Welcome ICLW October!

So, I've been getting pretty good at summarizing my IF journey so far since it's one of the things that we do at a RESOLVE support group I've been attending. I even managed the last two times to introduce myself and tell my tale without crying! woo hoo!

So, here it is: I met Mr.Right late (I was 37) so we decided to get started on making a baby just slightly before we were married in January of 2009. I might be 3 months pregnant at the wedding, but who would notice (ha ha ha!) In April of 2009 after a crazy couple of months BBT charting, I finally got a positive pregnancy stick. Yay!! We would be having a baby soon! A week and a half later, sitting at dinner on a Sunday night, it ended.

Off to my Gyn doctor (replacing a 'I'm pregnant appointment' with a 'what do we do now' appointment) and on to Clomid. 3 months - 100, 100, 150 - nada.

Being in a hurry, since I had turned 39, we decided to move on to a fertility clinic. Met with Dr.Dry and while he recommended a few IUIs, we decided we were going straight to IVF. At the first monitoring appointment: an estrogen-secreting cyst. We do an Ovidrel shot to pop it out of there so we can move on. We're told 'there's no harm in trying on your own' and we do. Pregnant. But badly. And possibly ectopic what with the hcg values going up and down. But then maybe they see an empty sac in the uterus. We decide to take a chance with just a D&C (not methotrexate) and at 6 weeks that pregnancy ends.

Allrighty, then, back to our regularly-scheduled IVF program. IVF round #1.....no response from ovaries, last ditch IUI, BFN. Ok, then, let's try another protocol for IVF #2, the estrogen priming protocol. Unfortunately, I unexpectedly ovulate on day 8 screwing up the schedule for getting on the estrogen patch going into stim cycle. Do EPP stim cycle anyhow. Only two decent size follicles. Once again: convert to IUI. BFN. IVF #3 and we discuss going to retrieval with maybe even as few a 2 follicles. Using Clomid+FSH protocol, we have 4 follicles and actually make it to retrieval for the first time. 4 eggs retrieved; 3 mature; 2 fertilize; perfect 6-8 cell, no fragmentation embryos transferred on day 3. BFN.

Along the previous few months we had been talking about a possible laparoscopy to rule out endometriosis and to look at a persistent cyst that they'd been seeing since the first IVF round. I have the lap: stage III endo mainly because there were lots of little endometrioma (all zapped) and the persistent cyst was clear.

Since the stats on pregnancy after a lap only get better for 'trying on your own' and IUI, we decide to do an IUI. Amazingly, pregnant!! I 'graduate' from the fertility clinic (aka they kick me out since they can't see me beyond 10 weeks) and we actually go to an OB/Gyn appointment like a normal pregnant person. And still pregnant at 12 weeks 5 days when we go for the NT scan (having had bloodwork done the week before). Worst NT scan ever: worst nuchal fold measurement ever. Cystic hygroma that, even if the baby is chromosomally normal, has a 1 in 1,000 chance of resolving. Decide right then and there for a D&C the next day. No more baby. (Genetic testing reveals: Trisomy 18)

And, back to the fertility clinic we go. Decide to do IVF with PGD even though the chances of even having enough follicles to retrieve, let alone fertilize and let alone biopsy and let alone be normal to transfer back are slim to none. Using a mash-up protocol of Clomid in the pre-stim month and then an estrogen priming protocol.

And.....drumroll please.....here I am at CD1 of the stim cycle. This is it folks! The last attempt with my own eggs! Must call nurse today, call Freedom for drug delivery and call to schedule monitoring appointment for tomorrow morning.

I'm hoping to get around to lots of new blogs to comment and look forward to yours!!