TTC Timeline: The Nitty Gritty

May 2008	Semen analysis:  1.6 million
	Normal pelvic ultrasound
	Hormone levels tested but not on cycle day 3.
June 2008	Semen analysis: 1.6 million
Aug. 2008	D has bilateral testicular biopsy under the direction of urologist.  Findings: bilateral hydrocele and meiotic arrest.
	D has infection after this procedure, and is treated twice with antibiotics (for two weeks each time). Up until 1.5 years after this procedure, D has infrequent “stabbing” pains in his testes.
Oct. 2008	Dr. Nada, Enocrinology consult, no findings referred to another endocrinologist.
Nov. 2008	Scrotal ultrasound: focal hypoechoic regions within the superomedial aspect of both testes measuring 1.2 and 1.4 cm.  Likely related to previous biopsies.  Bilateral small varicoceles are demonstrated.  Small right hydrocele.  3mm cyst on left epididymal head.
Dec. 2008	D- Endocrinology consult with second endocrinologist found no abnormal results. CBC normal.
Jan. 2009	New clinic #2 Semen analysis. 0.6x10 6/ml
Feb. 2009	Semen analysis (washed), total motile count 4 million.
	Day 3 FSH: 23.8 IU/L Day 21 Progesterone: 48nmol/L
	Genetic screening and other blood work (day 21 and other).
	2nd opinion with Urologist.  His opinion was that the testicular biopsy was unnecessary, and that the results showed only a focal diagnosis.   No further recommendations.
Mar. 2009	Hysterosalpingogram: Right fallopian tube patent, left tube irregular, curved, tortuous and dilated, left tube appears blocked.  Antiverted, anteflexed uterus. Right ovary 2.5cm x 1.3cm, left 2cm x 1cm. Small irregularities in uterine lining.
	Diagnosis: Premature ovarian failure, advised to consider donor programs.
April 2009	New Clinic: #3 Dr. Snowflake
June 2009	IVF cycle suggested to be changed to IUI.  Cycle cancelled: My sister had a massive stroke at age 28 (from an undetermined cause).
Sept. 2009	Day 3 FSH: 6.5 IU/L
	Operative Hysteroscopy to remove small amount of scar tissue near embryo transfer site.  Pathology Report: Endometrial curettings (1.0ml of hemorrahigic tissue and mucoid material): proliferative endometrium.
May 2010	Sonohystogram, results normal. (Dr. Snowflake).
Nov. 2010	FET #1: Transferred 1 donor embryo (from couple #1), rated “cleaved 4-6 cell”. HCG <1.0
Feb. 2011	Adopted 6 blasts via Snowflakes Created in 2005
April 2011	New clinic: USA, Dr. M Frankenstein
	Semen analysis: Grade A, low count, borderline morphology.  Semen frozen (unused as of Oct/12).
	Monitored for one natural cycle: Doctor says follicles didn’t mature as expected. Decided to proceed with adopted embryos.
	Day 2 FSH:  19.6 mlU/ml Follicle count: 7?
July 2011	FET #2: Donor embryos, 2 unrated blasts.  Embryologist says they are unrated because they were still collapsed 2-3 hours after they were thawed. HCG <1.0
Sept. 2011	FET #3:  Donor embryos, 2 blasts 6BA & 5BB  HCG <1.0
Nov. 2011	FET #4: Donor embryos, 2 blasts 4AA & 4BA, HCG = 75, (6 days after transfer), 1547 (13 days after transfer).
Dec. 2011	Miscarriage confirmed at 8 weeks
Jan. 2012	D&C after incomplete natural miscarriage
	Started 75mg DHEA/day
Mar. 2012	AMH tested: 0.42ng/ml
	Day 3 FSH 17.5 mlU/ml
April 2012	IVF with ICSI (own eggs) Medication: · 40 units of Leuprolide on cycle days 3 and 4. 300 units of Gonal-f for 16 days, the last 8 days of stimulation 150 units of Menopur. · See cycle sheet for other meds. · 500mg Flagyl & Doxycycline for both of us in case of subclinical infection (2 weeks).  Started one week approximately before transfer. Retrieved 9 mature eggs + 2 immature eggs, 7 fertilized, 6 survived. Ratings on day 5: 1.     EBL: C1 2.     BL: B1 3.     EBL: A 4.     Mor: B1 5.     Mor: A 6.     Mor: “?” 7.     Mor: A
	Semen analysis for ICSI
	2 transferred, 1 blast 4AA and 1 early blast (unrated) HCG = 38.4 (10 days after transfer). Bright red spotting 14 days after transfer (HCG =278), miscarriage 22 days after transfer.
	Tested natural killer (normal), DQ Alpha (normal) and MTHFR (positive for heterozygous copy of A1298C mutation).
May 2012	Day 3 FSH 11.1
June 2012	Semi-natural FET cycle attempted. Ovulated on day 11, doctor not expecting this early, cycle canceled.
July 2012	FET #5: own embryos, 2 transferred, 2x day 5 morulas, A & B1. Started new protocol of 81mg ASA, 10mg prednisone, 40mg Lovenox at time of transfer.  500mg Flagyl & Doxycycline for both of us in case of subclinical infection (2 weeks). HCG 1.8, then declined.
Sept. 2012	FET # 6: own embryos, 2 transferred, early blast with “?” rating and blast rated 3AB. Changed protocol (81mg ASA, 10mg Prednisone, 40mg Lovenox) starting one week before transfer. HCG <1.0
Nov. 2012	Consult with Dr. Schoolie.

January 2013-  Proceeding with IVF with ICSI, PICSI and CCS.  Bringing out the big guns by going to Colorado.  This is it for us.   Doing a regimen of DHEA, CoQ10, estrogen and progesterone in preparation.  The doctor says this is the strongest protocol they have.

February 2013 - Stimulation.  Hopefully I will make a some eggs! I miraculously made 9 the last time (7 mature) hoping for that again. ---- Cancel that --- Cyst on the right ovary.  Move to plan Q (that's what we must be on by now).   Had laproscopic surgery for a possible hydrosalpinx.  Good news: there is no hydrosalpinx and there is no need to ligate or remove the tube.

March - Do pre-meds for IVF next month.  Trying a new protocol with Testosterone, Estrogen and Progesterone.

April 2013 - IVF and await CCS results.  Do we make any normal embryos? We will find out.  Let my body calm down after all of the stimulation.  CD2 ultrasound turns up a cyst.   The cycle is cancelled.  The doctor says to stop the DHEA and testosterone priming.  They think it could be aggravating my cysts.  

May 2013 - Plan A: FET???    Plan B: Start stims?  Cycle canceled because we couldn't get a cyst aspirated in time.  Big bleeping bummer.

Late June 2013 - Start stims?    Baseline check shows small cyst, but CCRM is willing to proceed.  We sideline ourselves however because of a wedding we are both standing in in mid-July that conflicts with the egg retrieval.

Late July 2013 - Baseline check & begin stims?

August -  Egg retrieval.  Epic fail.  2 mature eggs.  2 immature.  They try to mature the immature eggs and fertilize them the next day.  We end up with 1 fertilized egg from the mature and 1fertilized from the immature egg.  By day 5, the immature embryo has arrested.   We choose to continue with the CCS testing on our solo embryo, wanting to avoid the experience of miscarriage and thinking that if he had a normal that it may change our next steps.

September 2013- The embryo is tested and comes back with a chromosomal abnormality.   We make the painful decision to move on and close this chapter forever.    We move forward with egg donation and and adoption.   As part of CCRM's clearance to approve me for egg donation, I have some additional testing updated.  My vitamin D levels are low and I am to take 50,000 IU per week for two months, then 2,000 IU per day for one more month before being allowed to attempt a pregnancy.

October 2013- After several attempts to select a donor from CCRM's slim Caucasian donor pool, we decide to use an external agency after finding a very well suited donor for us (from the Donor Source).  We complete paperwork to update our homestudy.

November 2013- Donor has her 1 day work up at CCRM.  Meet with an agency for adoption.

December 2013- We find out that she has syphilis (!), and we can't proceed with the cycle.  On to finding a new donor.   Late December - selected a new donor that has 15 vitrified eggs with CCRM.

January 2014 - Start preparing my body for a donor cycle.  Wait for my period to show up.

February 2014- A 52 day cycle puts us behind, but we're able to start our protocol finally.  We're hoping to be in Colorado late February, or early March.  Our plan:  to make embryos with our donor egg and D's sperm and do a transfer!   Early February, started acupuncture for fertility as directed by CCRM.   Our Homestudy update is almost complete, we are completing our final revisions.

March  2014- Out of 15 eggs, 14 thawed.  We ended up with 8 beautiful embryos.  We transferred one 5AA donor egg hatching(!) blast and got a BFP at 7dp5dt, and a beta of 187 at 12dp5dt!   The second beta doubled.  We are now very anxiously awaiting an ultrasound to see if there is a heart beat in early April.

April 2014- Is there a heart beat in there? YES! U/S at 7 weeks 3 days shows a little heart flickering 90bpm.  Baby is measuring appropriately for gestational age, and fluid is good!  This could be real!
One week later we receive the devastating news that there is no heartbeat any longer, and the baby is measuring behind.  At 8weeks 3 days, the baby only measured 6 weeks 3 days.   The dating we had on our first ultrasound with a heartbeat likely had an inaccurate measurement.   Cue our familiar friends anxiety and depression.

April 20/2, 2014 - Non-medically induced miscarriage.  A trip to the ER after shows retained products of conception . Trying to wait and let it pass naturally.   Opted out of fetal chromosome testing because we weren't confident enough in the sample we collected, and because it costs $800, among  other reasons.

May - June 2014??  Wait for miscarriage bleeding to stop, to have some time without bleeding, then a period.  Have an HSG after all of this to ensure there aren't any retained products.

July - August 2014??? Hoping for a FET.  Please, oh please.  Let this be it universe.  We're so over all of this.

Late August 2014 - We get presented to a birth family and are chosen! The baby is due October 15th.

Early September 2014 - We meet the birth mother and birth mom's mom.  This might really happen! We pay our retainer to the agency and start collecting things for a newborn.  OMG.