Life's Journey Part 3

IVF here we come!!! Oh wait, nevermind. Life decided to throw me yet ANOTHER curveball in the form of a Crohn's flare up in August 2010. I had stopped my medication because I was so worried about it hurting a potential pregnancy. It turns out my body needs that medication. After much debating, my gastro doc and I decided it was better for my body to be healthy and to stay on the medication. He assured me he had many pregnant women on the same medication and they never had any problems. October 28, 2010 marks the beginning of our first attempt at IVF! I started birth control pills on the 29th. Blood work revealed that I had a high FSH reading meaning I have fewer eggs than what I should have...GREAT! I began antibiotics on Nov 4. On Nov 17 we had our baseline ultrasound to look at my ovaries and to sign paperwork. I learned here that I had a small cyst on my right ovary. We were hopeful Lupron would shrink the cyst. I had to keep going back to check on that damn cyst. Finally it went away and I was able to start Follistim on Dec. 2nd. So here was the schedule:
12-2 Start Follistim at 300 units in evening
12-3 A.M. Decrease Lupron to 5 units, Follistim still 300 units in A.M. and P.M.
12-6 Bloodwork in A.M. sonogram at 9:00 (showed I had 3 follicles on the left measuring 8, 8, and 9) and 2 follicles on the right measuring 8, and 4)
12-9 Blood work in A.M. and sonogram at 2:45 (showed only 4 follies that were a good size. There were others but they were way too small. We were probably going to have to convert this IVF to an IUI. I needed at least 10 good size follicles to make IVF worth it.
12-12 Blood work in A.M. and sonogram at 10:00
**My body failed me once again. I only made 4 eggs. I had to give myself the Ovidrel injection to induce ovulation of those eggs and prepare for IUI.**
12-13 and 12-14: IUI.
12-28 BFN

I was so disappointed about this! But Dr. Hansard assured me that we would change the protocol and do a different round of injections since I was now labeled a "poor responder." Although I was so anxious to try again, I decided it would be better if we waited until school was out for the summer. I would be so much more relaxed then. I decided to take the next 4 months to make myself as healthy in my mind and body as possible. I began acupuncture as well as a few different vitamin supplements. During this time I just focused on myself and looked forward to the summer. It seemed like all of my friends were getting pregnant. That was hard. At one time, there were 6 teachers pregnant at my school. Although I love my friends and were happy for them, I still hated to see their growing bellies. I really enjoyed my weekly acupuncture appointments. I always felt so relaxed when I left. She would put the needles in, put heat lamps over me, turn on quiet music, turn off the lights, and then let me nap for an hour. I loved it!! My acupuncturist deals with infertility so I was hopeful, but I thought at the very least, this will just help to relax me. The end of the school year was quickly approaching and I was getting so excited/nervous about our second attempt at IVF!!!!