Easy Peasy

So today was the dreaded IUI (artificial insemination). In the past these have been barely short of torture. I have scar tissue from my previous surgery that closes up my cervix and makes this procedure extremely painful. I was excited, but very nervous. Daniel noticed that my doctors name wasn't on the door so that added to my anxiety. She had dealt with me enough to know my issues. We did however have our second favorite doctor and she rocked it! I felt no pain and it was quick and easy. I know there were prayers going up because we have not experienced a relaxing procedure during this whole ordeal until today. Daniel took me home so he could go to work. I hadn't been in the bed long when I started cramping so bad in my abdomen.  It was one of the worst pains i have ever felt. I panicked and was near the point of calling an ambulance. I took some pain meds, rubbed Dragon Time oil on my belly and got out my heating pad. The pain finally eased enough for me to nap a little. I am still very tender and hurting, but it is now bearable. I believe this is just a side of effect of ovulating with four large follicles. I will be started progesterone suppositories and estrogen twice a day tomorrow. So on to more hormones that not only make me crazy, but also feel pregnant. And in two week will come the pregnancy test! So keep praying and I will try to keep calm and relaxed for two weeks.  Here is also a pic of my precious socks that I wore for my appointment Monday!

May the Odds Ever be in Your Favor

I know that a lot of people have been waiting and praying for my appointment on Monday. My mystery ovary finally graced us with it's presence with one sad follicle. I could feel the prayers because I went to work and got through the day. I waited and waited for the doctor to call and I began to panic thinking they forgot me. If we were going to do retrieval on Wednesday then I had to do Pregnyl trigger shot Monday night so I had to know! Finally about 6pm I got the phone call. My doctor was having her doubts and quite frankly I was too. I told her that this is it for us. We don't have the money to keep this going so we have one shot. She told me that if she had to bet on a cycle this would not be it. She suggested something that I have read about online where the IVF cycle is cancelled but they go ahead and do an IUI (Artificial Insemination-or turkey baster😊). With only three or four large follicles it puts me in a great place for this to work, but there is also a risk for multiples due to not being able to control what is fertilized.  I feel like God is in control of all of this. Small things have happened in the last few days that have pointed to this road so I hope this is it for us!  I did my trigger shot last night and we will do the IUI Wednesday morning!

The Golddigging Ovary

So after looking back through my blog from the last IVF go around I feel like dejavu. I wrote almost the same thing after the third ultrasound last time.  I have had this hunch that things were not going well, but I have been trying to stay positive. From what I could tell on the ultrasound from Wednesday there just wasn't a lot going on. They hold the lab values hostage online for two days so I thought to look at the estrogen level from Wednesday on the way to the doctor this am. It was only 108. It seems low to me so this was the first question I had for the doctor this morning. She said that it was good as long as it was over 100. Of course I was right over the hump. So of course I start getting nervous. She looked at my lining and it was great. Moving on to the right ovary showed two nice sized follicles. Two... that's it. Her exact words were, "I would like to see 10 there but we have what we have." Why can't my ovaries be exceptional...just this once!! So we move on over to the left side and it was playing incognito. It was kind of funny at first, but 15 minutes and two doctors later digging a vaginal ultrasound rod around in there it quit being funny. They found nothing. And of course they said that usually when an ovary cannot be found that means that nothing is growing on it. Nothing!! After thousands of dollars of medication and there is nothing there?? And then she says the words... "Do not be sad about this, your left ovary is just expensive" Hah!! Have you met me, the crazy hormonal lady on drugs that make me an emotional wreck?? I mean yes I hold it together through all of this stuff, but one inkling of negativity and I fall apart. The doctor tells me that I will probably start the drug that pretty much puts my reproductive system on pause tonight and will continue the other drugs until Monday. I will then come in for another ultrasound and blood work to see if things have progressed.  Can I also mention that the nice lab lady blew my vein in my hand which also made me cry. I am telling you I am going crazy.

One of the doctors calls later to tell me that my estrogen is 421 which probably means I have around 4 nice follicles right now. I ask what happens if things don't look better by Monday and he says that we will cross that bridge when we get there. Yes we will, but I need time to think about it and come to terms if they decide to cancel this cycle. I work Monday and I do not want to be basket case all day! That will not look good. I want all my options and possibilities. But I guess we will be waiting till Monday!
I came home and started cooking. I had this vision last week to make all of these meals I can freeze and cook later. So far this weekend I have made two pans of Chicken Tetrazzini, Chicken and Dressings, Two Pot Roasts. and 8 chimichangas for work. Tomorrow I plan to make a pan of baked spaghetti and baked ziti and homeade hot pockets. After I got through with my cooking I have relaxed with my little dogs which always makes me feel better.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

So in true infertile fashion, I got to ring in my birthday with a lovely vaginal ultrasound and blood work. Bright and early I was at the doctor getting an ultrasound after three days of injections. The injections are going great. They said on the ultrasound things look good and the call I got today said to keep doing what I am doing and they will recheck Saturday. Why the frequent doctors appointments you ask? Here is a little rundown of what they are looking for. (These are not my ultrasounds)

This is what a baseline ultrasound looks like...

There isn't much to see. In fact most of the time that cannot even locate one of mine.
Next we have a measurement of the endometrial lining...

This is the lining of the uterus and the thickness of this tells how receptive the uterus is to the implantation of an embryo.  So the ovaries and the endometrial lining are checked each ultrasound.
So the reason for ultrasounds every couple of days is this...

Not sure what day this is but this is probably close to what my ovaries look like now. This is one ovary with about nine follicles in it. They said today that I have about half that (hopefully they will keep splitting) but as I keep giving these shots, the follicles will keep growing. Some people can produce tons of follicles (kind of wish I had a little of this problem) so ultrasounds are need to stop the ovaries from overstimulating. Also they are watching this little follicles grow so we can catch them at just the right time to be taken out. If they wait too long I will ovulate and we will lose them all. If they take them too soon we could end up with just one (or none) mature egg and the others arrest. So this is why the frequent dr's visits are necessary. Its a lot of work on the doctors and nurses part to time this just right. Hope this give you guys some insight into the scientific part of the journey.

So other than the doctor visit, I was able to get it an arms workout with my trainer this am, a yummy lunch with Shannon at Slice and a relaxing massage! Now I am hoping for a chill evening with my hubby and the mutts since I have to work in the morning.

Baseline Ultrasound Day!

So yesterday was the official start to all this madness! I had a baseline estrogen check and ultrasound all before work in the morning. The office is very efficient about getting me in and out thankfully. We ran into a little road bump drawing blood thanks to my veins not wanting to show themselves. It seems like the more water I drink the worse they become. So once again the had to draw out of my hand (OUCH!!). The ultrasound went great and everything there looked good to go. She said I should be expecting a period any day now and hopefully it will be the last one for a long time!! I got a call later in the day telling my my estrogen level was 20 which was perfect and I am good to go to start shots tomorrow. So excited that this day is finally here! Tonight we are going to eat with my family at the Melting Pot for my Dad's and my birthday and I will celebrating a good first day of the process. I have to take these days one at a time and be happy for the positives, because I learned last time that there will be negatives and I have to stay stress free about those things! Also here are appointment #2 socks! Thanks everyone for your prayers and encouragements. It has touched me greatly of the amount of people who ask and care about mine and Daniel's journey to become parents. I welcome all of the tips and tricks and opinions.

Good-Bye Birth Control!

Yes I know it sounds strange but I have been on birth control for about a month and a half.
You’ll be on birth control pills from 14 to 21 days. Taking these may seem counterproductive, however they do an important thing. They help get your hormones under some kind of exact control in the cycle just before your actual IVF cycle. Using them has proved to also reduce your chances of Ovarian Hyperstimulation and ovarian cysts, therefore increasing your chances for a successful IVF. 

As I learned the last cycle, the BCP is the start of the craziness. I have been so emotional since I have started them. I am not sure if it is a mental thing knowing that we are about to start the process again, but geez!! How was I on these things for 5-6 years. Maybe that explains a lot of my craziness during those years. So yes today is my first day off the pills. I will go for a baseline ultrasound Friday morning to make sure everything looks calm in there. Super excited to start my relationship back with the vaginal ultrasound machine. It is seriously terrible. And Sunday is the magic day as the start of stims (injections.). This time I will be giving two injections each night for a little while. Until things start looking impressive.

To help take my mind off of all the fun, today started my celebration of my birthday! I got to eat with my sweet friend Ginger at Brio! My trainer will not be happy to know that I have meals lined up all week to celebrate me!! I also have really been trying to put effort into my diet. I tried avocado for the first time this week in guacamole and tomorrow I will be drinking a smoothie with a whole avocado in it.

Eating avocados and dressing salads with olive oil could help women trying to have a baby through IVF, researchers claim.

Foods typically eaten as part of the Mediterranean diet may triple the chances of success for women having the fertility treatment.

A study found monounsaturated fat – found in olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts and seeds – was better than any other kind of dietary fat for would-be mothers. Those who ate the highest amounts were 3.4 times more likely to have a child after IVF than those who ate the lowest amounts.

In contrast, women who ate mostly saturated fat, found in butter and red meat, produced fewer good eggs for use in fertility treatment.

US experts behind the study believe monounsaturated fats – which are already known to protect the heart – could improve fertility by lowering inflammation in the body.

I will be updating more frequently as the week goes on! Stay tuned to check out my new socks for my ultrasound on Friday!!