Not this time either...

IVF# 2 was a failure.

I took stims for 10 days, got 9 eggs and had 6 fertilized. 5 via ICSI and 4 naturally. We transferred 2 Day 3 embryos (8-cell & 9-cell). I had all the same symptoms as before from the Progesterone and a head-cold as well. Our embryos were much better quality this time, so the change in protocol did help, even if there were fewer of them. We had one embryo that made it to blastocyst stage and was frozen.

With the mess from the insurance company I did all my monitoring in Charlotte... a roughly 3 hr round-trip drive for an entire week. I still hate Lupron (even the micro-dose) and it hates me. The transfer bugs me, the nurses helping with the ultrasounds are ALWAYS amazed at how mangled/huge my ovaries are and make some type of comment. The Dr just says I'm an extreme case of Endo and gives me more Vicoden to survive.

We spent this weekend drinking away our cares. I don't know what the next step is, perhaps the Dr will let us transfer the one frozen blastocyst (if we are lucky enough for it to survive the thaw) or she may prefer me to have another surgery to remove the cyst (the fluid was too thick to drain completely) and any other new endometriosis that may have formed from all the hormones.

Either way I do need a break. I had forgotten how difficult the first cycle was, this was the same... It really is the most draining thing I've yet to deal with. As a note to myself for a next time : Yes, it is that hard... you just keep forgetting! And yes those symptoms mean absolutely nothing.

So, plan of action. If I need surgery then that will include a 3 month rest from the IVF cycle, and I'm going to get a specialist in Atlanta to perform the surgery, then another few months break to recover from that. Before starting again.

If I can do the FET (frozen embryo transfer) without surgery, then, well... that would be super. But still requires some waiting time and an extreme amount of good luck.

In the meantime, I'd like to get back to being normal for a bit - once these hormones leave my body. Golfing, perhaps some running, and just generally ignoring all baby-related things if possible.

I did have a good (yet very sore) birthday though, out to eat and a movie. We've been going to the movies a lot lately to help relax. Its fun and should be done more often.