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PCOS

National PCOS Awareness Month!

Sep 4th, 2011
by Krissi.
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  Wow! After six very long days, I finally have power after Hurricane Irene! Woohoo! ;-)

 OK, since September is National PCOS Awareness Month, I wanted to continue the monthly theme idea and make September everything PCOS! I would LOVE to have some guest bloggers post about experiences with PCOS and tips  on what you do and how you ease your stress and any advice you may have for others! If you’re interested, please e-mail me your post (at sfinfertility@optimum.net) and I will publish it with a link back to you (blog, FB page, Twitter, etc.) sometime this month. Also, please include a picture or two and thanks so much in advance!

  It’s Success Story Sunday! I don’t have a new story but wanted to link to past success stories that involved PCOS. So, check out Grace’s story, Sara’s story, and Alis’ story, among others who have struggled with PCOS but have been successful here. If you’ve been successful, I would love to feature your story!

  Come back soon to hear about an upcoming PCOS awareness giveaway!

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Meet Kelli!

Jul 24th, 2011
by Krissi.
1 comment

  Hello! I am so happy to have a new success story and this one is adoption related! If you or someone you know has been successful (through adoption, infertility treatment, surrogate, etc.) go to this post for the info! I am also working on a success story book so let me know if you’d like to share it there as well. Thanks so much in advance! You’ll be an inspiration to so many!

Meet Kelli! She blogs at Parenting By Adoption. Read on for her inspiring story.

1. How long did you struggle through infertility?

I had issues with ovarian cysts for years before marrying my husband but I was told the year before we married after a surgery for yet another ovarian cyst that all looked great and I was a go for pregnancy. I even took the pill up to the day of my wedding not wanting to be pregnant when I walked down the aisle.  Little did I know then that was not going to be an issue, my two later pregnancies never made it past the first trimester.

2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

Six months after Andy and I said I do and starting trying to conceive, after some initial tests -we were thrust straight into IVF treatment.  The first cycle I made an outstanding 13 eggs!  For a 39 year old this was stellar news and we were all very positive that I would be having a happy and positive ending to that cycle.  Well I did get pregnant but lost the pregnancy right after they said I could start relaxing at about 9 weeks gestation. 

At this point they told me I had something called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which is a multi-system disorder (quite common in women) that causes issues with insulin resistance, hormone imbalances, infertility and explained the irregular cycles I had battled all my life.  At my insistence I was given medication to help regulate my insulin so I did not develop full blown diabetes at some later date.

Cycles 2, 3 and 4 were all negative despite my continuing good egg production.  At this point we decided to use donor eggs for cycle 5 wondering at this point if my aging eggs were the problem.  We chose a donor (a young 21 year old woman) and started synchronizing our cycles for an IVF cycle, she did great and we were all again positive this was going to be it.  Heartbroken after the horrid two week wait after embryo transfer that I was again not pregnant. 

At this point I insisted they do more testing on my husband and low and behold he had some DNA level mutation that would cause issues with embryo development.  I was upset at the doctors after five IVF cycles that they had assumed it was me that was the obstacle to a positive pregnancy outcome.  In a last ditch effort, we did one frozen donor egg cycle and transferred in an outrageous 9 embryos knowing most would not implant.  Again, no pregnancy.

At this point I was done being a science experiment and so weary from doing all I could to become a mother.  I was more than ready to pursue adoption as in my heart I knew it was motherhood I was really deeply wanting and I was able to let go of the dreams about experiencing pregnancy. We signed up with a local adoption agency and did the legally mandated paperwork called a home study to be ready to be presented to potential birth moms. 

After having our written profile (which is like a printed flyer withphotos and information about us) shown to about 80 birthmom’s, Ariel’s birthmom T saw it and quickly knew we were the ones she wanted to parent the baby she was carrying.  As it turns out, she and I look a lot alike (bothhave blond hair and green eyes) so our daughter Ariel Faith looks more like me than if I had carried her.  That was not in our wish list for a child but it just worked out that way.

We have an open adoption in that we got to know Ariel’s birth mom during her pregnancy, I went to doctor’s visits when I could and we were there for the ultrasound to see that Ariel was indeed a girl.  Ariel was due to be born on July 30th but she had other plans for us.  We had everything set up in T’s home town at the hospital so that they all knew of her plans to place for adoption.  Well T was in another city visiting friends for a last visit before she gave birth and she went into labor at about 12:30 AM on July 27th.  She called us and I quickly called the hospital near where she was staying and faxed birth plans and documents from the adoption agency so that T would be taken care of as we had planned.

Andy and I quickly threw clothes into bags and drove the 2 hours to the hospital arriving just in time for Ariel to be brought to us all snug in her onsie and little hat.  It was truly a life changing moment for me.  I had waited 45 years of my life, 6 years of my marriage and so much sadness before that moment to finally become a mom.  I just held her for hours looking into her beautiful face and relishing that my lifelong dream of motherhood was finally here.  Ariel is now 7 and I still am so blessed to be her Mom, she is truly my heart walking around outside of me.  7 years later we continue to have an open adoption, being friends on Facebook withAriel’s birth mom and face to face visit about once a year with Ariel’s biological grandma and her parents.  We all just were open to being open and the relationships have developed naturally and with love.

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?

The losses were heartbreaking and I had to lean very hard on my husband to get through them.  There were days I did not know if I could get out of bed but I did and just tried to be gentle with myself and worked hard to maintain hope and faith that we would one day achieve our dreams of being parents.
 

4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?

During the infertility treatments stress management was essential – I exercised, did acupuncture, Yoga, mediation, did counseling when I felt it necessary to handle the grief and loss of my two pregnancies.  I developed a core group of people to support me and my spiritual community at my church truly held my hands through the journey.

5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?

After my long and bumpy journey to motherhood – my advise to those still in the trenches of infertility, I highly recommend taking breaks periodically.  Give yourselves a chance to recharge and reconnect and have fun and joy in your lives.  Make decisions that you feel comfortable with long term as far as your health is concerned, looking back if I had not been so caught up emotionally in the IVF process, I would not have done so many cycles of IVF, that is a lot of synthetic hormones that we pumped into my body.  Fortunately 9 years later with annual screening I do not have any lasting effects.  Take time to make decisions as you move along, breath and allow both your brain and your gut instincts to weigh in.

And finally if you are not succeeding with fertility treatments know that parenting by adoption is a very wonderful option.  I love my daughter so deeply and probably more than if I had carried her as I know the huge sacrifice her birth mom T had to make in placing her with us.  I now work as an adoption coach helping other couples and single women get through the adoption process with their own personal cheerleader and informed coach by their side.  It is very rewarding to help others become as happy as I am!


Thanks so much Kelli! Follow her journey as a mom and her wonderful work that is truly inspirational on her blog! ;-)

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Lovin’ Lindsey, CGD, and Stinky!

Jun 23rd, 2011
by Krissi.
2 comments

Hi! So sorry for the delay! I’ve been crazy busy! If you’re here from ICLW, welcome! I like to do a blog love post (each Monday-that’s the reason for the apology!) and during ICLW, I like to combine the two and randomly choose from that list! (But if you’re not on my blogroll list, please let me know and I’ll add you on!) OK, here we go!

  A Freckled Life

  First up, I’m lovin’ Lindsey from A Freckled Life. She has an interesting post about PCOS affects her life. She also has a really cute post about a music link up so go check it out!

 Next up, we have CGD from Adventures in Infertility-Land. She has a Father’s Day post that is such a beautiful tribute to her dad. Also, she is feeling a bit lost on fitting in as she writes, “I still feel like an oddball that does not really fit in, but I am trying to figure out how to make that feeling just be ok.” 

  And last we have Stinky from Beyond the Wallpaper. In Fabric of Reality, she posts about clothes and ‘stretching’ thoughts which I’m sure many can relate to (including myself at one time). She also has a post about A different kind of loss–weight loss! ;-)

 All these ladies are on the ICLW list! Send them some love!

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Meet Grace!

May 29th, 2011
by Krissi.
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Here’s another success story to inspire you! Meet Grace! She blogs at Small Copper Coins and just had her 2nd son on May 12th right after Mother’s Day. Read on for her story!

1.      How long did you struggle through infertility?

We “allowed” for about a year and a half the first time around, and trying for our second we tried for over 4 years.

2.      What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.) ?

When trying to conceive our first, we just saw my regular OB. We had been allowing for over a year and I knew that I was very irregular. My OB prescribed the fertility drug Clomid, and we conceived our son during our 2nd cycle.

When trying for our second, we tried Clomid first with my OB, but I never ovulated on it. We did many tests and my OB informed me that he suspected I had PCOS. He told me he was not equipped to treat that, and he recommended that we see a specialist. We had put off going to a Reproductive Endocrinologist because we did not have infertility insurance coverage. But after trying 7 rounds of Clomid with my OB, he told us there was nothing else he could do. So we made the appointment with the RE. I remember specifically praying and telling God that we did not have the money for this, but that we would go see the RE if He would provide the money. That year, I started babysitting a friend’s kids AND we got a double tax return, so we were able to pay cash for everything the RE wanted to do! He did a battery of tests and determined that I did have PCOS. He started me on Metformin to treat insulin resistance and I had surgery to clean up some scar tissue from my previous C-section. He also did ovarian drilling during that surgery. After surgery, we tried 2 rounds of Clomid with him, but I did not ovulate, so we moved on to the fertility drug Femara. I conceived our second son during our second round on Femara. 

3.      How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?

God. Seriously, He was all that got me through sometimes. Knowing that God is good, and that He does have a plan, even when I don’t understand it. Don’t get me wrong, I had some screaming matches with Him, asking why and when and what next? But ultimately, I got to the point where I realized that God’s plan for me is not something I have to settle for… it’s for my best. Even if it looks different than the way I thought it would be. My husband was amazing as well, and I had several friends who I could be very real and honest with too.

4.      What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)? 

A couple things really helped me. The first was finding an online support group. I joined Hannah’s Prayer Community (www.hannahsprayer.org), which is an online community of Christian women facing infertility and pregnancy or adoption loss. Just knowing I was not alone, knowing there were people out there who really understood and cared what I was going through, was so important. I’ve met several of these areas in real life as well, and the bond we have is very real and special. The second thing that really helped me was that I started blogging about my infertility. I have always been a pretty open person, but my blog was primarily a family blog. But I found it was very freeing and healing when I started getting more honest about my infertility, what I was going through both physically and emotionally, and what I was learning about God through the process. People started reading and commenting and things I had shared, and I realized that in sharing my journey, I was helping them too. It gave me a way to use even the painful parts of my life to have an impact on someone else, and that has been very special to me.

5.      If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?

 Know that you are not alone. Find a place, in real life or online, where you can be honest about your struggles, frustrations and pain, and make use of them. Be honest, and be vulnerable. Use your story to educate others. And most of all, know that God has a beautiful plan for your life that is for your good. It may or may not include children, but it is your story… and it is beautiful.

 

 

Thanks so much for sharing Grace! To follow her jounrey, visist her blog!

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Meet Sara!

Apr 24th, 2011
by Krissi.
1 comment

Yay! A new success story! Lovin’ that while we’re in the midst of ICLW! Also, today marks the first day of NIAW! Get your myths busted!

Today, meet Sara. She blogs at My Infertile Confessions. Read on for her incredibly inspiring story…

13 weeks pregnant

1. How long did you struggle through infertility?

It was a long 2 1/2 year battle.  We were thrown into the IF world almost immediately once I stopped BCP’s.  I am thankful we didn’t have to wait a year before getting some help.

2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

Once we got off BCP’s we were so excited to start trying for a baby.  It was exciting, new, and scary all at the same time! A month went by and I didn’t get my period.  I took a test… BFN!  Another month, no period!  And another BFN!  I started having cramping pains in my pelvic region so I went to the OB.  She sent me to get a pelvic ultrasound done.  My results came in and my OB wanted me back for the results.  She took out a pad of paper and started drawing… my uterus!  I had a Bicornuate Uterus!  This still didn’t explain my irregular cycles, however.  It just meant that it was going to be VERY difficult for us to conceive and to make it to full term when/if we did.  She sent us on our way to TTC on our own.

Six months later and about two or three periods, I was back at the OB’s.  We had not one BFP during this time and I was still wondering what was wrong with me. I had PCOS in the back of my mind, because of my irregular cycles and acne that was flaring up since stopping the BCP’s.  I got a referral to my first reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. D. Dr. D informed me that 9/10 times a Bicornuate Uterus is really a misdiagnosed Septated Uterus and the only way to tell is by going in
laproscopically.  He also did a pelvic ultrasound and confirmed polycystic ovaries.  I had about 30-50 follicles on each ovary!

Surgery number one was performed.  I was diagnosed with a Complete Septated Uterus (a septum going down the middle of my uterus and
creating, essentially, two wombs) and therefore he was able to remove the thick wall that went completely down to my cervix.Once healed, we decided to try on our own, for anniversary number two, while traveling abroad in Italy. I began taking my basal body temp during this time too so I can see when I ovulated.  No bambino!  We returned to start our first injectables (Follistim) and IUI cycle.  We had two follicles, C had 100 million + great motility.  BFN!  Cycle two we had four follicles, great sperm, BFN!

I was emotionally drained so we decided to try on our own again along with temping, OPK’s, and acupuncture. BFN! I get put on Metformin 1500mg by a regular endocrinologist… the missing link? After a three month break we go back to see Dr. D.  He wanted to check my uterus again and so we scheduled an office Hysteroscopy.  The septum was BACK!  The tears began…Surgery Two… he removes the remaining septum!  Once healed, we have another office hysteroscopy, all CLEAR (one beautiful uterus)!

Follistim/IUI cycle #3… I ovulate 5-6 eggs (praying I’m not Jon and Kate!), C has great sperm!  BFN!  I am devastated and come to the realization that children may not be in our future.  I google everything and think may I have empty follicle syndrome or God forbid, bad eggs, maybe C’s sperm can’t penetrate my eggs?  Dr. D thinks IVF is the next step…

We take a break for the summer. I also go back to see my endocrinologist.  He ups my metformin to 2250mg, because acne is still bad and testosterone is still elevated.  Go to Kauai for anniversary number three!  IVF comes up in conversation and we decide once we get back to get a second opinion.  We also try one unmonitored Clomid cycle just for fun while we’re away. BFN!

I found Dr. R through lots of research.  Dr. R was nominated #1 Dr in LA magazine!  We meet with him and he thought we should try a couple Clomid cycles before moving onto IVF.  He believed there shouldn’t be any reason we can’t get pregnant we are both young (me, 29, C, 31).  I just had my
period now I’m waiting for a new cycle… it never started! We were tired of waiting and I felt IVF was what we were supposed to do!  I was put on BCP’s, then Lupron, and then began the stims (menapur and Gonal-F) on Dec. 4. 2011.  On December 15, I had my egg retrieval and they took out 29 good quality, mature eggs!  C gave them over 100 million good quality sperm.  Everything looked perfect! The following day we get a call for a fertilization report.  Dr. R is on the phone (not good!).  We had ZERO fertilize!  But, we finally got our diagnosis!  C’s sperm didn’t like my eggs! We were devastated to say the least.  My eggs were now 24 hours old, but they performed Rescue ICSI.  I googled and googled… we had about a 7% chance of any of them making it to a live birth.  We both prayed and prayed!

The next day… 5 miracle embryos (scheduled a 3 day transfer)!  The next day… 13 miracle embryos (pushed to a 5 day transfer!)!  On day 5 (really 6 from my egg retrieval), we had two Blasts… one 4aa and one early blast.  The embryologist came in and was so excited to meet us because “nothing like this ever happens!”  She couldn’t explain how we got blasts!  I said “I know… prayer!”  She said, “well, keep praying and I want to meet your babies when you have them!”

On December 31, 2011, my first Beta test… 176!  Second beta two days later… 692!  5 week ultrasound TWO SACS!!!

We are now 20 weeks pregnant with twin BOYS and we couldn’t be happier!  It has been such a long hard road, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!  It has made me a stronger woman, who is more than ready to be the BEST mom I can be!  God is so good!

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?

Prayer, prayer, and more prayer!  Plus some breaks mixed in!  I honestly don’t think we could have done this without God.  We felt He led us to the right doctors, and led us to do the right procedures!  However, it is easy to get so wrapped up in IF and Doctors that you put more faith in them than in God.  It was a constant battle.

4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?

I was working full-time as a teacher so a lot of my time I was working.  But I tried to stay active, nightly walks with my husband and dog, going to the gym, we tried acupuncture for 6 months (it was relaxing, but I ended up hating all the appointments), but my blog was my biggest release.  I was able to write my thoughts and feelings down.  I also fought depression while going through my second surgery, so I saw a counselor who helped me process all we were going through, that was a huge help.

5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?

Be your own self advocate.  Do your own research.  Know its okay to take breaks.  Make sure to have date nights and enjoy your partners.  Having a healthy and strong
relationship is so important when you DO bring that miracle into this world!

Thanks so much Sara! Follow Sara’s story into into motherhood on her blog.

 

10 week 5 day ultrasound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Meet Haidee!

Jan 30th, 2011
by Krissi.
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Meet Haidee! She blogs at Maybe Baby…(or maybe the looney bin?).  Read on for her inspiring story!

 

ME NEW1. How long did you struggle through infertility?

 For nearly 3 years. We started TTC in January 2008 and finally conceived our miracle in October 2010.

2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

 By September 2008 after only 9 months of TTC naturally I started thinking something was wrong. We were young (both 25 at the time) and I had always had periods that were like clockwork, so I couldn’t understand why it was taking so long to fall pregnant. I honestly thought I would be one of those women who fell pregnant straight away (how naïve I was!) and there must be something not right or I would be pregnant by now.

I had my first FS appointment in October 08 after 10 months TTC and was told I had low progesterone from my blood test and polycystic ovaries in appearance (despite the clockwork cycles). I was put on clomid and booked in for a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy keyhole surgery along with a dye test for January 09 to see if there was something else going on. The FS honestly thought the Clomid would work immediately but unfortunately that wasn’t the case either. I had my op and they found a uterine polyp (which was removed) and the dye test revealed I also had a blocked tube but the other appeared fine. I was told to carry on with the clomid and had a follow up appointment where I was put on the waiting list for IVF (in NZ you get 2 free IVF cycles but you are required to go on a waiting list until it is your turn, which in my instance was 7 months and you need to meet certain criteria to get free cycles – ie. if you have unexplained infertility you are not eligible until you have been TTC for 5 years. It is a really unfair system in my eyes!). When we went for our follow up appointment our FS said because we had 4 fertility issues (PCO, hormone imbalance, blocked tube and uterine polyp which was removed but have a tendency to grow back) we were very unlikely to ever conceive on our own and IVF would be the only way. I was upset but willing to do whatever it took. Unfortunately during our 7 month wait to start our IVF cycle I started having mid-cycle bleeding and found that the uterine polyp had indeed grown back (within 8 weeks of being removed!) and I had to go for a second op to have it taken out again.

Finally December 2009 rolled up and we were ready to go! Surely IVF would be the answer. Yet again, we had a set back. I over responded to the drugs and was cancelled due to excessive E2 levels and 40+ follicles. I was devastated that after 6 weeks of jabbing and going through the motions of a long cycle of IVF it was all for nothing. The only silver lining was that because we hadn’t made it to egg collection that cycle was not counted as one of our free tries. We then had to wait a further 2 months before we could go again. Bring on the second IVF cycle and I was on a reduced dose of 100iu Puregon. Once again I over responded but this time I was able to be coasted and egg collection was able to go ahead. After an excruciating egg collection (we don’t get put under in NZ, you are just given strong pain relief via a needle in the arm but are fully awake for the whole procedure. Unfortunately the drugs didn’t work for me and I nearly fainted from the pain and was shaking which made the pain worse) we got 18 eggs. 15 fertilised and 14 made it to day 3, but by day 5 we only had one viable blastocyst to transfer and none to freeze. I was absolutely devastated. In Between egg collection and transfer I got OHSS which left me in a lot of pain for 5 days but we went ahead with the transfer anyway because I never told the clinic how much pain I had been in as I was terrified of having my cycle cancelled and I felt like I had been waiting forever. In hindsight, this wasn’t such a great move! When we went for transfer I had a lot of fluid and bleeding in the ovaries but they transferred anyway and a long week later we got the devastating news of a BFN. I was gutted beyond words. That was one of our 2 free IVF cycles over and we didn’t even get any FET’s out of it.

We had to go back on the waiting list to do our second cycle but it was only a 3 month break this time. This cycle I was reduced even further to only 75iu and produced 18 eggs again, but only 7 were mature. 6 of those fertilized and we transferred a perfect 8-cell embryo and FINALLY we got the news that one of our other embryos had made it to blast and was able to be frozen. I was ecstatic! Once again I had the agonizing wait and was sure it hadn’t worked as I got mild cramping just like last time and no pregnancy symptoms, so when the nurse rang with the news I was pregnant I was in shock! I honestly wasn’t expecting it and after I got off the phone I promptly burst into tears. It was the best day of my life.

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?

In the beginning of my TTC journey the disappointments of my period arriving month after month were really upsetting, but later on I just got to a point where I expected it so didn’t get as upset and became a bit numb to it all. Emotionally all the waiting was tough and I was no different from any other woman struggling with IF, in that I would get upset with pregnancy announcements and the like. But I always tried to hold onto the hope and read lots of success stories to try and keep that hope alive and not become bitter.

4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?

I tried acupuncture (I did acupuncture and Chinese herbs for over a year and it cost me a fortune!) and had support through the forum world which I have now been a part of for over 3 years. The support of the friends I have made through these forums are invaluable and I love them to pieces! My mum died when I was only 21 years old so it was really tough and I felt like I was very alone at times but my friends, family and forum girls got me through. I also got a hypnotherapy CD called ‘Preparing for pregnancy’ which helped keep me relaxed. Reading and becoming as knowledgeable as possible about infertility and treatments also helped my anxiety levels.

5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be?

Don’t give up, try not to let bitterness consume you and do your research. Reading up on everything there was to know about my options and speaking to others in the same boat as me really helped me retain at least a little control over the situation. Also, make sure you have a really good support network to help you through it, I found my fellow IF friends to be invaluable.

I am now 18 weeks pregnant and apart from a terrible bout of morning sickness which lasted from 6 weeks to 14 weeks I have had a great pregnancy so far. We will be finding out what sex the baby is on 11th February and I can’t wait! I am due on the 4th July 2011.

Congratulations Haidee! ! ;-)

Check out her blog to follow her journey!

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Lovin’ The Gist Fam, Erika, and mare!

Dec 13th, 2010
by Krissi.
No comments yet

It’s Blog Love time again!

engagement layoutFirst up is The Gist Fam! She just posted some wise words from Laura Bush’s recent book that are quite touching. She also just started a fertility cycle so go send her some love and support! Good luck!

 1MerryHeaderNext we have Erika from Life with Endometriosis and PCOS. She just got some results back from a thyroid test and an HSG and is feeling “up in the air.” She also recently opened up to lots of co-workers, family and friends and shared news about trying again. So go support her and send her some love!

  meAnd last we have mare from Just Beginning.  She is at the beginning of a 2ww after a recent IUI. She is trying to be hopeful but is having a tough time right now, scared of a negative result right before the Christmas. S0 go send her some love and support!

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Meet Alis!

Dec 12th, 2010
by Krissi.
No comments yet

Today, Meet Alis! She blogs at My Life As A Wife And Mommy Of Multiples. She is new to the blogosphere so read on for her inspiring story and then go check out her blog and follow along!  :-)

1. How long did you struggle through infertility?

 My husband and I struggled with infertility for one year and four months before we finally got pregnant with our boy/girl twins. 

2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

I am 26 years old. I have PCOS with insulin resistance and do not ovulate on my own.  We started out with charting to see if we could conceive on our own.  After six months my OB/GYN did an HSG test to see if my tubes were blocked which he said they were and that I would probably never conceive without IVF.  The next step was a referral to a Reproductive Endocrinologist who reconfirmed I had blocked tubes and sent me for a procedure to unblock them.  During that procedure the doctor said that without any known reason both tubes were completely clear.  The next step was the blood work that confirmed my PCOS so I was put on Metformin to help regulate in hopes of it helping me ovulate on my own.  After a few months my RE decided to try medicated cycles using Femara to mature the eggs, an ultrasound to monitor the growth of the follies and a trigger shot to actually force me to ovulate.  The doctor was allowing us 2 cycles before we had to move to IVF and the second cycle resulted in the conception of our twins. 

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting? 

I handled disappointment by trying to grieve with my husband and close family.  I allowed myself a few days to be distraught and then reminded myself that I still had to function in my life with or without a child.  Every month after those couple days of grieving I picked myself up and forced myself to continue with my day to day life. 

4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time?

My stress free techniques were finding a core group of people to share in my journey.  I shared everything with these people who gave me their strength when I felt I had none of my own.  My husband and I also made a promise to wake up each morning and tell each other what we were thankful for and that allowed us to realize how fortunate we were even without being pregnant. 

5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be? 

The advice I would give to couples is that you have to find your best friend in each other because that is how you will make it through the good and bad times.  It is ok to be upset, to grieve and to be downright angry but you cannot let hate consume your life.  Lastly infertility is not your fault and it is not your partner’s fault it is just something that happens, you aren’t being punished and you aren’t a bad person.

CIMG0213

Thanks so much Alis! And congratulations on your twins! They are adorable!

Go to Alis’ blog to follow her journey!

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Meet Erica!

Nov 14th, 2010
by Krissi.
No comments yet
     

Meet Erica! She blogs at Surviving the Secondary Infertility Madness. She actually suffered infertility for both her children. Read on for her inspiring story! 

 

 Erica and statue1. How long did you struggle through infertility?  Infertility has affected my husband and I for 11 years.     

 

 2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

 A few years before I got married, I was told I might have PCOS.  I never really looked into it and totally forgot that I had been told that until much much later in our infertility journey.  We had been trying to conceive for 3 years (since we were married) and there wasn’t much the military doctors could do for us overseas.  We were told we would need to see a fertility doctor when we got stationed back in the United States.  So we gave up and thought that if it happened, great, if not we would see the fertility doctor.  Two years later and after I had lost about 30 pounds we found out we were 8 weeks pregnant. 

 

After our daughter was born my doctor pleaded with me to get on birth control.  Knowing my body, I didn’t and surprise!  I did not get pregnant.  After a few years of negative pregnancy tests and abnormal cycles I headed to my new OB to explain my concerns about not getting pregnant (we had moved across country).  I am convinced that he thought that since I already had a child then all I needed was time.  He also asked me if I had excess facial hair (I don’t) and I couldn’t figure out why he asked?  I complained that my cycles were not regular (at all) and he would get me onto Provera to start a new cycle every month after I got a negative pregnancy test.  I decided to start charting to prove that I was not ovulating and that is when he started ordering tests.  After we both passed our infertility workups I was put in 50mg of Clomid.  There was no ovulation on that dose of Clomid so the doctor increased the dosage, no ovulation again.  Finally after increasing my dosage to 150mg I had a positive opk and saw a definite thermal shift!  The two week wait seemed to take forever.  I couldn’t wait any longer and at 10 days post ovulation I took a test and saw a faint line.  Of course my husband couldn’t see it so I went out and bought a digital the next day and it said Pregnant.  I had a feeling before the tests as I had a sore chest and I was feeling a bit off.  I kept charting and testing for 5 more days and then I started to see my temperature dropping, I took another digital test and it said Not Pregnant.  I knew what was happening.  After the loss I found that my OB wanted us to wait 3 months before trying again.  We waited and then he put me on a lower dosage of Clomid (100mg) and of course I did not ovulate.  That is when I got the courage to ask for a referral to a fertility doctor. 

 When I first met the fertility doctor he diagnosed me with PCOS.  All he did was look at my files that my OB’s office had sent over.  No exam, no ultrasound to look for cysts on my ovaries.  So he started me on birth control for a month (to shrink whatever cysts I might have) and 1500mg of extended release metformin.  He put me through 2 cycles of 100mg of Clomid (cd3-7 the first month and then cd3-12 the second month) and monitored my progress each time.  Both months I proved to be Clomid resistant.  I would produce 40-50 small follicles on each ovary.  So the plan changed to injectables.  I did my first round of Gonal-f with Lupron for down regulation beforehand and I overstimulated with 20 follicles that were ready to drop.  Of course the cycle was cancelled and then the fertility doctor had the IVF consultation with my husband and I.  He explained that if he couldn’t get the dosage right then the next logical step (if we decided to go further) was IVF.  We agreed to try one more cycle and the dosages he had me on ended up producing 2 mature follicles.  Took my trigger and tested for pregnancy 14 days later.  I had been on Progesterone since 3 days after trigger so I was having many side effects that felt like pregnancy (sore breasts, nausea, etc).  When I got a faint faint line I knew that my husband would need to see the word Pregnant so I took a digital, and it said Pregnant.  We were excited but feeling a bit reserved as this had happened to us a year earlier and we didn’t want to get too attached.  Went in to the fertility doctor and took my first beta at 13DPO and it was 49.  At 16DPO had more than doubled.  A few weeks later we went in for an ultrasound to check for a heartbeat and saw it.  He then released me back to my regular OB and we are now 14 weeks pregnant.  Things are going ok, although this pregnancy is a bit different than with my daughter.  This time I have a subchorionic hemorrhage and have been experiencing bleeding off and on.  Pretty scary in pregnancy.  

 

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting? 

Infertility was very hard for me, I don’t have anyone close that has struggled as I have, and it is so hard to explain to others that have no idea what you and your spouse are going through.  I even had friends tell me we are not infertile as we have a child.  That is when I broke out the definition of infertility (primary and secondary in which I struggled with both).  Thankfully I have a great job and I could immerse myself into my work to try to help “forget” about our struggles with infertility.   

     

4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time? 

During our struggles at the beginning I didn’t have anything to fall back on to help de-stress.  But this time around I found some message boards and identified with several of the women and formed quite a few online friendships. 

     

 

5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be? 

Something that I tell anyone that has been struggling for awhile with infertility is to ask for that referral to a fertility doctor.  And if your doctor isn’t straightforward with you (good or bad) find a new one.  It shocked me to hear that our options were limited, but it was nice to hear the truth. 

 

 *After a due date change we are 14 weeks pregnant and expecting our miracle in late April 2011, our daughter will be almost 6 years old and will be the best big sister.      

 

Erica

 Thanks so much for sharing Erica! We wish you all the best in your pregnancy!
Go to her blog to follow her journey!
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Meet Kristi!

Oct 17th, 2010
by Krissi.
1 comment

   It’s Success Story Sunday again! If you or someone you know has been successful and you’d like to share your story, please go here for more details on how you can be an inspiration! This week, we have Kristi who blogs at Our Miracle In The Making…A Great Joy is Coming. Read on for her heart breaking yet very inspiring story.

 DerekWeddingNick&Kristi1 1. How long did you struggle through infertility?

 We started trying about 8 months after we were married…So back in February of 2005.….and did not get our first BFP until July 2009.….We lost our first pregnancy rather quickly….I just associated it with my OHSS that developed along with a blood clot in my lung and heart issue that developed….I just figured it was due to all the complications going on with my body….We were just happy to finally get pregnant and know it was possible.

 After recovering from the blood clot and finally getting my heart in order, our RE and the High Risk Dr. advised us to take 6 months off to let my body heal…..We intended to do that but because of my clot they decided no BCP for my future and to be honest we had tried for so long with treatment and no success that we never figured we would get pregnant on our own so we did not use any contraception ….I guess getting pregnant through IVF turned on a switch because we found out we were pregnant naturally on September 2009.…Definitely not the 6 month break they wanted but we were so Excited we thought this was our MIRACLE….Right away they started me on Lovenox and PIO….I was also taking Baby Aspirin….All the medications to prevent clots/miscarriage….We heard the first heart beat….and even got to see our little bean grow on a weekly basis…..Then came the day we were finally released from our RE….and two days later I had set up a appt with our regular OB/GYN…..That Thursday I went by myself because we had just seen our healthy bean on Tuesday and everything was fine….Well when the US tech did the internal US there was no heartbeat ….Instantly I went into shock…How could this be happening? Everything was fine on Tuesday….At 8 ½ wks we lost our second baby….I then had a D&E the next day …We did genetic testing and it came back Normal Female.

 After this blow two weeks later we discovered that our awesome Insurance would be changing plans in Jan 2010 and that our RE would no longer be in network….We still had two Ice Babies in Indy to use so the plan was FET in Dec 2009.…The FET went smoothly….this time we did some testing for RPL and our results yielded that I had a clotting disorder called MTHFR and slightly elevated NK cells but my RE said that it was borderline so nothing to worry about and that our miscarriages were just bad luck….Boy if I knew what I know now I could have saved myself lots of heartache and time…..We proceeded with the cycle but this time started the Lovenox and PIO before the cycle started….and once again in Dec 2009 we became pregnant but once again had another loss this time only made it to 6wks pregnant….Now I wanted answers 3 losses in a row is no longer a bad luck scenario there must be something wrong….It was back to square one as our insurance company was changing and I could no longer see my current RE but to be honest he had no other suggestions for me so I wanted to switch Dr.‘s anyways.

 We once again probably should have been using contraception but we weren’t and I got pregnant right off the bat 3 days before my birthday in Jan 2010.…This time I just went to my regular OB/GYN for prenatal care and we once again seen a heartbeat but this time it wasn’t a very strong one….She figured it would end in miscarriage but said there was still a chance…The following week we got an US and still the heartbeat was there but not strong….She then started me on Prednisone guessing that perhaps my immune system was trying to end the pregnancy….Another week went by and our little bean was still holding on but this time the heartbeat was even fainter….and by the next week it had stopped….Another D&E was performed and another test yielded a Normal Female….My regular OB/GYN suggested that it must be an immune issue and that I needed to find a RE that treated immune related pregnancy loss.

 We interviewed with a few Dr.’s in the Chicago area. Two of them were just regular RE’s and to be honest they didn’t offer much for immune tx’s they just wanted me to IVF again to fill their pockets…I mean hello getting pregnant is not the issue anymore…..Our last and final Dr. was with Dr. Kwak Kim in Vernon Hills IL….I had read about her in the book by Dr. Alan Beer “Is your body baby friendly” She was his partner for years before he moved out to California and for those of you who have had repeat miscarriages this book is a must and full of valuable information….My first visit with Dr. Kwak was full of blood work and a US…followed with a short meeting with her herself….When all the results came back we would have an in depth meeting to discuss problems and plans….My first visit with her was March of 2010. We then came back 1 month later and discussed issues/plans and went through another IVF with another RE in Peoria IL due to timing of the medications before pregnancy and became pregnant again in June 2010 and I am currently 20 Weeks Pregnant!!!!!

 2. What did you go through (as far as treatments, different doctors, adoptions agencies, etc.)?

 

I kind of went through that in my above paragraph but I will highlight what meds were used for each cycle…..As far as surgeries/treatments I had two D&E’s….

two egg retrievals….3 embryo x-fers….hysterosalpingogram….hysteroscopy

multiple US….multiple blood draws….IVIG infusions…Intralipid infusions….countless medications/shots.

 First IVF: Baby Aspirin, Lupron, Menopur, Bravelle, HCG Trigger Shot, and Progesterone Suppositories, and Estrace

 Second Pregnancy: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin 1xday, Folbic Tabs, Progesterone Suppositories

Third Cycle FET: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin, Folbic Tabs, and Progesterone In Oil, and Estrace

 Fourth Pregnancy: Lovenox once a day, Baby Aspirin, Folbic Tabs, Progesterone Supplements, and Prednisone

 Current Pregnancy: Dr. Kwak had a master plan along with my new RE….Pre IVF I took lots of supplements and vitamins to prepare my body for mature healthy eggs…Since I have PCOS this can be somewhat tricky to not overstim…Also I had to change my diet to a Diabetic Diet…..and I was on Lupron/BCP’s ……Follistim..Menopur….PIO… Baby Aspirin…Lovenox… Prednisone…and doing Intralipid tx every two weeks….Dr. Kwak had discovered that I had another clotting disorder called Factor 13 and also issues with blood flow to my uterus and would need weekly monitoring and adjustments in my Lovenox dose accordingly….and my elevated NK cells that were not an issue according to my old RE were now madly out of control due to each time you have a miscarriage your body becomes stronger and stronger and your immune system kills the pregnancy off faster and faster…Now my levels weren’t borderline but out of control….IVIG would be the first treatment of choice but since it was denied by my insurance company I had to try using Intralipids which according to my current RE were just as effective…However Dr. Kwak does not use Intralipids but agreed to monitor my NK cells after each infusion and throughout the pregnancy…I would also undergo weekly testing of my Progesterone/Estrogen….Every other day HCG blood draws until they reached 20,000.…Weekly US to check my blood flow….and Monthly blood draws to check several other things….and Intralipid infusions every two weeks….Early on in Pregnancy we had some issues with Beta’s not rising as they should but once my PIO was bumped up things began to run smoothly….and then after a few Intralipid infusions Dr. Kwak noticed that they were helping a little but not fully and recommended strongly that we do IVIG….Well at 2000 a time and it is usually needed every two weeks how would we ever afford this? I ended up contacting the Drug Manufacturer and they had an assistance program but to qualify you had to have no insurance….I of course had insurance they just wouldn’t cover it so they told me to just submit the paperwork and they would see what they could do….Also asked me to attach a personal letter explaining all we have been through and where we were at in Pregnancy…Well it worked they found a pharmacy that was willing to donate the drug to us as long as we agreed to continue to appeal our insurance company….After my first treatment my NK cells went down dramatically…..and even though I have a ton of appts…I am currently being managed by a Reproductive Immunologist, Perinatologists, Regular OB/GYN, and a Cardiologist…I usually have at least two to three Dr. appointments each week….do a ton of treatments….shots…and different medications/testing but without my team I wouldn’t be 20Weeks Pregnant.

 My suggestion for anyone with multiple pregnancy losses would be to see a Reproductive Immunologist…Even though a lot of RE’s are trying to treat immune issues, an Immunologist knows way more and will monitor several things throughout the entire pregnancy and make hormone/medication adjustments according to what needs to be corrected…I can honestly say without Dr. Kwak we would never be where we are today!!!!

3. How did you handle disappointments through your cycles (natural and otherwise) or months of waiting?To be honest in the beginning it was frustrating and it seemed like forever until we would become pregnant…..But even more devastating was going through all the losses and feeling hopeless…I guess as an Infertile you think once I’m pregnant it will all work out….you don’t even think about issues like Recurrent Miscarriage….So that was a big blow for me and my husband….Yes it has made us stronger as a couple but at times it caused great frustration and emotional pain on both ends….But my husband refers to me as Rocky….Even though I would keep getting knocked down I would always get up and Fight again and again no matter how bruised and scarred I had become…We did decide as a couple that in order to get through this last IVF that we would need to see the Infertility Counselor at our RE’s office….she helped us get through the IVF process and also helped us get through the doubt we were having in our first trimester…This made a huge difference.

 4. What were the ‘stress-free’ techniques that you tried that helped you get through the cycle or time (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, support through family, friends & on-line, etc.)?In the beginning we just kept things between us….but then as everything progressed and more medical intervention was needed we confided in close friends and family….and with this last IVF I decided to start blogging and that has been a major outlet for me….both to be able to help people, inspire them, and also receive advice/words of wisdom from people who have been in my shoes before….I also love spending time with my husband…friends…family…and animals…and decorating. I joined a support group at our local hospital and that helped me to be able to confide in what we were going through with fellow Infertiles.

 5. If you could give advice for couples going through infertility now, what would it be ?

 

That it is definitely not an easy or simple road….it is like a roller-coaster many ups and downs….loops and swirls…but if you stick with it and keep on fighting it will be worth it in the end….and this is easier said than done but try to find time to do normal activities that you enjoy outside of treatments….don’t put your life on hold.

18 weeks

18 weeks

Thanks so much for sharing Kristi! We wish you all the best in  your pregnancy!
If you want to follow her journey into motherhood, go to her blog!
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