Watch 'Em(bryos) Grow!

Day 1 after retrieval- 28 eggs retrieved yesterday, 22 were mature, 18 fertilized normally, 1 fertilized abnormally
"Awesome" as described by our nurse, very promising news, hopeful to be able to make it to a day 5 transfer!

Day 2 after retrieval- "Fantastic"-from my RE who called me personally this morning

Looks like any ivf from the get-go, 18 embryos still developing! Very hopeful for a Monday transfer of one embryo and more to freeze :)

Day 3 after retrieval- Still have 18!! Remarkable.

Day 4 after retrieval- They do not look at the embryos this day.

 Day 5 after retrieval-Implantation of one day 5 embryo, freezing at least six viable embryos (we will know exact count later) I'm pregnant! Hoping and praying that our embaby will implant and grow!

Leggo My Eggos, Egg Retrieval

When I went in for monitoring on Monday, my ovaries were so swollen full of follicles that they were touching each other rather than being on both sides of my body.  My husband gave me the hcg trigger shot and ouch, it was a painful 1.25 inch sticker that night. It hurt worse the next day (Tuesday) as it felt very bruised and sore. Also the next morning, I was dry heaving and throwing up stomach bile. I was able to muster the strength to go to work through the nausea and made it through the day successfully.

Wednesday, today, my husband and I went very early (6am appointment!) to the fertility clinic to have the surgery. They started me on a saline iv drip right away and had me sign a bunch of consent forms. Before I knew it, I was walking myself into the operation room.

Before I had a chance to get nervous, the anesthesiologist gave me some sedative and I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was out in seconds. The whole procedure took about 20 minutes and I was the first to go in that day, lucky me! :) They put me under anesthesia so I didn't feel a thing and I don't know how I got back in my bed but when I woke up they had harvested 28 eggs (a new record for my egg retrieval doctor for those who were trying to do iui/timed intercourse, usually people have 7 to 12, how fun to set the record!).

I was in pain, so they gave me some painkillers and then some morphine. They told me to go home, eat and take vicodin, which I gladly did. I also used my heat pad. I wish I was good at writing odes because if I was, I'd write an ode to my heating pad, how I love it so!


My 28 eggs were all fertilized immediately after retrieval and Thursday (tomorrow) I will get more news on how they are doing. A few days later, they will implant the best looking embryo and freeze the rest if there are any viable embryos left.They are not sure yet if they will do a 3 day or 5/6 day transfer. Based on the information I've read, we are hoping for a 5 day transfer because it gives the eggs the best chance to show who is the strongest and gets them into the blastocyst stage.

I was drinking a lot of water before the operation and continued to drink a lot of water all day afterwards. My recovery room nurse insisted that I drink a lot of water and gatorade and eat double the amount of my usual protein for the next 2-3 weeks. This is to prevent hyper-overstimulation disorders that need to be corrected via surgery. She said she didn't want to see me back there for that as well. I've been keeping up the fluids and have discovered that Strawberry Lemonade Powerade tastes just like the pink Starbursts! Yum! I dilute the powerade at about a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio since the sugary powerade is too much for me (especially after not having anything but water and sparkling water for several months!)



I took the day off of work after the retrieval and went in for a half day the following day. I wish that I had just stayed home because the bumps on the road were killer and I didn't really need to put my body through the stress of working/walking around a lot/etc again just yet. But I just get so stir crazy and have a hard time letting go of work!

To end, I thought I'd share my groggy wake-up letter that I insisted on having my husband type post-op:

Dearest (Fertility Clinic),

Full of pizzazz. Excited. Overjoyed. That's how I feel post egg retrieval. Every step of the way, (fertility clinic) has made me feel like an important patient, not just a number. I'm eternally grateful for your patience, knowledge, and care as you lead me through this unpredictable journey towards motherhood. Your explanations are thorough and your expertise is evident.
( ... Then we got interrupted by "FREE!" crackers that I absolutely loved. They were really given just to see if I could withstand the nausea from the anesthesia but I couldn't get over how great they tasted and how they were free!)
  Thank you all for your support, kind words and prayers. :)

Quick Prep for IVF

Since we were not planning to do IVF this cycle, I had to do some quick mental preparations for all that it entails and I thought it'd be helpful to others to share what I found most useful.

First of all, the hcg shot is hard to actually follow all of the steps. You have to administer it at the exact time they direct you to take it. My nurse said to make sure I hit the target time within five minutes. My husband was walking in the door moments before he had to give it to me, so I was glad I already did the research about how to combine the medication and draw it up or we would have been late. (It's different than the preloaded needles.)

How to draw up/mix the medicine (hcg trigger shot): (We watched it all the way through and then my husband watched while preparing my meds the second time.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii7kLJTvGs4

How/where to give the shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-EY_4P67Hs

(We tried this and it was not too painful. I iced the spot before and after the injection for about 10 minutes which I think helped a ton. Just think carefully about what side you want to do the shot on because it does hurt badly the next day or so like a bad bruise. I thought about which side I like to sleep on and how I would want to lay on the couch to make my decision.)

More about IVF:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J6C_9umMTg

What does the procedure actually look like? Thank you to this woman who allowed it to be filmed! It really eased my mind and helped me to understand the process so much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xugCKraWzRM

Oh and from all that I read, I drastically tried to up my water intake!! No eating after midnight!

Hanging on... Injections take 2 and an IUI?

 After a failed attempt with injections, we are now upping our aggressiveness with injections, trigger shots and an IUI!

Day 3: BW/US- Uterine lining good and lots of tiny follicles, Okay to start injections at 50iu for 6 nights before bw/us monitoring. Asked Doc to up the dosage of injections but because I have so many follicles, he said he didn't feel comfortable doing that.

Injections: Not so bad the beginning of this round. Very little symptoms so far, except for the bloating.

Day 9: BW/US largest follicles 10.4 and 10.1 on left side and in the 9s on the right, continue with injections at 50iu. Estrogen at 63. Will a little click and stick to the trick?

Day 12: BW/US, lining thickening, no follicle growth, estrogen at 75 need to cancel iui because there won't be enough time before I leave for the wedding... bloated and heartbroken. Is there any way to describe how difficult this journey is??

CD 14: BW/US, lining still thickening, no real follicle growth (right ovary- 11.1 10.4 10.3 etc, left ovary- 10.9 10.8 etc) and estrogen level dropped to 40.3. Whoa! Huge, unexplained drop. I know that your estrogen levels are an indicator that the growth of the follicles is going well and can indicate how many follicles are maturing. This level is so, so low especially for this point in the cycle. We went out for pancakes to cheer ourselves up a bit and later that afternoon got a call telling us to up the meds to 75 iu from 50 iu which made us happier to know that we could amp up the aggressiveness a bit more to give this another shot... (literally and figuratively!)

CD 15: This ramp up in follistim is wearing me out. Feel lethargic, nauseous and so, so bloated. I feel like I just ate a huge thanksgiving meal and am constantly waiting to digest it! Yuck! Please let this be worth it.

CD 16: BW/US, lining is now at a good thickness, I have about 47 follicles with the largest at 12.3,  10.7, and  9.3 (so other follies may be backing off) and my estrogen jumped to 99.4. So glad they bumped me to 75 ius! While still not where I need or expected to be, this may be a glimmer of hope that we might not have to cancel the whole cycle after all (but IUI is still out of the question at this point because of the wedding I'm going to this weekend). Feeling insanely bloated. I wish I could push my stomach out of my belly button. Ugh! Going back for monitoring again tomorrow.Wishing and hoping for good news and a big jump!

CD 17: BW/US After one more shot of 75 iu of follistim... Estrogen 96.5, largest follicles measured at 13.2, 9.8. Met with the doctor today and he is trying to figure out a solution to my travels while he still strongly cautioned me that we may have to cancel this cycle. When I asked him about the drop in my estrogen before, he said this can happen as some follicles back off when one or two are taking the lead but that estrogen levels in the 40s or 90s are very low.

He upped my follistim to 112iu tonight with my last chance monitoring tomorrow morning before my flight out. I'm supposing this must have to do with the fact that my estrogen level is not climbing but is down a bit from yesterday... so stressful... I'm going to go do some gardening and then get my hair cut tonight to get my mind off of this...

Folli-optimism

 My husband and I were really freaked out by all of the needles involved in Follistim, but it really hasn't been so bad- especially because we are finally, finally seeing some changes so it all feels worth it. Side effects have been minimal (follistim farts and gas pains, :) and are a piece of cake compared to Clomid and Femara. I wish we could have just started here to begin this journey.

Fun, follistim freebies: 

a. The nurse mentioned that there might be some extra meds in the 300iu pen and turns out this is quite common! It has given me two free days! Woo hoo! I love free when it comes to this pricey adventure! Well, I love free when it comes to anything! (Hotel shampoos and Starbucks Splendas anyone?)

b. The cool red container for the needles from the pharmacy below the fertility clinic. You can get fined if you discard the needles inappropriately so you bring this container back to the doc to empty it there. Multiple times this weekend, I have wanted to use it as a vase. Maybe I will when I can celebrate the end of this process!

c. Rubbing alcohol wipes. When the nurse taught us how to use the follipen, she asked if we had alcohol in the house to prep the injection site. Dead serious, my husband responded intently and matter-of-factly, "Oh yes, vodka. Got it." HA! I almost died on the spot! She was very gracious and corrected him. We had to get some from the pharmacy and when the woman at the pharmacy saw us looking for it on the shelf, she gave us a huge stack of single wipes for free!

 

Follistim Day 6 Monitoring (Saturday)

-Bloodwork showed my Estrogen increased to 74 from the 20s!

-3 follicles growing larger (2 on the right, 1 on the left) and lots of little ones, largest at about 12 mmm
-My husband and I were so excited that two follicles were growing on the right so even though you are supposed to switch injection sides each night, we excitedly decided to inject only on the right to be closest to our potential little gifts. Silly, I know, but everyone needs something to keep their hopes up!
-Severe gas pains have subsided, not sure if it's from the interaction between the metformin and the follistim or what. Thank goodness ! 
-Continue with 50iu injects nightly

Follistim Day 8 Monitoring (Monday)

- Bloodwork showed increase in Estrogen to 102!

-6 larger follicles now, largest at 14.5mm! (Getting closer to the 18mm needed to trigger!) Hilarious that the largest ones were now on the left and 1 large on on the right. I guess it doesn't matter where you inject! Felt amazing to see such a large follicle today. I could really tell the difference and my ultrasound technician was so excited for me. We were both celebrating! Hoping that I got the first glimpse of our future little one this morning!

-Filled with so much hope! Just hoping and praying that only 1-3 will get big enough.

-Going back in two days to see if anything changes!
-Continue with 50iu injects nightly

Follistim Day 10 Monitoring (Wednesday) 

 Went in again for monitoring- good news!

-three follicles measured 19.0, 16.6, 10.7

-estrogen level is 248. 

-trigger this evening with the Ovidrel injection and get busy

-start prometrium on Saturday

-schedule for pregnancy test two weeks later

Fertile Femara?

My fertility doc started me on Femara 2.5mg for 5 days after not responding to my 150mg Clomid without waiting for AF induction (so technically it was cd20). Overall, Femara was almost a breeze for me compared to Clomid. While I didn't have as much difficulty with Clomid as others, I found Femara to be much easier on my body. And my skin thanks me too!

Day 1: Failed Clomid ultrasound and blood work. Lots of tiny follicles...

Days 1-4: I took the pill late at night before bed. I felt fine- a little bloated but nothing much more to note. My skin also began to clear up since the after Clomid effect. Lots of energy and in a good mood. Feel a little hot. This may also be coupled with my new order of Murad skin care products. 

Days 5-6: Felt a bit nauseous and run down, but taking several walks with my husband and watching Netflix in between helped. Day 6, I didn't have to take a pill but I was going through the effects of my evening pill. 

Day 10: Acupuncture- yay!! Feels so good! Lots of energy to begin with, very clear feeling and relaxed afterwards

Day 11: Still in a good mood. (This is definitely not CloMood!)

Day 12 ultrasound and blood work: Failed. Again. Follicle that was 8mm with 150mg of Clomid grew 2mm to a max of 10mm, with still lots of little follicles. Need to go back in a few days to check again and then we discuss next steps.

Kind of anxious to find out what's next. 1. Wait longer? 2. Start higher dose of Femara without AF induction? 3. Induce AF and start again with ...who knows...? 4. IVF? It's hard because I have all of these summer plans and being in town to do all of this monitoring will be more of a struggle. I'm getting really sick of this re-prioritizing and endless waiting game. If it will take several more months to find the magic, that's fine but I'd rather just know. Where's the crystal ball??

Failed Follies

Went yesterday (Sunday, day 11) to get my ultrasound and blood work done. I didn't respond to my third round of Clomid. I had one follicle measuring 7.4 mm and bunch of little follicles. (You need to find follicles around 20mm to do the trigger shot.)

One of the most depressing things about Sunday monitoring were all of the hopeful couples waiting in the lounge area. They were overflowing with patients but the waiting room was very quiet. Patients and their partners were whisked in and out of the blood work room, the ultrasound rooms and the check-out area. While they were very efficient, cheery and positive, my husband and I both felt a bit sad to see so many struggling people all around us.

One of the good things was that my husband was finally able to see what my PCOS ovaries look like via ultrasound. The radiologist told him that I have a beautiful uterus (um, thanks?) and explained to him that that chocolate chip cookie looking thing was my right ovary (and there is an ovary on each side.)

When the doctor on call came in, he told me to schedule again for Thursday (cd 15) to check again but that I most likely will be advised to try another route since I did not respond to the maximum dose of Clomid they use at the clinic. Still have the trigger shot chilling in the fridge and the progesterone supplements waiting in the drawer in case something changes, but it's not likely. While I didn't expect the Clomid to work this time due to my lack of response before, it still hurts to have gone through all of the yuckiness just to have to undergo more yuckiness and uncertainty...

Clomid Round 3 Report

Here's how the third round of Clomid at a higher dosage (150mg, days 3-7) went for me. With how many terrible, horrible, terrifying experiences are posted in blogs and forums, I feel it is important to share how for me, Clomid has not been so, so evil.

CD 3- Took it during a wedding, not the best time for the stomach cramps and general icky feeling that followed. My skin is seriously angry at me. 

CD 4- Nausea sets in, feel like I'm hung over (but I'm not...), Emotional (also had to cancel fun travel plans for next weekend due to treatment and my early period), Sweaty at night

CD 5- Moments of strong nausea.Starting to feel sick (headache, body aches, sinus pressure).  Not sure if it's the Clomid or seasonal allergies. Really bad night sweat! Oye!

CD 6- My skin is still screaming for relief from the hormones. Feeling more sick today and wanted to cancel acupuncture because I felt congested, yucky and all I want was to take a nap! So glad I went though!! 

Let me elaborate: She stuck those glorious needs in my nose and between my eyebrows which opened my nostrils up and cleared my headache. Also got needs in my legs and stomach for fertility. 

Went to bed early, slept amazingly and no night sweats!

CD 7- Felt great! Quite amazing, really! My head felt clear and my symptoms magically cleared. Hurray for acupuncture. So worth it. 

Now let's see if I respond to Clomid this time. Monitoring appointment this weekend. 

New Cycle...

Got my period yesterday (unusually fast after ending bcp) which meant rearranging my flight out today for a special wedding so that I could get a baseline ultrasound and blood work completed. The u/s was all clear and I'm just waiting on my blood work this afternoon to get the go ahead to start Clomid 150mg (round 3) on Saturday, day 3. Not at all thrilled about starting the evil Clomid meds during wedding festivities... Of course, my period would come early this time after carefully planning it around vacations and of course, it changes everything- again. Tough to make plans right now.

Just hoping that something positive will come out of round three of Clomid.

Glows, Grows and Gross

It has been a few days of glows and grows...

Glows:
Passed the HSG test this morning with flying "colors" or should I say flying "dye through my uterus, tubes and ovaries."
Did some cleansing yoga afterwards to stretch out my stomach and calm my nerves before work... Gotta love workouts like this one by Denise Austin!

Gross:
Yuckiness from hsg test... another post for another day. Fast fact: not so bad, quick and relatively not so uncomfortable as I had googled.

Glow:
Passed the Genetic Test! Got great news- my husband is not an SMA carrier. This means we can move ahead as planned. Our little gift will have a 75% chance of not being a carrier either.

Grow:
Husband's health insurance blood work doesn't count towards the fertility center's checklist so now we need to get it redone... and put everything else on hold again...

Grows:
Super sick of taking all these pills... also sick of chasing after doctors to share test results with other doctors- when will everything and everyone be online so there is easy access to tests/visits/medical info?

Glow:
Acupuncture tomorrow. Is it tomorrow yet? 

Ultrasound- Follicles Galore!

I got my period yesterday after taking progesterone (provera). So, I called my nurse and she scheduled my monitoring baseline ultrasound for first thing this morning. (You have to do it between day 2-5.) I got there 30 min before my appointment when the office opened with hopes that I could get in early so I wouldn't be late for work and sure enough, they got me in lickity-split!  Again, everyone at the fertility clinic was so friendly and happy (even though it was really early in the morning) which really put me at ease.

http://weheartit.com/entry/36681830

The tech administered the t/v ultrasound while another doc from the practice sat in to interpret the results on the spot. She said my uterine lining looked good and then when she saw the "pearl necklace" lining the outside of my first ovary, she grew quiet and looked a bit nervous. I said, "I already know I have pcos." To which she sighed in relief saying something about how they look like typical pcos but in a way that made me feel positive about them looking so normally abnormal. (See, everyone is so friendly they make everything sound okay. Talk about rose colored glasses!)

She said to go forward with my plans to get the HSG test on Monday and that they saw nothing there that would hold me up further. ::Sigh of relief::

After about 2 minutes of the ultrasound, I was on my way to pay my 50% and even had enough time to grab a small cup of decaf coffee as a treat for myself during my drive to work!

Fast forward to the end and highlight of my day- Acupuncture Tuesday! I had another great, relaxing, centering session and walked around outside for awhile feeling refreshed and renewed.

After returning home, I found my lost phone and saw that I had a long voice-mail from my nurse. She informed me that they were looking for me to have at most 10 follicles when I, in fact, have 90. Yes, I'm an overachiever... 40 on one side, 50 on the other.  She said they "looked good, really good" with a laugh, so I suppose this is good. I'm patting myself on the back for not googling this... yet.

Lots of long walks planned for this week, start b.c. tomorrow leading up the HSG test Monday and an acupuncture reward on Tuesday!

Metformin Horse Pills

Or as I "lovingly" refer to it, Met.

I hate taking those 3 giant horse pills (1500 mg) every night. It's not the effects of the pills anymore, it's just the constant reminder that my body is not cooperating with me and my goals.

Metformin is a drug that people who are diabetic or prediabetic use to moderate their blood sugar levels. Although I do not fit either category, doctors are using the Met to treat PCOS. My pharmacist was concerned when he was filling the script because he thought for sure it was a mistake! Talk about an awkward moment when you have to tell your pharmacist about your early fertility plan...

I started taking Met at night at the end of August 2013. I started at 500mg for a week and then moved up to 1000mg and finally landed at 1500 mg. When first making the switch to 1500mg, my stomach hurt very badly, so I returned to 1000mg for a few days to recover before increasing my dose again.

I read some horror stories about needing to be extra close to the bathroom while taking/adjusting to Metformin but I was actually alright. I made sure to not eat junk food, took the pills at night so I could sleep through most of the discomfort and was alright.

The Met alone did not give me a cycle, so my doctor gave me Provera to begin a cycle to see if that would start ovulation without other fertility drugs. It didn't.

I decided to move onto an Ob/Gyn that specialized in fertility/pregnancy but thanked my doctor for getting me a t/v ultrasound so early which detected the PCOS immediately!

Chinese Medicine- PCOS

For PCOS sufferers, there are often sticky/damp side effects in your body. The stickiness gathers in your ovaries so the eggs don't develop or ovulate properly. In essence, they are stuck. Google "Chinese Medicine: Dampness" and you'll see a whole slew of ways to treat dampness through food, spices and teas.

Here are a few dietary changes my acupuncturist recommended to me: 

1. Drink lots of water. Add lemon or lime to it. Sour flavors = dampness scissors. Because of this, green tea, apple cider vinegar, and grapefruit are also good for you.

2. Limit and avoid sugar, refined carbs and added sweeteners.

3. Eat food that is warmed up or heated. Avoid putting ice in drinks or eating anything cold. Cook your vegetables and fruits instead of eating them raw. If you are going to eat something that is cold, make sure you pair it with a warming food or drink or add spices like cinnamon that have a warming quality to them. This is because your body has to use energy to heat up the food before breaking it down which when treating PCOS is not recommended.

4. Avoid dairy products. Yes, even yogurt...

5. No bananas. :(

6. No peanut butter (or peanut products).

Basically, my favorite foods have been put on the no-no list...

Good luck!

Three Cheers for Acupuncture!

I started going to acupuncture a few days after finishing my second round of Clomid pills and while I wasn't sure if it would work, I fell in love with it!

It helped to give me a deep sense of calm, focus and mental clearness. My skin cleared up and my hunger was greatly diminished following the Clomid and Metformin side-effects.

My acupuncturist listened to my experiences in great detail during our first meeting. She looked at my tongue, the colors in my face and felt my pulses before deciding where to place the teensy, tiny needles in my legs, feet and stomach. (I did not feel them go in at all.) As she continued her work, she would check my pulses to see if they were becoming more even and added needles accordingly. I felt so peaceful.

Once satisfied with the placement, she left me to relax on a heated bed with soothing music playing and then returned at the end of the session, pleased with my improvements. She added little, tiny gold beads to three pressure points in my legs. I loved being bedazzled and was so excited to go home and show my husband!

My next post will be devoted to the dietary recommendations she made for PCOS. If you haven't tried acupuncture yet, I highly recommend giving it a try! You'll feel soo relaxed and refreshed.

Clomid- Round 2, No O and a Break Up

Round 2: 100mg Clomid, Days 5-9 (While continuing with 1500 mg of Metformin)

After talking with my doctor and confirming that I did not ovulate during round 1 of Clomid through a blood test, we decided to increase the dose to 100mg after another 10 days of Provera to induce my period again. (Two of those little white pills daily for 5 days... scary!)

Even though the first round wasn't terrible, I was incredibly nervous that round 2 at a higher dose would double the side effects. This time, I didn't have an awesome feeling on the second day of Clomid but the side effects were not bad either. I did feel it a bit more than my first round.

I was definitely hot at night this time and used only a sheet but nothing that kept me awake. My skin was broken out and I felt bloated but oh, so hopeful for ovulation this round. (Which didn't happen either...)

I began going to acupuncture and loved how relaxed and comfortable I felt afterwards. It also helped to qualm some of my intense hunger which was a welcome relief. I temped and did OPK tests and got my blood drawn on day 21 of my cycle which came back negative.

I continued acupuncture, temping, doing OPKs from day 13 to day 40 before my doctor told me to stop and that she could not help me any more.

She referred me to a fertility clinic, asked if I had thought about adoption and wished me luck. I felt so defeated, so devastated...

I left the doctor's office determined to go to work and throw myself into a fun Friday, but was heartbroken and teary eyed at every turn. Luckily, I have amazing colleagues who comforted me when I told them what was going on with me after all these months. I couldn't ask for a more supportive group of people and am truly blessed to be surrounded my such great people in every aspect my life. 

After a few days, I started feeling more reassured but it wasn't until I went for acupuncture the following Tuesday that I felt relaxed, truly comforted and ready to tackle anything despite the breakup. Getting that qi (CHEE) following is incredibly powerful! I got some extra needles in my wrists and feel asleep on the heated table. When I awoke, I felt drunk on qi and happy- and even needed some time before I knew I could drive again! Haven't done acupuncture yet? What are you waiting for? It's life changing.

Clomid- Round 1, Not so bad, no ovulation

Here is my review on my first two rounds of Clomid. All and all, I must say, the symptoms for me weren't as bad as I had googled...

Here is a website that I referred to several times that gives a lot of information about Clomid. 

Round 1: 50mg Clomid, Days 5-9 (While continuing with 1500 mg of Metformin)
I was very anxious and nervous about starting Clomid but went forward with it because the Metformin was not making a difference in my cycles. My doctor prescribed me Provera for 10 days to induce my period. Then on CD 5, I began my first round of Clomid convinced it would work on the first try.

Based on internet reviews, I began my first dose at night. The first day, I felt a little bloated and icky, but by the second day, I actually felt better than I had in a long time. The Metformin was tough on my body and I was constantly feeling nauseous and gross. Day 2 of the Clomid, I was feeling great and completely normal again.

I thought that'd I'd beat the Clomid until I woke up on day 3 of Clomid feeling yucky. I had a headache, felt bloated and tired. Day 4 made me more hot than before, but nothing like the dripping, sweaty hot flashes that I have read about others enduring while on Clomid. Who knows if it really was the Clomid or if I was playing more attention to my body temperature throughout the day.

On the last day of Clomid, my stomach was thankful for my comfy yoga pants at home! (The bloating and severe hunger that the Clomid caused lasted the next two weeks.)

My mood at work was just fine but I know that when I came home, I was more easily agitated and emotional. The worst part for me was my skin's reaction. Ugh, my poor skin was so broken out. I felt fat and pimply and not so wonderful, but I knew that the other symptoms I had read about were much worse.

Overall, the Clomid that I psyched myself up over wasn't so bad and I didn't really have much of a physical reaction to it. (But I didn't ovulate from it either...)

Our Fertility Journey

It's been a long one so far with a lot of highs and lows. We are still hoping and wishing for our own little one.

A little about myself: I am now 29 years old, happy and healthy but after about 100 days of amenorrhea (lack of period) following birth control last year, I was diagnosed with PCOS via ultrasound and was put on progesterone to start my period. I switched from my general women's health doctor to a specialized ob/gyn who also confirmed the PCOS through another transvaginal ultrasound. My husband's sperm was tested and he has no diagnosed issues. She started me on progesterone again after a long cycle and I tried one round of Clomid 50mg on which I did not ovulate. I began another round of progesterone and got my period after 50 days. I completed a second round of Clomid at 100mg but again, failed to respond and ovulate. Following the second round's failure, my doctor broke up with me and referred me to a fertility clinic.
 


Feb/March 2013- Preconception Meeting with women's health doctor, given the green light. Began taking prenatal vitamins

May 21, 2013- Take out last NuvaRing

May 24, 2013- NuvaRing induced period

July 29, 2013- Start officially tracking CM on fertility friend

August 17, 2013- CD 86, Start officially temping

August 26, 2013- CD 95 Start Metformin 1000mg, t/v Ultrasound. Blood work (PCOS diagnosis)

August 29, 2013- Metformin 1500mg

August 30, 2013- Bloodwork done

Sept 4, 2013 Horribly sick, stomach pains

Sept 5, 2013 Back down to 1000mg Met for a week, then back to 1500mg

Sept 26, 2013 Switched Drs to specialist, t/v ultrasound confirms pcos, prescribed Provera for 10 days to induce a period.

Oct 5, 2013 Last Provera pill CD 136

Oct 7, 2013 Provera Period #1! (Light, no major cramps or symptoms)

Oct 9- blood test, fsh, progesterone, wbc- not ovulating

Nov 2- Hubby SA- all clear! (rushed to get done because we thought I'd start provera/clomid but dr said to wait two more weeks to see if my period would come first...)

Nov 19- No luck, Provera round 2 (cd 44)

Dec 2- Provera Period #2! (after 56 days, more substantial and longer flow than p#1)

Dec 6- Begin Clomid Round 1 (cd 5-9)
Dec/Jan Test with OPKs and temping, did not detect ovulation. Blood work confirmed this.

Jan 21- Provera Period #3 began after 10 days of Provera round 3. (50 Days...)

Jan 25-29 Clomid increased to 100mg Round 2 (Taken days 5-9)

Feb 4- Begin Acupunture! :)

Feb- More bloodwork confirms that I did not respond to Clomid

March 7- Ob/Gyn breaks up with me, telling me I'm infertile and she can't help me any more, refers me to fertility center and asks if I have considered adoption... obviously devastated

March 17- Was scheduled for a 4/21 appt, but got a new patient appointment at fertility center because of a snow day cancellation and a lot of Irish luck! Dr. Hope says he feels confident he can help us get pregnant! Start Provera round 4!

March 26- Genetic testing is in- I'm a carrier for SMA.:(  DH needs to be tested to see if he's a carrier too. If so, it will reset our plan again. 2ww for results.

March/April ??-Provera Period #4
April 26- Start Clomid (days 3-7), plan to take trigger shot and progesterone if all goes well
May 4th- Day 11 ultrasound and blood work, one follicle at 7.4mm (too small), others tiny, no trigger shot necessary
May 8th- Another u/s and more blood work... failed again
May 13- Day 20, Another u/s and more blood work... failed again, no Clomid response, begin Femara 2.5mg
May 26- Femara failed, began Follistim at 50iu and continue Metformin/Acupunture (estrogen dropped to 25, yikes!)
June 6- Estrogen jumped  to 102 -6 larger follicles, largest at 14.5mm
June/July- Failed injection cycles
August- Successful with follistim and ovidril but ended in chemical pregnancy
September- Again successful, but same result 
October 2014- Started with follistim and converted to IVF
Oct 8- Egg Retrieval- 28 eggs, 22 mature, 18 fertilized!