Round 1… and More Testing

So, I had to have my Karyotype test redone because LabCorp sucks. 
They had the wrong test performed on that tube of blood.  Fortunately, the new set of results came back in time to still go forward with the original plan. 

On Sunday, December 6^th, we went into SGFC for an ultrasound and blood work.  The ultrasound revealed that my left ovary had a follicle measuring 18.8mm.  The technician said the nurse would probably call me that afternoon and tell me that I should take the injection that evening.  They normally like to trigger the egg release when the follicle measures between 18 – 24mm.  Sure enough, I received the phone call that night.

I pulled the syringe out of the fridge to let it warm up before I used it.  Rob ended up having to give me the shot.  First off, it’s a little hard to give yourself a shot in the stomach right by your bellybutton when you have 2 boobs blocking your view as you look down.  Secondly, I am okay with needles as long as I don’t have to watch them go into skin.  This poses a problem when you have to give yourself a shot… with a needle.  Yes, I would have made for a horrible drug addict.  Anyway, Rob used to give his parrot injections so he figured since my syringe had a subcutaneous needle, it would pretty much be the same thing. 

The injection is called Ovidrel.  It is basically hCG which is the hormone that stimulates ovulation and no, it does not have a risk for multiple births so there is absolutely no extra chance of twins with this.  The fertility process we are going through is called OI with Timed Intercourse.  It is very simple and involves taking the shot at the appropriate time (when the follicle is within the correct size range) and then being “on duty” (as Dr. Mottla puts it) to have sex the night of the shot and then 36 hours later (basically the morning of the 2^nd day after the shot).  That’s it!  Simple enough, right?   

On 12/22, we went up to Annapolis for our first pregnancy test (blood test).  We got the call back that my number was 36.8 and that it was positive, but lower than they would like to see so we should be “cautiously optimistic”.  So, we were cautiously optimistic and went in again 2 days later for another test.  SGFC likes to do LOTS of blood work.  They take as much data as possible to better understand things and also to better be able to let us know what’s going on.  So, on 12/24 (yes, Christmas Eve), we went up again for our second test.  We got the call back that my number had increased to 88!!  How wonderful!  It had doubled, which is fantastic, although they still warned us that they would like to see it higher.  On Monday, 12/28, we went back again for another test.  This time they called and said my number had dropped down to 50.8.  It was deemed a chemical pregnancy.  This is basically where the egg is fertilized but it never fully implants into the uterus.  Although it was disappointing, it was not physically painful like a miscarriage and was pretty much the same as a very heavy period.  Also, the good news is that we do not have a waiting period afterwards and can try again on the next cycle.

During this time, I got a very nice letter from my cousin.  She filled me in on her experiences with pregnancy and miscarriage.  In the letter, she let me know that she had tested positive for MTHFR.  It is hereditary and is basically a genetic blood clotting disorder that causes miscarriage in women trying to get pregnant.  I contacted SGFC and they let me know that although they did test for clotting disorders, they did not test specifically for MTHFR and they wanted me to have this testing done since they now knew that it does run in my family.  I go tomorrow to have blood drawn to test for this disease and my nurse said she expects my results to be in by Friday, 01/06. 

Right now we are slated to go back to Annapolis for an appointment to determine if the follicle is the right size for a trigger injection on Monday, 01/11.  Once the results come back from the MTHFR test, I’ll post those and also provide an update on whether or not we’ll be going forward with the trigger injection this month or not.

So for now, keep crossing your fingers and toes for us and keep praying as well.  Even with all the frustration and disappointment, it is reassuring to know we are on the right path to finding a solution.  I am so grateful for everyone’s support through all of this.  It is nice to know that we have people who care about us and who are right there with us through all the tears and who can also appreciate my crazy sense of humor when I say I feel like the human PEZ dispenser.  (Yes, I’ll post that story later.)  Here’s to hoping that 2010 is a much happier year for us all! 

 

Almost Normal…

When I got out of work today, I had a voicemail waiting for me on my cellphone.  It was Crystal, my nurse from SGFC.  She called to let me know that all of our bloodwork results, with the exception of one, came back normal.  They are still waiting on my karyotype test result to come in.  Hopefully they will have the results in the next few days and then we will be cleared to go forth with Dr. Mottla’s original plan.  Even though we (and Dr. Mottla) expected everything to come back normal, it is still a huge relief to know that nothing is wrong.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get good news on the last test and I’ll keep everyone posted! 

 

HSG Test

On Tuesday, Rob & I went up to Annapolis for my HSG appointment.  I was hoping that they would allow him to come back with me for the procedure, but he was not allowed in the room because of the xray pictures they take.  The procedure was a lot faster than I expected and I only had one brief moment of a sharp cramping.  I am very thankful that everything turned out like it did.  It was definitely very uncomfortable, but luckily was not nearly as painful as what other people have experienced.

The radiologist said that everything looked great.  The dye spilled right out (I saw this on the monitor) and there did not appear to be anything in my uterus such as a septum, tumor, etc that could be causing a problem.  Now, we breathe a big sigh of relief and wait about 2 weeks to call SGFC and make sure that all results have come back normal so we can finalize our plan for a path forward.

 

“Day 3″ Testing

Rob & I went up to Annapolis yesterday for our Day 3 testing.  It is called Day 3 testing because it falls on the 3rd day of my cycle.  Our first stop was Shady Grove Fertility Center.  (From now on, I’ll refer to it as SGFC so I don’t have to type it all out.)  I had a tube of blood drawn for hormone level testing and then had a baseline ultrasound performed.  Rob came in for the ultrasound and got to see the gray fuzzy circular shaped thing on the screen that Hope, the technician, was pointing out as my ovary.  She verified that I indeed do have an uterus and 2 ovaries.  Woohoo!  As if I had a doubt.  lol  (For those of you who aren’t familiar with the lingo, LOL = laugh out loud)  Hope also checked for follicles on my ovaries and quickly pointed out 8 very dark gray spots on the screen that appeared to be on top of what she previously pointed out as being my ovary.  She told us that everything looked great and that she expected Dr. Mottla to be very pleased with the results. 

Upon leaving SGFC, I confirmed that the remaining blood work that needed to be performed at LabCorp did not require either or us to fast.  We were told we were in the clear for the remaining blood work so we grabbed a quick breakfast at Denny’s before heading off to LabCorp to have the remaining tests performed.  We had to have the work performed at a LabCorp facility because some of the samples needed to be frozen and apparently not all places have the ability to store frozen samples.  Anyway, here we had blood drawn to test for STD’s and things such as genetic fragmenting of our X and Y (in his case) chromosomes.   In addition to that, I also had blood drawn for other tests such as clotting disorders, auto-immune disorders that would cause my body to overeact thus killing off a fetus, as well as a whole bunch of other things that led our blood drawing score to be Amy – 12 tubes and Rob – 2 tubes.  However, as Rob pointed out, if you count the 1 tube I had drawn at SGFC, I actually had 13 tubes drawn from me that morning.  I was amused that 1) the number of tubes was actually 13, and 2) I was still able to stand up and feel half-way normal!

On a side note, one of the technicians, Sam, told us that she used to work as a Labor & Delivery nurse at GW Hospital and used to assist Dr. Mottla.  She then proceeded to rave about how wonderful he is and how the entire group at SGFC is just absolutely fantastic.  This made me laugh because I have heard this same exact comment from everyone I have come into contact with who has either been there themselves or knows someone who has been there.  I have to admit, it doesn’t get old as it’s great to always feel reassured that we are working with such a great group. 

Later that afternoon, Crystal (my nurse at SGFC) called to let me know that my hormone levels fall within the ranges they are supposed to be at and that they were very pleased to see all the little follicles on my ovaries (indicating that I still have lots of eggs). 

My HSG (hysterosalpingogram) is scheduled for 2pm on Tuesday, 10/27.  This is the test I am most anxious about as it is supposed to be the most painful.  If you want to know the details, click on “HSG” at the beginning of this paragraph and you will see a sheet very similar to what I received in the mail.  A lot of times this test is used to detect if fallopian tubes are blocked.  In my case, we are pretty sure that my fallopian tubes are open.  Dr. Mottla is using this test to look at the inside of my uterus to see if there are any fibroids, scarring from my D&C, or the presence of a septum that could be causing my miscarriages.  I’m hoping that Rob can come in with me for the procedure.  Also, I’m hoping that I won’t be in too much pain and will actually be able to see what’s happening on the monitor.  I’ll post the results from this afterwards.

 

Third Time’s the Charm??

Unfortunately, 2009 has not led to the start of a family like Rob & I had hoped.  Fortunately, we have friends and family who have been very supportive throughout the journey thus far.  Now that it looks like things aren’t going to be as simple as we had initially hoped, we are going to use this blog to keep those who are interested up-to-date.  A lot is going to be happening and we know there are quite a few people who are going to be there with us as much as possible even if it is just through crossed fingers and lots of prayers.

After 2 failed pregnancies (the first ending with a D&C on May 15^th and the second a natural miscarriage on September 17^th), Dr. Strider (my OB/GYN) told Rob & I that he wanted to refer us to Dr. Mottla.  Dr. Mottla is a fertility specialist, otherwise known as a Reproductive Endocrinologist.  Dr. Strider felt that Dr. Mottla would be able to complete any necessary testing to rule out potential problems that could be causing recurrent miscarriage.  I was glad Dr. Strider made this suggestion as I really did not want to go through this again if there was a way to determine a contributing factor and therefore significantly reduce the likelihood of a miscarriage occurring in the future.  So, I called Shady Grove Fertility Center in Annapolis, MD and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mottla.

On Wednesday (10/6), Rob & I met with Dr. Mottla.  We reviewed the in-depth questionnaires and I reviewed the 2 miscarriages I had already been through.  Dr. Mottla told us we were already way ahead of the curve as we seem to have no trouble getting pregnant.  He presented the various tests that he felt were relevant to the detection of an issue that could be preventing me from maintaining a full pregnancy.  After reviewing these and reassuring us that all of them could be overcome (most by simply taking a pill), he proceeded to tell us that his best guess is that all tests will come back with perfectly normal results.

At this point, I wanted to cry.  I had already spent a couple weeks going back and forth between wanting everything to be okay and wanting something to be wrong (that was easily fixable).  If nothing is wrong, then it’s a relief because, well, nothing is wrong!  If something is wrong, then that would almost be a relief because it would be an answer as to WHY it had happened and the problem could be addressed which would reassure me that the likelihood of a 3^rd miscarriage would be significantly lower.  I shared this frustration with Dr. Mottla and he reassured me that it was completely normal to feel that way.

Dr. Mottla then proceeded to fill us in on why he thought I was most likely having the miscarriages.   (I’ll address this in more detail in a later post.)  During this discussion we learned a lot about the reproductive process and about the plan that Dr. Mottla has for us if nothing turns up in the testing.  It was reassuring to hear his confidence in how everything was going to work out just fine, yet at the same time was very odd to be sitting there feeling so frustrated and listen to someone who made everything sound like it was going to be a piece of cake. 

We feel like we are in very good hands.  Dr. Mottla is the head of the Shady Grove Fertility Center and when he reviewed the way his clinic operates, we learned that we have one doctor (Dr. Mottla) and one nurse (Crystal).  We do not get passed from doctor to doctor or nurse to nurse.  I was very impressed with this and felt like we would definitely be getting very personalized care & a lot of attention with having one specific doctor and nurse assigned to us.

So now we begin the part of our journey where I become a guinea pig who is at the beck and call of her reproductive system in order to complete all the testing.  This is going to be completely foreign to me.  All my appointments are going to be scheduled in correlation with specific days of my cycle.  The day my period starts, I am supposed to call the clinic and tell them that I am at Day 1.  Dr. Mottla said I don’t need to explain what Day 1 is because everyone knows what Day 1 means.  This made me laugh.  So, I call on Day 1 and set up an appointment for Day 3 (regardless of the day of the week, yes, you know I had to ask, “Even if it’s a Sunday?!”).  On Day 3, I go in for an ultrasound and have A LOT of blood work done.  The blood work will test for a range of stuff that I’ll detail in a later post.  Then somewhere in Days 5 – 12, I will have an HSG (hysterosalpingogram) performed.  This is a procedure that uses x-rays and a special dye to obtain better views of my fallopian tubes and uterus.  In my case, they are using it to verify that there is nothing wrong with my uterus that would be causing miscarriages – fibroids, polyps, a septum, etc.  Once all of these test results come back, we will be able to establish a definite path forward. 

This whole ordeal has been very difficult & frustrating for me, but I’m finally starting to feel a little relieved now that we have a plan and are going to hopefully get some answers.  I will try to do a better job updating this site after each appointment so everyone can stay updated.  Please feel free to leave comments if you want to or shoot us an e-mail with questions or supporting words.  You can leave comments here by clicking on “Leave a comment” at the top of this entry. 

We’ll keep you posted! 

 

Jeep, Jeep!

Rob had scheduled to test drive a Jeep Wrangler last Saturday after I returned from my work trip.  Little did either of us know, the little scheduled test drive would end with us bringing home a new 4-wheel drive toy!  When Rob had asked me if I would be interested in a getting a Jeep, he anticipated that I would say, “Not really” or “I’d rather have a couch”.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?!), I said, “Jeeps are fun!  But I would only want one if it was a manual transmission.”  So, after spending last Saturday working over numbers, calling the insurance company to determine what our new costs would be, finding a lender who had a rate we liked, and finally bargaining for a price we were willing to pay, we walked out with a 2009 Jeep Wrangler – 6-speed manual, of course!

This weekend, we decided to have a little fun with the Jeep and try out some minor off roading.  We had just received quite a bit of rain and everything was still nice and muddy!!  I snapped this picture of Rob with the Jeep using his camera phone right before we hosed it off at the car wash.  Don’t know how well you can see the plant sticking out of the front license plate, but it was there!!

We are on the lookout for public off roading trails to get out and have some more fun!  Of course, we also can’t wait for summer when we can take off the doors and cruise around topless – the JEEP, not us!!!! 

 

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Our wedding weekend turned out to be absolutely fantastic!  Friday evening, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  Rob’s parents threw a wonderful rehearsal dinner at The Tides and invited all of the out-of-town guests.  This enabled everyone to have another night (in addition to the wedding) to meet new people and catch up with friends and relatives we haven’t seen in quite some time… not to mention an additional opportunity for delicious food!

Saturday 9/13 brought some heat, but absolutely no rain!  The wedding took place at 4:30pm overlooking the St. Mary’s River behind The Brome-Howard Inn with Reverend Shearon Sykes Williams from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church presiding over the ceremony.

Ethan & Dad taking a stroll before the wedding.

Erin, Mom & I before the wedding.

Jeff, Jason, Rob & Reverend Shearon

Dad presenting me to Rob.

Rob’s mother, Anne, read a passage from the Bible…

… and my Lady of Honor, Jen, read a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit.

Upon completion of the ceremony, we were pronounced husband and wife, introduced for the first time, and proceeded to walk back up the aisle to Harry Belafonte’s “Jump In The Line”.

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Fowler

Our reception was relatively laid back.  We enjoyed a fantastic buffet dinner of carved beef with a shiraz mushroom sauce, chicken breast stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese & ham with a tomato cream sauce, and salmon with a balsamic Dijon sauce.  We performed our first dance, a combo father/daughter & mother/son dance, and cut the cake.  The cake was created by Sally “Mommacita” Amber and was absolutely delicious with each combo flavored layer!  The bottom layer was yellow/chocolate, the middle layer was butter pecan/carrot, and the top was banana/chocolate.

 

Jen & I sporting our wedding cracker paper crowns.

Wedding Cake by Mommacita

The entire day was absolutely fantastic!  Not only did we get married, but we did so in the company of those who play a special part in our lives!

And so married life begins...

The last photo was taken by Donna Buffin.  All other photography by Merlavage Images.

 

Something to Make Me Smile :)

When I came back to my desk from lunch today, I had a lovely surprise waiting for me – flowers!  For me!  On MY desk! 

I’ve never had flowers at work before, unless of course I brought them myself.  I asked Calvin if he knew who had left them there  since he sits in the cubicle right next to me.  He said, “No, but everyone else has been coming by and asking me the same thing!”  I had to laugh knowing that I was suddenly the talk of the Quadigon.  (The Quadigon is what we call our little cube farm.  It’s a square addition to the main building and we all joke that we aren’t good enough to work in the Pentagon so they stuck us in a Quadigon.)  Anyway, I opened up the little envelope to read the note and found that the flowers were from my co-worker Steve.   Along with the flowers, he had included a very sweet note. 

Needless to say, this is part of the reason why I enjoy my job.  I have the BEST co-workers ever!! 

 

Godiva Virgin

Yesterday Rob & I received a wedding gift from Nancy & Sue.  Tucked in the mailing box alongside our fantastic wedding gift was another very pleasant surprise – a box of Godiva chocolates!  It was beautifully wrapped with white flowers tied to the top and just the site of it made one want to start drooling.  I became incredibly excited because I knew this was going to be a whole new experience for me.  You see, I was a Godiva Virgin.  (*NOTE: Important word here is “was” because you know we just HAD to eat some of the chocolate that night!!*)  Rob could not believe that I had never had Godiva before and was very excited for me to try it.  We shared 3 pieces and not one of them was anything less than wonderful.  So thank you to Nancy & Sue, for providing me with my first Godiva experience.  And for anyone who has not yet tried Godiva, I highly recommend it.

 

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue…

While we were on the Labor Day raft-up with LCYC, Cheryl and I were talking about the wedding and discussing last minute details that needed to be finished up.  During the discussion, she asked if I had my “Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”.  I told her my “new” was my dress, veil, shoes, etc., my old was my grandmother’s ring, my blue was also my grandmother’s ring because it has two blue trillion cut sapphires in it, and my something borrowed was… Hmm… It was at that point that I realized that I didn’t have ANYTHING borrowed.  And aside from that, I didn’t even know what I could borrow to use in the wedding.  I still have not come up with any ideas and am going to have to start asking people what they have that I could possibly borrow!  Hopefully I can find something better than Sean’s Redskins hat!!