Okay, so after the breakdown last week, things seemed to pick up and I started to relax a little... A LITTLE. I went back to the doctor on Saturday for more blood work and another ultrasound. Then again on Monday, and today, and tomorrow, and Thursday! I feel like I should just pack an overnight bag and camp out there for the week. Here are all the stats so far:
Saturday 7/16: E2 was 304!!! Yay, it finally doubled!, Endo lining was 6.2, 6 developing follicles ranging from 16.4mm to 8.2mm with some smaller ones.
Monday 7/18: E2 was 672!!! Yay, it doubled AGAIN!, Endo lining was 6.34, 6 developing follicles ranging from 18.1mm to 9.7mm with some smaller ones.
Tuesday 7/19: E2 was 1068... :( didn't quite double, Endo lining was 8.1, 6 developing follicles ranging from 18.2mm to 9.7mm with some smaller ones.
As you can see, there wasn't much difference from Monday to Tuesday, so that indicates to the doctor that I have hit my peak in responding to the meds :( Therefore, at 9pm tonight I do my trigger injection and then 36 hours from then, Dr. Kathy gets to go egg hunting! Even though today's ultrasound only showed 6 developing follicles (which should contain mature eggs), there is a chance that by the time she retrieves the eggs that there will be more... some of the smaller follicles that they didn't measure could grow. So we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed for that. We want as many eggs as possible! Tomorrow's appointment is just for blood work, so we won't know anymore details on the follicles until after the retrieval Thursday morning. But as soon as we know something, I'll post it :) Until next time...
Welcome! I am a thirty something from the great state of Texas. I am married to my best friend and we have the most precious baby girl in the world :) This blog was created to document our journey through infertility and continues now with our journey through parenthood!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Needed: Positiveness and Peace
Miracles happen, right? Well, we are in need of one... a BIG one! Earlier today Negative Nancy and her friend Punk-Ass Panic entered our home. My initial reaction was to run like hell, but then their other friend, Devilish Doubt, settled in and after a short while I found myself sitting on the couch in tears and embracing all three :(. This journey for a baby is exhausting... physically, mentally, and emotionally.
To bring you up to date from last week, here are my stats:
Friday 7/8: E2 was 24, Endo lining was 2.5, Ultrasound was clear = green light to start the stimulation meds (Gonal-F and Menopur)
Tuesday 7/12: E2 was 42 = low, no Ultrasound today.
Thursday 7/14: E2 was 71 = low, Endo lining was 3.85, Ultrasound showed 1 follicle at 11mm, 1 follicle at 9.5mm, 2 follicles at 7.5mm, and then a few smaller follicles.
So what does all this mean? It means either low response to the meds, slow response to the meds, or both low and slow response to the meds. Basically, the E2 number should be doubling each time I go in. And as you can see from my results, mine aren't. The nurse said that my low E2 was somewhat expected given my low ovarian reserve. However, they would really like to see my level closer to or greater than 100 at this point. When I left the doctors office this morning I was in positive spirits and somewhat relieved to at least see some response on the ultrasound. But then when I got the phone call about my E2 level this afternoon, my positive spirit crashed and burned... in spite of the nurse telling me that there is still time for things to progress... I have only been stimulating for 5 of the possible 10 to 12 days.
I go back to the doctor on Saturday, so we will see. I am praying that my E2 level, Endo lining, and follicle numbers and size all increase. As long as things continue to increase, our cycle should be okay. But if things stall out, then there is a good chance our cycle will end before it really begins. And thus where positiveness and peace is needed... I want so badly to be hopeful that things will pick up and that come April 2012 we will have a new addition (and not a furry one) to our family. So those of you that are praying for us, please don't stop! I feel like I might need them now more than ever. Until next time...
To bring you up to date from last week, here are my stats:
Friday 7/8: E2 was 24, Endo lining was 2.5, Ultrasound was clear = green light to start the stimulation meds (Gonal-F and Menopur)
Tuesday 7/12: E2 was 42 = low, no Ultrasound today.
Thursday 7/14: E2 was 71 = low, Endo lining was 3.85, Ultrasound showed 1 follicle at 11mm, 1 follicle at 9.5mm, 2 follicles at 7.5mm, and then a few smaller follicles.
So what does all this mean? It means either low response to the meds, slow response to the meds, or both low and slow response to the meds. Basically, the E2 number should be doubling each time I go in. And as you can see from my results, mine aren't. The nurse said that my low E2 was somewhat expected given my low ovarian reserve. However, they would really like to see my level closer to or greater than 100 at this point. When I left the doctors office this morning I was in positive spirits and somewhat relieved to at least see some response on the ultrasound. But then when I got the phone call about my E2 level this afternoon, my positive spirit crashed and burned... in spite of the nurse telling me that there is still time for things to progress... I have only been stimulating for 5 of the possible 10 to 12 days.
I go back to the doctor on Saturday, so we will see. I am praying that my E2 level, Endo lining, and follicle numbers and size all increase. As long as things continue to increase, our cycle should be okay. But if things stall out, then there is a good chance our cycle will end before it really begins. And thus where positiveness and peace is needed... I want so badly to be hopeful that things will pick up and that come April 2012 we will have a new addition (and not a furry one) to our family. So those of you that are praying for us, please don't stop! I feel like I might need them now more than ever. Until next time...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Infertile Twist
Infertility is such a lonely place... a depressing, make you want to stay in the bed and cry for a couple of days because your temperature dropped and you now have your typical 3 day pre-period headache type of place. Month after month of wasting money on pregnancy tests just to read "NOT PREGNANT" just plain sucks. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. I've spent countless hours on the internet researching everything under the sun related to infertility, only for it to make me feel even more isolated from the fertile world. And with all this free summer time on my hands, it hasn't really helped the situation. However, since our treatment has switched to IVF, so have my internet searches. But as of today, I feel as if I have reached the end of all the IVF knowledge that the fabulous world wide web has to offer. Therefore, it's time for something new!... somewhat of an infertile twist :)
Instead of researching facts and statistics related to IVF, I began a search for funny IVF blogs. I need something to help keep me out of the infertile dumps and to help me keep a reality based but yet light-hearted perspective. So far I have stumbled across two blogs that I really like. The first blog is: http://the2weekwait.blogspot.com. This woman is hilarious! While her journey is not exactly like ours, I've definitely shared some of her same thoughts. The other blog is: http://999reasonstolaughcontests.blogspot.com/. It is too funny! Of course though, this blog is designed for those actually experiencing infertility... so some of you lucky fertile mertiles might not fully relate to the sense of humor. Below are just a few of her 999 reasons to laugh at infertility:
#1 You find out your mother's friend's dry cleaner's daughter's Facebook friend's second cousin's once removed is pregnant through IVF, and you are jealous.
#2 You anticipate hearing pregnancy announcements every time you see your friends.
#3 You've tried to increase your basal temperature by urinating while you take your temp.
#4 You feel your breasts, subtly, in public for signs of tenderness.
#5 You won't use the telephone for the entire day knowing the fertility clinic will be calling.
#6 You always look at a stranger's belly to see if she's pregnant, and if she is, you glare at her.
The search is still on for more funny IVF blogs, so if you happen to know of any, please share! Until next time...
Instead of researching facts and statistics related to IVF, I began a search for funny IVF blogs. I need something to help keep me out of the infertile dumps and to help me keep a reality based but yet light-hearted perspective. So far I have stumbled across two blogs that I really like. The first blog is: http://the2weekwait.blogspot.com. This woman is hilarious! While her journey is not exactly like ours, I've definitely shared some of her same thoughts. The other blog is: http://999reasonstolaughcontests.blogspot.com/. It is too funny! Of course though, this blog is designed for those actually experiencing infertility... so some of you lucky fertile mertiles might not fully relate to the sense of humor. Below are just a few of her 999 reasons to laugh at infertility:
#1 You find out your mother's friend's dry cleaner's daughter's Facebook friend's second cousin's once removed is pregnant through IVF, and you are jealous.
#2 You anticipate hearing pregnancy announcements every time you see your friends.
#3 You've tried to increase your basal temperature by urinating while you take your temp.
#4 You feel your breasts, subtly, in public for signs of tenderness.
#5 You won't use the telephone for the entire day knowing the fertility clinic will be calling.
#6 You always look at a stranger's belly to see if she's pregnant, and if she is, you glare at her.
The search is still on for more funny IVF blogs, so if you happen to know of any, please share! Until next time...
Friday, July 1, 2011
It's go time... BABY
As I figured, the past two weeks have gone by in a blur... The Monday before last, I started my yoga membership with Dynamic Power Yoga in Addison. I love it! It's a 90 minute hot yoga class, and I feel so great and so relaxed when it's over. And a few days before that, I started my acupuncture treatments. I go twice a week to see Emily, at the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture. It is also very relaxing. I actually doze off for a bit each time towards the end of the session!
Last weekend Travis and I headed to Crystal Beach to spend the weekend with his family. We saw a huge rainbow on our way there, which instantly brightened my mood! I would spend every day at the beach if I could. It's so peaceful. We had such a great time visiting his family that I wish we could have stayed longer... We don't get to see his family near as often as I'd like. Below is a picture of the rainbow we saw and some of the Bolivar Bay Blue Crabs that Sam caught Saturday morning!
This past Monday, I had my doctors appointment to do the "mock transfer" (run through of what they will do on the day of the actual embryo transfer), and for the nurse to show me how to administer all my IVF injections. I also got to meet with one of the Embryologists that morning. She did such a great job of answering all my questions about the fertilization of the eggs, as well as the transfer and freezing of the embryos. This entire process really is amazing!
Wednesday night I started the first of my IVF injections. It took me 4 times of counting to 3 before actually sticking myself! And I must admit, like everyone told me, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. But next weekend when I go to 3 shots a day it might be a different story! I just picture having a little baby, or two, or three :) to hold when it's all said and done, and that makes it a little easier. Unfortunately though, it looks as if I'm having an allergic reaction to the Lupron medication. Yesterday afternoon I noticed bumps on my arms, legs, stomach, back, and chest. UGH! My doctor prescribed me some lotion to put on it, so I'm hoping that in a couple of days it will clear up. Sorry if it's too graphic for some of you, but here are a couple of pictures of it.
The rash is not unbearable, but does itch, and does look gross. With all the different medications that will be flowing through my body over the next few weeks, I can only imagine the side effects I'll have from each one. I just keep reminding myself that it will all be very well worth it! Until next time...
Last weekend Travis and I headed to Crystal Beach to spend the weekend with his family. We saw a huge rainbow on our way there, which instantly brightened my mood! I would spend every day at the beach if I could. It's so peaceful. We had such a great time visiting his family that I wish we could have stayed longer... We don't get to see his family near as often as I'd like. Below is a picture of the rainbow we saw and some of the Bolivar Bay Blue Crabs that Sam caught Saturday morning!
This past Monday, I had my doctors appointment to do the "mock transfer" (run through of what they will do on the day of the actual embryo transfer), and for the nurse to show me how to administer all my IVF injections. I also got to meet with one of the Embryologists that morning. She did such a great job of answering all my questions about the fertilization of the eggs, as well as the transfer and freezing of the embryos. This entire process really is amazing!
Wednesday night I started the first of my IVF injections. It took me 4 times of counting to 3 before actually sticking myself! And I must admit, like everyone told me, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. But next weekend when I go to 3 shots a day it might be a different story! I just picture having a little baby, or two, or three :) to hold when it's all said and done, and that makes it a little easier. Unfortunately though, it looks as if I'm having an allergic reaction to the Lupron medication. Yesterday afternoon I noticed bumps on my arms, legs, stomach, back, and chest. UGH! My doctor prescribed me some lotion to put on it, so I'm hoping that in a couple of days it will clear up. Sorry if it's too graphic for some of you, but here are a couple of pictures of it.
The rash is not unbearable, but does itch, and does look gross. With all the different medications that will be flowing through my body over the next few weeks, I can only imagine the side effects I'll have from each one. I just keep reminding myself that it will all be very well worth it! Until next time...
Friday, June 17, 2011
Overwhelmed
Well, we are no longer just talking the IVF talk... we have officially taken the plunge and are now walking the walk. And I must say, it's much easier and way less scary to just talk about it than it is to actually do it! Last week once the financing was finalized and some of the medications (there are 9 total!) were ordered and delivered, my stress level felt like it quadrupled. IVF suddenly became very real. Below is a picture of the delivery of just 4 of the medications... AGH!
I was super nervous opening those boxes! Anyone that knows me knows that I HATE needles! I've gotten a little better about them as I've gotten older, but it will be by no means even remotely easy for me to give myself all of the injections each day. After opening one of the boxes and seeing one of the needles, I literally felt sick to my stomach and had to sit down. I immediately called Dr. Kathy to ask her about it (it's HUGE... and thick!) and she laughed at me. Thankfully, it's just the needle that I will use to mix one of the medications. It will NOT be puncturing my skin! Yay! And within an hour of the wave of nausea and panic, my friend Emily came over to help calm my nerves with a tasty adult beverage :) Thanks Em!
Now that the IVF ball is rolling, to say that I am overwhelmed just barely scratches the surface. Luckily though, I have another great friend, Jill, that put me in touch with one of her college friends, Mandy, that I had met a couple of times a few years ago. As it turns out, Mandy and her husband went through IVF this past year, and now have a wonderful baby boy! Over the past week, Mandy has given me some advice to somewhat ease the anxiety. It has really helped a lot having someone to talk to that has gone through IVF. Some of her suggestions so far are:
1. Acupuncture - My first appointment with The Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture is next Thursday, and I'm actually pretty excited about it!
2. Yoga - My membership at Dynamic Power Yoga starts Monday, and I'm really excited about this too!
3. Alcohol swabs for diabetics - they have a little bit of numbing agent that will help with soreness from all the injections.
4. Ice Pack - to also help with soreness from all the injections.
5. Eating pineapple after the embryo transfer - it is supposed to help with implantation. And since pineapple happens to be my favorite fruit, this part will be a breeze!
Next week, the last of the medications will be delivered and I will have my appointment with the nurse to show me how to administer all of it. And then the week after next, it's showtime baby! In my last post I mentioned something about how quickly time passes... so I'm expecting these next two weeks to happen in a flash. Even with the overwhelming anxiety of IVF, I really want to make the best of this journey... and start by thanking all of the wonderful people in my life for praying for us and supporting us. I am truly grateful to God for being so incredibly blessed to have the best family and friends in the world! I don't know what we would do without you all :) Until next time...
I was super nervous opening those boxes! Anyone that knows me knows that I HATE needles! I've gotten a little better about them as I've gotten older, but it will be by no means even remotely easy for me to give myself all of the injections each day. After opening one of the boxes and seeing one of the needles, I literally felt sick to my stomach and had to sit down. I immediately called Dr. Kathy to ask her about it (it's HUGE... and thick!) and she laughed at me. Thankfully, it's just the needle that I will use to mix one of the medications. It will NOT be puncturing my skin! Yay! And within an hour of the wave of nausea and panic, my friend Emily came over to help calm my nerves with a tasty adult beverage :) Thanks Em!
Now that the IVF ball is rolling, to say that I am overwhelmed just barely scratches the surface. Luckily though, I have another great friend, Jill, that put me in touch with one of her college friends, Mandy, that I had met a couple of times a few years ago. As it turns out, Mandy and her husband went through IVF this past year, and now have a wonderful baby boy! Over the past week, Mandy has given me some advice to somewhat ease the anxiety. It has really helped a lot having someone to talk to that has gone through IVF. Some of her suggestions so far are:
1. Acupuncture - My first appointment with The Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture is next Thursday, and I'm actually pretty excited about it!
2. Yoga - My membership at Dynamic Power Yoga starts Monday, and I'm really excited about this too!
3. Alcohol swabs for diabetics - they have a little bit of numbing agent that will help with soreness from all the injections.
4. Ice Pack - to also help with soreness from all the injections.
5. Eating pineapple after the embryo transfer - it is supposed to help with implantation. And since pineapple happens to be my favorite fruit, this part will be a breeze!
Next week, the last of the medications will be delivered and I will have my appointment with the nurse to show me how to administer all of it. And then the week after next, it's showtime baby! In my last post I mentioned something about how quickly time passes... so I'm expecting these next two weeks to happen in a flash. Even with the overwhelming anxiety of IVF, I really want to make the best of this journey... and start by thanking all of the wonderful people in my life for praying for us and supporting us. I am truly grateful to God for being so incredibly blessed to have the best family and friends in the world! I don't know what we would do without you all :) Until next time...
Monday, May 30, 2011
Catching Up
I knew this whole blogging thing would get the best of me :) I think about posting an update often, but never seem to get around to it! Everytime I get on here I end up reading other blogs instead. So prepare yourself... this one could be long! We've got some catching up to do!
The whole month of May has really been a blur. We've been so busy with a million different things... doctor visits, traveling out of town to visit family and friends, and then finishing up the school year. Man has it all flown by... I thought as you aged that time was supposed to slow down, not speed up?!?
The thing that has taken up the majority of our time though has been all the doctor visits... but at least we finally have some answers to our fertility issues! At the end of April we went for our first appointment with Dr. Kathleen Doody (Reproductive Endocrinologist) at the Center for Assisted Reproduction. That appointment resulted in what felt like endless testing... for both Travis and I. One of the first tests that Dr. Kathy did on me was to test my ovarian reserve... the results of this test were really discouraging. It turns out that I have a significantly lower ovarian reserve than the average 40 something year old woman (0.8% is normal for a 40 something and mine is 0.3%), and this apparently is a result of all the years of severe damage caused by the Endometriosis. Bummer. And unfortuantely, the bad news didn't really stop at my results... Travis's sperm morphology test (how his swimmers are shaped) came back abnormal as well. A lot of his boys have curved tails, and get this... two heads!!! So with my low egg supply and quality, and his abnormally shaped sperm, it makes it really difficult for the egg to become fertilized. So there you go... a double whammy explaination... in which there is no cure for :( Neither condition can be reversed or fixed. However, in spite of all the test results, Dr. Kathy is optimistic at us being able to concieve... through in-vitro fertilization. We officially start our IVF cycle at the end of June, and hope to have good news at the end of July. In the meantime, I will be finishing up the school year and then fully embracing the laziness of summer! I will have no excuse not to blog the IVF journey, so check back soon for more frequent updates! Until next time...
The whole month of May has really been a blur. We've been so busy with a million different things... doctor visits, traveling out of town to visit family and friends, and then finishing up the school year. Man has it all flown by... I thought as you aged that time was supposed to slow down, not speed up?!?
The thing that has taken up the majority of our time though has been all the doctor visits... but at least we finally have some answers to our fertility issues! At the end of April we went for our first appointment with Dr. Kathleen Doody (Reproductive Endocrinologist) at the Center for Assisted Reproduction. That appointment resulted in what felt like endless testing... for both Travis and I. One of the first tests that Dr. Kathy did on me was to test my ovarian reserve... the results of this test were really discouraging. It turns out that I have a significantly lower ovarian reserve than the average 40 something year old woman (0.8% is normal for a 40 something and mine is 0.3%), and this apparently is a result of all the years of severe damage caused by the Endometriosis. Bummer. And unfortuantely, the bad news didn't really stop at my results... Travis's sperm morphology test (how his swimmers are shaped) came back abnormal as well. A lot of his boys have curved tails, and get this... two heads!!! So with my low egg supply and quality, and his abnormally shaped sperm, it makes it really difficult for the egg to become fertilized. So there you go... a double whammy explaination... in which there is no cure for :( Neither condition can be reversed or fixed. However, in spite of all the test results, Dr. Kathy is optimistic at us being able to concieve... through in-vitro fertilization. We officially start our IVF cycle at the end of June, and hope to have good news at the end of July. In the meantime, I will be finishing up the school year and then fully embracing the laziness of summer! I will have no excuse not to blog the IVF journey, so check back soon for more frequent updates! Until next time...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Home Improvements
Spring Break started a whirl wind of home improvements around the Cook household... ranging from painting and outfitting the office to redoing the landscaping in the back yard, as well as outfitting the arbor with new furniture! During spring break I obviously had lots of time on my hands :) so I decided to finally start fixing up the office. I started by painting it and then by buying office furniture and getting it organized. I still have some decorating left to do, but here are some pictures of the progress so far!
After Bella's foot injury on our metal landscaping, Travis and I decided to do some changes in the backyard as well. We spent one weekend ripping up all the metal edging surrounding the yard... that stuff is really a pain in the rear! We replaced the edging with stone which looks really nice. We also ripped out some bushes and made a stone pad for the smoker... that way I could have my arbor back :) After adding new arbor furniture, a chimenea, pool loungers, tiki torches, and another palm tree, I can honestly say that it's just about perfect. Each spring we have to replant some of our tropical plants that didn't make it through the winter... we have just a few more of those to replace and then our backyard paradise will be complete! Take a look at our tropical oasis!
As with most homeowners, it seems that updating and remodeling never end, but I feel like we have at least put a good sized dent in our list so far this year! My late spring/early summer projects will be to get two of the upstairs bedrooms painted. So keep a look out for pictures of those once they are done! Until next time...
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