CD #22 / TRANSFER (2nd Attempt)

They're here!!  Everything went as successfully as expected once I got to the hospital. This afternoon at around 1pm, I was reunited with my last 2 perfect little embryos.  Those were Dr. R's actual words and I couldn't agree more.

They are perfect; twin celestial bodies of love and light; my worlds of wonder and hope.  Although I do not feel any different than the day before, I am filled with the realization that I have a greater purpose in this lifetime.  Even if I experience the same heartbreak as with my first 2 embabies, I have fulfilled my job as a mother loving and nurturing them the best I could however short our time was. This time the outcome will be different, I feel.  I waited two long years since the last pregnancy to get here but finally my faith is renewed and my strength will not falter to any negativity that may arise.  I am devoted to my 2 embabies with all the love in my heart and humbly pray that this journey lasts for many years to come.  Words can never accurately describe how I feel on this blog, but I know my embabies can feel my love within me and that's all I could really ask for.

Baby Dust Needed

I'm waking up in 5 hours to get ready for my FET transfer... I'm beyond excited although I wish I could sleep right now. I got almost everything done that I'd wanted to do prior to the big day: laundry, grocery shopping, food prep, cleaning, etc. I'm planning to finish up later, before 11am, because that's the time we need to leave.

It's now 3:10!  I have changed my mind about continuing to blog at this very moment so I'll be back later. What I need to do is try harder to get some rest.  The irony of that last statement is not lost on me, lol!

CD #18 / Pineapples

It's that time of the year.  As my birthday rapidly approaches, so does my transfer day.  I received final confirmation yesterday that it will definitely be on Monday, April 14 at 12:30 at the Fairlawn Surgical Center where I had my IVF retrieval and transfer done 2 years ago.  I also had some more blood work and a sonogram done.  Those results came back positive, as usual, so I was given a whole new set of instructions for my meds.  I took my last Lupron injection yesterday but will to continue to do the Wednesday/ Saturday Delestrogen injections.  Beginning today, I will also be taking Methylprednisolone pills 2x a day and half of a Progesterone suppository at night before bed.  I have to say I'm really glad to start cutting back on the amount of shots I've been doing because I was feeling like a human pin cushion!  Luckily, it seems that the injections didn't hurt as much this time around compared to 2 years ago.

I've arranged to sign all the necessary paperwork on Monday morning an hour before the procedure so I don't take too much more time away from work.  I'll be out for 3 days total and I get to spend my birthday at home with my growing family.  My DH and I are really excited and have prepared for the big day by taking a trip to our local grocery store to stock up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies perfect for preggos.  The most important item: PINEAPPLE!  I read that it's supposed to be a great aid in
the implantation of the embryos so it was definitely a must buy.  I'm not entirely sure if there's any truth to it, but it can't hurt to try anyway and I love pineapples!

FYI:  You have to get 1 pineapple and cut it into 5 equal slices like the photo. You then eat each slice once a day beginning the day of the transfer until they're all gone. The most important part is to eat the core of the pineapple because it contains bromelain, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and increases cervical mucus.  It also helps to eat it on an empty stomach. Here's hoping this tip helps!

April Fool

I went to the doctors office early this morning for more blood work, but before I could walk out the door... April fool!  The nurse says I have to stay for an ultrasound too.  Not that I have the best memory but I swear that's not what Jen said last week.  I don't really mind these tests anymore, I only wish I'd been told ahead of time so I didn't have to speed to get to work on time.  Luckily, it was quick, everything looks good so far, and I made it to work early.

Later on this afternoon I received a call from Jen letting me know that I should continue with the same dosages of Lupron and Delestrogen.  She also says that Dr. R would like me to go back next Wednesday for more blood work and another sonogram.  Not only that, but it appears I now have a tentative date for my transfer: Monday, April 14.  It just so happens that my birthday is on April 16 which means I get to spend it with my little ones, the best gift I could think of!  It's both exciting and nerve wrecking but I truly cannot wait!  

They are so close, yet so far away.

CD #5 / Let's Catch Up

Not too much has changed since my little pups birthday but I have some updates.  We had a nice relaxing weekend because I actually had the day off on Saturday.  My mom and bro were kind enough to visit us and bring lunch on Sunday, which made us very happy since we got to eat some buñuelos (the Colombian kind).  If you don't know what it is, you are really missing out.  I wish I'd taken a picture or something but they were gone pretty quick.  Sadly, we don't get to eat as much South American food as we'd like so when we do, we dig in!  FYI, my family is from Peru on both sides and my mother in law's family is Colombian and my father in law's family is from Brazil.  Ok, so let's get back to TTC updates.  Warning: the following my be a tad bit graphic for some readers.

Monday, 3/24, became CD #1 again as it was the day I got my monthly visit from AF.  Unfortunately, I was totally unprepared for it because I wasn't expecting it at all.  Although I hadn't brought any tampons with me, at least I had a change of undies in my purse.  Not that all the symptoms weren't there, they were... the cramps, the bloating, the soreness in my boobs not to mention how full they get, but apparently I was too preoccupied to notice.  Even though I'd been on the Lupron for just under 2 weeks now, AF was pretty much like normal only a bit thicker on that first day.

Wednesday, 3/26, was my scheduled appointed for blood work and a sonogram.  It was such a hectic day because I had to make the appointment for 7:30am, which is their opening time, since I had to be at work at 8:30am.  I was actually so nervous about getting there late that I mistakenly thought I had to be there at 7am instead.  Clearly, I arrived very early but, the staff were all ready to help and didn't make me wait until their official opening time.  The first part was the blood work which I never have any complaints about because they do a great job of drawing blood without causing any bruising.  The next part was the transvaginal sonogram which is never any fun because even though they're all professionals, it's awkward to lie there half naked with my legs open in those stirrups.  The good news is that Dr R said everything appeared to be in perfect condition thus far.  Later on in the day, I got a call from Jen, my primary nurse from Dr R's office, who said the blood results were also positive and that I could now reduce my Lupron dosage to 10 units and begin the Delestrogen shots biweekly on Wednesday and Saturday at .6 ML.  These shots have to be taken in the upper butt area so I would have to drive to my Mom's to have her do it.  After work, I went home to get the meds and my DH was nice enough to offer to drive me to my Mom's for my shot, after picking her up from an optometrist appointment, after picking up my brother from work.  It'd been a really long time since I'd had this shot done and I'll admit I was freaking out a little about how much bigger the needle is next to the Lupron needle.  Turns out, the needle wasn't the bad part at all.

Thursday, 2/27, was the worst day of the week for me.  I woke up with a terrible headache only to have it bother me all day long no matter how many pain relievers I took.  While I was worried about the pain in the butt (literally) shot, I hadn't even considered the side effects I'd have for taking the Delestrogen.  The headache I had was so bad it actually hurt to blink!  At the end of the day, I was so happy to finally be home that I made dinner, ate, and went to bed early hoping to sleep it off.

Friday, 2/28 (today), was much better.  I woke up feeling normal again and well rested at that.  I worked long hours but at least I didn't feel like someone had banged my head against the wall.  My only fear is that on Sunday I'll end up feeling the like crap since I'll be taking the Delestrogen shot again tomorrow.  Let's hope I don't but if I do, I'll just keep telling myself it's only a small part of something wonderful to come.  Trying very hard to stay calm and positive!

CD #21

I was supposed to receive my package of meds to get started for this FET cycle about a week ago and here I am on CD #21 empty handed.  This post should be about how it's my first day taking the Lupron injections and my excitement about starting the cycle,  but that will have to wait.  It's very hard not to stress out while my pharmacy takes it's sweet time to send out my meds in a timely manner.  I've been on the phone with them and my doctor's office pretty much everyday trying to sort it all out.  First, they delay submitting the request that my doctor's office faxed over.  Then, they denied my coverage over some minor paperwork error, yet didn't inform either myself or my doctor's office.  I had to call to find out, and when the office sends over an amended form with the correct information, they don't tell us that it had to be sent on a different "appeal" form until I called again to check the status of my order.  Once all that paperwork is sorted out, they send the office a confirmation of approval and the nurse calls to tell me that I should be getting the package today.  Of course when I get home there's no package to speak of and when I call the pharmacy they tell me they'll have to transfer me to someone else to schedule the shipment, meaning if I hadn't called it'd probably never come.  They finally confirm that it will arrive tomorrow and the doctor's office informs me that it is ok to start the injections a day late.  At least the whole cycle isn't ruined but I'm very disappointed with the runaround the pharmacy put me through.  Is it too much to ask that meds be delivered on time?  God forbid I was dying,  I wouldn't be here right now if it was up to them.  Anyway, I'm ranting.  I just wanted to note that my last post will come in handy now as I am in serious need of de-stressing and relaxation.  Off to find my yoga mat.

CD #9 / Sonohysterogram

First, I'd like to begin by saying that no news is good news in this case.  Dr R didn't find anything from my sonohysteogram, which is what I was hoping to hear.  I have been given the green light to proceed with the FET process and my meds have been ordered.  What a relief!!

Second, I'd like to share with you my experience with having a sonohysterogram.  Not really, but I will anyway because I truly hope that no one will go into this being half as scared and nervous as I was for reading horror story after horror story thanks to google.  Don't get me wrong, it WILL hurt but it's not like you're getting stabbed to death or anything (at least I really hope not).  Just do as I did, take your prescribed antibiotics as instructed and some Tylenol about an hour beforehand and you should be ok.  

A sonohysterogram is a basically a test by which your doctor can identify any abnormalities in your uterus such as fibroids, polyps, growths, or lesions in the uterine wall.  The test is usually performed within the first two weeks of your cycle but not while you are menstruating.  Mine was done on CD #9, which was yesterday.  I was scheduled to work long hours that particular day (8:15 am - 6:30 pm) so I had to have my test done during my lunch break which was unnecessarily stressful.  I was worried about being out too long, but I am lucky that my manager understood the importance of my appointment and was ok with me taking an extended break.  I arrived at Dr R's office a little late but didn't have to wait long to be called in to the exam room.  The nurse instructed me to undress from the waist down and that she would return with the doctor soon.  I immediately change from my warm comfortable pants and undies into a large pink piece of paper that I placed on my lap.  As I sat there waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I prayed and prayed for strength no matter what the outcome.  I hoped for the best, but wasn't naive enough to think that there wasn't any possibility for a worst case scenario.

Dr R knocked on the door before entering with the nurse.  He greeted me with a handshake and began walking me through the procedure as we went along.  Personally, I find this really helpful and reassuring because I can follow along with the process and not have to lie there baffled by the sensations of what's going on.  If I hadn't known what was actually taking place, my imagination would have driven me insane, but that's just me!  I placed my feet into the stirrups and lied down on my back.  He inserted a speculum in order to get the catheter through my vagina, cervix and finally into the uterus, then removed it.  The catheter is very, very thin but don't let the look of it fool you.  Your body will try to reject it as soon as it goes into the uterus and the cramps feel similar to the first day of your period.  My only advice is to try to relax and control your breathing.  The last thing you want to do is get tense.  Next, he injects a saline solution and as if that wasn't enough also inserts a sonogram wand thing in there too.  He positions the wand for a clear view of the uterus and lets me know that he doesn't see any abnormalities.  He shows me the screen and basically if the uterus looks like a black sideways teardrop, it's normal.  Any abnormalities would show up a white-ish color within the black teardrop.  Once that was done, the catheter was removed and he took some measurements of my ovaries, uterus, endometrial lining, etc. with the sonogram wand.  The whole process took about 10 minutes or so and was relatively painless except for the cramping and pressure you feel down there.  The only thing I'll warn you about is that for me the cramps did continue for the rest of the day.  Another thing is that I had to wear a pantyliner afterwards because the saline was still draining out.  Other than that, everything went well and I am happy to know that I'm one step closer.

I hope this post helps anyone getting a sonohysterogram soon and if there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.  When I began this blog I never really felt like anyone would read it but myself and maybe a select few people close to me, but now I see that if by sharing my experiences, I can ease someone else's future even just a little bit then I'm happy to do it.  I know I'm grateful for all the other women's stories I've read who have been on this journey like me.  You are all so inspiring, you have no idea.  Thanks a million!!    

CD #1

It's pretty late right now and I'm just about ready for bed, but I needed to document this moment while the excitement is still there, before reality sets in.  Today of the first day of my cycle and the beginning of my Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) process. 

My hubby, Leo, and I have decided to try to become pregnant again after almost 2 years and we are very hopeful that this time we will be successful.  I actually just had a consultation with Dr. R yesterday to go over the whole process for this time around and I will be posting more detailed information soon, but he basically said we could begin as soon as I get my next period.  To my surprise, I got my dot just a few hours ago.  Boy was that fast, my body is not wasting any time at all!  It's all good tho, I'm finally ready again and will be saying some prayers tonight for my little frozen babies.  I can't wait for us to be reunited and I will be calling Dr. R first thing in the morning to tell him the good news!