We're having a baby...wait, two?...TWO babies! UPDATE: They're here!!!

Tybee

CAGiversary!
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Some of you may remember me as the CAG with testicular cancer back in 2008 (Here’s the thread). Thankfully, after surgery and chemo, the cancer was defeated. But what lead to its discovery in the first place was a long and unsuccessful attempt to conceive a child. My wife and I have been together for more than 10 years now, and almost half of that time has been spent actively trying and hoping with all our hearts to have children.

Listening to Cheapy and Wombat’s parenting escapades (my wife is seriously in love with Tai) on the CAGcast week after week and reading about so many CAGs on the forums with kids both made me envious and helped solidify my resolve to become a dad (by any means necessary).

So I am incredibly stoked to tell my fellow CAGs that we are expecting twins in April!!!
:baby: :baby: :shock:

It wasn’t easy: After three years of mixed results with hormone treatments, this summer we moved on to full-fledged in-vitro fertilization. If you followed my cancer thread, you’ll recall that I had a unique testicular sperm extraction (TESE) procedure alongside my orchiectomy (removal of the cancerous left testicle). So I had those on ice up in NYC. But there weren’t very many, and the IVF docs weren’t confident they’d get many good ones to use after defrosting.

Our docs felt that we’d have a better chance if we did a fresh TESE on my remaining right testicle. We were a little skeptical, but agreed to the procedure. My wife, who thankfully had no fertility issues of her own (to the contrary, she seems to be about as fertile as they come, impressing even these seasoned reproductive specialists), was a trooper, enduring dozens and dozens of painful hormone shots, both self-administered in the stomach and in the butt from me (got pretty good at it, actually). If you think you have a strong relationship, put it to the test by coming at your loved one with a hypodermic needle every day for a few months. This was to manipulate her reproductive cycle and boost her egg production so we’d get as many eggs as possible to pair with whatever viable sperm they were able to get from me (both from the fresh TESE and the defrosted fellas).

In July we underwent back-to-back surgeries: I took the scalpel to the nut on a Friday morning, and they went in and got her eggs on Saturday. We ended up with 19 eggs (really good), and more than enough sperm to attempt fertilization on all of them. 13 of them fertilized, and of those six went on to mature into viable blastocysts. When they were five days old (optimal day for implantation in the womb), we decided to implant two of them (freezing the other four), hoping one would successfully result in a pregnancy. Both of them made it.

We’re 16 weeks along now. They’re only about 4 inches long at this point, but they look like fully formed little humans in the ultrasounds. They wiggle around, suck their thumbs, even do flips and twists. It is just so amazing to me that this is happening, especially when I think back to those darkest days of cancer treatment, not to mention sitting in a urologist’s office three and a half years ago and being told that I had cancer in one or both testicles, and I’d likely never father children.

If anyone else in the southeast is experiencing infertility issues (male OR female factor), let me know and I can refer you to our fertility clinic. They are one of the best in the world and really do work miracles as far as I'm concerned.

Due date is April 15 (Tax Day), so we've taken to calling them (Uncle) Sam and IRiS.

Up next: GENDERS! We’ll find out right before Thanksgiving.
 
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Congrats to you & the wife!!! It took my wife & I almost 5 years to have a baby .... due to all the women on her side having problems & what not. Congrats again ... & I hope your ready for the lil bundle of joys!!!
 
Congratulations Tybee! Glad to hear that despite the trials you have had to endure, things have taken a fantastic turn! I truly wish you and your family nothing but the best!!
 
Double congrats to you and Mrs. T! That is truly wonderful news. You've made my day! All the best to all of you!
 
beer_toast.jpg
 
Wow man! That is so great. You really are jumping hurdles in life; great to see you doing so well. Living life to the fullest should be your motto.
Good luck sir!
 
way to not use condoms thats how you gotta do it she tells you to put one on just say i did and plow right in lol. props on creating life.
 
Looks like you got the jump on the Target BOGO error. Yours is also a good story for Halloween, what with all the needles and scalpels to the testicles. You should have played scary music and turned down the lights when you came at your wife with the hypo. But congratulations! You sound excited to be a new dad!
 
Thats Awesome! Congrats to you and your Wife. I am glad all the trials and tribulations ended with such a positive result.
 
I am SOOOOOOO happy for you and your wife! Reading your post brought tears to my eyes! I really do wish you all the best!!
 
I am usually against IVF, but in this case, I think I can make an exception for a dude who beat cancer- testicular cancer!- and managed to conceive children anyway. Extraordinary story and best of luck.
 
Well I wish for the best health with those kids.

You better have them checked up and down(allergies et al) when she conceives considering you had Chemo though.
 
Thanks, everyone! My wife is really enjoying reading your responses.

[quote name='Sarang01']Well I wish for the best health with those kids.

You better have them checked up and down(allergies et al) when she conceives considering you had Chemo though.[/QUOTE]

Just out of curiosity, what are you basing this on? All of the research we've done (including consulting multiple oncologists, reproductive urologists, and obstetricians) indicated no such risks. Any sperm adversely affected by the chemo (assuming that would even still have been a factor years after the actual treatment) wouldn't have been viable and wouldn't have fertilized in the first place. But if you're seen specific research that says otherwise, I'd love a link to it.
 
IF YOU'RE HAVIN' TWO KIDS
CONGRATULATIONS SON
TYBEE'S GOT 99 PROBLEMS
BUT HIS JUICE AINT ONE

There, now I feel better about not having actually written something earlier.
 
SO YOU'RE HAVIN' TWO KIDS
THAT'S EXCELLENT SON
YOU GOT 99 PROBLEMS
BUT PROCREATION AINT ONE
this is the only way I know how to express heartfelt and sincere joy upon the announcement of heartwarming news for my buddy tybee :(
 
congrats dude. I was going to ask if they're fraternal or identical but then i read the story.. Went for two and got two.. couldn't ask for a better result. Once again congratulations.
 
[quote name='Strell']HEY TYBEE'S WIFE
BIG CONGRATS WOMAN
YOU GOT 99 PROBLEMS
BUT YOUR MAN AINT ONE

Oh yeah! Triple word score![/QUOTE]
Are you drunk?:whistle2:s
 
[quote name='Tybee']Thanks, everyone! My wife is really enjoying reading your responses.



Just out of curiosity, what are you basing this on? All of the research we've done (including consulting multiple oncologists, reproductive urologists, and obstetricians) indicated no such risks. Any sperm adversely affected by the chemo (assuming that would even still have been a factor years after the actual treatment) wouldn't have been viable and wouldn't have fertilized in the first place. But if you're seen specific research that says otherwise, I'd love a link to it.[/QUOTE]

It's not the viability of the sperm I question. When you said Chemo I usually assume radiation was involved since they pair them together for treatment. This I believe likely causes damage to genes, resulting in possible things like uncommon allergies, see: chocolate and especially Gluten. If Radiation was not involved I apologize and disregard the previous comment.
 
congrats. Having been down the IVF road myself I know the perils that can cause.

You are a survivor and may your children be as well.
 
[quote name='bobo2k4']Congrats! Hope you get some rest now cause you not going to get any sleep within the next year.[/QUOTE]

That seems to be the general consensus. We're going to do our best to get them on the same schedule where possible, but yeah, it's going to be brutal. Thankfully, we have a very strong support network of friends and family. This will be my parents' first grandchildren, and they are raring to go (and live 20 mins away).

Oh, and you'll be happy to know we already have a bunch of Totoro stuff on the registry. ;)

[quote name='CheapyD']that is awesome news, congratulations![/QUOTE]

Thanks, Cheapy! Many parenting CAGbag questions to follow, I'm sure.

[quote name='Strell']IF YOU'RE HAVIN' TWO KIDS
CONGRATULATIONS SON
TYBEE'S GOT 99 PROBLEMS
BUT HIS JUICE AINT ONE[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Strell']HEY TYBEE'S WIFE
BIG CONGRATS WOMAN
YOU GOT 99 PROBLEMS
BUT YOUR MAN AINT ONE[/QUOTE]

My wife almost lost her shit laughing at that, as did I.

[quote name='Wolfkin']congrats dude. I was going to ask if they're fraternal or identical but then i read the story.. Went for two and got two.. couldn't ask for a better result. Once again congratulations.[/QUOTE]

Yup. There is something like a 1 in 1,000 chance that one blastocyst didn't make it and the other one split (which would result in identicals), but given the fact that they're in separate amniotic sacs, not at all likely.

[quote name='Sarang01']It's not the viability of the sperm I question. When you said Chemo I usually assume radiation was involved since they pair them together for treatment. This I believe likely causes damage to genes, resulting in possible things like uncommon allergies, see: chocolate and especially Gluten. If Radiation was not involved I apologize and disregard the previous comment.[/QUOTE]

Ah, I see. Yes, I have heard about the potential risks of reproduction after radiation therapy. But thankfully my course of treatment just called for straight chemo. No radiation. So we're good!
 
Congrats, Tybee. Glad the trip to being a parent still worked for you, with an added surprise. You certainly earned it with all you had to go through to get there.
 
[quote name='dopa345']Congrats. My wife and I are expecting our first in April as well.[/QUOTE]

Wow! Congrats to you too! Looks like there will be two CAGs who will fall off the face of the Earth come April. ;)
 
If your lady is like my mom, she'll hold onto them for the extra day so she can get her last filings done.

Born 4/16
 
[quote name='UrAllVirgins']CONGRATS!

Awesome news![/QUOTE]

Even though I'll soon have tangible evidence disproving your username? ;)
 
[quote name='Tybee']Even though I'll soon have tangible evidence disproving your username? ;)[/QUOTE]

Or he could ask his mom for tangible evidence.
 
bread's done
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