Inseminated!

We are inseminated!!!  

I was SUPER nervous waiting this morning for them to process the sample, then we waited what seemed like forever but was about 40 minutes and at that point we had decided they didn't find any sperm and were waiting on the doctor to tell us. Then they called us back and the embryologist said "come look at the microscope" and my heart fell to my knees.  Then she's like, There are good swimmers in there!  

They said they don't do an actual count but  '2.5 mil after wash" was written on the thing beside the microscope with our name on it, so I'm guessing that is their estimate which is WAY better than we ever had before.  So I'm hopeful. The doctor seemed very happy so I'm happy now too. 

I'm a little annoyed though because they don't schedule a beta, just said to do home pregnancy test.

What's next?  If an egg gets fertilized then it takes 5-7 days for it to implant in the uterus and start growing. Another 3-5 days after that HCG levels ( HCG is secreted by the growing embryo) should rise to a point a pregnancy test would showt positive.  On Saturday I start a progesterone supplement to help sustain an embryo.

Between now and then I mostly wait. I can test out my trigger.  The trigger is a shot of HCG given before IUI to help mature the eggs and ensure strong ovulation.     testing out the triggrt means taking pregnancy test now until it's negative so that I'll know the result on the one in 3 weeks is a true result and not leftover HCG from the trigger shot. 

IUI Eve

Went for my follicle check today and had 3 mature ones, doctors office went ahead and gave me HCG trigger shot and I go in at 7:45 tomorrow for a date with the turkey baster. Hubby has to do his collection at home and we bring it in, hopefully there are lots of swimmers.

IUI

On Sunday I started Clomid, 100mg once a day.  Today was the final dose,  I go in Tuesday for an ultrasound and then should trigger and do the IUI late next week.

While the Clomid is MUCH easier than the IVF drugs it triggered the worst migraine of my life today with tingling hands, dizziness and excruciating headache.

What's next

It's been about a month since my last post.  We have been taking a break while we figure out what we wanted to do.  Earlier this week we talked with our doctor and have decided to do an IUI with hubby's sperm only, no backup.  We know this has a quite low chance of success but we want to give it a try before moving on to donor.   So at the start of my cycle I will go on Clomid then will have ultrasounds to confirm ovulation and then we'll do the IUI.

Speaking of next cycle, I am still not back to normal after IVF. My cycles are usually 27-29 days and I'm on day 36 now and no sign of AF.

IUI= Inter Uterine Insemination.  The ejaculate is washed of all seminal fluid until only sperm is left and then its placed directly into the uterus that the time of ovulation.

Options

Saw our RE today to talk over what happened with the IVF and discuss options.

He is afraid, based on our IVF that the issue does not lie with just one of us, but both of us.

Our REALISTIC options are as follows

1. Donor IUI (low cost, 20% chance of success each cycle)

2. Donor egg with combo of hubby's sperm and donor sperm (high cost, 40% chance)

3. Adoption (high cost, success rate unknown)

4. Embryo adoption (mid cost, 40% chance)

He think embryo adoption is the best way to go and gave us some literature on it..

He does not think that we have any realistic chance doing an IUI with hubby's sperm.

So now we will research and talk and come to a decision about how we want to proceed.

IVF Cost

Since I did many searches for IVF cost before we began I thought I'd share what we ended up paying.

Total spent: $24,355.10 (Testing, Procedures, Medications for 2 cycles and another complete cycle)

Breakdown:

Medications: $7,012.69
Cycle 1: $3,711.76
Cycle 2: $3,300.93

IVF Cycle Cost with Clinic: $12,355

Testes biopsy and storage:  $2,300

TESE: $2,002

Miscellaneous Doctor Appointments/Services:  $438.94 (Urologist co-pay, Reproductive Endocrinologist co-pay, ultrasound for cyst not covered in cycle cost, surgery center co-pay )

Lab/Blood Work: $152.35

A little more info on the medications. I did a LOT of research and calling around before ordering my medications. The pharmacy that the IVF clinic usually uses that they recommended quoted me $4500 for my set of meds for the first cycle.   For the medications I needed it turned out that Walgreens Specialty was going to be cheapest using several discount programs.   I ended up saving over $800 for the first cycle by going with Walgreens and using discount programs.

The discount programs I used were: 

Heart + (https://www.ferringfertility.com/savings/heart/)

Fertility Pharmacy Care Card (http://www.newlifeagency.com/surrogate_maternity/fertility_pharmacy_care_card.cfm)

Follistim Manufacture Coupon (I got mine on eBay,shhh, don't tell anyone)

Here is the breakdown cost of all of my medications for both cycles

Medication	Quantity	Cost
Azithromycin	6	$10.00
Clindamycin Suppositories	3	$10.00
Dexamethasone	30	$10.00
Dexamethasone	30	$13.92
Dexamethasone	30	$10.00
Estradiol Suppository	14	$42.00
Estridol Valerate	5	$144.31
Folic Acid	30	$2.36
Folic Acid	30	$8.86
Follistim 300 IU	7	$1,834.00
Follistim 300 IU	7	$1,834.00
Follistim 600 IU	2	$748.00
Follistim 600 IU	1	$524.00
Ganirelex	7	$738.50
Ganirelex	7	$738.50
Ganirelex	1	$115.34
Ganirelex	5	$0.00*
Lupron	1	$199.00
Menopur	4	$300.00
Menopur	5	$150.00*
Novarell (HCG)	1	$79.90
Progesterone IM	20	$10.00
Progesterone/Estridol Suppositories	30	$45.00
Provera	5	$10.00

*I was lucky enough to have someone give me some leftover Ganirelex and was able to buy some Menopur at a reduced cost

Here is the simplified version

Medication	Cost
Azithromycin	$10.00
Clindamycin Suppositories	$10.00
Dexamethasone	$33.92
Estradiol Suppository	$42.00
Estridol Valerate	$144.31
Folic Acid	$11.22
Follistim	$4,940.00
Ganirelex	$1,592.34
Lupron	$199.00
Menopur	$450.00
Novarell (HCG)	$79.90
Progesterone IM	$10.00
Progesterone/Estridol Suppositories	$45.00
Provera	$10.00

Savings: 

Follistim Manufacture Coupon: $300

Fertility Pharmacy Care Card: $600

Improved count!!!!

For those of you following along at home the reason we were doing IVF is because hubby had basically zero sperm, highest count ever was 14 (not million, just 14). He had varicocele repair surgery just over a year ago but the only improvement was going from zero to the 14 or so.  When we started going down the IVF path he stopped the soy based protein shakes he was drinking twice daily, started taking Fertility Blend and CoQ10 and increased his caloric intake (he'd lost a LOT of weight in the past 2 years).

We have an appointment next week to talk to our RE about our options post IVF.  Hubby did a semen analysis yesterday in prep for that meeting. So nurse calls me today with results of yesterday's test. Get this 1 MILLION!!!!!  I know that most people would be devastated at a sperm count of one million but we are elated!  That opens up the possibility of IUI for us, maybe, hopefully.

This is the best news we've gotten in awhile!