Catch-up

Wowee zowie Blogites, where have I been?  I tell you we started IVF and then I disappear into thin air!  So let's go back and let you know what has happened, because there is quite a bit!

June 1st - First ultrasound with Dr. H and my first blood draw.  Walked into Dr. H's office at 8:30 am sharp with pumpkin cake in hand and as I go to tell the receptionist my name, she says, "I know you, you brought the goodies yesterday!"  SCORE....my bribery worked! 

Sat for a little bit waiting to be called back and finally were.  Had my blood drawn for Estradol and STD (J's was at the Injection Class).  Easy, peasy.  Then into the room for the show.  Strip waist down and up on the table.  Dr. H came in WITH Holly H. I actually appreciated that very much.  Dr. H is always very gracious and optimistic.  Ultrasound begins and we're looking at ovaries.  No follicules to look at because I'm now off birth control and AF is supposed to show....dang it, I thought she'd be on a LONG vacation!  But Dr. H says the uteran walls look good and ready to shed.  Holly H. reminded him we were a bit early because we were going to the mountains and wouldn't be around on the 3rd.  Everything called great and they're done, taking the pumpkin cake with them and very excited about it. 

Walked out and paid our first of many fees, and asked for 2 additional purple folders that had the Doc's assessment of IVF and all the steps for the parents.  The receptionist looked at me like I had grown 2 heads.  "Why do you need 2 more?" I explained that they were for the parents to help them understand everything, especially J's since they don't read the blog.  She wasn't sure she was allowed, so I said we'd go to the pharmacy while she checked.  So much drama over two $2 books, with the amount of money we are giving them, this should be a no-brainer!  Headed for the pharmacy and got our first vial of Follistim, had brought home the "pen" to be used for injecting the day before.  Out the door having paid a whopping $784 for 4.5 shots!  YOWZA!  Back to the doc's for my folders and of course, not a big deal at all, but nobody had every asked that question!  Why not, I have no idea!  Anyway, got my books.

We headed home to finish packing and head for the mountains.  Still feeling a bit stomach-achy but made it no problems.  Got settled at the cabin and Holly H. called to tell me that my Estradol test (Estradiol is the most important form of estrogen found in the body. Most of it is made in and released from the ovaries, adrenal cortex, and the placenta, which forms during pregnancy to feed a developing baby.) level was 30, which was perfect.  Yay for starting off on the right foot!

For those of you who aren't Arizonans, Pinetop is a little town in Northern Arizona in the mountains.  It's probably 20-30 degrees cooler than Tucson, which was 100 degrees when we left and in Pinetop we went to dinner with Carl and Cheryl (my Mom's BFF) in long sleeves because it was a balmy 68 degrees!  Very nice evening to relax a bit before J's folks, sister and uncle showed up.  We were in Pinetop to spread Grandma Jo's ashes at her favorite spot which was Hawley Lake, where the family has spent many a camping trip.

June 2nd - Had a leisurely morning by ourselves, then out to explore the town a bit and find some food.  Met up with J's uncle, and then J's parents and sister.  Took them back to the cabin after hitting the grocery store and got settled.  Had a nice little dinner, then off to bed.  Fairly uneventful day.

June 3rd - Up at a decent hour, breakfast with the family, and loaded up in the cars to head to Hawley for the spreading of the ashes and some fishing.  Stomach was still a bit rocky, but we managed.  There were tears as we said our goodbyes again and picked the perfect spot.  Everyone fished and I just lounged and read a magazine for most of the day.  Stomach still feeling rocky, and finally when we got home I realized why...hello AF!  BOO!!! 

What else was significant about Friday, June 3rd?  Oh right, that was the day of my first shot of Follistim.  The Follistip pen is very interesting.  You load the cartridge and then put the needle on, and then stick yourself. 

We got back fairly late and by the time we were sitting down to dinner it was 8 pm.  My shot time is 9 pm, so about every 15 minutes I was asking J what time it was.  Finally, his uncle said, "what is so important about 9 pm?" and I said, "that's when I take my shot...my first shot."  The whole table did a kind of, "Oooohhhh!"  So dishes got done in a hurry and upstairs J and I went with the pen, the antiseptic wipes, and the sharps container (which is just an old water bottle).  I wiped the area and assembled the pen as Holly H. had shown me at my injection class, dialed up the appropriate amount, showed J to make sure I was right, and in the needle went.  I was kind of surprised how easy the needle went in, it's really small!  Hit the button to inject, and out she went.  Disassembled, and done!  Whew, first shot done.  And feel fine...headed downstairs for a little TV, and ouch...now I spoke too soon, my stomach has started to sting at the injection site and my abdomen feels like somebody filled it with foam!  So full!  Let the side-effects begin!

Finally off to bed and slept okay, but not great.  Just felt very bloated all night.  Could have been the shot.  Could have been AF.  Whatever it was, it wasn't fun.

June 4th, last day at the cabin - J woke up with kind of the same symptoms that I had last Tuesday, stomach upset and spending too much time in el bano.  But we got up and ready for another day with the family. 

MBM texted and asked if I was up, to which I replied, "yup, what's up?"  She then proceeded to tell me she had had a dream about me the night prior (remember, the night of my first shots).  The dream was that we were changing a child on a bed and it was a little boy with sandy blond hair.  She knew it was mine!  She said he was about 4 months old and she was showing me how to change him without getting peed all over!  That's all she could remember.  But she wanted me to know.  Love it!  Great omen again!  Thanks MBM!

I wasn't feeling too good either, so at breakfast I asked what was on the docket for today and everyone said, "more fishing" at which point I opted out due to the pain in my stomach and the moodiness-restlessness that I felt building up.  I love J's family, but I can only handle so much before I need a break!  So off they went, and off I went to do a little shopping, but really didn't feel much better and after lunch at my favorite place in Pinetop (Cafe Bocado) I raced as fast as the 35 mph signs would let me back to the house for a nap because my eyelids refused to stay open.  Had a nice nap, and then J texted to let me know they were on their way back and because I was really feeling much better, I started baking the potatoes and the corn his mom had brought up to eat with the steaks.  Dinner was great, and it was the very first time the whole trip that I was actually hungry...the whole rest my stomach was upset and I just really didn't have much of an appetite.

Later that evening, oh around 9 pm, it was time for shot number 2.  Same deal, J and I absconded upstairs.  He checked to make sure I had the right dose and in the shot went.  Still a little stinging later, and a little bloat, but not as bad as the night before.  I seem to get a little energy from the shot because I can't go to sleep right after, I need to wind down, possibly from the adrenaline?  Anyway, finally fell asleep and slept pretty good.

June 5th - Time to go home.  J woke up again, not feeling well at all!  But we needed to get loaded and out of the house to head for home, about a 4 hour drive.  He didn't want to eat breakfast because his stomach was not very happy at all, so he packed while we ate.  Left about 10 am and on the road.  J, again not feeling well finally asks if we can pull over and I can drive for half the trip.  I do and he's much better.  Stop in Globe, AZ (tiny town where J grew up) and have lunch at one of the favorite Mexican places, then hit the road again.  He felt a bit better and drove.  I took a minor nap, and then we were home to see the pups and kitty who were overjoyed!

After finishing the laundry, it was time for bed.  J had gone up before me but I still had to do my shot.  Since the drugs need to be stored in the fridge, they were downstairs.  And not wanting to take everything upstairs and then back downstairs to only go upstairs again, I simply did the shot by myself.  Came upstairs and J asked, "what about your shot?!"  I told him I had already done it and he looked kind of left out.  So will make sure he's a part of all future shots, and hopefully babymaking activities!

June 6th - I needed to go back to work, but J was still not feeling good so he stayed home.  A little side note here, remember a few posts back that I asked J to read the very small book and he hadn't yet, well he still hadn't and here we are almost knee deep in IVF.  I was just getting ready to bug him some more when he called me from home and told me he had read the whole thing and knew all about IVF now!  Ten points for J!   My day at work was pretty good, no immediate side effects, just a little headache around 4 pm.  Got groceries and instead of baking for Dr. H's crowd because I was just plain tired, I got a whole bunch of yummy fruit (read: healthy) and a fun dish and put it in that with some ribbon.  Again, bribery works!  Home, quick dinner, another shot and finally to bed. 


And with that I will stop.  Will update about today's Dr. appointment at another time...soon, I promise.

Night!