Well folks, the title of this post says it all:
It's finally here!
I've had so many changes over the past couple of months,
I don't even know where to begin.
For those of you who didn't already know
My husband and I found out that we needed
(In Vitro Fertilization)
in order to ever have children.
(aka IVF)
Here is a really good link that explains exactly what that entails:
Very bittersweet feelings at that discovery.
For one, we knew that we had a chance of having children
which is so huge!
Seriously, it was such a huge weight off my chest. :)
On the other hand, IVF can cost anywhere between $8-$20,000 dollars.
Yeah... a little intimidating, and the odds of success aren't even 100% with procedures like these.
Pretty big risk, if you ask me :/
BUT
We can have children!
The euphoria that I felt when we heard those words was
absolutely life changing
I waited for three years to hear those words.
We reached a point shortly before finding this out
where we were exploring other options
Adoption, namely.
I've always loved the idea of adopting...
...but, for some reason, it just never felt right.
We talked about it on several different occasions,
and whenever it was brought up
we both kind of shrugged our shoulders,
not really agreeing or disagreeing on anything.
All I knew is that I wanted children,
and adoption seemed like the only other option
if we couldn't have our own.
We had just ordered our informational packet on adoption.
I was planning on going to an informational meeting about it,
hoping that would help ease my mind.
and then the news came, and I was at peace
We're not meant to adopt now.
Sure, we may in the future
(I've always liked the idea of adoption)
but I know in my heart that Heavenly Father
wants us to have children on our own first.
truly, timing is everything!!
Surprisingly, it took us a few months to really get the ball rolling
I think I was more scared than anything.
The anticipation of parenthood had been building for three years...
...I was totally freaked out.
I finally got the courage to schedule a consultation
with Dr. Mass (pronounced "Moss")
at the Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine (ICRM)
and it was SO great!
***DISCLAIMER: this is where I start sharing too much information, so feel free to stop here if you'd like. Just know the appointment was great!***
We spent a little over three hours there,
and most of it was the Doc just explaining to us how everything worked.
I had done a fair share of research online once we heard the news,
but it's still nice to hear it from a professional
who also kind of "dumbs it down" for you.
After the initial consultation, they were able to bring us to another room
where I had my very first ultrasound!!
(I know, all you mothers and pregnant ladies are probably rolling your eyes at my excitement,
but this was a really big step for me! So don't judge!)
Obviously there was no embryo in there to be monitoring,
he was looking in my ovaries to get a basic idea of my egg count.
It was pretty neat to see...
the little egg follicles
looked like little chocolate chips. :)
(that's how the Dr. described it)
(this is not my ovary, but this is basically what I saw during the ultrasound)
Except WAY more.
I could tell the Dr. was getting pretty excited as he began to count all the follicles he saw.
I could be mistaken, but I think he said it was normal to see between 10-15 follicles in each ovary.
I had 20+ in each.
The Dr. then informed us that our odds of success are relatively high.
We're pretty much an ideal case.
I have no problem getting pregnant, from what we both understand.
Then again, they're doing a water ultrasound to check my fallopian tubes tomorrow,
but up to this point I'm known as a "Fertile Myrtle"
(that's my family's nickname for it)
Without going into too much more detail,
IVF is a lot simpler when the male contributor has the issue.
Like I said, we're a pretty ideal case.
Now, the only downside to 20+ follicles in each ovary
is that I'm at risk for something known as
Ovarian Hyper-stimulation Syndrome
Here's a link if you're interested in reading more about it:
Basically, it's super painful and would force us to stop the IVF cycle and try again another month.
So I'm hoping we can avoid that if at all possible.
We just have to be careful with my hormone injections that I'm going to be starting here soon.
I have to take them for three weeks to kind of "manipulate" my eggs into the same position at the top of my ovaries, and then there's one final "trigger" shot that I have to give myself exactly twelve hours before the egg extraction surgery that makes them all drop at once,
which is usually when OHSS can occur.
Modern technology is freaking amazing, people!
Oh, and just a side-note: yes, I have to inject MYSELF with a needle for three weeks in order to make this happen...
... I must really want this baby!
After my ultrasound, we met with our designated RN that was going to help us through the process.
She provided me with a list of about 20 blood tests that I needed to have done
before we were able to proceed with any treatment.
ugh, I hate needles!
BUT, I tried to look on the bright side
and just got it over with, since I'm going to have to get used to be poked and prodded anyway.
and I only passed out twice during the bloodwork portion! ;)
I also have a pretty cool looking bruise on my arm, although it kind of makes me look like a tweaker.
:)
Our initial consultation was the first week of December of last year,
and by then the Dr. said the January/February cycle was already scheduled full.
I'm not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed that I had to wait.
BUT, I had already waited three years, another couple months wasn't going to hurt.
They signed us up for the March/April cycle.
In reality, those extra couple months were exactly what we needed to get caught up with finances and figure some other things out at home, so it was a blessing in disguise.
Last Monday they had me start regular birth control,
I'm assuming because they want everyone participating in the cycle to be in the same cycle stage.
If you guys know anything about me, my hormone's go completely haywire when I'm on birth control
Colin was not excited,
but honestly it hasn't been too bad.
There were a couple of times that I lost my temper, or cried at something completely random.
I don't know if that was all birth control, though.
My last day at All About You Dental was just last Thursday,
and I was definitely feeling a lot of stress those last couple weeks with all the change.
So really, this round of birth control has been a breeze compared to LAST time
(which was maybe the first three or four months of marriage before Colin made me stop)
Anyway
My next appointment is tomorrow, which is why I chose to write this post today.
I have had an amazing amount of people reach out to me on Facebook regarding IVF
ever since I made a post about Colin and I doing it.
Some of them were writing to show support,
which is SO appreciated at this time in our lives,
and others are or will be going through the same thing and had questions.
I made the decision to "blog" my way through IVF
and I invite anyone who is curious to join me in our adventure.
I'll be posting each new update on Facebook,
or you can subscribe to my email list on here.
It should send you an email letting you know whenever I post on here.
(I think it works, but I've never tested it. This website confuses me sometimes).
I'm so grateful to be finally beginning this amazing adventure with my husband. I know that Heavenly Father had us wait for a reason; I feel like we've grown together as a couple, and I've grown more responsible and mature during this trial as well. It
s weird to think that I was only twenty when we started trying - thinking back, I was definitely NOT ready to be a mother yet - and although I still have my doubts now, I feel a bit closer to being ready. :) We were able to get some schooling under our belts, become homeowners, and build our credit scores so that we can receive the proper financing for this medical journey (along with many other things) - which was also a HUGE blessing.
Please don't misunderstand my optimism, though - we are fully aware of the success rates, and the reality that IVF may not work for us, but we have faith in our Father in Heaven, and we know that He has a plan for our little family. I know that we will grow from this experience, even if it's in a way we weren't quite expecting. :)
~I believe in Christ, so come what may~
You are such an amazing woman! Thanks for sharing your journey with us!
ReplyDelete