Now I Wait...

Ok. I am now 2 days past egg retrieval, and I am constipated, but I feel good otherwise. I had 13 eggs retrieved and 8 fertilized. I am having embryo transfer on Saturday. I wanted to post more, but between school, and all the early morning appts, I wasn't feelin' it. I am praying that all 8 embies make it to blast, so I can have my pick of the litter and have some to put on ice for the next time. I will post again when I have more info to share.

Burn Baby Burn!!

So! I have been MIA for a few days thanks to school and everything I else I have going on. After taking the birth control pills on last Tuesday, my period started on Friday, October 3rd. I had my baseline appt on Tuesday the 7th where they checked my uterine lining which was 3.8mm. They measured the E2 (estrogen) in my blood and it was 45. I was given the greenlight to begin stims on Wednesday the 8th. I am taking 2 vials of Bravelle and 2 vials of Menopur. The first shot went really well besides the fact that the medicine burns like hell going in! Oh my! I am already feeling tenderness in my lower belly area. I am getting so nervous when I think about egg retrieval. I could just scream sometimes. I don't know why I am so nervous. I've been through it before, and it really wasn't that bad. Granted, I was sore afterwards, but the pain was totally bearable. I also worry about missing school. Oh well. This is more important to me than school. I am praying that this works. I have never been pregnant and it surely would be nice to be pregnant for the first time this Christmas. God is watching me, and I know that he will make everything alright. I truly feel as though I deserve this. I will update you all later. I am going to go watch some T.V. and spend some quality time with my baby! Ciao!!

One Step Down...

So last night was my last birth control pill! Yay!!!! My head surely will appreciate it. Them things been giving me funny headaches and my eyes feel weird. It's pretty hard to explain. So the Lupron is doing me just fine so far. Not hot flashes or anything! I just hope that it stays this way. So now I sit here and wait for AF. Hopefullt she will be here by this weekend. I go in on Oct. 7th at 8:45am. I will be getting an u/s and b/w. As long as everything is fine with those two (which I'm sure it will) I will start stims on Wednesday the 8th. I will be taking 2 vials of Menopur and 2 vials of Bravelle. So I am ready to rock and roll!! LOL!! Well one more day of school for the week and I am done! I am happy about that.

So! Here We Go Again!!!

Happy Lupron Day!!!
I just finished taking my Lupron injection for this cycle. I am thrilled. This finally seems real to me! I have been waiting for this moment since July 7th....the day I got a negative beta. I was crushed but hopeful at the same time since I knew that I would have another shot at motherhood. So lately I have been wrapping my mind around the fact that in a couple of weeks I will be pregnant. This Christmas I will be pregnant. I told my Husband that this year we are going to take photos and send out Christmas cards and announce the pregnancy at the same time. That is my plan for NOW. Who knows. I change my mind all the time. I do have a couple of cycle buddies and I am so excited to share the journey with someone else! Not much to report here. I had acupuncture yesterday, and it was relaxing as usual. I found out yesterday at my consult appt. that I will be taking DHEA 3x a day. I'm a little worried about taking it because there isn' much scientific evidence that it actually hepls an IVF cycle and I have read that it cause infertility as well. So, there's alot of conflicting info out there. I guess I should trust my Dr., but hey they are humans, and they DON'T know it all. Anyway, I will take it and pray to God that it helps and not hurt me.

Am I There Yet???

So! Today marks a week left until I begin Lupron injections. It seems like it's taking forever to get here, then again, it's not. I actually have 7 dys before my IVF journey begins again. WOAH!!

I went to acupuncture yesterday. I absolutely loved it! I always do. I had been feeling nauseous every morning and I'm guessing it's from the birth control pills. So when I went yesterday I told my acu Dr. that I have been having nausea. She showed my husband a pressure point on the top of my foot to massage and the nausea vanished as I was laying on the table. I was so amazed how that happens. Acupuncture really cracks me up! It's amazing how those tiny needles do so much. I have not been having any more spotting with the pills, and I usually do. My overall energy level is through the roof. Ofcourse if I stay up til 2 am and get up a few hours later, then I can't expect to be full of energy! My only problem is my diet. So for the next few weeks I am going on a special diet to prepare my body for my babies' implantation. My acupuncturist has given me a diet to follow. (sigh) Carbs are my enemy and also my weakness. Y'all pray that I can do better, I sooo want to pregnant for Christmas, and my baby would be due in June/July! I have NEVER been pregnant, so this is very important to me. Well, I'm off to make breakfast. I am making beef liver and gravy with grits. I haven't ate this since I was a little child, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to stomach it. LOL! I'll let you know!

Howdy!

Hello all! I left you the day before my baby's birthday. Well, the barbecue was great. We were kinda rained out thanks to Hurricane Gustav trying to make his way to Louisianna. It was a pretty rainy day to start with, but we managed to still have a lovely day thanks to my lanai! So we ate well and we sung to him and he cut his cake. (I told yall he was my baby:-) )

So lately, I have been taking my birth control pills (ugh!!) and I am going to acupuncture. Acupuncture is really relaxing. I wish I can feel the effect that it has on my uterus, but I can't. I'm sure it is working on it because the spotting I was having on the BCPs is now gone. I'm sure everything will be good.

School is going...it's going. LOL!! I am doing well on my assignments so far, but I have had only one test so far and that was in Algebra. I passed it. That's all I care about at this point. LOL!!

Well I am about to shower so I can eat dinner and watch a movie with my baby! See yall lata!!

Just Stopping Through

Hey all! How are things going with everyone? That's good. I am not the best blogger in the world, but I did tell you that I was going to get better. So, here I am! I am really trying to get in the swing of things with my studies. I was never the studying type, but now I am at a point in my collegiate career where I have to. I have a 3.8 GPA and I am really trying to maintain that, if not increase it. I am really proud of my old ass for doing so well in school. Anyway, that's that. Besides that I am getting ready for part 3 of my husband's birthday celebration. His birthday is tomorrow and he will be 38. I want to do everything I can to make his birthday special. He is a real good man and he deserves the world. (Awwww) I am battling the headaches from the BCPs, but they are not as bad as the last time. So I guess you can say I am happy for that. Oh yeah, my IVF time line might be changing. I tried to call my Dr. but the line has been busy all day. So I will try again tomorrow. Once I find out something, I will let you know.

Ciao baby!!

Hump Day

Hey friends! There is not much going on here. I am chugging along and taking my birth control pills. I am starting to get minor headaches. They are not too bad. Let's pray it stays that way. One of my wisdom teeth is getting pulled soon. I never had a tooth puled before, so I am slightly freakin' out! But then again, I want this damn thing out so I can get on with life. My husband's birthday is next week, and I am planning a party for him this Saturday. Maybe I'll post pictures. With all that I have to do on a daily basis, I don't see myself uploading pictures. Just seems too damn complicating. But we'll see. Well I guess that's all for now, so we will chat later. Bye!

Missing In Action...

Ok, so I am a terrible blogger. I apologize, but I am back and I promise more activity. LOL!!
Well, the IVF cycle was a bust. Needless to say I was extremely hurt. Let me take you back a bit. My last post, I was telling you how my ovaries were getting bigger. Well egg retrieval went good. I had a lot of pain for 6 days after. Nothing I couldn't handle though. Egg transfer went exceptionally well. They retrieved 18 eggs. Out of the 18, 6 fertilized.(UGH!!) Out of those six 3 were of pretty good quality. So we knew early on that those other 3 weren't going to make. My hubby and I decided to transfer the 3 good embryos. Then came the 2ww(two week wait). I obsessed over every little symptom. Thanks to the progesterone I was on. It mimicked every single early pregnancy symptom. Anyway, my beta was scheduled for 7/7, which was also my first year wedding anniversary. I knew it would be negative because I had been doing HPTs for a few days prior to the test, and I had got my period the night before beta. So I cried, and cried, and cried.

Later that day, my hubby and I decided to try again. That brings me to where I am today. On 8/17/08, I started the BCP again. So I am gearing up for IVF#2. I decided to do acupuncture which I started in July. I must say that I love it. It is so relaxing. I am also on a vitamin and herb regimen. So i am doing all that I can to get my body in a healthier state. I am confident that this cycle will be a success. I also get nervous because I don't want another failure. It is so easy to tell me "think positive, it will happen". Sometimes that is easier said then done. I am going to put God first and walk on faith. That is all I can do.

So, pray for me and I promise to keep updating you guys on my progress. Feel free to comment! Take care...

Update!

I just wanted stop by and let everyone know that I am doing great! I am starting to feel some heaviness in my lower abdomen and I think that my ovaries are getting larger. I can't explain how amazing this feels. I am so happy right now! I have an appointment on Wednesday! I can't wait!

The Journey Begins

Today is Friday the 13th., and it's also the day I begin taking my stims. I will be taking 150IU of Menopur, and 150 IU on Bravelle. These medicines come in vials of 75IU each so, my dosage is 4 vials of medicine. I have to mix my own medicine but that is cool. I been practicing, and I had a shot class that also taught me. On top of all that when I picked up the medicine yesterday, I went through another little training. So I am ready!!!

I had my baseline u/s and b/w yesterday and everything looked really good. The nurse told me she loved what she saw, and they expect a good response from the medicine. I got some bad news the other day (not pertaining to treatment) and it seems like the Devil is trying to get in the way of my happiness, but as usual I will get up, brush myself off, and keep truckin! I will probably post later and let you know how the shot went. Chow!

The Next Step is...

Hey! AF came to the party today! I was thrilled to see her even though I thought she wasn't coming. So I called the doctor's office twice this morning, and early in the afternoon I got a call back letting me know to come to the clininc on Thursday 6/12. I have to go and get baseline u/s and b/w. Basically, they are checking my blood to make sure that my estrogen levels are really low. The Lupron I have been taking takes care of that. Secondly, they are going to look at my ovaries to make sure that they are nice and quiet, so I can begin stims on FRIDAY the 13TH! Freaky huh? I look at it as I have a funny story to tell my kids! I started this process on what some believe to be the unluckiest day! I have to go to Miami on Wed. 6/11 to take care of some important business and I promise to post a blog and let you know how that day went! Thank you Jesus! Everything is falling into place and I have nobody to thank but you!!

Happy Lupron Day!!!

Hey!
I did my first Lupron shot today. It was great. It felt like a little pinch and then it was over. I was really happy when it was done. I feel as though I am one step closer to being a mother! Also I got some encouraging news today as well. God is about to work something out in my life, and I couldn't be happier. The funny thing about all of this is I get happier about someone else's IVF cycle rather than my own. :-) I love to hear about on of my "Ferty-Friends" getting pregnant. It really makes me fell good and it inspires me! Well that's all for now. I stop taking the pills on June 5th, and as soon as AF comes I go in for my baseline ultrasound and bloodwork. Then the next step after that is to start sims!!!!

Quick Update!

Hey y'all! I just wanted to pop in an say hello. As of today, I am still on the pills. I have 7 more to go!!! I begin Lupron shots on June 2nd. That's next Monday! Talk about excited! Actually I'm not that excited, but the anticipationis building though! I have good thoughts about this and my faith in God is strong. His word said you only need faith the size of a mustard seed. I got that and then some! Anyway...
I'm feel great except for the headcaches that I get from the BCPs. I'm preparing myself for the Lupron headaches, which I heard were killer! But, this will be for my kids so I'm cool with it. Well, I'm about to go make my baby some pork chops and squash...I'll holla!!!

On Your Mark....

Well!!!! I got the call today to go ahead and start my BC pills. My FSH levels are 4.2. That is extremely good. So I will respond really well to the medication. I am so thrilled! You have no idea. This has been a long road coming and we still have a ways to go! My protocol so far is I will be taking the pills until 6/5, and I will begin the Lupron injections 6/2. I have a couple of friends who will be starting soon, so it's kind of nice to have someone that I can really relate to and share this experience with. I am already thanking God for my babies (I want twins). I know that this will work. Positive thoughts bring positive things (Carina said that)!!!

Update!!!

Greetings,
Well, I went to the doctor on Monday 5/12/08 and I had blood drawn for my FSH tests. Immediately after I got a huge lump to the right of the injection site and it was painful...I mean Painful!! LOL! My nurse Bonnie gave me my BC pills and my Lupron Kit. She strictly told me do not start taking the pills until I call you. (She will be waiting on the results of the FSH screen) I am so excited and I can't wait cause once I start taking the pills, I can officailly say I have begun my first IVF cycle. She told me it takes 3-4 days to get the result and today is Thursday, so hopefully I'll be getting a phone call today. That's all for now. I will let you know when she calls me and what the results were of the test. Toodles!!!

Finally!!!

Finally. Aunt Flo came to join us. :-) Yesterday I started my cycle and the next step in this process is on Monday. I will be going to have the FSH level in my blood checked. The lower the number the better. This test measures my ovarian reserve. Basically, my doctor wants to see how many eggs I have left and the quality of those eggs. Anyone who knows me, knows that a part of me wants to start panicking! LOL! I know everything will be ok. Everything else has so far. And I do mean EVERYTHING. I love my husband so much. He is my strength and he helps me to stay grounded. I love you boobie! I will let y'all know how the test goes on Monday. Thanks for tuning in!

Waiting...Waiting...Waiting

Hey Y'all! How is everyone today? Me I am good. I just got through eating some fried fish and grits that my DH just made. I am stuffed like a damn turkey!! LOL!! Anyway...

I am going to embark on my 1st fresh cycle of IVF sometime in May. (I will explain why later.) For those of you who are not sure what IVF is I will give you a brief explanation of what it is. Basically in vitro fertlization (IVF) was initially designed to assist women with tubal problems in achieving pregnacy, but as technology advanced, it is now used to treat many forms of infertility. IVF is a four step process. 1. Egg Stimulation-woman is given hormone injections to stimulate the growth of many eggs instead of the single egg that is developed in a natural monthly cycle. 2. Monitoring-at this step the ovarian follicles are montiored to ensure egg growth, and monitor the growth of uterine lining. 3. Egg Retrieval-eggs are retrieved directly from the ovaries using needle aspiration. Then they are mixed with semen and are incubated in a lab to facilitate fertilization. 4.Embryo Transfer-fertilized eggs are transfered directly into the uterus through a special catheter. The number of embryos transferred depend on age guidelines and the desires of the patient.

I know many of you already know what IVF is, but belive it or not some of my friends and family have no idea what it is.

As it stands today, I am waiting on AF to arrive so I may begin my cycle of treatment. I recently came off of BC pills and I am waiting on my cycle to regulate itself. As soon as AF brings her raggedy ass to the party I will let y'all know. Chow!!!