I was excited about the day that I started injections. Not to be poked with needles and strange meds, but the fact that it meant I was really close to all the IVF procedures.....and my trip to Vegas. So, I watched the training videos probably 4 times each and felt pretty prepared. But I'm not the one doing the shots. Rodney is. So when I got home last night, I reminded him that it was time and that we should watch the videos.
Let me first say that Rodney thought this was going to be a cake walk. He thought there was nothing to it, but while he was watching the videos, it became real to him that there was more to it and that it was happening. Now. He actually said, "Do we have to do these tonight? Can they wait until tomorrow?" LOL. Um. no. They cannot.
So we watched both videos, one for Menopur and Gonal-F and then went over to the kitchen table. We decided we needed the videos again, so I brought the laptop over and we watched them again as we were mixing the Menopur and using the Q-cap and all that good stuff. We fist bumped after the Menopur shot. Then was the Gonal-F which I was calling the epi-pen, because thats kinda what it reminds me of. The medication is already in it, and you just click the pen to how much meds you need and then you simply push the end of the pen and hold for 5 seconds. They both burned a bit. But I will say the needles were not as big as I thought they were going to be. Both needles were pretty small! Like around and length.
We fist bumped again and kissed and said that from here on out, it would be easier. This morning I've had a headache, and I'm pretty sure that its from the shots, because I never have headaches and I didn't do anything differently than I normally do in the mornings. I'm drinking water and taking my vitamins.
We leave tomorrow at 6:55pm and I'm so excited. I'm excited to be in Vegas with my brother, who is the coolest bro ever, and I'm excited about the fact that I'm taking my dog. I'm excited about meeting the Dr. I'm excited about hanging out with Rodney for a bit while we can just relax and have all this done.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
IVF with PGD for HD
When you're lucky enough to be able to get pregnant naturally, you get to experience and have thoughts such as:
"Am I late? Nah, trusty ol' Aunt Flo will be here soon"
"Ok. I'm late. I should probably go buy a test, but just one of those ones from the dollar store will suffice"
"Wow. Its positive! Now, how should I surprise my husband with this amazing news?"
Even if you are planning pregnancy, you still get to experience the miracle of it just happening and then soon enough you go to the dr and they confirm it, then soon enough you go to an ultrasound, and miraculously a baby is somehow inside your body growing.
I've always wondered what thats like, and I unfortunately I won't ever experience that. I've had almost a full decade to deal with it, so I'm good now. But it was hard and still is sometimes.
We went through many years of wondering how this family was going to come about. We tried IUI with sperm donors, and thought about fostering and adopting. We just knew that we couldn't naturally create human life with HD hanging over us. Sure, we had moments and months were we said, "Let's just try and hope that our kid won't have HD" and luckily we didn't get pregnant those months. Because now we have this amazing opportunity ahead. And its all taking place in under 30 days.
I'm so freakin excited. I know there's a lot ahead of us that has the odds against us.
Here's the breakdown:
We've paid the PGD lab to test 8 embryos for HD and for any other chromosomal abnormalities. And each additional one we send is more, but we've paid for 8.
Because HD is 50/50 with each embryo, we're looking at 4 without HD.
Of those 4, there's a 45% of some other chromosomal abnormality.
So, we're looking at 2 embryos that are healthy and are able to be transferred back into me.
And the chances of those 2 (cause you better believe that if there's 2, I'm putting both in) taking are not 100%. I would still be on meds to help those embryos stay put and grow.
But we are going to take our chances. Life has a crazy way of presenting different paths and opportunities and fear is a big reason a lot of people don't go down certain paths. I know if this round doesn't work, I will want to go for another try. But I also have a super positive outlook that is allowing me to think its all going to work.
We will be flying to Vegas to have this all done in 11 days. I've had this phrase going through my head these past few days.
"Vegas Baby, Yeah" (in Austin Power's voice)
"Am I late? Nah, trusty ol' Aunt Flo will be here soon"
"Ok. I'm late. I should probably go buy a test, but just one of those ones from the dollar store will suffice"
"Wow. Its positive! Now, how should I surprise my husband with this amazing news?"
Even if you are planning pregnancy, you still get to experience the miracle of it just happening and then soon enough you go to the dr and they confirm it, then soon enough you go to an ultrasound, and miraculously a baby is somehow inside your body growing.
I've always wondered what thats like, and I unfortunately I won't ever experience that. I've had almost a full decade to deal with it, so I'm good now. But it was hard and still is sometimes.
We went through many years of wondering how this family was going to come about. We tried IUI with sperm donors, and thought about fostering and adopting. We just knew that we couldn't naturally create human life with HD hanging over us. Sure, we had moments and months were we said, "Let's just try and hope that our kid won't have HD" and luckily we didn't get pregnant those months. Because now we have this amazing opportunity ahead. And its all taking place in under 30 days.
I'm so freakin excited. I know there's a lot ahead of us that has the odds against us.
Here's the breakdown:
We've paid the PGD lab to test 8 embryos for HD and for any other chromosomal abnormalities. And each additional one we send is more, but we've paid for 8.
Because HD is 50/50 with each embryo, we're looking at 4 without HD.
Of those 4, there's a 45% of some other chromosomal abnormality.
So, we're looking at 2 embryos that are healthy and are able to be transferred back into me.
And the chances of those 2 (cause you better believe that if there's 2, I'm putting both in) taking are not 100%. I would still be on meds to help those embryos stay put and grow.
But we are going to take our chances. Life has a crazy way of presenting different paths and opportunities and fear is a big reason a lot of people don't go down certain paths. I know if this round doesn't work, I will want to go for another try. But I also have a super positive outlook that is allowing me to think its all going to work.
We will be flying to Vegas to have this all done in 11 days. I've had this phrase going through my head these past few days.
"Vegas Baby, Yeah" (in Austin Power's voice)
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Thy Will Be Done
I'm almost done with my birth control pills. I've set an alarm on my phone to go off at 7:30AM every day, and I've been able to remember to take them with that. Thank goodness. Cause I can't remember to take my prenatal every day? Doesn't make sense. Other than the fact that my prenatal makes me sick, so I have to take it with a lot of food. So at the end of the birth control pills, you have to skip the row of white pills, when you would normally be starting your period, and you go right into the next pack for one week. I remember when I was first married, I tried this, so I wouldn't have my period at a certain time. It messed up my cycle bad, and didn't really work. Aunt Flo still came. So I'm wondering if the same will happen this time around.
After I'm done with the pills, I go in for an ultrasound and more blood tests. I start the injections and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about them. I've read a ton of blogs and articles and they bring bloating, soreness, mood swing, and more. I guess Rodney should be the nervous one. :) He's going to be the one to give me these shots.
We've worked it out so that our out of pocket expense for the meds won't be the $4242.98 that was originally told to me. Thank the dear Lord. We applied for a Compassionate Care program that is going to be giving us 50% off. Where there's a will, there's a way.
A few times in the last year or two a thought goes through my mind. "Thy Will Be Done"
I'm not super religious. I don't pray every night, and I don't go to church. But this phrase keeps going through my mind. I can exercise, not drink caffeine, take my prenatal vitamins, eat healthy, yada yada yada and so on. But ultimately, Thy Will Be Done. Its not all in my hands, or even the dr's hands. Its His Will that is to be. His Will is what is going to happen. And as much as that makes me crazy because I want to be in complete control of this outcome, there's no way thats possible. There's nothing I can do to change His Will. When I do find myself praying, I always remember to repeat that as if I'm reminding myself that there's no reason to stress and worry.
Thy Will Be Done.
After I'm done with the pills, I go in for an ultrasound and more blood tests. I start the injections and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about them. I've read a ton of blogs and articles and they bring bloating, soreness, mood swing, and more. I guess Rodney should be the nervous one. :) He's going to be the one to give me these shots.
We've worked it out so that our out of pocket expense for the meds won't be the $4242.98 that was originally told to me. Thank the dear Lord. We applied for a Compassionate Care program that is going to be giving us 50% off. Where there's a will, there's a way.
A few times in the last year or two a thought goes through my mind. "Thy Will Be Done"
I'm not super religious. I don't pray every night, and I don't go to church. But this phrase keeps going through my mind. I can exercise, not drink caffeine, take my prenatal vitamins, eat healthy, yada yada yada and so on. But ultimately, Thy Will Be Done. Its not all in my hands, or even the dr's hands. Its His Will that is to be. His Will is what is going to happen. And as much as that makes me crazy because I want to be in complete control of this outcome, there's no way thats possible. There's nothing I can do to change His Will. When I do find myself praying, I always remember to repeat that as if I'm reminding myself that there's no reason to stress and worry.
Thy Will Be Done.
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