Labs, u/s and polyp biopsy update...

My polyp biopsy came back normal. :)

Here is the box of some of my meds for my FET 2/17/17.

I started baby aspirin on 1/19.

Last birth control pill was 1/23 the. Period was 1/26-2/1.

I started plaquenil 1/26 (an autoimmune drug) in hopes to prevent miscarriage in case my body is attacking the baby thinking it's something it isn't.

I started the estrodial valerate 0.15 (estrogen) shots on 1/27 I do these every Tuesday and Friday night.

I  had my baseline u/s and labs 1/25 which was all normal and good. Lining was thin like it should be, no cysts on ovaries.

2/2 LABS they also drew some labs to recheck hormone levels and blood type and disease panel since the last I had done was in 2014.

My prolactin levels came back high 44 so they had me recheck it the next day (2/3) fasting and no intercourse the night before. It was still high at 47 and they like it 24 or lower. So they began me on parlodel a medicine to lower it. I take 1/2 pill a day and will recheck my levels in a month. They said it shouldn't affect my transfer but high levels of prolactin can sometimes cause miscarriage. So maybe this is one more thing that'll keep my babe in me.

2/6 had more labs and u/s  and they  came back good. My lining is 11.2mm they like it above 8 so lining is good and ready for transfer next Friday. I just can't believe it's come so fast. I'm kind of glad it's been a crazy couple months to keep me from going down a dark anxious road. I'm still so anxious and stressed about another loss but I also trust that I've done everything I can and I have no other option but to leave it in God's hands. So come what may I'll still trust Him and His plan for my family.

I have one more lab draw Monday 2/13 before transfer next Friday and start the thick progesterone in oil shots Sunday(2/12) with a progesterone suppository--- I'll get to do those both daily.

Then I start z-pack 2/13 and medrol 2/14 and day of transfer I'll begin the lovenox (blood thinner) in case I have some clotting thing not picked up on other labs I had drawn.

So T-minus 7 days until one of our little embaby's are reunited with us. Praying the embryologist chooses a good eggy and that he/she sticks good and is in it for the long haul!

Oh and we moved into our new home 1/23. WE are loving having our own space and are grateful we feel settled and mostly unpacked for out transfer 2/17/17.

If you want to follow a little more closer on our IVF journey and FET #4 follow us on my Instagram account @the_making_of_our_family

Hysterscope and polyps removal...

 
So it's been a crazy 2017 so far. On January 1 my father-in-law's health started declining fast from years of dealing with lupus. By Wednesday we knew it was only a matter of time and he wouldn't be with us much longer.

Not knowing how much time he had I kept debating if I should reschedule my procedure or not. After discussing with my husband we decided I would go and do it still since there wasn't much I could do here to help.

My dad offered to drive me down to Utah for the procedure Friday January 6 and we left around 5:30am. I figured we'd be back around 5pm. I was able to stop by my in-laws house once more before I left and said my final goodbyes.

As I was driving to Utah I got the text I dreaded and my heart broke. My father-in-law had passed away at 7:30am.

I felt so torn wishing I had rescheduled so I could be with my sweet husband during this time. My father-in-law was one in a million. I considered him a father and loved him so much. I know He is pain free and enjoying heaven with our son Jayden.

It was freezing that morning ---we are talking it got to -26* at one point. The roads weren't too bad but there were tons of accidents that caused delays but we had left early enough to have a cushion.

I arrived at Utah Fertility center about 45 minutes before I was scheduled and we waited. They took me back around 11 and got me hooked up to an IV. Dr. Conway came in and chatted for a quick minute and then I was out and before I knew it I was waking up in a chair with a heat pad on my abdomen. (Which felt heavenly) My dad came in while I was waking up so he could hear what the doctor said (I was afraid I wouldn't remember) .

Dr. Conway came in and said they removed 2 bigger polyps and a couple smaller ones. She sent them to be tested just in case. I was able to dress and walk out and we drove straight home. I slept most the time from the anethesia but also was able to talk to my husband a little. They had had a busy day as well with meeting with hospice workers, funeral home, and what not.

We had his funeral yesterday and it was a beautiful service and it was wonderful to remember and honor such a GREAT man. He really was the greatest of the great. 

I'm still spotting/bleeding from the procedure which is super annoying. I'm wondering if it's also a mixture of breakthrough bleeding from birth control. Dr. Conway PA Stephanie said it's normal and to just continue as I have. If it last much longer I'll call again and see if I can double up on birth control to stop the spotting.

I start meds in a couple weeks and the the labs and u/s monitoring will start for my transfer in February 17.

I told my father-in-law to make sure he brings us some babies and to hug our Jayden. Knowing he's up there with our future child brings me more hope that this transfer will be the successful one.



 

Update on polyp problem...

I had a friend text me today that my uterus is mean and I just had to laugh cause it totally is dang these polyps!

So I had an emotional break down today and I'm a little embarrassed to even write what happened but I'm going to be totally candid.

I got a call from Dr. Conway's surgery scheduler and she told me the cost estimate that they bill to insurance ($1799 for doctor and facility fee and $600-$1000 anesthesia fee) and gave me the CPT and ICD-10 codes so I could call my insurance and see if it'd be cheaper to do it in Utah or at the hospital here. Called the insurance and they told me it's almost always cheaper to do in office than hospital because of facility fees at hospitals is like double charging you. So Dr. Conway's office it is!

Also after talking with Neal we decided financially it just makes more sense to wait to do the procedure until January since our deductible starts over again then. It's only 3 week wait or so. So I called Dr. Conway's surgery scheduler back and left a message telling her that we would like to wait until January with our deductible starting over and to do it in Utah. I also asked if this would push back the transfer. Which I assumed it would.

I then called the PA at Dr. Conway's office and told her that we would like to do the procedure in January since our deductible starts over then and asked if it would push the transfer back. She said we would need to push back the transfer and that this is the last time they'd let us move the transfer since the scheduling is so tricky and stuff. I got upset and told her it's just due to needing this procedure done and it's not like we are going to flake out. (I was teary and emotional) She told me not to take it that way and that they just have some patients that try and move things around a lot. I told her we can travel to Utah for the transfer, she said we'd have to unless we wanted to wait until April. I told her that's fine and she told me to call back once I have the procedure scheduled so she can start working on a new transfer schedule.

I feel embarrassed and emotional at how I handled things but also upset that she didn't realize how hard this is on me. It's not like I want to have polyps or want to put off my transfer. We also didn't ever move the transfer before hand and we're only doing it this time because of the polyps and financials. I mean to pay $1200 this month for a procedure and then have to pay that all over again next year towards a deductible seems silly.

I realize she probably has not been in the infertility field long ( I believe she was just trained this year to do the scheduling and in April when they did my first saline ultrasound she was being trained to do that then too.) So she is probably stressed with what's on her plate and doesn't really realize how hard it is emotionally on patients. And honestly I've only seen them a handful of times so they don't really know my personality and that I'm organized and on top of things and would never just move a transfer to be more convenient for me and thus inconveniencing them.  Nor does she probably realize the infertility struggles I've had.... (although it's in my HUGE file). I get it it's hard to remember every single patient you see and their whole history but come on you chose to work in a highly emotional field just tread with care and try to be a little more compassionate and understanding. Plus as Neal said "we are paying them a lot of money, and want the best results, so who cares if it's tricky to schedule, we need to push it back."  Love my sweet supportive, knows what to say to make me feel better, better half.

So yes I'm embarrassed and actually put of calling her back today so I wouldn't break down again and had a more level head and wasn't so sassy. I will apologize tomorrow for overreacting when I call her back telling her I have the procedure scheduled.

When the surgery scheduler called back she was super understanding and nice and had spoke with Dr. Conway who said that would be fine to do procedure in January and do the transfer down in Utah in February. I scheduled the procedure for Friday January 6 @ 11 AM. The scheduler told me she would let the PA know and that I should be receiving a new schedule for my transfer soon.


I'm ok with waiting to do the transfer in February. It will probably work out better then anyways. We will be moved into our new house and settled down and no shots for the holidays to worry about.

God is good, and I have to remember His timing and plans are better than anything I could ever plan for myself.

H2O (Saline) ultrasound...

Had my water ultrasound today to see if there are any polyps or other abnormalities in my endometrium for our upcoming transfer in January. They do this to make sure there isn't anything that could prevent implanting of the embryo.

They found at least 3 new polyps (they told me they are like little skin tags). Which is just crazy to me. The first polyp I ever had was before the last transfer and they scrapped it out. So I'm glad they had me do this ultrasound and I'm glad we did it earlier in the month so there is still time to get them scrapped out before transfer in January.

I asked if I could do anything to prevent polyps or what causes them, they told me they just grow-- sometimes it's hormones (which I've been loaded with) but there is really no way to prevent them. 

I'm not going to lie I was a little shocked, I had this blog post draft written last night that all was well and we were a go to move forward....but tis not so. 

So now we have to schedule this surgery in the next 2 weeks to remove the polyps and we may possibly have to drive to Utah to have it done in Dr. Conway's main office. Otherwise we will be doing it in the hospital with Dr. Denson. Either way more money then we were expecting to spend. 

So I'm waiting for the surgery scheduler to call me and let me know what is our cheaper option and if Utah is cheaper Neal is in Butte, MT until Thursday working so I'm hoping they could squeeze us in Friday. 

Also got a call from the specialty pharmacy Stroehecker's for our medications for the cycle. Just for the Progesterone and estradiol shots is $417...but money is just that if I get a baby out of this I don't care what it costs!

I can't believe it's already time to prep for this transfer. I'm kind of in denial and feeling a mixture of emotions. Anxiety, dread of another possible loss and dread the sore bum from shots, guilt of the financial cost, hope this is the one that sticks for good, faith that this is all in God's perfect and capable hands. Loved this quote I read on Instagram today.

Praying for peace of mind and strength to move forward with faith and hope.

And our house is almost done being built! We will probably be moving in right around the same time as the transfer (if transfer doesn't get delayed... or our house). So lots of exciting things coming up.

If you're looking for a good Christmas present or white elephant gift we'd love you too purchase one of our coloring books to help us pay for costs of IVF. The Fiddlesticks one is kind of my favorite haha!

https://www.amazon.com/Fiddlesticks-Clean-Swear-Coloring-Downloadable/dp/1533140774/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1480999239&sr=8-5&keywords=diamond+ink+design


https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Coloring-Book-Inspirational-Relieving/dp/1530103622/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480999280&sr=8-2&keywords=diamond+ink+design

I'm working on the story of our egg retrieval #2 and transfer #2 blog posts so stay tuned. Much love to all who are reading along and following our journey. We appreciate all your love and support more than you even know.