Our 2010 Halloween

So, as of last blog I was waiting for numbers and I don't remember what Marci told me exactly, but she told me they were good, and that's what counts. She did send me my new calendar with the estrogen patch schedule and my progesterone schedule as well and the antibiotics and steriods I have to take the week of transfer. I actually have my first patch on as of this morning. Lets just say I feel like my boobs have grown at least a cup size. Wow.

Oh yeah and um, check out the bruise next to my patch...not sure why I have a bruise from my shot, I did it on a stretch mark...wonder if that counts...

 

Anyway, it's halloween!! So, I made a little video to show everyone how the night went with some video and pictures included. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

First Lining Check U/S and Blood work...

Well, my appointment went well this morning. She says my lining is good  and solid at 6.9. Time for estrogen!
The medicine I am taking, Lupron, is suppose to stimulate my ovaries and then shut them off. The pituitary gland controls the hormones that control ovulation and the Lupron controls the Pituitary gland. So, anyway I am still in the part of the protocol where the Lupron over stimualtes before shutting down, so I had 8 eggs in my right ovary and 4 in my left....for those who don't think that's much, a woman normally produces one egg in one ovary when she ovulates, sometimes two, which is when twins occur, every month. So I am producing lots and lots of eggs and my ovaries will shut off soon. Anyway, I am still waiting on final bloodwork from the Miami Clinic. The information I have right now is from the Nurse Practioner who did my U/S this morning.

I find I keep going back and checking IVF stats on all these web sites, but then I have to remember these stats are for women who have never had Children before...as a surrogate, I can carry Children and have already done so. But, I got my own statistic this morning....one of my blog/youtube/facebook friends who I will meet soon in person (since she lives in St. Pete) is using the same clinic for the same thing and she got her BFP this morning!! I'm so happy for her!! That means good things for me too, as our numbers are similar. Hope my embryo quality is just as good as hers!!

I will have official bloodwork results late today or tomorrow. I will probly post when I get them if there is anything significant.

Thanks for reading everyone.
**HUGS**

Lupron Side Effects...

Well, so far the main side effects have been just outright exhaustion. I lay my head down at night and I am out. I've been a little hungrier than normal and wayyy more emotional. Also, some serious heartburn!

Also a little TMI action for ya, some extra discharge, but hey, you wanted to know or you wouldn't be reading.

I had Thomas give me my shot this morning. He did really good and I think he got a little too excited. He didn't leave the needle in me long enough just injected and pulled it out, so I hope it took. I'm sure it did. I think I may make a video of him doing it tomorrow lol just for fun.

I go Thursday for an ultrasound and bloodwork to see how my lining is doing and my hormones and ovaries and see if the Lupron is doing its job.

Anyway that's all I have for now.

Day 3 of Lupron shots & My Loving husband

So, I have this uber massive cold that my Daughter had last week and passed to me, and I feel like hell has taken over my head. I have no appetite, can't smell or really hear much because I'm so clogged up and sneezing is awfully painful. Not to mention my throat feels like someone took an ice pick to it and started jabbing it.

Aside from that, I'm on my 3rd day of Lupron shots and well, it's pretty simple. I am bruised, but not too badly from the needle. Last night I had some hot flashes and barely slept, but I don't know if it's from the Lupron or if it was from cold. My husband is adamant it's the Lupron, but we'll see once this cold subsides. All I know is I am tired as heck.

Another thing last night I asked him to make me a club sandwich minus the lettuce, I don't like it unless it's in a salad and that's it, anyway he didn't toast the bread, and that was all the bread we had, he had slathered it with mustard for me, so he wiped it off and put it in the broiler cause he didn't want to toast it with the mustard on it in the toaster, well he brought it back to me burned. I had him walk to my Parents house and get more bread and do it right. I cried every time he brought it to me wrong, 1. Not toasted, 2. Burned, 3. toasted correctly, but not cut. So, on the 4th try it was right. Whew. That was a fiasco. I am not sure I am looking forward to the other hormonal changes, I hope it gets better. But he was a trooper and apologized and fixed it without complaint every time I needed something different to be done. I think I have a winner here folks.

My Baby Bean Shrine....

 So, I start my meds, officially tomorrow and tonight I created a little shrine and put a hand made "Countdown to Baby Bean" picture I colored, my calendar with the important dates highlighted, and what I am suppose to take in the morning, my shots and and meds, on a sheet so I can check them off daily and put the time. I like to be organized lol Anyway here are the photos...

The whole thing...on my dresser in my room

My check list, picture and calendar

My "Shot" station...you can see the other meds too

I can't believe it's getting so close...in 5 weeks I will be getting the little embryo put it me and making a new life for my IP's....FIVE weeks. This has been a long journey, at least it seemed that way, until now, and it seems as if it's flying now. So close, yet so far away.

I will be making a video of my first shot in the morning. It's Lupron it will make my ovaries produce a lot of eggs but in the mean time shut down making Lutenizing Hormone so I won't release the eggs. On the 30th I start Estrogen patches assuming the Lupron is doing it's job, which I have blood work and an ultrasound to confirm that on the 28th. I will start progesterone the week of transfer.

Anyway, check out my youtube page to see the video in the morning....www.youtube.com/user/tiffymm589

Night everyone!

Friday, Friends, and Fun

So, Friday is when I start my meds, 2 whole days!! I am looking forward to feeling more like this is a real thing once I start these meds.


I've been talking to several people I've met on youtube and undoubtedly made a few new friends, one in particular is about a month ahead of me on shots but she is having some issues and stress in a situation I surpassed because I chose an agency.

For anyone considering going through this; those websites that hook you up with Intended Parents seeking a surrogate is nice, but please PLEASE make sure you use an agency. The surrogate does not pay the agency a fee, only the intended parents, at least with my agency. She is having some stress that could be prevented from a simple step that could have been taken. I feel awful for her because honestly, it's the most crucial and hardest part of the entire process before becoming a surrogate, and she's in the middle of it while on these hormone altering medications and I know its not easy. Poor girl.



As for the "fun" aspect...well that's coming the week after Thanksgiving next month when I go get my blood test and it (HOPEFULLY!!!) tells me I'm pregnant. Then the fun begins.
 

So, in conclusion, I'm going to go spend time with my Husband, watch some t.v., make dinner and try and relax before another horrible work day presents itself upon me. All I can do is hope for the best in all the situations coming ahead.

They say what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, well I'm working on making things better on my own instead of waiting for them to get better. I could be waiting forever.

Blog a little blog for me....

So, here I sit at work, no customers and just day dreaming about the future, which anyone who knows me, knows I do constantly. This particular day dream is about being pregnant again.

Why does anyone like being pregnant? Is it the fact that food is no object to us? The fact that many people go out of their way to help you? Is it the baby kicking you? Is it the belly? Is it the glow?

For me, it's all of the above and since this baby is not biologically mine, it's knowing what's going to happen when this is all over with. It's that my IM is going to have a daughter. You can't trade that for anything.

We agreed they could keep me updated of her progress as often as they wish or not at all if they chose. I believe that conversation turned into me coming to France to visit as often as I'd like, so I am definitely going to do just that as I've always wanted to travel abroad.

I start my Lupron Friday and my IP's want me to make a video, so I will be doing that for them and I will also post it to my youtube account. (http://www.youtube.com/user/tiffymm589)
I've met several new friends on youtube, so never discount that site as nothing but weirdos, because remember, you are on there searching and you know darn well if you had that video, you'd post it too....

I am afraid of T0sh.O finding me and mocking me though. That perturbs me a little, but we'll see what happens.

I am so excited for all of this. I find out the week after Thanksgiving if I am pregnant or not. So close, but so far away!!

My Calendar....

So....I have my Calendar!

She forgot to put when I start the progesterone shots on it, but we'll fix that tomorrow.

So I start my Lupron, 10mg in the morning daily, in my thigh, on the 15th.
I will continue the Lupron until transfer. I'm also to start the prenatal vitamins (can we say fast growing hair and nails?) and the baby aspirin on the 15th as well.

My potential date to start the Estrogen patches, which she will send me another calendar with all that, is the 30th. The reason I need another calendar is because there are days where I will wear one patch, then I could add 3 more the next day and it varies severely by the day in the cycle. I will be expecting one more period (menses) after the 22nd, which is my last birth control pill. (Yay! No more periods for 9 months!!)

The egg retrieval is set for November 15th, but it could vary by a day so it could be the 16th, it depends on how quickly they mature in the donor.  If the 15th is optimal retrieval, then Day 3 transfer is November 18th and Day 5 transfer would be the 20th of November.

That means, shortly after Thanksgiving, I will be pregnant (If everything goes according to plan) and about a week later, I will have sure confirmation via blood test.

That puts my due date around August 8th, 2011- which happens to be the day after my Sister's and the day of a very good friends Birthday.

I need lots and lots of prayers! Two very wonderful people who want a little girl are counting on me!!

So, I dreamed and dreamed all night last night and today during my laying in bed with a massive sinus headache about getting my calendar so I have a transfer date and a date to start all the medications you see in the picture.

In that picture you see pill bottles, shots of two types, and patches. The extra bags you see are needles lol

I will start off with the biggest pill bottle, which is prenatal vitamins and the big white boxes with the green S, is the generic form of Lupron. I have to inject 10 units of that my thigh every morning. I should be starting in 2 weeks, but she told me it's going to be sooner, so I will have an exact date once she e-mails my calendar to me. Also, after 2 weeks of being on the Lupron, I will go have an ultrasound and blood work to make sure the medicine is doing what it is suppose to do, then begin the estrogen patches you see in the purple boxes, one of the pill bottles which is 81mg aspirin and then the other shots, which are progesterone, which I will have my Husband shoot me with in fatty part of my hip, nightly. The progesterone will  be taken up until I am 6 weeks pregnant.

The other 2 pill bottles are an antibiotic and a steroid. I asked what those were for and they are to make sure my body doesn't reject the embryo and also if assisted hatching is needed, I'm prepared. I will only take both for 4 days around the time of the transfer.

It's finally, almost here!! Yay!!!

Oh, once I get the e-mail with the transfer date, I will make a post just for that!!