Monday, June 10, 2013

Story of In Vitro Round #3



Bryce and I decided to go back to the U of U Infertility Clinic.  We met with Dr. Johnstone in March and by April; I had started my birth control pills.  I ended the pills the first weekend of May.  I started the Lupron shots in my stomach the first of May.  I went in on May 8 for my Screening Ultrasound.  They were able to see that I had many follicles and that my uterus and everything looked great.  On May 13th, I started on the FSH shots.  These consisted of REpronex (stomach) and Gonal (stomach).  My stomach did not appreciate these shots.  They bruised and put knots in my stomach.  On May 20th, I went in for an ultrasound to see how my follicles were doing.  I had almost 20 follicles and they were doing really well.  After the ultrasound, they drew my blood to check my estrogen levels.  I came back the next day to do another ultrasound and Dr. Johnstone said the follicles were ready to retrieve.

On May 22nd, I started taking Doxycyclene (antibiotic) and Bryce gave me the HCG shot that night at exactly 8:45 pm.  The next morning, I went in at 8:15.  They had a hard time hooking up an IV.  I only got stuck 3 times, but it finally worked.  As soon as I got into the procedure room, they gave me the drugs and I fell asleep instantly.  While under, they were able to retrieve 16 eggs. The fertilized them immediately.  I had a hard time waking up, but I finally woke up enough to have a cracker and some apple juice.  We didn’t make it down the road very far before I threw up in a Chevron parking lot.  After that I slept most of the way home.  When I got home, I slept for almost the entire day.  That night, just 30 seconds after I took more meds, I threw up again in a bowl.  Bryce and I had to sift through the vomit to make sure my pills weren’t in it.  I felt much better after that and was able to get in bed and sleep the rest of the night.

On May 25th, the embryologist called and said we had 12 embryos that were dividing and all doing well.  My embryo transfer would be on Tuesday May 28th.  When we went to the doctor on Tuesday morning, Dr Petersen was our doctor for the day.  He told us that we had six good embryos.  He told us that according to some chart, it was recommended that I only transfer one embryo because of my age and because my embryos were top quality.  He left the room and told us to have a “family council”.  When he came back in, we decided to go with two embryos.  He gave me some Valium to help settle me down. I watched as he sucked the embryos in the tube and insert them into my uterus.  They were ultra-sounding me at the same time, so he showed me exactly where they were placed after it was finished.  When he was done, he said, “Jennifer, you have conceived. Your babies are in your uterus now.  You will be in my thoughts and prayers.” I started crying because this meant a lot to me.  

I was propped back in the chair for 30 minutes.  When the nurses came in, the Valium had taken effect and they put me in a wheel chair and we headed for home.  Bryce and I had to stop at a pharmacy to pick up some more Lupron because I had to do one more shot the next day.  When we stopped, I had to go to the bathroom, so he put me in a wheelchair, took me in, helped me get into the bathroom, and they got me back in the truck.  My limbs would not function on that Valium.  When we got home, Bryce helped me stumble down the stairs and into the Love boy recliner.  I inhaled three slices of Little Caesars pizza and then slept for three hours straight.  I never heard Bryce leave.  My neighbor across the street, who has become a real dear friend to me, brought dinner into our family that night.  It was so good.  I was on bed rest that day and the next day.  I had to take it easy for the next five days.   

Yesterday, June 9, 2013, Bryce and I headed down to the clinic to get my blood drawn to find out if I was pregnant.  We left that office at 8:30 am and came home.  We stayed pretty busy making breakfast, reading, and preparing lessons while we waited for the news.  When 10:30 a.m. came and went, I was started to get antsy.  My heart was pounding so hard.  They finally called around 11 and said, “I have good news.  You are pregnant.  Your HCG number is at 490.  You need to come back on Tuesday and do one more blood draw and then schedule a viability ultrasound on June 24th”.  I was so happy and relieved, that I started to cry.  What a blessing! I am thankful to have the opportunity to be a mother to another child.  I have been blessed to have so much individual time with each of my boys.  Part of my feels like I am cheating them right now, but I know that will change as the pregnancy develops.

It was a hard two weeks to wait on an answer.  I really tried to find an answer from the Spirit before they told us over the phone.  I had many things that stuck out in my mind, yet it is so hard to discern the meaning of them.  This past week, the scripture, 1 Nephi 3:7 kept coming to me and I actually came across it 3 times during the week.  “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them.” I have definitely felt like the Lord has provided adoption and IVF as a means for us to accomplish having a family.  

Another scripture that kind of reached out to me this past week was 1 Nephi 7: 12.  It is one that I have highlighted and I have read it many times but the word “if” in this scripture is what spoke to my mind. “Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to this will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him. Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.”  I feel like I have learned a lot about faith this past 2 years, and I was putting my faith in the fact that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family and He knows what is best for our family.  After reading this scripture, I decided to have faith that this IVF would work and try to tell myself that it would.

Three nights before we found out, I just broke down to Bryce and told him how I had been “trying” so hard to find an answer.  I had been reading the scriptures and listening to conference talks and praying, and pondering.  Bryce told me that I had done all I could do and that I needed to give it to the Lord and let him take care of it from here.  It actually made me feel better and I felt more at peace than I had previously. 
On Saturday night, I was reading my book called, “Abinidi”.  In this book, I was at a part where the spirit was talking to Abinidi and the thought came to him…Have Faith. Have Faith.  As simple as that might seem, those words really helped me relax that night.  I kept telling myself, “This is the answer, Jenn. Have faith. Believe.”  I even woke up multiple times this night and told myself over and over. “Have faith.” 

I am thankful that Heavenly Father has been patient with me as I am learning to discern some of the thoughts and scriptures that come into my life.  It was definitely an inner battle I was fighting these past two weeks, and I am thankful for these little messages of hope and guidance that I received along the way!

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