A lot of people ask me what I am doing extra to increase my chances of a successful cycle, or just fertility in general.  See, I am a little bit of a hippie girl and have always believed that changes in what we eat can translate into big stuff involving our health and well-being.  I have personally witnessed my husband’s sperm count do a complete 180 after changes in his diet.  He went from a count in the 4-15 million range to a count > 250 million with excellent motility and morphology. (I’ll post more about that later).  While I obviously believe in the miracles of science (Hello IVF!), I am also a big believer in herbal/holistic remedies.  So what am I doing this cycle?…

1)  Bee pollen/Royal Jelly- This is what is feed to the queen bee in the hive.  Royal Jelly is rich in amino acids, lipids, sugars, vitamins, and proteins. It contains high levels of vitamins E and D, and also has iron and calcium. The way I see it, anything that helps that queen lay up to 2000 eggs per day has GOT to help this little bumblebee make more than one!

2)  Super-B complex-So must of us know that a prenatal and folic acid are especially important when trying to conceive.  Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects in your baby. So I take these and then add a Super-B complex vitamin every other day.  The  B-complex family of vitamins are necessary to produce the genetic materials DNA and RNA. Together with vitamin B12, folic acid works to ensure that your baby’s genetic codes are intact.  All of the B vitamins seem to be pretty essential during the pre-conceptual period.

3) I haven’t been eating much meat, so I have to make sure I am getting plenty of protein and iron, as well as whatever I feel will help.   I was soooo tired of trying to find a way to fit all the things I needed into my day-to-day eating habits.  One day I realized, “I don’t really care what this takes like!  Just get it into my body so it can do its thing!.”  My solution was to make what I now refer to as my “baby-makin’ casserole”.  Going back to my southern roots, I convinced myself that if I didn’t like the way it tasted, I could just cover it in hot sauce.  The thing is….I think it tastes AWESOME!!  So in my biggest casserole dish I combine..

• A layer of quinoa (a  great “complete” protien and high in iron)
• A layer of black beans (protein, folate, fiber, B1)
• A layer of sweet potatoes (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, @ Beta Carotene-which promotes a healthy hormone balance and may decrease risk of miscarriage)  mixed with butternut squash (B6, Fiber, folate).
• DIced red onions and a variety of chopped hot peppers for improved circulation and antioxidant/anti-inflammatory benefits
• Two cut up bananas (Potassium, B6, and B12)
• Chopped up fresh garlic because garlic is one of those superfoods that does just about everything awesome

I then pour some sort of Indian curry sauce over the dish…the hotter the better for me.  I have tried both Jalfrezi and Vindaloo–both worked (I consider “worked” as making me fan my mouth after the first couple of bites).  I cover with foil and back at 375 degrees for about 1.5 hour until the potatoes are soft .  Sometime I eat the dish plain or with spicy humus and chips.  The result is what feels like a Caribbean/African/Indian dish…hot, with a little sweet, and LOADED with good stuff for me and my fertility!

4)  An Acai/Goji/Noni/Mangosteen super juice blend.  One ounce a day. This provides the wealth of benefits you get from juices including free radical scavenging, immune system support, and lots of energy!

Whew!  That is a lot of stuff!  But I feel healthier, happier, and like I am somehow acting as a partner to all this crazy science, IVF stuff.  I have cut out alcohol (BOOOOO!), caffeine (double BOOOO), and limited my meat and white carb intake.  If you are on this crazy infertility ride, please remember that there is always conflicting  information out there on that lovely beast called the Internet.  I encourage you to do your research and make the choices you feel are right for you.  But seriously…try the baby makin’ casserole….especially if you like it HOT!!

I wanted to give you guys a little visual of what I am seeing during the ultrasound. I had the nurse print out some pictures for me.  So without further ado…let me introduce you to my ovaries……

The top is of ol’ lefty. Those black grape shaped objects are the follicles.  Each time you go in, they take measurements.  Lookin’ good,  right!!!??  TThis is just one view (you can only see two of the three that were there.  The nurse rotates the wand around to get multiple angles.  The bottom picture is the right ovary.  You can see about 4 of them.  Ain’t science cool?

This will be quick!  My E2 levels came back at 974!  So a good descent jump from 571 yesterday.  The results have been Day 2@ 34, Day 5 @ 179, Day 7@ 552, leveled off Day 8 @ 571, and now a good rise day 9 @ 974.  The nurse stated anything over 800 translated to “being in the clear”.  Thanks to everyone for checking in on me, giving me support, and sending messages of encouragement.  It means so much to both of us!  Back for bloodwork again tomorrow!

Just got back from my ultrasound!  Gotta say…once “wanded”….I just closed my eyes and waited for the news that my eggs were not growing.  This was not to be the case, however!  They are looking “very nice”, according to my nurse, and I will take “very nice” any day of the week.  Ol’ troublesome lefty was willing to work with us today.  She could see 3 good size follicles (the fluid-filled sacs holding the eggs) @ 14.52 mm, 14.69 mm, and 15.98 mm (the leader of the pack)-and a few under 10 mm.  The right side showed 7 follicles @ 14.5, 14, 14.92, 11.8, 13.48, 10, and 9.  The little ones might not catch up, but we have a great chance of getting 8-10 eggs.  On the day of retrieval, most likely Sat or Sunday, anything over 15 mm has a good chance of containing a viable egg, or so they say.  Follicles generally grow 1-2 mm per day.  So, they are basically waiting for some to reach the 18-20 mm range, and then it is GO TIME. I would have like to have seen a few more eggs, but I will take what I can get with a smile on my face!

My uterine lining was a 11 mm (wanted to see over 8mm) and starting to take on the triple striped pattern that the doctors covet.  That means it is growing nice and fluffy for the embryo stick in.  So now I am just waiting for the final word that my E2 levels didn’t plummet-that dreaded 3 o’clock phone call.  But the sun is shining, my eggs are growing, and things are looking way up!

So today is my first day of getting nervous…really nervous….that something/anything/everything is going to go wrong.  My blood test showed my E2 levels leveling out.  Yesterday was around 550.  Today around 570.  It should have jumped up ALOT higher than that.  As in getting close the the quadruple digits.    My nurse explained that sometimes when you add the 3rd medication, the Ganirelix, the E2 levels can “sputter out” for a day.  Ganirelix is the one that keeps you from ovulating, so that makes sense. Supposedly (Hopefully!) they will begin to rise again.  They doubled my dosage of Menapur as a line of defense against the Ganirelix E2 suppression effect.  So now 100 Follistim, 150 Menapur, and Ganirelix. Best case scenario-the levels will be on target tomorrow.  Worst case scenario-my body is not responding to the medication, my levels are bottoming out, and the cycle will be cancelled.  I believe it will be the best case scenario…but I am still super anxious.

When I began this process,  I didn’t anticipate what a roller coaster EACH DAY would be.  I figured I would take the meds each day, and then we would find out the day of retrieval how many eggs we got.  Not much too worry about in the in-between. Instead, each day you get new results, things are tweaked, nerves are shot, and then you have to hold out hope for the next day’s visit.  Things can change in an instant!  The day begins to center around that 3pm phone call from the nurse.  Tomorrow I go for another E2 draw and an ultrasound, so we will REALLY get to see how things are progressing.  So keep hoping and praying for us that we see some good >13 mm follicles and a strong e2 level! I am not ready for this crazy train to end!  For now, this human pin cushion is going to bed.  Tomorrow can’t get here soon enough!

Hi!  Today was the 7th day of my IVF cycle and will be my 6th round of shots.  This morning I went for an ultrasound and blood draw.  The ultrasound uses a vaginal wand (not an “over the belly ultrasound”) to try to get the most complete view of the ovaries.  The images of my right ovary showed 6-7 follicles (which contain the eggs), all ranging between 8.5 mm and 11 mm.  Right on target..and it is good that they are all so close in size.  Sometimes you get a “leader” that grows much faster than the others.  That one gets close to ovulation size while all the others lag behind…gets the doctors all wringing their hands.  But all of mine are all in a close bunch. The whole process was simple and painless.

This was not to be the case with my left side.  I don’t know what it is, but my left side has always struggled-with EVERYTHING.  My bones are smaller on that side, any medical issue I have ever had- from eye problems to foot problems-has always been on my left, and my left tube is the one that had to be removed.  Its the Curse of the Lefties.  The ultrasound on my left ovary proved to be no different.  As soon as she moved the wand to that side, I started wincing.  Maybe there is left over scar tissue or bruising…but MAN it was tender-and hiding.  No matter how she poked, prodded, or stirred-she could not get a clear image of the left ovary.  After about 10 minutes of trying, I finally asked her for a break.  I went to the bathroom, cried (Go easy on me, my emotions are ALL over the place), gritted my teeth, bounced up and down in an effort to jiggle things around, and went back to the stirrups.  Eventually, she was able to see at least 3-4 with at least 1 around 10 mm. Thank God it was finally over. My and my left ovary are going to have a serious come to Jesus meeting before the next ultrasound…….

My uterine lining was now 8 mm, which is right on target.  My E2 level was 552. It was 179.3 last time, and they like to see that it has at least doubled.  I will stay on the same med protocol (100 Follistim/75 Menapur), but now a third shot will be invited to this lovely party-Ganirelix.  Ganirelix keeps me from ovulating too early.  Early ovulation=cycle cancellation.  So as the follicles get bigger, they add Ganirelix into the rotation to keep the eggs from releasing.  I go in for another E2 draw tomorrow.  We are definately getting close!  I predict the egg retrieval will be Sunday!!!! Lefty…you better get in line!!!

So things are still moving along.  We upped the dosage of the Follistim to 100 last night.  About three hours after the injections, I had severe cramping in my upper abdomen.  The pain was localized to right under my rib cage.  I don’t know if it was a side effect of the medication, but it passed after about an hour.  Ovaries are starting to hurt a little, but that is to be expected.  I definitely feel fatigued.  Yesterday, I cleaned the house all day, which led to a lot more bending and twisting than I think I realized.  Towards the end of the day, I could really feel it.  Today, I’ve pulled an all out 30 Rock marathon on the couch.  The dogs and I have hardly moved-justified by a rainy, dreary day outside.  It was awesome!

My husband, however, seems to be getting more and more nervous as we get closer to the retrieval, and some his actions are a little out of the ordinary.  See, my husband is a data collector.  He likes to get as much information as possible, do as much research as possible, and explore as many sources information as possible.  Having exhausted the Internet, doctors, and our circle of friends and family, he has now started approaching random women, in places like Walmart or the pharmacy, and asking if they have ever been pregnant.  If they have been, he asks them questions about their pregnancy, complications, and ways they handled it.  I can only imagine scrolling the pharmacy aisle for Nyquil and having some random guy approach me and ask if I have ever been pregnant!  WOW!  I told you this infertility mess can make you a little Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Apparently, however, he has come across some very nice ladies that have been willing to share their experiences (as well as some who have told him to get lost).  Crazily enough, many of them have had fertility issues as well.  Some even using the same fertility center as us!  This has led to my husband coming home with armloads of new supplements, vitamins, concerns, and theories.  So now our little vitamin shelf is  overflowing a multitude of supposed cure-alls for boosting our chances.  Waaaay to many for me to possibly take.  Each woman also had advice for him on how he could best support me during this process and what he could do to help me along the way.  So now he is making lists and plans- gearing up to for what is to come.  I just listen and smile-meanwhile giggling to myself at the mental picture and thankful I have a husband who is so caring, concerned, and willing to go to great lengthss to make sure this process goes as smoothly as possible.  And I want to send a little shout out to all those angel ladies willing to take time out of their day (or night) to patiently share their stories and advice with my nervous husband…..Y’all are awesome!

So, the next time you make that late night Walmart run for the latest installment of the Twilight Saga and a man approaches you asking questions about pregnancy, don’t fret.  Its not a weirdo…its just my wonderful, wacky husband…trying to get through this the best way he knows how-by trying to help me.

I went to the clinic today for the blood draw to check E2 Levels.  They want it at around 200 to 250.  If it is a lot higher than that, it means you are responding too much to the medication.  THe concern here is that on can get Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (hyperlinked to Wiki page), a painful condition which can cause hospitalization and cycle cancellation if severe.  If the e2 levels are too low, you are not responding to the medication enough.  If less than 75, the chances for a successful IVF cycle or pregnancy significantly decrease.  So your doctor does a delicate dance of trying to push your body with medication enough to produce lots of good eggs, but not so much that your system hyperstimulates.

My levels were at 178.3, just shy of the perfect 200.  This is no big deal at all, it just translates into an increase in the dosage of the injections.  My medication protocol is very conservative at this point.  I was on 75 menapur and 75 follistim.  On fertility forums (a great resource and support network for women going through this procedure)  I have seen women taking as high as 600 follistim.  Such high dosages generally correlate to issues surrounding egg quality (indicated by an AMH or Anti-Mullerian Hormone test)  and egg reserve (# of eggs you have left)-neither of which of are my particular issues.  As far as we know, my issue is purely mechanical-bad tubes-not hormonal.  So my medication protocol started out as more conservative to lower the risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome.  With my levels on day five being just shy of the 200, my doctor has upped my Follistim dosage to 100 and kept my Menapur dosage at 75.  We will continue this particular protocol tonight and tomorrow night, then I will return on Monday for another E2 and ultrasound….we will get to see how many of these bad boys are actually cookin’!  THAT I am excited about!!!!

Today is day 4.  The shots have being going good so far!  Both shots are to make lots and lots of those awesome eggs grow.  Definitely starting to feel some of the side effects.  It feels like I am carrying a bag of marbles on either side.  Not painful, just slightly uncomfortable and twingy.  The right side is acting up a lot more than my left, but honestly they could tell me to put my hand in a meat grinder-and I would do it with a smile on me face.

Here is another kicker….My doctor recommends not twisting, bending, or picking up anything over 5 pounds.  When I first received this medical advice tidbit, I didn’t think much of it.  Overwhelmed with all the information we were getting, this statement kinda slipped to the bottom of the pile.  But 5 POUNDS!!!! REALLY! I drink cups of coffee that weigh more than 5 pounds!  Well, not anymore-caffeine is on the banned list, but I do fill my token Handee Hugo’s Large Coffee Cup with water to trick myself into THINKING I am having my traditional morning cup of coffee.  Other things that I now realized weigh more than five pounds:  my favorite pair of boots, my sling bag that holds all this lovely paperwork from the doctor’s office, the large casserole I put in the oven tonight, that puppy that came to visit us at the office today-the list goes on!  5 POUNDS!

Tomorrow I go in for more blood work to see if my E2 levels are at least 200.  I wish there was an ultrasound so I could see how these little marbles are coming along, but that will have to wait until Monday.  Fingers crossed!!!!