Went for my 2nd monitoring appointment today and the tech counted 16+ follicles on each side, with most of them measuring 17-20mm. They are having me do one final dose of Gonal-f tonight (75u, down from 225u) and will call me tomorrow to let me know what time to do the trigger shot. My egg retrieval will be on Thursday with the embryo transfer on Sunday!
I'm hoping we get LOTS of good eggs to work with. I know from experience that lots of follicles doesn't always equal lots of eggs. I had 25 last time and only got 8 eggs out of them. I think this time will be different. I feel different...much better and less sore than last time. I really think I was slight OHSS last time because it felt like there was a lot of fluid in there.
Wish me luck! <3
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Drugs & Money
Sooooo.......I'm told to start the Lupron on Sunday, but really, I'm going to wait until Monday, which will be CD21 for me. I have to go pick up the meds about and hour and a half from here on Saturday because I don't want to risk the UPS guy leaving them in the snow to freeze when I won't be home until 5:30pm. I got a call from the pharmacy today to confirm all the meds and they told me my copay is $125 total. Not bad, considering that's probably all I'll have to pay for this entire process! I'm nervous, excited, anxious, scared. Eeeeeek! Just praying I can get through it this time!
Friday, January 28, 2011
OPK
Well, it felt good to finally start something! I did the first OPK test this morning and it's not positive yet. Now I am just waiting for that and we can schedule my shots! I called the facility today to let them know that insurance approval is coming ON February 1st and that I started the OPK today so they should expect a phone call from me once I get a positive! I'm sure they'll be ordering the medications as soon as they get the approval, just so I can have them at home and ready to go once I need them. I'll be using Lupron, Gonal-F, Ovidrel & Endometrin.
I have noticed in reading blogs and watching videos that a lot of women are given an antibiotic to take AND baby aspirin. My RE has never mentioned either of these things and I obviously didn't need it the first time. Still, I wonder if baby aspirin gives you a better chance of having the embryo stick. I don't know.
I am still doing Atkins and I plan on stopping once I start stimming so I can grow some big healthy eggs, but for now, it's working. At my heaviest (2006), I was 260. I lost some and stayed at about 230 for a long time (years)...then got down to 195 right before the 1st IVF. Over the past year and a half, I gained 25 back. I am currently down to 202 and I want to get to 195 before IVF...soooooo only 7 more pounds to go! Then, I'm going to eat the same diet I ate when I was pregnant...it's the one they gave me for gestational diabetes. I didn't actually have GD but my glucose test was borderline at 15 weeks so it was preventive. I was 19 weeks and hadn't gained any weight, only lost 3. I could deal with that. :)
I have noticed in reading blogs and watching videos that a lot of women are given an antibiotic to take AND baby aspirin. My RE has never mentioned either of these things and I obviously didn't need it the first time. Still, I wonder if baby aspirin gives you a better chance of having the embryo stick. I don't know.
I am still doing Atkins and I plan on stopping once I start stimming so I can grow some big healthy eggs, but for now, it's working. At my heaviest (2006), I was 260. I lost some and stayed at about 230 for a long time (years)...then got down to 195 right before the 1st IVF. Over the past year and a half, I gained 25 back. I am currently down to 202 and I want to get to 195 before IVF...soooooo only 7 more pounds to go! Then, I'm going to eat the same diet I ate when I was pregnant...it's the one they gave me for gestational diabetes. I didn't actually have GD but my glucose test was borderline at 15 weeks so it was preventive. I was 19 weeks and hadn't gained any weight, only lost 3. I could deal with that. :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Insurance
Things are looking promising. We have been in contact with the new insurance company and we might get the approval just in time to get the medications ordered for a February cycle. I really don't want to wait another month when I've already been waiting this long.
I'm so torn about whether or not to tell my friends and family that we are doing IVF. Some of them don't even know that we did IVF the first time. Really, I'm most concerned with telling my in-laws. My father-in-law is a pastor and I'm just not sure what he and my mother-in-law would think of it all. Then again, I feel like...if I can't tell them, then do I feel that there's something wrong with it? I honestly don't. I plan to use whatever embryos we create...whether I have them implanted now or freeze them for later. I've started another blog and moved all my blog entries going back to 2007. I'm considering merging it with this one, but I'm just not sure yet!!
:/
I'm so torn about whether or not to tell my friends and family that we are doing IVF. Some of them don't even know that we did IVF the first time. Really, I'm most concerned with telling my in-laws. My father-in-law is a pastor and I'm just not sure what he and my mother-in-law would think of it all. Then again, I feel like...if I can't tell them, then do I feel that there's something wrong with it? I honestly don't. I plan to use whatever embryos we create...whether I have them implanted now or freeze them for later. I've started another blog and moved all my blog entries going back to 2007. I'm considering merging it with this one, but I'm just not sure yet!!
:/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
Leap of Faith
So here I go again.
I am preparing to go through another cycle of IVF and my worries and fears are innumerable.
All I can do is pray my way through it and hope for the best.
~M
I am preparing to go through another cycle of IVF and my worries and fears are innumerable.
All I can do is pray my way through it and hope for the best.
~M
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Moving forward
All good things are happening. Went to my sister-in-law's baby shower today (this is baby #11 for her) and I actually had a really good time! I wasn't jealous or upset at all. Thank God for that. :)
We have been waiting to get the all clear before moving ahead with round #2 of IVF because in January I had some labwork done that showed an elevated kidney (creatinine) level and Doc. wanted to check it again in 3 months. Well, it got checked again this past week and guess what? NORMAL. Right back where they were before...and my doctor said the only thing he can think of is that the lab just screwed up. Thanks a lot LAB! I have been freaking out the past 3 months thinking about kidney transplants and dialysis! SO thankful to hear that everything is in perfect working order and I'm going to call early next week to make an appt. with our RE.
Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies...look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies... :)
We have been waiting to get the all clear before moving ahead with round #2 of IVF because in January I had some labwork done that showed an elevated kidney (creatinine) level and Doc. wanted to check it again in 3 months. Well, it got checked again this past week and guess what? NORMAL. Right back where they were before...and my doctor said the only thing he can think of is that the lab just screwed up. Thanks a lot LAB! I have been freaking out the past 3 months thinking about kidney transplants and dialysis! SO thankful to hear that everything is in perfect working order and I'm going to call early next week to make an appt. with our RE.
Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies...look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies... :)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
It hurts
I am trying so hard to be optimistic and happy...but this experience has forever changed me. Before IVF, I remember feeling depressed sometimes because we were not pregant yet and could not get pregnant on our own. I remember feeling jealous of people who had kids or were pregnant. But - I still felt pretty "normal" in my own skin!
These days, I'm lost in a sea of depression, anxiety and hopelessness...with brief flashes of hope.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic! Everything was all hope and optimism until about 9 weeks when the heart palpitations started. I am talking every day, all day long feeling like my heart was skipping beats. It didn't damage me at all physically (multiple ekg's, chest x-ray, holter monitor & bloodwork has confirmed that) but it seriously messed with me mentally. Still...after a while, I learned to accept them as part of my pregnancy. I still had some days where they were worse than others but it was usually due to heat, exhaustion or dehydration, but I didn't care, I knew I was okay and I was pregnant, hallelujah! Well...here is my story of what happened at exactly 19 weeks on a Saturday morning.
----------------------------
It had been the year of joy - joy that after praying and begging God for a child, we had been blessed. We were actually expecting a half John-half Melissa hybrid and we were overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation!
The beginning of the pregnancy was a bit rough for me. I was really tired for a while and didn't feel like doing much, then I started with heart palpitations which were really more of an annoyance than anything. Eventually, I was comfortable enough to venture out of the house for a long weekend in NYC with family!
I worked a long day on Friday, hopped in the car with John and we drove to Williamsburg in NYC. I was exhausted by the time we got there and couldn't wait to go to sleep. It was not a restful night for me at all...I woke up often and I was still pretty tired in the morning. Still, I was excited to get out and enjoy some time in the city.
As I got out of the shower, I went to go to the bathroom and I could feel Something Not Quite Right happening. There was the sensation that something was actually being birthed?? I felt the something and the closest I can compare it to would be a water ballon about the size of a grape. I got a chill and began to worry. I called my midwife's office right away and waited for the on-call doctor to contact me. He did, minutes later, and when I described what I had felt, he told me to go to the ER right away.
Just before we left, I felt something more, ran to the bathroom and...blood. Now I was scared. I said out loud, "Oh God Nooo!" and we were out the door.
Cramps began on the way to the hospital. I lay in the car watching the tops of buildings & bridges through the window and praying that our baby was okay. There was no parking at the ER, so I had to go in alone while John went to park the car.
Pregnant, 19 weeks, bleeding, cramps is what I wrote on the admission slip they handed me. The clerk reads it and says, "4th floor, labor & delivery, now." I go upstairs, more paperwork, finally, a room.
I lay there waiting for them to get me into their computer system so that they could do an ultrasound and listen for a heartbeat. Also I waited for John...hoping he would find me easily.
He walked through the door and I felt instantly calmer...but I could see he had been crying. I hated to see him that upset.
They picked up a heartbeat in the 150's and then did an ultrasound. I could see the heart beating and I saw a little arm wave. Then I hear one doc say to another, "myoma"? I started to worry...(now I know that's just a fancy word for a uterine fibroid which I do NOT have). They left the room and said they'd be back.
I feel a cramp and something coming...I tell John to get the Dr. She comes back, inserts a speculum and opens it, then immediately closes and pulls it out. She says it was not a fibroid they saw, it was the amniotic sac, which is now on it's way out of my body. This, she tells us, means the baby is coming today, it is inevitable.
I didn't cry. I was in shock, I was scared, I was confused. I didn't grasp the magnitude of what was happening right away. They left us again.
Another hard cramp and no matter how hard I try to hold it in, I can't. I tell John get the Dr. again, something is coming out and as she runs in the room, here comes my amniotic sac onto the bed. Still full, still partially inside me with the baby. They say they don't want to break it, they want to let everything come out together if possible. I am left again...with a bag of amniotic fluid between my legs...waiting, cramping, thinking.
The bed was incredibly uncomfortable and I kept asking when they were moving me. Finally I was wheeled to room 4 on the 4th floor and as I went to slide over to the next bed...I felt a warm gush of fluid all the way up my back and down my legs to my knees. They say the sac is completely ruptured. I am moved to the new, slightly more comfortable, bed and left to wait once again.
Cramping, silence, tears, more cramping, Doctors, Nurses, blood, cramping, what do I do?, push, pain, fire, more pain. I hear "Fetal parts, I think it's the scapula." I push and my tiny, perfect son comes out of me...21 weeks too early. I catch a glimpse of his little head as the Doctor whisks him across the room to a waiting bassinet. He is lifeless without me and there's nothing that can be done. This is when it all hit me. Right then. I cried. I covered my face and wept...it was over.
After this, I lost a lot of blood. We waited to see whether I would need a surgical procedure to remove the placenta. Thankfully, after about a liter of blood and clots (sorry to be graphic) coming out...the placenta came out all on its own. I thank God that everything went as smoothly as it did.
We now were left to spend a little time with our baby. A boy. We knew it was a boy. :) As my husband and I sit there with our son...we are filled with a sadness I have never felt. Look, he is so perfect! The little arms and legs, the toenails and fingernails...the ears, nose, lips. Look at what we have made. Why is he here so early...why is he dead?
We name him. Calvin Andre Magario. Calvin means bald and, "Well", John said, "He is bald." We smile sadly at one another but agree, he is definitely our Calvin. <3 We took some pictures...and waited.
The nurse takes our boy to clean him and take footprints. We cried. We hugged. We were silent.
Our baby is back and once again, we are left to spend time alone with him. This time, we take lots of pictures and when we feel as though we have said goodbye, I watched my husband take the small bundled purple blanket and delicately place it into the bassinet. Shortly after that, the nurse came...and Calvin was gone for good.
About now is when John's sister Theresa and her boyfriend Hugo came into the room. I thank God that they were there for/with us. As John said, we were in a strange land and it felt so good to have them there with us. Hugo is a supremely nice human being. He took the responsibility of taking care of the car...the meter was a hungry beast and demanded to be fed TWO DOLLARS EVERY HOUR. He brought John some pizza when he was hungry and he and Theresa also brought John some lemon pound cake and gave us waters when they got there. I was in a strange state of mind and at the time, all I wanted to do was talk about what happened. I told Theresa and Hugo details...maybe some of which were too graphic or they didn't want to hear...but I needed to get it out. They listened and were loving and supportive.
We waited to be discharged...9pm. Eyes of pity all over me as I left the Labor & Delivery unit of the hospital. Theresa and Hugo went to get the car as John and I waited outside the ER. I sat on the steps, buried my face in John's thigh and wept. We went back to T&H's to grab our things and headed home that night.
This past week, there have been many tears but also many blessings. We know that we are truly loved and cared about by our family, church family and friends. I know we will never forget out precious baby boy...but we are beginning to feel better and look toward the future. We have had a fantastic weekend filled with laughter and smiles (and few tears) and we both head back to work tomorrow. I feel ready. God has been merciful, patient, kind and loving to us all week. We have prayed for healing and strength and peace and He has delivered. Thank you Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.
We are certain we will try again to have a baby. When is the question. They say a minimum of 2-3 months, but we are thinking possibly January. Yet, if November comes and we are ready, we will go for it. :) I know we will have a family one day.
Oh...a tidbit. I am pretty sure that the reason this happened was IC (Incompetent Cervix). It is rare, but some women...around 4 months + of pregnancy, when the uterus starts to get heavy, have their cervix begin to thin. There is often no warning until it is too late and the amniotic sac is protruding. That is what happened to me. The good news is that the next time I get pregnant, they will monitor me from early on and if it looks like the cervix is shortening or thinning at all...I will either be put on bed rest, possibly in the hospital, OR they can do a cerclage which is a stitch put in the cervix to keep it closed. It is painless to have done, relatively safe, and stays there until 37 weeks. I will demand to be watched like a hawk next time because I do not want this to ever happen again.
----------------------------
Fast forward to end-of-March, almost April and I'm still not ready. My blood pressure was up for a few months after losing him, then I had a bout of anxiety where I felt like I couldn't breathe all the time for a month. I did more bloodwork, a stress test and the only thing they found was a slightly elevated kidney level but still within normal range. I go back in April and, God willing, I will get a normal result and the OK to go for round 2 of IVF. I am still feeling weird, especially around my periods...racing heart sometimes, anxiety - lots of it, palpitations very few and far between, usually around ovulation. I know my body and mind has been through quite an ordeal and I'm still waiting for full healing to come.
Went to the movies today to see "How to Train Your Dragon". LOVED the movie, DID NOT love being in a theater full of mommies, daddies and children. :(
And I just can't seem to keep asking God, "Why?"
These days, I'm lost in a sea of depression, anxiety and hopelessness...with brief flashes of hope.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic! Everything was all hope and optimism until about 9 weeks when the heart palpitations started. I am talking every day, all day long feeling like my heart was skipping beats. It didn't damage me at all physically (multiple ekg's, chest x-ray, holter monitor & bloodwork has confirmed that) but it seriously messed with me mentally. Still...after a while, I learned to accept them as part of my pregnancy. I still had some days where they were worse than others but it was usually due to heat, exhaustion or dehydration, but I didn't care, I knew I was okay and I was pregnant, hallelujah! Well...here is my story of what happened at exactly 19 weeks on a Saturday morning.
----------------------------
It had been the year of joy - joy that after praying and begging God for a child, we had been blessed. We were actually expecting a half John-half Melissa hybrid and we were overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation!
The beginning of the pregnancy was a bit rough for me. I was really tired for a while and didn't feel like doing much, then I started with heart palpitations which were really more of an annoyance than anything. Eventually, I was comfortable enough to venture out of the house for a long weekend in NYC with family!
I worked a long day on Friday, hopped in the car with John and we drove to Williamsburg in NYC. I was exhausted by the time we got there and couldn't wait to go to sleep. It was not a restful night for me at all...I woke up often and I was still pretty tired in the morning. Still, I was excited to get out and enjoy some time in the city.
As I got out of the shower, I went to go to the bathroom and I could feel Something Not Quite Right happening. There was the sensation that something was actually being birthed?? I felt the something and the closest I can compare it to would be a water ballon about the size of a grape. I got a chill and began to worry. I called my midwife's office right away and waited for the on-call doctor to contact me. He did, minutes later, and when I described what I had felt, he told me to go to the ER right away.
Just before we left, I felt something more, ran to the bathroom and...blood. Now I was scared. I said out loud, "Oh God Nooo!" and we were out the door.
Cramps began on the way to the hospital. I lay in the car watching the tops of buildings & bridges through the window and praying that our baby was okay. There was no parking at the ER, so I had to go in alone while John went to park the car.
Pregnant, 19 weeks, bleeding, cramps is what I wrote on the admission slip they handed me. The clerk reads it and says, "4th floor, labor & delivery, now." I go upstairs, more paperwork, finally, a room.
I lay there waiting for them to get me into their computer system so that they could do an ultrasound and listen for a heartbeat. Also I waited for John...hoping he would find me easily.
He walked through the door and I felt instantly calmer...but I could see he had been crying. I hated to see him that upset.
They picked up a heartbeat in the 150's and then did an ultrasound. I could see the heart beating and I saw a little arm wave. Then I hear one doc say to another, "myoma"? I started to worry...(now I know that's just a fancy word for a uterine fibroid which I do NOT have). They left the room and said they'd be back.
I feel a cramp and something coming...I tell John to get the Dr. She comes back, inserts a speculum and opens it, then immediately closes and pulls it out. She says it was not a fibroid they saw, it was the amniotic sac, which is now on it's way out of my body. This, she tells us, means the baby is coming today, it is inevitable.
I didn't cry. I was in shock, I was scared, I was confused. I didn't grasp the magnitude of what was happening right away. They left us again.
Another hard cramp and no matter how hard I try to hold it in, I can't. I tell John get the Dr. again, something is coming out and as she runs in the room, here comes my amniotic sac onto the bed. Still full, still partially inside me with the baby. They say they don't want to break it, they want to let everything come out together if possible. I am left again...with a bag of amniotic fluid between my legs...waiting, cramping, thinking.
The bed was incredibly uncomfortable and I kept asking when they were moving me. Finally I was wheeled to room 4 on the 4th floor and as I went to slide over to the next bed...I felt a warm gush of fluid all the way up my back and down my legs to my knees. They say the sac is completely ruptured. I am moved to the new, slightly more comfortable, bed and left to wait once again.
Cramping, silence, tears, more cramping, Doctors, Nurses, blood, cramping, what do I do?, push, pain, fire, more pain. I hear "Fetal parts, I think it's the scapula." I push and my tiny, perfect son comes out of me...21 weeks too early. I catch a glimpse of his little head as the Doctor whisks him across the room to a waiting bassinet. He is lifeless without me and there's nothing that can be done. This is when it all hit me. Right then. I cried. I covered my face and wept...it was over.
After this, I lost a lot of blood. We waited to see whether I would need a surgical procedure to remove the placenta. Thankfully, after about a liter of blood and clots (sorry to be graphic) coming out...the placenta came out all on its own. I thank God that everything went as smoothly as it did.
We now were left to spend a little time with our baby. A boy. We knew it was a boy. :) As my husband and I sit there with our son...we are filled with a sadness I have never felt. Look, he is so perfect! The little arms and legs, the toenails and fingernails...the ears, nose, lips. Look at what we have made. Why is he here so early...why is he dead?
We name him. Calvin Andre Magario. Calvin means bald and, "Well", John said, "He is bald." We smile sadly at one another but agree, he is definitely our Calvin. <3 We took some pictures...and waited.
The nurse takes our boy to clean him and take footprints. We cried. We hugged. We were silent.
Our baby is back and once again, we are left to spend time alone with him. This time, we take lots of pictures and when we feel as though we have said goodbye, I watched my husband take the small bundled purple blanket and delicately place it into the bassinet. Shortly after that, the nurse came...and Calvin was gone for good.
About now is when John's sister Theresa and her boyfriend Hugo came into the room. I thank God that they were there for/with us. As John said, we were in a strange land and it felt so good to have them there with us. Hugo is a supremely nice human being. He took the responsibility of taking care of the car...the meter was a hungry beast and demanded to be fed TWO DOLLARS EVERY HOUR. He brought John some pizza when he was hungry and he and Theresa also brought John some lemon pound cake and gave us waters when they got there. I was in a strange state of mind and at the time, all I wanted to do was talk about what happened. I told Theresa and Hugo details...maybe some of which were too graphic or they didn't want to hear...but I needed to get it out. They listened and were loving and supportive.
We waited to be discharged...9pm. Eyes of pity all over me as I left the Labor & Delivery unit of the hospital. Theresa and Hugo went to get the car as John and I waited outside the ER. I sat on the steps, buried my face in John's thigh and wept. We went back to T&H's to grab our things and headed home that night.
This past week, there have been many tears but also many blessings. We know that we are truly loved and cared about by our family, church family and friends. I know we will never forget out precious baby boy...but we are beginning to feel better and look toward the future. We have had a fantastic weekend filled with laughter and smiles (and few tears) and we both head back to work tomorrow. I feel ready. God has been merciful, patient, kind and loving to us all week. We have prayed for healing and strength and peace and He has delivered. Thank you Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.
We are certain we will try again to have a baby. When is the question. They say a minimum of 2-3 months, but we are thinking possibly January. Yet, if November comes and we are ready, we will go for it. :) I know we will have a family one day.
Oh...a tidbit. I am pretty sure that the reason this happened was IC (Incompetent Cervix). It is rare, but some women...around 4 months + of pregnancy, when the uterus starts to get heavy, have their cervix begin to thin. There is often no warning until it is too late and the amniotic sac is protruding. That is what happened to me. The good news is that the next time I get pregnant, they will monitor me from early on and if it looks like the cervix is shortening or thinning at all...I will either be put on bed rest, possibly in the hospital, OR they can do a cerclage which is a stitch put in the cervix to keep it closed. It is painless to have done, relatively safe, and stays there until 37 weeks. I will demand to be watched like a hawk next time because I do not want this to ever happen again.
----------------------------
Fast forward to end-of-March, almost April and I'm still not ready. My blood pressure was up for a few months after losing him, then I had a bout of anxiety where I felt like I couldn't breathe all the time for a month. I did more bloodwork, a stress test and the only thing they found was a slightly elevated kidney level but still within normal range. I go back in April and, God willing, I will get a normal result and the OK to go for round 2 of IVF. I am still feeling weird, especially around my periods...racing heart sometimes, anxiety - lots of it, palpitations very few and far between, usually around ovulation. I know my body and mind has been through quite an ordeal and I'm still waiting for full healing to come.
Went to the movies today to see "How to Train Your Dragon". LOVED the movie, DID NOT love being in a theater full of mommies, daddies and children. :(
And I just can't seem to keep asking God, "Why?"
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Almost 10 weeks! I am a slacker-blogger
Saturday will be 10 weeks! I am so thankful every day for this amazing blessing.
I did have a scary spell the past couple days. On Tuesday at work, I started having heart palpitations, so I left early and came home to rest. They continued through the night and even woke me up 5-6 times. I called the doctor first thing Wednesday morning and they had me come in at 10:15. I got there and they checked my pulse - 137! - and you could hear it almost 'skip' a beat sometimes. When that would happen, I would get this uncomfortable flip-flop feeling in my chest. Not pleasant, let me tell you. They sent me downstairs for an EKG & bloodwork. I went right back up to the doc and he said, "This EKG is very, very, very good news." PHEW. Nothing wrong with my heart...apparently this just happens sometimes when women are pregnant. I haven't heard back on the bloodwork yet, but seeing as how it is feeling better today (and didn't wake me up last night) I am thinking I'm okay. The doc told me, "You're going to be okay. You're NOT going to have a heart attack. Your baby is NOT going to have a heart attack." Well actually he said "he" and pointed to my belly...so hmmm...doc know something I don't?? lol
In other news, my first appointment with my midwife is July 15 @ 1:45 and I hope they're planning an ultrasound! I know I will at least get to hear the heartbeat then. I will be 11w4d on that day. :D My hubby says he can't wait to see the next ultrasound. I feel as though everything is still going well in there, seeing as how I'm puking every morning and I LOVE it. I'm so happy when I puke because it reminds me that I'm pregnant...lol
Headed up to Kennebunkport, ME for a day trip tomorrow, can't wait!
~M
I did have a scary spell the past couple days. On Tuesday at work, I started having heart palpitations, so I left early and came home to rest. They continued through the night and even woke me up 5-6 times. I called the doctor first thing Wednesday morning and they had me come in at 10:15. I got there and they checked my pulse - 137! - and you could hear it almost 'skip' a beat sometimes. When that would happen, I would get this uncomfortable flip-flop feeling in my chest. Not pleasant, let me tell you. They sent me downstairs for an EKG & bloodwork. I went right back up to the doc and he said, "This EKG is very, very, very good news." PHEW. Nothing wrong with my heart...apparently this just happens sometimes when women are pregnant. I haven't heard back on the bloodwork yet, but seeing as how it is feeling better today (and didn't wake me up last night) I am thinking I'm okay. The doc told me, "You're going to be okay. You're NOT going to have a heart attack. Your baby is NOT going to have a heart attack." Well actually he said "he" and pointed to my belly...so hmmm...doc know something I don't?? lol
In other news, my first appointment with my midwife is July 15 @ 1:45 and I hope they're planning an ultrasound! I know I will at least get to hear the heartbeat then. I will be 11w4d on that day. :D My hubby says he can't wait to see the next ultrasound. I feel as though everything is still going well in there, seeing as how I'm puking every morning and I LOVE it. I'm so happy when I puke because it reminds me that I'm pregnant...lol
Headed up to Kennebunkport, ME for a day trip tomorrow, can't wait!
~M
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Overdue post
I had my embryo transfer on May 13, 2009. We transferred 2 8-cell non-fragmented embryos.
I had my first beta on May 24, 2009 = 127 - PREGNANT!
I had my 2nd beta on May 27, 2009 = 426 (yay!)
We will have the first ultrasound on Thursday, June 11, 2009 (a week from tomorrow!)
All I want is to see 1 or 2 little flicker hearts beating in there! I have been tired and haven't had much of an appetite for a few days now. I get really hungry but then nothing appeals to me. Still on the progesterone suppositories 3x a day...yahoo. Nothing like wearing a pad 24-7, I tell ya. :P
I had my first beta on May 24, 2009 = 127 - PREGNANT!
I had my 2nd beta on May 27, 2009 = 426 (yay!)
We will have the first ultrasound on Thursday, June 11, 2009 (a week from tomorrow!)
All I want is to see 1 or 2 little flicker hearts beating in there! I have been tired and haven't had much of an appetite for a few days now. I get really hungry but then nothing appeals to me. Still on the progesterone suppositories 3x a day...yahoo. Nothing like wearing a pad 24-7, I tell ya. :P
Monday, May 11, 2009
:) :) :) :)
We have 4 embryos growing. I am praying with all my heart and soul that they all grow big and strong! We will have our transfer on Wednesday, 5/13 @ 2:30pm Eastern. Ideally, I would like 4 perfect embryos, 2 to transfer and 2 to freeze, but I will accept whatever God has for us. He knows what is best.
I am imagining our embryos surrounded by angels God has sent to watch over them. If the folks in the lab could only see...
:)
I am imagining our embryos surrounded by angels God has sent to watch over them. If the folks in the lab could only see...
:)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Not my will but thine.
I had my egg retrieval this morning at 730. I had been petrified about it because anaesthesia makes me nervous. It went really smoothly and the iv needle barely hurt going in. Once I was on the operating table, I just closed my eyes and waited...next thing I knew I was waking up.
Now...I thought I was going to be getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 eggs. I got 8.
My husband and I put it in God's hands last night and we trust that this is exactly what we needed. I can't wait to hear the fertilzation results tomorrow! We'll be doing a 3-day transfer on Wednesday.
Now...I thought I was going to be getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 eggs. I got 8.
My husband and I put it in God's hands last night and we trust that this is exactly what we needed. I can't wait to hear the fertilzation results tomorrow! We'll be doing a 3-day transfer on Wednesday.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Well now! What am I gonna do with all these?
I had my 2nd monitoring appointment this morning. I have taken 7 days of Gonal-f and apparently, it's working. I have a dozen on the right and a baker's dozen on the left all measuring 16-17mm...wow. The tech put the ultrasound wand in and said, "You are doing IVF, right?" I said yes and she said that was very good. She started on the left and told me it might take a while because she thought there were about 6 and she needed to measure all of them. Mind you, the left side was the one I was told was smaller on Monday.
::waiting::
::waiting::
I say, "Are you still on the same side?" She laughed and said she was. A little while longer and she said, "Well, you're going to have more than 6 because I already measured 12 on that side." I told her that I have been starting to feel funny when I sit down and she raised her eyebrows and said, "Mmm, I'll bet.", while looking at the screen.
Then she said, "Okay, let's take a look at the right....oh wow, this will take a while too." I lay there, she's scanning and clicking and printing... Finally, she turns the screen to show me and I said, "Wow, there is no ovary left, it's all follicles!" She said everything looked really good. Once everything was done I asked her how many total and she told me 12 on the left, 13 on the right all around 16-17mm. My uterine lining has gone from 8mm on Monday to 11.5mm today.
I'm so excited! I think I'm responding a bit fast to the stimulating...since today will only be stim day 8...but everyone is different. Waiting to hear about the bloodwork results this afternoon. That should be interesting.
::waiting::
::waiting::
I say, "Are you still on the same side?" She laughed and said she was. A little while longer and she said, "Well, you're going to have more than 6 because I already measured 12 on that side." I told her that I have been starting to feel funny when I sit down and she raised her eyebrows and said, "Mmm, I'll bet.", while looking at the screen.
Then she said, "Okay, let's take a look at the right....oh wow, this will take a while too." I lay there, she's scanning and clicking and printing... Finally, she turns the screen to show me and I said, "Wow, there is no ovary left, it's all follicles!" She said everything looked really good. Once everything was done I asked her how many total and she told me 12 on the left, 13 on the right all around 16-17mm. My uterine lining has gone from 8mm on Monday to 11.5mm today.
I'm so excited! I think I'm responding a bit fast to the stimulating...since today will only be stim day 8...but everyone is different. Waiting to hear about the bloodwork results this afternoon. That should be interesting.
Monday, May 4, 2009
I am an egg making machine.
So I had my first monitoring appointment today since starting the stims. I will find out the results of the bloodwork later today, but the ultrasound went great. I've only been on stims 4 days, I have only one follicle measuring over 12mm but I have a bunch (20+) measuring 10-11mm today and other smaller ones after that. I did ask about OHSS, but she said that is not a concern right now, everything looks great! I am not sure if I go back tomorrow or if they'll wait 'til Wednesday to see me again, but I'm excited to go back and see how much they've grown!
My uterine lining is three layers thick and measuring 8mm right now, which she said was also great! From what I hear, 8mm is minimum thickness they like before transfer, so it should be plenty thick by that time if it's already at 8mm. Nice cushy uterus for my babies to burrow into, lol!
I am feeling fabulous this morning, after feeling like crapola all weekend. I have been so tired and dizzy in the mornings and despite only sleeping 6-ish hours last night, I feel okay today. I even feel TOUGH about finishing my root canal this afternoon :) If I have to deal with those few jolts of pain when he goes deep, so be it. I will, however, be asking for novocaine beforehand. We'll see how it goes!
My uterine lining is three layers thick and measuring 8mm right now, which she said was also great! From what I hear, 8mm is minimum thickness they like before transfer, so it should be plenty thick by that time if it's already at 8mm. Nice cushy uterus for my babies to burrow into, lol!
I am feeling fabulous this morning, after feeling like crapola all weekend. I have been so tired and dizzy in the mornings and despite only sleeping 6-ish hours last night, I feel okay today. I even feel TOUGH about finishing my root canal this afternoon :) If I have to deal with those few jolts of pain when he goes deep, so be it. I will, however, be asking for novocaine beforehand. We'll see how it goes!
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