($14,000) for IVF shared risk program.  It is time to decide.... do we try to come up with the 4k in the next 4 weeks or do we not do the shared risk program and just go through with the 1 shot IVF cycle for $10,000.  With the shared risk, we get a guarantee that the IVF works and we have a successful pregnancy through at least 14 weeks.  If not, we redo the cycle or get the majority of our money back.  With the 1 shot cycle, if the IVF doesn't work or if we miscarry.... that's it, the money is gone.  No guarantee, no 2nd chance, no baby....

What do you think?  Spend the $4000 extra and get the guarantee or stick with the 1 shot option and hope and pray that it works?  I am leaning toward the guarantee....but after we have already spent $3300 in pre-IVF work up, plus the $2500 in medication I am getting ready to have to buy...the extra $4000 (on top of the $10,000 we have) is really gonna be tough to come up with in a month.

Medication Garage Sale?

http://freegaragesale.com/medicine.htm

Pay it forward IVF medication.  Who would have ever thunk it? (lol)  On the website link I posted, other couples who have gone through IVF and have leftover (VERY expensive) medication give it or offer it very cheap to other couples who are going though IVF. 

Now....here is where I become a skeptic.  What if the medicine has been tampered with?  I mean, I would hate to think that someone would do anything like that, but you can't help but wonder.  I know this though...it is very tempting to buy Bravelle from someones leftovers for $110 than it is to buy it from the pharmacy for $1028.00.

I will be donating any leftovers I have to other IVF couples instead of throwing them away.

Telephone's ringing! It's the pharmacy....

Today I got a phonecall from Mandell's Clinical Pharmacy letting me know that my prescriptions for my IVF cycle were filled and ready to be paid for and shipped.  I was prepared for my total of $4000.00 in meds.  My doctor had already given me the heads up on how expensive this part would be, but instead we got a nice surprise when the total came to only $2577.08.  I know, I know....it's alot but we were prepared for worse.

Here are the medicines/injections I will be on for my protocol.  Please note that everyone's IVF protocol is different based on the factors determining their infertility.  To help other IVF couples get an idea of the costs associated with my specific protocol, I have itemized the medication and listed the price I am being charged for each.  The are not in order of how they are to be taken.  I hope this helps.

Bravelle Injectables $1028.00

Azithromycin Antibiotic 250mg  $37.96

Medrol  16mg  $12.31

 Prometrium  200mg  $244.96

Menopur  75 unit vial  $670.00

Leuprolide  2 week kit  $97.50

Vivelle Dot Patch (x10)  $74.75

Crinone  $389.70

Pregnyl HCG Trigger Shot  $88.00 (not included in price they gave...I already have purchased this one)

and along with the medicines, there is about $12.00 worth on needles and syringes

Leftovers....

You know there is something unexpected that was brought to my attention. Keeping my fingers crossed that our IVF is successful the first time, we will likely have extra embryos remaining. These embryos can be stored frozen for 1 year following the IVF procedure and after that we have 4 choices.

This is what is in question...a few extra of these

 This is not to be confused with what would be considered a fetus.  The embryos in question (picture ABOVE) is simply a group of diving cells at the time it is frozen.  No shape, no arms, legs or heartbeat.

What do we do with the little balls of mass potential? 

We can:

1. pay yearly to keep them frozen indefinitely...year by year kept in storage
2. we can thaw them and throw them in the nearest trash can
3. we can donate them to science
4. we can donate them to another couple struggling with infertility

Let me just say...#2 is out. #3 I would have to do more research on. I would want to know what they are doing with them. I mean as long as they don't grow them into zombies or something I might be ok with it. Can they be used for medical advancements or treatment? Lots of questions with that one, but not ruling it out. I think at the end of the day we would go for #1 until we are ready to make a decision. I suppose donating your genetic embryos to someone else may seem odd at first, but until you feel the pain of not being able to have a child...you really can't have a justified opinion here.

I will be thinking more on this and weigh in again later...

Until then~
Yvonne

Insurance Mandate

Insurance Mandates. Currently there are 15 states that require insurance carriers to cover the costs and treatments of infertility. Please support bringing this mandate to North Carolina.

Well, why don't you look at that....a vitamin that doesn't make me sick!

Ok, not sure about you...but prenatal vitamins make me sick!  They give me this uneasy feeling of nauseousness, almost as bad as being car sick!  I recall with all 3 of my pregnancies, I could not take vitamins because I just couldn't deal with the feeling they gave me.  Anyway, as part of the IVF process they have me on....you guessed it, Prenatals!  So I did some research...

After reading reviews and opinions of women who had the same effect from prenatals, I decided to try Rainbow Light "Just Once Naturals" brand of Prenatal One Multivitamin in addition to DHA 250 Smart Essentials.  It claims to be "easy on the stomach" and the reviews were very good.  At this point, I like what I am reading and seeing...but can't I just keep taking my Flintstones?

Well, I have been on the vitamins for about 4 days now and so far....no upset stomach or nausea!  Highly recommend for anyone who needs a good vitamin.  It has no animal products and has the seal of approval by VeganGuard for all of you vegetarians out there!

http://www.iherb.com/Rainbow-Light-Vegan-Guard

Initial IVF Consult w/ Dr. Deaton 4-5-11

After deciding to move forward with IVF, we scheduled a consultation with Dr. Deaton.  We had questions upon questions with the main one being.... "what are our chances of being successful?"

The excellent news that we got today was that I have excellent egg quality...and plenty of them.  This is key when doing IVF.  The more eggs they can retrieve, the much better the results of having healthy embryos for the doctor to choose from when deciding which ones to transfer back to the uterus.  I guess they have some sort of key factors they are looking for in the embryos.  More good news, is that much of the pre-IVF work up stuff is already done.  Now we move forward with the news that we have a very high rate of success for this pregnancy.  We will participate in the shared risk program where the doctor will give us back $12,000 of the $14,000 cost if we do not achieve a pregnancy through 14 weeks.  So, not only is he guaranteeing that we will get pregnant...but he is also guaranteeing the health of the pregnancy through a little past the 1st trimester.

Today, we were not intending to do much other than consult with the doctor.  But since we had already decided to move forward, Dr. Deaton went ahead and had blood work drawn on both me and Ryan.  After that, we met with the IVF Coordinator, Angela.  She gave us tons of paperwork to read through and forms to sign.  I felt butterflies in my stomach just knowing that this journey was officially a "go"

What's next?

• Tomorrow I begin prenatal vitamins and Prometrium (remember this from a previous blog?) to induce a period.  On day 3 of my cycle, I will begin taking birth control pills so that they can control my cycle in order to prepare for the IVF.
• IVF Orientation with a few other couples (who will become our IVF buddies) on April 12th at 5pm.  Dr. will spend an hour with us going over everything regarding IVF and explaining everything we can expect.  It will be nice to meet some other folks going through this with us at the same time.
• I have a Pap Smear scheduled for April 15th
• IVF procedure time begins May 30th, with our embryo placement being the 1st week of June!!

Fork in the road...

Today is Monday, 3 days after my not so great trip to the doctor.  I have sat around the house this weekend with a huge amount of emotions running through my body.  I have cried, I have worried, I have laughed, I have been thankful, I have been mad and I have cried some more.  After being told that IVF was my only logical option for having another child...it has taken a toll on me emotionally.  We have two choices at this time, either pay the $20,000 and have a money gaurantee that we will have a successful pregnancy past 12 weeks OR to just stop here with our attempt at having our final child.  This has been a painful journey so far.  I never imagined I would be in the situation I am in after being blessed with 3 beautiful, healthy children in 1996, 1999 and in 2001.  I took for granted that I could have children effortlessly.

                                      

This weekend Ryan and I have thought and talked alot about where we go from here.  This is our fork in the road, a point where we stop and reflect on what to do and the consequences of each decision. 

And.... we have decided to move forward with IVF with double placement, meaning that we will have 2 fertilized eggs placed into my uterus with the hopes that at least 1 will take. 

I applied for a loan today to cover the medical expense of the procedure and medications.  Total we are looking at $20,000.  I guess at first it seems like alot, but when you think about it...most people pay this for a car.  If we can afford this for a vehicle...we can make it happen for our child.  This will put off our building a house until this loan is paid for...which again isn't a problem, we have waited this long...what's another year? 

I refuse to give up on something we have waited on for a long, long time...

We have an appointment with Dr.Deaton and the IVF coordinator on next Tuesday, April 5th.

Until then,
Yvonne

Back to the drawing board...

Well, yesterday was rough.  Much more difficult than I expected and not at all what I had pictured was coming.  I was prepared for possibly several months of unsuccessful intra-uterine inseminations.  I was ok with the possibility of it taking a few months to work, even though I was hoping that it would work on try #1.  Ryan and I had come to terms with the fact that we would have to sacrifice time, money and heartache in order to conceive our child.  Many nights, we have laid in the bed...cuddled up and talked about "why us?"  A conversation that is not easy for either of us.

My appointment yesterday was for a 2nd sonogram to measure the egg follicles in my ovaries with the hopes that at least one of them had grown to 18 mm so that we could proceed with the first round of IUI.  This, however...is not what happened.  My follicles measured the exact same as they did on Monday.  No growth at all even after taking 5mg. of Femera.  After the nurse, Paula, took a few sonogram pictures of my ovaries she suggested that Dr. Deaton may go ahead and restart the medicine to bring on another period and restart the process again but increase my dose of Femera to 7.5mg.  At this point, I reminded her that we were self-pay patients and had no insurance (not that the majority of insurance companies would pay for infertility treatments to begin with)  I also pointed out that we were not only dealing with PCOS on my side, but also with male factor infertility(lower sperm count/quality) on my husbands side.  I explained to her that if we had low chances of IUI working with both of those factors and also the fact that so far my body was not responding to the fertility medications...that I wanted to know what Dr. Deaton honestly felt like we should do in order to be the most cost effective.  She left the room to go discuss this with my doctor.

I guess deep down I was hoping she would come back with news that my doctor was optimistic that increasing the Femera would increase my chances with IUI or that he was going to be able to wave a magic wand and make everything ok.  Instead, she brings me 3 things.  A prescription, a booklet....and an apology.

She said that based on my lack of response to the Femera coupled with the male factor, that Dr. Deaton suggested we go ahead and move away from the IUI procedure and onto IVF.  She handed me a prescription for Prometrium in order to bring on another period, since I obviously was not going to ovulate this cycle.  She also handed me a booklet and began explaining the shared risk IVF program that they offer.  At this point, I felt like I had been stabbed in the stomach and much of what she was saying at this point resembled Charlie Brown's teacher.  It was very much a blur.  My mind was going so fast that I couldn't even pay attention at this point.  I felt sick to my stomach and a bit light headed and really just wanted to run out crying....because I knew what IVF entailed, alot of up front money that we don't have.

Soon after talking with Paula, I left.  I swear I sat in the car for 20 minutes staring at the building, trying my best to deal with what I had just been told.  I cried and had myself a pity party there in the parking lot, then I began to flip through the booklet I was given.  $20,000 is basically what we were looking at for the IVF, medications and all pre-IVF labwork.  With the shared risk program, we would be guaranteed a pregnancy that lasted through the 1st trimester (which is when most miscarriages take place)  If no pregnancy results or if we miscarry...all but $2,000 of our money is refunded.  IVF Risk Sharing from Dr. Deaton's website


I decided not to call Ryan while he was at work to tell him.  I knew this was a conversation that we needed to have in person... and tonight, we talked some...but mostly it was alot of quiet moments.  Neither of us really had to say anything at all.  At this point I think we are both just letting this all sink in.  Seems at times like this, just him holding me is enough.  We are planning to spend the weekend together and to talk about where we go from here.

~Until next time~
Yvonne

Here is a video on IVF and a picture...

There's a party in my ovaries

I just got back from my very first sonogram to check my uterus lining and my ovaries for egg follicles.  Let me just begin by saying that a vaginal ultrasound is uncomfortable when the tech can't find what they are looking for.  My right ovary was easy to find...but the left one was hiding.  At one point I thought that jelly covered wand was gonna come protruding through my abdomen.  After having no luck on the left side, the tech moved to a abdomen ultrasound and was able to locate the ovary.

Results:
My uterine lining looks good, but still a bit thin.  My right ovary has 11 measurable follicles with the largest one measuring at only 9.5mm.  The left ovary has only 2 measurable follicles with the largest of those being 11mm.  In addition to the measurable follicles in both ovaries, there are many other very small ones. 
I have tons of follicles...they are just still early/small.  If I had to visualize what that looks like in there...it would be something like this :)

Ideally, my doctor wants follicles at 18mm before moving forward with my trigger shot and scheduling the IUI.  I have to return this Friday for another ultrasound and hopefully we will have a few mature follicles at that point.  IUI could be as soon as this weekend.

If it works...

If the IUI works on this cycle and I am able to avoid miscarriage, our due date will be Dec. 16th 2011 (a little last minute tax deduction lol)

Femara begins today! Cycle Day 3

I just took my first dose of 5 mg (2 of the 2.5mg pills)  Based on how much we paid for it, I just swallowed a little over $40 bucks!  But anyway, I actually was excited to begin taking it today.

I have been reading alot of reviews on Femara and it's success rates and have found alot of great results, even with women who have PCOS :)

Prescription: Femara 2.5 MG...take 2 once per day for 5 days beginning on day 3 of cycle.
Costs: $186.00 for 10 pills
Instructions: On cycle day 11, go into office for ultrasound to observe egg follicles

:) Cycle begins! Today is DAY 1

I actually started spotting yesterday and it turned into a slight flow around 4pm.  As directed I called my fertility doctor as soon as I started bleeding so they could give me the next set of instructions. Because the flow did not begin until late in the afternoon, they are considering today as DAY 1 of my cycle.  I begin my Femara prescription on DAY 3-Sunday and take 2 pills per day for 5 days. (Femara is the wonder drug costing $189 for ten pills!)  Then on Monday the 21st, on DAY 11 of my cycle, I go in to the doctor office for an ultrasound.  During the ultrasound, they will be looking for large matured egg follicles.  If the eggs are ready, then they will instruct me on when to take my shot of Pregnyl (HCG).  Also, at this appointment...they will instruct me on how to mix and give myself the shot.