Looking Forward

We got our refund from our failed IVF, we have been waiting a while for it. I finally feel like we can close that chapter and move forward. So nothing but positivity from here on out. January 17th will be the start of our next cycle. We had a wonderful blessing of another couple that is also cycling around the same time offer their home to us, they have a room and bathroom for us to use while we stay in Texas. And they are fine with the dogs coming along as well. They live in the country so were very excited to not stay in the city, or at the hotel we stayed at last time. Its going to save us so much, and not having to stay in the city is going to be a HUGE stress relief for the both of us. I'm also excited to have another female to hang out with. Now that our other cycle is put in the past I feel so much better and looking forward to starting our family in the start of 2011.

Got our Letter

I called the IVF clinic last week to get some info about testing and they gave us our dates for starting IVF. I have been waiting for the letter from them to know for sure the 17th is going to be our baseline and it is. So if things go the same as last time my Baseline will be the 17th, start medications the 18th and Retrieval should be about the 28th. We are so looking forward to getting things started and hoping these next couple months go by fast with all the holidays coming up.

This weekend My BFF(Kristin) and Nephew(Dom) will be coming out for the Air show and some hiking. I have been wanting to have Dom come out for the Airshow since we moved here in 2007, this will be our 4th time seeing the show but Dom and Kristin's first. I know Dom is looking forward to the air show and hiking, only if he gets to hike with Devin though of course. Now that he is older he is all about Uncle Devin. When he was younger and Devin and I just got married he was mad at Devin for "taking me away." So now I just LOVE seeing them together.

Some more BIG NEWS!!!

Yesterday Devin had Graduation for Community College of the Air force where he received is Diploma in Associates in Applied Science Electronic System technology. So proud of him. He said next step is to go for his Bachelors. I will hold him to it.

ICSI

I just wanted to make a post about what we'll be doing different this IVF Cycle, We'll be doing everything we did last time and then a procedure called ICSI. I pulled the info right from the Patient booklet at Wilford Hall:


ICSI - INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION
This technique was developed in Brussels, Belgium at the Center for Reproductive Medicine in 1991. ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of the oocyte (egg) using a technique called micromanipulation. This technique has revolutionized the treatment of male infertility. It is useful to couples where the male has a low sperm count, low sperm motility, high levels of anti-sperm antibodies or abnormal sperm morphology. In the case of testicular obstruction (ie: vasectomy), the sperm are aspirated from the epididymis or testes by the urologist and then the ICSI procedure is performed by the embryologist to fertilize the oocytes.
Careful follow up of all pregnancies are done and to date the rate of birth defects appears to be no higher than in naturally conceived children. It has been noted that men that have extremely low sperm counts may have a condition known as micro-deletion of the y-chromosome. This is a genetic condition that can account for why these men have a very low sperm count. This condition (micro-deletion of the y-chromosome) may be genetically passed down to the male offspring of this specific group of men. It has been shown that men with a condition called congenital absence of the vas deferens have a higher incidence of carrying the gene for cystic fibrosis and should have genetic testing done for cystic fibrosis.

Candidates for ICSI:
ICSI is useful for patients suffering from male factor infertility, which includes low count, low motility, abnormal sperm, high anti-sperm antibodies, or poor fertilization by conventional insemination in past cycles. ICSI requires very few total motile sperm, so even males with severe male factor infertility have a chance at producing a genetically related child.
http://www.sammc.amedd.army.mil/patient/departments/ob_gyn/sammc_south/in_vitro/docs/IVFPatientBooklet.pdf

Moving On.....

I called Texas today to ask them about some work up I needed to complete and to my surprise they had our dates. Now I am feeling a bit more excited. So our Baseline date will be January 17th, I thought for sure we would be in the last group but this time we are in the 2nd group. So now we need to cross everything that Devin will be able to get off, he started a new job where is works long hours and odd days.