Results of blood test- "Some disappointments come regardless of your effort and preparation, for God wishes us to be strong as well as good."

I went back for another consult to see why I wasn't getting pregnant.  Dr. Craig told me the same 3 reasons why it possibly didn't work.
1)  It was just bad luck.  (Unexplained infertility)
2)  I was pregnant, but my immune system was attacking the embryo causing early miscarriage
3)  I was pregnant, but there was a micro blood clot that caused early miscarriage.  (even though I'm on Lovenox and baby aspirin)

So this time, I decided to pay for a blood test to see if my immune system is attacking the embryos they keep putting in. And that's why am not getting pregnant.  They have all these tests available.  It was just a financial decision not to do them.  Because my first IVF transfer, I didn't have a high success rate with just one embryo anyway.  (It was 38-40% chance of pregnancy).  So I figured that one was just bad odds.

But this last time, I had a very high chance of pregnancy with two good embryos transfered. (It was 78-80% this last time.)   But it still didn't work.

So I decided to bite the bullet and get the blood test done.  It was called an ACA/ LAG/ ANA test.  (Similar to a Lupus panel.)  This sounds weird, but I was kind of hoping this would come back positive.  Not that I want more problems or diseases, but at least I would know what the problem is.  Then maybe we could counteract it.

I had the blood work done at my regular doctor's office to try and get insurance to pay for it.  (I am one of the lucky ones- my insurance does cover some of the infertility treatments, but I have a lifetime max, and once I'm maxed out- it's done.)  So when the nurse from my regular doctor's office called, she was pleased to tell me that all my results came back negative.  (to her, that was good news.)  To me, that was kind of disappointing news.  I mean- I'm glad I don't have more health issues.  But at the same time, I was hoping for some answers.  So- we've ruled out possibility #2.     And even though #3 could be a possibility- maybe there was a micro blood clot, I'm doubtful.  I was taking baby aspirin daily and doing the Lovenox shots in my stomach.  (Which is a blood thinner.)  It was obviously doing it's job based on the bruises on my belly.   So my gut feeling says it was #1.  Just unexplained infertility.  Which is hard to combat...  and makes me question how many more times we should try this... probably one more time.  

I found an interesting quote by Jeffrey R. Holland.
It's called "For Times of Trouble"...   

This stuck out to me...  
"Some disappointments come regardless of your effort and preparation, for God wishes us to be strong as well as good."  

So, I feel like that's why I'm going through this infertility trial.  Like it or not, it is making me stronger.  And he flat out said that some disappointments come regardless of my effort and preparation (for these IVF transfers.)   So... that stuck out to me.  

"Some disappointments come regardless of your effort and preparation, for God wishes us to be strong as well as good. There, too, I say, 'Love your life, poor as it is.' Drive even these experiences into the corner, painful though they may be, and learn from them. In this, too, you have friends through the ages in whom you can take comfort and with whom you can form timeless bonds."

"If you are trying hard and living right and things still seem burdensome and difficult, take heart. Others have walked that way before you."

"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed."

Jeffrey R. Holland,

"In Times of Trouble"

BYU Devotional, March, 1980.

Read: PDF link

https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Holland_Jeffrey_1980_031.pdf

Listen: MP3 link below ⬇️

(Sorry, there is no video available for this speech.)

https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/mp3/Holland_Jeffrey_0319801.mp3  

So... that's where I'm at right now.  Still don't know the answers, but I know I am growing.

Sonohysterogram and HSG dye test.... again.

On a scale of 1-10, Guess how much I don't like booties, hair nets, and ugly gowns? 20.   Bleh.

So- I realized I was pretty emotionally raw when I wrote my last blog post.

I don't deal well with bad surprises.  I freeze up, get overwhelmed, freak out, then eventually work through it, and get over it.  (Sometimes)   And I usually write these blog posts after things have happened, so I have some perspective.  That last one I just wrote in the middle of it.  But I'm not that emotional all the time.  Just sometimes.

On Monday, I had 2 more procedures done.  The Sonohysterogram (where they inject saline soluntion into your uterus.  They can measure it and look for polyps and fibroids.)   And the HSG (Hysterosalpingogram)- where they inject dye into the uterus and Fallopian tubes and x-ray it to check for blockages and see how everything looks.  You're supposed to take 4 Advil an hour before the procedure.  It's uncomfortable, but it's not painful.

They did these 2 procedures in the out-patient surgery center, which didn't help my anxiety.  When I had these done last year at my other infertility doctor's office, they just did them in a special room in the office.  (They do these once a year.)  :P!!!!

The good news is... nothing has grown back since my surgery last year.  Everything still looks good for the transfer.

I get one more procedure the Monday after Christmas.  (an Endometrial Disruption).  This helps to increase the IVF pregnancy success rate.  

So... that's where we're at so far!