Happy Mardi Gras 2005 

Rainbow Brite

IVF Ramblings
(Weekend update: the Mardi Gras ball was great fun, and by some miracle my dress did not spontaneously combust due to excess pressure. Very excited about that ...)
The Lupron shots (Day 11 for anyone who's counting) are still going well ... the only difference I'm beginning to notice is that I'm a little more tired than usual. However, I read that somewhere between Day 11 and Day 14 all your hormone levels completely drop due to the Lupron doing its job of shutting down the pituitary gland, so I'm sure fatigue is normal. Otherwise all is well. Giving myself shots every morning is getting old, but I figure I better get over that because by Friday I'll be doing three each day.
Outside the world of IVF, we've decided to paint our living room a warm yellow, so I went today and got a quart of the paint chip we (ok, I) liked the best. I had visions of a wonderfully warm and inviting room where I would write masterpieces and raise well-rounded children (and where Anthony could feel relaxed while he watches sports.) However, I am SO grateful we only painted a small area as the yellow we (ok, I) picked is AWFUL. It is Rainbow Brite yellow, and it is hideous. Have plans to go out tomorrow and pick a more appropriate color as the only vision the yellow on the walls brings at this point is highlighter in a book. Not good.

The Birth of Shamu

IVF Ramblings
Well, another non-event ... Anthony gave me the shot this morning with absolutely no hoopla involved. He was very matter-of-fact and did a great job! Good start considering the super-long needle injections are coming up in about three weeks.
In the meantime I still feel good but seem to be turning into Shamu. I'm bloated, and my pants (all of them) are entirely too tight. Oh, well, too bad the Mardi Gras ball is tomorrow night, and my dress used to just fit me. Now it'll probably blow right off the first time I exhale. Still, I must say that being bloated is entirely preferable to being hormonally crazy. Even Anthony would agree ...

Giving It a Shot

IVF Ramblings
Nothing terribly exciting today ... still feeling good and still counting my blessings!
My morning Lupron shot tomorrow may be a little interesting as Anthony will be administering it. Normally I do it, and it's very much a non-event. I just take the little Lupron vial out of the fridge when I wake up, allow it to come to room temp, then do the shot. No big deal. I know that may sound strange, but around our house syringes and vials of hormones are as common as People magazine and dog toys. Anyway, I must jump ahead a bit to finish this riveting story ... in a couple of weeks I'll have the embryo transfer, after which I start Progesterone in Oil injections. Now these injections (unlike the subcutaneous ones I'm doing now) are intra-muscular and MUST go in the hip muscle, which means giving them to myself is virtually impossible. Enter Anthony, who volunteered to stick the much larger needle into my hip every single night. Well, he's decided that before he does the progesterone injections he should practice on (and here I'm quoting my husband) "actual human flesh." You can see where I'm going with this ... he wants to give the Lupron injection a shot. No pun intended. I have complete faith in my husband, but I still think it could be interesting. We shall see, and I'll report tomorrow night ~

Arresting Development

IVF Ramblings
Back home after a wonderfully fun and busy day and night with Teri, Kinsey and Abby ...
I'm finishing my sixth day of Lupron shots and still feeling fine. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but maybe I'm just fortunate so far. Eight days to go until the big trip to Mobile for the baseline ultrasound and bloodwork ... that's when they'll add the other injectible meds and also when I'll start VERY frequent trips to Mobile for monitoring (i.e. ultrasounds and bloodwork.) Now the drive from Gulfport to Mobile is only about 70 miles, which is wonderful, but it's a smidge boring. That's why when I was driving to Mobile yesterday to Teri's I was very interested to see a man surrounded by four police cars on the side of I-10 being patted down and arrested just like on TV. I would never actually wish ill will on anyone, but it was a moment of excitement in an otherwise uneventful trip. Ho hum, the gripping life of an infertility patient ...
***** (IVF Break) For my friend Chris I must add the following: as mentioned several days ago, the "scenery" at Hooter's is a bonus when dining in their fine establishment; however, it is not the only reason certain males eat there. The food is also outstanding! So there.

Status Quo

IVF Ramblings
Not much to report today, which I suppose is a good thing. I'm at Teri's tonight as Dwayne is out of town. The girls have just gone to bed so now we have a chance to chit chat. Still no problems with the Lupron shots and still grateful for that!!

Yearning for Knowledge

IVF Ramblings
Well, after a wonderful birthday weekend break (Sunday was my 31st birthday), I have returned to my webpage. I am four days into the Lupron injections and feeling great...although I am grateful to be feeling so good (I've heard HORROR stories about Lupron) I'm also cautious as I have a long way to go. Again, one day at a time.
Now, I'd like to take a tiny little medical break and explain what Lupron does for anyone who might not know. Basically the pituitary gland (along with the hypothalamus) is in charge of all the events leading to ovulation each month. Lupron works directly on the pituitary gland to prevent it from doing exactly that. Normally the pituitary gland would "tell" (I had visions of a phone conversation) the ovaries when to release the mature egg, but Lupron shuts that function down so the doctors can control the ovulation through all the drugs I'm taking. This is absolutely critical for in-vitro fertilization because the embryologists and doctors HAVE to be able to get to the eggs before they're released. Following Lupron I'll begin taking two drugs which work together to stimulate my ovaries to produce numerous eggs as opposed to the one egg they usually produce. There, end of lecture. Overhead projector down. (Dad!!)
Anthony and I continue to take Doxycycline (beautifully colored blue pill), and I'm taking birth control pills today and tomorrow and then I'll be through with that. I'll keep doing the Lupron injections each morning until February 4 when I go to Mobile for my baseline ultrasound/bloodwork. Following that, I'll reduce the dosage of the Lupron and add in the other two meds. Yes, for all you higher math people out there that's three different injections each day until the retrieval and transfer during the week following Valentine's Day.
Ok, I realize that was a bit scientific, but it seemed a good time to share. I love knowledge ... in fact I yearn for it. (favorite quote from Charlene Stillfield on "Designing Women.")

Good Start

IVF Ramblings
First shot under my belt ... no problems. Very tiny needle and sort of fun to pretend I am a nurse. Doxycycline also has been fine with no side effects of any variety. Very good start to first IVF cycle :) Only concern is that I have gained one pound today, presumably from some hormone I am taking. Who knows. Will now be obsessively weighing myself ...
Otherwise, I will take things one day at a time.

All Set

IVF Ramblings
24 hours til the first shot ... ok, really more like 12 hours but who's counting?? I'm a little anxious at this point, but I know that's normal. Giving myself the shots doesn't bother me, it just gets a bit annoying after awhile. It's the potential side effects that I think about (mostly the emotional ones), but we'll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, we had dinner with some wonderful friends of ours at Hooter's tonight, which is always fun. I love the food, Anthony loves the "scenery," and it's always great to be with friends :) Like I said yesterday, it takes a really special support system to help a person get through this, and I feel very fortunate to have just such a system in place.
Functional Lupron box is ready for the morning as well as the functional box with the Doxycycline in it, so we're all set. I think.

It Takes a Village

IVF Ramblings
Completely useless and non-functional plastic containers have now been replaced with MUCH stronger and fully functional plastic containers and all syringes, alcohol pads, and appropriate meds have been re-organized and safely enclosed. So with less than 48 hours until the first Lupron shot, I am organized and prepared. In addition to Lupron, Anthony and I also start an antibiotic on Friday called Doxycycline. (finally something he can enjoy, too.) From what we hear, this is not a particularly pleasant antibiotic, so you can imagine how excited we are about starting it. We both take it for 10 days, and then (lucky me) I take it for 8 more days following the transfer in three weeks. The antibiotic is just a precautionary measure and is used simply to ensure we are both as healthy as we can be leading up to the retrieval/transfer. For those of you keeping track, I'll be taking Lupron, birth control pills and Doxycycline simultaneously for several days. Luckily, our neighbor came over to visit tonight and said if there were any need (i.e. I become insane in the next several days) Anthony could come stay in their guest room. It make take a village to raise a child, but BELIEVE ME it takes ten villages to conceive one. (so to speak)

Charting the New World

IVF Ramblings
Well, the Atlanta weekend went really well ... Kelly found her dress and without giving too much away, I must say she looks completely BREATHTAKING in it! We all had a wonderful time, and (as always) I'm reminded of what an amazing family I have.
And now back to IVF: I started the birth control pills on Friday and have two more days til the Lupron shots begin Friday. I sat down tonight and got ALL the different syringes organized into their own plastic containers (you wouldn't believe how many there are) and labeled each according to what medicine they go with (may sound obsessive, but as there are so many different meds it's hard to keep them straight.) However, I bought the plastic containers at Dollar General (nothing wrong with the store), and the tops keep shooting off the containers. Very annoying. I'll be out tomorrow buying Rubbermaid containers so the syringes stay in the containers.
I'm getting a little anxious about starting the shots on Friday as I have no idea what to expect. This is completely new territory for us ... we're a smidge like Christopher Columbus charting the new world. (At least if Christoper Columbus were a hormonally unbalanced and psycho female, and the new world was in-vitro fertilization -)

Bridesmaid Extravaganza

IVF Ramblings
I'm signing off for a few days as I'm leaving for Atlanta tomorrow for several days of bridemaids'-dress-trying-on for my cousin's wedding. I think a lot of y'all know Kelly, and her wedding is in June. Anyway, we're all heading to Atlanta tomorrow for a long weekend and a nice little break from IVF :)

Brad and Jen

IVF Ramblings
I feel compelled to take a bit of an IVF break, except to mention that all the meds arrived today just as the pharmacy said. It's so nice when people tell you they'll do something, and then they do it ...
Anyway, a bigger event than IVF is occurring, and I feel a duty to mention it here. Of course I am speaking of the break-up of Brad and Jen ... I mean, come on, if they can't make it, who can?? I haven't taken to wearing my mourning black just yet, but I do feel sad. They seem like such normal people, except for the fact that they're UNBELIEVABLY attractive,and it's such a tragedy that we'll never know what their kids would have looked like. Well, perhaps "tragedy" is too strong a word judging by the tsunami victims' ongoing tragedy; however, the lack of little Brad and Jen's is something of a societal injustice. Nevertheless, we'll forge ahead ...
(Just a little thank you to Teri for being so understanding when I called her during her trip to Atlanta to report the aforementioned break-up. There's a reason she's my best friend!!)

Eye Before the Storm

IVF Ramblings

Nothing really happening today ... talked to the pharmacy this morning, and all the meds should arrive tomorrow sometime. We're sort of in the eye before the storm I guess, which isn't such a bad place to be.
While getting my hair cut today, I discovered my hairdresser's cousin just did IVF and is 23 weeks pregnant after just one try. However, this same cousin also gained 10 pounds strictly from the IVF shot regimen. Dear Lord.

Isn't it Ironic?

(I understand that mentioning the word "period" is grossing out certain male readers (all names withheld), but this event has occurred (happy day), so we're moving along now.)
My new best friend (IVF nurse Sabrina at Dr. Inge's office) called with various instructions ... I'll start birth control pills Friday, which is SO ironic, but this is to suppress any ovarian cysts I may have, and she's ordered all my meds. For those of you who are counting, that's 8 different prescriptions, including Valium for the embryo transfer. (very disappointed to learn Valium wasn't for me for each day I do shots, and Anthony will be disappointed it wasn't for him for each day I do shots.) I feel good about everything, though, and am looking forward to getting started ...
*Weekend update: in the meantime, the benchmark binder I was working on is now so HUGE it is virtually impractical as using it as a source of research, etc. may place me in danger of carpal tunnel syndrome. Tragedy.

Waiting for Godot (actually my period)

As if often the case with this whole process of trying to have a baby, the entire tempo has temporarily shifted ... we've had our couple of days of busyness followed by the current waiting period of a few days. During the wait, I've decided to organize the MOUNTAIN of paperwork that follows three years of infertility treatment and am in the middle of trying to figure out how to print labels for the super spiffy dividers I got at Office Depot. For those of you who know me well, you know organizing things is one of my great passions!! I'm excited and have visions of my new large and classy 1 1/2 inch binder being requested by future infertility patients as it becomes the benchmark of organized info ...

Cute Red Boots are all that Matters

Today started out great, although a smidge early as we had to be in Mobile by 7:45 AM. I always feel compelled to look cute whenever I go to the Reproductive Center (it boosts my self-esteem and because I am vain and vapid makes the whole process a little easier.) So we arrived at the parking garage to go to the dr's office and got an AWESOME parking place, which is a good thing as aformentioned cute red boots may be stylish but are not practical when it comes to walking long distances, or really any distance at all. Anyway, we had bloodwork done, I drank 12 ounces of Coke (to ward off early morning bad mood) and 1/2 liter of water so that my bladder would be full for the mock embryo transfer, and we had a meeting with the embryologist and also with the office manager. (Now, just as an aside Dr. Inge said my bladder looked PERFECT ... hello, I'm the queen of IVF already!) Not to sound too cheerful because I am sure that outlook will change as the hormone shots begin in a couple of weeks, but the people over there are just amazingly kind and even better, about 90% of the staff has been through some form of infertility treatment so they know what they're talking about. Today was a good day, full of info but not too much new as our home currently looks like a doctor's office ... littered with infertility books, handouts/huge notebooks on surviving IVF that the center gave us, etc. Well, I say not much new info, but the embryologist's talk about dividing cells of the embryos was a bit deep and scientific (still interesting) and his pictures of said embryonic cell division (known as cleavage -- seriously) looked mostly like the surface of the moon or perhaps chocolate chip cookies.
*Incidentally, thank you to all of you who posted comments and also e-mailed me with your very positive feedback on my idea of my having a webpage. Whether you will ever know it or not, your support is ALWAYS on my mind when I'm making that interminable 70-mile drive to Mobile for my millionth blood draw/ultrasound. It just helps more than I can ever express ...

Big Day Tomorrow

Well, for those of you who know me (and most of you do or you wouldn't be reading this), tomorrow is a big fat honking day for Anthony and me as we go to to the doctor for final preparations before beginning our first in-vitro cycle. Very exciting but of course a little nerve-wracking. We'll see ...