Suppression Check

Today was our first visit to NFC since we started IVF.  The suppression check is where you go in and they check your estradial levels and do some ultrasounds to make sure you are suppressed, and basically at ground zero so they can overstimulate your eggs without making your ovaries explode (which is why I have been taking birth control and lupron)

We got there and they took my blood and then I got to go through all of the lovely poking and proding during the ultrasound.  The nurse totally made me feel better when I told her about my mood swings.  Her exact words were "lupron is a beast!" lol. Then we did a trial embryo transfer to see if I needed a stitch during the real thing.  The betadine made me cramp a little but she said everything looked fine, no stitch, and my uterus is about 6 cm (anyone else want to know that? TMI??)

At checkout, we met a couple who have been trying to have a baby for 5 years!  They had done IUI twice, fostering, tried to adopt, and now they are back to try again.  I couldn't help but feel for that poor girl.  She must feel so defeated, frustrated, and sad.  Ya'll please make a note to keep them in your prayers.. I really want it to work for them too!!

Before we left we got our voice mailbox.  I knew we were getting one, but is it weird that in my head I pictured an actual BOX, like a tape player that you listen to your messages on?! I have no idea why I thought that. Don't make fun of me. Obviously, we were not handed a box.  They just gave us a code to punch in when we call NFC to hear our messages.  Our message said my estradial level was 35, which apparently means I'm suppressed.  I can reduce my lupron to 5 units (YAY!) and start my stimulating hormone on Saturday.  We go back in for more ultrasounds (yyaayy......) on July 3rd!

Here is a picture of Will and I on this day.  I like to call it "Will's reaction to lupron"

Meds and Mood Swings!

Yaay! My meds just arrived!  I ended up paying for everything out of pocket, and have been tracking the package for about a week now, and they are finally here!  I am SO relieved.  Now I have all of the meds I need for my cycle :) :)

If you look up the side effects of lupron, the top two are irritability and mood swings.  I have been taking this medication since the 19th and I am definitely feeling the side effects!!  Lately I have been aggravated with the smallest things.  Will (bless his heart) doesn't know WHAT to do with me!  I think he's seen me cry maybe 4 times in 4 years, and even that was little tears.  I have had 2 sob fests in a week!  I can't even remember what they were over.  Even my dog won't leave me alone, he thinks surely I'm going to die at any moment.  I'm sure everyone will be happy when I can stop taking all of these meds.  But until then, sorry! 

We have our suppression check at 9:30am tomorrow.  I will blog about that when I get home. But until then here is a picture of all of the meds that have been driving me CRAZY, in more ways than one!! :)

Lupron and other pharmacy woes

Well, this is definitely not as easy as I thought it would be once we paid for everything!

About a week after my last post, we got a call from the pharmacy, and they took all of my insurance and credit card information.  They said they would have the meds to me by June 16th, because I was to begin lupron on June 19th.  I waited almost 2 weeks, and the day before the meds were supposed to arrive, the pharmacy calls.  They said they are not contracted with my insurance and I would be transferred.  At this point I am freaking out because I'm sure there is no way I will get my meds by Tuesday.  True to form, I call my new pharmacy and they have absolutely no idea of my prescriptions, they said they never received a fax, and someone would contact me Tuesday.  This is the point where I am in major panic mode.  I call back my old pharmacy and tell them the situation, and they agree to mail me my lupron overnight while the rest of the meds are being processed through insurance at my new pharmacy.  Thank God for intelligent people!! So I wait 3 more days before calling my new pharmacy.  They STILL have no idea what I'm talking about.  So I kindly (or not so kindly) request to be transferred back to the old pharmacy.  Of course they don't have any record of me being transferred, and my old pharmacy also has no records because they were all sent to the new pharmacy. OMG. So now I have to email my nurse and have her RE submit my prescriptions and start alllllll over again. Oh, and did I mention NONE of the meds are covered by insurance anyways?! So this was all for NOTHING, and its still going on!!!!!!! Luckily I don't start my other meds until June 30th.. but of course nothing is easy on this journey for me!!!

With that rant out of the way, today is the day I started Lupron.  I was extremely nervous because I was afraid it would hurt.  My wonderful, cooperative husband got everything together and injected it really fast.  I seriously didn't even know he did it.  I hardly felt a thing.  It is kind of itchy now but I feel much better about having to take this shot everyday!

I will blog again and tell you how the med drama goes!  Here is a picture of hubby getting the lupron ready :)

Cycle Day 1

Yay!! I started my period on Monday, and I have NEVER been more excited! I called my nurse and she gave me a plan again.  I will have my suppression check on June 28th, Ultrasounds July 3rd and July 6th, egg retrieval the week of July 9th.  Until then, it is back to birth control, doxy, and lupron.

This is a really sensitive time for Will and me, because this is exactly the point we were at when we had to stop in November.  I know we are all paid up, but it still feels like the rug will be taken out from under our feet.  I am ready to start the big stuff!

Probably won't be much to post until I start taking the lupron, so until then here is a pic of my cocktail! birth control, prenatal vitamins, and doxy, oh my!

We're Back!!!!!

Hey everyone!  My last post was in November, when Will had his surgery, the loan fell through, and we had to stop treatment.  It was a very depressing time for both of us.  However, I am NOT the kind of person who takes no for an answer!  I decided to set a goal: raise, save, and make money any way I can to come up with $14,000 by June.

Over the past 7 months, I have sold Scentsy, sold chocolates, raised money on our internet website, paid off my credit card, and worked really hard to raise my credit score.  We held a spaghetti dinner at $10 a plate and had a huge yard sale.  We have been non stop trying to raise the money since November.  And let me tell you, it has been exhausting.

After all of our efforts, we raised $7,500.  Seems like a lot, but remember, we had to have $14,000.  I decided to resubmit an application for medical financing, and was able to get a loan for $6,000.  This left us with $500.  My mom gave me some help and, YAY! we went to NFC and are now paid in full. We get to start again next week!

I can't tell you how excited I am to be writing this post.  I busted my tail to get to this point, and I knew I could accomplish my goal.  So I guess the moral of the story is, if a door keeps getting slammed in your face, don't quit. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something, because if you want it bad enough, you will find a way!! I know I did!! Thank you so much to everyone who helped us raise so much money, I really could not have done this without sooo much support!!

It's good to be back!! Here is a picture of me at NFC, with the check for our balance!