So, I have been taking Lupron Injections twice a day since 7/17, as well as many different pills. Tomorrow is my first ultrasound and blood work to check and make sure my ovaries are looking good and that my estrodile levels are where they need to be. I'm just hoping that everything goes well and we can stick to the scheduled calendar as close as possible!
Tomorrow also starts more injections and more pills. The nurse said these new injections might make me cranky (I think she was using that as a nice word to describe how I might feel with these injections).
Will post tomorrow after the appointment and after I know that everything is on track.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Injections and weight loss, or lack there of...
So the injections has started, as of Sunday I have been taking two injections a day along with 6 other pills. Giving myself the injections isn't as bad as I thought it would be, just in and out of the sin. Haven't had any real side effects so that is good to. This is the 4th day of injections. I will go to the doctors office on the 29th to get a scan and get some blood work done. Then, if everything is okay with the scan and blood work I will start another injection... This one Jonathan will have to give to me but he has done that before on other cycles so that shouldn't be an issue. There is still just a lot of waiting and anticipating...
As far as the weight loss part of the subject... My mom had heard about this 17 day diet from some ladies at the gym, she decided to do it and she said her clothing is much looser after the first 17 days. So, Jonathan and I have started it as well. We are on cycle one right now which doesn't give you a lot of options but I haven't cheated once and I'm very proud of myself. I've lost about 8 pounds so far but that was all before I started taking the fertility injections.... Today I got back on the scale for the first time in several days... and NOTHING, no loss of any kind. I'm following this to a "T" and now I'm not losing anything?!?!? WTF!!! I have to think it's the injections because that is the only thing that has changed. I really though this was going to be a good thing because I haven't been able to loose weight forever and now that I was these medications might be preventing me from losing any more? I thought this diet would be a good thing right now but now today I'm just sad that I haven't lost anything over the past few days. Jonathan isn't even following it to a T and he just keeps loosing and loosing and now I'm just sitting at the same place. Hopefully on Saturday I will see some more loss otherwise I'm not sure what I will do I will definitely be pissed off b/c I was doing such a good job and I'm not cheating at all and as I said before, no loss what so ever for the last 4... Oh well. I guess if anything at least I am eating better. I just thought that the weight loss before the transfer would be a great thing and now I'm at a stand still already...
As far as the weight loss part of the subject... My mom had heard about this 17 day diet from some ladies at the gym, she decided to do it and she said her clothing is much looser after the first 17 days. So, Jonathan and I have started it as well. We are on cycle one right now which doesn't give you a lot of options but I haven't cheated once and I'm very proud of myself. I've lost about 8 pounds so far but that was all before I started taking the fertility injections.... Today I got back on the scale for the first time in several days... and NOTHING, no loss of any kind. I'm following this to a "T" and now I'm not losing anything?!?!? WTF!!! I have to think it's the injections because that is the only thing that has changed. I really though this was going to be a good thing because I haven't been able to loose weight forever and now that I was these medications might be preventing me from losing any more? I thought this diet would be a good thing right now but now today I'm just sad that I haven't lost anything over the past few days. Jonathan isn't even following it to a T and he just keeps loosing and loosing and now I'm just sitting at the same place. Hopefully on Saturday I will see some more loss otherwise I'm not sure what I will do I will definitely be pissed off b/c I was doing such a good job and I'm not cheating at all and as I said before, no loss what so ever for the last 4... Oh well. I guess if anything at least I am eating better. I just thought that the weight loss before the transfer would be a great thing and now I'm at a stand still already...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Holy medications, Batman!
Currently I am still on birth control pills letting the ovaries rest. We have an appointment with the nurse on the 13th to learn how to take all the injections and pills and how to follow the calendar for the cycle. The medications look so overwhelming and I hope that I am able to give myself the injections and do them correctly and at the right times. I don't want to mess any of this up. It's true that my insurance is paying for this which is nice because the medications above cost me just over 100 dollars out of pocket and if my insurance didn't cover this it would have cost thousands of dollars and I wouldn't even have this picture to post because we wouldn't even be doing IVF, but I still don't want to mess anything up.
Per out calendar that the nurse made up I will start taking all the medications on July 17th, just a week after our 2 year wedding anniversary. Starting on the 29th I will go in for several ultrasounds to check and see how the ovaries are developing. I will go about every 3 days until the 8th of August. Hopefully everything is developed and looking good on the 8th and then Jonathan can give me the HCG shot to induce ovulation of all the follicles and on the 10th I can go in for my egg retrieval. On the 15th hopefully everything will be fertilized and developing correctly and we can transfer the two best embryos back and make some babies.
I rally hope that this works, if it doesn't I wont be able to help thinking everything for the past year and more really has been my fault. I mean, I am the woman, I should be able to carry children. Even though the previous medications I have been on have solved my ovulation issues I still haven't been able to get pregnant. If this doesn't work I know that it will not be good for the depressed I have had in the past during our trying to conceive time. I just wont be able to help thinking what is wrong with me? But I hope that it doesn't get to that point and that by the end of August we will have some great news, a positive pregnancy test and maybe even twins!
I wish the 17th would come fasters so we can get this started!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Giving the Ovaries a rest, Medications and Paperworke
So it's official, we have started the first (and hopefully only) IVF cycle. To start this about a week ago I had to go back on birth control, this is to help give my ovaries a rest from all the other cycles and medications that I have taken over the past year. I will take 3 weeks of active pills and then skip the placebo pills and then take 1 to 2 more weeks of active pills to make sure no follicles are being produced.
It's weird to be back on birth control after so long. Trying to remember to take it every day is hard. Sometimes I feel like I'm my own pharmacy and I need to lay all the pills that I am taking out so I can remember to take each of them every day. What makes taking these medications even worse is that I can't take them all at the same time. One has to be taken with food twice a day, one can should not be taken with in 2 hours of eating (which is hard because I try to eat 5 small meals a day so it feels like I am always eating...) the other should be taken at the same time every day to be most effective... I think though that the three different pills that I am on right now wont be anything compared to all of the injections I am getting ready to have to take.
On Friday 6-17-2011 Jonathan and I went in and signed all the consent paperwork for the IVF treatments. There was so much to go over. Giving consent for the procedures, filling out insurance paperwork, deciding what to do with any eggs that I not implanted, do you want to freeze them or not (if you freeze them and the first cycle doesn't work then you can try again with the frozen ones without all the pain and time of the first cycle). We have to decided if we want to do what is called IVF with ICIS which is where if the sperm doesn't fertilize the egg on it's own or the lab finds something not quite correct they will take one sperm and inject it into one egg and fertilize it that way. There are some possible side effects for children conceived this way which makes us a little concerned about having to do this. I'm going to read up on it a little more then just the one piece of paper they gave to us and see if we can come to a conclusion of if we want to do this or not.
The hardest form to fill out and sign is yet to be completed. It's a form asking us what will happen to the frozen eggs if one or both of us should pass away or if we get divorced (which is not going to happen). It makes what should be a happy time of trying to start a family kind of a sad time, thinking about what would happen if something horrible happened to Jonathan is not something that I want to think about but I am now being forced to think about it and sign a paper stating what will happen to any frozen embryos... I think that our love for each other will help us make these decisions and make this form a lot easier to fill out.
Right now I am just waiting on my official calendar of doctors visits to come in the mail and my medication list to take to the pharmacy. Once I get that we will go back on July 13th for a medication review and start the heavy hitters (the injections to help grow as many follicles as possible to give us the best chance of growing out family soon)
I know this post doesn't really have a great flow and it's kinda choppy but that is what has been going on, will post more after my next appointment or if I get word of anything else.
It's weird to be back on birth control after so long. Trying to remember to take it every day is hard. Sometimes I feel like I'm my own pharmacy and I need to lay all the pills that I am taking out so I can remember to take each of them every day. What makes taking these medications even worse is that I can't take them all at the same time. One has to be taken with food twice a day, one can should not be taken with in 2 hours of eating (which is hard because I try to eat 5 small meals a day so it feels like I am always eating...) the other should be taken at the same time every day to be most effective... I think though that the three different pills that I am on right now wont be anything compared to all of the injections I am getting ready to have to take.
On Friday 6-17-2011 Jonathan and I went in and signed all the consent paperwork for the IVF treatments. There was so much to go over. Giving consent for the procedures, filling out insurance paperwork, deciding what to do with any eggs that I not implanted, do you want to freeze them or not (if you freeze them and the first cycle doesn't work then you can try again with the frozen ones without all the pain and time of the first cycle). We have to decided if we want to do what is called IVF with ICIS which is where if the sperm doesn't fertilize the egg on it's own or the lab finds something not quite correct they will take one sperm and inject it into one egg and fertilize it that way. There are some possible side effects for children conceived this way which makes us a little concerned about having to do this. I'm going to read up on it a little more then just the one piece of paper they gave to us and see if we can come to a conclusion of if we want to do this or not.
The hardest form to fill out and sign is yet to be completed. It's a form asking us what will happen to the frozen eggs if one or both of us should pass away or if we get divorced (which is not going to happen). It makes what should be a happy time of trying to start a family kind of a sad time, thinking about what would happen if something horrible happened to Jonathan is not something that I want to think about but I am now being forced to think about it and sign a paper stating what will happen to any frozen embryos... I think that our love for each other will help us make these decisions and make this form a lot easier to fill out.
Right now I am just waiting on my official calendar of doctors visits to come in the mail and my medication list to take to the pharmacy. Once I get that we will go back on July 13th for a medication review and start the heavy hitters (the injections to help grow as many follicles as possible to give us the best chance of growing out family soon)
I know this post doesn't really have a great flow and it's kinda choppy but that is what has been going on, will post more after my next appointment or if I get word of anything else.
Friday, June 10, 2011
A new path on our journey: IVF Treatments
Unfortunately last cycle wasn't our cycle, again. I called the Doctors office and gave them all of my insurance information so they could contact the insurance and get all the approval paperwork started so we could get it as soon as possible (b/c insurance companies can take FOREVER to approve things) b/c I was not going to go through with this costly procedure without proof that it is going to be covered.
I'm sad that I missed the call from the doctors nurse yesterday but she did leave a message. She said she spoke with the insurance company and they said that since we have fertility coverage that there is no pre-authorization needed, all it has to be billed as is outpatient surgery (which it will) and it will be covered. I think the only part that might not be covered is the freezing of any eggs that are not used and that really isn't that much of a cost.
I'm excited to get started and hope to start next cycle. I know that IVF isn't a sure thing and that it might not work no matter how many times we might try but the since I am producing mature eggs with this medication it seems to me that the new concern is that the sperm and egg are not meeting up and at least with IVF you know that the egg will be fertilized and it will be implanted and then the only wonder you have is waiting the two weeks to see if it sticks... I pray that this is what will do it for us and we will be starting our family soon.
I'll post more as we actually start the process and hopefully I will be posting some good news sometime soon.
I'm sad that I missed the call from the doctors nurse yesterday but she did leave a message. She said she spoke with the insurance company and they said that since we have fertility coverage that there is no pre-authorization needed, all it has to be billed as is outpatient surgery (which it will) and it will be covered. I think the only part that might not be covered is the freezing of any eggs that are not used and that really isn't that much of a cost.
I'm excited to get started and hope to start next cycle. I know that IVF isn't a sure thing and that it might not work no matter how many times we might try but the since I am producing mature eggs with this medication it seems to me that the new concern is that the sperm and egg are not meeting up and at least with IVF you know that the egg will be fertilized and it will be implanted and then the only wonder you have is waiting the two weeks to see if it sticks... I pray that this is what will do it for us and we will be starting our family soon.
I'll post more as we actually start the process and hopefully I will be posting some good news sometime soon.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Fertility Yoga
I have been practicing yoga for just about a year now and I really really like it. of course with all of the online research that I have done over the past year about infertility and conception I did come across fertility yoga. i never really looked into it more until recently.
Yoga really does help relax the body and is supposed to help get rid of toxin in the internal organs and also strengthen the body. different poses are said to assist with not only different muscle groups but different organs as well. And there are specific poses that can help with the reproductive organs. A lot of poses that can help with fertility are restorative poses and not crazy twists and hand stands and stuff, they are easy and relaxing, at least that is what I have found when I researched some poses that could help.
I can't tell you that I'm 100% into the holistic approach to fertility after going to the chiropractor for almost a year with no such luck in conceiving but I do really enjoy yoga so why not try some of these poses out on days where I do not attend yoga class. Here are some of the poses that I have found, these are very easy to do and you can be a total beginner to do them.
Legs up the wall pose: Laying on your back you want your bottom right up against the wall with your legs straight up the wall arms are typically over head or in a comfortable position for you. Once your pelvis is in the correct position then you can relax your legs letting them bend and you can stay here for at least 20 minutes, its very relaxing. However there are some yoga poses that you do not want to do if you are menstruating and this is on of them.
Supported bridge pose: We all know the bridge pose that you use to do in gym class. laying on your back feel flat on the floor knees bent. Gently lift your pelvis up in the air. Face should be looking up and arms should be on the floor. Stay in this pose as long as it is comfortable for you. And then gently low your hips back down to the ground.
Cobra pose: You should be lying on your belly with feet together. Hands should be placed close to the body under the shoulders. On your inhale you will push off your hands and extend your arms pushing your chest and head off the floor. This pose is a great stretch for the abdomen.
Wide angle pose: You should be sitting on the ground legs wide apart. You do not want to stretch your legs to much they should just be in a comfortable position. Then you will lean forward as far as you can. With each inhale and exhale you can try and bend further forward as far as you can go. Once you have gone as far as you can go you want to gently push yourself back up into your seated position.
There are many other position that can be helpful to increase your fertility and there are many books and DVD's that you can purchase as well. If you are like me and money is a little tight you can always go on YouTube and search for fertility yoga and there are a lot of good videos that will come up and you can follow along with those videos while you try the poses.
Now I'm not sure that yoga helps with fertility or not but I do know that I enjoy it and I will keep up with it no matter what!
Yoga really does help relax the body and is supposed to help get rid of toxin in the internal organs and also strengthen the body. different poses are said to assist with not only different muscle groups but different organs as well. And there are specific poses that can help with the reproductive organs. A lot of poses that can help with fertility are restorative poses and not crazy twists and hand stands and stuff, they are easy and relaxing, at least that is what I have found when I researched some poses that could help.
I can't tell you that I'm 100% into the holistic approach to fertility after going to the chiropractor for almost a year with no such luck in conceiving but I do really enjoy yoga so why not try some of these poses out on days where I do not attend yoga class. Here are some of the poses that I have found, these are very easy to do and you can be a total beginner to do them.
Legs up the wall pose: Laying on your back you want your bottom right up against the wall with your legs straight up the wall arms are typically over head or in a comfortable position for you. Once your pelvis is in the correct position then you can relax your legs letting them bend and you can stay here for at least 20 minutes, its very relaxing. However there are some yoga poses that you do not want to do if you are menstruating and this is on of them.
Supported bridge pose: We all know the bridge pose that you use to do in gym class. laying on your back feel flat on the floor knees bent. Gently lift your pelvis up in the air. Face should be looking up and arms should be on the floor. Stay in this pose as long as it is comfortable for you. And then gently low your hips back down to the ground.
Cobra pose: You should be lying on your belly with feet together. Hands should be placed close to the body under the shoulders. On your inhale you will push off your hands and extend your arms pushing your chest and head off the floor. This pose is a great stretch for the abdomen.
Wide angle pose: You should be sitting on the ground legs wide apart. You do not want to stretch your legs to much they should just be in a comfortable position. Then you will lean forward as far as you can. With each inhale and exhale you can try and bend further forward as far as you can go. Once you have gone as far as you can go you want to gently push yourself back up into your seated position.
There are many other position that can be helpful to increase your fertility and there are many books and DVD's that you can purchase as well. If you are like me and money is a little tight you can always go on YouTube and search for fertility yoga and there are a lot of good videos that will come up and you can follow along with those videos while you try the poses.
Now I'm not sure that yoga helps with fertility or not but I do know that I enjoy it and I will keep up with it no matter what!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Today was the Day the Doctor said to test...
So, Two weeks ago after my appointment with my RE she said that if my cycle didn't start by today then I should take a test...
I just couldn't do it. I have been feeling for about a week now that my cycle is getting ready to start and that again this month will be another failure... I just can't bring myself to take a test and see another negative, so I wait. I'm just waiting in anticipation for this next cycle to start so we can start the process of getting the approval from the insurance company for the IVF procedure. I feel in my heart that IVF is the way we have to go in order to have a baby. There will be a lot of ups and downs with IVF, knowing that the egg is fertilized and implanted is something I really look forward to.... But then the nervousness and anticipation to see if it sticks and then if it does will it be a viable pregnancy will be the worst part.
I just wish that this cycle would start already so that we can get on with trying to start our family. The wait is the worst part!
I just couldn't do it. I have been feeling for about a week now that my cycle is getting ready to start and that again this month will be another failure... I just can't bring myself to take a test and see another negative, so I wait. I'm just waiting in anticipation for this next cycle to start so we can start the process of getting the approval from the insurance company for the IVF procedure. I feel in my heart that IVF is the way we have to go in order to have a baby. There will be a lot of ups and downs with IVF, knowing that the egg is fertilized and implanted is something I really look forward to.... But then the nervousness and anticipation to see if it sticks and then if it does will it be a viable pregnancy will be the worst part.
I just wish that this cycle would start already so that we can get on with trying to start our family. The wait is the worst part!
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