Higher

Wednesday morning, in the middle of working, I finally got the call to let me know the results of my blood work.

At first they simply said they wanted me to continue taking my meds.

When I inquired about my HCG levels the nurse told me that they had raised again. With further inquiry I found out they rose to 2139.

When I asked whether those numbers were o.k., she responded that they were rising well, but that we would know more after my ultrasound.

So here I remain in limbo.

I have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow to let him know what is happening. (The Regional Fertility Clinic advised me to make the appointment.)

Again I am trying to remain positive and will just have to wait to see what happens next Thursday.

So again, I am asking for your thoughts and prayers.

Still Hope

This morning I went to have my blood work taken.

I waited until 8:00 as I was hoping to miss all the people who were having to fast. My strategy worked as I didn't have to wait long.

I asked the lady who took my blood how long it would take for the results to come in and she told me that it depended on the test being taken. She went on to say that it would probably be tomorrow.

When I got home I called the Regional Fertility Clinic to let them know that I went in to have my blood work taken. I also pleaded that if there was any way to get the results of my blood work today that they please call me as soon as possible.

Around 12:00 I got the phone call from the Regional Fertility Clinic. When I saw their number I hesitated for a second because I didn't know whether I wanted to know or not.

Thankfully the news was good... kind of.

My HSG levels have risen!

They are now at 268. (Typically at 4 1/2 weeks they are between 270-1100.)

As they are still a little low, they are sending me for blood work again Friday. Depending on the results we will hopefully know more. The nurse mentioned that they may also send me for an early ultrasound to make sure that it isn't an ectopic pregnancy.

"Ectopic pregnancy, also known as eccyesis or tubal pregnancy, is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo attaches outside the uterus. Signs and symptoms classically include abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding." - Wikipedia

I am hoping and praying that they are just slow to raise and that this is still a viable pregnancy.

So yet again I am asking for your prayers... they worked last time!

Mixed News

My heart is so heavy right now.

On Sunday morning Chris and I decided to do a pregnancy test before I left to get my blood work.

I wanted to do it because I was afraid if the blood work turned out negative I didn't want to find out Monday morning while I was at work.

We were absolutely overjoyed when it was positive! We quickly called our parents to share our exciting news. Although, I was still feeling a little nervous I was thrilled and felt like it was finally going to happen for us.

This morning just before I started work I received a phone call from the Regional Fertility Clinic. I was so excited to see the number thinking I was going to get my much anticipated confirmation.

But my excitement soon turned to anguish.

The lady on the phone informed me that although the blood work showed that I was pregnant my hCG levels were not as high as they would expect.

My levels were around 170 and they would expect to see them around 270 (I can't remember the exact numbers to be honest as I was feeling numb).

She went on to ask me if I would be able go for blood work again tomorrow so they can check to see if my levels are rising or decreasing.

Best case scenario my levels are just slow to rise. Worse case would be that the embryo(s) implanted in the wrong spot or it (they) are not viable.

I've booked tomorrow off so that I can go in and get the blood work done in the morning, and I'm hoping that I will receive word from the Regional by the afternoon. I decided to book the whole day off as I can't imagine getting bad news there... today was hard enough.

I'm asking anyone and everyone who is reading this to please pray for us.

Hopefully I can become one of the low hCG level success stories that I've been researching online!

Still Developing

This morning I received another update from the Regional Fertility Clinic. 

The technician told me that our 5 fertilized eggs were developing and growing. She explained that they are hoping to have the transfer on Monday, however, it will depend on how our eggs are doing.

If they are not developing as they would like they will do the transfer tomorrow.

After doing some research online I found out that there is some evidence that a 5 day egg transfer is more successful than a 3 day transfer.

By day 5, the healthy fertilized eggs should form a blastocyst. However, if they are not developing as much as they like by day 3 they will still try transferring them as there is some evidence that some eggs will not fully develop outside of the womb.

They will call me tomorrow morning to let me know how they are looking and when the transfer will occur.

Thawed Eggs

Yesterday morning Chris went into the Regional Fertility Clinic in order to provide a sample of his sperm.

They then thawed our eggs and used a process called ICSI to inject one of his sperm directly into each of the eggs.

This morning I received a phone call to update me on how everything was going so far.

I was excited to find out that all 6 eggs thawed successfully and that
5 of them are fertilized!

They will continue assessing these fertilized eggs and if all goes well we will be doing the embryo transfer either Saturday or Monday.

They will call me again tomorrow morning to let me know how our eggs are developing... fingers crossed that our embryos continue to divide and grow!

I will update again tomorrow with whatever I find out.

Ultrasound News

This morning I had my ultrasound to check the lining of my uterus.

Up until today I have been taking my different medications automatically and haven't really being feeling a lot of stress.

This morning while driving to the Regional Fertility Program's clinic I had what felt like butterflies with baseball bats slugging it out in my stomach.

The thickness of my uterus lining has always been good so I'm not sure why I got so nervous- other than my body doesn't seem to react well to some of the different medications I have taken.

The ultrasound was not done by my doctor, but by one of the fertility doctors on staff. (As I've mentioned in previous posts the doctors are on a rotating schedule and patients see whomever is working that day).

As this was an ultrasound to check my uterus lining it was done vaginally- I'm pretty sure I've had around 40 of these now so they no longer make me cringe.

The first thing that the doctor mentioned was that he could see something in my lining... which is when my heart and mind started racing.

He then went on to say that the thickness of my lining looked good.

Great news!

Although, to be honest I barely heard that as all of my attention was focused on what did he see and wondering if it was going to prevent us from proceeding.

I immediately asked him if it was uterine fibroids, but he said it looked more like adenomyosis.

'Adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus (the myometrium). Adenomyosis can cause menstrual cramps, lower abdominal pressure, and bloating before menstrual periods and can result in heavy periods. The condition can be located throughout the entire uterus or localized in one spot.'

- WebMD

I then asked if he thought it would interfere with implantation. He told me that it is unknown whether or not it affects fertility. Again my mind started spinning, but then I realized that there is nothing I can do about it.

So I've decided to focus on the positive and that is that my lining is good!

My updated schedule looks like this:

Friday, Feb. 17th- (Today) I continue taking my ASA, Suprefact, Estrace and prenatal vitamin.

Tuesday, Feb. 21- I will start taking 2 antibiotics a day, 16 mg (4 pills) of Medrol and an evening dose of Crinone (starting tomorrow I take 2 doses a day 12 hours apart)

Wednesday, Feb. 22- Chris goes in to provide his sperm sample to fertilize the eggs and they thaw our eggs

Thursday, Feb. 23- We should be given an update of how the fertilization process is going. I also take the last dose of Suprefact.

Friday, Feb. 24- We will be given another update of how the fertilization process is going.

Depending on how things are going we will be looking at having the transfer on Saturday the 25th or Monday the 27th.

The new drugs I'll be taking are:

Medrol- This steroid hormone is sometimes taken when the Assisted-Hatch procedure is being done in conjunction with the Embryo transfer. It is taken to suppress any inflammatory reaction that might occur between the embryo(s) and the endometrial lining.'                                      -Family Beginnings

Crinone- Progesterone gel
     

Getting Ready... Again

In order to prepare for this donor egg round there was several things I needed to do first.

Of course there were the usual blood tests that I needed to have done. Those were to check my hormone levels of which I was told looked 'good'.

I also had to have another sonohysterogram.

To say that I was beyond scared to have this one would be an understatement.

Thankfully this time it was a completely different story. I can't believe that I'm saying this, especially after all the pain I experienced last time, but it really wasn't that bad!

The technician and doctor told me that my uterus looked 'normal' and they would verify with my doctor that I was ok to go ahead with this round.

When I asked about my uterine fibroids they said they didn't see any... they mentioned it looked like I may have adenomyosis, but otherwise my uterus looked good.  I guess fibroids really can disappear?

Once I was given the all clear I had to wait to start my period so they could put me on the pill. Although this seems contradictory they do this to regulate my period and have a clear timeline.

After a month on the pill and another period, I then had to start taking Suprefact nasal spray 5 times a day. The Suprefact stops my body from producing my own hormones. I also started taking one lose dose Aspirin and prenatal vitamin a day.

Then 17 days later I started taking 2 Estrace pills twice a day. The Estrace is a form of estrogen that I need to take to build up my uterus lining.

On the 17th I will go in to have an ultrasound to check my lining. If everything looks good we may be having the transfer on the 24 or 26.

I have some other medications that I will need to take, but I haven't been given the timeline for them.

I'll update again when I have more information.

Embryo Adoption

Chris and I are on the embryo adoption wait list. 

What is Embryo adoption?

Well when couples go through IVF, the woman will often produce over 10 eggs. This means there are sometimes extra embryos that remain after the first transfer and are frozen for later use. If a couple is able to have all the children they want and still have embryos remaining they may choose to donate their remaining embryos to couples who are unable to conceive. 

This allows other couples to experience pregnancy and the birth of a child. It also allows them to raise a child from birth. These are typically closed adoptions in which the genetic parents sign over all rights to their embryos.

Initially I was so excited for Chris and I to get into this program.  

Some things I didn't realize were:

The wait time. You are on a wait list for a year and a half to two years.

The success rate. The success rate is only around 33%. (At first I was ok with this as it is higher than our chances with my eggs, however, it is still less than a 50% chance of success). The reason the rate is lower is that couples will have chosen the best embryos for themselves and donate the remaining which are typically of a lower quality.

So if you haven't already guessed, although Chris and I are still on the wait list for this, we have decided to purchase eggs from the States. More details in my next post.

Three Years

To be honest after our last let down I was convinced that adoption was going to the direction we were next heading. I got excited and started doing more and more research.

I thought that the best bet for Chris and I would be private adoption as we are hoping to get a baby or very young child. One of the things I was most shocked about was the wait time. It is typically taking couples 3 years to be able to adopt a child.

Three years!

Unfortunately, every year this wait time is getting longer and longer. I think a lot of the reason for this is better availability of birth control, many young girls are now deciding to raise their children as there is less of a stigma as there was in the past, and of course more may be having abortions.

The lady that I was talking to did mention that if we were open to taking in a child whose mother drank alcohol or did drugs while pregnant we would have a better chance of getting a child earlier.

Another thing that I was surprised about was the cost. It costs around $15 000 by the time all is said and done. $5000 is on counseling alone.

To be honest, it was these two things time and cost that made Chris and I decide not to go with this option... at least not now.

Update: I also talked to someone who adopted through the public system and found out it took them FOUR years to be able to adopt their children!

Prometrium

Cycle day 50

As unbelievable as it sounds it has been 50 days since the first day of my last period!

Two negative pregnancy tests later... I just started taking prometrium to kick start my period.

A week after I took the first pregnancy test I called the Calgary Regional Fertility Clinic and told the receptionist what was happening. She called me back the next day and told me my doctor wanted to prescribe prometrium.

"Prometrium uses: Progesterone is a type of female hormone (progestin). This medication is similar to the progesterone that your body naturally makes and is given to replace the hormone when your body is not making enough of it. In women who are not pregnant and not going through menopause, this medication si used to restore normal menstrual periods that have stopped for several months (amenorrhea)." - WebMd

I was surprised that they didn't send me for blood work first to check my hormone levels so I took another pregnancy test... just to be sure. It was of course negative.

So I started taking the prometrium. I take two pills for 10 days before going to bed and then I should start my period within a week or so after the last pills.

When I finally do start I will call in to the period hotline and then they will start my file again and I will start the following month.

As always I'm trying not to get too down and I'm trying to build myself back up again.

The roller coaster ride continues.

 

 



Frustrated

frus-trat-ed

adjective

• feeling or expressing distress and annoyance, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.
• prevented from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled.

Cycle day 38!

 

Yes, that's right! I am on cycle day 38 and still no period.

 

This morning I finally broke down and took a pregnancy test and no surprise... it was negative. I am beyond frustrated at this point. Sometimes I feel as though this is all a cruel joke.

 

I'm going to call the Regional Fertility Clinic tomorrow to see what they suggest. I'm assuming they will want to send me for blood work, but I'm not sure. The blood work would be able to help figure out whether I ovulated or not, but wouldn't tell much more.

 

Of course my mind is reeling with all the different possibilities...

 

am I just stressed?

 

going into early menopause?

 

am I somehow miraculously pregnant, but its just too soon... I know this one's not true!

 

Not sure what's happening and just wish someone could tell me exactly what was happening and why!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still Waiting...

The reason I haven't written a post about our next round is that I am still waiting to start my period! I am currently on cycle day 34 and other than experiencing my typical back pain there is no sign of my period starting.

Can you say frustrating?!

The last time my period was this late it was the month that I was going in to have my surgery. I was so worried at the time that I was going into early menopause, but the nurse assured me it was probably just stress.

So I'm hoping that I'm just stressed about this last cycle...

It is so funny how I can be so stressed that my body will delay having its period yet I don't 'feel' like I am that worried.

I remember when a friend of mine passed away a few years ago. I thought I was doing ok except for having the bad timing of also getting a stomach flu...

Stomach flu? Ha! Not quite!

Turns out I was so upset I actually made myself physically sick!

So here I sit waiting to start my period when normally it is the last thing I want to happen.

Getting Ready...

Last week I went into the Regional Fertility Clinic to have a follow up

appointment after my surgery and to plan our next steps.

I was happy to find out that my uterus is 'normal'. I do have some uterine fibroids, but they are embedded in my uterine wall which I guess is normal. She did say that I had some scar tissue, but she was able to successfully remove it.

She was unsure how I would have gotten it, but it may have been left over from my miscarriage.

So next month we will begin our third and final round of IUI/IVF. We will start with a medicated IUI with the hopes that I will get enough eggs to be able to switch to IVF. (The reason for doing it this way is so that we don't have to put down as much money up front as we would have to if we started with IVF.)

Our doctor also wrote in our file that we would be interested in adopting an embryo if this round doesn't work out for us. Hopefully we won't have to do this, however, if we do it may help to cut down our wait time.

A few of my friends have been confused by this process so I will try and explain it the best I can.

If Chris and I are unable to conceive on our own we have the option of adopting an embryo from another couple who have successfully had their children through IVF. Often couples will get several embryos when trying IVF. Once they have finished having their children couples can decide what they would like to do with their remaining embryos. Some couples offer to donate them to other couples trying to conceive.

There is no charge for the embryos, however, there are legal fees for the adoption process. It can range from $2000- $5000 plus there is also the cost of having the embryos emplanted.

We would be given three chances to conceive and if we are successful we are only given this opportunity once. We wouldn't be able to try again later to have a second child.

As always I am hoping that we will be able to conceive our own child, however, I do feel good that we have this as a possibility if it doesn't work out for us.

I was in Chapters last week and I saw the cutest onesie. It had a simple picture of a turtle and the caption below read 'Worth the Wait'.

As soon as I saw it I lost my breath and my eyes filled up. It is quite literally the perfect onesie.

So now I am getting ready for our next round... dreaming of being able to one day put that perfect onesie on our perfect little baby.

Laminaria Tent?!

Tuesday afternoon I went into the Calgary Regional Fertility Clinic to have a Laminaria Tent put into my uterus.

I am so grateful that I didn't look it up on the internet first. (There are some horror stories on there!)

I was told that it was a type of seaweed that they would be using to open my uterus before my surgery on Wednesday. Turns out I mustn't have been listening carefully enough... the Laminaria Tent isn't used to open a woman's uterus it is to open a woman's cervix.

Now that might not seem like a big difference, however, it was not at all what I was expecting.

Because I thought it was to help open my uterus I was picturing the laminaria tent to look something like an open tampon. Boy was I wrong, instead it looks like a stick. Online they say that they place the laminaria tent into your uterus- place- ha!

They STUCK it into my cervix!

When I cried out from pain I apologized to the doctor who responded with (not kidding): "Don't apologize I know I'm torturing you!` You know when a doctor says that you`re in trouble!

Thankfully it was over quickly.

When I got home I looked it up and read that some women only experience some mild cramping whereas other women talked about excruciating pain. One woman had experienced such awful pain that she had to hospitalized and put on morphine... thankfully I didn`t experience anything quite so dramatic! But lets just say I hope I don`t have to ever have another!

Here is some more information about laminaria tents that I found online:

Laminaria Tent - Laminaria tent is about 2 inches, rigid, fibre-like stick made out of the seaweed (Laminaria stenophylla). It is used for two and three day procedures when cervix needs to be dilated more. The seaweed property is that it absorbs the moisture when in contact with the secretions of the body, while softening and swelling to several times its diameter. The result is the gradual dilation of the cervix which in turn decreases the chance of cervical laceration and perforation. This is the safest and the least painful way of cervix dilatation as it takes usually 24 hours for it to fully expand. Women might get cramps within those 24 hours so adequate pain killers are prescribed to lessen the discomfort. - Women`s Care Clinic

No Surprise... Surprise

This morning I received a phone call from the Calgary Regional Fertility Centre confirming that my blood work came out negative and I am not pregnant.

That wasn't a surprise, however, I was surprised when she went on to tell me that my progesterone levels showed that I had just ovulated or was just about to ovulate.

So the good news is that my surgery will go on Wednesday.

However, I'm not sure why my body chose to ovulate so late this month... I know they mentioned that stress can cause a women to have a delayed period, but can it also cause you to ovulate late???

I've been taking DHEA and CoQ10 on the advice of my fertility doctor and I'm not sure if they may have caused my late ovulation.

DHEA- is a hormone that is thought to be essential for women to produce and develop healthy eggs. There is some evidence to show that taking DHEA (if a woman`s levels are low) can improve egg quality which will improve chances of implantation and lower the chances of miscarriage.

CoQ10- is an antioxidant that our bodies naturally make. Like DHEA, CoQ10 levels tend to decrease as we age. Taking CoQ10 supplements is thought to help with egg quality.

There has been some evidence that taking these two supplements can help older women increase their egg quality, their chances of spontaneous pregnancies, increase IVF pregnancy rates, and decrease chances of miscarriage.

Slap in the Face

Sometimes I just don't understand.

Just when I'm building myself up to have my surgery on Wednesday I get what feels like yet another slap in the face...

I have to go in for bloodwork tomorrow morning because I am currently on cycle day 34 and still haven't gotten my period. Now before anyone gets excited, I already took a pregnancy test on Tuesday (cycle day 31) and it was negative.

In fact, the only reason I called the clinic was because I was concerned that not having my period could cause an issue with the surgery.

Of course as soon as she said that they wanted to send me for bloodwork to make sure I wasn't pregnant I immediately teared up. I know that there is about a 0.23% chance of me being pregnant right now, but there is still that little part of me that keeps hoping for a miracle.

The funny (?) thing is when my period didn't come around Day 25 (which it typically does) I was excited because I thought my cycle was going to be an average 28 day cycle. I thought perhaps the DHEA that my doctor prescribed was working.

One of the concerns I had when my period didn't come and I got the negative pregnancy test was that I was going into menopause. Thankfully when I voiced my concern with the lady from the Regional Fertitlity Clinic she reassured me that it was very unlikely and probably due to stress over my operation on Wednesday.

So I'll get up tomorrow and get the blood work done... even though I already know what the result will be.

Unsuccessful

I know it has been quite awhile since my last post and I'm sure that not

surprising that our last round was unsuccessful.

As disappointing as it is, I have started building myself back up again.

Chris and I have already decided to wait to try again after Christmas. I need to give myself a break both physically and mentally.

I also know how my brain works and if we try before Christmas I will keep thinking about how it would make a great Christmas present.

I go back to the Calgary Regional Fertility Centre on November 25 for my next appointment with our doctor. This appointment will be to discuss what our next protocol will be.

In the meantime, I will continue to try to eat well and exercise on a regular basis.  Even if it doesn't help me to get pregnant getting healthy is always a good thing. I have been doing well on the eating front and haven't had much trouble not eating meat or dairy.

I am still struggling to keep a regular exercise regiment. That will be my next focus.

Not Giving Up

I've had a few people ask me whether or not I was going to keep trying to

conceive, and if so was I going to keep writing my blog.

Chris and I are definitely going to keep trying!

And yes, I will still keep on writing... not everyday, but whenever I feel I have something to share or just need to vent. Just because it didn't work for us the first time I don't want to stop writing. I think it is just as important to share our failures as our successes.

So what's the plan?

Well, along with following my nutrition plan, I also have an appointment to meet with our doctor at the Calgary Regional Fertility Centre on September 10.

We are planning to try IVF again. The appointment will be to discuss what it will look like this time. Often if it doesn't work the first time they will try a different protocol.

I`m not sure what it will look like this time, but at least I know I can handle the injections.

My husband Chris is getting really impatient and we had a huge argument last evening over the length of time its taking.

Experiencing infertility can be a real strain on a relationship.

We have to keep reminding ourselves that we are both upset, we both want this to happen, and that we are in this together!

Staying Grounded

Since yesterday's surprisingly happy news I have been on an emotional roller coaster.

I had been praying that when we went in for the ultrasound my follicles would have grown, but I never imagined that they would have grown big enough for her to tell me to trigger!

So at 11:00 p.m. last night I took my final two injections for this cycle. I was given 10, 000 IU of HCG, which I needed to divide into two different syringes. 

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is used to mature the eggs and 'trigger' ovulation. My eggs are supposed to be released from their follicles 40 hours after the shot. I go in for my insemination between 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, which is 35 hours after the injection. (This allows the sperm to already be present in my uterus so once the eggs are released they can hopefully be fertilized.)

I am trying to be optimistic, but also realistic. 

(I am just so afraid to get my hopes up too much and then be crushed if we don't end up pregnant.)

I also know that it won't be just Chris and I that will be disappointed if this doesn't happen. When I called my family to tell them how the ultrasound went they were overjoyed to hear that we still had a chance. My friends and family have been so supportive and invested in this cycle with us that I feel somewhat guilty. I don't want to let them down.

As per normal, I've read everything I could find online about IUIs, including some animated videos, so at least I feel like I am as prepared as possible for tomorrow's insemination. 

In my research I also found an interesting article that focused on visualizing the outcome you are hoping for. Similar to the book The Secret, this article talked about how you can make things happen just by visualizing them. Wouldn't that be amazing if it was true?

I'm not sure, but I figure it can't hurt trying to imagine (visualize) us getting pregnant. I think it may be similar to the power of prayer. When I spoke to my father today I mentioned that if you only needed people's prayers and best wishes, Chris and I would have nothing to worry about.

This evening while taking a walk I came upon a family. The dad was helping his daughter ride her bike, the mom was walking with a baby in a baby backpack carrier, and she was also walking a dog! They appeared to be the perfect family. I couldn't help but wonder if they realize how lucky they are.

Sometimes When It Rains...It Pours.

Yesterday morning I went to have another ultrasound and blood work taken. As I mentioned in a previous post, it wasn't my doctor who performed the ultrasound on Monday,  and yesterday it was yet another doctor. (The doctors at the RFC do rotating shifts so you may or may not see your doctor for your ultrasounds.) 

Luckily I had called ahead, and when I found out that it wouldn't be my doctor, I made an appointment to meet with her in the afternoon.  

I had so many questions and I felt like I need to have an appointment with my actual doctor to find out some answers. I needed to know if the IUI didn't work what our next steps would be. Would we do another IVF cycle? How long would we have to wait before starting it? Would there be a different protocol? ...plus a million more questions!

Little did I know my ultrasound would bring more heartache and even more questions! 

Have you ever heard the saying: 'when it rains, it pours'?

Well apparently I need an umbrella!

This ultrasound showed a few more really small follicles, but before I could get excited the doctor told me of his concern that my three previous follicles had hardly grown at all.

Egg follicles typically grow 2-3 mm a day. Mine had grown less than 1 mm in three days.

This is not a good sign.

So just as I got myself psyched up to do IUI, it looks like we won't even be able to do that!

The doctor who was working prescribed Menopur instead of Luveris to try and see if we can get these follicles growing. (Menopur has FSH in it whereas Luveris does not.)

Later in the afternoon I met with Dr. F. and she reiterated that it didn't look good, and that the Menopur would be our best bet.  (another $370 dollars)

She also talked about other options for Chris and I.

If this round doesn't work then we could wait a month or two and try again, although, the odds are not good.

We could buy an egg from the United States (it is illegal to purchase an egg in Canada), and try an IVF round in which they would use Chris's sperm. This would cost us around $22,000 everything in. It would give us a mid to high 60% chance of conceiving.

We could also see about buying an already frozen embryo that another couple has donated. They cost $2000- $5000 plus there would be IVF costs. I'm not sure what the success rate would be for this. UPDATE: We wouldn't be purchasing the embryo- the $2000-$5000 is actually for lawyer's fees.

So again, we are in limbo. I have another ultra sound with blood work on Sunday and will hopefully know whether this round is going to work or not.