Sunday, May 29th was five days past our 5-day transfer. I immediately got up and POAS. It was negative, as usual. While trying to get ready for church, I found myself looking up info about sensitivity of pregnancy tests. I read that the ones I'm using aren't very sensitive. That made me feel a little better. I was hoping for a positive by today. Hubby asked me if I tested and I told him yes. He asked the outcome and I shook my head. He looked as disappointed as I felt. I informed him that I discovered that I'm not using very sensitive tests and that I've read First Response Early Response is one I should be using instead.
We went to church and then out to eat some lunch with friends. On the way home, hubby suggested that we stop at the pharmacy and pick up a pack of the First Response tests. Someone must be as anxious as me. When we got home, I laid down and took an hour long nap. I'd only gotten up, gotten ready for church, and eaten. Why I needed a nap is beyond me.
When I got up, I had to pee again, so I tried one of the new tests. It was also negative. That made me disappointed again today. Twice in one day? That's just unnecessary torture on myself.
My husband leads a Sunday night worship group and we had the group over to our house that night for a cookout. I had some minor cramping in the left and center of my abdomen during the cookout. It was a grab and release type of cramp over and over. ugh. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I wish I knew.
I found that I let things bother me today. I'm sure it was the fact that I got a BFN on 2 tests today. Fear is beginning to set in. I know it's early. I know I should not be torturing myself like this. But I am. And it's starting to scare me.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
4dp5dt - No News
Saturday, May 28th was 4 days past our 5-day transfer. I slept till 10am and then hurried to the bathroom to pee. Yes, I tested. No, it was not positive. I wasn't surprised, so you shouldn't be either. No pity party here. 4 days past transfer is still way early. I mean, I know I've read about some of you very fortunate ladies who have gotten faint lines this early, but I'm not counting on it. I've been straight-down-the-line average the entire process - from depth of uterus, number of eggs produced, days on stims, etc., so I don't expect stellar above average results with a home preg test. I didn't have any "symptoms" today either - cramping, etc. Surprisingly, I didn't really think about it either! Go me!
It was a pretty tame day. I cleaned the kitchen and found my counter and sink. I didn't know we had that many dishes! I took a bath, ate, and watched a lot of TV. We had a couple friends come over to hang out for a little bit that night. All in all, a very tame day for Hubby and me. I'm not sure I'm going to know what to do with myself when I have to go back to work on Tuesday! I could get used to this!
It was a pretty tame day. I cleaned the kitchen and found my counter and sink. I didn't know we had that many dishes! I took a bath, ate, and watched a lot of TV. We had a couple friends come over to hang out for a little bit that night. All in all, a very tame day for Hubby and me. I'm not sure I'm going to know what to do with myself when I have to go back to work on Tuesday! I could get used to this!
3dp5dt - Not Very Nice
It was Friday, May 27th - three days past our five-day transfer. Early in the morning, I got a call from cryogenics lab. On day of transfer, we were told that we had 4 embryos that had quit growing. There were 2 that had made it to blastocyst stage that we used in the transfer. There was one that was "iffy" that had made it to the late morula stage. They were going to let it grow to see if it made it to blastocyst stage. The woman from the lab called to say it had made it to a Grade 1 blast, so we have one frozen embryo! YAY! I didn't think we were going to have any left and we'd have to start this process all over again if we wanted to try again. That was a nice surprise!
I did a home pregnancy test today and it was negative. I know that it's really too early to get an accurate result, but I sort of did it just to see if the trigger shot was out of my system so any future tests would be valid. Looks like it's all out and tests in the future would be valid.
I got so irritable today that I picked a fight with Hubby. He went to work for the afternoon and I took a 2 hour nap. Unfortunately, it didn't make me much nicer. I mentioned in my last post that some friends brought over a casserole for me to make. I put that in the oven for dinner for us that night. It wasn't a peace offering, but it was as close as I was going to get that day. I just wasn't nice and I don't even know why.
I had quit having the constant dull pain in the middle of my abdomen like I had yesterday. Today, around noon, I began feeling like I was getting ready to have my period - all bloated and feeling full in the uterus. It was a different feeling than yesterday altogether. I hoped this was not a bad sign of an impending disappointment.
Hubby hit a blood vessel and I bled heavily from my 11pm Progesterone shot tonight. I suppose that's what I deserve for being such a you-know-what to him today.
I did a home pregnancy test today and it was negative. I know that it's really too early to get an accurate result, but I sort of did it just to see if the trigger shot was out of my system so any future tests would be valid. Looks like it's all out and tests in the future would be valid.
I got so irritable today that I picked a fight with Hubby. He went to work for the afternoon and I took a 2 hour nap. Unfortunately, it didn't make me much nicer. I mentioned in my last post that some friends brought over a casserole for me to make. I put that in the oven for dinner for us that night. It wasn't a peace offering, but it was as close as I was going to get that day. I just wasn't nice and I don't even know why.
I had quit having the constant dull pain in the middle of my abdomen like I had yesterday. Today, around noon, I began feeling like I was getting ready to have my period - all bloated and feeling full in the uterus. It was a different feeling than yesterday altogether. I hoped this was not a bad sign of an impending disappointment.
Hubby hit a blood vessel and I bled heavily from my 11pm Progesterone shot tonight. I suppose that's what I deserve for being such a you-know-what to him today.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
2dp5dt - Need To Know Basis
Thursday, May 26th was 2dp5dt. Finally! I was off bed rest and Hubby wouldn't growl at me if I stalled while going to and from the bathroom because I was sick of being flat on my back. Even though I was off bed rest, I decided to take the day off of work. I've decided to keep my boss in the need-to-know category instead of divulging all info to him. I learned that the hard way when we were in a staff meeting last summer. Hubby and I had just found out all of our problems and that ICSI was our only chance for having a biological child of our own. I had told him about the ICSI-IVF procedure in confidence. He is my boss AND he is a minister. In staff meetings, he wastes a lot of time showing off for other staff members. On this particular day, he was making cute remarks about a previous staff member that is now deceased. I asked him if we could get on with it. He looked at me and said, "Well, normally we just have to deal with her and her normal hormones. Now we have to deal with her and her hormones on steroids." I'm not sure how I didn't kill him with my bare hands. My staff is amazed that I was able to keep my cool and they have come to despise him for his rude comments about this awful, long journey that has wound us up here. Not only did he divulge medical info about me to the entire staff, but he used it to make fun of me. So, he's in the need-to-know category now and he doesn't need-to-know much.
Anway I didn't tell my boss I was off bed rest on Thursday and that's not info that he needed-to-know! Because we are always closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and Monday is a holiday, I was off work until next Tuesday. That's a total of a week off. I figured this is the best way to relax and remain stress free - especially with my boss!
I had my initial Progesterone blood draw at 9am. Thank goodness I can now have all my upcoming blood tests performed here in town, so we may not have to drive the hour-long trip to my Doc's office. Since I have several blood draws coming up in the next few weeks, the lab went ahead and registered me as a recurring patient so I don't have to go through the registration process every time I go in. That'll be especially helpful when I have to go for my 2nd beta test next Saturday when the registration desk is closed, even though the lab is open.
Hubby and I grabbed some McDonald's for breakfast. That afternoon he took me to see The Hangover 2 at our local movie theatre. It's not as good as the 1st Hangover movie, in case you're wondering. I got really tired during the movie and could have napped there. I'm a really exciting date. Poor Hubby!
The middle of my abdomen hurt all day. I felt like I had been hit right in the abdomen with a softball. I even looked for a bruise several times wondering if I was reading too much into it, or if I'd hurt myself somehow. I took a Tylenol to try to make it stop that evening. While this pain lasted almost all day, it only lasted this one day.
I really didn't do a whole lot the rest of the day. Besides the blood draw and movie, I answered some work emails and made a few phone calls. My Mother-in-law called and chatted a few minutes while she was cleaning her classroom out for the summer.
Hubby made me another yummy dinner. I made brownies becauseI am a chocoholic I was craving something sweet.
Friends brought over a casserole for me to make for dinner the next night. People have been so nice bringing me things and checking up on me. I used to feel like this was just our problem but have realized that some of our closest friends are right here in the trench with us. I don't feel like we are alone in this and it's a nice feeling. Everybody's rooting for a baby (or two). One friend even messaged me, "Bring on the twins!"
All in all, it was another relaxing day, minus the pain. Let's hope it was for a good cause!
Anway I didn't tell my boss I was off bed rest on Thursday and that's not info that he needed-to-know! Because we are always closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and Monday is a holiday, I was off work until next Tuesday. That's a total of a week off. I figured this is the best way to relax and remain stress free - especially with my boss!
I had my initial Progesterone blood draw at 9am. Thank goodness I can now have all my upcoming blood tests performed here in town, so we may not have to drive the hour-long trip to my Doc's office. Since I have several blood draws coming up in the next few weeks, the lab went ahead and registered me as a recurring patient so I don't have to go through the registration process every time I go in. That'll be especially helpful when I have to go for my 2nd beta test next Saturday when the registration desk is closed, even though the lab is open.
Hubby and I grabbed some McDonald's for breakfast. That afternoon he took me to see The Hangover 2 at our local movie theatre. It's not as good as the 1st Hangover movie, in case you're wondering. I got really tired during the movie and could have napped there. I'm a really exciting date. Poor Hubby!
The middle of my abdomen hurt all day. I felt like I had been hit right in the abdomen with a softball. I even looked for a bruise several times wondering if I was reading too much into it, or if I'd hurt myself somehow. I took a Tylenol to try to make it stop that evening. While this pain lasted almost all day, it only lasted this one day.
I really didn't do a whole lot the rest of the day. Besides the blood draw and movie, I answered some work emails and made a few phone calls. My Mother-in-law called and chatted a few minutes while she was cleaning her classroom out for the summer.
Hubby made me another yummy dinner. I made brownies because
Friends brought over a casserole for me to make for dinner the next night. People have been so nice bringing me things and checking up on me. I used to feel like this was just our problem but have realized that some of our closest friends are right here in the trench with us. I don't feel like we are alone in this and it's a nice feeling. Everybody's rooting for a baby (or two). One friend even messaged me, "Bring on the twins!"
All in all, it was another relaxing day, minus the pain. Let's hope it was for a good cause!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
1dp5dt - Lazy
It was Wednesday, May 25th. Today's theme word was LAZY!
I laid around all day today and watched TV and played on Facebook. I brought my laptop home from work, but managed to accomplish nothing productive. Late in the afternoon a friend brought me some frozen custard with chocolate, peanut butter, and Reese's Cups. It's one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it was a warm day and it had melted a bit before she got to my house. I tried to drink some of the melted stuff off the top while still laying down. Not a smart move. I ended up pouring it down the front of me. Nice, huh? My best advice to you all finding yourself in this same situation is get some yourself bendy straws. haha
Hubby mowed grass and cooked dinner for me, which was yummy. I hobbled to bathroom about every 3 hours and in the midst of this very busy day, I wasn't tired, but managed to take a 2.5 hour nap.
By that night in bed, I was restless and my lower back hurt from laying around.
I laid around all day today and watched TV and played on Facebook. I brought my laptop home from work, but managed to accomplish nothing productive. Late in the afternoon a friend brought me some frozen custard with chocolate, peanut butter, and Reese's Cups. It's one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it was a warm day and it had melted a bit before she got to my house. I tried to drink some of the melted stuff off the top while still laying down. Not a smart move. I ended up pouring it down the front of me. Nice, huh? My best advice to you all finding yourself in this same situation is get some yourself bendy straws. haha
Hubby mowed grass and cooked dinner for me, which was yummy. I hobbled to bathroom about every 3 hours and in the midst of this very busy day, I wasn't tired, but managed to take a 2.5 hour nap.
By that night in bed, I was restless and my lower back hurt from laying around.
Friday, May 27, 2011
How Many Men Does It Take to Get Me Pregnant?
Transfer was scheduled for Tuesday, May 24th at 11:15am. I was stressed about how many to transfer. The embryos had been growing so well up to this point that I thought we'd have a giant decision ahead of us that day. I prayed and even got up and read the Bible looking for some divine answer from God. I wasn't sure I'd gotten any. I asked that the answer be made clear to us.
I had heard something a few days ago about writing things in purple ink in order to make them happen. I found a purple pen and wrote "Babies" on a note pad before we left the house. I know that's crazy, but I wasn't taking any chances!
I was supposed to empty my bladder at 10:15am and then drink 16-20 oz of water so I had a full bladder for the ultrasound guided transfer. However, we would be on the road at 10:15, so we stopped at McDonald's at 9:30 to get breakfast and let me go to the bathroom one last time. Since retrieval, having a full bladder had been pretty painful. I wasn't looking forward to the long car ride with a full bladder.
So after our little pit stop, we were off to Dr. Larry King's office and I sipped on all that water. We arrived and were soon taken back to Procedure Room #2. The nurse talked to us for a few minutes and explained that the lab was running a little late this morning, so we were in no hurry to get me undressed just yet.
She left and Hubby and I texted all our family and friends letting them know we'd made it OK and were almost ready for GO TIME. Hubby went to the bathroom, and the nurse came in, asked if I was ready to pee my pants yet (which, surprisingly, I wasn't) and said that they were finally ready for me to get on the table. I got undressed and was in the middle of getting on the table when Hubby emerged from the bathroom and was surprised to find out it was GO TIME. "The nurse came back in?" he asked. Apparently you can't hear anything over the bathroom fan...
Dr. Larry King came into the room. He gave me a full written report on our Little 7. As of that time, we had:
He went on to say that the real decision that morning was to decide whether to transfer 1 or 2 blasts that day. He said if we had a whole bunch to freeze, he might recommend to be cautious and only transfer one. He explained if we transfer 2, our chances of twins greatly increase and with that are increased health risks for me and the babies. I just didn't know what to say. I had leaned towards transferring several up to this point. I looked at Hubby and he looked at me. He looked at Dr. Larry King and asked him, "If this were you Doc, what would you do?" The Doc said he'd transfer 2. That was our answer. It was clear. It wasn't even stressful. Hubby and I both said OK and the Doc had me initial beside his big #2 on the paper. He said he was glad that we picked 2 so he could remember what procedure room he was in. I really like that I can joke with my Doc. Losing a sense of humor at this point just isn't helpful! As he left the room to deliver the paperwork, he said we'd get going with this, we could have our twins, and everyone would be happy. When he left, I told Hubby that I was sad only the 2 had made it after such good reports, but it seemed like we got our answer for number to transfer without much effort.
Several minutes later, Dr. Larry King and an assisting Doc that I'd seen before came in to perform the transfer. As they were setting up, putting in the speculum, and finding my bladder on the ultrasound, a woman I'd not seen before came in, asked me to verify my name, date of birth, and number of embryos requested. After handing something to the Doc, she left.
I had the embryologist babysitter next door, Hubby's Doc down the rad, Hubby standing to my left, assisting Doc to my bottom left, and Dr. Larry King at the foot of the table. Is this a totally inappropriate joke? How many men does it take to get me pregnant? Apparently, five....
Assisting Doc had some trouble getting a clear pic on the ulstrasound screen because everything shifted once the speculum was inserted. He showed me where my bladder, uterus, and still-large ovaries were. He asked if I saw a little flash of light at the bottom of the screen. I didn't. I asked what it was. He said that was the embryos. I didn't see it. And before I knew it, it was over.
They had me lay on the table for almost 20 minutes before I was able to get up to empty my bladder and get dressed. The nurse came in to check on me one last time and I asked about continuing to take my Allegra D and Metformin. She directed me to continue taking both since they were safe during pregnancy. We gathered our stuff and she walked us out, saying that she had a good feeling about this one. Even though I knew it didn't work like that, I wanted to cross my legs and walk out as gingerly as possible.
I laid down in the car on the way home and called Hubby's parents and my Mom. I texted our friends letting them know that "2 are in!" I lounged on our couch the rest of the day, per Dr's orders. A friend brought me some hot chocolate. Hubby cooked dinner. I didn't do anything.
I felt defeated that it wasn't, "Go Little 7" anymore. It's now, "Go Little 2." Hang on Little 2.
I had heard something a few days ago about writing things in purple ink in order to make them happen. I found a purple pen and wrote "Babies" on a note pad before we left the house. I know that's crazy, but I wasn't taking any chances!
I was supposed to empty my bladder at 10:15am and then drink 16-20 oz of water so I had a full bladder for the ultrasound guided transfer. However, we would be on the road at 10:15, so we stopped at McDonald's at 9:30 to get breakfast and let me go to the bathroom one last time. Since retrieval, having a full bladder had been pretty painful. I wasn't looking forward to the long car ride with a full bladder.
So after our little pit stop, we were off to Dr. Larry King's office and I sipped on all that water. We arrived and were soon taken back to Procedure Room #2. The nurse talked to us for a few minutes and explained that the lab was running a little late this morning, so we were in no hurry to get me undressed just yet.
She left and Hubby and I texted all our family and friends letting them know we'd made it OK and were almost ready for GO TIME. Hubby went to the bathroom, and the nurse came in, asked if I was ready to pee my pants yet (which, surprisingly, I wasn't) and said that they were finally ready for me to get on the table. I got undressed and was in the middle of getting on the table when Hubby emerged from the bathroom and was surprised to find out it was GO TIME. "The nurse came back in?" he asked. Apparently you can't hear anything over the bathroom fan...
Dr. Larry King came into the room. He gave me a full written report on our Little 7. As of that time, we had:
- One 8-celled
- Two 10-celled
- One early morula
- One late morula
- One early blastocyst
- One grade 1 full blastocyst
He went on to say that the real decision that morning was to decide whether to transfer 1 or 2 blasts that day. He said if we had a whole bunch to freeze, he might recommend to be cautious and only transfer one. He explained if we transfer 2, our chances of twins greatly increase and with that are increased health risks for me and the babies. I just didn't know what to say. I had leaned towards transferring several up to this point. I looked at Hubby and he looked at me. He looked at Dr. Larry King and asked him, "If this were you Doc, what would you do?" The Doc said he'd transfer 2. That was our answer. It was clear. It wasn't even stressful. Hubby and I both said OK and the Doc had me initial beside his big #2 on the paper. He said he was glad that we picked 2 so he could remember what procedure room he was in. I really like that I can joke with my Doc. Losing a sense of humor at this point just isn't helpful! As he left the room to deliver the paperwork, he said we'd get going with this, we could have our twins, and everyone would be happy. When he left, I told Hubby that I was sad only the 2 had made it after such good reports, but it seemed like we got our answer for number to transfer without much effort.
Several minutes later, Dr. Larry King and an assisting Doc that I'd seen before came in to perform the transfer. As they were setting up, putting in the speculum, and finding my bladder on the ultrasound, a woman I'd not seen before came in, asked me to verify my name, date of birth, and number of embryos requested. After handing something to the Doc, she left.
I had the embryologist babysitter next door, Hubby's Doc down the rad, Hubby standing to my left, assisting Doc to my bottom left, and Dr. Larry King at the foot of the table. Is this a totally inappropriate joke? How many men does it take to get me pregnant? Apparently, five....
Assisting Doc had some trouble getting a clear pic on the ulstrasound screen because everything shifted once the speculum was inserted. He showed me where my bladder, uterus, and still-large ovaries were. He asked if I saw a little flash of light at the bottom of the screen. I didn't. I asked what it was. He said that was the embryos. I didn't see it. And before I knew it, it was over.
They had me lay on the table for almost 20 minutes before I was able to get up to empty my bladder and get dressed. The nurse came in to check on me one last time and I asked about continuing to take my Allegra D and Metformin. She directed me to continue taking both since they were safe during pregnancy. We gathered our stuff and she walked us out, saying that she had a good feeling about this one. Even though I knew it didn't work like that, I wanted to cross my legs and walk out as gingerly as possible.
I laid down in the car on the way home and called Hubby's parents and my Mom. I texted our friends letting them know that "2 are in!" I lounged on our couch the rest of the day, per Dr's orders. A friend brought me some hot chocolate. Hubby cooked dinner. I didn't do anything.
I felt defeated that it wasn't, "Go Little 7" anymore. It's now, "Go Little 2." Hang on Little 2.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Day 4 Update
Day 4 update doesn't exist, as I found out on Day 4.... haha
It was Monday, May 23rd and I didn't receive a call from our embryologist babysitter. I was very busy at work trying to get ready to be out for several days and then a long holiday weekend, so I got around to calling the the lab around 2pm. I explained who I was and that I was scheduled for a 5-day transfer tomorrow and was wondering if there was an update today on my Little 7.
The woman on the phone explained that when there is a 5-day transfer, they leave the little embryos alone on day 4. They don't get them out and look at them or even bother them that day. They just leave them to grow. She went on the explain that they'd get them all out and go over them thoroughly the next morning to give a final report on each one of them to the Doctor.
OK, that made sense. I would accept that.
I thanked her for the info and hung up.
OK, Little 7. So I don't get an update on you today. I'll leave you alone. Just hang on!
It was Monday, May 23rd and I didn't receive a call from our embryologist babysitter. I was very busy at work trying to get ready to be out for several days and then a long holiday weekend, so I got around to calling the the lab around 2pm. I explained who I was and that I was scheduled for a 5-day transfer tomorrow and was wondering if there was an update today on my Little 7.
The woman on the phone explained that when there is a 5-day transfer, they leave the little embryos alone on day 4. They don't get them out and look at them or even bother them that day. They just leave them to grow. She went on the explain that they'd get them all out and go over them thoroughly the next morning to give a final report on each one of them to the Doctor.
OK, that made sense. I would accept that.
I thanked her for the info and hung up.
OK, Little 7. So I don't get an update on you today. I'll leave you alone. Just hang on!
Little Fighters Beating the Odds
On Sunday, May 22nd, I got up and went to church. I direct a monthly production that we do at church in place of formal worship one Sunday per month. Hubby runs all the sound and video for the production as well. This production is a high-energy, fast-paced production geared towards families with children. This Sunday ended up being the Sunday that we were doing our monthly production, so while I didn't feel great, I felt that I needed to be there.
Hubby got up and helped me get washed off (no baths yet) and get dressed for the production. We went through a dress rehearsal and then I sat in the back during the production. I did this for 2 reasons. The first is that normally I sit up front and direct during the show. I just didn't have it in me to be moving around like that early Sunday morning. I was still pretty tender. The second reason is that I was afraid that I'd miss the call from the embryologist babysitter. So, I sat in the back, watched the show, and held my cell phone the entire time. The show had some minor speed bumps....and the babysitter didn't call.
Hubby and I went out to eat after church and for the first time since Thursday, I was HUNGRY! I don't know whether it's because I hadn't eaten much since Thursday or whether the Prednisone that the Doc has me on has finally kicked in. Whatever the reason, I haven't eaten that much in a while. Good thing we were at a Chinese buffet.... Still no phone call from the babysitter.
That afternoon, Hubby and I laid down for a normal Sunday afternoon nap. I made sure that the ringer on my cell phone was turned up so it would wake me up if the embryologist called. I turned over and talked to Hubby for a minute about how the production went that morning and my phone buzzed. I had a voicemail. How could I have a voicemail if it didn't ring? And OF COURSE it was the babysitter. Son of a.....
Hubby and I couldn't figure out why it didn't ring, but jumped to hear the voicemail. My phone acted strange and for several minutes said it failed to download the voicemail. Oh come on already! I even had to reboot my phone. Finally, it allowed me to hear the voicemail and Hubby and I hovered around the phone intently listening. The embryologist reported that all 7 were still looking great and all had made it to 8 cells, which is what they wanted by 3 days post transfer. As of that morning, we had five 8-celled Grade 1 embryos and two 8-celled Grade 2 embryos. He confirmed that my transfer would be Tuesday morning and my Doc's office should be calling me about specific details about it.
Little 7 apparently are fighters - just like their Momma. I felt good about our report. They were beating the odds.
I felt so good that later that day, I went to a friend's baby shower. Aren't you all proud?! Those kinds of things still don't bother me. Besides, I have a good feeling. Maybe it'll be my turn this time around.
Hubby got up and helped me get washed off (no baths yet) and get dressed for the production. We went through a dress rehearsal and then I sat in the back during the production. I did this for 2 reasons. The first is that normally I sit up front and direct during the show. I just didn't have it in me to be moving around like that early Sunday morning. I was still pretty tender. The second reason is that I was afraid that I'd miss the call from the embryologist babysitter. So, I sat in the back, watched the show, and held my cell phone the entire time. The show had some minor speed bumps....and the babysitter didn't call.
Hubby and I went out to eat after church and for the first time since Thursday, I was HUNGRY! I don't know whether it's because I hadn't eaten much since Thursday or whether the Prednisone that the Doc has me on has finally kicked in. Whatever the reason, I haven't eaten that much in a while. Good thing we were at a Chinese buffet.... Still no phone call from the babysitter.
That afternoon, Hubby and I laid down for a normal Sunday afternoon nap. I made sure that the ringer on my cell phone was turned up so it would wake me up if the embryologist called. I turned over and talked to Hubby for a minute about how the production went that morning and my phone buzzed. I had a voicemail. How could I have a voicemail if it didn't ring? And OF COURSE it was the babysitter. Son of a.....
Hubby and I couldn't figure out why it didn't ring, but jumped to hear the voicemail. My phone acted strange and for several minutes said it failed to download the voicemail. Oh come on already! I even had to reboot my phone. Finally, it allowed me to hear the voicemail and Hubby and I hovered around the phone intently listening. The embryologist reported that all 7 were still looking great and all had made it to 8 cells, which is what they wanted by 3 days post transfer. As of that morning, we had five 8-celled Grade 1 embryos and two 8-celled Grade 2 embryos. He confirmed that my transfer would be Tuesday morning and my Doc's office should be calling me about specific details about it.
Little 7 apparently are fighters - just like their Momma. I felt good about our report. They were beating the odds.
I felt so good that later that day, I went to a friend's baby shower. Aren't you all proud?! Those kinds of things still don't bother me. Besides, I have a good feeling. Maybe it'll be my turn this time around.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Good Problems to Have
On Saturday, May 21st (2 days post retrieval) our babysitter embryologist called at 10:15am with our daily update. I'm still so happy they call so early in the morning so I don't worry all day. It would drive my Type A side absolutely nuts. He reported to me that all 7 little embryos were still growing and dividing as they should.
I got a lesson on the growth of embryos from our babysitter at this point about how they are graded. They are each given a grade ("very subjectively" he said) from 1-5. He looks for abnormal dividing and spots in the cells to determine the grading. The more uniform they are, the more they divide, and the clearer they are, thee higher the grade. He said 1s and 2s are really good. 4s and 5s are not so good. He said to put it in terms I could understand, he has a lot more success making babies from 1s and 2s than 4s and 5s. OK, I get that.
Then he went on to update me on the status of our actual embryos. At that point, we had:
Was I hearing this right? We had good news again today?
He said that we have a wonderful problem. Usually by this point in time, he can pick out several that are stronger than the others to use for a 3-day transfer. However, because ours are all going strong, he is having trouble deciding. He said they should have all divided at least once by today, which several of them have done more than once. He said they're all grades 1 and 2, which are similar. His recommendation, with my blessing, was to move transfer to a Day 5 (Tuesday) transfer. By then, he hoped he'd have a clearer understanding of which ones to use.
By all means, if that meant a better chance at success, let's do a 5-day! So, once again in this process, we were pushing dates further back, but it was for another good cause. Keep on growing little 7!
I got a lesson on the growth of embryos from our babysitter at this point about how they are graded. They are each given a grade ("very subjectively" he said) from 1-5. He looks for abnormal dividing and spots in the cells to determine the grading. The more uniform they are, the more they divide, and the clearer they are, thee higher the grade. He said 1s and 2s are really good. 4s and 5s are not so good. He said to put it in terms I could understand, he has a lot more success making babies from 1s and 2s than 4s and 5s. OK, I get that.
Then he went on to update me on the status of our actual embryos. At that point, we had:
- 2 two-celled grade 2 embryos
- 1 three-celled grade 1 embryo
- 4 four-celled grade 1 embryos
Was I hearing this right? We had good news again today?
He said that we have a wonderful problem. Usually by this point in time, he can pick out several that are stronger than the others to use for a 3-day transfer. However, because ours are all going strong, he is having trouble deciding. He said they should have all divided at least once by today, which several of them have done more than once. He said they're all grades 1 and 2, which are similar. His recommendation, with my blessing, was to move transfer to a Day 5 (Tuesday) transfer. By then, he hoped he'd have a clearer understanding of which ones to use.
By all means, if that meant a better chance at success, let's do a 5-day! So, once again in this process, we were pushing dates further back, but it was for another good cause. Keep on growing little 7!
Babysitter Update #1
On the morning of Friday, May 20th, I got a phone call from our embryologist babysitter at 9:15am. He called to say that out of the 10 eggs that were retrieved, 9 of them were mature and able to be fertilized yesterday afternoon. Out of those, 7 were still growing on Friday morning. He said that they looked good and tentatively, we'd have embryo transfer on Sunday morning. I thanked him for the news and he said he'd call me again on Saturday with another update.
It's nice that they do that, isn't it? For once I didn't have to wonder all day what was going on.
I was conflicted on how to feel. On one hand, I was ecstatic that we had 7 growing since we only had 3 big enough for retrieval several days earlier with many more lagging behind. Those darned shots and the extra vials of Bravelle in the evening did the trick and helped some of the straggling eggs mature! On the other hand, I was nervous that we started with 9 and had already lost 2. If this continues, we may not end up with many to choose from/freeze when it comes time for transfer. I hoped these little 7 could hold on.
At 4:45pm, I set my phone down long enough to hobble to the bathroom and don't you know that's when my Doc's office called about transfer. The IVF nurse left a voicemail saying that that I was set for transfer on Sunday (3-day transfer) at 8:30am and to give her a call back confirming that I got the message. I did as soon as I returned to my phone, but of course got her voicemail. Tag, you're it, Nurse Lady.
Hold on Little 7! Hold on!
It's nice that they do that, isn't it? For once I didn't have to wonder all day what was going on.
I was conflicted on how to feel. On one hand, I was ecstatic that we had 7 growing since we only had 3 big enough for retrieval several days earlier with many more lagging behind. Those darned shots and the extra vials of Bravelle in the evening did the trick and helped some of the straggling eggs mature! On the other hand, I was nervous that we started with 9 and had already lost 2. If this continues, we may not end up with many to choose from/freeze when it comes time for transfer. I hoped these little 7 could hold on.
At 4:45pm, I set my phone down long enough to hobble to the bathroom and don't you know that's when my Doc's office called about transfer. The IVF nurse left a voicemail saying that that I was set for transfer on Sunday (3-day transfer) at 8:30am and to give her a call back confirming that I got the message. I did as soon as I returned to my phone, but of course got her voicemail. Tag, you're it, Nurse Lady.
Hold on Little 7! Hold on!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Egg Hunting in Oz
Hubby and I left for the Doc's office on Thursday, May 19th at 7:15am. I was very nervous and anxious about the whole retrieval process. I had read where several fellow IVF'ers had real pain and horrible experiences with retrieval. Then, the heavens opened up. Meet my newfound friend:
At 8am, in the car, the directions from the Doc were to take a little pill called Xanax (see above). About 20 minutes later, I felt a distinct wave of calm come over me. I looked at Hubby and giggled. I didn't know why. I was still anxious....I just didn't really care. He looked at me and asked me what was wrong with me because he was very aware that just a few minutes ago, I was entirely stressed. I told him I thought that this Xanax stuff was something worth looking into...and then giggled again.
We arrived at the cryogenics lab first where we had to show picture identification and sign papers to permit thawing of Hubby's sperm. I asked if we needed to direct them to re-freeze once we were finished and they assured me that, since we have a total of 9 vials of sperm, we shouldn't need to re-freeze. NINE?! I had no idea. Way to go Hubby!
Then we headed next door to my Doc's office where we were led back to the procedure room. The IVF nurse started asking me questions and I had to stop and think about my answers. I apologized to her, explaining that the Xanax was having quite the effect on me. She laughed and said it was working. She gave me a shot of Dilaudid in my hip and had me go to the bathroom one last time, take off my clothes from the waist down, and assume the position on the table. I perused a magazine and jabbered at Hubby for a few minutes.
Soon, the Dr doing the retrieval came in and introduced herself to me. I explained that while I'd never seen her, I had already heard good things about her. A friend of mine had come to this same office for numerous miscarriages and she was the Doc that she had seen. She very quickly went to work numbing me. She asked me to cough as she inserted the numbing needles, and ladies, let me tell you, this works. Don't do a little wimpy cough. Bring up a lung if you have to. I didn't feel the needles at all.
At this point in time, a little window in the wall opened and an embryologist from the lab next door introduced himself as our first babysitter. I felt a little like I was in Oz as people from weird places began talking to me. Was the Dilaudid THAT strong?
Next, the Doc brought up the ultrasound images. She began talking and we both intently watched the screen. She asked if she should just do her work or if we wanted to know what was going on and we both were adamant that we wanted her to continue explaining the process.
We could see the needle puncturing each little black circle that was a follicle. After that, each circle got smaller as she took the fluid from each. There was a tube coming from her instrument that put the fluid into a test tube. As the test tubes got full, they were handed through the window to the embryologist. They showed us the 1st test tube to be passed through and pointed out the little white flecks of flesh in it stating that there were probably eggs in it.
As the Doc continued her work, the man on the other side of the window kept stating numbers. Finally I asked what he was doing and the Doc looked at me and said, "He's counting your eggs." OH! Well, by all means, count away! I had no idea they'd be able to do that while I'm still on the table.
The Doc switched sides and began retrieving from the other ovary. By this time I was getting a bit uncomfortable as I could begin to feel some of what she was doing, but I didn't dare show it. She said that because I was doing so well, she was going to go ahead and retrieve everything that she could on that other side even though some were a little smaller. She said if I was in too much pain that she'd stop, but I insisted that she go on. I hadn't gone through all this to have her quit before getting every last darned egg! She quickly finished retrieving all that she could and they closed the little window with the embryologist's last count at 8, even though he wasn't done counting. The nurse promised that she'd get a final count for me before we left and let me lay down for a few minutes. Hubby just kissed me and told me how brave I was and how well I'd done. That was so nice to hear.
The nurse came in every few minutes and raised the table until I was sitting upright. I felt a little funny. I kept holding my arms up and putting them back down - almost like I was restless and I didn't know what to do with them. It was a strange feeling. Upon sitting me up, the nurse asked Hubby to get me dressed and she'd be in to do the final paperwork with me for the day. I was really starting to hurt by this point. (Let me tell you that the written directions from the Doc's office say that I would receive a sedative, a narcotic and local anesthetic for minor discomfort that day.) Just as I tried to stand up from the table, my whole body went limp. I don't mean a little. I couldn't stand, hold my head up, open my eyes, or even hear very well. Hubby caught me off the table and had to put me in a chair across the room. I propped my head up on the table while Hubby tried to put my pants on me. The nurse came in, looked at me, and immediately said, "Whoa!" Apparently I had no lips I was so white. They put me in a wheelchair, wheeled me down the hall and laid me down in an exam room while I regained some color.
About 15 minutes later, the nurse came in, told me that our final egg count was 10, and sat me up for a 2nd time. TEN! This time I was able to walk and hold my head up and carry on like a normal human being. It was much better this 2nd time. The nurse told Hubby to stop on the way home and get me some Sprite. I was awake for a God-awful 20 minutes in the car as I writhed in pain before finally falling asleep. I slept most of the rest of the day because it meant that I didn't know I was in pain.
At 8am, in the car, the directions from the Doc were to take a little pill called Xanax (see above). About 20 minutes later, I felt a distinct wave of calm come over me. I looked at Hubby and giggled. I didn't know why. I was still anxious....I just didn't really care. He looked at me and asked me what was wrong with me because he was very aware that just a few minutes ago, I was entirely stressed. I told him I thought that this Xanax stuff was something worth looking into...and then giggled again.
We arrived at the cryogenics lab first where we had to show picture identification and sign papers to permit thawing of Hubby's sperm. I asked if we needed to direct them to re-freeze once we were finished and they assured me that, since we have a total of 9 vials of sperm, we shouldn't need to re-freeze. NINE?! I had no idea. Way to go Hubby!
Then we headed next door to my Doc's office where we were led back to the procedure room. The IVF nurse started asking me questions and I had to stop and think about my answers. I apologized to her, explaining that the Xanax was having quite the effect on me. She laughed and said it was working. She gave me a shot of Dilaudid in my hip and had me go to the bathroom one last time, take off my clothes from the waist down, and assume the position on the table. I perused a magazine and jabbered at Hubby for a few minutes.
Soon, the Dr doing the retrieval came in and introduced herself to me. I explained that while I'd never seen her, I had already heard good things about her. A friend of mine had come to this same office for numerous miscarriages and she was the Doc that she had seen. She very quickly went to work numbing me. She asked me to cough as she inserted the numbing needles, and ladies, let me tell you, this works. Don't do a little wimpy cough. Bring up a lung if you have to. I didn't feel the needles at all.
At this point in time, a little window in the wall opened and an embryologist from the lab next door introduced himself as our first babysitter. I felt a little like I was in Oz as people from weird places began talking to me. Was the Dilaudid THAT strong?
Next, the Doc brought up the ultrasound images. She began talking and we both intently watched the screen. She asked if she should just do her work or if we wanted to know what was going on and we both were adamant that we wanted her to continue explaining the process.
We could see the needle puncturing each little black circle that was a follicle. After that, each circle got smaller as she took the fluid from each. There was a tube coming from her instrument that put the fluid into a test tube. As the test tubes got full, they were handed through the window to the embryologist. They showed us the 1st test tube to be passed through and pointed out the little white flecks of flesh in it stating that there were probably eggs in it.
As the Doc continued her work, the man on the other side of the window kept stating numbers. Finally I asked what he was doing and the Doc looked at me and said, "He's counting your eggs." OH! Well, by all means, count away! I had no idea they'd be able to do that while I'm still on the table.
The Doc switched sides and began retrieving from the other ovary. By this time I was getting a bit uncomfortable as I could begin to feel some of what she was doing, but I didn't dare show it. She said that because I was doing so well, she was going to go ahead and retrieve everything that she could on that other side even though some were a little smaller. She said if I was in too much pain that she'd stop, but I insisted that she go on. I hadn't gone through all this to have her quit before getting every last darned egg! She quickly finished retrieving all that she could and they closed the little window with the embryologist's last count at 8, even though he wasn't done counting. The nurse promised that she'd get a final count for me before we left and let me lay down for a few minutes. Hubby just kissed me and told me how brave I was and how well I'd done. That was so nice to hear.
The nurse came in every few minutes and raised the table until I was sitting upright. I felt a little funny. I kept holding my arms up and putting them back down - almost like I was restless and I didn't know what to do with them. It was a strange feeling. Upon sitting me up, the nurse asked Hubby to get me dressed and she'd be in to do the final paperwork with me for the day. I was really starting to hurt by this point. (Let me tell you that the written directions from the Doc's office say that I would receive a sedative, a narcotic and local anesthetic for minor discomfort that day.) Just as I tried to stand up from the table, my whole body went limp. I don't mean a little. I couldn't stand, hold my head up, open my eyes, or even hear very well. Hubby caught me off the table and had to put me in a chair across the room. I propped my head up on the table while Hubby tried to put my pants on me. The nurse came in, looked at me, and immediately said, "Whoa!" Apparently I had no lips I was so white. They put me in a wheelchair, wheeled me down the hall and laid me down in an exam room while I regained some color.
About 15 minutes later, the nurse came in, told me that our final egg count was 10, and sat me up for a 2nd time. TEN! This time I was able to walk and hold my head up and carry on like a normal human being. It was much better this 2nd time. The nurse told Hubby to stop on the way home and get me some Sprite. I was awake for a God-awful 20 minutes in the car as I writhed in pain before finally falling asleep. I slept most of the rest of the day because it meant that I didn't know I was in pain.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Pull the Trigger
Tuesday, May 17th was trigger shot day. The directions from the Doc said that Hubby needed to inject the contents of the entire bottle - which was not much, by the way - in my rear at exactly 10pm. I had inspected the needle when it arrived several weeks earlier and that sucker was long and thick...and in this case, size DOES matter. I have a friend that works at a tattoo and piercing shop. She said the gauge of needle for my trigger shot is the same gauge with which they use to pierce people. Oh great! I'm getting my butt pierced. Like this process hasn't been crazy enough!
Directions from the Doc also said to get the Novarel out of the fridge about 30 minutes early to bring it to room temp, which would help decrease the pain of the shot. Hubby said that he was not nervous about giving me a shot - he just didn't like hurting me - but he got the directions and read them over several times and kept looking at the clock to make sure we were on time. I think he was nervous and I also think that was cute. He also got a piece of ice for me and we held it on my bum so it would become numb to this atrociously giant looking shot.
At exactly 10pm in our bathroom, I stood pigeon-toed on my left leg and Hubby gave me the trigger shot on the right side. It hurt a bit - enough to take my breath away - but it was over soon enough.
To be honest, I expected a lot more pain, but the ice had done its job. I even questioned Hubby several times to make sure he'd hit the right spot and the needle had gone in all the way. Little did I know that would hurt badly for 3 days afterwards. I even had to ask hubby to look at it the next day to see if it had bruised. While it had not, he said I was definitely swollen on the right side. That's all I need - a shot to make my hind end to look even bigger than it is. It literally felt like I'd been bee-lined with a softball in the toosh. On retrieval day, the IVF nurse said this is a common problem people have due to the Novarel being so concentrated. Apparently, they use the equivalent of 10 doses of medicine in that one little bottle. The proof that it worked?
Now don't get excited. I'm not pregnant. At least not at the time I'm writing this. Directions from the Doc state that I have to take a home pregnancy test at 8am the morning after the trigger shot. Because a trigger shot contains the same hormones as pregnancy, a home pregnancy test should come out positive if the trigger shot was successful. If the trigger shot "took," retrieval will be the next day. Looks like we'd be collecting eggs on Thursday morning!
Directions from the Doc also said to get the Novarel out of the fridge about 30 minutes early to bring it to room temp, which would help decrease the pain of the shot. Hubby said that he was not nervous about giving me a shot - he just didn't like hurting me - but he got the directions and read them over several times and kept looking at the clock to make sure we were on time. I think he was nervous and I also think that was cute. He also got a piece of ice for me and we held it on my bum so it would become numb to this atrociously giant looking shot.
At exactly 10pm in our bathroom, I stood pigeon-toed on my left leg and Hubby gave me the trigger shot on the right side. It hurt a bit - enough to take my breath away - but it was over soon enough.
To be honest, I expected a lot more pain, but the ice had done its job. I even questioned Hubby several times to make sure he'd hit the right spot and the needle had gone in all the way. Little did I know that would hurt badly for 3 days afterwards. I even had to ask hubby to look at it the next day to see if it had bruised. While it had not, he said I was definitely swollen on the right side. That's all I need - a shot to make my hind end to look even bigger than it is. It literally felt like I'd been bee-lined with a softball in the toosh. On retrieval day, the IVF nurse said this is a common problem people have due to the Novarel being so concentrated. Apparently, they use the equivalent of 10 doses of medicine in that one little bottle. The proof that it worked?
Now don't get excited. I'm not pregnant. At least not at the time I'm writing this. Directions from the Doc state that I have to take a home pregnancy test at 8am the morning after the trigger shot. Because a trigger shot contains the same hormones as pregnancy, a home pregnancy test should come out positive if the trigger shot was successful. If the trigger shot "took," retrieval will be the next day. Looks like we'd be collecting eggs on Thursday morning!
Last Stims!
Here is a picture from 6:40am on Tuesday, May 17th. I thought I should take a pic of my last dose of Lupron and Bravelle. Trigger shot tonight!
It was a celebration of sorts. No more shooting myself up! And no more 6:40 AM!
It was a celebration of sorts. No more shooting myself up! And no more 6:40 AM!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Follow Up Appointment 2
On Saturday, May 14 we had to be back at the Doc at 7:30am - meaning we had to leave the house in the middle of the night. I went to the lab first to get bloodwork drawn and then headed a few doors down to my Doc's office. Dr. Larry King got out his magic internal ultrasound wand and showed Hubby and I that I had 5 follicles growing on track on the right side and 1 on the left.
What happened to the 9 that he said I had a few days ago? Why had they slowed in growing? A slight internal panic occurred.
I think my Doc could read my thoughts because he very quickly said that 6 is fine, but he's just greedy and would like more. He said to stay on 5 units of Lupron and 1 vial of Bravelle in the mornings, but to up my evening dose to 3 vials of Bravelle instead of 2. I guess we were going to jump start some of the ones lolligagging? Follicles, start your engines.....
I left feeling a bit like my bubble had been busted since I had such a good first follow up appointment. But I realized that all was not lost once I had a chance to regroup in the car on the ride home. We were scheduled to go back on Monday, May 16th for a follow up to see how my follicles would do with the extra Bravelle. If calculations are correct, that puts retrieval to at least Wednesday. I was sad that it wasn't going to be Tuesday, but Hubby was quick to point out that I'm still right on schedule according to the calendar that was given to me in April. Darn him for being so calm and level headed. He's right....again.
What happened to the 9 that he said I had a few days ago? Why had they slowed in growing? A slight internal panic occurred.
I think my Doc could read my thoughts because he very quickly said that 6 is fine, but he's just greedy and would like more. He said to stay on 5 units of Lupron and 1 vial of Bravelle in the mornings, but to up my evening dose to 3 vials of Bravelle instead of 2. I guess we were going to jump start some of the ones lolligagging? Follicles, start your engines.....
I left feeling a bit like my bubble had been busted since I had such a good first follow up appointment. But I realized that all was not lost once I had a chance to regroup in the car on the ride home. We were scheduled to go back on Monday, May 16th for a follow up to see how my follicles would do with the extra Bravelle. If calculations are correct, that puts retrieval to at least Wednesday. I was sad that it wasn't going to be Tuesday, but Hubby was quick to point out that I'm still right on schedule according to the calendar that was given to me in April. Darn him for being so calm and level headed. He's right....again.
Seeing Double
As we were leaving Dr. Larry King's office on Saturday morning, I noticed that there are an awful lot of pics of multiples hanging on their walls, even though their literature explains that they do what they can to reduce the risk of multiples. I found out throughout the weekend that twins were definitely a theme. Could it be that I was getting a signal? Maybe. Could it be that I'm a selfish, greedy infertile that wants several healthy children on the 1st go round so we can be done with this? Yep! Whatever the case, it was hard not to trip over twins this weekend.
1. My dear cousin had a beautiful baby girl On Friday in the wee hours of the morning. We went up to see the new little darling on Friday night and the woman in the room next to my cousin had twins. OK, maybe this was a funny coincidence. I was in the maternity ward and it was practically full. Chances are there might be twins someplace in there. I'll chalk that one up to chance.
2. Hubby and I DVR every TV show that we like throughout the week and spend some time on the couch together being lazy watching them on the weekend. One of our favorite shows is Rules of Engagement. If you don't know about this show, you need to. It's about a single womanizing man, a newlywed couple, and a couple that's been together a while that's going through infertility treatments (we weren't when we began watching - that IS a coincidence). I told Hubby that twins had been on my mind and then hit play on the show. The episode that we watched that Saturday was about the married couple finding out that their surrogate is possibly carrying twins. Hubby and I just kind of looked at each other and laughed. OK, the twin thing has come up twice in 24 hours now - and it was right after I told Hubby that twins were on my mind. Strange....
3. The kicker happened on Sunday (Mother's Day). We took my Mom out to eat for Mother's Day after church. We had to stand in line for quite a while to get into the restaurant. And what do you think ends up in line behind us? The most adorable set of blond-haired, blue-eyed 2 1/2 year old twin girls. I spotted them, pointed them out to Hubby and his response, while laughing, was, "Well of course there are twins behind us. What else would you expect right now?" The little girls played and laughed and brought such joy to their family. OK, this is more than a coincidence....
4. On Monday morning, I went to work to have a co-worker tell me that she had a dream about me the night before. I was almost afraid to ask. What was the dream about? I ended up having multiples and brought them to work, where chaos ensued. Now even other people are dreaming about it? You've got to be kidding me.
Dear God.
I get it. I'm fully on board. Bring 'em on, please.
Love, Me
1. My dear cousin had a beautiful baby girl On Friday in the wee hours of the morning. We went up to see the new little darling on Friday night and the woman in the room next to my cousin had twins. OK, maybe this was a funny coincidence. I was in the maternity ward and it was practically full. Chances are there might be twins someplace in there. I'll chalk that one up to chance.
2. Hubby and I DVR every TV show that we like throughout the week and spend some time on the couch together being lazy watching them on the weekend. One of our favorite shows is Rules of Engagement. If you don't know about this show, you need to. It's about a single womanizing man, a newlywed couple, and a couple that's been together a while that's going through infertility treatments (we weren't when we began watching - that IS a coincidence). I told Hubby that twins had been on my mind and then hit play on the show. The episode that we watched that Saturday was about the married couple finding out that their surrogate is possibly carrying twins. Hubby and I just kind of looked at each other and laughed. OK, the twin thing has come up twice in 24 hours now - and it was right after I told Hubby that twins were on my mind. Strange....
3. The kicker happened on Sunday (Mother's Day). We took my Mom out to eat for Mother's Day after church. We had to stand in line for quite a while to get into the restaurant. And what do you think ends up in line behind us? The most adorable set of blond-haired, blue-eyed 2 1/2 year old twin girls. I spotted them, pointed them out to Hubby and his response, while laughing, was, "Well of course there are twins behind us. What else would you expect right now?" The little girls played and laughed and brought such joy to their family. OK, this is more than a coincidence....
4. On Monday morning, I went to work to have a co-worker tell me that she had a dream about me the night before. I was almost afraid to ask. What was the dream about? I ended up having multiples and brought them to work, where chaos ensued. Now even other people are dreaming about it? You've got to be kidding me.
Dear God.
I get it. I'm fully on board. Bring 'em on, please.
Love, Me
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
1st Follow Up Appointment
Wednesday, May 11th was my 1st appointment with Dr. Larry King since beginning stimulant shots of Bravelle on Saturday. The point of these appointments is to see if my estrogen levels and follicles are responding to the Bravelle shots.
We had to be at the Dr. office, which is more than an hour away, at the absolute crack of dawn. If you read my previous post, you know that I already got up once and inadvertently took care of giving myself my morning shots a few hours early....
After getting my blood drawn, we headed a few doors down to see my Doc. He used the internal ultrasound machine to announce to Hubby and I that I have 5 follicles growing well on the right and 4 on the left. Dr. Larry King said that I'm responding well to the medicine and he hopes that another few follicles come along to make a total of 10.
Later that day, the IVF nurse called with my bloodwork results and recommendations from my Doc. She said that they are testing my estrogen level to see if it's reached at least 50. She said that it's not uncommon to see 100. Mine was at 213. I told a friend and she called me an overachiever. If you've read my blog since the beginning, you know I have a Type A Personality in me just screaming to get out.
Dr. Larry King recommended that I have another appointment for bloodwork and ultrasound on Saturday morning. If things continue the way they are right now, he thinks retrieval may be Tuesday morning.
We had to be at the Dr. office, which is more than an hour away, at the absolute crack of dawn. If you read my previous post, you know that I already got up once and inadvertently took care of giving myself my morning shots a few hours early....
After getting my blood drawn, we headed a few doors down to see my Doc. He used the internal ultrasound machine to announce to Hubby and I that I have 5 follicles growing well on the right and 4 on the left. Dr. Larry King said that I'm responding well to the medicine and he hopes that another few follicles come along to make a total of 10.
Later that day, the IVF nurse called with my bloodwork results and recommendations from my Doc. She said that they are testing my estrogen level to see if it's reached at least 50. She said that it's not uncommon to see 100. Mine was at 213. I told a friend and she called me an overachiever. If you've read my blog since the beginning, you know I have a Type A Personality in me just screaming to get out.
Dr. Larry King recommended that I have another appointment for bloodwork and ultrasound on Saturday morning. If things continue the way they are right now, he thinks retrieval may be Tuesday morning.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Follow Up Appointment 3
On Monday, May 15th, Hubby and I went for my 3rd follow up appointment. I had my blood drawn first and then went to my Doc's office for the ulstrasound.
On this visit, I had a different Doc because my Doc was not in. (Dr. Larry King told me this was going to happen. I was prepared for the switch, so I was OK with it.) During the ultrasound, he pointed out that I definitely have 3 follicles big enough to retrieve now. However, I have 6-7 more that are almost ready. He explained there is a fine line between waiting long enough to give those 6-7 enough time to grow a bit bigger and not waiting too long so the Big 3 would get too big or damaged. He said we'd need to wait to see what my bloodwork said and then go from there. He said he thought trigger shot would occur Tuesday or even possible Wednesday. That's another day later than the plan...
Even though the plan was getting stretched a bit, I was OK with it this time. There was good reason to see if we could do another day or 2 of stims in order for the others to grow.
I got the phone call later that afternoon from the IVF Nurse regarding my bloodwork. She said that estrogen above 500 and at least 3 large follicles signifies that I am ready for retrieval. My estrogen level was 1,102 and I had the Big 3. So technically, I was ready. However, they were going to have me do stims one more day to see if we could get a few more laggers to catch up. Trigger shot Tuesday night.
I've had everybody under the sun praying for those 6-7 to catch up. I was having cramps and I was happy about it. Yet another piece of evidence that I've lost my mind....
On this visit, I had a different Doc because my Doc was not in. (Dr. Larry King told me this was going to happen. I was prepared for the switch, so I was OK with it.) During the ultrasound, he pointed out that I definitely have 3 follicles big enough to retrieve now. However, I have 6-7 more that are almost ready. He explained there is a fine line between waiting long enough to give those 6-7 enough time to grow a bit bigger and not waiting too long so the Big 3 would get too big or damaged. He said we'd need to wait to see what my bloodwork said and then go from there. He said he thought trigger shot would occur Tuesday or even possible Wednesday. That's another day later than the plan...
Even though the plan was getting stretched a bit, I was OK with it this time. There was good reason to see if we could do another day or 2 of stims in order for the others to grow.
I got the phone call later that afternoon from the IVF Nurse regarding my bloodwork. She said that estrogen above 500 and at least 3 large follicles signifies that I am ready for retrieval. My estrogen level was 1,102 and I had the Big 3. So technically, I was ready. However, they were going to have me do stims one more day to see if we could get a few more laggers to catch up. Trigger shot Tuesday night.
I've had everybody under the sun praying for those 6-7 to catch up. I was having cramps and I was happy about it. Yet another piece of evidence that I've lost my mind....
Proof That I've Lost My Mind
So, I had the alarm set on my cell phone for 6:40am and 6:40pm for my Lupron and Bravelle shots every day. I was pretty diligent about trying to do my shots as close to 12 hours apart as possible. It had become so routine in the mornings that I rolled over, turned off my alarm and stumbled to the bathroom without even really opening my eyes. As I've stated before, I'm NOT a morning person.
On the morning of Wednesday, May 11th, I had my first follow up appointment since beginning the stim shots. I was nervous and anxious about it when I went to bed the night before. I even said an extra prayer that my little follies were growing well and we'd have a good report from Dr. Larry King. Between being nervous and eating some chocolate before sleep, what was about to happen will be the proof that I have lost it...
My alarm went off, and out of habit, I reached over, turned it off, and found my way to the bathroom. I loaded up my 5 units of Lupron and my 1 ml of Bravelle and gave myself the shots. I made my way back to the bedroom and sat on the bed to set my alarm for another half hour of sleep before I had to get up and get ready to go to see the Doc. When I turned on my phone, it said 2:41am. What?! That couldn't be right. I just turned off my 6:40am alarm not more than 5 minutes ago. I mean, my cell phone has been acting wacky lately, but that was way off.
At this point, I was so confused that I had to see another clock. I woke up Hubby and asked to see his phone. He thought I was crazy. Wouldn't you, if someone woke you up in the middle of the night and asked to see your phone? I explained that I thought my alarm had gone off and I had given myself my shots. He confirmed that it was in fact 2:41am and I must've been dreaming about my alarm going off. I really did give myself my shots though. Luckily, the directions for the stim shots say that 12 hour intervals are best, but 8-16 hour intervals are acceptable. Luckily, 2:40am is right at the 8-hour interval since my 6:40pm evening shot.
Not only am I giving myself all kinds of shots all hours of the day, but now I'm dreaming about it too. Ladies, be sure you're not dreaming when you get into the habit of stumbling to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning. And while many friends have thought I am crazy, this little incident, if they knew, would be the proof that they'd need that I have, in fact, lost my mind. It'll just be our little secret.
On the morning of Wednesday, May 11th, I had my first follow up appointment since beginning the stim shots. I was nervous and anxious about it when I went to bed the night before. I even said an extra prayer that my little follies were growing well and we'd have a good report from Dr. Larry King. Between being nervous and eating some chocolate before sleep, what was about to happen will be the proof that I have lost it...
My alarm went off, and out of habit, I reached over, turned it off, and found my way to the bathroom. I loaded up my 5 units of Lupron and my 1 ml of Bravelle and gave myself the shots. I made my way back to the bedroom and sat on the bed to set my alarm for another half hour of sleep before I had to get up and get ready to go to see the Doc. When I turned on my phone, it said 2:41am. What?! That couldn't be right. I just turned off my 6:40am alarm not more than 5 minutes ago. I mean, my cell phone has been acting wacky lately, but that was way off.
At this point, I was so confused that I had to see another clock. I woke up Hubby and asked to see his phone. He thought I was crazy. Wouldn't you, if someone woke you up in the middle of the night and asked to see your phone? I explained that I thought my alarm had gone off and I had given myself my shots. He confirmed that it was in fact 2:41am and I must've been dreaming about my alarm going off. I really did give myself my shots though. Luckily, the directions for the stim shots say that 12 hour intervals are best, but 8-16 hour intervals are acceptable. Luckily, 2:40am is right at the 8-hour interval since my 6:40pm evening shot.
Not only am I giving myself all kinds of shots all hours of the day, but now I'm dreaming about it too. Ladies, be sure you're not dreaming when you get into the habit of stumbling to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning. And while many friends have thought I am crazy, this little incident, if they knew, would be the proof that they'd need that I have, in fact, lost my mind. It'll just be our little secret.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
1st Stim Shot
On Saturday, May 7th, I had to add this little mess to my morning routine. Add another vial to this cocktail for my evening shots. 6:40am AND 6:40pm shoot ups!
Grow follies, grow!
Friday, May 13, 2011
All Quiet On the Ovary Front
My baseline appointment for ICSI was on Friday, May 6th. I arrived at the lab at 8:30am for a blood test. Right afterwards, I went several doors down to my Doc's office. After waiting just a few minutes, they took me back to the same room where I had previously met the internal ultrasound machine. The nurse asked me to get undressed from the waist down. Luckily, I once again got to cover up with the stylish paper blanket left folded neatly on the table. Pretty soon Dr. Larry King came in and the fun began. The doctor asked Hubby to turn off the lights and come stand by the table so he could see the monitor. He looked at my right ovary and then moved it to my left one, stopping to look at my uterus in the middle. You know, like stopping for coffee on the way to work. He stated that my uterine lining looked extremely thin and my ovaries looked "quiet." Both of these, apparently, are very good. I still feel kinda lost every time I go in. They tell me things and I have to ask whether it's good or not. Quiet ovaries means there's nothing going on, which is what they want before beginning stimulants. And they also want the uterine lining thin because that signifies nothing's going on. All quiet on the ovary front. I told the Doc that this was the first time in my life I've been called quiet. He laughed and said that as long as my bloodwork came back OK, I'd begin stimulants the next day and he'd see us the following Wednesday.
That afternoon, I received a phone call from the IVF nurse. She called to let me know that my estrogen level was excellent in the blood draw earlier that day. She said that they wanted the Lupron I'd been on to make my estrogen level to be at 50 or below. Mine was at 25. I was responding extremely well to the medicine and needed to decrease to 5 units of Lupron each morning and begin stimulant shots the next day as planned with 1 vial of Bravelle in the morning and 2 vials in the evening. Finally, something is going right. Hallelujah! She reminded me to begin filling out the daily drug chart and also to bring the Novarel to my next appointment (along with a cooler since it has to be chilled and I live far enough away that it would matter) in case they wanted to go ahead and mix it. Good news!
This process is getting real real quick! When she started talking about the trigger shot on the phone....wow. I'm happy that things are moving along in a great direction.
That afternoon, I received a phone call from the IVF nurse. She called to let me know that my estrogen level was excellent in the blood draw earlier that day. She said that they wanted the Lupron I'd been on to make my estrogen level to be at 50 or below. Mine was at 25. I was responding extremely well to the medicine and needed to decrease to 5 units of Lupron each morning and begin stimulant shots the next day as planned with 1 vial of Bravelle in the morning and 2 vials in the evening. Finally, something is going right. Hallelujah! She reminded me to begin filling out the daily drug chart and also to bring the Novarel to my next appointment (along with a cooler since it has to be chilled and I live far enough away that it would matter) in case they wanted to go ahead and mix it. Good news!
This process is getting real real quick! When she started talking about the trigger shot on the phone....wow. I'm happy that things are moving along in a great direction.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Is It Me Or Is It HOT In Here?
Since beginning Lupron shots, I've noticed that my only real side effect is hot flashes. And let me tell you, these are not the kind of Southern Belle, "I'm glistening" occurances. These are the raging hormonal, "I'm gonna sweat off a few pounds in a few minutes" kind of hot flashes. Unfortunately, it's not hot outside yet, so everyone can view and form an opinion about my flushed cheeks, splotchy neck, and bright red ears. No, I didn't just finish a run. No, I am not embarassed. I'm going through a temporary menopause, thank you very much.
My first major hot flash happened on Easter Sunday. Since I am the lead singer in our praise band and attendance at church is usually high on Easter Sunday, I got up a little early to make sure I looked nice that day. I ironed my dress pants and a nice silk blouse. I put on the panty hose, dress clothes, and heels and left the house. I only live about 3 minutes from my church. On the way there, I noticed that I got a little hot. Now, I must admit, that my body temp usually runs a little hot. I sweat pretty easily in the summer. So, I turned on the A/C in the car full blast and enjoyed the 3 minutes with all the fans on me. I rushed into the church where Hubby and the rest of the band were waiting on me and realized that I was soaked. My nice silk top was wet in the back and my long hair that I had just spent time curling was not only flat, but sticking to my neck. UGH. EW. I realized at this point that only after 2 days on Lupron, the pharmacist really wasn't joking about the hot flashes.
The next day I had a Program Committee Meeting at work. My face and ears became so red during the meeting that my Board President asked me if I was OK and began to fan me with a folder. How am I supposed to make critical decisions about my job when I'm 400 degrees?
Several nights later, I woke up at 4am. I had to get up and change my shirt because the entire back of it was soaked. How did I sweat that much, not know it, and not even move? If it weren't so gross, I'd be impressed with myself!
In the days since, I have found that holding very still helps. Is that strange? I still get hot, but I don't turn into a complete meltdown.
One day, I had what I thought was a bright idea. I felt a hot flash coming on and thought, "If I'm going to get all hot and sweaty, I might as well have a good reason." So, I got on my elliptical machine and did about 20 minutes worth of exercise. This was, in fact, NOT a bright idea. I got way too hot. Then I just felt sick the rest of the day. Don't do this to yourself ladies. Learn from my mistakes. From now on, if I feel a hot flash coming on, I'm just going to sit still. No more trying to help it out.
My first major hot flash happened on Easter Sunday. Since I am the lead singer in our praise band and attendance at church is usually high on Easter Sunday, I got up a little early to make sure I looked nice that day. I ironed my dress pants and a nice silk blouse. I put on the panty hose, dress clothes, and heels and left the house. I only live about 3 minutes from my church. On the way there, I noticed that I got a little hot. Now, I must admit, that my body temp usually runs a little hot. I sweat pretty easily in the summer. So, I turned on the A/C in the car full blast and enjoyed the 3 minutes with all the fans on me. I rushed into the church where Hubby and the rest of the band were waiting on me and realized that I was soaked. My nice silk top was wet in the back and my long hair that I had just spent time curling was not only flat, but sticking to my neck. UGH. EW. I realized at this point that only after 2 days on Lupron, the pharmacist really wasn't joking about the hot flashes.
The next day I had a Program Committee Meeting at work. My face and ears became so red during the meeting that my Board President asked me if I was OK and began to fan me with a folder. How am I supposed to make critical decisions about my job when I'm 400 degrees?
Several nights later, I woke up at 4am. I had to get up and change my shirt because the entire back of it was soaked. How did I sweat that much, not know it, and not even move? If it weren't so gross, I'd be impressed with myself!
In the days since, I have found that holding very still helps. Is that strange? I still get hot, but I don't turn into a complete meltdown.
One day, I had what I thought was a bright idea. I felt a hot flash coming on and thought, "If I'm going to get all hot and sweaty, I might as well have a good reason." So, I got on my elliptical machine and did about 20 minutes worth of exercise. This was, in fact, NOT a bright idea. I got way too hot. Then I just felt sick the rest of the day. Don't do this to yourself ladies. Learn from my mistakes. From now on, if I feel a hot flash coming on, I'm just going to sit still. No more trying to help it out.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Wearing My Big Girl Pants
Friday, April 22nd, Good Friday, was my 1st scheduled shot of Lupron. I finally had the goods, I just had to use them now! I was rather hesitant on giving myself a shot. I had never done that before and just thinking about it made me squirm a little. My friends kept telling me that I am a tough cookie and I could do it. I didn't tell them, but they obviously had more faith in me than I did. I really wasn't sure about this whole shot thing.
The directions from my Doc say that I have to take the medicine at a time each day that is consistent. Also, I have to take it at a time when it will have been in my body for at least an hour before my earliest appointment with them, which is 8am. It takes us a little more than an hour to get to my Doc's office, so we figured I should aim to set my alarm for 6:40 each morning. (If you've been following my blog, you know that at one point, I got up at 6:30am everyday to take my temp and was more than happy to not have to do that anymore. Well, that joy is gone! Now I have to get up that early and shoot myself up - something that I could screw up and it would really matter if I did. I think I'd rather be taking my temp that early in the morning! At least I wouldn't be hurting myself.)
On Good Friday, my alarm went off at 6:40am and for a minute I couldn't figure out why it was going off so early. (You have to remember, I go to work sometime between 10am and 11am each day because I work later in the evening. The 6:40am alarm is definitely going to become an intermission to my night.) I got up and got Hubby up too. He agreed to get up with me if I needed him since I'd never done the whole shot thing before. If anything, I needed the moral support. This was huge for Hubby - he's even less of a morning person than I am. We both stumbled to the bathroom where we got out the syringe and Lupron. I also got out the picture directions, and let me tell you, those are the only things that have gotten me through these early morning shots. Trying to discern written directions at that hour is just not happening. I feel like a dummy, but the pics are so much more helpful at that hour of the day!
I swabbed the top of the Lupron bottle and drew out the 10 units. I cleaned a spot near my belly button with an alcohol swab, took a deep breath, and looked at Hubby. I must've looked pretty unsure of myself because he reassured me that I could do it. He counted to 3 and I jabbed myself.
At that point, I had one of those, "Now what do I do?" moments. I looked at Hubby and he said, "Go ahead." I looked down and there was a needle in my belly. Did I really do that? I pushed the plunger down and it was done. I did it? I did it! WHEW! It stung just a tiny bit, but was not nearly as painful as I had expected. As I was throwing away my trash, I realized that I was sweating from giving myself the shot. Little did I know that this would soon become the norm - not from giving myself the shot, but from hot flashes from the Lupron.
So, there it was. I could give myself a shot. I was braver than I thought. I knew what had to be done and put on (or should I say pulled down) my big girls pants, sucked it up, and dealt with it. Good Friday was turning out to be a good one afterall!
The directions from my Doc say that I have to take the medicine at a time each day that is consistent. Also, I have to take it at a time when it will have been in my body for at least an hour before my earliest appointment with them, which is 8am. It takes us a little more than an hour to get to my Doc's office, so we figured I should aim to set my alarm for 6:40 each morning. (If you've been following my blog, you know that at one point, I got up at 6:30am everyday to take my temp and was more than happy to not have to do that anymore. Well, that joy is gone! Now I have to get up that early and shoot myself up - something that I could screw up and it would really matter if I did. I think I'd rather be taking my temp that early in the morning! At least I wouldn't be hurting myself.)
On Good Friday, my alarm went off at 6:40am and for a minute I couldn't figure out why it was going off so early. (You have to remember, I go to work sometime between 10am and 11am each day because I work later in the evening. The 6:40am alarm is definitely going to become an intermission to my night.) I got up and got Hubby up too. He agreed to get up with me if I needed him since I'd never done the whole shot thing before. If anything, I needed the moral support. This was huge for Hubby - he's even less of a morning person than I am. We both stumbled to the bathroom where we got out the syringe and Lupron. I also got out the picture directions, and let me tell you, those are the only things that have gotten me through these early morning shots. Trying to discern written directions at that hour is just not happening. I feel like a dummy, but the pics are so much more helpful at that hour of the day!
I swabbed the top of the Lupron bottle and drew out the 10 units. I cleaned a spot near my belly button with an alcohol swab, took a deep breath, and looked at Hubby. I must've looked pretty unsure of myself because he reassured me that I could do it. He counted to 3 and I jabbed myself.
At that point, I had one of those, "Now what do I do?" moments. I looked at Hubby and he said, "Go ahead." I looked down and there was a needle in my belly. Did I really do that? I pushed the plunger down and it was done. I did it? I did it! WHEW! It stung just a tiny bit, but was not nearly as painful as I had expected. As I was throwing away my trash, I realized that I was sweating from giving myself the shot. Little did I know that this would soon become the norm - not from giving myself the shot, but from hot flashes from the Lupron.
So, there it was. I could give myself a shot. I was braver than I thought. I knew what had to be done and put on (or should I say pulled down) my big girls pants, sucked it up, and dealt with it. Good Friday was turning out to be a good one afterall!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
I Got the Goods!
On Tuesday, April 19th, all my drugs finally arrived and I could quit sweating that they might not be here by Friday. You're seeing Lupron, Bravelle, Novarel, Progesterone in Oil, Minocycline, Ondansetron, and lots of needles, alcohol swabs, and syringes.
Laid out like this, it's a bit much. I don't know whether to take them all or sell them to have enough cash to buy a baby on the black market! HAHA! Let the fun begin!
Laid out like this, it's a bit much. I don't know whether to take them all or sell them to have enough cash to buy a baby on the black market! HAHA! Let the fun begin!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Five Hail Marys for Drug Dealers!
On Thurs., April 14th, I called BackOrderScrip, since the woman from the night before hadn't called me back. Thanks for that! I asked if there was any Lupron to be had and they said no. I was going to have to take matters into my own hands and find the stuff myself. I called JerkDrugs, explained that I was having trouble getting ahold of the Lupron and asked if they had any. I felt like a junkie calling my dealer. You got any of the good stuff on hand? I need it. They said that they did, but they'd only fill it if they had my entire order and I had to tell them by the end of the day. I didn't like the attitude, but I was willing to ask my insurance company. I mean, I needed the goods. I told them I'd get back to them to let them know.
Did I mention that I was having all of these crazy phone calls while I was at an expo representing the ministry where I work? I was standing at the table answering questions about our upcoming fundraisers and trying to track down some Lupron on the phone. Yes, that's right, as I shake hands with Mr. Spectator, we're a United Way Agency that serves our entire county....and then as he walks away I make another phone call. I need Lupron in 8 days, you fools! All in a days work.....
I called Mary, while at the expo, and explained to her what was going on. She said that she'd try to figure out a solution with a pharmacy in network and get back to me. She called me back several hours later and explained that the reason BackOrderScrip was having trouble filling the quantities of some drugs on the order is that JerkDrugs had already tried to fill it and put it through the system. The nerve! She asked for me to fax her a copy of my original drug order so she could get it all straightened out. God bless Mary! I'm sure God's heard that before somewhere...
On the morning of Fri., April 15th, I had a rapid series of calls. BackOrderScrip called and asked if they could schedule delivery of my drugs. I asked if Lupron was still on backorder and they said that it was. I told them that they needed to hold off. No sooner had I hung up, I got a phone call from yet another pharmacy. We'll call this one Barron Drugs because that's their real name and I'm saying positive things about them. The pharmacist said that he was going to fill a couple drugs - including Lupron - for me, explained what each one was and possible side effects. He promised my drugs would arrive on Mon. That's 4 days prior to starting shots. I'd take it.
I immediately got off the phone and called Mary. I told her that Barron Drugs had called me about filling the drugs on backorder. She said that all the other drugs could be filled through BackOrderScrip and it looked like things were a "go". So I called BackOrderScrip and told them to fill the rest of the order. They were to arrive on Tues., April 19th.
Looked like I was going to get my fix afterall....
Did I mention that I was having all of these crazy phone calls while I was at an expo representing the ministry where I work? I was standing at the table answering questions about our upcoming fundraisers and trying to track down some Lupron on the phone. Yes, that's right, as I shake hands with Mr. Spectator, we're a United Way Agency that serves our entire county....and then as he walks away I make another phone call. I need Lupron in 8 days, you fools! All in a days work.....
I called Mary, while at the expo, and explained to her what was going on. She said that she'd try to figure out a solution with a pharmacy in network and get back to me. She called me back several hours later and explained that the reason BackOrderScrip was having trouble filling the quantities of some drugs on the order is that JerkDrugs had already tried to fill it and put it through the system. The nerve! She asked for me to fax her a copy of my original drug order so she could get it all straightened out. God bless Mary! I'm sure God's heard that before somewhere...
On the morning of Fri., April 15th, I had a rapid series of calls. BackOrderScrip called and asked if they could schedule delivery of my drugs. I asked if Lupron was still on backorder and they said that it was. I told them that they needed to hold off. No sooner had I hung up, I got a phone call from yet another pharmacy. We'll call this one Barron Drugs because that's their real name and I'm saying positive things about them. The pharmacist said that he was going to fill a couple drugs - including Lupron - for me, explained what each one was and possible side effects. He promised my drugs would arrive on Mon. That's 4 days prior to starting shots. I'd take it.
I immediately got off the phone and called Mary. I told her that Barron Drugs had called me about filling the drugs on backorder. She said that all the other drugs could be filled through BackOrderScrip and it looked like things were a "go". So I called BackOrderScrip and told them to fill the rest of the order. They were to arrive on Tues., April 19th.
Looked like I was going to get my fix afterall....
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Versatile Blogger Award
I got an award! Thanks to lostintranslation for awarding me with it! You should definitely go check out her blog that outlines her struggles to have a 2nd child through IVF.
With blog awards come rules, so here they are:
A) Grab the award: Done!
B) Link back to the person who gave it to you: Done!
C) Share 10 things about yourself: (You're getting 14, consider yourself blessed!)
1. I owned a coffee shop and I hate coffee.
2. When I was in high school, I tried to see how many boyfriends I could have at the same time.
3. I want to learn to play the violin and go to Hawaii before I die. I have also thought I may open my own dancing studio.
4. I used to play the clarinet, flute, and piano. I can still play the piano a little.
5. I love to garden. I feel like it's the project God and I work on together every summer.
6. I did all my homework and got straight A's (I was obsessed) till I met Hubby in college. I returned to the straight A obsession in grad school.
7. I am like a small child when I visit the zoo or anywhere else with animals. I squeal and run from exhibit to exhibit and I don't even know I'm doing it.
8. I'm 5'2". Most of the time, I feel like a really small person trapped in a big person's world. Pants that are labeled "short" or "petite" are still too long for me. My feet don't touch the floor if I sit all the way to the back of couches or chairs. I have to put my seat dangerously close to the steering wheel in my car in order to be able to put the clutch all the way down.
9. I have two tattoos--one on the bottom of each of my feet. They are of Icthus, the Christ fish symbol. They are a reminder that I walk with God--or at least I try to.
10. I have a dog, Laney, and two cats, Moose and Delilah. I didn't know that I was a cat person till I got the dog.
11. I love snow says--especially the kind where there's like a foot or more so you know you have to stay home and the whole town is shut down. I'll get up in the middle of the night to see if it's started snowing yet. I even do a little snow dance if it has.
12. I may go after a Doctorate--Or I may get my principal and superintendent licensure.
13. I love to sing. I worry too much about what others think of it, though.
14. I used to want to be an OB/GYN. I had a baby die in my arms of SIDS right before I was ready to go to college and I changed my mind. I couldn't handle that as part of my daily life.
D) Award 15 recently discovered blogs: (You're getting 22 of my faves. Deal with it. You should follow them too.)
1. Singular Desire
2. Baby on My Mind
3. Palm Trees & Rainy Days
4. Married......With Endo
5. My Hormonacoaster
6. Someday
7. Our Infertility Journey
8. A Nuttier Life
9. My Violet Thoughts
10. InfertiliTEE
11. Storm in MY Tea CuP
12. MissConception
13. An Unwanted Path
14. Tippy & Tidy's Tumultuous Trip to Toddlers
15. Diary of Taking Small Steps Toward Baby Steps
16. Lissie's Luck
17. Banking On It
18. Not Exactly What I Had Planned
19. Fearlessly Infertile
20. The Hardest Quest
21. Waiting on Our Miracle
22. Glitter and Rainbows
1. Singular Desire
2. Baby on My Mind
3. Palm Trees & Rainy Days
4. Married......With Endo
5. My Hormonacoaster
6. Someday
7. Our Infertility Journey
8. A Nuttier Life
9. My Violet Thoughts
10. InfertiliTEE
11. Storm in MY Tea CuP
12. MissConception
13. An Unwanted Path
14. Tippy & Tidy's Tumultuous Trip to Toddlers
15. Diary of Taking Small Steps Toward Baby Steps
16. Lissie's Luck
17. Banking On It
18. Not Exactly What I Had Planned
19. Fearlessly Infertile
20. The Hardest Quest
21. Waiting on Our Miracle
22. Glitter and Rainbows
E) let them know you awarded them: Done!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Needin' a Fix
On the way home from getting my calendar on Friday, April 8th, I was still holding my precious calendar when I received a call from a pharmacy, we'll call them JerkDrugs, that had received the drug order from my Dr. Larry King. Wow! That was quick! After some pleasant conversation, JerkDrugs informed me that I'd have a $1,000 co-pay for my drugs. WHAT?! I'd just gotten word that $4,800 of injectible meds would be covered each year by insurance. Nowhere did they mention a $1,000 co-pay. I think the woman on the other end of the phone heard the breakdown slight panic in my voice and this is where her conversation became a bit cryptic. She said that I needed to call "Mary" at my insurance company and that I might have to use the "other company." I asked her what she meant and she said that's all the info she had. Strange...
Of course this call happened at 4:55pm and by the time I managed to hang up and call Mary, it was 5pm on Friday and she was gone. I'd call first thing on Monday morning. Afterall, I didn't need the drugs for 2 more weeks...Here's where I should have panicked.
So, on Monday morning, I called Mary. She was so happy that I had called and said that there had been a fight going on about me last week and I didn't even know it and she had no way of getting ahold of me. She explained that my drug order had been submitted to JerkDrugs, and unfortunately they are not a pharmacy in my network. JerkDrugs' owner had called Mary and demanded that she waive the $1,000 co-pay. Mary said that she couldn't do that if there were other pharmacies in network who could fill it - which there were. Mary was going to try to contact me about submitting the drug order to a pharmacy in network to save me some cash, but had an out-of-service number for me. JerkDrugs had my contact info, but wouldn't give it to her. Isn't that cute? Mary gave me the contact info for another pharmacy, we'll call this one BackOrderScrip, who is in my network. Are you seeing where we're going with this one? I quickly submitted this info to my Doc. It was now 11 days till I needed to take my 1st shot. I still wasn't worried. I should have been....
On Wed., April 13th, I got a phone call at 5:50pm from BackOrderScrip. Of course this was right as I was trying to get 32 kids on the vans to be transported home. You know, a quiet, relaxing time of day. The man on the phone, who I could barely understand because of the loud children on my end and the accent on his, said a couple drugs were on backorder, but they'd be out to me soon. He also said they were having trouble filling the rest of the order in the quantity listed and he'd call me within a couple of days to schedule delivery. Again, strange... I jotted down this info and quickly got off the phone to escort my 32 little darlings to the vans. Later, I sat down at my desk and looked at the note I'd scribbled. It said that Lupron, the drug that I needed first, was one of the drugs that was on backorder. I thought I'd better call back and make sure my note was correct and find out when it'd be in. Here's where the panic should've set in.
I called BackOrderScrip and found out Lupron was on backorder. I asked what that meant and she stated the pharmaceutical company hadn't made enough to keep up with the demand. Thanks for that, Captain Obvious. What does that mean for me? I informed her that unless I had the Lupron, I didn't need the rest of the drug order. She said she would see if any of their pharmacies had any and would call me back by the next day.
She didn't.
We were now 9 days away from me needing this drug. I came home and lost it. I mean, I bawled like a small child. We've gotten this far in the process and now there's no drug for me to take?! You've got to be kidding me.
Of course this call happened at 4:55pm and by the time I managed to hang up and call Mary, it was 5pm on Friday and she was gone. I'd call first thing on Monday morning. Afterall, I didn't need the drugs for 2 more weeks...Here's where I should have panicked.
So, on Monday morning, I called Mary. She was so happy that I had called and said that there had been a fight going on about me last week and I didn't even know it and she had no way of getting ahold of me. She explained that my drug order had been submitted to JerkDrugs, and unfortunately they are not a pharmacy in my network. JerkDrugs' owner had called Mary and demanded that she waive the $1,000 co-pay. Mary said that she couldn't do that if there were other pharmacies in network who could fill it - which there were. Mary was going to try to contact me about submitting the drug order to a pharmacy in network to save me some cash, but had an out-of-service number for me. JerkDrugs had my contact info, but wouldn't give it to her. Isn't that cute? Mary gave me the contact info for another pharmacy, we'll call this one BackOrderScrip, who is in my network. Are you seeing where we're going with this one? I quickly submitted this info to my Doc. It was now 11 days till I needed to take my 1st shot. I still wasn't worried. I should have been....
On Wed., April 13th, I got a phone call at 5:50pm from BackOrderScrip. Of course this was right as I was trying to get 32 kids on the vans to be transported home. You know, a quiet, relaxing time of day. The man on the phone, who I could barely understand because of the loud children on my end and the accent on his, said a couple drugs were on backorder, but they'd be out to me soon. He also said they were having trouble filling the rest of the order in the quantity listed and he'd call me within a couple of days to schedule delivery. Again, strange... I jotted down this info and quickly got off the phone to escort my 32 little darlings to the vans. Later, I sat down at my desk and looked at the note I'd scribbled. It said that Lupron, the drug that I needed first, was one of the drugs that was on backorder. I thought I'd better call back and make sure my note was correct and find out when it'd be in. Here's where the panic should've set in.
I called BackOrderScrip and found out Lupron was on backorder. I asked what that meant and she stated the pharmaceutical company hadn't made enough to keep up with the demand. Thanks for that, Captain Obvious. What does that mean for me? I informed her that unless I had the Lupron, I didn't need the rest of the drug order. She said she would see if any of their pharmacies had any and would call me back by the next day.
She didn't.
We were now 9 days away from me needing this drug. I came home and lost it. I mean, I bawled like a small child. We've gotten this far in the process and now there's no drug for me to take?! You've got to be kidding me.
1st Drug of Many
Here is a pic of the 1st drug I had to take in this process on Saturday, April 9th.
Without further ado, I present.....Doxycycline!
Without further ado, I present.....Doxycycline!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
May Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat |
| 1 May Expect Period AM- 10 units Lupron | 2 Expect Period AM- 10 units Lupron | 3 Expect Period AM- 10 units Lupron | 4 Expect Period AM- 10 units Lupron | 5 Expect Period AM- 10 units Lupron | 6 AM- 10 units Lupron 8:30am Baseline bloodwork & ultrasound | 7 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle |
| 8 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 9 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 10 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 11 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle 8:00am Bloodwork & Ultrasound PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 12 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 13 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle Possible Appointment PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 14 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle Possible Appointment PM- 2 vials Bravelle |
| 15 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 16 AM- 5 units Lupron 1 vial Bravelle Possible Appointment PM- 2 vials Bravelle | 17 Possible Appointment | 18 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer | 19 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer | 20 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer | 21 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer |
| 22 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer | 23 Probable Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | | | | |
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