Timeline

April 2013

• Started charting my BBT and using OPKs to track ovulation.

August 2013

• OB said I don’t ovulate and have low progesterone levels, so she gave me a referral to a RE.
• Took a break from charting due to stress of wedding planning.

September 2013

• Kate and I got legally married and went on our honeymoon.
• Continued charting break.

October 2013

• Started charting again, started acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.
• Saw an RE specialist and was told I do ovulate just not regularly and my Progesterone levels aren’t too bad.
• Found donor from Fairfax Cryobank and purchased two vials to start.
• RE was dead on when I would ovulate this month, so I will trust in her judgment.
• Waiting game until Novembers appointments: financial counselor, RE check up, start of menses, CD3 blood draws, HSG test and IUI #1

November 2013

• CD 1 AF came after a 36 day cycle WTF? 
• CD 3 Blood draws for prolactin, estradiol, progesterone and FSH (all came back within normal ranges).
• CD 11 Ultrasound showed 7mm lining and 15.8mm follicle (natural cycle) also had HSG (clear tubes)
• CD 12 Positive OPK at 9:30pm and CD13 +OPK in am (night time positive readings aren’t the “norm”)
• CD 14 IUI #1 at 11:30am
  (Found out months later after checking my past BBT readings that I did not ovulate this cycle)

December 2013

• DPO 13 BFN#1 Blood test
• CD 1 AF arrived the day after the blood test.
• CD 15 Positive OPK morning
• CD 15 Back-to-back IUI #1 (natural cycle at 1pm)
• CD 16  Back-to-back IUI #2 (natural cycle at 9:30am)
• DPO 15 BFN#2 Blood test
• CD 1 AF arrived day after blood test

January 2014

• CD 4-9 Clomid 50mg
• CD 11 Ultrasound shows follicles at 18mm, 19mm & 16mm.
• CD 13 Ultrasound shows follicles at 21mm, 20mm &19mm.
• CD 13 Ovadrel trigger at 7:15pm
• CD 15 (41hrs after trigger) IUI #3
• CD 25/DPO 10 Tested out trigger shot and started spotting (11 days post trigger).
• CD 26/DPO 11 started spotting

February 2014

• CD 1/DPO 12, AF arrives BFN#3 (find out sister-in-law is pregnant)
• CD 3 took HPT for doctor, false positive “evap-line” looked positive
• CD 4 Clomid 50mg days 4-9
• CD 14 follicle check ultrasound:  5 follicles at 20,19,17,15 and 13mm.
• RE cancelled this cycle based on my age and having too many follicles, with a chance for high order multiplies. (Devastated by cancelled cycle after last months BFN, one month break is really emotional and straining.)

March 2014

• CD 3-7 Clomid 25mg (lowered dosage due to possibility of higher order multiples)
• Previous month through CD 12 this cycle I took Chinese Herbs from my acupuncturist along with very strong fertility acupuncture and massage.
• CD 13 Three follicles at 20, 18 and 16mm
• CD 15 Positive OPK in afternoon and HCG trigger shot at 7pm
• CD 16 @ 28 hours after trigger back-to-back IUI #1, CD 17 @ 36 hours after trigger back-to-back IUI #2 (at home IUI’s by my wife)
• DPO 8-10 very faint positives never darkening

April 2014

• CD 30/DPO 13 started to get some spotting and SEVERE cramping
• CD 1/DPO 14 BFN #4 (Chemical Pregnancy #1) IUI #4
• Kate an I decide to switch donors and medications to see if it “helps”.
• It is suggested to me by another RE (Dr.D) to do only 1-2 more IUIs with the new or old donor before switching to IVF. Decide to switch REs and go with this doctor “Dr.D”.
• CD 3-7 Letrozole 2.5mg (changed medications)
• CD 10 follicle scan (about 5-8 9mm and 2 10mm.)
• CD 14 follicle scan (same as before, no growth since last scan.)
• CD 14-18 Letrozole 5mg (I end up taking 2.5mg for 3 days until I realize it and then start doubling my dose)
• CD 15 IVF financial consult (Insurance does not cover IVF under any circumstances) 😦
• CD 17 New Patient/IVF consult with new RE (Dr. D)
   Dr. D wants to wait on IVF and do 2-3 more IUIs. Ultrasound showing no new growth and thinning lining not sure why. Orders a DHEA blood draw which comes back very high so he puts me on Dexamethasone.
• CD 1 -5 (April 18th-22nd) heavy bleeding (no one knows why and is now assuming this is my period, suspected miscarriage from March interference)
• CD 7 (April 24th) U/S shows no new growth, lining at 8mm and possible anovulatory surge via blood work.
• CD 8 (April 25th) blood work for Vitamin D and Progesterone check (Progesterone came back <.2 meaning I surged with no ovulation.)
• CD 9-15 Start taking 200mg of Progesterone by mouth to induce a “fresh period”. Game over month 6.

May 2014

• CD 1-6 heavy flow
• CD 3-7 Clomid 25mg
• CD 11 follicle scan shows 18.5mm follicle and many smaller ones. SHG shows clear tubes and normal uterine cavity. Uterine lining at 10.5mm
• CD 12 Ovidrel trigger shot 5am
• CD 13 36hours post trigger had IUI #5

June 2014

• 6DPO “tested out” trigger, then 7DPO had bright positive HPT, then got fainter daily until negative on 10DPO
• 12DPO got two possible evaps (looked very positive)
• 13DPO took a digital and got a “NO-“, then got my beta with a 1< HCG level.(Chemical pregnancy #2) IUI#5
• 14DPO/CD1 Very crampy, bloated, heavy flow and clotting.
• CD 3 ultrasound clears me for Clomid.
• CD 3-6 50mg and Dexamethasone until ovulation
• CD 11 three follicles at 16,17 and 19mm, told to surge naturally and schedule another ultrasound.
• CD 13 got a positive OPK in the afternoon, caught peak at 9pm.
• CD 14 had ultrasound and showed I had JUST ovulated one egg and one follicle disappeared and the other was about to release. Sent to main clinic for a urgent IUI, sperm had exceptional numbers at 37million. Near perfect timing, lining, eggs and sperm.
• DPO 12 very faint positive
• DPO 13 faint positive BFP
• DPO14 beta #1…10, (Doctor suspects Chemical Pregnancy)
• DPO 15 beta #2….7
• DPO 17 miscarriage (chemical pregnancy #3 confirmed).

July 2014

• CD 1 July 14th
• CD 3-7 Clomid at 50mg
• CD 1-ovulation Dexamethasone, evening primrose oil capsules.
  New protocol = baby aspirin O day until BFP or BFN.
• CD 11 follicle check left ovary: 2@17mm and 1@15mm, right ovary: 1@15mm and uterine lining of 8mm
• CD 15 Insemination cycle #7 month 9. All four mature follicles released.

August 2014

• 9 DPO very faint line, 10DPO slightly darker. 11DPO same line. 12DPO darker line, later that day it was lighter.
• 13DPO no line. Unable to get an HCG Beta to confirm.
• 14 DPO started spotting, stark white BFN, (Chemical pregnancy #4)
• CD 3 baseline clear, RPL panel run, after results are in new protocol may be started.
• Medical diagnosis now states “Repeat Spontaneous Abortions” & “History of Recurrent miscarriages”
• CD 3-5 50mg Clomid, Dexamethasone and vitamins until O
• CD 11 Follicle scan (RO:13mm LO:14.5mm)
• CD 16 IUI #8 20 hours after positive OPK, poor sperm count and motility. 5mil at 13% 😦
• CD 14 BFN followed by AF

September 2014/Taking a break

October 2014

• Break is over as I have no will power and feel the need to keep trying. My RE thinks one more try before moving to IVF is fine but then I need to chill until IVF can start.
• CD 24-29 I have brown spotting and an ultrasound shows my period should arrive shortly so this is not it.
• CD 29 my RE did an early baseline, no polyps or cysts and my endo looks good. He also did a endometrial scratching to assist with implantation (we think this helped the last two times I got pregnant, although they didn’t last) I asked about anything more we could do this last IUI and he suggested adding FSH injections at the end of taking Clomid.
• CD 2-7 Clomid 50mg, CD 7-13 Follistim injections 25ui, baby aspirin until BFP or BFN, Dexamethasone CD1-13 or ovulation. New this month is D3 1000ui, Folate 400mg, Selenium 100mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg, Inositol 50mg and CO – Q10 300mg. Along with my usual evening primrose oil 100mg and prenatal, all once daily.
• CD 9 follicle scan showed lining at 5.5mm and triple striped. Follicle count: 11.5,13&14mm.
• CD 11 follicle scan showed lining at 7.5mm and triple striped. Follicle count: 17,15.5,14.5,12.5mm.
• CD 14 took HCG trigger after seeing positive surge on an OPK
• CD 15 30 hours post trigger ultrasound showed all follicles had released (3) and IUI #10 was performed. Sperm count was again low at 6 million with 16% motility 😕
• DPO 9 trigger tested out, first negative hpt.
• DPO 15 period arrives, cycle #10 is a bust, onto the next cycle.

November 2014

• CD 2-6 Clomid 100mg
• CD 6-9 Bravelle 37.5mg
• CD 10 follicle scan; 18, 3@15 & 3@13mm. Lining 6mm
• Trigger shot @ 10:30pm CD 10
• Cycle 11 IUI at 10:30am on CD 12

December 2014

• 13DPO BFN
• CD 5 baseline ultrasound showed a lead follicle at 11mm, 3-7 Clomid 50mg, CD 7-9 37.5ui Bravelle
• CD 10 follicle scan showed 2@15mm,1@16mm and 1@22mm
• CD 12 follicle scan showed 4 between 24-27mm, no trigger due to possible OHSS
• CD 13 positive OPK, IUI #12 CD 14
• CD 10 very faint BFP on Wondfo and FRER, CD 11 darker BFP and BETA #1@32, CD 12 dark BFP and positive digital, CD 13 BETA #2@115!

January 2015

• CD 15 BETA #3@273
• 01/15/15 First ultrasound at 6 weeks. TWINS!! Two heartbeats heard and seen, 1@113bpm and 1@92bpm.

01/28/15 Second ultrasound at 8 weeks. Both babies still there and looking good! Heart beats now at 164 & 166bpm.

Check out my pregnancy timeline for more.