2.25.2008

Make Way for Lupron




Lupron shots #1, 2, & 3 done! The appointment on the 22nd went fantastic and my cyst is gone. The shots are easy peasy, which I was very pleased about, but unfortunately we have eleven more lupron shots, but of course worth it to be a few steps closer to our dream.
Next appointment is March 5th to check be sure that my ovaries are sleeping, if so we will start the stimulation drugs to stimulate the eggs for retrieval.







Buddy Group Prayer

I am a member of an online buddy group for women going through IVF in March, these women are fantastic and it is so nice to have someone to chat with that know just what I am going through. One of the women in the group posted the following prayer for us to read each day.

Dear Lord,

Please bless this beautiful group of women who so badly yearn for a baby...it's the deepest desire of our hearts...please Lord bless and fulfill that desire. Give us the strength and courage to endure the IVF road that you've placed us on to becoming mothers...we PRAISE you and THANK YOU so very much for the medical gift of IVF that YOU have provided us with and we BELIEVE that it WILL deliver your blessings to us!! We understand that even with IVF it is still ultimately in YOUR PERFECT TIME...not ours or the doctors...so that if IVF #1 is not to be successful in our eyes with no baby, give us the strength to keep our heads up and move on to another IVF cycle and to know it is YOUR TIMING even with this medical procedure...Bless each of our bodies, let our hormones be exactly the way you made them to be with the extra bump of the medicine you provide to us to, let your hand be on every stage of development in our pregnancies and babies and let us feel your presence every step of the way. Thank you for bringing us women together with another amazing gift from you (the Internet!) Your works are truly amazing! We place all of our confidence in YOU!! Lord, MIGHTILY MIGHTILY, bless right now this group of women. In Jesus' name, AMEN!!

2.12.2008

Officially Started

We just got home from Stanford, and I feel some relief and excitement as I sit here typing tonight.  

Gabe couldn't get off work in time to go to my appointment so my Mom took the drive with me, and let me tell you it was just as long a drive as it was last time, but less traffic.  We arrived early and things were smooth sailing.
  
Ultrasound - CHECK
Bloodwork - CHECK
Urine Sample - CHECK
IVF date outline - CHECK
Orientation - CHECK
Injection Training - CHECK

I had 10 follicles on the right side and 6 on the left.  The follicles house the future eggs and these are a good thing, however if either side has 12 or more we would be forced to wait another month as that many eggs could be dangerous and painful.  So we had 16 which was below the 22 and we were set to go forward.  I have to admit that as she was measuring and counting them, I was sweating bullets.  Last time each side had 10 and I was so afraid that maybe one might have 12, but the prayers paid off and the 16 sounds good to me, now lets just hope that we can also get 16 good eggs in those follies.  I had one cyst, which I was assured is not a huge problem and the birth control pills should fix it right up.

We got out tentative schedule for appointments, the retrieval, and the embryo transfer.  The next appointment is scheduled for Friday the 22nd.  This will be our pre lupron (drug to put the ovaries the sleep) ultrasound, a little more lab work, and then we will be given the lupron, syringes, and needles, to begin shots that night.














I sure never thought I would be happy to see these little birth control pills, but I am.  To me they are the symbol of finally starting a new chapter of our journey, a journey filled with ups and downs and happy and scary moments.

After the appointment and bloodwork, Mom and I shared chicken lettuce wraps at PJ Chang's.. Yum.. Yum.  Then it was time for IVF orientation and injection training.  Gabe was able to make it for this, and I was happy to see him and tell him about the appointment and finally being able to move forward.
  
Orientation was good, the training was a bit scary, but the needles weren't all as big as I thought they would be.  All shots will go in my belly and the first will be on Friday the 22nd.  As we practiced I started to get a little scared for the first one, but any pain is worth it... anything at this point is worth it, and someday this will be just a memory of what led us to our dream.

The following statue sat at the front desk of the IVF clinic, I found it fascinating.  Had Gabe been with me and seen my taking a picture he would have probably thought I was crazy, but oh well, I love it!  Cheers to crossing our fingers and looking towards the future, I am off to take my birth control pill and prenatal vitamin... what an oxymoron combination.









2.07.2008

One Step Forward -- No MORE Steps Back


IVF Orientation and Injection Training Class on Tuesday February 12th from 2-4:30 p.m.

As my honey said "one step forward!"