Beta #2

The results are in! My BHCG went from 424 on Monday to 1,614 Wednesday, today! Yippee! That is almost a quadruple increase. Multiples maybe? Leave your guesses in the comments below :) 

Katie said I would have my instructions for my 6 and 9 week ultrasound by friday, along with my due date :)

Beta: Double or Nothing

Yesterday, Monday, I had my first Beta test. As always, there was drama associated with it. The place I had my appointment with, as it turns out, doesn’t do same day STAT lab work, which is required. So I had to scramble to find a new site, which included calling my insurance, yay. Once I got my blood drawn at our local hospital, I found out that they do the Quant HCG testing there (Beta) but have to send out for my progesterone levels to their sister hospital. Ugh…so of course I had to chase down results and found out that if the NEDC didn’t call to request my results, there was no telling when they would be sent.

So around 3:20 yesterday, I received the call from the NEDC confirming that I am pregnant! Officially! My HCG number is 424 and my progesterone is great at 38!! Yay! When Katie from the NEDC called, she knew I had cheated and POAS, and I admitted to 3 of them! But it was nice to have the blood work confirm it. I go tomorrow, Wednesday, for my second Beta to make sure my HCG numbers are doubling, which is indicative of a progressing pregnancy.

Last time, when I was pregnant with twins, my HCG at my first Beta was in the 600’s and now it’s in the 400’s. I have read that the size of your HCG number isn’t always an indicator of multiples, so we will have to wait until my 6week ultrasound for that news. I will post my results from tomorrow as soon as I can!

How am I feeling? Tired, irritable, and really nauseas.

So I cheated…. I peed on a stick…

As you may or may not know, Thanksgiving was 9dpt for us, with multicell embryos. According to the medical field, on day 9 and 10 there isn’t enough HCG in the body to register on a home pregnancy test. This is why the NEDC asks you to not test at home, and to wait until 11dpt to go get Beta blood work done. 

I cheated. While in TN for the transfer we bought a 2 pack box of First Response pregnancy tests while at Babies R Us. So I was already planning on cheating before the transfer even happened. My husband wanted me to wait until today, Saturday (11dpt) to take a home test. He doesn’t want me to test early and get a disappointing negative, when I could actually be pregnant, but it’s just too early to test. 

I slowly whittled him down until he agreed that we could test on Thanksgiving. Last year, last pregnancy, we test on Memorial Day. I thought it only fitting to test on a holiday this year! I was so worried that I would wake up having to pee really bad and would lose my “first mornings urine “so Wednesday night I laid out a pregnancy test in front of the toilet so I couldn’t forget. That night, I dreamed that I took a test and it was positive. I then immediately dreamed that I took a test and it was negative…

At 5 am on Thursday, Thanksgiving, I peed on a stick. Last time I did this, it was 13dpt (or 11?) and the “pregnant” lines came up immediately on the stick. This time I knew I was testing early. I went into this fully aware that I could get a false negative. But I prayed that God would give me an early sneak peek if I was pregnant.

So I peed. And watched it spread across the testing screen. The “test” line popped up and nothing else. 2 lines, you are pregnant; just the test line, not pregnant. So, with a heavy heart I set the test down to wait. The instructions say to check the test in 3 minutes. I determined that I wasn’t going to torture myself by staring at a test stick for 3 minutes, just waiting for something that may never show. So I lay back down in bed for 3 minutes. 

When 3 minutes had passed, I jumped up to go look. Here is what I found:

PREGNANT! One line was fainter than the other, so I scoured the instructions which clearly showed my example and said that one line may be fainter than the other. But that any 2 lines meant you are pregnant. Okay, wow. We are pregnant. And we found out at 9dpt, impossible. Thank you God! We found out on Thanksgiving, and what a thing to be thankful for. 

Now of course, I took another test the next day. The test I took Thursday can read VERY low levels of HCG so I took a cheap test on Friday, which could only read high levels of HCG (which I shouldn’t have yet). I figured that if this one came back pregnant, then I really was pregnant and or I had multiples lol. In less than a minute the result was clear: pregnant! Fast forward to today, I had an extra test, so I took it!! And of course, it was positive! I think it is safe to say: WE ARE PREGNANT AGAIN! 

One of the reasons I took so many tests was to kind of do my own Beta testing. They make you test and then re-test in 2 days to make sure your “levels” are doubling or growing. I think the speed in which the home tests continued to show results sort of said my levels are doubling. 

I still have to go Monday for the blood work, and then wait for the NEDC to call me to tell me I am pregnant. And then I have to act surprised. But I know that 23 people have to go get that blood work for the NEDC due to the holiday, so I know it will be awhile before I get that phone call from them. 

P.S. Wahoo!

Alpha, Beta...Never?

If you have been following our story for a while, you may recall that with our last transfer back in 2012 we had issues with our Beta (bloodwork) pregnancy testing. Last year we were supposed to get lab work done on the 11th day after our transfer, which just happened to fall on a Sunday. A no go for the NEDC. The 12th day was Monday, I believe it was Memorial Day, so again, no beta. We had to wait until the 13th day to go get our Beta testing done. So of course I took a HPT on Memorial day, and it was BFP!

So here we are in 2013, 7 days post transfer (7dpt) and we are waiting for our Beta. The NEDC once again told us we needed to wait 11 days to get our Beta done. Surprise, surprise, the 11th day falls on a Saturday. So you guessed right, that means we once again will not get to Beta test until the 13th day. I feel like Ferris Beuller. Strange; same embryo number and condition as last time AND we have to wait the 13 days again....perhaps that is a sign. I am going to take it as one :)

I continue to feel nauseous all day. I am exhausted. I have headaches. I even think I am starting to have cravings, the same ones as last time...I also felt another "twinge" today! Go babies go! This time around I may take a HPT on Thanksgiving, with the understanding that it is only 9dpt and will most likely be negative, even if I really am pregnant. I found a great site by NYU that explains what happens after a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). If you check this site out, we are a 3 day transfer (I believe) and if that is the case, the NEDC is correct in saying not to test until day 11, which is when HCG can be detected... But I am impatient.

Happy Thanksgiving! I will let ya'll know if I test :)

Our 2013 Frozen Embryo Transfer is Complete!

This past Tuesday, 11/19/13, we had our second transfer! We arrived in TN on Sunday evening and relaxed with friends. It is always so nice to see our TN family; our friends there truly are family to us. Monday was a beautiful day, sunny and in the 60’s outside. A lovely friend of ours did a family photo shoot for us and she took some amazing photos! Half of the time Monday my mind was preoccupied with our 10 m/o twins, and it felt like any other day. Then I would suddenly remember that our transfer was the next day and get a flurry of excitement! I tend to detach from emotional situations…so I wasn’t nervous or anxious. 

I think that it helped that I had been through this transfer before; I knew what to expect. Tuesday morning rolled around and I was psyched! Last time our appointment was at 7:30am, so it was brutal. This time though, our appointment was at 10:15am so we didn’t have to arrive until 9:45am. This was so nice. We slept in a little, had coffee (decaf of course) and even swung by Chick Fi La. It was a leisure morning.

 I have learned, after 3 ultrasound appointments at the NEDC that I have a small bladder and do not have to drink quite so much! Thankfully I learned this and only drank a small percentage of what they asked. But just so you know, my bladder was FULL and it hurt! In fact, my bladder was so full they told me to go empty it some! I was much obliged! **Just a note here, do not follow my actions; drink what they tell you to! They told me I was the first patient all morning that had a full enough bladder. If you are not full enough they will insert a catheter into your bladder and fill it. It is painful. So please follow their directions**

Medication protocol dictated that I take 600mg ibuprofen, 1 albuterol and 10mg valium…That kicked my but this time! Even with eating breakfast right before I took it! In 15 minutes I was wobbly and felt a little out of it. The point is to be relaxed, and I guess I was! Dr. Keenan and Carol, the embryologist, came in to see us. They told us that they had thawed our 4 remaining multicell embryos and that 3 had survived! 2 were top quality (rating 1 out of 5) and 1 was lower quality (rating 4 out of 5). This was the exact same setup as 2012! We had 3 embryos survive the thaw and they were of the same quality! And we ended up with beautiful twins.

The actual transfer went quickly. The worst parts are the ultrasound wand being pressed onto your full bladder, and the alcohol swab they sterilize you inside and out with. It hasn’t ceased to amaze me to watch that catheter, holding life, slide through my cervix and into my womb! Afterwards, they tell you to rest and not lift for 24hrs. It was more difficult this time because of the twins. But it was a nice rest. I was so loopy, I left my cell phone at the place we had lunch at!

Within 24hrs I felt a “twinge” on 1 side, and I felt 2 twinges with the twins. It was way too soon for implantation I believe but it was exciting! I have had a good amount of cramping, and I just recently started to be nauseous…a lot. Woohoo! I will let you all know as soon as I find anything out!

Pre-Transfer Endometrium Lining

Today (Friday) was freezing cold, but beautiful and for that I am thankful! When I went to have my ultrasound two weeks ago it was raining so hard I could barely see the road. I took a more congested, but less expensive route today, so thankfully it was gorgeous out! My father in law has been staying with us the last two weeks, and he has been a big help to me. So this morning I actually had help getting the twins out of the house, which meant we left the house early, rather than late. Which also meant we made it to our appointment early! BAM!! Never happens...ever. So excited!!

Today was my pre-transfer follicular ultrasound! Two weeks ago my lining was 7.15 and today it was 10.2, woohoo! I just received a call from the NEDC clearing me to begin my progesterone shots. I will do one morning shot Saturday, tomorrow, and twice a day Sunday-Tuesday (my transfer.) I am not sure why I only do one shot tomrrow, guess I should have asked. I also will decrease my estrogen from 3x a day to 2x a day now.

I obviously did not get my post finished, as today is Saturday :) We did my first progesterone shot this morning. For the life of us, we could not remember how many CC's were in a ML. Our instructions from the NEDC and the intrsuctions on the bottle from the pharmacy were in different lingo :( I ended up having to call a pharmacy to get help. I think we did it right. At my ultrasound appointment Friday, I had the nurse draw on my backside, showing me where to inject the progesterone. I am so tired of getting different instructions from different nurses. Today was relatively easy after we figured out how much medicine to draw up. I actually numbed the flesh with an ice pack beforehand, which hurt. But when my husband made the first injection, I was like, "Was that it?" It wasn't bad at all. It helped that we remembered to order 1inch needles instead of 1 1/2, which is what they sent us first. I used the heating pad on the site afterwards, but I did not massage it. As I type this, the area is sore.

I am off to pack because we leave first thing in the morning to begin our drive to Tennessee and the NEDC!

Down to a Week!

7 Days. Yep, Our transfer is in 7 days. Kind of shocking; it is almost like it snuck up on me :) 
In a few days I will begin my progesterone shots. 

This Friday I go for my ultrasound appointment to make sure my endometrium lining is nice and thick for our upcoming transfer. At my last appointment, my lining was actually too thick for the NEDC's liking, at 7.15; and that was without taking any estrogen. So I am pretty sure my thickness will be good after taking this estrogen for all this time. 

I did realize today that the Lupron shots seem to have been the cause of my recent excruciating headaches...I hope I remember that next time around. I can't remember the side effects of the progesterone. And it may effect me differently this time around, it is like an adventure...complete with bruises.

So keep us in your prayers please as we continue with our medication protocol and for our upcoming transfer! Thank you!!

Countdown To Our Transfer is Almost Single Digits

Good Morning! I am in a good mood today. My twins slept (mostly) until 7am this morning instead of 5 or 6. It has been rough lately because they are both teething and have congested noses. So they wake up from pain and because they can't breathe. Today, the sun is shining, I laid in bed until 7am, and I even got to eat a muffin before 9am. Life is good.

I am still doing Lupron shots each night as well as taking 2 estrogen pills a day. This time around, I am giving myself the Lupron shots; which is strange. There is something so odd about willingly inflicting pain on yourself. It really doesnt hurt much at all, but when that needle is hovering above my skin, my self-preservation screams out, "Don't do it!" And I hestitate. Then I insert the needle slowly. My husband insists that I need to just jab it in my tummy, becuase that is how he administers the shot to me, but I disagree. Last night I actually stuck the needle in my flesh 3 times because the first 2 times hurt, so I quickly withdrew the needle and changed spots. I am a glutton for punishment I guess. I am sure that many of my readers know that the abdomen shots are nothing compared to the intramuscular shots on the horizon.

Big news of the day, my  10mo baby girl crawled more than a few inches this morning! Yay! And my twin son finally started making "M" noised and said mama a few times, granted, it was while he was crying. So that took some of the fun out of it. : )

We are down to 11 days until our transfer! Woop Woop!

1st Ultrasound For Estrogen Clearance

Dun, dun dun dun….dun. That is the music in my head as I write this; it sort of adds a dramatic flair don’t you think? Today I made the 1 ½ drive to get my ultrasound and estradiol lab work. I forgot to print my prescription and the computer with the printer literally take 20 minutes to start up, and then the internet wouldn’t work, and the printer wasn’t warmed up. Then my daughter spit up all over herself. It was pouring rain and I could barely see. There was bumper to bumper traffic. My GPS tried to take me the wrong way; I had to pull off the highway and pull a U-turn. I was a ball of nerves. I was stressed and annoyed with myself and everyone around me. Plus I didn’t get to eat. Just a bad start to the day.

On the bright side, the rain let up just as we got to the doctors (which I prayed for.) We made really good time and were early. I got the same practitioner I did last year and she is great. I was dehydrated so my blood literally dripped into the little tube, ouch. But the exam was quick. When the NEDC finally called me at 4:30 the nurse said that my endo lining was still a little thick, it was a 7, and had I started my period? Which I had, but only yesterday. So she said that could explain the thickness, and that my estradiol levels looked good, so I was cleared to begin my Estrogen tomorrow J Just another step towards the transfer.

We are down to 18 days until the transfer! Yippee. I am getting a little excited.  So now I am doing Lupron shots and Estrogen and counting down.

It Wasn't My Fault...Birth Control Pills Made Me Do It

Birth control pills. It seems so strange to be taking birth control pills when we are trying to be pregnant. It is even harder to explain to people who do not understand Embryo Adoption (EA). I finally had to call the nurse at the NEDC and ask her why I was taking them. She explained that they are to keep me from ovulating on my own. I assume that would mess up my endometrial status for our November transfer. Which, by the way, is only 3 weeks away, but who is counting?

So the NEDC has had me on Apri for birth control. I was on it for my mock transfer, and I have been on it for at least a month recently. That birth control makes me a ticking time bomb! I have such a short fuse while taking them. I am walking around irritable all the time; just waiting to snap!  It has been so horrible on it! It feels like I am premenstrual every day!! Oh, and it makes me hungry. All the time. And it makes me emotional so I cry a lot. And I think it makes me nauseas. So I started taking the pills at night so that I was sleeping for at least 8 hours of the side effects.

The good news is that I took my last birth control pill on Sunday night, the 27^th. All day yesterday the pill was in my system. Today, Tuesday, will be the first day functioning without the Apri hormones in my system. We shall see how I act and feel today. Alas, now that I have stopped the BCP, I will be getting a period. Which will lead to me acting like a bear again…drat! My poor husband. God love him for putting up with me! Now that I have begun the Lupron, who knows what emotional fun is in store for us.