May 2014 :: Married! And off birth control (but using protection, most of the time)
December 2014 :: Officially start trying, but casually
January 2015 :: Start logging period in an app to help with timing of fertile window
June 2015 :: Start logging BBT (basal body temperature) and CM (cervical mucus) and more closely tracking ovulation
Jan. 6, 2016 :: Greg’s "men" tested first because it’s easier; everything comes back A-OK
Jan. 28, 2016 :: First appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE), Dr. Thompson (blood work, ultrasound)
Feb. 8, 2016 :: Cycle Day 2/3 blood work; all seems to be well, not informed of negative results
March 21, 2016 :: Follow-up appointment with Dr. Thompson
Initially we (and the doctor) go into the consult thinking we are going to be told to try Clomid/IUI but instead we learn that the HSG showed both of my tubes are dilated with fluid (hydrosalpinges) and that there may be a small polyp on the left side of my uterus. In addition, my Cycle Day 2/3 blood work showed that I have very low AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone, an indicator of ovarian reserve). Dr. T recommends a laparoscopy; she also says she would normally suggest taking out/clipping tubes in my situation and going straight to IVF, but we are not ready to take on IVF just yet.May 2, 2016 :: AF (Aunt Flo) finally arrived so back at the clinic for another blood draw; I can schedule my laparoscopic surgery
May 18, 2016 :: Undergo laparoscopy and hysteroscopy; it is our second wedding anniversary
June 6, 2016 :: Post-op follow-up with Dr. T
Good news is my tubes are open and patent but the left fallopian tube looks like it’s been hit with a baseball bat (a “clubbed-like appearance,” the doctor said). No polyp was found in my uterus. Dr. T says I have Stage II/III endometriosis, with lesions found on my bowel, bladder and pelvic wall. No adhesions were removed due to the areas in which they are located; my RE would want me to see a specialized surgeon for that.June 24-July 5, 2016 :: Another cross-country military move! This time to the San Francisco Bay Area. Testing and pursuing of any treatment is put on hold.
July 26, 2016 :: Attend an informative IVF orientation seminar at UCSF Medical Center but realize it is impractical to travel into the city for treatment; luckily one of the doctors mentions another fertility clinic I had been looking into and I feel more confident with the recommendation
Sept. 12, 2016 :: Finally meet with my new primary care physician (after a four-week wait for an appointment!) just to get a referral to see a new RE
Oct. 25, 2016 :: After a six-week wait for this appointment, we finally meet with our new RE, Dr. Willman
Nov. 22, 2016 :: First blood draw for new RE; results are mostly the same as before but my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is elevated and outside of the ideal range for pregnancy
Nov. 29, 2016 :: Complete a mock embryo transfer, just one step on a long list of pre-IVF to-do’s
Nov. 30. 2016 :: Blood draw for Greg; I begin taking a low-dose thyroid medication
Dec. 15, 2016 :: Attend an injection training workshop (this is in addition to watching online educational videos at home); sign required consent forms to participate in IVF
Jan. 12, 2017 :: Blood test to reassess my TSH level; it is now within the ideal range (I must continue taking the pill until pregnant and through pregnancy to lower the chances of miscarriage)
Jan. 14, 2017 :: Anticipated start-date of first round of IVF (prior to this, we obtained medication price quotes, applied for medication discount programs, applied for a loan, crunched lots of numbers, and decided which Attain IVF plan to use) but a variety of factors cause us to postpone
February 2017 :: New expected IVF start-date
Feb. 13, 2017 :: First IVF injection
Feb. 24, 2017 :: Egg retrieval day
March 1, 2017 :: Embryo transfer! (More: my thoughts and feelings going into the procedure)
March 10, 2017 :: Beta day, also known as the day I took a blood test to determine if I was pregnant (More: learning the results)
April 16, 2017 (Easter Sunday) :: We shared the good news on social media... we are pregnant! Baby Thilgen expected to arrive Nov. 17.
October 23, 2017 :: Baby Thilgen arrives early via emergency cesarean section. Delilah Wren makes her debut at 36 weeks + 4 days.
..........
October 17, 2018 :: Scheduled date for our frozen embryo transfer (FET), but Delilah is sick and we are advised to admit her to the hospital, where she stays overnight. Transfer cancelled/postponed, embryo that was already thawed has to be refrozen.
October 23, 2018 :: Delilah celebrates her first birthday!
November 7, 2018 :: We successfully transfer one of our frozen embryos.
January 14, 2019 :: Officially announce to the world that we are pregnant with Baby No. 2! Due July 26.
No comments:
Post a Comment