Infertility, Part 8

After our egg retrieval at the end of 2022, we were tentatively scheduled for our embryo transfer in January 2023! After discussion with our doctor at the clinic, we decided to move to forward with a medicated frozen embryo transfer. This type of transfer is preferred by clinics because it easier to control – you know the exact date of transfer well in advance and the clinic can adjust medications to achieve the results that they are looking for. This is the same type of transfer that I had done for the previous two, but this clinic was going to use completely different medications, so it felt like it a new approach. Additionally, I would be adding in an immunotherapy infusion called Intralipid (meant to help keep my body from rejecting the embryo). It felt like a solid plan. So, at the end of December, all my medications were delivered and the process began!

FET #3

For my medicated (or programmed cycle, as my clinic calls it), I received a calendar with all the dates and doses of my medications! In all honesty, it was incredibly overhwhelming, but I tried to stay as organized and calm as possible!

I had a minor meltdown on my birthday when I accidentally injected the wrong medication, doubling my dose of Lupron. Let’s be real… it wasn’t a minor meltdown, it was full-on hysterics until the nurse called me back and assured me that it made absolutely no difference at all. The good ‘ole Google machine also confirmed, it really wouldn’t make any difference. Phew…

My mom flew in for the transfer as well, which was really special. We ate at a nice sushi restaurant the night before, celebrating what would (hopefully) be the last sushi for 9 months as well as our birthdays.

Dinner was amazing! If you’re ever in Boulder, definitely try out Japango! The next morning, we all got up, put on our pineapple garb, and got ready to head out for the transfer! My clinic has me drink an insane amount of water prior to the transfer (having a full bladder makes the transfer easier) as well as take a Valium to keep you nice and relaxed. I took off the day of the transfer as well as the following day, so we were able to take it easy.

We made it to the clinic and were taken to the back to get ready for the transfer! While my mom stayed in the waiting room, we were able to take a video for her of the whole process, which was awesome. The transfer process was pretty similar to the other two transfers and everything seemed to go as expected! I walked out Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise (PUPO!). After the transfer, we went over to McDonalds, following the old wives tale of having french fries after a transfer. Then, came home and watched movies on the couch for 2 days! Living the Life!

The Two Week Wait

The dreaded two week wait was no easier the third time around. In fact, it was probably the hardest to date. I made the decision to not take a pregnancy test for the entire 2 weeks. I was a nervous wreck… We tried to stay busy, though. We took my mom over to Estes Park and Fort Collins and tried to do things that I enjoyed to keep my mind off the results.

Ten days after the transfer, I went for my blood work. The nurse was shocked that I hadn’t tested! I remember it being a slower day at work, so during my downtime, I would distract myself with an adult coloring book to try to keep me calm and happy. It was a long day, but around 3:30pm, the nurse finally called. Unfortunately, it was right when Charles was in a meeting, so I took the call by myself.

The nurse was very sympathetic and let me know that the transfer was unsuccessful. I immediately started crying and was so upset. I had a little pity-party and eventually texted my mom that it didn’t work. She called Charles to tell him to take me out for a nice dinner and drinks on her, which was really very helpful to me. (Anyone can look happy on their third drink!). The next day, Charles and I decided to do a hard hike and I told him that being in God’s nature really is one of the most therapeutic things someone can do when facing a difficult situation. It was also when one of my favorite pictures of Charles and I was taken.

Regrouping, Again

We got scheduled for a follow up with my doctor for the following week after my transfer to discuss the next steps. We added a new diagnosis to the mix as well – Recurrent Implantation Failure. On the positive side, we still had 4 good quality embryos, so another egg retreival wasn’t necessary! However, we ultimately decided that we needed to do some additional testing, which would unfortunately delay the next transfer by up to 4-6 months, depending on the results. It was a major disappointment, but something that the doctor and Charles and I felt was necessary to do… We got it scheduled and played the waiting game yet again…