Closure (sort of)

What a roller coaster! At my ultrasound this week, we no longer saw a gestational sac in my uterus. Which means, it could have already started resolving itself, meaning it got reabsorbed into the uterine lining. Or, potentially, this could still be an ectopic pregnancy – though there’s still no evidence or symptoms of that either; nothing in my tubes, nothing on my ovaries, or anywhere! BUT, my betas are still continuing to rise.

Between the positive pregnancy tests, the low but doubling betas, the somewhat mysterious ultrasounds (first showing nothing, then showing a sac in my uterus, then showing nothing again), the ups and downs of optimism and disappointment – this has really been quite a ride!

After the ultrasound this week, our fertility doctor FINALLY had me stop my IVF meds. Because my beta is still slowly rising, I haven’t started to miscarry naturally, and there’s still a chance this could be an ectopic pregnancy – our doctor recommended that I proceed with a methotrexate injection. The injection will help to resolve an ectopic pregnancy and, for most women, also induces menstruation or miscarriage. So, hopefully, it will help resolve our situation and no further intervention will be needed.

I spent this evening at the hospital – I had to do a few labs and then received the injection. Afterwards, I was monitored for a little while to make sure I didn’t have any sort of reaction. It went well and, hopefully, I’ll miscarry soon and my hcg levels will go back to zero. Unfortunately, we now will have to wait three months before we can transfer again to ensure the methotrexate is no longer in my system. I’m really bummed about that and feel bad that now we have this delay. But, I’m glad that we finally have closure (sort of – we still don’t know if it was a blighted ovum or ectopic) and I’m happy we can finally move on from this first attempt.

The good news is, it seems that my body really wants to carry R and E’s baby (seeing as how it’s being very reluctant to give this pregnancy up)! So, hopefully, next time, we’ll have success!!!

Family Vacation

We had a great time in Florida!!!!!  Here are some pics from our trip:

   
   
Now that we’re back, I can’t help but think about my appointment on Monday.  I’m secretly hoping that we’ll all be shocked and see a perfect looking baby with an amazingly strong heartbeat on the ultrasound….but, of course, I’m realistic and anticipate we will still see a small, empty gestational sac.  If that’s the case,  at least then we will finally be able to move on from this first transfer and begin thinking about transfer number two.  

Just In Case…..

Our RE decided that since my OB saw a gestational sac in my uterus, even though it was an empty sac, he wants me to continue my IVF meds until my follow up appointment. If we still see an empty sac at that point, we can all feel with absolute certainty, that it’s not just a late implanter or a slow grower and I will then stop my meds and hopefully miscarry naturally.  My follow up appointment with my OB isn’t for more than a week but, fortunately, I’m on vacation with my family this week so this wait will be easy.  We’ve left behind the cold of MN and are spending the week at Universal Studios in sunny Florida.  So, while we are here on vacation, I’ll still be taking oral meds three times a day, plus vaginal inserts three times a day, plus nightly injections.  I can’t help but feel that it was all for nothing.  Thankfully, our vacation is distracting me from those thoughts.  And, I’ll do it all over again, in a heartbeat, to help R and E grow their family!  

Blighted Ovum???

Our drama continues!  My beta levels, while very low, are still doubling every 2-3 days.  My ultrasound at the monitoring clinic yesterday showed nothing in my uterus other then a very thick lining.  Based on the ultrasound showing nothing in my uterus but my levels still rising, our doctor suspects an ectopic pregnancy.  Today I had an appointment with my regular OB to confirm a suspected ectopic pregnancy and receive meds to dissolve any pregnancy tissue before it has a chance to grow further and potentially rupture, cause internal bleeding, etc.  BUT when my OB did the ultrasound she saw a very small empty gestational sac in my uterus (she saw nothing in my tubes or anywhere else that would indicate an ectopic pregnancy).  My OB thinks the embryo implanted, the gestational sac started to develop but then for whatever reason stopped growing (this is called a blighted ovum).  So now I am waiting to see if my body miscarries naturally now that I’ve stopped my IVF meds and I’ll follow up with my OB.  Once my hcg levels get back to zero we can start planning for transfer number 2.  

Our Beta Saga Continues

Today’s beta is 300, up from 26 last week.  Which means, our numbers doubled perfectly over this past week BUT they’re still quite low for three weeks past transfer.  The doctor still thinks this is likely not a viable pregnancy.  But for now, we continue meds and repeat beta (AGAIN) next week and also do an ultrasound next week.  *We can’t do an ultrasound now, as typically you can’t really see anything until hcg levels reach at least 1000.  

So, this could be a chemical pregnancy, or an ectopic pregnancy, or a blighted ovum. OR we could have the world’s most pokey little embryo in there.  😄

We’ll continue living in limbo for yet another week.