And We're Off... Again

Umm... so I left you hanging way back in December 2009. Sorry about that. I found out on December 23, 2009 that IVF #3 was unsuccessful. What a way to "celebrate" Christmas. In an effort to avoid that wonderful timing happening again, we decided to start IVF #4 in January 2011.

Many things are different about this cycle. The most noticeable is that I am driving completely across the state. Dr. M. did our first two cycles (and our only successful one, I might add) when he was working where I live. He was absolutely wonderful. Well, sometime after IVF #2, he decided to pack up and move across the state and open his own practice. The nerve! So IVF #3 was done with Dr. D. I did NOT click with Dr. D. at all. I felt like concerns of mine weren't addressed properly and I felt like questions I had were dismissed. Needless to say, when we decided to give IVF #4 a try, we decided to look at trekking 5 1/2 hours across the state to see Dr. M.

The second difference is that Dr. M's clinic offers the Attain IVF Program. This program offers a 70% refund on IVF fees (not meds or anesthesia) if you don't take home a baby after 3 cycles. The downside to this program is that you have to pay up front, but not having to worry about when we will be able to try again if this cycle doesn't work is HUGE. This program offers 3 IVFs and 3 FETs. If, after we complete this program, we don't take home a baby, we will use the refund money for adoption. I pretty much see it as a win-win situation.

The third difference, is that 3yo Son weaned just before Thanksgiving 2010. Dr. D. seemed to blame my unsuccessful third cycle on the fact that he was *still* nursing. Well, I wasn't going to wean him. I wasn't going to wait to do IVF. I knew that there was a chance that IVF wouldn't work. But there is always a chance that IVF won't work. I don't blame myself for trying while nursing. I know several moms who did either IVF or a FET while nursing. Some went on to have children from those cycles and some didn't. IVF isn't a guarantee no matter what you do or don't do.

The fourth difference is the protocol. For IVF #1, I did a long OCP protocol. For IVF #2 and IVF #3, I did an antagonist protocol, although I never did use use the ganirelix for IVF #2. Of course, that was the cycle that resulted in my babies, so eh, whatever. IVF #4 is going to use a micro-dose lupron, or lupron flare, protocol. Dr. M. also added femara and a high dose of steroids.

So yesterday was technically stim day 1. Why it's called that, I'm not sure. I started my lupron injections yesterday, but don't start my Gonal-F and Menopur injections until tonight.

The plan is for me to stay home until stim day #6, that's Wednesday, and go across the state at that point and stay there until after embryo transfer. Well, I live on the west side of a southern state that doesn't deal well with snow AT ALL. It is supposed to snow here Sunday night and into Monday. I am supposed to leave home on Tuesday since I have to be at the clinic first thing on Wednesday morning for monitoring. Also, my city is flat. Clinic city is in the foothills of the mountains. I do not know how to drive in the snow. I'm starting to get a teeny bit nervous about the drive. If I have to, I can leave on Monday and drive half-way and stay with family overnight and then have all day Tuesday to make it the other half. I really don't want to do that, but if I have to, I will.

So, anyway, I am really, really going to try to document this cycle better than I did the last one. I find writing healing. I just need to do it.