I made a couple of trips to the RE this week. More bloodwork and ultrasounds. Uterine lining is up to 12mm so we are looking good. :-)
Last night was my first PIO (progesterone in oil) injection. I had DH do it. There was this whole manuevering issue when I tried to do it. DH is not a big fan of needles so I was worried if he could handle it or not. I wound up being more nervous than him. It wasn't the needle that worried me, it was his inexperience. I started laughing everytime he came near me. Nervous laughter. I finally laid face down on the bed and told him to go for it. He did it so quick I did not have a chance to change my mind. I didn't even know the needle was in until he told me. I never felt a thing. He did good! I am a little sore now though but that's because of the meds. Tonight should be a little less dramatic since I know we can both do this now.
Now for the big news. We have a transfer date! We are doing the transfer on Thursday 7/30. That's only 4 days away! While I am not nervous for the procedure I am nervous for my IPs. I just really want this to work out for them. I asked them how they were feeling and they admitted to being nervous too. They only have 5 embryos left so we don't have a lot of chances to make this work. We will be doing a lot of praying through this whole process.
After the procedure I will have to be on strict bedrest for three days. I still don't know how I am going to manage that. If it were just me it wouldn't be a problem. Trying to figure out what to do with four young children has been a bit of a challenge. I am surrounded by amazing people who are more than willing to help. I am so greatful for each and every one of my angels. Now if I could shake the feeling of guilt for asking them to take on all four of my monkeys. That goes back to that part of me that does not like to ask for help. I know I don't have a choice this time. This is too important.
Well friends, the next time I post I will hopefully be with child. God willing!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
7/15 Appt
I had another appointment with the RE on Wednesday. They did an ultrasound to check the uterine lining and some blood work to check my estrogen and progesterone levels. Wednesday was day 5 of the estrogen patches and pills. Originally the script was for Estradiol 3xday. The nurse had me start out on 2xday and the plan was to increase the day of the scan. The purpose of the Estradiol is to thicken and mature the uterine lining. There are many different opinions on how thick the lining should be for FET. For the most part I read that they like it to be at least 7mm thick. When they did the scan on Wednesday the tech said my lining was 9.5mm and transfer ready. I was instructed to stay on my current dose of Estradiol. I go back on Monday for another ultrasound and blood draw.
I am glad to know I am responding well to the meds but I still don’t know what this means regarding the transfer date. I sent a message to the nurse to ask her about it and I have yet to hear back. She did try to call me last night but I missed her call. I hope to hear back from her today. If not I will see her Monday. I would just like to have a date to work around. I will have to have help with the kids and I would really like to be able to give people notice. The IPs would like to be there too so they will have to do some planning as well. We are all getting a little antsy.
Lately I have been feeling really tired. We have had a busy summer so far so I thought my schedule was finally catching up to me. I talked to IM yesterday and asked her if she had any side effects from the medications. She said all she remembers was being really tired. Good to know it’s not just me. I have read what some other women were saying about their side effects. If all I am experiencing is a little sleepiness then I am doing good. :-)
I am glad to know I am responding well to the meds but I still don’t know what this means regarding the transfer date. I sent a message to the nurse to ask her about it and I have yet to hear back. She did try to call me last night but I missed her call. I hope to hear back from her today. If not I will see her Monday. I would just like to have a date to work around. I will have to have help with the kids and I would really like to be able to give people notice. The IPs would like to be there too so they will have to do some planning as well. We are all getting a little antsy.
Lately I have been feeling really tired. We have had a busy summer so far so I thought my schedule was finally catching up to me. I talked to IM yesterday and asked her if she had any side effects from the medications. She said all she remembers was being really tired. Good to know it’s not just me. I have read what some other women were saying about their side effects. If all I am experiencing is a little sleepiness then I am doing good. :-)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bag O' Meds
I had another appt with the RE on Wednesday. They did a quick ultrasound to check my ovaries for follicles and also to check the lining of my uterus. I am assuming this is to have something to compare the next scan to. They will need to check the lining again in another week or so to make sure it is thickening. I was given a shot of Lupron at the appointment to suppress my ovulation. I'm sure they will be checking for spontaneous ovulation as well. Then came the Bag O' Meds, as I like to call it. :-) First I will start out with the estrogen patches and pills. The pill is taken three times a day and the patches are changed out every 3d. I'll start those as soon as I start my cycle. I take the last of the birth control pills tonight so I should be starting soon. Once I have been on those a week I will go back for that second ultrasound. From there I will be instructed when to start the progesterone injections. The rest looks like it will be for the day of the transfer. It's a lot to keep up with but they gave me a calendar to help me keep track.
I wish I had a transfer date set already. Originally we projected it to be around the 14th. I was supposed to have this appointment last week but since I was going on vacation we put it off. That set us a week back. According to the nurse at the RE they generally do the transfers 18-20d from the start of a cycle. So we could be looking at some time within the next three weeks. As soon as I start I will have a better idea.
Everything else seems to be falling into place. I have filed my health insurance and my life insurance applications. The contract is signed and filed with the court. I should be hearing back from the lawyer at the beginning of the week with our court date. We're getting there!
I wish I had a transfer date set already. Originally we projected it to be around the 14th. I was supposed to have this appointment last week but since I was going on vacation we put it off. That set us a week back. According to the nurse at the RE they generally do the transfers 18-20d from the start of a cycle. So we could be looking at some time within the next three weeks. As soon as I start I will have a better idea.
Everything else seems to be falling into place. I have filed my health insurance and my life insurance applications. The contract is signed and filed with the court. I should be hearing back from the lawyer at the beginning of the week with our court date. We're getting there!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Hysterosonogram and other updates
I’m not very good at updating am I? Life has been very busy since the kids got out for the summer. Not too much going on with the surrogacy just now. A couple of updates:
I had my hysterosonogram on the 9th. I was a little nervous going in for that. The internet can be a great source of information but sometimes it can lead to too much information. From what I read the procedure could be painful. Some women described it as the worst pain they ever had. Really? Yikes! So you can see where the nerves came in. I was by myself so of course I was worried about being able to drive home. I was actually okay until the doctor came in. It didn’t help that he told me as he was about to start that he has been doing a lot of these procedures in the hospital so the women can be sedated for comfort reason. What?! I did not have any pain meds or sedatives. I silently freaked and braced myself. I was told I was going to feel a lot of pressure. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Waiting for the pain. Still waiting. Oh wait, there is no pain! What a relief! The procedure went very well and was over quick. The doctor said everything looked perfect.
This week was putting the final touches on the contract so we can get it signed. We are on a bit of a time crunch so hopefully we can finish up at the beginning of the week so we can get our court date scheduled. In TX the surrogacy has to be court approved. There are qualifications we have to meet on both sides. I don’t anticipate there being any problems. The only concern with that is the timing. If we are looking at doing an early July transfer then we need to have it approved very soon. It has to be approved 14d before the transfer date. We will be cutting it close, but C(their attorney) is confident we can get it done in time.
I had my interview for my life insurance policy on Wednesday. I am also working on the paperwork for my supplemental insurance. When my insurance company denied me we filed an appeal. They could not show any clear language explaining why I should not be covered. They denied the appeal anyway. We could be fighting this for a long time so we decided to drop it. It’s not fair to the IP’s to make them wait on me while we work through all of the insurance red tape. They have been so great through all of this.
The more I get to know the family the more I adore them. They have been great about calling to check in with us. Not just for surrogacy issues but to see how our family is doing. The last time we met them for lunch IM gave me a beautiful Willow Tree Angel of the Heart. What a thoughtful gift. I absolutely love it! Aside from all that I admire them for their family values and their kind nature. They really are the sweetest couple. I can tell the kids have inherited their parents sweet nature as well. I really could not image finding a better match. I am anticipating this journey to be filled with many fond memories.
Starting next week things should really start picking up. I will do my best to do a better job of updating.
I had my hysterosonogram on the 9th. I was a little nervous going in for that. The internet can be a great source of information but sometimes it can lead to too much information. From what I read the procedure could be painful. Some women described it as the worst pain they ever had. Really? Yikes! So you can see where the nerves came in. I was by myself so of course I was worried about being able to drive home. I was actually okay until the doctor came in. It didn’t help that he told me as he was about to start that he has been doing a lot of these procedures in the hospital so the women can be sedated for comfort reason. What?! I did not have any pain meds or sedatives. I silently freaked and braced myself. I was told I was going to feel a lot of pressure. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Waiting for the pain. Still waiting. Oh wait, there is no pain! What a relief! The procedure went very well and was over quick. The doctor said everything looked perfect.
This week was putting the final touches on the contract so we can get it signed. We are on a bit of a time crunch so hopefully we can finish up at the beginning of the week so we can get our court date scheduled. In TX the surrogacy has to be court approved. There are qualifications we have to meet on both sides. I don’t anticipate there being any problems. The only concern with that is the timing. If we are looking at doing an early July transfer then we need to have it approved very soon. It has to be approved 14d before the transfer date. We will be cutting it close, but C(their attorney) is confident we can get it done in time.
I had my interview for my life insurance policy on Wednesday. I am also working on the paperwork for my supplemental insurance. When my insurance company denied me we filed an appeal. They could not show any clear language explaining why I should not be covered. They denied the appeal anyway. We could be fighting this for a long time so we decided to drop it. It’s not fair to the IP’s to make them wait on me while we work through all of the insurance red tape. They have been so great through all of this.
The more I get to know the family the more I adore them. They have been great about calling to check in with us. Not just for surrogacy issues but to see how our family is doing. The last time we met them for lunch IM gave me a beautiful Willow Tree Angel of the Heart. What a thoughtful gift. I absolutely love it! Aside from all that I admire them for their family values and their kind nature. They really are the sweetest couple. I can tell the kids have inherited their parents sweet nature as well. I really could not image finding a better match. I am anticipating this journey to be filled with many fond memories.
Starting next week things should really start picking up. I will do my best to do a better job of updating.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The protocol
I finally got my FET(Frozen Embryo Transfer) protocol-
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) Protocol for Blastocyst
Call the office Day #1 of your menstrual period to schedule your FET. If Day #1 is on a weekend or holiday, call on the following business day.
You may be placed on birth control pills based your physician’s recommendation. Then, a Lupron injection may be given to prevent premature ovulation during your IVF cycle. If you are on a different protocol, the nurse will discuss your medications and next step.
When you start your next period (Day #1), call the office to schedule your Day #3 (baseline) vaginal ultrasound and blood work. If Day #1 is on a weekend or holiday, call on the following business day.
By Day #3 of your menstrual cycle, you will have a baseline ultrasound and blood work done. On Day #3 you will also:
Return signed consent forms.
Complete payment arrangements.
Register at the hospital for the embryo transfer procedure.
If the results of your baseline tests are normal, you will be given instructions to start your Estrogen pills and patches.
Estrogen 2mg pills (Estrace) are placed under the tongue until dissolved three times a day.
Estrogen patches (Vivelle-Dot) are applied to the to skin of the lower abdomen and changed every 3 days. Rotate sites when applying a new patch. Detailed instructions are contained within the box of patches.
Mark your calendar on the date you apply the patch to keep track of when to change it.
You will return to the office frequently (approximately 2--5 visits) for vaginal ultrasounds to measure your endometrial lining and blood draws to monitor your estrogen level.
After it is determined that your lining is ready for embryo implantation, you will receive instructions to start Progesterone injections 6 days before the embryo transfer procedure. You will continue these injections until your pregnancy test (14 days after the embryo transfer).
Start Progesterone - 50mg/vial.
Use an 18 or 22G-1½” needle to draw up 1cc of progesterone.
Change the needle to a 25G-1½” and inject intramuscularly.
Administer progesterone at the same time everyday, preferably in the evening.
Do not store progesterone in the refrigerator.
You may warm the vial in your hand to ease injection discomfort.
Rub the area well after an injection to prevent knots and apply warm compress if desired.
Alternate hips with each injection.
The day before your embryo transfer you will start Medrol pills. Take 1 tab four times a day until all medication finished.
The embryo transfer
You may eat a normal breakfast before the procedure.
Arrive to the hospital/office on time.
Do not bring any valuables with you.
Dress comfortably, no jewelry, no make-up, no perfume.
Bring a bottle of water to fill your bladder.
Bring your Motrin and Valium. You will be instructed when to take them.
Activity as followed: Bed rest, except to use the bathroom, is required for the day of the transfer and two days after. You can sleep on you back, side, or stomach during this period. No showers or tub baths while on bed rest. It is essentially impossible to hurt the viability or implantation of the embryos by coughing, sneezing, laughing, or having bowel movements. Diet as desired. Constipation is common so increase fluids and fiber to avoid abdominal discomfort. Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or take any medications than those prescribed for the procedure. ONLY Tylenol Regular Strength is acceptable for pain relief. Once bed rest is completed, avoid strenuous activity (aerobics, jogging, bicycling, etc.) and avoid lifting heavy objects (heavier than a ½ gallon of milk, such as pets, children, and groceries) until your pregnancy test. If you have questions about specific activities just call our office.
Remember that FET can cause symptoms of pregnancy, which may include swollen and tender breasts, bloated stomach, increased vaginal discharge, and possibly some nausea. You may experience some light spotting as well. Please notify us if the bleeding is as heavy as a period.
A pregnancy test will be scheduled for 14 days following your embryo transfer.
If your test is positive you will continue the progesterone injections, estrogen pills and estrogen patches. It is your responsibility to refill prescriptions. We will continue monitoring you until about 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, although, you will be responsible for contacting your Ob/Gyn at 6 weeks of pregnancy and see them by 8 weeks of pregnancy. Nothing is to be inserted vaginally (i.e., intercourse) until a fetal heartbeat is seen.
If your test is negative we will schedule a physician consultation.
I start my birth control tomorrow. I have an appointment on Tuesday to have the rest of the lab work done. Remember that uncomfortable ultrasound that I thought I was not going to have? Apparently I will have it done after all. That will also take place on Tuesday. Jealous? ;-) Haha!
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) Protocol for Blastocyst
Call the office Day #1 of your menstrual period to schedule your FET. If Day #1 is on a weekend or holiday, call on the following business day.
You may be placed on birth control pills based your physician’s recommendation. Then, a Lupron injection may be given to prevent premature ovulation during your IVF cycle. If you are on a different protocol, the nurse will discuss your medications and next step.
When you start your next period (Day #1), call the office to schedule your Day #3 (baseline) vaginal ultrasound and blood work. If Day #1 is on a weekend or holiday, call on the following business day.
By Day #3 of your menstrual cycle, you will have a baseline ultrasound and blood work done. On Day #3 you will also:
Return signed consent forms.
Complete payment arrangements.
Register at the hospital for the embryo transfer procedure.
If the results of your baseline tests are normal, you will be given instructions to start your Estrogen pills and patches.
Estrogen 2mg pills (Estrace) are placed under the tongue until dissolved three times a day.
Estrogen patches (Vivelle-Dot) are applied to the to skin of the lower abdomen and changed every 3 days. Rotate sites when applying a new patch. Detailed instructions are contained within the box of patches.
Mark your calendar on the date you apply the patch to keep track of when to change it.
You will return to the office frequently (approximately 2--5 visits) for vaginal ultrasounds to measure your endometrial lining and blood draws to monitor your estrogen level.
After it is determined that your lining is ready for embryo implantation, you will receive instructions to start Progesterone injections 6 days before the embryo transfer procedure. You will continue these injections until your pregnancy test (14 days after the embryo transfer).
Start Progesterone - 50mg/vial.
Use an 18 or 22G-1½” needle to draw up 1cc of progesterone.
Change the needle to a 25G-1½” and inject intramuscularly.
Administer progesterone at the same time everyday, preferably in the evening.
Do not store progesterone in the refrigerator.
You may warm the vial in your hand to ease injection discomfort.
Rub the area well after an injection to prevent knots and apply warm compress if desired.
Alternate hips with each injection.
The day before your embryo transfer you will start Medrol pills. Take 1 tab four times a day until all medication finished.
The embryo transfer
You may eat a normal breakfast before the procedure.
Arrive to the hospital/office on time.
Do not bring any valuables with you.
Dress comfortably, no jewelry, no make-up, no perfume.
Bring a bottle of water to fill your bladder.
Bring your Motrin and Valium. You will be instructed when to take them.
Activity as followed: Bed rest, except to use the bathroom, is required for the day of the transfer and two days after. You can sleep on you back, side, or stomach during this period. No showers or tub baths while on bed rest. It is essentially impossible to hurt the viability or implantation of the embryos by coughing, sneezing, laughing, or having bowel movements. Diet as desired. Constipation is common so increase fluids and fiber to avoid abdominal discomfort. Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or take any medications than those prescribed for the procedure. ONLY Tylenol Regular Strength is acceptable for pain relief. Once bed rest is completed, avoid strenuous activity (aerobics, jogging, bicycling, etc.) and avoid lifting heavy objects (heavier than a ½ gallon of milk, such as pets, children, and groceries) until your pregnancy test. If you have questions about specific activities just call our office.
Remember that FET can cause symptoms of pregnancy, which may include swollen and tender breasts, bloated stomach, increased vaginal discharge, and possibly some nausea. You may experience some light spotting as well. Please notify us if the bleeding is as heavy as a period.
A pregnancy test will be scheduled for 14 days following your embryo transfer.
If your test is positive you will continue the progesterone injections, estrogen pills and estrogen patches. It is your responsibility to refill prescriptions. We will continue monitoring you until about 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, although, you will be responsible for contacting your Ob/Gyn at 6 weeks of pregnancy and see them by 8 weeks of pregnancy. Nothing is to be inserted vaginally (i.e., intercourse) until a fetal heartbeat is seen.
If your test is negative we will schedule a physician consultation.
I start my birth control tomorrow. I have an appointment on Tuesday to have the rest of the lab work done. Remember that uncomfortable ultrasound that I thought I was not going to have? Apparently I will have it done after all. That will also take place on Tuesday. Jealous? ;-) Haha!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hurry up and wait
I am beginning to know what the other surrogates were talking about when they said surrogacy is a big game of hurry up and wait. There really has not been anything to report over the last month. I am still waiting to do the last of the blood work. We are waiting for me to start my cycle to do that. The plan is to start me on the meds at the beginning of my cycle. I usually don't complain about my long cycles but when you are looking forward to starting for a change it seems like a very long wait. I should be making a call to the clinic for my appointment tomorrow morning. More than you all care to know right? Lol.
I am ready to finally get the ball rolling. Sounds silly but I am looking forward to starting the meds. Not that I am anxious to pump my body full of hormones but I know that this mean we are one step closer to making this happen. I can only imagine the anticipation the family is feeling. I remember how I felt when trying to conceive my babies. Even if it did not happen right away at least I felt like we were doing something. With every try we were moving closer to our goal. How must that feel to have it all completely out of your control? All the more reason I want to get going. I don't want this to be any harder on them than it has to be.
I did receive word from the surrogacy attorney today. She said the IPs have the contract and were reviewing it over the weekend. I should have it by this time next week. With this we will be yet another step closer. Baby steps seems to be the appropriate term.
I apologize if all of this is getting confusing. If it is coming across as confusing to you it is because it is confusing for me. The plans have changed so many times(appts, protocol, etc). Just when I think we are really moving along I find myself sitting around wondering what is going to happen next, and when! Baby steps. I will try to update as I can when I actually have something to update about. Hopefully soon!
I am ready to finally get the ball rolling. Sounds silly but I am looking forward to starting the meds. Not that I am anxious to pump my body full of hormones but I know that this mean we are one step closer to making this happen. I can only imagine the anticipation the family is feeling. I remember how I felt when trying to conceive my babies. Even if it did not happen right away at least I felt like we were doing something. With every try we were moving closer to our goal. How must that feel to have it all completely out of your control? All the more reason I want to get going. I don't want this to be any harder on them than it has to be.
I did receive word from the surrogacy attorney today. She said the IPs have the contract and were reviewing it over the weekend. I should have it by this time next week. With this we will be yet another step closer. Baby steps seems to be the appropriate term.
I apologize if all of this is getting confusing. If it is coming across as confusing to you it is because it is confusing for me. The plans have changed so many times(appts, protocol, etc). Just when I think we are really moving along I find myself sitting around wondering what is going to happen next, and when! Baby steps. I will try to update as I can when I actually have something to update about. Hopefully soon!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
RE appt
The appointment with the RE was short and sweet. IM met me at the clinic. It was nice to get to talk to her for awhile before being called back. I enjoyed hearing her talk about herself, IF and their kids. I can tell they are a close, loving family. I am thrilled to have a hand in adding to this wonderful family. God willing!
Back to the RE, this is the same doctor IM used to get pregnant with her twins. I’m not sure if I mentioned they have a set of twins through IVF. IM’s pregnancy was great. The complications arose after the delivery. As a result she is unable to carry another pregnancy. I won’t say too much because I want to protect their privacy. I at least want to let you know what made them turn to surrogacy. The embryos we will be using are from the same batch as the twins. The RE mentioned that they were all of great quality. He seems very confident that we will get pregnant. I was happy to hear that. He did say that implanting two embryos should be sufficient. When the IPs and I discussed the number of embryos to implant previously we agreed to three. IF did some research and said that because it is a frozen transfer the chances of the pregnancy taking are of a lower percentage. I did some research as well and found several articles that supported this theory. I also read that the frozen transfer is just as successful as a fresh transfer. Some doctors even suggested frozen were more successful. This is one of the reasons I was anxious to talk to the RE. I wanted his opinion on the matter. IM is happy to do only two embryos. I am going to let her discuss it with IF. I will be seeing them both soon so I will bring it up then and see what they decided.
The RE ordered an ultrasound while I was there. I was aware that I would need one at some point but I was not quite prepared to have it done that day. I was told this appointment was only a consultation and that the ultrasound appointment would probably be the following week. The plan was to have Bill take off the day of the ultrasound appointment so he could drive me. I heard it can be painful so I wanted him there as a backup in case I was too uncomfortable to drive home. Fortunately this ultrasound was not as invasive as the one they originally said they were going to do. Still, not my idea of a good time. The tech was making me laugh. She checked my uterus and then my ovaries. Everything looked good. No unwanted masses, etc, etc. She kept going back to my ovaries. She was fascinated by them. She commented on how fertile I must be. I laughed and told her I had four kids. She said, “I believe it!” LOL. She was cracking me up! At one point she was trying to count the follicles! She seriously acted like this was the highlight of her day!
Now that we have the all clear from the RE all we need to do is some blood work and then we can finally move on to the contract phase. In TX we have to get the court to approve the arrangement. The process could take 2-4wks. As soon as we get the court approval I will start on BCPs. I will be given a shot of Lupron at some point to start my cycle. Then I will start estrogen patches. Before the transfer I will start the PIO(progesterone in oil). This is a shot I will have to give myself daily. Once the pregnancy is confirmed I will hopefully get to switch to a different form of progesterone. I will need to continue that through the first 10wks of the pregnancy. After that I will be released from the REs care to my regular OB.
I will be doing the blood work on the 17th. We plan to meet with the IPs for lunch and then head to the clinic. We are able to do the tests at IF’s office so that allows us to be flexible with the time and date. I’m looking forward to getting our families together for the afternoon. They only got to meet K and M the last time. I think they are looking forward to meeting the rest of my crew. I have already told them so much about the kids. What can I say, I am a proud mama. I am hoping to get to know their little ones better as well. :-) They seem like great kids.
Back to the RE, this is the same doctor IM used to get pregnant with her twins. I’m not sure if I mentioned they have a set of twins through IVF. IM’s pregnancy was great. The complications arose after the delivery. As a result she is unable to carry another pregnancy. I won’t say too much because I want to protect their privacy. I at least want to let you know what made them turn to surrogacy. The embryos we will be using are from the same batch as the twins. The RE mentioned that they were all of great quality. He seems very confident that we will get pregnant. I was happy to hear that. He did say that implanting two embryos should be sufficient. When the IPs and I discussed the number of embryos to implant previously we agreed to three. IF did some research and said that because it is a frozen transfer the chances of the pregnancy taking are of a lower percentage. I did some research as well and found several articles that supported this theory. I also read that the frozen transfer is just as successful as a fresh transfer. Some doctors even suggested frozen were more successful. This is one of the reasons I was anxious to talk to the RE. I wanted his opinion on the matter. IM is happy to do only two embryos. I am going to let her discuss it with IF. I will be seeing them both soon so I will bring it up then and see what they decided.
The RE ordered an ultrasound while I was there. I was aware that I would need one at some point but I was not quite prepared to have it done that day. I was told this appointment was only a consultation and that the ultrasound appointment would probably be the following week. The plan was to have Bill take off the day of the ultrasound appointment so he could drive me. I heard it can be painful so I wanted him there as a backup in case I was too uncomfortable to drive home. Fortunately this ultrasound was not as invasive as the one they originally said they were going to do. Still, not my idea of a good time. The tech was making me laugh. She checked my uterus and then my ovaries. Everything looked good. No unwanted masses, etc, etc. She kept going back to my ovaries. She was fascinated by them. She commented on how fertile I must be. I laughed and told her I had four kids. She said, “I believe it!” LOL. She was cracking me up! At one point she was trying to count the follicles! She seriously acted like this was the highlight of her day!
Now that we have the all clear from the RE all we need to do is some blood work and then we can finally move on to the contract phase. In TX we have to get the court to approve the arrangement. The process could take 2-4wks. As soon as we get the court approval I will start on BCPs. I will be given a shot of Lupron at some point to start my cycle. Then I will start estrogen patches. Before the transfer I will start the PIO(progesterone in oil). This is a shot I will have to give myself daily. Once the pregnancy is confirmed I will hopefully get to switch to a different form of progesterone. I will need to continue that through the first 10wks of the pregnancy. After that I will be released from the REs care to my regular OB.
I will be doing the blood work on the 17th. We plan to meet with the IPs for lunch and then head to the clinic. We are able to do the tests at IF’s office so that allows us to be flexible with the time and date. I’m looking forward to getting our families together for the afternoon. They only got to meet K and M the last time. I think they are looking forward to meeting the rest of my crew. I have already told them so much about the kids. What can I say, I am a proud mama. I am hoping to get to know their little ones better as well. :-) They seem like great kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)