A woman made history this morning, as the first to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) on live television.
Jessica Menkhausen, 33, was filmed by the Today show under anesthesia, as eggs were harvested from her ovaries by ultrasound guidance at St. Luke's Hospital, Missouri.
NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman said from inside the operating room: 'Right now Dr Sherman Silber is inserting a micro needle with a little suction into the ovary and each of these black sacks you see really houses an egg. They're being sucked out and being examined behind us.'
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Making history: IVF patient Jessica Menkhausen, pictured with her fiance Derek Manion, was filmed this morning under sedation, as eggs were harvested from her ovaries
Viewers were then told how Miss Menkhausen's eggs would be transported to the laboratory where her fiance, Derek Manion's sperm would be injected into them to start the fertilization process.
If this works, and viable embryos, are produced, Miss Menkhausen will return to hospital on Friday to have them reinserted into her uterus.
Pre-surgery, Miss Menkhausen said that she wants to share her journey through fertility treatment to 'enlighten other women who are having the same challenges.'
Revealing the fertility treatment process: A team of medics from St Luke's Hospital in Missouri harvest eggs from Miss Menkhausen with the cameras rolling
Intricate procedure: A probe is inserted into the vagina and this projects a picture onto a monitor which enables the doctor to direct a needle into each follicle to retrieve the eggs
'It’s also a form of self-enlightenment - sharing my story is helping me deal with some of my own fears, by courageously facing them head on.'
She had battled fertility issues since a teenager. Every month she would experience 'excruciating' menstrual cramps and in her twenties, suffered two ectopic pregnancies.
'I want to be positive and I think we're going to have twins and they're going to have red hair and blue eyes'
'It took years to get over,' she said. 'I was really glad when we met Dr Silber, he gave us so much hope.'
To pay for the procedure, which can cost up to $17,000 per cycle, she and Mr Manion have been forced to put their wedding on hold until next year.
Before getting her eggs harvested Miss Menkhausen went through four weeks of pretreatment at St Luke's Hospital.
This saw her self-inject drugs to suppress her natural hormonal cycle and then take daily hits of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) to stimulate the production of eggs.
Step-by-step process: Before having her eggs harvested Miss Menkhausen had injections to suppress her natural hormonal cycle and daily hits of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) to stimulate the production of eggs
Staying positive: Miss Menkhausen says that she thinks she's going to have twins and with red hair
Throughout the drug treatment, her progress was monitored via ultrasound scans and blood tests.
The Missouri-based couple are determined for their IVF to work first time around, as they have used their savings to pay for the procedure and cannot afford another cycle.
'Sharing my story is helping me deal with some of my own fears, by courageously facing them head on'
Maintaining a positive attitude, Miss Menkhausen, who works as an accountant, said: 'I want to be positive and I think we're going to have twins and they're going to have red hair and blue eyes. That's what we have to keep thinking.'
'Despite the hormone roller coaster, bruising from injections, and the constant "what-if" analysis going on in my head, I know that the first time I hear our baby cry, it will be well worth what we have gone through.'
She said that she hopes to show her children the recording of her IVF treatment one day, to show them how much we wanted them.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2430481/Watch-IVF-journey-Woman-makes-history-undergo-fertility-treatment-live-TV.html#ixzz2fqO5e7Vx
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