RoadMaps & RoadTrips?!

Is the "this&that" title theme too cheesy? You'll have to forgive me, I can only be so creative when I'm starving to death! More on that later tho! 

Cycle Updates!! 

Not much going on really, Jan 1st was officially day 1, continue BCP & Heparin 2x daily. Add Dexamethesone & Lupron. That first day scared me, I had a pretty spectacular headache with intense nausea. & Ofcourse both new meds list headache & nausea as possible side effects. Lucky me to experience them right?! We had plans to actually go out to eat and to see a movie, not had a "date night" in ages! We barely made it to Paragould (45mins away, larger town with movies & food). We had to turn around and go back home. Watched "Martian" on the couch with "the bowl" instead. Anyone else have a designated bowl for when they're sickly?? No? Just me? But so far, it appears to have been a fluke. Just a migraine day, they happen.  I've not had any other side effects so far! 

However, can we talk about stretch marks? Bcus my tummy looks like a damn road map! & it makes injections a bit frustrating! Do NOT... I repeat... Do NOT inject into a stretch mark! Yes, I did this accidentally the other morning. Look, I'm running out of spots, don't judge me. I looked, but I apparently failed to see a tiny one. It hurts after & gets very red & very angry! 

Speaking of angry, this fat girl gets mad when she is hungry. Ever heard of "Hangry"? Well it's legit. Today is my polyp removal surgery in STL at 2:15, check in at 1:15. Anesthesiologist contacted me yesterday with my instructions, which Ofcourse includes nothing to eat after midnight and clear liquids only until 10am.... Then NPO (nothing by mouth)!! That's cool bro, but I work overnights!! I go in at midnight & get off work at 8am! So basically I can't have breakfast or lunch?? So all night without eating, then drive all the way there, then still no food until AFTER the surgery?! 

Pray for my husband who is taking this "road trip" with me.  He is a brave, brave man. 

I'm not gunna make it!! 

Birth Control & Belly Bruising

**disclaimer: I like to be open & honest on my blog. It's like a diary sometimes. It's not meant to offend. But be prepared for sometimes colorful language, information you may find gross, and graphic photos as that relate to infertility/reproduction** 

For your typical IVF cycle, there is like a "pre-cycle" leading up to it. Our RE described it as like a system reset. Or like rebooting your computer?! Basically you take birth control pills to shut down the typical reproductive cycle. Everything is kinda in limbo until you finish them and start the stimulation meds.

Unfortunately for me, BCP has ALWAYS made me terribly sick. Just overwhelming nausea, headaches, and it's a migraine trigger. I started out taking them at night, only to realize that was not going to help with my new Midnight work schedule. So I slowly worked them back to AM doses. I'm making it through work now, but 4pm like clock work, I awake from a dead sleep with the urgent need to puke, which I never do! I'm counting down to that last dose!!

Another unfortunate fact, I have a blood clotting disorder, Factor V Leiden, so as a precaution I have to take a blood thinner when on hormones like BCP which can increase clot risks. I'm doing Heparin 2x a day as I did in a past cycle. This should have been pretty simple. I've done them before, it's a simple process, thin med, tiny insulin syringe. Easy peasy!! Only this time I opted for a local pharmacy who had pre-filled syringes. Sounds easier right?! WRONG!! I left with a "Carpuject System" which I'm assuming was created by Satan himself! It didn't even include needles! I had to go back to the pharmacy and BUY them. Basically you add extra steps because you have to load the cartridge into the adapter & then attach your needles. This thing is bulky and the plunger is flimsy! It makes injecting super awkward!! & that first injection? Holy Shit ya'll!! The direction stated it's supposed to have an air bubble, not to tap it out! Well, I felt every bit of that "bubble" go into my stomach! & the bruising! Oh my gosh! I got bruises last time, I mean it's expected when you're actively thinning your blood. But on dose #1?! And it was huge, and black, and UGLY! 

I did have a stroke of brilliance after about 2 weeks, when I was just wishing I had some insulin syringes to draw this mess out and forget the Carpuject! I remembered a good friend and fellow "Cyster" who had sent me some leftover supplies from her last IVF, which included a bag on unused syringes for her PIO! I'm currently drawing out my heparin, swapping to my smaller needles, and my injections are back to nearly painless (it aches a bit after) and minimal bruising much more like I expected! When it's time for refills (soon!) I'll be requesting vials and syringes!! Not pre-filled cartridges! 

I also had a second fluid ultrasound of my uterus as a pre-requisit, since my last one was well over a year ago. Basically they fill the uterus with fluid so it can be seen on ultrasound & check for abnormalities. I'm very glad we did since a polyp was discovered! Having it there can cut our success rate by as much as 20%. Polyps are just masses of tissue. A lot of the time leftover from past menstrual cycles. Non-cancerous. But can prevent implantation of embryos. Luckily we can get it removed and it shouldn't effect our IVF schedule. Scheduled that for Jan 6th! Small surgical procedure, takes like 15mins. No real incisions, they'll go in vaginally & I'll be under anesthesia. More updates on that later!!

Quick Catch Up!

I've been intending to brush the dust off of our Infertility Blog for awhile now, seems it's now or never! HA!

If you don't know us personally, you've missed a lot! I'm so sorry for abandoning ship! Let's play catch up before we get to the BIG news!

March 22nd 2015 something amazing happened. Most of you who know us personally, already know that, despite completely forgetting that I had pre-registered us for another IVF seminar at our fertility clinic, (Sher Institute of Reproductive Medicine STL) we loaded up in the car, late, and made the 3 hours drive! It's so surreal! My husband, who never remembers these types of things, just woke up that Sunday morning like "um,We're supposed to be in STL today" and man was he RIGHT! See, they do these seminars from time to time at their various clinics, and they're very informative. I registered for this one because I had seen they would be talking some about NKC's, autoimmune issues, and intralipids! The first time slot had actually filled up and they had opted to open up a second sitting and then a third. We definitely were not going to make it to our original slot! By another miracle, I was able to get in touch with out Care Coordinator, despite her being busy setting things up, and get us switched to a later time slot! Each couple that attends receives a packet of information and one ticket to write their names on for a drawing.

On March 22nd 2015 our ticket drawn as the winner of a **FREE** IVF cycle!!! This is a blessing that we could never have imagined receiving. Something woke my husband up, Something told him that we had to be at that seminar! Something convinced me that we should make that drive even though it wasn't our first seminar and might not have much new information. We feel like God wanted us there in those seats. There in that moment, where he made a miracle happen. 

We are responsible for outside costs such as medications, per-requisite testing and procedures, but the IVF itself is provided! We dusted off the GoFundMe, did a few fundraisers. We have been blessed with amazing friends and family who are eager to help us. We were able to follow through on the t-shirt suggestion and I'm still in love with our design! 

 

So, now for the BIG news.... IVF is happening NOW! January 2016! More to come in subsequent posts!!

It really happened, it wasn't just a dream! You can view the video here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152640189131761