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Wow. It's been...a while.
I don't think I ever meant to fall off the face of the planet. It's just what "had" to happen in my mind to prevent utter catastrophe. I have had several women contact me over the last 20 months (WUT?!) and ask me questions about my experiences seeking Reproductive Immunology treatment, as well as what my outcome was, so let me give a brief synopsis:
The result of my FET in June of 2016 yielded an uncomplicated, although very medically-heavy, pregnancy of twin girls. They will be 14 months old this week (DOUBLE WUT?!). I can't pinpoint exactly how this happened, and can't really believe it happened either. My last fresh cycle was in February 2016. I think I may have blogged about the utter emotional breakdown I had at my baseline u/s when I only had 3 follicles. Yea, the girls were born exactly a year after that day. It just goes to show how things can be so different in a year...or, in the case of infertility, can be exactly the same year after year, intensifying the pain. That's how Halloween was for me. For some reason, every Halloween that passed where we didn't have kids was a painful reminder of what we didn't have, and honestly, what I thought I would never have.
To recap my cycle briefly: In February 2016 I did a MDLF protocol with human growth hormone (HGH). I was also on prednisone while stimming and a broad-spectrum antibiotic (Augmentin). The best I can assume is that those two things were given to me to decrease any inflammation and fix any infections I may have had that could have impacted my egg quality. I yielded 12 eggs (the most ever), 5 were mature at retrieval (Yay propofol day!!) and 2 matured overnight...giving me 7 eggs. I seriously always get 7. 3 turned into blasts...2 on day 5 and one on day 6. I then went into 3 months of Lupron Depo injections to put me into a medically-induced menopause and "reset" my lining. I began FET prep with letrazole, more antibiotics, prednisone, and eventually lovenox (a combo of my RE's plan and my RI treatment with Dr. KK)....I had blogged about flying out to KK for a lining check, which went well, and transfer was the following week.
And I had a beta that kept increasing. A completely foreign experience.
Working with KK is...intense. I flew out for my initial workup, before transfer, and again at 9 weeks pregnant to check my uterine blood flow. I had a bleed at 8w4d that was found to be a SCH and was put on "couch rest." I took it so seriously that I stayed out of work for 6 weeks. Finances be damned! I was so terribly, terribly afraid. KK required betas every other day until the first ultrasound, after which she required weekly u/s throughout the first tri. Because I also have a metabolic disorder that can impact heart development as well as growth of a fetus, plus a twin pregnancy, I was solely seen by MFM and has u/s every two weeks until 28 weeks, then weekly. KK required blood work every week through 20-something weeks when I finally weaned off estrogen and PIO, and then it was every two weeks. I began IVIG infusions around 9 weeks because KK's theory is that the development of an SCH can be related to an immune process, although my immune levels (NK and Cytokines) were all over the place, but never terribly high. I did IVIG every 2-3 weeks from 9-34 weeks. Insurance covered it but we still were responsible for $540 until we met our OOP max. I also had to adhere to my metabolic protocol which revolved around protein restriction in my diet and protein supplementation drinks that have the amino acid that I can't process correctly removed from it. I also had to do weekly b/w for my phenylalanine level. I wound up making it to my scheduled c/s at 37w4d.
What contributed to my success? I don't know. I did a new protocol, used HGH, was doing an RI treatment, had blasts for the first time ever, and reset my lining plus used antibiotics and primed for the FET with Letrozole, which is thought to improve lining issues.
With so many women reaching out to me, and with me beginning to cycle again, I felt like re-starting this would be helpful for everyone. Infertility doesn't go away, and neither do the deeply ingrained emotions. So, to honor that, and to hopefully help some others...here I am. Again.
