Luz verde

Tengo luz verde, el martes 26 tuve mi cita con el doctor aqui en México. Hicieron un ultrasonido y mis ovarios estan bien, sin ningún quiste que impidiera comenzar con los medicamentos. Así que el jueves 28 en la mañana empezé mis medicamentos, una inyección de Menopur en las mañanas y otra de Gonal-f por las noches, todas en el estómago, divertido ¿verdad? Estos medicamento se usan para inducir el desarrollo de varios foliculos, esto con el propósito de poder obtener varios óvulos en un solo ciclo, se espera que aproximadamente se obtengan de 10 a 20 óvulos, hay que recodar que una mujer libera sólo uno o dos óvulos en un ciclo normal. Se preguntaran por qué se necesitan tantos óvulos. Del número de óvulos que se obtengan sólo un porcentaje estarán maduros, de esos sólo algunos se podrán ferlilizar con el esperma de mi esposo, y con suerte unos 5 podrán llegar a ser embriones con suficientes células para poder quitar una y mandarla a estudiar para ver cuántos de estos embriones tienen el número correcto de cromosomas. Las estádisticas indican que la mitad de estos embriones llamados blastocistos serán normales. En fin tendremos que esperar para saber cuántos embriones "normales" podemos mi espos0 y yo crear. Mientras tanto tengo que seguir poniendo mis inyecciones, que conforme pasen los días en vez de dos dósis por día serán 3. En total serán 10 0 12 días de inyecciones, siendo aproximadamente de 30 a 35 inyecciones las que mi cuerpo tendrá que soportar. La verdad es que es bastante incómodo, a veces hasta doloroso, pero no tengo otra opción, esto es lo que me tocó vivir, así que lo entiendo y lo acepto.

¿Cuál es el siguiente paso? Mañana tengo otra cita con mi doctor aquí en México, otra vez harán un ultrasonido para ver cuánto han crecido mis folículos con el medicamento que se me ha administrado hasta ahora. Además de que me harán un exámen de sangre para checar mis niveles hormonales. El lunes temprano salgo hacia Denver, y a partir del martes tendré que ir diario a que me hagan mi ultrasonido y que me saquen sangre en CCRM (mi clinica en Denver), insisto, que divertido.

Está vez mi mamá me acompañara, no se si es algo bueno o malo. La última vez que me sometí a un in vitro no quise involucrarla, en áquel entonces creía que no era sano que una mamá tuviera que ver a su hija pasar por un proceso tan doloroso. Y ahora lo sigo creyendo, pero la necesito. No quiero hacer este viaje yo sola, mi esposo no puede ir sino tasta el final del proceso y no habria nadie que me inyecte y a mi la verdad es que me da pavor inyectarme yo sola. Además de que el 8 de febrero hacen la extracción de óvulos y el proceso es bastante pesado. Es en quirófano, con anéstesia general, al final termino, adolorida y mareada y con náuseas por la anéstesia, con órdenes de descansar y no pararme mas que para comer e ir al baño.

Lo único que me queda es tomar mi medicamento, seguir las instrucciones al pie de la letra, hacer mis oraciones, cruzar los dedos y esperar que todo salga bien.

Thanks to a blog I am fighting again.

As strange as it may seem, I was reading a blog when I decided that I wanted to start another cycle of in vitro fertilization. A few months ago I discovered the wonderful world of blogs. After six years of struggle with infertility, three miscarriages, an artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization cycle and a transfer of frozen embryos I had lost all hope. I was exhausted fiscally, mentally and emotionally, not wanting to know anything about doctors, nurses, injections, medications, tests, etc. I had no energy to even think if I wanted to keep fighting or not to have a baby. So I decided to take a vacation from all of this; although my vacation was very brief since I soon found myself surfing the internet looking for, among other things, new clinics specialized in assisted reproduction. It wasn't that I wasn't happy with my previous clinic, in fact I think that my doctor here in Mexico did and is still doing a great job with us. He helped us to find, in part, the cause of our infertility. But my husband and I, after a great deal of talking, decided that we will try to find the most advanced tecnique (or tecnology) to help us to get pregnant and especially to carry term pregnancy, unfortunately this technique isn't available in my clinic or in my the entire country.

So searching online, I not only found this technique, but also a fairly extensive community of women who are searching for results just like me. Searching online I found Polly.
The story of Polly was the one that inspired me and gave me the strength and desire to continue in my fight. I contacted her and she advised and guided me in this new adventure that will be my next cycle of in vitro. Polly is a girl who had been struggling with infertility for 8 years. She had severe problems with the quality of her eggs. She lost 4 babies and had to go through four cycles of in vitro, it wasn't until the fifth attempt that she achieved pregnancy, as you can see my story is a fairy tale compared to hers. The point is that just as Polly's history, I found a dozen other stories, where women worldwide are going to Colorado, which seems to be a Mecca for assisted reproduction clinics and many of these women are finding "the Holy Grail".
So after a long talk, my husband and I decided to try again in the most recognized clinic in US, with the most recognized doctor in the field of assisted reproduction.

For a long time I was thinking of starting my own blog, but I couldn't find the courage to do it. I always thought that you needed to be a brave person to tell your experiences through a blog, you know, having to share to the public your happy moments and your sorrows. Sadly, in a fertility blog you have to talk about your sad moments.

And so far I have had the courage to do so. First, because I feel it is a way to get all my feelings out, and second because I like that this is like my diary, where my experiences are written and where in a future my children (if we finally end up this journey with children), can read the history of as they were created and what their parents had to do to bring them into this world.

Green light

I have green light, Tuesday the 26th I had my appointment with the doctor here in Mexico. I had an ultrasound and my ovaries look good. So Thursday the 28th in the morning I started my medications, an injection of Menopur in the morning and another of Gonal-f in the evenings, all in the stomach, fun huh? These medications are used to induce the development of several foliculos, with the purpose of obtaining multiple eggs in a single cycle, expected approximately to get from 10–20 eggs, a woman releases only one or two eggs in a normal cycle. But why are so many eggs are needed? Of the large number of eggs obtained only a percentage will be mature, of those only some may fertilize with the semen of my husband, and hopefully a some 5 eggs can become embryos with enough cells to remove one and send it to study to see how many of these embryos have the correct number of chromosomes. The stadistics indicate that half of these embryos called blastocysts are normal. In the end we will have to wait to learn how many "normal" embryos were created. Meanwhile I have to continue my shots, which as you pass the days instead of two a week will be 3. In total will be 10 0 12 days of injections, being approximately 30 to 35 injections which my body will have to endure. The truth is that it is quite uncomfortable, sometimes painful, but I have no other option, this is the hand I was delt, so I understand it and accept it.

What is the next step? Tomorrow I have another appointment with my doctor here in Mexico, again make an ultrasound to see how much have grown my follicles with medication administered to me until now. While will do me a blood test to check my hormonal levels. Early Monday I go to Denver, and from Tuesday I will have to go daily do me my ultrasound and I draw blood, I insist, what fun.


All that I have to do is take my medicine, follow the instructions to the letter, make my prayers, cross your fingers and hope that everything goes well.

I'll leave you with some pictures of all of the medication that I have to take and inject. For those of you who are afraid of needles I recommend that you not look at the pictures, very possibly you won't sleep tonight.