Boring Update!

I took my last BCP today, and I will continue on the lupron. I've had some hot flashes, some nausea (almost to the point of throwing up while I was taking care of a baby the other night at work), and yesterday afternoon had some intense pelvic pain on the right side which lasted about 45 minutes but then was gone. It started off feeling like I pulled a muscle and just got worse from there. I was worried something was wrong, but when it stopped I figured we were good. The lupron and BCP's have killed my weight loss, while I don't think I've gained anything, I certainly have stopped losing.

My next appointment is for an ultrasound and bloodwork on Friday morning. I'm excited to start the stims, nervous that something will come up, you know, like a cyst that would stop us from starting stims right away, and just in general feeling, well...ready, at least to start the stims...I'm not quite ready for the two week wait to start just yet. I have a couple of weeks to get myself ready for that.

To help keep my mind off of the waiting, I just took apart the majority of the blanket I'd been crocheting for Jack because the sides looked "off" and I want it perfect for him. And I figured that I'll need something to keep me busy, why not re-crochet his blanket. I also downloaded a couple of books to my Kindle to keep me busy, as well as this awesome "Texas Hold'Em" game for my Kindle. I had no idea you could buy games for it! This game would be what keeps me occupied while I wait for my appointment time. Nothing worse than sitting in the infertility doctor's waiting room and looking at other couples wondering if they're pregnant yet, consulting, etc. I felt awful the other day because one couple, the woman was crying and the man was trying to comfort her. I wondered silently to myself if their cycle had failed, or if she had miscarried.

So yes, I need to keep myself occupied. Anyone else care to tell me what they are doing to keep themselves occupied, or have done to pass the time and distract themselves, I'd be willing to hear it!!!

Thanks again for following me in this journey and supporting us. Most everyone has been supportive, and some have been downright vocal cheerleaders for us, and we love you for that!

Special Package!!!

I got this by UPS today!



I was supposed to start the lupron injections this morning, but nothing you can do when the package arrives at 3:15pm. I took my first lupron injection at 3:30, and I will work it back by an hour everyday until I'm taking it around 8am.

I have an ultrasound scheduled with bloodwork next Friday morning, 2/4/11. At that point we'll hopefully be ready to start stims. This however, will mean that one day, the day I start stims, will require me to take 3 shots, yes 3!!! Geez. Oh well right? After that first day, I think lupron stops the next day and then I'm just on the two shots a day.

There are a few new drugs in my cycle this time. First is menopur, it has LH and FSH instead of just the FSH that follistim has (I am still taking follistim this cycle, however this combo scares me, see below). So this will mean I am on two stim drugs. The thing that freaks me out about that is that when we did IVF #1, I was overstimming. I had mild OHSS, and my E2 was very high. They threatened to cancel my cycle after retrieval (because pregnancy can make OHSS worse). Luckily they didn't, and I did fine, however, OHSS is not something I really want to mess around with. The severe cases the patient is in congestive heart failure essentially and is hospitalized. This is NOT my idea of fun. So I am a little hesitant to take this drug.

Estrace is also new for me. This is a form of supplemental estrogen which has been shown to improve pregnancy rates. The other drug that is new for me is the Endometrin which is what I will be taking instead of progesterone in oil (PIO). The PIO was an IM injection that Archie had to give me nightly after our transfer, and because we got pregnant on our first cycle, we continued this through the 12 week mark to support the pregnancy. The Endometrin is a vaginal suppository. Yuck. And from what I hear, it's all good while you're lying down (which my nurse says isn't even necessary, however, I want as much of the progesterone from it as possible if I plan to get pregnant right?), however, when you stand up and it has melted, it's supposedly very messy. And I have to take it 3 times a day instead of once a day. Great. To be honest, I'm not sure this Endometrin and I will get along. If I hate it, I do have the option to go back to the shot form of progesterone. That too has it's drawbacks (hello, it is a shot!), but at least it is once a day and not 3 times a day and so messy!

For some reason, this time I don't have a prescription for Medrol or baby aspirin. The medrol was something I to take/taking the last two cycles because we were doing assisted hatching and it helps decrease the inflammatory response possible between me and my little embryos. The baby aspirin decreases coagulation factors in the bloodstream that can be increased due to the really high levels of estrogen (thanks to the stim drugs like follistim and menopur), thus increasing bloodflow to the tissue. I have a call into my nurse to ask if this is due to a change in protocol with the switch to the new fertility clinic, or if this was overlooked, or if it is something that perhaps they will write for later in the cycle. My Type-A self feels the need to have this info, although to be honest, it may just not be as important as they used to think it was. Who knows?

Otherwise, there isn't much news on my end. I hate to be boring and not post much, but really, once I start stims I'll be boring YOU with posts about every other day (minimum) to update on my ultrasounds and bloodwork, so enjoy not reading my rambling while you can!!!

Stalkers!

I love the "feedjit" on the side of my blog that tells me where my visitors are coming from. I love stalkers (in the following my blog-type stalker), but I know some of you aren't officially "Following" me. I have found that some locals are visiting my site, and I'd love to know who you are! I know who my Hagerstown visitor is, I think I know who my Severna Park visitor is, and I saw I have someone frequently checking in from Parkville, all of which are near me (you know, within an hour or so). I'd love to know where the rest of my visitors have found my blog and who you are, especially those in my area, please identify yourselves!!!! Comment and let me know how you found my blog.

Mock Transfer & Sono HSG

It was rather uneventful with the exception of getting squirted by the resident when the syringe came disconnected from the catheter. I did not appreciate the fact that the resident and my doc never bothered to introduce this chick who was also going to be in the room during a procedure where my dignity was already out the window. Just thought it was poor bedside manner.

I have a follicle on each ovary which is not odd given that I am in my follicular phase of my cycle, but is odd considering that I am on birth control pills. Doc is not concerned unless they put out estrogen, nurse said it could be leftover from my last cycle. I am just hoping that it will not mean a longer time on lupron to try and suppress me better, as was the issue with our first cycle.

My nurse is working out a schedule for me and as of now has me slated to start stims on 2/4. This would put us at doing ER around Valentines day or a couple of days after. If ER is on 2/14 or 2/15 that would put our beta on either 3/4 or 3/5 if we had a 3 day transfer like before. I am feeling very funny about this as it would either mean a great gift for our anniversary or yet another wrecked one. I am seriously considering asking if we could postpone the beta until 3/6 just so we can make sure our anniversary is celebrated with happiness and not tears.

Better yet, I hope we have great looking embros that can possibly make it to a day 5 transfer and then we will not have to worry about a beta on our anniversary!

I guess at some point next week I will go in and pick up a big bag full of drugs and get my shots refresher. *Deep breath*

Mock Transfer and Sono HSG

I am scheduled to have my mock transfer and sono HSG on Tuesday morning at 10am. For my non-IVF friends who may not have a clue what that means, before you can do an embryo transfer, they like to do a practice one. It is basically a speculum exam where they put the catheter through your cervix and into your uterus while looking at it by ultrasound so they can see how far in they need to go to put those little embryos right back where they belong. At the same time that they do that (the mock transfer) they will also do a sono HSG where they will inject through the catheter some saline and look at where it goes by ultrasound. Being as I am down to one patent tube, they should just see saline fill up my uterus, go through and spill out of that other tube. It is really very minor, a little uncomfortable when they inject the saline, but not unbearable. I expect it to pretty much be a non-event, but it is an event in that it is our next step in this process.

Tuesday will also be the start of week two on our birth control pills...that means about one more week until I start on lupron!!!!!!!!!! Gosh it seems crazy to be excited to start on something that gives me wicked hot flashes and has the potential to make me even more moody than normal. That said, I think the hot flashes are what I remember the most, not really any more moodiness than usual.

I will post on Tuesday and let you all know that everything was completely boring and normal...right???

New Blog Design and UPDATE!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone! I decided I was going to be upbeat about this cycle (if it kills me I WILL BE UPBEAT darnit!) and regardless of the outcome I am determined to have a good outlook on the rest of the year. How I will do that if we get a BFN is beyond me but I will do it, probably with the help of a really good therapist who specializes in infertility stuff, but I am sure I won't need them...right???!!!

Anyway, as my excitement began to take hold of me with this cycle, I stumbled upon the opportunity to get my blog made-over by a fellow IFer. I love it, she did a great job and was so easy to work with, great at communicating with you and fast too! If you need a bloggy makeover, please go visit Aly here!

Now, my period (herein referred to as AF) arrived on Sunday-day 1 of this cycle. I went today (day 3) for bloodwork. It came back ok and I started on BCP's (birth control pills). I know, seems odd doesn't it that I would be on birth control pills while I am TRYING to get pregnant??? It helps with suppressing my body, I can't explain how, but it does and I just accept that (believe it or not I don't HAVE to know everything whether it seems like it or not). Then my nurse told me that I will start on lupron in 2 weeks (approx. January 25th)!!!! I can't believe it. I mean, duh I am doing an IVF cycle, but they never give me dates for lupron AND stims!!! That's right, I will start stims in 3 weeks (about Feb. 1)!!!! If my memory serves me correctly, I was on stims for about 10 days with our first cycle (the other lupron one)...actually, it may not have been 10 really because I was going into OHSS and I remember at one point they had me so low on my stims that they had to stop them because we couldn't go any lower and I ran the risk of my cycle being cancelled, so it may have been 10 days from start of stims to egg retrieval (ER). Either way, I'm thinking we'll be looking at ER about the end of the following week so about the 11th of February. This is awesome as I will be off that weekend and I work the following weekend so I will only have to worry about working one day that next week (during the weekdays) which allows me to be more flexible with my schedule. My boss has been great with working with me during my cycles and letting me switch to other nights instead of taking time off (which would use up more of my time and I'm thinking if I don't miss anytime between now and the possible delivery I should be able to get paid for about 10 weeks off). The problem is that I will have to work 3 in a row right after the embryo transfer (ET). I will call out for at least the first night after my transfer, and depending on how incredibly freaked out I am at that point, I may call out for the second one. Actually, if I have a pretty good idea of when my transfer will be (which I probably won't), I may ask if I can work the night or two before my transfer instead of my weekend, but it isn't as likely that my boss will say yes to that because the weekend is a big deal for staffing.

Ok, I've rambled enough. I'm excited. Lord help me. Could you please pray that everything goes smoothly this cycle. That would be great, I just don't want threats of my cycle being cancelled and all that this time around. It would be a really nice change.

Final Post-Op Appt.

I had my final post-op appointment today. I got to see pictures of my endometriosis, rectum, uterus, ligaments, abdominal wall, etc. I have lots of spots of endometriosis on my abdominal wall, but none look too bad (this is to me who is pretty clueless when it comes to looking at endo) except for the one on my rectum. It is a nodule, and I have scar tissue (presumably from the last time I had the endo scraped out) all over my rectum and uterine ligaments, and it is causing my rectum to change shape due to the scar tissue making adhesions. So I questioned him as to why the hysterectomy was the recommendation instead of just scraping again, and as it turns out, the scraping would take place at the same time, but in order to keep it from being a continuing problem (with recurrences within 5 years), the hysterectomy is needed. If I decline to do this and allow it to continue to build scar tissue, I will likely face bowel problems, incontinence, and possibly urinary incontinence as well. So...let's try to get pregnant!

I did ask if I could schedule a c-section and have the hysterectomy afterwards, and he said that they only do the hysterectomy afterwards if it is emergent with uncontrolled bleeding-type situation. As it turns out, the 6 week recovery time my mom talked about is correct if you had to be opened up and have the hysterectomy, however, nowadays we are lucky enough to have the option to do this laproscopically once the uterus has shrunk back down to it's normal size post-delivery. He said it would basically be the same procedure I just had in November, 1 week recovery time, but I'd be more sore just because they were doing more inside of me than just removing a tube. They'd be removing a uterus, a tube, and an ovary, and scraping out the endo. Sounds good to me!

I really expected to get another bit of bad news today, but it didn't come thankfully. He said he'll see me when I am ready to have the hysterectomy and good luck otherwise. I placed a call today to our financial coordinator at our IVF center to make sure our prior insurance authorization for the cycle was still good (since it's been almost 4 months since our initial consult), and I'm waiting to hear back from her. Period is expected this coming Sunday, and sometime next week I will start on birth control pills if all goes as planned. I talked to my IVF nurse to make sure there was nothing on their end that I needed to take care of before Sunday and there isn't, they will be expecting a call from me on Monday. I'm excited to get started, yes I said that.

I am excited, but I am also scared. I prayed on the way into work tonight that our )His and our) plans be the same for growing our family, and that if it isn't, I pray that He help me find peace with that. I prayed that if He has a plan for us to get pregnant that it be a healthy pregnancy. Please continue to pray for us on this journey.