IVF and ICSI

Miracle

We were matched with a gestational surrogate. Miracles can happen. One of the embryos created almost 9 years ago now have a heart beat.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 2:02 PM 0 comments

Adoption was hard but worth it

I wanted to let folks know that adoption for us was very tough. The way our blog reads is we just adopted. That was not the case. The paper work and home study took a long time. There was significant financial cost.

The biggest set back we had were two reversals. We were chosen, a baby was born, and the mother(s) decided to parent. The first reversal we went through was the most painful thing we ever experienced. None of the babies had made it into our home. Where we live there is a 21 day period where the birth parents can reverse their decision.

The boy we did adopt made everything else worthwhile.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 1:23 PM 2 comments

What happened to us....?

We've had a couple of comments where people are asking what happened to us.

We adopted a beautiful boy.

I have issues with adults posting private information about children on public websites (I don't think it is right, but each to their own), so no real details other than what I just said. However, I can share a picture with you.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 9:43 AM 3 comments

FET #4 on Hold

We've decided not to do a FET cycle this month for 2 reasons.

1) I'm a teacher and this year I am teaching a new grade and I am moving to a new classroom. The transfer would fall at the end of August or beginning of September when I need to be at school getting my classroom ready. My RE is one who is for 3 days of bed rest after a transfer so I really can't afford to do that at this time.

2) Paul and I need a break as well as my body needs a break! I've been pumping hormones into my body and have been poked and proded since February. I'll be able to feel as though I can live life like I did pre-IVF/FET. There will be no 2WW so I can get back to the gym this month, have a drink, not have to worry about overheating myself in the, take hot baths (which I LOVE)!

So, we will enjoy a month free of FET, ultrasounds, bloodwork, estrogen tablets, progesterone, needles in my bum, and the long dreaded 2ww. We'll get back on the FET wagon next month.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 8:42 AM 11 comments

12:15 PM EST Monday May 9th 2006

We had the transfer. We got to see the embryos on the ultrasound go in. Our doc likes to crack jokes. As he walked in he said “ok, lets get you pregnant.” Then after the procedure he asked “do you feel pregnant?”

My wife is now with embryos. And hopefully they are dividing and growing. And hopefully they will implant.

We test on May 23.

Wish us luck.

PS No pictures! But we did get the dish the embryos were in.

Paul

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 5:35 PM 6 comments

30, 29, & 26

"What do those numbers mean?" you might ask!

30 eggs retrieved
29 mature eggs
26 fertilized

Wow! We got 26 fertilized.

Tomorrow we will get the progress report. This report will have the count & grading. Until then.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 11:10 AM 0 comments

$5,900 for 30 follicles

We had the retrieval scheduled for today. Yesterday I started calling the hotels to book one. To my dismay I learned there was a conference in town and most of the hotels were sold out. I had a choice between a 4 star @ $300 a night or a 2 start at $100. I went for the 4 star, I didn’t think we would be comfortable in the 2 star.

At 3:40 AM I got a call on my cell phone. It was a lady from Mount Sinai hospital in TO, located less than 1 km from the hotel we were in. She was looking for the parents of a baby at the hospital. I was completely confused and drunk with sleep I started to think it was the IVF clinic. I quickly realized she had the wrong person. She told me their baby was critically ill. And she could not get hold of them. She told me she would have to send the police to their house. Not to arrest them, but to get the message to them. So it sounded like the baby was not going to make it.

What are the chances of us getting a call from a nurse in charge of a baby that may not pull through the night on the eve of our retrieval? In fact 6 hours before the retrieval took place. I would say pretty slim. My wife and I have the names of the parents. And we lightly considered naming our future baby after them, or after their baby if the sex is right. Reincarnation? Who knows.

We got to the clinic on time at 7:30 AM, and boy, was it busy. It seems half of TO is infertile. It was a little disorientating being there. Plus on such an important day I didn’t really want to sit and wait to be called. I wanted them to usher us into where ever it was were going when we arrived. We had a 60 inch plasma to help pass away the time. Fortunately the wait was not too long.

They took Lisa first to get her undressed and hooked up to the IV drip. I had to wait some more. When I was called I was ushered into a room with my wife and two other couples doing the same as us. Lisa sat in a reclining comfy chair. In her right arm was the needle with the IV tackle attached to it. She was wearing a hospital gown.

Wait, wait, my contribution, wait, into the procedure room we went. 3 nurses, a doc, two technicians, a mom-to-be, a dad-to-be, and 30 follicles were at this party. And my wife was the focus of all. On the ultra sound screen we got to watch the black voids flow away into the needle. Each of black voids are follicles containing fluid and the eggs we need. It was pretty amazing to watch. We got 30. The IVF team were pretty amazed. The doc said DW did not look hyper stimulated, but we have to measure fluids in/out for the next week. Plus take her weight, and her waist measurement.

Back to the room we went. DW wife a little groggy. We left in an hour with our Prostogen in tow.

On the way home DW scared the heck out of me when she passed out. I nearly drove her to the hospital, but I surmised it was probably the drugs catching up with her, plus being hungry and a lack of fluids.

I’m now sitting on the couch with Lisa using the lap top to write this. She’s sore, but seems well enough. 6 days we’ll get the news on if the implantation will go ahead or not.

If not, the embryos will be frozen, then implanted when the OHSS has passed.

posted by Paul and Lisa @ 11:57 AM 1 comments