TTC Timeline

May 2006 - Meet my husband at work....first comes love...

September 2012 - ...then comes marriage...

February 2014 - Visit a metabolism specialist to discuss my metabolic disorder               (hyperphenylalanemia) which results in Maternal PKU and requires a special low-protein diet, supplemental medical formula, and weekly blood tests from home to check my phenylalanine (an amino acid) levels while TTC and throughout pregnancy. Start my special diet and testing to get my phe levels down...also start temping and charting to make sure I'm ovulating and to pinpoint my cycles

July 2014 - ....then comes baby....levels are down, let's do this!

January 2015 - Referred to an RE by my metabolism peeps due to the nature of my medical treatment for my metabolic disorder

February 2015 - Baseline fertility tests completed. HSG went great. DH's sperm are awesome! My lining is fantastic! Tested + for Celiac Disease, AFC of 6, AMH of 0.8 and FSH of 9 (Diminished Ovarian Reserve), endometrioma noted on my R ovary, abnormal uterine deviation noted

March 2015 - Referral to GI about my Celiac, endoscopy with biopsy to confirm diagnosis (yup, confirmed), and gluten free diet started. Consult with surgical ob/gyn about uterine deviation. Decide to skip right to IVF due to DOR and the uncertainty it brings. BCP prep started for IVF #1. Begin acupuncture weekly/biweekly.

April 2015 - In-office hysteroscopy confirms uterine septum. Surgical ob/gyn decides to do an exploratory lap for endo since they have to put me under for the septum resection. Surgery scheduled, IVF #1 on hold. Also join a mind/body support group for women with infertility as I feel my emotional state faltering.

May 2015 - Exploratory lap performed with uterine septum resection. Septum successfully resected. Endo found on pelvic walls, rectal/vaginal area and ureters. We decide to leave the endometrioma alone so as to not decrease my ovarian reserve even further by removing ovarian tissue along with the endometrioma.

June 2015 - Surgical follow-up with ob/gyn and recovery/healing is going well. Begin BCP for IVF #1

July 2015 - IVF #1 (antagonist) begins with 75iu of Menopur and 225iu of Gonal-F nightly. After 3 days estrogen is only 40 so Menopur is increased to 225iu. Stim for 12 days with peak estrogen of 1750ish. ER yields 7 eggs, 6 mature., 4 fertilize. 3 day transfer of 1, 7-cell embryo with no fragmentation and rated as "high implantation potential," or, HIP. AF arrives at 10dp3dt, 2 days before beta. BFN and devastated, begin to slip into depression. Truthfully, depression probably began several months earlier.

August 2015 - WTF appt with RE. We decided to take a cycle off to recover and then go into IVF #2 with estrogen priming (EP) beginning on CD24 of my luteal phase combined with the antagonist protocol again. Begin CoQ10 with my doctors blessing and decide to increase my protein until we get closer to our cycle.

October 2015 - let the EP begin! Begin estrogen patches with ganirelix to supress, and chug along with stims at 225iu for Menopur and Gonal-F. Stim for 11 days. Peak estrogen at 1970 and 8 follicles noted!!! Woo hoo!! Egg retrieval yields 7 eggs, yet again. Ugh.

November 2015 - We find out at only 3 fertilized??!?!?!?!? What.the.fuck. I go batshit crazy and threaten to not show up for our mandated 3 day transfer by our clinic. Fight to transfer 2 embryos. Transfer an 8-cell HIP embryo and a 10-cell grade 2 (average) embryo. Start to feel reallllyyy nauseous around 9dp3dt but chalk it up to the estrace added with progesterone to prevent AF from showing up early again. Beta at 12dp3dt is 17. Fuck, a likely chemical pregnancy. Beta at 15dp3dt is 4. Beta at 19dp3dt is .9. RE won't give me any additional testing. Fuck this, I'm out. Consult with Dr. Wang at SIRM-CT. I hear he's beyond amazing and am referred to him from every DOR patient. Consult is amazing, he is amazing, his office is amazing. I'm sold, let's switch. He continues me on CoQ10, Vitamin D and my prenatal, but adds in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Resveratrol and Acai powder. DH is already on a vitamin but adds in Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Folic Acid for him as well.

Schedules the following tests: 3D saline sono to determine if my resection actually was successful or if any scar tissue buildup exists, Endometrial Function/Receptivity Test, CD2 b/w per my insurance, thrombophilia panel, prolactin and thyroid levels, DNA fragmentation test for DH and immune testing for me (NK cells and T1 and T2).

Thrombophilia panel comes back with one copy of MTHFR so Folgard prescribed. Vitamin D is 30 (normal level is 30-100) so Vitamin D upped from 400iu/day to 2000iu/day.

Begin tempting/charting and using OPKs to pinpoint ovulation so we can schedule the EFT for 9-11 dpo down in CT. As of CD27 my body hasn't ovulated, so we can't make the January cycle....

January 2016 - New AMH: .79 (from .82 in 2/2015) and FSH 8.9 (from 9 in 2/2015). Th1/Th2 Cytokine Ratio 90-95% - a high normal results - Prednisone added to stimulation next cycle.