DAY ONE

I’ve been quiet for a while, but now that I’m finally on DAY ONE of my VERY LAST FERTILITY CYCLE EVER, I figured it’s time to share what we’ve been up to the last couple months.  After losing one embryo in May, and two in August, we knew we had only one more shot to use our last two embryos.  We decided to do a complete mock IVF cycle to perform an endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA).  This means that we just completed an entire cycle with all the doctor appointments, medication, & cost, but instead of an embryo transfer on a specific day, we did a biopsy called an ERA.  The ERA test helps avoid implantation failure by establishing the best day for embryo transfer using a biopsy sample of endometrial tissue.  It will determine if the endometrium lining is receptive or not at the time of sampling, by analyzing 248 genes involved in endometrial receptivity.  The ERA test can find the personalized window of implantation in case of displacement, and will allow a personalized embryo transfer.  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  Well in English:  The ERA test will inform us when my uterine lining is ready for the embryo transfer to take place – on day 19, 20, or 21.  Now our son Colton was successfully transferred on day 20, so my test has a high percentage of coming back as a day 20.  However, if it comes back a day 19 or 21, then we possibly know why our last two cycles failed.  I personally hope it’s a day 19 or 21 result, so I can have some sort of closure & understanding the loss of our three embabies in those cycles.

So now “day one” is finally here today, where do we go from here?  Tomorrow I have blood and ultrasound, and the cycle moves at a pretty slow pace from there.  Birth control begins on day three or four (so this Saturday or Sunday) and will last for 3-4 weeks.  Birth control is used to suppress follicle development, decrease the chances of creating cysts that would interfere with the cycle start, and allows the doctor to control the timing of the entire cycle.  The next step is to begin IVF meds (Lupron injections, estrogen patches & suppositories, progesterone injections & suppositories – sounds fun right?), which will then move on to an embryo transfer in early December (1st or 2nd week of).  So the cycle itself is approximately 60 days from start to embryo transfer, and then another 10-12 day wait for a pregnancy test.

My thoughts and feelings on going into our very last fertility cycle – it’s very bitter sweet.  Infertility treatment gave us Colton – he’s our miracle, and without treatment he would not be here with us.  However, we began this journey in 2011, and my body and mind have endured more than most people can possibly imagine.  So with that being said, I’m happy to be entering our very last cycle, and finally be able to move on to the next chapter in our lives when it’s over, whether the end result is another miracle or another heartbreak.  All I can do now is remain positive and hope for an addition to our family in December.

Quick update Mr. Colton Charles – Time sure does fly, he just turned TWO!  He’s has the most amazing personality, is always keeping us on our toes, always making us laugh (even when he gets in trouble), and melts our hearts with that big heart of his.  He’s learning so quickly, saying more words, & repeating things (which can be a little scary HAHA).  However, with the age 2, come the “terrible” parts also LOL.  He knows exactly how to push buttons, just the right time to throw a tantrum, and sometimes struggles with sharing with buddies, but we’re working on that.  He’s just a perfect little human and we love him so much.  We can’t wait to watch him grow more, even if some days we just want to freeze time so he’s this little forever.