TTC Timeline

2007

November

11/22 CD1

December

Try #1 on 12/1 and 12/4 with Sage. This was our secret ‘test drive’ with the mailers. We didn’t tell anyone but Sage and his partner. BFN
Try #2 on 12/24, 12/26, 12/28 and 12/29 in person at Sage’s house. BFN

2008

January

Try #3 on 1/22 and 1/24 with shipped sperm. BFN

February

Try #4 on 2/15 and 2/16 with shipped sperm. BFN
I started my blog!

March

We took a month off because we went to Europe!

April

Try #5 on 4/10 and 4/12 with shipped sperm. BFN

May

Try #6 on 5/6 and 5/8 in person at Sage’s house. BFN
Try #7 on 5/29 with shipped sperm. BFN

June

We would have tried on 6/24 but, due to an unfortunate incident involving a plane and a backed up toilet, our donor couldn’t get his sperm to fedex before closing time on the 23rd. So, no try this cycle.

July

Try #8 on 7/17 and 7/19 in person at Sage’s house. BFN

August

Try #9 on 8/14 with shipped sperm. BFN

September

Try #10 on 9/11 with shipped sperm. BFN
We asked a local friend if he would be our new KD.

October

Try #11 on 10/3 and 10/4 with shipped sperm. BFN.
After a month of consideration, our new KD said yes!
Try #12 on 10/28 with shipped sperm. BFN.

November

Try #13 on 11/20 and 11/21 with fresh sperm from our new donor, Basil. BFN.

December

Try #14 on 12/14, 12/16 and 12/19 with fresh sperm. BFN.

2009

January

Try #15 on 1/6 and 1/7 with fresh sperm. BFN.
Try #16 on 1/29, 1/31 and 2/1 with fresh sperm. BFN.

February

Try #17 on 2/25 and 2/26 with fresh sperm. BFN.

March

Try #18 on 3/23 with fresh sperm and absolutely no sign of ovulation. BFN.

April

Try #19 on 4/9 and 4/10 with fresh sperm. BFN.
50mg Cl0mid April26-30, CDs 3-7

May

Try #20 on 5/4, 5/5 and 5/7 with fresh sperm. We canceled the ultrasound scheduled for 5/4 because we thought Fern had already ovulated so it was an unmonitored cl0mid cycle. BFN.
50 mg Cl0mid May 23-27, CDs 3-7.
Trigger shot (0vadrel) 5/31 at noon
Try #21.1 on 5/31 at noon with fresh sperm.

June

Try #21.2 on 6/1, 30 hours after trigger, and try #21.3 on 6/2, 54 hours after trigger, with fresh sperm. BFN.

July

We took a month off because of travel.
We met with the RE midway through our skipped cycle and decided to switch to frozen sperm so we could try IUIs.
We scrambled to pick a bank and sperm and get everyone the paperwork they needed in a few days so we could try with frozen the next cycle.
Cl0mid CDs 3-7
Ultras0und on CD10 and subsequent blood work showed Fern had already ovulated – meaning we had to sit out another cycle.

August

IUI #1/Try #22 on 8/12, 36 hours after trigger, with frozen donor sperm from P@cific Reproductive.
Fem@ra on CDs 3-7.
Ultrasound on CD 9 showed 24mm follicle and 8mm lining. BFN.
New RE, back to K@iser.
We found a cyst on the right side during the CD1 ultrasound of the next cycle. Bloodwork showed that the cyst was producing too much estrogen so we had to cancel the cycle. Estrogen level on 8/26: 168

September

CD1 found the cyst persisting, growing, multiplying and still producing even more estrogen, so we have to cancel another cycle. Fern went on birth control pills to try to prevent new cysts. Estrogen level on 9/25: 483. Estorgen on 9/29: 909.

October

CD2 ultrasound found the cysts persisting but bloodwork showed estrogen level low enough to continue with the cycle. Estrogen level on 10/23: 103.
Cl0mid CD 3-7
CD9 ultrasound showed 2 follicles that hopefully weren’t cysts about 20 and 22mm and great looking lining.
Trigger on 10/31

November

IUI #2/Try #23 on 11/2, 36 hours after trigger, with frozen donor sperm from P@cific. BFN.
IUIs #3.1 and 3.2/Try #24 on 11/28 and 11/29, 24 and 48 hours after positive OPK. No meds, no trigger, just a lot of fertility-friendly living. Lining was 9mm and follicle was 28mm on 11/27, cd11. BFN.

December

Early ovulation (day 8.) and no sperm in town yet means we had to sit out this cycle.

2010

January

IUI #4/Try #25 on 1/15, 24 hours after b/w lh surge and 12 hours after first positive OPK. Frozen donor sperm from P@cific with very low sperm count. BFN.

February

IUI #5/Try #26 on 2/10, 24 hours after positive OPK. New frozen donor from P@cific with pretty low count. BFN.

March

Try #27 on 3/8. Frozen donor 2 from P@cific, at home ICI with really confusing timing. BFN.
New RE, Dr. Competent.

April

IUI #6/Try #28 on 4/1, 23 hours after trigger, 30 hours after lh blood surge with two follicles. First IUI at new clinic. Frozen donor 2 with the best count yet – 21.5 million motile. BFN.
Cyst from the last cycle or very early ovulation because of progesterone ruined the next cycle so we had to cancel.

May

Try #29 on 5/22 on cd12. Shot in the dark attempt with Sage. BFN.

June

cd8 ultrasound showed 17mm follicle and some smaller ones and 10-11mm triple stripe lining.
IUI #7/Try #30 on 6/14, 36 hours after trigger. Frozen donor 2 with 39 million motile sperm. BFN.

July

75 iu f0llistim days 3-7, cd6 showed 2-3 lead follicles, cd8 showed a 17 and a 19mm follicle and blood work showed lh starting to rise.
im trigger cd8, IUI #8/Try #31 on 7/10 about 15 hours after trigger. Frozen donor 3 with 21.45 million motile sperm. BFN.

August

150 iu follistim days 3-9, and centr0tide (antagonist) days 7-9. cd6 showed 3 follicles, cd8 showed two, 14 and 19mm, cd10 showed 11mm lining and 19 and 24mm follicles.
im trigger cd10, IUI #9/Try #32 on cd12, 8/6, 36 hours after trigger. Frozen donor 3 with 28.75 million motile sperm. BFN.
300 iu follistim day 3, 225 days 4-8 (with a possible accidental extra dose on the last day – oops), centrotide (antagonist) days 6-9. CD6 showed 6 follicles ranging from about 6 to 14.5. CD8 showed 20, 15 and 16 on the left side and 11, 11, 13 on the right and 8.6mm lining.
im trigger on cd9, IUI#10 /Try #33 on cd11, 9/2, 36 hours after trigger. Insem day scan showed 5 mature follicles, 17, 18, 22, 2? and 30. Frozen donor 3 had good sperm count. BFN.

September

Waiting for IVF…

October

Waiting for IVF…
1.97mm cyst on 10/18 (CD3 u/s) starts the delay

November

Waiting for IVF…
11/2 (CD3) u/s shows the cyst grew to 2.7mm, despite every effort to shrink it. e2 529

December

Waiting for IVF…
An unusually long cycle means we can’t even do a cyst check before going away for the holidays. Just as well since we found out the next month that the cyst would have still be there.

January

Waiting for IVF…
cd3 u/s on 1/16 shows that the cyst has finally dissolved (the tech thought it had just gone away a few days before)
We’re cleared to do a test cycle
3/16 (cd3) b/w all clear
Hysteroscopy, Doppler u/s and more b/w clear (1/25)
Mammogram, 2 physicals and pap clear

February

IVF Cycle #1/Try #34 with frozen donor #4 (new guy – Boy By Tree)
2/8 cd1
2/10 u/s showed about 9 resting follicles
2/10-2/16 stims. Since we’re in a drug study, we either injected the study drug on stim day 1 plus a 300unit placebo, or a study drug placebo plus 300 units of follitim. The next 6 days we injected either 300 units of follistim or placebo
2/14-2/17 – antagonist shot added (ganirelix) to suppress ovulation
2/14 (cd7) showed about 12 eggs
2/15 (cd8) showed about 13 eggs with 7 possible for retrieval
2/16 (cd9) showed about 6 possible for retrieval, 1,500 e2 level (has been rising steadily throughout but I don’t have the exact levels)
2/17 (cd10) showed lining 11, 6 good eggs with a possibility for a couple more retrieved, estimated 2,000 e2 level
2/17 ovidrel trigger at 10pm
2/19 (cd11) retrieval at 9am, 8 eggs retrieved and a very smooth procedure/recovery for Fern
2/20 fertilization report – only 2 fertilized. 6 of the 8 were mature, 1 fertilized abnormally and the other 3 didn’t respond
2/22/11 transfer day. Our 2 embryos developed perfectly (the embryologist called them “golden”) into an 8 cell and a 10 cell, grade 4 (the best grade for our clinic). We transferred both embryos with acupuncture before and after right on the transfer table. It was a very smooth, happy transfer.