And the results are in........

It's official ladies!  I am with child! woot! woot!  My first beta hcg blood test came in at 150.  I will have my 2nd beta on Sunday and then again on Tuesday or Wednesday!!!  Time to nest, add stuff to my registry and start planning for the special appearance of a Davis Baby coming in 2012!

Hugs and Blessings to all.  What a great way to celebrate the weekend!  Gregg becoming a Daddy-to-be right before his birthday and we will have this news in times for both Mother's Day and Father's Day!!!

I can't wait til the ultrasound and to share the news with Vanessa, it is all very exciting and all I can do now is nurture my belly, pray for healthy and happy development and know that beyond that, things are out of my control.  God will give me what I can handle only at the right time and as long as I keep that frame of mind....I will not let myself become a victim to any negativity...regardless of how this all pans out...

Thank you so much for your love, support and continued blessings...I am so grateful and lucky to have all of you in my life!

Hugs and Salute to a happy weekend for all!

I may be changing the name of the blog to Elise_Is_PG but for now it will stay the same!

Elise_Is_Finally_PG

Still waiting....

...Sorry I still have no news OMG, this is seriously killing me!!!  I went in bright and early this morning to get my bloodwork and was surprised to see the center was crawling with women and double the staff...apparently...the other location had a power outage and it ended up re-routing all the patients from that location to where I normally go.  Amidst the chaos and insanity, they managed to get me in and out with a quickness.  However, I fear that because of the increase of patients at this location, it may take longer to get my results back....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh!

...I expect to know after 4pm which was the original time I had anticipated.  I was just hopeful that it'd be a "little" sooner....so until then....fingers crossed and good vibes ladies, good vibes!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

2 days til...

....This waiting to get my HCG bloodwork on Friday is truly....painful, lol.  I really thought if I just tried to stay busy and distract myself that it'd fly by and technically, it has for the most part as I am ONLY 2 days away yet it is the longest wait ever.  I am pretty convinced that I am PREGGERS and feel so confident that I will finally be able to sustain a pregnancy after having had the miscarriage last year.  I mean, I'm taking progesterone every night in my a$$ and am wearing estrogen patches...My boobs are super sore and have been since I started the IVF in beginning of March so I can't say that the boob soreness is pregnancy related, it's more "hormone" related as I am still on hormones...I'm totally bloated around my mid-section...feeling nauseous here and there, thankfully, I have NOT vomited yet, yey!!!  I have headaches that come and go, am constantly going to the bathroom and am always hungry...I just really think I am DUE and can only clean my house so much before I run myself ragged.

...It is very exciting all of this...nerve-wracking too.  Sometimes you could have all the "go" signs and still have something go awry so I am "cautiously optimistic."  Of course you always want to be positive but you also have to be realistic and be prepared for the worse every time....otherwise, you'll just tear yourself apart and that is not healthy.

...A few things I've been doing to distract myself too is researching prenatal vitamins.  I take a GREAT cocktail of vitamins from Melaleuca...the only problem is...I take 10 PILLS A DAY and I am so over taking them...so many anyways...I am looking into the gummy or liquid options just to reduce the amount of pills...I'm starting to gag from them and to do that for 9 months, not so sure I want to do that...I've been taking prenatals for 3 years sine I've been trying to conceive for that long.  I figure if I eat a healthy diet every day and take the vitamins I'll be in the clear...essentially I think that the vitamins will supplement whatever it is I'm lacking in my diet and am realizing if I just eat better, I may not need to take so many vitamins anyway.

...Given the recent "bedbugs" episode we've had at our house, my entire master bedroom is in disarray.  Stanley Steemers will be coming on Saturday to steam both of our bedrooms and then finally we can get a new mattress all set up and I can go back to sleeping in our room again.  I feel so disconnected that I haven't slept in there in a few weeks.  It's weird being in your own home and not being able to sleep in your own bed...lol.

...I've been trying my hardest not to go nutts w/baby sites but it's so difficult.  I am so ready to "nest" and get stuff ready!  I'm already looking at sewing patterns of what I can make for the baby as well as what I can knit and crochet.  Definitely a great reason to get crafty!  I'm so eager and these next 2 days will be killer!!!! 

...Pray for my sanity and serenity and peace of mind. Until Friday's update, happy thoughts and baby dust!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

3 days and counting....

...Tick, tock, tick, tock.....I'm so lucky that I am not doing the "true" 2 week wait YET this is so consuming me!  I am so excited for Friday!!!!  I went into the center today to do my weekly luteal support bloodwork and my RE Nurse gave me the nicest compliment ever!  She said that I was a great example of an IVF patient--my personality, my patience and attitude and my commitment.  I am so happy that I was able to put a smile on her face as well as everyone that is such a rockstar at my fertility office.  All the ladies are great and the doctors are wonderful.  I am very lucky to have such great professionals taking care of me.  I wish they could be my regular ob-gyn doctors since I have bonded so closely with them over the last 2 years--especially in these last few months.

...I am so ready to be pregnant again.  Vanessa was a great baby and is still an amazing daughter.  My first 5 months with her were rough, I have to admit as I had "morning sickness" all day every day during that time...I seriously couldn't deal with it;  I didn't like strong smells related to oily or fried foods nor could I deal with the smell of meat...raw or cooked...it totally grossed me out.  I mean, literally, I remember watching tv and a Burger King commercial came on and it was like I had smellivision or something....I saw the burger on the screen and immediately felt nauseous and went running for the bathroom....oh it was so brutal. 

And when it was my first month pregnant with her...I was in Viet Nam....it was supposed to be my honeymoon/meeting the in-laws for the first time kinda vacation and I was at my then, sister-in-law's home...just had eggs that morning and some fruit and next thing you know...I  projectile-vomited in kitchen/dining room....OMG!  I was so mortified and she was so...."motherly" and just started shuffling my vomit like it was sweeping the floor on any random day without even a blink of an eye...insanity.  Talk about first impressions, lol.

Thankfully though, after that 5 months, things were on the up and up and I was eating anything and everything in plain view and was very happy to be doing so without upchucking my meals.  I hope it isn't as bad as it was then this time around, yet I will welcome whatever it is...no matter how negative as being pregnant is something I've wanted for sooooooooooo long so bring it on baby, bring it...I am ready!

I am excited for Vanessa to be a big sister because I know she will be the best big sister anyone could ever ask for...I am so lucky to have her and know that God put her here w/me to save me...she truly changed me for the better and for that I am very thankful.

Vanessa and I are very excited for Gregg to be a daddy.  We both have said that he needs another "boy" in the house as he is the only one...and he needs a mini version of himself to hang out with who he can teach guy things to....sports...how to dress metro-style, lol...and just needs to have "his" boy...so I am excited about the possibilities.

We hope and pray for a healthy and happy baby regardless if it's a boy or girl...I just think it's great timing for us as a family and just can't wait!

So until Friday when I get the official news, stay tuned!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

April 29th is the official day!!!!

...Whoa...so...I am 2dp5dt (2 days post 5-day transfer) this is the acronym that IVF'ers use to describe the different stages as we go through our IVF protocols...and I am feelin' pretty a-okay today...April 29th is the official day I will get the beta bloodwork done to see if I am in fact....PREGNANT!!!  So the acronym they are using now during my two-week wait is PUPO which stands for Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise, lol.

...RE Nurse called me yesterday to let me know that out of the leftover 7 blastocysts I had, they were able to freeze 4 of them, the other 3 didn't make it.  So I am very fortunate to have a total of 14 frozen!  I have 10- 2nd day PN embryos frozen and the 4-day 6 blastocysts frozen.  So we have enough embabies should we decide to do an FET (frozen embryo transfer) going forward if we'd like to...which is very reassuring since that means I won't have to go through all the injections or medications again, thank goodness!!!

...So now the waiting game begins and because I did a Day-5 transfer, I don't have to do a full two-week wait since I'm considered to have a head start, so next Friday will be so exciting!  I am trying to refrain from going crazy with baby website and maternity stuff since it's not official...but I can't help it!  I wanted to wait until after the first trimester to tell Vanessa but I was thinking that if at my 8 or 10-week ultrasound they confirm that they see the pole and sac then maybe I could tell her then...since last year when I had the miscarriage, I lost the baby before the actual ultrasound and they never confirmed that it was viable and there...so...we will see.

...My girlfriend, Chantille is the bestest as she is so excited for me, I love her so much for that!  She wants to have a bunch of little parties lol..like a confirmed pregnancy party and then a trimester party at each trimester and all that stuff...she totally gets how hard this has been on me and is totally keeping me in great spirits, thanks Chan!!! Love you for it!

...So anyways, we are going to NYC this weekend just to get out and for a change of scenary and to visit our good friend, Cory.  So now that I am officially NOT drinking, I will just have to substitute with great food and desserts instead, lol.

Until my next blog and news, Happy Easter to All and enjoy your holiday weekend!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Sticky Bean between two slices of PB & J...

This morning was my Day 5 Blastocyst Transfer..it went relatively quick and easy compared to the Egg Retrieval.  So to give you a lowdown on how everything went today...

...Firstly, I didn't sleep well at all, ugh!  I think it was the excitement and anxiousness I felt since I knew I was going to get my embaby and keep getting paranoid that I'd oversleep and miss my appointment, lol.  The progesterone injections are still leaving me w/residual soreness which is really...frustrating as it's not really painful but it's sore...like a bruise...like...someone threw a softball/baseball at me a$$ ...it feels like it'd be black and blue, but there is no sign of anything on my backside...yet the soreness is annoying and with some tips and advice from other IVF ladies, I bought a heating pad today and Gregg and I decided to warm the PIO to help it dispurse more evenly throughout my butt region...lol...so hopefully this along w/the massaging will help relieve it.

...I woke up at about 7:30am...and got showered and ready.  Vanessa still doesn't know that I had gone through the IVF procedure YET she does know something is up!  She is suspicious but because she doesn't know enough about what any of it is, she doesn't really ask any questions.  All we keep telling her is that I'm trying to find out WHY I'm having trouble getting pregnant and she realizes that this has been ongoing in the last 3 years so she gets that I want to get to the root of everything and hopefully find a solution to my infertility.

I know she is very hopeful of me getting pregnant soon and hopefully we will have great news on the 29th after my beta blood test but for now, I will have to keep her in the dark until after the first trimester which would be some time in July....I hope I can hold out that long...OR hopefully I'm not having perpetual morning sickness which I think would be a sure giveaway sign to her as she knows I had 5 months of it when I was pregnant with her...Keepin' my fingers crossed!

My appointment at the center was scheduled for 11AM so I scheduled my PRE-Embryo Transfer Acupuncture w/Lauren at 9AM and we did it at her house.  I have to tell you, I LOVE my acupuncturist, am so lucky to have found her and I know we will become great friends!  I brought Vanessa along to the session as Lauren has 2 young boys and Vanessa was going to "keep an eye" on them while she treated me.  It was quite hysterical as she had me lay in her master bedroom as she treated me and then she laid her son's thin Spider Man blanket over me to keep me warm, lol...I will have to post the pic she took as it just looks so funny to see needles in my head and face as I'm lying beneath this cartoon sheet.

Afterwards, Vanessa and I went home to get Gregg and we dropped Vanessa off to her friend's house for a playdate!  Thank goodness as we didn't know how we'd take her there without her catching on to what was going on--thankfully she has a school friend that played here yesterday and so I asked if Vanessa could play today as our tentative plans for Vanessa fell through....The schools are on spring break anyways and I think both girls were equally getting cabin fever playing on their own so it was refreshing for them to be able to play together 2 days in a row.

We got to the center and got situated.  John, our Nurse, came to explain to me exactly what was going to take place.  He made sure to ask if I had a full bladder for the ultrasound and I had been drinking water for about an hour already and was on the verge of bursting so I had to take a little tinkle to hold myself over.  The doctor doing the transfer came to meet me and also explain the grades of my blastocysts and to discuss what our options were in terms of implanting 1 vs. 2 and the pros and cons of each.  Gregg and I had already decided that had we had a Day 3 transfer, we would've done 2 embryos and on Day 5, we'd only do one...unless instructed otherwise by the doctors which they completely agreed that doing one would give us the best chances.  She explained that all 8 of my blastocysts have developed quite nicely, some better than others...yet none of them have arrested at all which was a very good sign...2 of them were of supreme quality she said and then 4 were at an intermediate blastocysts stage and 2 were at an early blastocyst stage. 

LEFT blastocyst is what we implanted
w/a "3BB" grade.

Once we agreed to implant the BEST one of the 8, she then informed me it was a "3BB" grade quality and showed me pictures of all 8.  It is truly amazing what technology can do and I couldn't help but get a little emotional just seeing the picture of my blastocyst...Embaby Davis!  I have to say once I compared them to the many blastocysts pix I've seen online, I am very impressed w/Embaby Davis and am so excited for he/she to implant themselves into my uterus nice and snug like the Nurse said, "between two slices of PB & J, it ain't goin' anywhere!"

After our agreement w/the number of blastocysts we'd transfer, we then signed the consent forms and proceeded w/the transfer.  With the assisted ultrasound, the doc prepped me for the transfer...Samantha, one of the embryologist, came in to confirm who I was and that I would be transferring one blastocyst.  She brought that specific blastocyst into the room, Doc implanted it and we could see everything on the ultrasound...and then they double checked what they did but checking to ensure that the blastocyst was in and not dragged back out...once confirmed, everything literally was done.

I got the at-home instructions and pretty much am on "bedrest" for 24 hours and then can resume normal activity tomorrow afternoon...and we will do our bloodtest next Friday, April 29th!  This is truly so amazing and exciting!!!

Once I got home, I had some lunch and a little bit of down time, but then had to hop in the car and drive over to see Lauren at her office for the AFTER Embryo Transfer Acupuncture appointment and that was so needed cuz I literally fell asleep there...Researchers have shown that acupuncture treatment performed before and after an embryo transfer increases the chances of implantation by at least 35% if not more...so why wouldn't you do it just to help improve your chances?  I've already come this far, might as well and it's such a bonus as it's so relaxing and it definitely helped me to wind down from my busy morning.

So now it's a waiting game..we wait....and we will know next week what will be our fate!  In any case, I have to keep an open mind and heart and know that whatever the outcome is what is best for me even if it's not what I want or agree with...but I do feel really good about it!

Stay tuned for news and once it's official, then I can move onto blogging about mommyhood and pregnancy which I think will definitely be alot of fun!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Going for the Gold...

....Docs called today and said All 8 of the embryos are developing and thriving amazingly well and they are very excited that I have viable embryos and are confident that I would do well w/a Day 5 Transfer so we will do a Egg Transfer on Wednesday, April 20th!!!!  I am so excited!  Gregg and I had discussed last night that if we did the transfer today, we would have definitely implanted 2 since it would have been a Day 3 Transfer but now that we are doing Day 5, We will go for the gold and do ONE...all or nothing...so we shall see how it goes!

....Gregg is doing exceptionally well with giving me my progesterone injections and all in all, I don't feel a darn thing, thank goodness!  The only problem is AFTERWARDS, I am sore..the kind of sore you feel after working out your lower body...climbing the stairmaster or doing the elliptical...it's a good burn/sore feeling yet I'm totally in slow motion and have what feels like "buns of steel." lol...

...Seriously, if we become preggers, he will continue to give these shots EVERY DAY for the next 9 weeks...this is something way interesting and we will see how I manage through it...overall, at the end of the day, it's totally worth it to have a happy and healthy baby which I can't wait for!

Image of a Grade 6AA hatched Blastocyst
It's what we strive for!

...Grow Embabies, Grow!  May you develop into high quality blastocysts so that you can come home to Mommy!!!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Crazy 8s!

I got the call from the RE Nurse this morning about the progress of the 8 embryos and he informed me that they are doing exceptionally well!  They have tentatively set my Egg Transfer appointment for tomorrow, Monday, April 18th at noon, which is a Day 3 Transfer.  However, they are so happy with the development that they do anticipate doing a Day 5 Transfer possibly on Wednesday and they won't be certain until the Embryologist sees them tomorrow early morning before my scheduled appointment and will decide accordingly.  I will only get a phone call if it's moved to a Day 5 Transfer otherwise, I am scheduled for tomorrow.  This is very exciting and I am so happy to see that they are doing well.

I am feeling a bit sore in the bum as now I have equal shots of progesterone in either side so it truly feels like I just ran a marathon...lol...I'm tight and sore in the areas so it hurts a bit when I walk...but overall not too bad.  I am still peeing like a crazy person as I hear is a good response that I'm ridding the excess fluids out of my system from the Egg Retrieval so that is great, yet I hate that I'm in the bathroom every hour.

I will be scheduling to have acupuncture before and after the transfer as it has been documented and proven that doing acupuncture before and after an egg transfer, improves the implantation of the embryo by 35%...I figure, if I've already gotten this far, might as well do everything I can to ensure a sticky healthy baby!

It's definitely surreal to see that I've gotten this far so soon!  It feels like yesterday when I was completely depressed and distraught over not being able to get pregnant and still grieving my miscarriage from last year...I'm so excited for all of the opportunities that may unfold and the path that may be in front of us yet I still have maintain a sense of realism that things don't always go as planned no matter how well you prepare for it...

Que sera sera, they say, whatever will be....will be...and I am okay with whatever is meant to be...for me.  You can only have control over so much and everything else is left to chance so in the end, you just have to believe and let fate take over. 

I wish all of you well and I will have a report later this week!  Everyone please pray for us!  Think healthy baby thoughts and send us all of your baby loving vibes!  Thank you!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Totally Legal and Legit!!!



...18 is the number, totally legal and legit!



Gregg's Boys penetrated 18 of my eggs, lol!!!

2 PN Stage Embryo

 They froze 10 of them since they were at 2PN stage and explained that eggs that frozen on Day 2 have a higher chance of thawing and becoming more viable than freezing them at a later day...even though most docs may wait til Day 3 because usually on Day 2 they don't have enough info on the embryos, they were very confident I would produce some viable embryos so they chose to freeze the 10.

 8 of them were put into incubation and I will get my follow up call tomorrow and then Monday morning I will know if it is transfer day or if we wait until Day 5.  I am so excited and anxious... Let's see how this pans out!  The number "8" is considered very lucky in Chinese Numerology...(I'm only a 1/4 chinese, but hey, that works for me since if you're 1/32nd Cherokee or whatever it is , you're still considered Native American, lol.)

...Pray for my lucky 8 and we'll see how it goes from here on out, woohoo!

So here are the stages of development so you can see what we are hoping for...

Stay tuned!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Black Jack!

....It's set!  21 eggs retrieved today at my egg retrieval!  I call "Black Jack!" :)  Lucky 21.  I think I'll play the Power Ball tonight, lol.  The egg retrieval went fairly well--without a hitch.  We dropped Vanessa off this morning at school and went straight to the center.  Checked in at 8am and went over some paperwork with the RE Nurse, Brenda.  After signing off on the consents, Gregg then went to provide his "sample"...or as I like to say it, spit in a cup, lol.  I then went to change into my oh so lovely party hat, gown, and skidsocks.  Dan, the anesthesiologist came to prep me and to let me know how things would go in terms of sedation and signing off again on consents.  Gregg sat with me while they prepped the OR.  Dr. Dokras then came to let me know she'd be doing the egg retrieval and just prep me for that as well.

...They then whisked me off to the OR and then Gregg went to sit and wait for me.  We both had agreed to participate in an IVF study related to incubation of embryos and if there was any correlation with the percentage of oxygen exposed to the embryos while they were incubating...so I think Gregg got his bloodwork done for the study while I was getting the retrieval done.

...While in the OR, Dan and the head nurse, John were prepping me for the procedure.  They of course noticed my bedbug bitten arm and we talked about what a pain it is to have them and all that was necessary to get rid of them...as we were talking Dan was getting my I.V. ready and administering my lovely cocktail to sedate me...I remember talking about my appendisitis and then I was out, lol.

Obviously we didn't conceive naturally, but I still found this cartoon to be totally funny... :)

...According to the staff...I was aware and awake much quicker than most and they said everything went really well.  Dr. Dokras told me they were able to retrieve 21 eggs...how exciting!  She said I had many more follicles, but successfully, they aspirated 21 of them...yey!  They then wheeled me into recovery and had Gregg meet me in the room...where I was greeted with graham crackers, water, ginger ale and saltines...and pretty heavy cramping...and of course the chills as the sedation was wearing off.

...We sat for about an hour until we got the all clear for me to change and go home...and they said I'd get a phone call tomorrow with a progress report on how many fertilized and how everything is going. 

...So now I'm home...I've had lunch...my sister-in-law and her family are on their way here to go to the Phillies game and know nothing about our IVF so I am very thankful that I feel pretty good because if I would have bailed, she would've became suspicious so thankfully, I am gonna go and hang out and it's a baseball game, spent...sitting down so I should be OK but in case I'm not, we only live 10 minutes from the stadium so I can always go home, easy.

...I'm going to try to nap before the insanity begins and Gregg will have to give me my progesterone injection tonite at 10pm in my "bum" so we will see how that goes...I will be sure to update when I find out the stats on my eggs...until then, Go Phillies!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

All my eggs in one basket....

So...I triggered with 40 units of the Leuprolide 2wk kit last night at 10PM...and then went for bloodwork this morning at 9:30AM and am now waiting to hear back from the RE Nurse for instructions on what time we need to be in tomorrow for the egg retrieval...I am seriously excited and nervous all at the same time!  I can't believe that this month has come and gone so quickly and don't know how I will do during the 2ww to see that BFP on my pregnancy test!!!

I think the reality will be that I probably won't make it out to the Phillies tomorrow night, :(.  Although I'd really like to go since it is a family affair and would be so much fun but we will have to see if I am even "coherent" after the procedure tomorrow.  I am feeling nauseous today and very tired...I hate feeling this way...ugh.

I haven't been staying up-to-date w/my Flylady routines...which technically, most of my zone is fairly clean and clutter-free--I was hoping to get "ahead" so that I could afford to be a little lazy here and there so I know that definitely over the weekend, I will try my best to get everything prepared for next week as I will probably take it easy and rest after the egg transfer...

Not much to update now but much more to follow in the upcoming weeks...can't wait to share all the details with you guys!

Please pray for me, my eggs, and for a healthy and sticky implantation! :)

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Tennis balls, a trigger shot and then some valium to mix it up....

....So I am now Day 9 of my treatments...I've reduced my follistim from 200iu, to 125iu, to now 50iu...I am as they say, "aggressively" responding to my stimulation and so they are slowing me down a bit...along w/that stimming I am also doing Menopur 75iu and Ganirelix....tentatively I am due to do my trigger shot tomorrow night and then scheduled for egg retrieval for Friday....this is becoming more and more real by the minute and I'm super antsy for everything to proceed already! ahhhhh!

...At my ultrasound this morning, my doc said everything was looking great and that I had 13 follies on the right and 12 follies on the left so far and potentially a few more by tomorrow...she anticipates us moving forward very soon.

...Aside from the lack of sleep because of this constant rash I'm having...my whole abdomen feels like I have a kettle bell weight attached to it.  It's heavy and literally dragging me down.  I can feel my ovaries moving around like tennis balls...are rolling around...with a sputtered feeling every now and again.  My hubby is at the RE's office getting his instruction from the RE Nurse on how to administer the intramuscular injection to my "bum."  Hopefully all will go well and smoothly.  Thank goodness I also have some topical lidocaine for my butt so that it'll take the edge off the sting...wowza!

...With egg retrieval just around the corner....I'm trying to figure out what stuff to gather together to keep by my bedside to keep me busy for 24 hours after.  I may attempt to go to the Phillies game based on how I feel, but won't push myself...I'm not that much of a diehard yet I'd really like to go.  It'll be nice to get a valium to relax me as I know when I got lasik eye surgery, that stuff totally rocked! ha ha ha...

I don't have much of an update thus far, but am sure I will be blogging a lot by the weekend.  Stay tuned.

Elise_PG_Wannabe

Moving along....

....So I got the call back from my RE Nurse and she said to continue w/the same measurements for meds tonight and to go to the center tomorrow morning at 8AM to do more bloodwork and an ultrasound.  Wow..I knew they'd monitor me closely, but it's the third day in a row that I'll be getting bloodwork and I am hopeful that maybe I will trigger early next week and maybe do the egg retrieval by the end of the week, that would be a SWEET deal!!!  I am so excited about this path and can't wait to share with you more about this journey of mine.  I can't wait for the next chapter of my life to begin...I'm tickled and am beside myself and smiling from ear to ear...

Not those Three Amigos....These 3 Amigos.....

Not THOSE Three Amigos....



...These 3 Amigos....Follistim, Menopur, and Ganirelix are NOT my friend, ole!  Holy Guacomole, Macaroni & Cheese---every time I introduce a new injection, I get a WICKED and MASSIVE headache that can't be cured...and I'm afraid to take even Tylenol as I don't want to risk it conflicting with my IVF Cycle. Boo!

....Along with that, I found out today at my appointment for bloodwork that I can't take any medications, not even benadryl for my mystery bug bite rash that I have as that could possibly affect or interact negatively with my IVF Cycle as well so now I have a pounding headache and I itch like I fell into a poison ivy bush and I can't do a darn thing about it, grrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Not funny.

...I'm still trying to keep everything in perspective and know I truly only have possibly another week or week and a half to deal w/it and am optimistic so I won't let this stress me out or bring me down...I just have to better at managing my "pain." hmmmmmmm.....I need another distraction...oye oye oye.

...I'm excited about moving forward and about some opportunities that I may have on the horizon, but for now please send me soothing vibes to relieve me of this itch and calming sensations to free me from this headache.  I pray for courage to push through this.  As bad as this headache is...and craziness I'm having w/the itchy skin, I am sure that my side effects are wayyyyyyyyyyyyy minor in comparison to many other gals who deal with major complications during this ordeal.  I will not WHINE or wuss out...I will be okay...just had to get it out, lol.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and truly am thankful for this opportunity so with that...I say good night and sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite, (ahem, apparently they've gotten to me already, but save yourself!) lol.

Elise_PG_Wannabe



And it went boom, boom and then the bloat...

...I had this never-ending dickens of a headache yesterday...talk about debilitating and rendering me useless!  It started in the early morning, I took some headache medicine and it semi went away long enough for me to get my cleaning done and workout in and then re-surfaced in a brutal way!  It was in the front of my head and felt like someone just dropped a cinderblock on me or gave me a killer head bunt...ugh...seriously made me angry cuz I hate it when I can't get stuff done...luckily I was able to finish 4 loads of laundry and pick up my daughter from school which really...I wasn't sure I could drive considering the constant throbbing that was happening.  I didn't want to whine or wuss out and called my RE Nurse and she pretty much said that headaches can be a side effect of the Follistim along with a list of other not so desirable "inconveniences" but so long as nothing was getting worse, I was OK....so I stuck it out...which just kinda blew my night.

....I did my 2nd injection of the Follistim last night and am happy that it is an easy process.  My headache continued all the way til when I fell asleep and it went boom, boom and then the bloat....set in.  My abdomen felt very "full" and it is true what they say, it does feel like you can feel the ovaries "growing"--so crazy especially since it's just the 2nd day.  Tomorrow, I will go in for bloodwork and then the RE Nurse will let me know if I need to increase/decrease the units in my medicine and then she will know more definitively the estimated dates of the next couple of weeks.  I am sooooo excited to be pregnant that I'm not quite sure what to make of it all.  I don't want to jinx anything and am just so hopeful to have the chance to focus on the possibility to adding to our family and having Vanessa be part of the process...she is thoroughly excited for me to finally be pregnant and I just hope I don't neglect her in the shuffle of the insanity.  Yesterday when I was having my insane headache, she was very concerned and hugged me and told me she loved me and just wanted me to be okay.  (Tear) my daughter is truly an amazing girl and I can only hope and pray that I will honor and respect her through her emotional teen years.  Holy Cannoli! lol.

...Since the onset of my crazed FlyLady cleaning mania, I've also become quite interested in Extreme Couponing which the series premiere is tonight on TLC!  I truly want to dedicate some time to studying this and applying it because I feel like it would benefit my family and truly ease alot of strain when we shop.  As of right now we usually do about 2 big trips each month that are between $150-250/trip; that doesn't include all of the "mini" runs we do or eating out either so reasonably it'd be nice to really SAVE $$$ and especially before having another baby.  One of my goals is to really learn and apply this successfully before giving birth to a new family member. :)

...Also, along with making changes around my home in regards to "going green"  I have also discovered the world of Scentsy Wickless Scented Candles!  I just finally got mine from my girlfriend that is a consultant over the weekend and I LOVE it!  The containers are very stylish and decorative and the wax melts in top via a lightbulb that can be used like a night light.  It truly makes alot of "scents" or "cents"--smells great and you're saving money, ha ha I know I'm corny but had to say it, lol.  If you want to learn more about it, here is my girlfriend's website, be sure to let her know I referred you!

Scentsy Wickless Scented Candles Her name is Maria Manogue and she will work with you, no matter where you are in the nation--you can easily host an online party to get stuff for real cheap or free!

...Changing the subject yet again....I am just feeling very chatty this morning...well actually I guess I am always chatty but I just seem to have alot on my mind today and want to get it all out so I can free up some "space" in my mind for other things.  I keep on becoming forgetful every now and again and it's truly annoying as I pride myself on always being "on top" of stuff and my schedule and lately it just seems I'm becoming more and more scatterbrained which I do NOT like, but I know I will have to accept...ahhh. 

But anyways, back to what I was saying...I used to journal every night when I was younger as a preteen and teen and I have to say it is so enlightening when you read over what you wrote--it's crazy to see what was important then totally isn't important now; different mindset and priorities...but anyways...I remember reading a journal I wrote when I was about 16 and I must have cried so hard and long over it because it was truly such an emotional time for me.  Since then I hadn't really journaled much after that...too busy going out and growing up I guess but every now and then, I would pick up a pen and write a few thoughts down...but never as diligently as I once did.  Fast forward to present day...in the last few years..I've done a multitude of different things...therapy just to get my stress managed and anxiety out...and off and on ...journaling, but it still just didn't resonate the same way it did when I was younger.  I have a journal that is...for..."venting" shall we say so that ...I had a place to just get all my frustrations out...like a running dialogue of the craziness of people or my belief of people w/no common sense....but reading it back, was always so...much anger and aggression and I didn't think it was really a good choice in terms of handling my disappointments and frustrations.  If anything, this journal brought it out, more which is not what I wanted...so okay, you're thinking, why this long-winded story....so what I'm getting at is...I've now decided to keep a Gratitude Journal. 

At the end of every night before going to bed, I write in for each day what I am always thankful for like my family, friends, my health. 

And then I list what traits I am thankful for of myself like: 
I am thankful for my continued patience in trying to understand the actions of others and not taking it personally. 

I also write what traits I am thankful for in my family like: 
I am thankful for Vanessa's maturity in understanding that I didn't feel well today and her ability to be helpful and concerned.  I am thankful to Gregg for his empathy and for his continued concern in my well being and for being appreciative of how great the house looks.

Like the saying always goes, don't focus on the negative, but reinforce the positive; we should continually try to see the "good" in people.  I have a habit of not being judgmental, but having a higher standard of conduct when it comes to my family and friends, but I don't alway express it...correctly and so I believe this will be a more successful way for me to communicate that to them and to myself.  I really do believe in the practice of The Golden Rule and strive to follow it everyday...it is much harder than you'd think...but I think in small strides, I am definitely making an improvement on myself and rubbing off on others... which makes me happy.

Ok so enough of my chattering...thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to cue in on what's going on w/me!  I am sure I will have more to report in the upcoming days and weeks.  Until then...Happy Hump Day, Wednesday!

Elise_PG_Wannabe

A shot in the dark...

...My red-headed slut friend decided to visit me, finally yesterday!  I never thought I would be sooo happy to see her!  I got up bright and early this morning so I could go see my RE for my baseline bloodwork for E2, FSH and also my ultrasound at 8AM.  Something about finally starting injections makes this all very exciting, tangible and like I am truly in control of it all...even though, between you and me...it's still a shot in the dark...whatever the outcome, I know that I am possibly doing one of, if not THE most invasive procedure assisting me in my attempts to get pregnant and throughout, if nothing at all, I will have a more detailed and indepth understanding of how my "insides" work so all in all, it's a win-win.

...So the start of my "stimming" as they say was today with Follistim at 200iu...and will continue to take it for the next 3 days until Thursday, April 7th.  The morning of the 7th I will then get some more bloodwork done to see how I am responding to the follistim and then they will decide what to do w/me from there.  My husband and I have also started taking the Doxycycline meds tonite with dinner and will take them 2x a day for 7 days.

...Administering the shot wasn't all that bad.  I'm lucky that I don't get bothered by needles much and am relatively (knock on wood) okay with these things.  I think the main concern is making sure you have the mesurments right in terms of the medicine.  Other than that, it's a-okay.  I am a little weirded out w/the HCG and Progesterone injections as the size of those needles are "hefty" and being that they are "intramuscular" injections...seems a little "wowza ouchie!" but I'm sure I'll get through it just fine and know that it will all be worth it when that healthy baby is brooding in my belly!  I'm hoping and praying for that BFP!!!

So this is just a short and sweet update and hopefully I will have more fun news to follow.  I also  may try to upload a video on the follistim injection just so you can see how easy it is.  I'll also have to remember to switch sides each time too.  So til my next update, stay tuned!