Success.... 44 eggs retrieved!

Yesterday was my surgery for retrieval of my eggs. I knew I had a lot because I could barely walk or move. I felt so swollen. Best way to describe it would be to blow up 40 small water balloons and squeeze them together under your shirt. I was doing the pregnancy "waddle" into the office. I felt so much pressure and was ready to get these eggs out!

One tired momma:

Once at the clinic, I was taken into the back and put under iv sedation. They used Propofol to put me under. I think I am allergic to it. I woke up from surgery and was so sick. I had terrible flu-like symptoms for hours. My surgery was right at 8am and I didn't leave the clinic until after 2pm. Then I came home & crashed the rest of the night.

Here is the process of how they take the eggs:

The actual technique used to collect eggs for in vitro fertilization is known as an ultrasound-guided transvaginal aspiration. While an ultrasound probe is used to provide a visual image of the ovary and the surrounding structures, a very fine needle is inserted through the upper wall of the vagina and into the ovary. Through magnification of the ultrasound image, the physician can locate the individual follicles that contain mature eggs and apply gentle suction to remove the contents of each one, which is known as aspiration.

The fluid and egg from each follicle are collected into an individual container, which will then be taken to the lab for examination and preparation for fertilization. The procedure is performed on both ovaries, usually taking between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

A couple hours after the retrieval Dr Valencia told me that were able to get 44 mature eggs!!! We decided that fertilizing all 44 would leave too many embryos. We are going to fertilize 20 and freeze 24 eggs.

I woke up this morning still feeling a little weak and groggy. Dr Valencia texted me to let me know that out of the 20 eggs, 13 fertilized. Now we wait for the second day of my cycle to begin. Then I will take another medicine to grow my endometrium. After I take this medicine 8-10 days, then finally they will do the implantation!!

I will call back to the doctors office in a few days to see how many eggs fertilized to Day 3 & were able to have the biopsy for genetic testing. 

Hysterosalpingogram Test (HSG)... Como say WHAT??

I went in this morning for another ultrasound. My little follicles are growing right along! Most of them were around 20 in measurement! YAY!!!! This means we are a go for Wednesdays egg retrieval!

This is my 2nd bed:

I started a new shot today called Lupron. I will actually take it tonight at 9:15pm then another one tomorrow morning at 9:15am.  They did another blood test this morning as well.  Dr Valencia wasn't in the office so I am not sure why we did another blood test but I will find out tomorrow. I actually go back again tomorrow for another one. My guess is they are testing to make sure all these meds are at the right dosage??


This afternoon I had a Hysterosalpingogram Test : HSG for short.  It is basically an X-ray of your fallopian tubes to make sure everything is healthy. It's hard to explain so here is what I found online:

A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is an X-ray test that looks at the inside of the uterusand fallopian tubes and the area around them. It often is done for women who are having a hard time becoming pregnant (infertile).

During a hysterosalpingogram, a dye (contrast material) is put through a thin tube that is put through the vagina and into the uterus. Because the uterus and the fallopian tubes are hooked together, the dye will flow into the fallopian tubes. Pictures are taken using a steady beam of X-ray (fluoroscopy) as the dye passes through the uterus and fallopian tubes. The pictures can show problems such as an injury or abnormal structure of the uterus or fallopian tubes, or a blockage that would prevent an egg moving through a fallopian tube to the uterus. A blockage also could prevent sperm from moving into a fallopian tube and joining (fertilizing) an egg. A hysterosalpingogram also may find problems on the inside of the uterus that prevent a fertilized egg from attaching (implanting) to the uterine wall.

Basically, it hurt like the Dickens! Since all my follicles are all getting so big, everything is very tender. I had to take about a million X-rays at every position imaginable. I just kept telling myself "This is for Ava. This is for Ava", somehow that magically makes all this tolerable.

X-ray film:

Nik has been such a trooper. He has been to every daily doctor appointment and has tried his best to make all these shots as pain-free as he can! I thank God for him. I cannot imagine a better person to go thru all this with. He is my best friend and I love him very much! I just had to give him a little shout-out because you know what they say "Behind every strong WOMAN is a stronger man"!!!

My follicles are growing!

Today we had another ultrasound & got to see how fast the follicles are growing. It's crazy how big they are getting. The nurse counted 20 today & a lot of them were already around 18 in measurement! 

Here is a pic of one of my ovaries:

As you can see, all those round circles is a follicle. Inside that follicle is an egg!!

I can tell they are getting bigger because my ovaries feel very swollen. Sometimes I find myself sitting down like a pregnant lady because it's a little tender. 

The funniest thing happened before they started the exam. I always watch them put the condom thing on the ultrasound wand. Well today, it was already on there when we got in the room. I told Nik to take it off because I want to see them put a fresh one on. He was having a hard time getting it off & was fumbling with it when the non-English speaking nurses came in. We both started laughing. I explained to the nurses that I wanted a new sleeve thing on there. Who knows what they thought he was doing....!

We are still on track to go back again Monday to check the size of these follicles & Wednesday retrieve them. 

I'm feeling a lot better now. My cold is almost all gone now, thank you God! The shots I'm getting in the morning still hurt. The Gonal F shot is so tiny. The other shot is like a dang sewing needle. I just about cry every time Nik has to inject me. The good part is that I only have 2 more days of these shots! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Another successful day!

This morning I had another ultrasound to count and check on my follicles. In total there were about 15 growing. They need to be around 18 in measurement, right now they range in size from 11-13. The significance of this is once they are large enough, they will be ready for retrieval!  It was weird to see them all on the screen. It almost felt like I was looking at the ultrasound of a pregnancy. I know they are not fertilized eggs but just to see them all on the screen, I felt like a proud momma!! Maybe its just these crazy hormones talking (ha!).

Dr. Valencia decided to keep me on the same meds Gonal F at 125 for the next few days. I go back to him tomorrow to get a new prescription: Orgalutran. This is a medication that will avoid premature ovulation. The last thing I want is to start my cycle and loose all these little bad girls!! The bad news is that this is going to be another shot. So for the next 4 days, I will be getting 2 shots in the morning (ugh!).

Then we will head back to the doctors office Saturday morning for another ultrasound to check the growth of the follicles. He suspects that by Saturday they will be around 18-19 in measurement. If this is the case, I will start another medication Monday and we will retrieve the eggs on Wednesday.

As for how I am feeling: Its not all that bad taking the hormones. I do feel a little weepy sometimes but not crazy! I am a little sick and have only been able to take Vitamin C, Tylenol & Saline Solution for congestion. I can't tell if its the hormones making me feel bad or just the cold I've got going on. Nik & Trey have been SO sweet. They keep trying to make me laugh and bring me treats!

Lots of Follicles!

This morning was both mine & Niks doctors appointments. He had the sperm aspiration. They were able to get 100 sperms. (So exciting to think my little girl is half way there in this ifv process!!). They used Propofol to put him under. He was nervous because we all know this is what Michael Jackson used to go to sleep every night. Dr Valencia reassured him that it was much different because Nik was only going to be "under" less than an hour and he would have an anesthesiologist present. There were actually a room full of doctors and nurses to assist in this procedure.

Nik before surgery:

Since MJ was the last thing Nik was talking about before he went to sleep, he ended up dreaming about him. He said MJ was mad at him because he couldn't moon walk but kept doing those little funny "hee hee" laughs! Too funny..... I will have to think of something really fun when they put me under. I definitely don't want to be dreaming of a mean Michael Jackson laughing creepily at me.

As for my appointment, it was excruciating. They did the ultrasound of my uterus and since I am on all these hormones, there were a lot of follicles. I was able to see lots of them which was a wonderful sign! Dr Valencia said that since there are so many eggs, he is considering freezing both eggs & embryos. He is going to talk with us more about this tomorrow (after yet another ultrasound). I would much rather freeze eggs than embryos.

Dr Valencia also said that he may be changing my hormones tomorrow. He decreased my dosage a couple days ago but since things are going so well, he is probably going to change meds. I guess since everything is so healthy, we are going to go a less aggressive route!!

Nik was a trooper. After he was out of recovery, we went to the local mall and got some lunch & ice cream. I couldn't believe how much he was walking around. He must have a super-high tolerance for pain. I know I was ready to come home & curl in bed after my exam and he was ready to go walk around the mall!!

He is now passed out in bed, I guess the meds are kicking in! I am making him beef stew for dinner since it was his special request.

Thats it for now!!

More Blood Testing Today

So today we went in to the doctors at 8:00am. The place was still hustling & bustling. There are always so many people there. Today I just had to get a blood test to check my hormone levels to see if I need to have more or less hormones from the shots that I get daily. Everything was great and he decreased my Gonal shot from 187.5 to 125. This is great because although I haven't felt really crazy like some have said I would, I have been feeling a little on the verge of tears then want to laugh when my boys call me out!

Lets talk about Nik and giving me the shots every morning.... He is definitely not cut out to be a nurse. The first morning he gave it to me, he held the needle like he was about to murder me. (think that Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho). Then jabbed it in quickly, it hurt like no tomorrow. The next day he went slower and this was much better. Then today, he put it in the wrong spot (in my muscle) instead of soft flesh. I pray that tomorrow he does a better job! I am going to make a bullseye for him, that should help.

Tomorrow is another day at the doctors office. Nik has an 8:30 am appointment for his sperm aspiration. He will be lightly sedated with anesthesia so he won't feel a thing. Thank goodness!! One of his friends sent him these scary pictures of what they are going to do. Bless his heart, he knew it was worth it and wasn't even scared. When the Dr. told him he would be sedated, you could just see the stress melt off of him!

I also have an appointment at 10:30 am tomorrow.  They are going to test my uterus for polyps and fibers. Hopefully this exam will be perfect as all the others ones have been.

The weather here in Quito is nuts. In the morning it will be cold, then mid-day it is warm, then at night it is freezing. It can also rain at the drop of a hat, so the last couple days I have been a little under the weather. Just head cold and congested. Luckily there are fresh juice places EVERYWHERE! I have had more fresh orange juice here than any other time in my life.

That's whats happening here!

Started hormones today!

This morning I had my second appointment with Dr. Pablo Valencia. I was instructed to go back to his office on the 2nd day of my monthly cycle for blood testing. Today they drew blood for: Group Factor RH, VDRL, HIV 1+2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Prolactina, FSH, Estradiol, TSH, & Rubeola IGG/IGM.

After they drew my blood I went back in to speak with Dr. Pablo. We explained that we are are only here for a limited time. We originally thought the whole procedure would only take 2-3 weeks but since we are also ordering genetic testing, it will be an extra 10 days.

Since we are trying to fast-track everything, he went ahead and checked my ovaries today via ultrasound. He checked to see how many follicles (the exterior that houses your eggs) I had and also making sure there were no cysts or abnormalities with my ovaries. If there was anything wrong with this ultrasound, then we would have to start birth control and it would add more time to the process. Thank goodness that my ultrasound came back perfect!! AND..... I have tons of follicles, which means there are going to be lots of eggs for him to harvest when the time comes.  YAY..... Thank you Jesus!!

I also started taking the hormones today to aid in producing the maximum amount of eggs. I am taking Gonal. It is a shot that is given with the tiniest needle. I barely felt it when I got my first injection today. It is really cool, it looks like a pen and you click it to get to the correct dose. Once you have selected 187.5 (my dosage), you will screw on a fresh needle and insert it right under my bellybutton to the left side on one day then the right on the next and on and on for the next 5 days. On January 21st,  I will come back to the doctor for another blood test to check my hormone levels. At this time, Dr. Pablo will determine if I need more or less hormones. In total, I will be taking these shots once a day for 10 days.

Then on January 22nd we will go back to Dr. Pablos and do an ultrasound to make sure there are no polyps or fibers inside my uterus. At this time Nik will also have a surgery to retrieve his sperm. Luckily he will be under light anesthesia so he won't feel a thing! Dr. Pablo actually said he prefers it when the men have had a vasectomy because it is easier to get the sperm! They will freeze his sperm until they are ready to create the embryos. He said it is completely safe to freeze the sperm and that it will not have any effect on the quality.

As for now, the last appointment we have scheduled is for January 23rd when I will have another ultrasound to check to see how many eggs are growing. This may not be the technical term for it but we were doing a lot of talking and I was trying to write as fast as I could to try to keep all this information in check. I am sure as the appointments get here, I will get more detailed information!

So thats it for now! We are on our way, started taking hormones today so we are that much closer!!!!

Dreams of being a mommy again!

Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted kids. I used to pretend that my room was an apartment and I was a mommy to my cabbage patch dolls. I would walk them in strollers and fasten them in little plastic car seats in the back seat of my moms car.

I met my husband, Nik, when I was 19 years old and we have been together ever since! We had a little boy, Trey, back in 2003. He was a natural conception. I always knew that my second child would be a little girl. I planned on adopting so immediately after Trey was born, Nik had a vasectomy. Fast-forward 10 years later and we now find ourselves getting ready to move to Salinas, Ecuador. I am now 32 years old and the burning desire to become a mommy to that little girl has been more and more prevalent. Especially since this past year, I have had 4 different girlfriends get pregnant, all with little girls. One of my dear friends even picked the same name I wanted to name my future daughter, Ava.

The adoption process here in Ecuador can take 3-5 years after you become a resident. I cannot wait that long so we have chosen to go with in vitro fertilization. Since it is very expensive in USA, I choose to come to Ecuador.  I spent countless hours online researching the best doctors who can do the treatment with gender selection. Dr. Pablo Valencia is the doctor that I choose to go with. He had a great website and gave me his personal email. He is bilingual and answered all my millions of questions thru email. Once I booked the appointment we made arrangements to come to Ecuador, to close on our new beach houses then 2 weeks later, fly to Quito to come meet Dr. Pablo Valencia.

When I shared with my Ecuador friends that  I was coming here to see Dr. Valencia, everyone says that he is very famous here. He has gotten lots of couples pregnant and almost everyone I told knew of him! This was such a great sign. It really made me feel that all my research had paid off!

So this morning was my first appointment. I was totally impressed with his nice office and there were so many other couples in the waiting area. Once we met Dr. Valencia he was so nice. He took his time explaining the procedure and made sure that I felt completely comfortable and all my questions had been answered.

Here is the front of Dr Valencia's office: 

Dr. Pablo explained how they do genetic testing on 5 different chromosomes to ensure you will have a healthy embryo with no down syndrome or health defects. This is also where they discover the gender. XX is girl so we are looking for quite a few of those!

Here is Dr. Pablo Valencia:

Nik had his blood taken today to test for disease and normal stuff like that. 

This is completely normal, and same thing they do when a female is pregnant! We will get all his results back in 2 days. We were both prescribed to take an antibiotic for the next 3 days to be sure there won't be any bacteria in our bodies. I was prescribed prenatal vitamins to be taken every day throughout the pregnancy!

Now we will just wait for the 2nd day of my monthly cycle then I will go back to the doctors office for my blood testing.

This is a brief synopsis of what happened up until now. As we go back to the doctors office I will keep everyone informed of our journey!