Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Making Progress...

So here we are! Day 15 of my cycle. In the last 5 days I have had 2 doctors appointments... The first was last Friday. They did an ultrasound and identified several follicles with one "lead follicle" measuring at about 10mm - they also did bloodwork to monitor my hormone levels and sent me off. The nurse called that afternoon and asked if I could come back Tuesday morning for another check. Which brings us to today. Another ultrasound, more bloodwork! This time, the lead follicle was measuring at almost 17mm.
For healthy ovulation, a follicle should be somewhere between 18-24mm and ovulation can occur anytime between days 11-22 of your cycle.
Given my new measurements and bloodwork, the doctor told us to do the trigger shot Friday night. Ahh! Now, that I know when exactly it will be happening, I keep thinking about it. Probably too much! I am such a wuss when it comes to needles. Especially when they are being administered by a wonderful husband (who is by NO means a nurse) with a history of goofing around.
All of my nerves aside, today the nurse was going over the shot instructions with me and said, "The best way is for you to sit hunched over in a chair where he can easily pinch your stomach fat (side note: I don't have to hunch in a chair to get to stomach fat sweetheart) then just have him pinch the fat and pop the needle in like he is throwing a dart." Oy Vey! A dart? Just pop that sucker in my FAT. Oh wait, it gets better... she then says, "once thats done, make sure he pulls the needle out quickly and straight, then you two need to have relations starting that night and for the next 3 nights." Because I don't know about you, but nothing screams sexy more than me hunched over with him pinching my stomach fat. I swear, sometimes I think God is getting a kick out of all of this.
When I told Mike about this he said, and I quote, "you wanna go to to victoria's secret?" haha I am dying. Bless his heart.
All of this can surely take a toll on the romance in a relationship. It isn't easy to make it seem like you aren't just maiting. Having a funny husband helps that a lot. I am very thankful for his involvement in all of this and for making me laugh when I don't think I can. He has been so patient with me, willing to listen to my crazy, hormone-driven collapses. Today, prior to the nurse calling, I had one of those. I was upset about everything and nothing all at once and he patiently let me rip him a new one while he told me how beautiful I am, inside and out... Either I am the luckiest girl ever, or he wasn't listening. ;) Either way, he's the right one for me and I thank God each day for him!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Cyst FREE...

...and clearly I'm excited about it. These last (almost) 4 months of trying to shrink my monster cyst were slow, and painful! I am so glad that it's finally gone! I felt like I had passed it recently, but then I was worried, maybe I felt another one.

Not only is the cyst gone but the nurse said she a bunch of healthy follicles on both sides. :D

So, if you don’t know - the cysts (that I get frequently) cause me to not be able to take the fertility meds that help me ovulate regularly which dramatically increases our chances of getting pregnant. A few months ago, during my monthly scan, a huge cyst was sitting on my left ovary, and since that time we have just been waiting for it to go away. I didn't know if it would burst (ouch) or shrink down and disappear, so I sort of felt like a ticking time bomb. Lucky for me, I think this cyst did a little of both. The next month's ultrasound showed that my one giant 7cm cyst had split in two -leaving one at 4cm and the other at 3cm. My doctor felt sure that was the cyst beginning to break apart. From that time on they have just been having my come back each month to see if it's gone and this month it was! Completely GONE, praise God!

Tonight I will start my medicine. I left my paper in the car, but I believe I will take 2 pills a day starting today through Monday. I also have to get back on Pregnitude (an over the counter powdered vitamin that helps support the development of healthy follicles) and my prenatal. I will go back to the doctor on February 21st for a
follicle scan. They will look to see if I have a (or two) healthy follicle. If I do, Mike and I will go home and he will give me an injection. Not the kind you are thinking of ;) not yet anyway! ha.

He will be giving me a shot (eek) in my stomach (ahh) we like to call a trigger shot. Again, I don't have the
paperwork in front of me to tell you the name of the drug, but, he has to mix it up, put it in the syringe, and pop a needle into my stomach fat. Talking about it makes the roof of my mouth itch. I get so nervous. I asked the nurse, probably 50 times, if there is any way he could do it wrong and kill me. She just laughed at me and told me no, it's not a big deal. What I wouldn't give to have a nurse friend here in Orlando that would be willing to do that for me! I trust Mike, but let's be honest, attention to detail isn't his strong suit, and I know he'll be making jokes the whole time about it being like a dart board.


If my understanding is correct, the shot should cause my body to release the egg in about 24 hours - ovulation! Then it's pretty much the birds and the bees from there on out. I will return to the doctor if/when I get a positive
test or start my period. If I don't get pregnant, we start the process all over again as long as I don't have any cysts...

So here we go! On track and moving forward! Progress!

I do want to take a minute to say how thankful I am for all the sweet people in my life that are always checking on us, asking me what’s going on, and making sure we're doing ok. I love the notes I get from people reading the blog and telling me how much they like it and that we are in their prayers. Every bit helps me to keep going, and for that I am grateful!


as always,

< 3 faithful, hopeful, peaceful, patient <3

Doctor's Appointment Today...

Today is cycle day 3. I started my period on time this month and called right away so I could get my ultrasound scheduled, and today is that day. I have a 1pm appointment, and if all goes well, I will be starting some meds tonight. Fingers crossed that my cyst(s) are GONE. They have been with me for almost 3 months now, and I'm ready to get a green light. Trust me, I want nothing more than to go into an ultrasound and see something in there, but a cyst isn't what I'm looking for. I know this is all working towards the greater good and believe it or not, right now, I am feeling pretty patient.
Lately, I have been praying a lot for peace. I told myself I wouldn't ask God anymore for a baby directly, but rather just pray for peace in all of this. Peace and patience go hand in hand and, in my case anyway, you can't have one without the other. For me, peace is the bigger obstacle. If I can find peace in all of this, I will then be patient, settle down, and let God's will be done. That is how I feel now, peaceful. God knows I want a baby, Everyone that knows me knows I want a baby, but for now, my focus is shifting to controlling more of my part in this and letting the parts I can't control go, by giving them up to God.
Hopefully, later today I will be able to post another blog giving the details on the medicine I will be starting.... fingers crossed!

<3 faithful, hopeful, peaceful, patient <3