Prayer Group

Today, I dropped G off as usual at preschool.  On the way back though, I decided to take a little detour.  I ended up at the Experience Community church, where we have been attending the last two weeks.  They have many opportunities during the week to come to the church for prayer, so this morning, I joined them.  A little one on one time with God was just what I needed.  Just me and Him.

I left feeling so uplifted and free.  I'm praying away my worries and am trusting Him to grant the desires of my heart.  He knows how much we want to grow our family.  His timing is always perfect.

Be blessed today, everyone.

Let's Get It Started

It's go time!  Today is cycle day 2.  Never been so excited for 'that time of the month'.  Ok, that's probably too much too soon.  Wish I could say IVF comes with an exciting or remotely glamorous start to the process.  It's simply timed by mother nature.  There are dozens of blood draws, a zillion injections & a few not so fun procedures.  But, man it is ALL worth it for a shot at adding another little munchkin to our family.

Right now, we're in the easy part of the cycle -- oral medications.  I started a 5 day course of doxycycline 2x day.  This med is just an antibiotic to prevent bacterial infections.  I will start birth control pills tomorrow (CD3).  These pills will prevent me from ovulating during the cycle, which would throw of the timing of uterine receptivity.  Injections will begin on CD17.  I'll update more about those as it gets closer.  This should put us with an early July embryo transfer.

I'm still pinching myself that we were able to 100% fund this cycle through the sale of my handmade wire wrapped necklaces.  I think it would be really special to have a few collage pages in our scrapbook with photos of folks wearing their necklaces.  If you have one you'd like to share, please feel free to post it to my FB page or email me at amy_tilley@yahoo.com.

This weekend has been the perfect way to kick things off.  We've enjoyed long naps, yummy food & lots of quality time.  God has been so good to us.

Green Means GO

Well, the supplement + lots of time outdoors did the trick!  Just got the lab results and my Vitamin D level went from 19 to 46.  They want to see 30 or higher before starting a cycle. Needless to say, the Dr. is very happy and so am I.

We officially have the green light to get started!

Looks like the start date will be around May 22, so we're just under a month to go.  My nerves are fading away and excitement is setting in.

Off to love on little Gavin.  He's growing so much everyday.  Treasuring these times together and praying that soon we'll have another sweet baby to smooch on, too.

Blessings,
Amy

Bring On The Sun

Remember the blood draw I mentioned last week?  They wanted to test my Vitamin D, as one last prerequisite before we can begin our next cycle.

Today, I got an email from our IVF nurse.  Turns out she's been trying to call since Fri (Thank you malfunctioning iPhone) to talk to me about the lab results.  My vitamin D level is much lower than they'd like to see while attempting pregnancy.  Mine is 19 and they consider an acceptable # to be 30 or higher.

They explained there have been studies that show low vitamin D levels lead to lower pregnancy rates and higher miscarriage rates.  I suggested she write a prescription for a mandatory beach trip, but I was shot down.  I will begin weekly doses of Vitamin D immediately to bring it up to an acceptable level to start our cycle.  I'll take a pill each week for 8 weeks, finishing just in time to start a May cycle like we are planning.

A vitamin D deficiency is an easy thing to fix, thankfully.  Let's be real...we've not seen the sun for months now.  My skin looks very similar to Casper's.  Yes, taking an extra pill is annoying.  But, for something so minor, you'll hear no complaints from me.

Say it with me...."Bring on the sun!"

Anniversary

Today we are celebrating the 3 year anniversary of transferring one perfect little embryo, who we all now know & love as Gavin.

Here was our first glimpse of him:

Gavin's first baby picture :)
February 28, 2012

Relaxing after the transfer

This post is short & sweet, but this day is far too special to miss mentioning.

We love you, sweet boy!  Here's to bringing you a baby brother or sister this year!

All our love,

Mom & Dad

Q&A Time

I receive a lot of questions and comments about our journey.  Here are my answers to a few of the most common:

Does insurance cover your IVF?

Sadly, even our rock star insurance does not cover IVF.  So, we have to pay everything out of pocket.

How much do your IVF cycles cost?

Including both the procedures and medications, our fresh IVF cycles are $15,000 and frozen embryo transfers are $5,000.  Typically, the medications run 20-30% of that total cost.  CF throws an extra curve ball, so before we could begin our first round, we had the added expense of Jake's testicular biopsy.  This procedure was $6,000.  We also opted to do ICSI (Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection), where the embryologist selects a single sperm to be injected directly into an egg, which was an add-on to our IVF fees.  To date, our costs have been approximately $46,000, with our next frozen cycle pushing us over $50k.

My friend got pregnant when she stopped trying.  If you just relax, it will happen.

Oh, how I wish it could.  Even though we all know stories of friends who struggle with infertility for a long time and are then able to conceive naturally, for some it's not a possibility.  CF brings on a slew of complications, with one being the lack of a vas deferens in males - basically a natural vasectomy.  IVF is our only option to get pregnant. 

How many cycles did it take for you to get pregnant with Gavin?

Technically, it took 4 cycles - 2 fresh cycles & 2 frozen embryo transfers.  The second fresh cycle had to be cancelled before transfer, due to hyperstimulation.  He was worth every single injection.  This video entry from a Ferring Fertility contest we entered last year is the best snapshot of our road to G-man.  

Are you afraid of this cycle failing, especially since you've gone public?

We've had cycles where people knew and ones where we've kept it a secret.  I'd much rather let people in.  Afraid? No.  But, if it's unsuccessful, we'll be sad.  We'll be that way whether 10 people know or 100 people know.  We're letting the world know how to pray for us - the good, the bad & the ugly. 

What do you do to help keep your stress level down during treatments?

Acupuncture, Netflix marathons, sporadic baking & scrapbooking.  We're usually on the go, so we make a point to clear our schedules during this time.

I'm an open book.  So, please don't hesitate to ask away if you have questions.

We're so grateful for your love.

xoxo

Amy

Cramping & Crepes

This morning was my sonohysterogram, a test I mentioned in a previous post.  My Dr had added it to my list of cycle prerequisites, due to my rocky delivery with Gavin (postpartum hemorrhage requiring a D&C).  He had expressed concerns that there may be adhesions (scar tissue), making it difficult for the next embryo to have a nice place to stick.  So, we agreed to this test to make sure we were in the clear.

I made a promise to myself to always dress up to the clinic to keep it from feeling so serious and sterile. Here's a glimpse at the exam room:

The glamorous life

The Nurse Practitioner met us right away to get prepped for the test.  She first checked me via ultrasound - lining looked great and showed many micro follicles on my ovaries.  Next, a catheter was put in place and saline was injected through the tube.  She added the ultrasound wand back in to take images of my uterus.  The procedure lasted around 15 minutes.  I didn't experience nearly as much cramping as the last time I had this done.  She stayed pretty quiet through the test, just giving a few notes in medical gibberish to the nurse that joined us in the room.  But, right as I got to my breaking point in the suspense, she let me know that everything looks great!  No scar tissue, strong muscle wall, no polyps.  Praise God!

Because we were already doing a procedure using a catheter, we went ahead and did the Trial Embryo Transfer.  The purpose is to determine the length and direction of my uterus.  It's basically a road map for our Dr, so there are no difficulties on the actual transfer day.  She triple checked and it went in smooth & easy each time.  They are actually discussing no cervical stitch needed for this cycle, which will be a first!

All clear!

I ended the appointment with a quick blood draw to check my Vitamin D level.  I spoke with the nurse briefly about last week's blood draws (DHEAS & TSH).  They both came back normal, which surprised us both!  I've had to take dexamethasone every cycle due to a DHEAS imbalance.  

Needless to say, I'm really taken back by so many good things in one appointment.  Totally a God thing.  Lots and lots of prayers from friends, family and complete strangers.  I'm a very positive person, but it's easy to second guess things when it comes to IVF, especially with our track record.  I'm so thankful for Gavin, but knowing that it took 4 cycles to conceive him makes me anxious.  I'll keep praying and trust His timing. 

There's no better way to celebrate a great appointment than with a sweet treat.  So, we ventured over to Germantown and found a new favorite, Red Bicycle, a coffee and crepe house.  

Celebration time!

Now, we're back home basking in this fantastic day and I'm getting cranked up on lots more orders from our IVF fundraiser.  As a fundraiser for our upcoming cycle, I'm making two special necklaces - both symbolizing our hope of growing our family.  It has far exceeded my wildest dreams!  Over 100 orders shipped out since Wednesday and another 100 on the books.  I've even had a few orders from the United Kingdom!

If you are interested in purchasing one, please leave your email address and necklace details, so that I may send over a PayPal invoice.

Bird's Nest: $15
Peas in a Pod: $18

Customize with the following options:
Wire colors: Antique Silver, Antique Brass
Chain finishes: Antique Silver, Antique Brass
Chain lengths: 16", 18", 20", 24"
Bead colors: Taupe, Ivory, Pale Pink, Turquoise
Number of Beads (Price includes up to 4 - Additional beads are $2 each)

Thanks to everyone who has purchased, shared or prayed for this fundraiser.  You rock!