Embryo transfer

We pushed back our transfer day twice. We were originally going to do it in July, and ran out of money, we then changed it to September but decided to do October because they were doing a transfer in St. George that month. The transfer went very smoothly, and up until this point I was just trying to exercise and stay healthy. Our transfer date was Friday, October 28. We were both so excited and nervous. The morning of you get ready in comfy clothes; I suggest leggings, a robe and no smelly stuff. I used every trick in the book to "help the baby implant" -wearing socks so your feet stay warm -keeping your belly warm before transfer, but not afterwards -eating pineapple core and walnuts With our fertility clinic they also require 3 princess days which means the only activities you can do are make a sandwich and take a shower. I tried to drink lots of fluids and tried to keep my mind occupied because this wait is difficult. After the day of transfer you wait 10 days for a pregnancy test. This also is a hard wait, because you take every little feeling as a "sign" Some people spot after the transfer and some cramp. I had cramping and Joanna had a little spotting. Most of this is all normal, everyone's body is so different. Joanna and I were both very lucky we both got pregnant and they implanted one in each of us. The day of transfer you are considered 2.5 weeks pregnant. The day of the pregnancy test you are 4 weeks and then they do another quantitative HCG level to make sure your numbers are rising. I bled/spotted from 4.1weeks until close to 7 weeks. We were in such shock because at 5.5 weeks we found out that our embryo I was carrying had slit and they both had heart-rates that sounded great and strong. At 7 weeks we had our first ultrasound with our IVF clinic and baby A no longer had a heart beat. I was very sad, nervous and feel very grateful that I carried that little one for such a short time. We are now 8 weeks along. I have my first OB appointment Tuesday night and will be watched very closely by my OB, HR OB and CF clinic. Currently I am continuously nauseated but notice that if I drink a gallon of water a day, it goes down significantly. I also do not sleep well at night, because I am already uncomfortable. I know there is more to come, I am so happy with how far we have come and I just pray constantly for our 2 babies and Joanna that everything will work out.

How to have a successful egg retrieval

Leading up to my egg retrieval I had did a lot research about egg retrievals and also talked with all my patients that had gone through the same. 4 years ago we had our first egg retrieval that I felt was for the most part successful but I knew this year I would be older, and we would be doing PGD which could limit the number of usable embryos. I decided I would combine all information and come up with my own combination to have a successful egg retrieval. 
Preparing for egg retrieval
For 5 months (The acupuncturist suggested to do 3 months, but our egg retrieval date changed a few times) prior to my egg retrieval I did acupuncture once a week with a licensed therapist that specialized in woman's oriental medicine. I had never done this before but found it very relaxing and I noticed a change in my menstrual cycle after the first month. I felt great!! At about 3 months prior to the egg retrieval I started taking royal jelly pills, wheat grass pills and drank alkaline water (you do not have to buy the expensive bottled kind, you can make your own). About 30 days before I went on the fertility diet. This diet does not really focus on what to take out of your diet but what to add. They suggest adding 5 things to your diet every day. 1. drink a gallon of water 2. drink a fertility smoothie (just a mix of fruits and veggies with an added fertility super food ex. royal jelly) 3. drink a green drink (I used Amazing Grass Green Superfood Original) 4. A large salad 5. Spinach A lot of these steps you can totally add together so it doesn't seem like too much. Once I started taking medications from the IVF doctor I did not take anything extra and I discontinued all acupuncture treatments.
Our egg retrieval 
Our retrieval was June 28th. We ended up retrieving 35 eggs, which is almost double than the last time. Last time we retrieved 21, ended up fertilizing all of them, but at the end of the 5 days we had 5 left. This time we started with 35, 23 were mature enough to fertilize and 17 fertilized normally. At the end of the 5 days 10 were frozen and after PGD 4 had mutations. We ended up with 6 frozen. Now last time we had 5 frozen but out of those 5 frozen we have one live baby, we also did not do PGD so who knows if any of them had any genetic issues. We were very happy with all of this and were so grateful for everyones help.  
Side effects after egg retrieval 
With my first egg retrieval I didn't really have any bad side effects. I remember feeling bloated but we had also done a fresh embryo transfer and became pregnant shortly after. This time I was very bloated and very swollen and had pain as well. This lasted for about 9 days, at 7 days post I was starting to worry that I wasn't feeling better at all. I didn't really do much these 9 days, stayed down most of the time, drank Gatorade and took pain medication. 
I hope this helps any of you going through this process. It is not the easiest of funnest thing, but remember what you are doing it for and try and stay positive

Steps of IVF with a surrogate

The process of IVF it difficult, expensive, takes time, and is stressful. With a surrogate and the laws in the state of Utah, plus IVF is sometimes almost unbearable for my mind to comprehend. I have been reminded that if I want a baby, then I just need to get over what the laws are and just "jump the hoops." My mind is great at thinking of all the worst case scenarios and living them in my mind. This in the past has put me in really bad places, and has caused depression. Luckily the staff at Utah Fertility Center are great at helping you through the process and leading you in the right direction. The other thing that has been so great is that Joanna and Jason are all for us getting a baby and we have been on the same side with everything. I am so lucky to have so many people helping me try and get a baby here for us. I am going to walk you through the steps thus far that we have done to get us to the beginning stages of IVF with a surrogate

1. Talk with the fertility center of your choice for an initial consultation we have used Utah Fertility Center every time, we love them, and would never use another clinic. (Every time you start IVF you need one of these) at this appointment you will talk about what you will need to have done to start. 
2. Get labs drawn and have a water ultrasound. Both Joanna and Jason both had labs. (water ultrasound is about $450)
3. Start birth control ($30 a pack) 
4. Contact the Reproductive attorney of your choice preferably in the state in which the baby will be born. The attorney that we have been using, has been awesome at answering questions over the phone about insurance, price, and other legal questions we have had. Of course you only need an attorney if you are using a surrogate.
5. This is about where I had our egg retrieval, depending on what fertility clinic you use and what you have to do; ours cost about $8,500. We also did PGS which is an extra $4,000.
6. Contact a licensed Clinical Psychologist that specializes in fertility. We were recommended to see Human Potential in Salt Lake City. Both couples will need an appointment. $275 a couple
7. Once your surrogate has medical clearance from the fertility center contact the attorney again and get started on the contracts. Contracts are approx $2,000 and to have the court fees and home study $2,500 (yes, we have to have a home study; even though it's our baby). 
8. Your IVF coordinator will give you a color coded calendar that tells you when you appointments and when you start and stop a medication.
9. For the transfer it will be $6,400 for our surrogate and $4,500 for myself.   

You may be asking yourself; how could anyone ever afford this?? Although it is very expensive, we have saved; taken out loans on vehicles that were paid off, and opened numerous credit cards. There are many different options that I will talk about in another post. This is where we are at in the process of things. Our transfer date is October 28th and we are just so nervously excited. There are so many legal things that have to take place to have a surrogate, this part is actually more expensive than having the embryo transfer for our surrogate. Unfortunately this is just the way things go. Like I said earlier, no matter what happens it is our baby; even if we are called the "intended parents." Even if we have to get a court order for us to be on the birth certificate, we are still the parents. In the long run, none of this stuff is important. The only important thing is that WE ARE THE PARENTS, we have worked so hard for these babies and want them so much. 

Sinus Surgery

The past few years since we have lived in Las Vegas, I have had recurring sinus infections and ear infections. The year before we moved here I had my tonsils and adenoids removed (not knowing I had Cystic Fibrosis) to help dull my allergies. Has it helped? I'm not really sure, was it painful and would I do it again?? Probably not. So far my most painful surgery, by far.

 Since October I had about 6 sinus infections in 4 months. My CF doctor stated she didn't want to treat me any more and I needed to see an ENT. I set up my appointments and after my Sinus CT, it was confirmed that I had a crooked septum, I had polyps in my frontal sinus, no opening on my right side and my sinus cavities were full of infection. I had surgery on a Thursday morning. This was much different than my first sinus surgery and for sure a better recovery. They no longer use packing and my surgeon here is absolutely amazing!! I was under for 2 hours, he is very meticulous and made sure everything was done right. I had my mom come to watch O, but things went well. The older I get, I don't like the affect pain medication has on me. It doesn't make me tired, it actually gives me more focused energy which makes it difficult to sleep the tired off. I did however take medication for about a week. After day 4 I was able to get my splints out, which was such a relief. Today I actually had my post op appointment. Dr. Shroeder said every thing looked well and I could probably breathe better than I ever have. 

Don't I just look so lovely in these photos?? 

Trying again?

Timmy and I have always wanted a big family. I have struggled coming to terms that this may not be the case for us. We have gone maybe 4 out of 10 years without trying for kids, and it constantly consumes my thoughts and desires. This past fall being told that I had Cystic Fibrosis was very frustrating and at one point I thought to myself "Well, I guess this is it." After I said that my hotheadedness came out and I immediately said out loud "You can throw anything at me and I won't stop trying to have kids." I was mad; I couldn't think of one more thing that my Heavenly Father could throw at me. I had already been through a loss, a son born early, a miscarriage and now a terminal genetic disease. I know there are much worse things out there, so I won't even go there. Now that I have had a chest CT, the doctors found Myobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) on my right lung. This disease is related to tuberculosis (TB), the treatment is the same, but the actual disease I have read is a lot less severe, with hardly any symptoms. Nausea, night sweats, fatigue and shortness of breath are a few. I have all of these symptoms, but just assumed it was my body and have never really noticed a difference. The only problem with getting treated is that it is so long; approximately 18 months, and I would like another baby. My current options are wait and get treated, get pregnant and push treatment back, find a surrogate, or adopt. I am really okay with any or all options, I just want it to be safe for me and my baby.

This first paragraph was written about 4 months ago, I was really down about our options and didn't know which process to start. We started doing a lot of research and got information for adoption, and foster care. I don't know why I never published it, but since then we have had some really amazing news. I will be going through another cycle of IVF and we will also be using a surrogate!! Meet my amazing sister in law Joanna Williams.

A few months after this was written she came to me and said she felt like she was physically done having kids, but she was not done having children she wanted to carry a baby for us, Timmy was not with me at the time, and neither was her husband. She said that she had talked to Jason and he was really not on board with the idea, but told him to think about it for a few weeks and then let her know. We were sitting at one of Timmy's sisters house making ribbons for an officer who had passed away. As Joanna and I were making ribbons, Jason came in and was crying, he came up to me and gave me the biggest hug and said "I know this is what we are suppose to do, lets get you a baby!!" I think this had come as a shock to Jo because she had just mentioned it to him the night before. As we were all sitting there crying, I had the biggest relief come over me. I knew that this was part of the answers to my prayers. Timmy and I had been trying so hard, looked into every option, and we know this is the best thing for our family, we can't wait to see what happens and live the journey.