The Road To IVF

September 2011 starts TTC cycle 1. I am temping, checking CM, tracking BD, and using pre-seed. We learn more than I or J ever thought possible about TTC and the human body. :) In October, I learn about OPKs and start using those. November rolls around and I notice I think I have a luteal phase defect (LPD). I start taking 100mg of B6 to see if that will help. I schedule an appointment with an OB who works with basic infertility. He has J do a semen analysis and has me do a hysterosalpingogram (HSG). Miraculously, J's vasectomy is still working. He has a low count and borderline low motility, but the boys are still swimming! **For those who aren't familiar with vasectomy, apparently you are supposed to TTC within the first year of reversal because it can close off and stop working. We both must have had our ears closed during post-op education or they failed to mention, because this was a surprise when we learned the "rule" 3 years later. Great.** My HSG shows one tube cut off(duh, doc) but the other wide open. Also miraculous considering the possibility for scarring and scar tissue, etc after two surgeries. I put J on Fertilaid and Motilityboost to help his guys out. 3x a day of the smelliest pills imaginable. Yuck. I added a B complex to my regimen. At this point, we have an arsenal of drugs. I also invested in a Wedge pillow. (side note, if you don't have a wedge, GET ONE! You'll love it. Hehe). Since I still have an LPD, San Diego Dr prescribes me clomid to "give me bigger, stronger eggs."

Dec 29 is clomid round 1. A few days later, I realize I was fooled by my LPD/spotting and took the drug at the wrong time. Insert a few tears of frustration. January and February we try rounds 2&3. I'm also using OTC progesterone cream because I figure I can use all the help I can get. January, February, both a bust.

Here is a link to my Fertility Friend Chart in case you are curious how crazy TTCers get and you want to chart stalk me. I had pretty sweet temp shifts, btw.

Mid-February we move to Washington and I schedule an appointment with an OB up here because I want one local, and the one in San Diego was kind of a tard and very, very busy. My WA doc is a super nice man, very attentive. He spends a total of 30 minutes with me, but within the first 5 minutes tells me to check into IVF stat. He tells me we are very lucky not only that I have eggs left, but that J's reversal is still working and we'd best get the show on the road while we still can. I still have 1 more dose of clomid, but he says it will do me no good, it will not give me bigger, stronger eggs or fix my LPD. Le sigh.

WA doc referred me to Seattle Reproductive Medicine and J and I met with our reproductive endocrinologist 2 weeks later. She reviewed our histories and agreed, clomid wouldn't do anything for us, intrauterine insemination (IUI) wasn't worth it, so IVF is the way to go. We go home and process all the info. It is a huge workup and very expensive, but worth it, we decide. Yes, the military does do IVF and ironically up here, they work with SRM. The problem with the military treatment facility lied in their waiting list, cost (no, it's not free), and success rate.

In Feb and March, we do all the prescreen tests, ultrasounds, blood work, genetic testing, etc etc and have 1 month until my next cycle when we can do an antral follicle count and uterine sounding (aka, trial transfer). During March, I take a break from all things TTC.... Ok scratch that. I still wear my bracelet made of quartz, red carnelian, and moonstone with the turtle and elephant charms for good luck and to center my chakra; and still sleep with the packet of baby dust under my pillow. I wish I was kidding, I really did all that. So March is our last month of TTC before IVF officially starts. J and I take a trip to San Diego and Maui in hopes of conceiving a babymoon baby. We do it porn style, every day, even in the park for good baby vibes, hoping that this month will be our lucky month. Like the rest, it's a bust! But at least we can say we gave it our best shot :) A-game was def brought!

I'm disappointed we haven't been able to conceive on our own... Even feeling a little less womanly since my girl-parts have let me down, but I am comforted with the fact that with science on our side, we will achieve our goal!