2010, and IVF #2

On January 15, 2010, we found out that our 4th IUI had failed, and after consulting with Dr. G, we decided to do ONE more round of IVF. Financially, it only makes sense that this is our last IVF attempt. It is SO expensive, and we're getting excited about pursuing adoption, but we can't afford to do both at the same time! We decided that if this last round of IVF doesn't work, we will close the door on this phase of our lives. For 5 years we've been chasing the dream of becoming parents through biological means, and it just feels like we've done everything we possibly could have done, to that end. It feels like the right time to bring the physical treatment phase to closure. Although I know I will be devastated if this doesn't work.....there's a part of me that feels good about being able to say - never again - to the appointments, the injections, the rearrangement of work schedules and vacations and holidays to accommodate treatment, to the up and down roller coaster of wondering each time if we'll get lucky, etc. I know that adoption is going to present MANY challenges, but at least we can put the past 5 year's worth of treatment oriented challenges behind us, finally.

I thought it would be interesting to chronicle the last 5 years in a succinct list:

October 2004 - Married! Me -33, R - 35

October 2004 - May 2006 - TTC the old fashioned way. Me - 33 to 35, R - 35 to 36

July 2006 - September 2006 - Clomid/timed intercourse cycles - No response from ovaries. Me - 35, R - 37

January 2007 - April 2007 - IUI#1 - BFN (longest stim cycle on record at Fertility Clinic #1 - 65 consecutive days of FSH injections) Me - 36, R - 37

July 2007 - August 2007 - IVF#1 - BFN (Moved to Fertility Clinic #2 and much beloved Dr. G. Best decision ever!) Me - 36, R - 38

September 2007 - May 2009 - BREAK (Gall bladder surgery, major house repairs - impact on budget, lost almost 100 pounds...) Me - 36 to 38, R - 38 to 39

July 2009 - IUI#2 - BFN. Me - 38, R - 40

August 2009 - IUI#3 - BFP! Me - 38, R - 40

September 2009 - Miscarriage (Non-doubling HGG numbers in early pregnancy, presumed ectopic, given methotrexate injections to induce miscarriage) Me - 38, R - 40

November 2009 - IUI#4 - BFN. Me - 39, R - 40

January 2009 - IUI#5 - BFN. Me - 39, R - 40

March 2010 - IVF#2 - ????????? Me - 39, R - 40

Wow, that all looks very tidy and speedy, laid out like that in a list. But it feels like an absolute LIFETIME since those first Clomid cycles at my OB/GYN's office. Oh, how naive I was back then!! And so very impatient!

So, here we are at the tail end of IVF #2. 14 eggs retrieved on Tuesday. Of the 14, 11 of them were mature and all fertilized. As of today, Day #2 after retrieval, all 11 embryos still thriving. Hurray!

We'll wait now to see how may make it blastocyst stage - Day 5 transfer is scheduled for this weekend on Sunday, and after that, it's all over but the cryin'.

All we can do now is pray!