That's right, you heard correctly... as of tomorrow, we are 6 weeks pregnant! We did our first beta test on March 4th and had a beta level of 668 (that's pretty high)! We had taken a home pregnancy test on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the beta and they were ALL positive! We had to wait a whole week before our second beta - which was torture! I thought for sure that we were going to receive bad news, as I was experiencing absolutely no signs of early pregnancy at all! But... low and behold... Jason called with the good news that our second beta level was 12,000! Crazy high! The nurse said she was very interested to see the ultrasound - will there be one in there or two???? One change of events that started last Sunday (3/7) that is not so pleasant is... HIVES! Jason took me to the ER on Sunday night because he was so concerned - but in classic Candice style... apparently 1% of pregnant women develope hives because of the elevated hormone levels in the body - lucky me! So I have been covered in hives head to toe for about a week and a half now! I went to the allergist today and he basically said he wasn't sure what was causing the hives, but he have me a prescription for some Xyzal and gave me a back up plan if that doesn't work. Hopefully, the meds will work and I can stop itching!
We have our first ultrasound on Friday!!! I can't wait to have confirmation that a) I'm still pregnant and b) whether we have one baby or two in there!
It was so exciting to tell Jason's mom and we told my parents and brothers this past weekend! My mom was crying and so excited! While we were there, she also found out that the preachers daughter (not Tessa) just found out she was pregnant and I know it took everything in my mom not to tell anyone! We haven't told Jason's dad and Amanda yet - we are hoping to tell them this weekend in person :)
This is all so surreal, and I feel like someone is going to pull the rug out from under me at any moment - and I have this crippling fear of miscarriage - but I guess that's normal. I think I will feel better once I actually see the baby(s) and see the heartbeat - and know that everything is ok. I hope to update again this Friday with our first picture!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Cycle #3 Update
What a ride! I can tell you that this cycle has been completely different; our entire mindset, our luck, just everything is different - and it's a good thing!
I started the Lupron injections at the end of January (1/28) - and as usually, that was a breeze for me (thank goodness, cause so people get terrible migrane headaches). Then we started stims on the 6th of February. First blood level count was awesome (almost too good - they decreased the stimulation medication)! Then we received the news we had been waiting for... the follicle count. We had 10 on one side and 10 on the other - woo hoo! The ER was scheduled for 2/17. On the day of the retrieval, we ended up with... wait for it.... 30 eggs! That's right I said thirty 3-0! We could not believe it! WOW! Now we just had to pray that a good number of them would fertilize and that Jason's boys were good swimmers! The next day (Thursday), we got the news that a whopping 27 of the eggs fertilized! Jason and I were over the moon excited to hear this news! In our first cycle we got 9 eggs and only 7 fertilized, and in our 2nd try, we only got 5 eggs, and only 2 fertilized! So you can see what a huge difference this cycle was for us! The transfer was schedule for Monday (2/22). We would not receive another update until the transfer on Monday, so naturally we waited with baited breath. We didn't tell anyone about this cycle except for Memi and a girl from our church group - so on Sunday during Sunday school, we spilled the beans a little and asked them to pray for us. I guess the prayers must have been heard, because when we got the hospital on Monday, we found out that we had two PERFECT blasts to transfer and possibly 4 more to freeze! They tried to convince us to just transfer one embryo - but we took into account our luck - and opted to put them both in and risk the high chance for twins :) We went home and vegged out the rest of the day and I took the next day off too (not wanting to take ANY chances this time around. I sat anxiously waiting for the call to find out how many/if any embryos we had to freeze, and... we've got 4! We have never had any to freeze before - this is such a relief - it's like a huge weight has been lifted and we can finally breath a little easier.
So here we are in the 2 week wait period - but I must say - I really haven't been thinking about it much - of course it's hard to think about anything except the pain and bruising from the PIO injections (ouch)! Our official beta test should be on March 3rd, but that happens to be TAKS test day, and there is no possible way I can escape the school, even for 1/2 and hour to get my blood drawn - so I will have to wait ANOTHER day and get it done on Thursday the 4th. However, I have every intention of peeing on stick before then and preparing myself ahead of time. We're thinking that we will take one on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I want to see those 2 pink lines SO BAD! So we wait, and we pray, and we hope for the best :) Hope to update with so exciting news next week!
I started the Lupron injections at the end of January (1/28) - and as usually, that was a breeze for me (thank goodness, cause so people get terrible migrane headaches). Then we started stims on the 6th of February. First blood level count was awesome (almost too good - they decreased the stimulation medication)! Then we received the news we had been waiting for... the follicle count. We had 10 on one side and 10 on the other - woo hoo! The ER was scheduled for 2/17. On the day of the retrieval, we ended up with... wait for it.... 30 eggs! That's right I said thirty 3-0! We could not believe it! WOW! Now we just had to pray that a good number of them would fertilize and that Jason's boys were good swimmers! The next day (Thursday), we got the news that a whopping 27 of the eggs fertilized! Jason and I were over the moon excited to hear this news! In our first cycle we got 9 eggs and only 7 fertilized, and in our 2nd try, we only got 5 eggs, and only 2 fertilized! So you can see what a huge difference this cycle was for us! The transfer was schedule for Monday (2/22). We would not receive another update until the transfer on Monday, so naturally we waited with baited breath. We didn't tell anyone about this cycle except for Memi and a girl from our church group - so on Sunday during Sunday school, we spilled the beans a little and asked them to pray for us. I guess the prayers must have been heard, because when we got the hospital on Monday, we found out that we had two PERFECT blasts to transfer and possibly 4 more to freeze! They tried to convince us to just transfer one embryo - but we took into account our luck - and opted to put them both in and risk the high chance for twins :) We went home and vegged out the rest of the day and I took the next day off too (not wanting to take ANY chances this time around. I sat anxiously waiting for the call to find out how many/if any embryos we had to freeze, and... we've got 4! We have never had any to freeze before - this is such a relief - it's like a huge weight has been lifted and we can finally breath a little easier.
So here we are in the 2 week wait period - but I must say - I really haven't been thinking about it much - of course it's hard to think about anything except the pain and bruising from the PIO injections (ouch)! Our official beta test should be on March 3rd, but that happens to be TAKS test day, and there is no possible way I can escape the school, even for 1/2 and hour to get my blood drawn - so I will have to wait ANOTHER day and get it done on Thursday the 4th. However, I have every intention of peeing on stick before then and preparing myself ahead of time. We're thinking that we will take one on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I want to see those 2 pink lines SO BAD! So we wait, and we pray, and we hope for the best :) Hope to update with so exciting news next week!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Here we go again...
Well, we are officially underway with IVF #3! Let the crazy roller coaster ride begin! I stopped BCPs last week, AF came for a visit and has since left the building, and I am now on Estrace. We are starting stims on Saturday the 6th and looking at a possible ER on the 17th and ET on the 22nd most likely. These dates can always change based on how well things are progressing or not progressing - but in the two other times we have done this - the dates haven't changed - so we'll see. I must say - this time around is very anti-climactic - neither us seem too excited about anything - I guess as we get closer to the transfer and have a better idea of what we're working with we'll be more excited - but right now it's just hard when you have been through as much disappointment as we have.
On a happier note - we are supposedly going to get a crap load of money back on our taxes - that is as long as Turbo Tax knows what they're doing! If you ask me though - we should get even more considering the obscene about of money we spent last year with out of pocket fertility treatments! But I'll take what I can get!
Nothing else really to report just yet - just trying to stay positive and make it though this dreadful school year.
On a happier note - we are supposedly going to get a crap load of money back on our taxes - that is as long as Turbo Tax knows what they're doing! If you ask me though - we should get even more considering the obscene about of money we spent last year with out of pocket fertility treatments! But I'll take what I can get!
Nothing else really to report just yet - just trying to stay positive and make it though this dreadful school year.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
New Year... New Beginnings!
I am so, so glad to see 2009 go away... bring on 2010! I can already tell our luck is turning around... I won $15 on a lotto scratch off I got for Christmass (woot woot!), and I have been getting the best parking EVER everywhere I go! Hopefully Jason will get a good offer tomorrow and we can celebrate a new job in a new year! Not to mention, 2010 is going to be a GREAT baby making year! Not so great is that I will be turning 29 in a few days... BOO! It's like I was 27 and then all of sudden I'm knockin on 30's door - WTF??!
So on the baby front... we are starting cycle #3... 3rd times the charm! At least that's what we keep telling ourselves! On BCPs now, should be starting Lupron next week and then the hormonal craziness begins. We are supposed to be getting our timeline sometime this week - so we will have a better idea of when everything will happen, but I am thinking ER/ET sometime around the end of Jan or beginning of Feb - beta sometime around Valentine's day (that would be the best Valentine's Day gift EVER!), and then due date sometime around the begining of Nov., although how cool would it be if we had a baby on 10/10/10! Hey - if it's twins it just may be!! I am feeling very optimistic about this and I really think it's going to work and I have the weird feeling that we are going to end up with twins - scary, but I think we are totally up for the challenge! What I am most excited about is the thought of sharing the experience with one of my best friends, who just happens to be 6 weeks pregnant right now!
So on the baby front... we are starting cycle #3... 3rd times the charm! At least that's what we keep telling ourselves! On BCPs now, should be starting Lupron next week and then the hormonal craziness begins. We are supposed to be getting our timeline sometime this week - so we will have a better idea of when everything will happen, but I am thinking ER/ET sometime around the end of Jan or beginning of Feb - beta sometime around Valentine's day (that would be the best Valentine's Day gift EVER!), and then due date sometime around the begining of Nov., although how cool would it be if we had a baby on 10/10/10! Hey - if it's twins it just may be!! I am feeling very optimistic about this and I really think it's going to work and I have the weird feeling that we are going to end up with twins - scary, but I think we are totally up for the challenge! What I am most excited about is the thought of sharing the experience with one of my best friends, who just happens to be 6 weeks pregnant right now!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Only 5 :(
Well, it looks like we only have 5 follicles this time around. Needless to say, we aren't real pleased with the news. I just feel like we can't EVER catch a break. Of course the doctor said how shocked he was and blah blah blah - but really it's us, and of late I have come to expect nothing less. Right now we are just praying and hoping for the best. Trigger tonight, ER on Wednesday. I really pray that they are able to fertilize all 5 (maybe 6) and that all of them continue to grow and split normally and that they all become perfect blasts. So, we'll see.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Cycle Update
OK - so we started stims on Saturday and had a doctors appt yesterday (Monday) to check the estrogen levels and - woot! woot! - we are at 142, which the nurse said was very good :) I go back to the doctor again tomorrow (Wednesday) for more testing - hopefully everything continues to be perfect! As of now - we are still on target with our ER next Wednesday (10/28) and our ET on 11/2. I am hoping to be able to give Jason the best 30th b-day gift EVER! Of course his b-day is on Thursday - but this one will be worth the wait! Fingers crossed and many prayers!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Round 2 is Underway!
Yup - you read correctly - round two of IVF has begun! Before Jason and I left for our weekend get-a-way to New Orleans, I began taking my daily Lupron injections... fun! Honestly though, they are not bad at all. I use the same needle that diabetics do for their insulin - so if all the people with diabetes can do it everyday - I guess I can do it for a few short weeks! So we start stims tomorrow!! Everything has been going so incredibly smoothly this time around! No unexpected cysts or low estrogen levels - everything has been perfect! (knock on wood!)
The egg retrieval is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th, but of course everything depends on estrogen levels, follicle counts and sizes - so it could be a day or so before or after the 28th :) I am getting so excited! Things seem so different this time around. I attribute this to many different reasons... 1) we've done it before and know what to expect 2) I am working and school keeps me very busy and distracted 3) I have 100% turned everything over to God, all my fears and all my hopes and prayers - it's all in His hands - and that has taken such a load off of me!
If things continue to go well and on schedule, we would be looking at a November 2nd, day 5 transfer and pregnancy test on November 11th. Hopefully we will be welcoming a new baby or babies around July 20th 2010 :)
The egg retrieval is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th, but of course everything depends on estrogen levels, follicle counts and sizes - so it could be a day or so before or after the 28th :) I am getting so excited! Things seem so different this time around. I attribute this to many different reasons... 1) we've done it before and know what to expect 2) I am working and school keeps me very busy and distracted 3) I have 100% turned everything over to God, all my fears and all my hopes and prayers - it's all in His hands - and that has taken such a load off of me!
If things continue to go well and on schedule, we would be looking at a November 2nd, day 5 transfer and pregnancy test on November 11th. Hopefully we will be welcoming a new baby or babies around July 20th 2010 :)
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