IVF #1 second scan

  I went and saw my doctor today and so far I have been stimulating my ovaries for 6 days and my left ovary has 6 follicles between the sizes of 11mm and 13mm. My right side has several small ones but they were to small to measure. I am on a shot to help keep me from ovulating those 6 follicles when they reach maturity (about 18-20mm).
  I asked the doctor if this is where I should be at this point and he said my left side is doing well but my right needs more time to grow. He said he is optimistic and I have plenty of time. Fingers crossed those babies grow! (Hehe babies) .

IVF #1 first scan

I don't really have any updates. My ovaries have follicles and doc didn't say anything was wrong. This doc doesn't give me much feedback and I was too nervous to ask questions. I believe there are less then 10 all together but I will know more Friday.


Can you spot my follicles?

 This is just the ultrasound machine

First day of IVF cycle 1

First IVF shot taken. I will give myself another in 12 hours. They are both to help stimulate follicle growth. Check up with doc in a couple days to check on growth. My schedule is all planned out but things can change at any moment. It all depends on how my body reacts. Here we go! IVF cycle 1 has officially begun.

Update on pathology report

I talked to my doctor today. Pathology came back negative for any abnormal cells. I am still cancer free and have no signs of the abnormal cells returning!  I am to proceed on to IVF and start meds Sunday! It gives me a little hope that we may just have a baby Pickett!

4/18/17 D&C update

 Hello friends, I'm awake and decided to update you officially on my blog. According to Kevin doctor didn't have enough room to check my uterus properly in the office and was wrong. It appears I don't have any scar tissue or polyps like he first speculated. He seems to think the pathology report will come back normal and he wants me to continue IVF as planned in May.
 I had convinced myself we wouldn't continue but after hearing the good news from Dr.S I feel a tad bit better about continuing on. Kevin is 100% on board for continuing as well.
 Dr. S did take a sample of a small part of my uterus and sent it in but he isn't concerned just by looking at it.
  Nothing is 100% until pathology comes back but I am in a better place then I was before the surgery. I have my get up and go attitude back!
  Thanks to everyone who private messaged me, sent me texts and went out of their way to let me know they care. The sweet nurse at the surgery center wiped my tears away while waking up from surgery and told me I will be a good mom one day. It made my heart swell with love.

Update 4/12/17 hyperplasia???

Ok...some of you may remember that I have a history of complex hyperplasia with atypia in my uterus. Basically pre cancer cells which is why I have ongoing appointments with a oncologist. At my last appointment my oncologist gave me the OK to proceed with IVF. That was in Feb.
 At this appointment with my reproductive endo. he took a look at my uterus (with a camera) to determine if my uterus looks good enough for implantation. What he found today were a few polyps near my right tube and my lining is so thick it was either blocking the view of my right tube or there is a build up of scar tissue.
 Next Tuesday I have to go in for my 4th or 5th D&C (I've lost track). Its a surgery that  I will be put to sleep for. They will take a sample of my lining and have it sent off to pathology to see if those pre cancer cells are back. If they are I will not be able to move forward. If not and its just a build up of lining then we can continue as planned.
  If my pre cancer cells are back (or worse its cancer now) I will go in for a hysterectomy. I say that because my health is priority over everything else. Hoping I can stay in a positive head space... I can't afford to let this take over my soul again. Please everyone positive vibes that its nothing! I love you all!

IVF consultation 4-7-17

Hello all, sorry this took so long to write. I  currently don't have a computer so this has to be written out on my phone.
 Last Friday I had my first IVF appointment. We had to meet with our doctor (the same doctor I worked with for my IUIs). Dr. G went over the IVF process and answered the few questions I had.
 Then we met with an IVF nurse and went over all the medications. I am currently taking birth control (BC) to help suppress my ovaries. After another 10 days or so I will start on stimulating meds. My cycle is going to be controlled with medications.
 During this appointment we went over all the financial obligations (OMG its so costly! Without insurance this would cost us over 13k for ONE CYCLE!).
 After that Kevin gave a semen sample and the lab tech looked at it under a microscope and gave them a set of tests (haha) to determine how many sperm were there, active and moving right. In the past from our IUI samples they were estimating he had 5-10 million sperms but this time he had 21 million! So we dug deep in our pockets and forked out $275 to freeze those sperms just in case his IVF sample isn't as good. It's a "back up".
 I got the results from my blood test a couple weeks ago and all hormones look perfect and I have plenty of eggs left in storage (haha) and I do not look anywhere near menopause! Thats all great news!
 I will be on 2 injections a day for about 10 days (could be more or less) with ultrasound monitoring every other day. There is a huge chance of over stimulation of my ovaries which will make me sick and will cancel the IVF cycle. So its very important that I be closely monitored.
 The first medication is Gonal F it will stimulate my ovaries to grow follicles. The second daily medication is menopur and it works with gonal f to do the same thing. When there are many follicles big enough to extract I will stop meds and take a shot of HCG (trigger). I have to take the trigger shot to help loosen the eggs so they are easier to take out.
 For the egg retrieval I will be put to sleep and Kevin and I will have to stay the night in Rockford. Kevin will have to give me the trigger exactly 36 hours before my retrieval so I don't ovulate before the procedure.
  After they take my eggs they will count how many they have and tell me. We are hoping for 10-15. The lab tech's will then see out of those eggs how many are ok to continue. They will then take one single sperm and inject it into my eggs. They will freeze most and keep a few in an incubator. After 3 days they will check on them and see how many are progressing. If they look like they are struggling they will transfer one back into my uterus because its the best environment for a embryo to thrive. If they seem to be doing OK they will wait a couple more days to transfer one back in on day 5. I asked Dr. G if he will consider transferring two he said because of my age he will only transfer one but if I only have two eggs in the end then he will just transfer both instead of freezing the one extra. There are laws that doctors have to abide by and that means because of my age (for my safety) he can only transfer up to two embryos.
 Then...I wait...for two weeks! It will be the longest... 2 weeks...of...my....life...! But hopefully it all ends with a positive! Its a long and very detailed process but we both agree it's worth the money and the emotional roller coaster.
 If this first IVF cycle is a success we will hopefully (if all tests come back OK by the FDA) donate our embroys to other couples in need. IVF is expensive and not all have coverage by insurance. I would love to help remove one burden off their shoulders. Those embryos would literally be a child of ours and the couple would have to adopt our embryos but we are ok with that. We would be honored.
 If all goes as planned embryo transfer is set for May 8-10th but things can change depending on how I respond.
 Fingers crossed this all works out! I will keep you updated along the way!