On July 22nd, 2019 Allyn had his TESE (testicular sperm extraction. He was put completely under general anesthesia and went in hoping they were able to get a specimen. Our embryologist from UT Health also was in the operating room where they would look at the specimen, make sure sperm were present, they had good mobility and that there was enough. Dr Case, our reproductive urologist told us it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. We said goodbye and they wheeled him back. After about 30 minutes, the doctor came out to talk to me and informed me they were able to get a part of his tubule and the embryologist confirmed it was plenty but that our clinic would call us with the exact numbers. I was able to go back and see Allyn which surprisingly he felt okay.  Although he was very black and blue. The next day couldn’t come fast enough! I called the clinic requesting the results. They told me they got 4 tubes or approximately 500,000 sperm! We were so excited! One hurdle down only 20 more to go!

So I figured I would update since it’s been awhile. Within the past few months we have scheduled Allyn’s sperm extraction or micro TESE for July 22nd, it’s fast approaching!  Then I had my saline sonohystogram. During the saline sonohystrogram, they insert a catheter into my uterus and while doing so are performing a transvaginal ultrasound and injecting saline into the catheter to make my uterus larger. They look for fibroids, polyps, and the shape of the uterus to make sure everything is officially cleared for me. And guess what, everything looks great and my follicle size is appropriate so finally some positive news! My ultrasound in combination with my lab results show I should respond to the IVF medications very well! In fact the doctor is afraid I may hyper-stimulate my ovaries too much and we have to be careful with the medication dose. So now we wait until after Allyn’s procedure to start the entire IVF cycle so we can get the sperm and freeze them until use. The goal is to begin the process within the next few months once we can find a loan to help us pay for everything!  It’s coming up so fast now that everything is falling in to place. Just say a little prayer that everything turns out well for Allyn’s procedure and they can get lots and lots of sperm! If anyone knows of donation places or a cheaper way for IVF meds please let me know!

Kerbi

Well we saw Dr.Knudtson, our new fertility doctor, for the first time on Friday. We discussed what the next steps would be along with making sure there were no other options. I was a nervous wreck, sweating to the thought of “this could be it,  what if they tell us we can’t even try IVF.” We first had to answer all the medical questions.  I had all my vital signs done and the doctor reviewed all of our records from previous doctors. She was extremely personal and took the time to not only write everything down but to prepare a folder including all the important details. She described to us that IVF was our only option and if we do chromosomal (PGS) and genetic(PGD) testing done prior to implantation then we have a 60% chance of success. That’s over 50% and in my book that’s good news, right? Before we even start this process I have to get lab work done to determine my dosing on injections and a Saline infused ultrasound to see if my uterus is viable, if there are any polyps and to check my ovary size. She explained that Allyn will have to have his sperm extraction performed prior to egg retrieval. Depending on where they get the sperm, either from the vas deferens before the absence or the testes then they may have to “wake them up” due to immaturity. When I am ready I will then have to take birth control for almost 10 days, and start Gonal F (a hormone to help over stimulate my ovaries). This injection will be daily with every other day ultrasounds, follicle testing, and labs drawn. 2 days before ovulation, I will then have to give myself HCG injection and another shot the following day to pause ovulation. At that point, I will have my egg retrieval performed under anesthesia. Once they determine how many eggs and sperm they obtained, they will then undergo ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). ICSI is when they inject 1 sperm into 1 egg for higher success and to not waste the sperm. At 5 days of incubation when they are embryos, they will undergo the genetic and chromosomal screenings with a few cells taken from the embryos. After genetic testing is completed, they chose the healthiest embryos and they will be implanted. 2 weeks later we get to see if we will be pregnant or not. If no success occurs then we do it all over again. There are so many what if’s, risks and the unknown that scare me among putting us $15,000 further in to debt but I can’t think of a better reward afterwards. Ultimately our decision is the only one that matters and together we don’t want to say no but money is the factor at the moment and we are trying to be smart about this whole process. We have chosen to start Allyn’s sperm extraction and IVF in December but I will do my additional tests in advance, hopefully this summer if everything goes as planned.  As hard as it is to stop, breathe and try to have faith, we know we have a great support system to help us and encourage us through it all. We will continue to keep everyone in the loop and update every step of the way if I can.

I’m new to this blogging so bare with me. It’s taken a lot in me to sit down and have to tell our story but I feel like maybe it will help someone out there or give them some hope. A little background of myself and my husband. I am a Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse and my husband is going to school for Architecture. We have been together for almost 12 years with being married 3 of those. We first started trying to have a baby shortly after my Dad died in 2016. My husband was on testosterone replacement for low testosterone, and  anti depressants for depression. At first we thought that the reasoning it wasn’t happening was because I was on birth control for too long. I first went to my OB/GYN requesting medication to help me ovulate. I was prescribed metformin and clomid only to find out that I was ovulating perfectly normal. I then requested an ultrasound to check my anatomy. I was told “everything looks great.” We then went to Allyn’s (my husband’s) primary care doctor wondering if anything was affecting his libido or his fertility. They upped his dose of testosterone and changed his anti depressants but was told “nothing else should be a factor.” We then went and saw Dr Hudson, a fertility doctor, she ran some tests on me including a 3D ultrasound, genetic screening, blood work and referred Allyn to go see a reproductive urologist for his low testosterone but his testosterone replacement therapy needed to be stopped ASAP! We made an appointment with Dr Case the reproductive urologist and told him what was going on. We were told that testosterone can affect fertility in killing the sperm and interfering with sperm count.  Allyn was prescribed clomid and HCG injections to naturally bring his testosterone levels up. After 3 months of therapy his testosterone levels went from 220 to 600! He was feeling better and like himself again. We continued treatment for an additional 3 months and then were suppose to do a semen analysis to check his sperm count. After 3 analysis’s, we had a follow-up  with Dr Case and were told Allyn has no sperm and we had a 0% chance of conceiving. I happened to then mention after lots of research that Allyn was a cystic fibrosis carrier. Dr Case explained to us that Allyn is missing parts of his vas deferens (the tubes that make the sperm come out) which occurs in 60% of cystic fibrosis carriers. Our only option would be a needle biopsy or aspiration to obtain the sperm under anesthesia and then we would have to do IVF. The success rate, if this is the only issue occurring is 90%. The needle biopsy alone is $3,000, not including IVF costs! So 2 1/2 years later here we are. We have chosen to see a different fertility doctor, Dr Knudtson in San Antonio which the closest date they had available is in January where we can talk about our plan of continuing on this journey and what the next step is. If we choose to perform the needle biopsy and try IVF, we may have to wait until financially we can continue. There are so many what if’s that run through my mind and physically and emotionally it is exhausting. The hope is one day I will get to experience what all my patients do, to become a Mother and have a family. It’s something I’ve always wanted and waiting is the hardest part. I will update again in January after our appointment.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton