Day 37 of IVF Prep
Cycle day 10, BCP day 31, Lupron shots start in 4 days.
I got my big box of drugs today. Actually they arrived on Thursday, but I didn't pick them up from my Dad until this afternoon. I didn't expect the box to be able to fit in his refrigerator, but it did. It's only 3 inches thick, but about 18 x 24 inches on the sides. It has everything I will need up until the transfer, when I'll probaby get progesterone support (they talked about progesterone in oil shots in the IVF class, but I certainly wouldn't mind the suppositories instead).
Saturday, June 30, 2001
Thursday, June 28, 2001
Day 35 of IVF Prep
Cycle day 8, BCP day 29. Lupron shots start in 6 days.
My cycle buddy, B.G., asked about AZH. The 'Z' confused her. AZH is Assisted Zona Hatching, also called just Assisted Hatching. ICSI, "ick-see", Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is also part of our planned treatment.
Cycle day 8, BCP day 29. Lupron shots start in 6 days.
My cycle buddy, B.G., asked about AZH. The 'Z' confused her. AZH is Assisted Zona Hatching, also called just Assisted Hatching. ICSI, "ick-see", Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is also part of our planned treatment.
Wednesday, June 27, 2001
I'm cancelling my membership in the IVF Finance Program because we got a 0% interest credit card to use to pay for our IVF. While searching the IVF Finance web pages for a toll free phone number, I ran across this good summary of what IVF is, with a sample calendar.
Day 34 of IVF Prep
Cycle day 7. BCP day 28. Lupron shots start in 7 days.
I called my pharmacy and got my medicine delivery changed from Friday at work to tommorow morning to my Dad's house. Now I won't have to worry about it getting lost on campus or my coworkers asking questions I don't want to answer. Schraft's is great to work with!
Cycle day 7. BCP day 28. Lupron shots start in 7 days.
I called my pharmacy and got my medicine delivery changed from Friday at work to tommorow morning to my Dad's house. Now I won't have to worry about it getting lost on campus or my coworkers asking questions I don't want to answer. Schraft's is great to work with!
Tuesday, June 26, 2001
I told my dad and one brother tonight that I will be doing an IVF next month. My sister knows and my other brother knows "we're doing the shots" so he has probably figured out that it's IVF since he's a doctor and his SIL used my RE to conceive her 2nd child. It feels good to have the whole family (on my side) know. Since they all live close and I see them frequently it's nice to be somewhat open about it. Now the question remains, do we tell DH's side of the family (who live 1/2 a continent away) now, or wait until we're pregnant, or not tell them "how" at all?
Monday, June 25, 2001
I've been surfing a little today. :-)
IVF clinics, infertility articles, fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization
Local docs open $4 million center - 2000-11-27 - Wichita Business Journal
Center for Reproductive Medicine 1998 Clinic data
Health Pages - Fertility Clinic Comparisons
ONNA.org: Chart of "Normal" Hormone Levels
IVF clinics, infertility articles, fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization
Local docs open $4 million center - 2000-11-27 - Wichita Business Journal
Center for Reproductive Medicine 1998 Clinic data
Health Pages - Fertility Clinic Comparisons
ONNA.org: Chart of "Normal" Hormone Levels
Day 32 of IVF Prep
Cycle day 5. BCP day 26. Lupron shots start in 9 days.
Lupron is for what is called "down regulation". My understanding is that it's basically shutting off the natural cycle of hormones so the ovaries are not preparing for the next cycle. REs don't want a woman's body to be doing it's own hormonal regulation when the stimulation drugs start, so Lupron is used to "down regulate". And I've been told that the reason BCP are used the month before is because if you do get pregnant, you won't know it yet by the right time to start Lupron, and the Lupron will stop your hormones and cause a miscarriage. I don't think this is the full reason (because we were also told to use other birth control for the first 21 days of the pills), but it may be true and be part of the reason.
Cycle day 5. BCP day 26. Lupron shots start in 9 days.
Lupron is for what is called "down regulation". My understanding is that it's basically shutting off the natural cycle of hormones so the ovaries are not preparing for the next cycle. REs don't want a woman's body to be doing it's own hormonal regulation when the stimulation drugs start, so Lupron is used to "down regulate". And I've been told that the reason BCP are used the month before is because if you do get pregnant, you won't know it yet by the right time to start Lupron, and the Lupron will stop your hormones and cause a miscarriage. I don't think this is the full reason (because we were also told to use other birth control for the first 21 days of the pills), but it may be true and be part of the reason.
Friday, June 22, 2001
Email posted to 2 of my lists for discussion:
My DH and I had a discussion several nights ago that included "what to do with the extra embryos". (I'm still on bcp and will start lupron 7/4 for our first ivf attempt.) Right now we are both of the mindset that we will try IVF once and only once. But then there is the thought of "what if I do get pregnant but have a miscarriage"... we know "it works" and it sure would be good to have any extra embryos waiting in the freezer. But then there's also the thought of... if we get more than 3 and can't transfer them all, doesn't it make sense to save the others in case it doesn't work? We are definitely agreed that if we do get pg and go to term, we won't use ivf for a 2nd child. And I think neither one of us wants to do the whole $11,000 ivf from scratch more than once, but the inbetween options are more confusing.
So my question for you all is this: How did you decide to do FET or more than one IVF cycle?
My DH and I had a discussion several nights ago that included "what to do with the extra embryos". (I'm still on bcp and will start lupron 7/4 for our first ivf attempt.) Right now we are both of the mindset that we will try IVF once and only once. But then there is the thought of "what if I do get pregnant but have a miscarriage"... we know "it works" and it sure would be good to have any extra embryos waiting in the freezer. But then there's also the thought of... if we get more than 3 and can't transfer them all, doesn't it make sense to save the others in case it doesn't work? We are definitely agreed that if we do get pg and go to term, we won't use ivf for a 2nd child. And I think neither one of us wants to do the whole $11,000 ivf from scratch more than once, but the inbetween options are more confusing.
So my question for you all is this: How did you decide to do FET or more than one IVF cycle?
Day 29 of IVF Prep
Cycle day 2. BCP day 23. Lupron in 12 days.
I mentioned to my boss yesterday that I will be needing several days off in July for doctor appointments, but that I don't know the exact days yet. I'm so glad that I work somewhere that is flexible and that my boss is good about stuff like this. I intend to tell him why I'm having all of the doctor appointments, but the time just hasn't seemed right yet. He's going to be on vacation when I am most likely to be on the stimulation drugs and having lots of lab visits, so I could probably not tell him without any consequences. I'll have to think about that.
Cycle day 2. BCP day 23. Lupron in 12 days.
I mentioned to my boss yesterday that I will be needing several days off in July for doctor appointments, but that I don't know the exact days yet. I'm so glad that I work somewhere that is flexible and that my boss is good about stuff like this. I intend to tell him why I'm having all of the doctor appointments, but the time just hasn't seemed right yet. He's going to be on vacation when I am most likely to be on the stimulation drugs and having lots of lab visits, so I could probably not tell him without any consequences. I'll have to think about that.
Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Day 27 of IVF Prep
My swelling is going down so my knee and ankles aren't as stiff as they have been the past few days. I have been feeling a bit crampy the past couple of days and spotting, too. According to my IVF handbook and drug instruction sheet, I may have spotting or a flow while on bcp, then should have a period after I stop them July 8.
My swelling is going down so my knee and ankles aren't as stiff as they have been the past few days. I have been feeling a bit crampy the past couple of days and spotting, too. According to my IVF handbook and drug instruction sheet, I may have spotting or a flow while on bcp, then should have a period after I stop them July 8.
Tuesday, June 19, 2001
Day 26 of IVF Prep
I've realized that my sore swollen knee and puffy ankles are probably side effects from taking the bcps. I'm one pill away from finishing my first pack (since I only take the first 21). I start the shots 2 weeks from tomorrow. I almost can't believe that it will be so soon, yet it's just a different 2 week wait and still seems far away and unreal.
I've realized that my sore swollen knee and puffy ankles are probably side effects from taking the bcps. I'm one pill away from finishing my first pack (since I only take the first 21). I start the shots 2 weeks from tomorrow. I almost can't believe that it will be so soon, yet it's just a different 2 week wait and still seems far away and unreal.
Sunday, June 17, 2001
Day 24 of IVF Prep
I've been out of town for a few days again and have missed posting to my blog and reading my AdvancedHope email, but that's about all I've missed about computers. Since computer support is what I do for a living, it has been a nice break. We did go out and buy a mouse with a scroller yesterday... that's a nice feature to have!
My DH has had kind of a tough time with Father's Day today. We had a nice long talk at dinner. I really feel for him and understand. Last year's Mother's Day was really tough for me (this year wasn't quite as hard).
I'm just starting to have a little spotting, so I think I'll be having the period that is expected while on bcp soon. I'll have to wait until taking the last pill to get the Rx refilled because I'm not supposed to take the last 7 day's pills (the green ones), and my insurance won't pay for a refill until the Rx is 3/4 gone. At least it will fall on a weekday, so I shouldn't have any trouble getting it that day. Speaking of Rx payments, we are sending in our Health Savings Account (pre-tax flexible spending account) reimbursement forms for our Rx expenses so far this year. Not counting any doctor or lab fees, we will get $558 back! That will sure be nice! We had to set the amount last November, and we went conservative because we hoped that IVF wouldn't be necessary, and if you don't spend it you lose it completely. So most of the IVF expenses won't be paid with pre-tax money, but at least they will be tax deductible, because I'm certain that we'll bypass the 7% of our income mark.
I've been out of town for a few days again and have missed posting to my blog and reading my AdvancedHope email, but that's about all I've missed about computers. Since computer support is what I do for a living, it has been a nice break. We did go out and buy a mouse with a scroller yesterday... that's a nice feature to have!
My DH has had kind of a tough time with Father's Day today. We had a nice long talk at dinner. I really feel for him and understand. Last year's Mother's Day was really tough for me (this year wasn't quite as hard).
I'm just starting to have a little spotting, so I think I'll be having the period that is expected while on bcp soon. I'll have to wait until taking the last pill to get the Rx refilled because I'm not supposed to take the last 7 day's pills (the green ones), and my insurance won't pay for a refill until the Rx is 3/4 gone. At least it will fall on a weekday, so I shouldn't have any trouble getting it that day. Speaking of Rx payments, we are sending in our Health Savings Account (pre-tax flexible spending account) reimbursement forms for our Rx expenses so far this year. Not counting any doctor or lab fees, we will get $558 back! That will sure be nice! We had to set the amount last November, and we went conservative because we hoped that IVF wouldn't be necessary, and if you don't spend it you lose it completely. So most of the IVF expenses won't be paid with pre-tax money, but at least they will be tax deductible, because I'm certain that we'll bypass the 7% of our income mark.
Tuesday, June 12, 2001
Monday, June 11, 2001
Chatting with a friend about IF today:
We have struggled with deciding how much technology and medical intervention to use to have a child. We trust that God is in control, no matter what we do, and that helps us accept unwanted negative results.
On the one hand, DH and I think of Abraham and Sarah, and Elizabeth, and Hannah. If He could make them pregnant after being barren, then he can do it for us, too.
But on the other hand, there is a story about a man whose town was getting lots of heavy rain... the authorities were telling people to evacuate to higher ground, but the man said "God will take care of me," and he would not leave his house. When the water was up to his front porch, a boat came up the street and people offered to take him to a safe place, but he refused saying, "God will take care of me." So he went upstairs and the water continued to rise. A second boat came along. The people talked to him through the 2nd story window, begging him to come with them, but again he refused saying, "God will take care of me." The water kept rising and the man climbed onto his roof. A helicopter flew over, a rope lowered, and a voice from a bull horn said to grab the rope, but he yelled back, "God will take care of me." The water kept rising and the man drowned.
When the man got to heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you take care of me as you promised?". God answered, "I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"
Perhaps the medical treatments available are gifts from God to give us more chances. That's how we are looking at IVF right now. If God has allowed humans to understand the creation of life enough to help it along sometimes, then it's okay to use that technology as long as we believe that God is still in control.
We have struggled with deciding how much technology and medical intervention to use to have a child. We trust that God is in control, no matter what we do, and that helps us accept unwanted negative results.
On the one hand, DH and I think of Abraham and Sarah, and Elizabeth, and Hannah. If He could make them pregnant after being barren, then he can do it for us, too.
But on the other hand, there is a story about a man whose town was getting lots of heavy rain... the authorities were telling people to evacuate to higher ground, but the man said "God will take care of me," and he would not leave his house. When the water was up to his front porch, a boat came up the street and people offered to take him to a safe place, but he refused saying, "God will take care of me." So he went upstairs and the water continued to rise. A second boat came along. The people talked to him through the 2nd story window, begging him to come with them, but again he refused saying, "God will take care of me." The water kept rising and the man climbed onto his roof. A helicopter flew over, a rope lowered, and a voice from a bull horn said to grab the rope, but he yelled back, "God will take care of me." The water kept rising and the man drowned.
When the man got to heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you take care of me as you promised?". God answered, "I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"
Perhaps the medical treatments available are gifts from God to give us more chances. That's how we are looking at IVF right now. If God has allowed humans to understand the creation of life enough to help it along sometimes, then it's okay to use that technology as long as we believe that God is still in control.
Friday, June 08, 2001
Day 15 of IVF Prep
Everything's going great today except that I have no voice. Not even a squeek. When I try to talk normal, it comes out as a whisper. I started having trouble yesterday, well, actually Wednesday evening. It's from the cold that I caught last week. My sister almost lost her voice while we were on vacation.
Everything's going great today except that I have no voice. Not even a squeek. When I try to talk normal, it comes out as a whisper. I started having trouble yesterday, well, actually Wednesday evening. It's from the cold that I caught last week. My sister almost lost her voice while we were on vacation.
Thursday, June 07, 2001
Tuesday, June 05, 2001
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