Tuesday, July 29, 2008
2nd Beta Results
Well, today I had my second blood pregnancy test. They want to make sure the numbers are progressing the way they want. I think they want them to double (give or take) about every 48 hours. My levels on Sunday were 361...today they were 952!!! So that is very good!
The Big Day...The Big Test
This past Sunday I had my first beta (blood pregnancy test). We had to be at the doctor's officce at 8 a.m., so it was an early day for a Sunday! After that, we went to breakfast at Big Boy. I put some feta cheese on my eggs, which I normally like and the smell made me nauseaus! Then we went home and both took naps. I could only sleep for about an hour. The nurse who took my blood said they would call the results into CCRM around 2:30.
Around 4:00 we still hadn't heard. So I called the after hours answering service and she patched me through to the back line of the office. The nurse there said, "we haven't had a chance to pull anyone's files yet, that's why we haven't called. I don't have your chart in front of me, so I don't know where you are in you cycle, but I have your results right here. Your beta is 361...is this your first test or second?" I said it was the first and she said, "oh my...well, we want to see it over 50, so that is very strong!" She told me to stay on my prometruim and estrace and after that everything is a blur as to what she said! Oh, I do remember at one point she said, "congratulations, you're pregnant! I love giving that news!" I was bawling, and R had no idea what was going on...he was sitting in the lazy boy and I had my back to him....all he knew was I was crying and he was saying, "what!?!?" All I could do was give him a thumbs up! He goes, "no shit?!" After I got off the phone with the nurse we were both crying on the couch hugging. Then I said, "oh, one thing though...my beta is pretty high...I think there is more than one in there!" Then we both just started cracking up!
After that, we went to his parents house (on the way I called my mom, who immediately started crying). At R's parents house, his whole immediate family was there. His dad said, "so, anything new?" and R goes, "no...anything new with you?" He's so mean! Then he said he thinks he should grow a mustache so he looks more "like a dad" in a few months! So everyone started crying again!
Then we went to my sisters, who didn't know anything yet...my parents were on thier way there but drove around for a while b/c my mom said she wouldn't be able to keep a poker face! Well, my sis was backing out of her driveway on her way to the grocery store. As soon as she saw us pulling up she threw the car into park and jumped out. As soon as she saw me she started crying and ran up to me saying, "you're pregnant!!!" So once again, I cried too! Then I went inside and told my nephew and niece they were gonna be cousins...they were so excited!
On our way home, I bought a home pregnancy test....I needed to see 2 lines...and I did..immediately!! yea! I am just on cloud nine! I called R's aunts with the news on Moday! We told his grandparents on Sunday and I called my aunt's and uncle. It is so hard to keep it secret right now b/c everyone knew we were going to CO..ideally I would have liked to keep it a little quiet for a while, but oh well!
Around 4:00 we still hadn't heard. So I called the after hours answering service and she patched me through to the back line of the office. The nurse there said, "we haven't had a chance to pull anyone's files yet, that's why we haven't called. I don't have your chart in front of me, so I don't know where you are in you cycle, but I have your results right here. Your beta is 361...is this your first test or second?" I said it was the first and she said, "oh my...well, we want to see it over 50, so that is very strong!" She told me to stay on my prometruim and estrace and after that everything is a blur as to what she said! Oh, I do remember at one point she said, "congratulations, you're pregnant! I love giving that news!" I was bawling, and R had no idea what was going on...he was sitting in the lazy boy and I had my back to him....all he knew was I was crying and he was saying, "what!?!?" All I could do was give him a thumbs up! He goes, "no shit?!" After I got off the phone with the nurse we were both crying on the couch hugging. Then I said, "oh, one thing though...my beta is pretty high...I think there is more than one in there!" Then we both just started cracking up!
After that, we went to his parents house (on the way I called my mom, who immediately started crying). At R's parents house, his whole immediate family was there. His dad said, "so, anything new?" and R goes, "no...anything new with you?" He's so mean! Then he said he thinks he should grow a mustache so he looks more "like a dad" in a few months! So everyone started crying again!
Then we went to my sisters, who didn't know anything yet...my parents were on thier way there but drove around for a while b/c my mom said she wouldn't be able to keep a poker face! Well, my sis was backing out of her driveway on her way to the grocery store. As soon as she saw us pulling up she threw the car into park and jumped out. As soon as she saw me she started crying and ran up to me saying, "you're pregnant!!!" So once again, I cried too! Then I went inside and told my nephew and niece they were gonna be cousins...they were so excited!
On our way home, I bought a home pregnancy test....I needed to see 2 lines...and I did..immediately!! yea! I am just on cloud nine! I called R's aunts with the news on Moday! We told his grandparents on Sunday and I called my aunt's and uncle. It is so hard to keep it secret right now b/c everyone knew we were going to CO..ideally I would have liked to keep it a little quiet for a while, but oh well!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Yea for pills!
I had my estrogen tested yesterday and I am happy to say it is up again! The nurse said they want to see it around 300 and mine was 302. So that is a huge relief! My stomach is getting back to normal too, finally! Here is a picture of my tummy boo-boos before I was told I could stop...actually, this picture was taken about 12 patches before I was allowed to stop. The welts ended up to my belly button and on either side of it...not pretty!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Hormone Levels
My nurse called yesterday after we got back to the hotel and said that my estrogen was too low. can't remember the numbers, but it was pretty low. So I am now taking an oral estrogen called Estrace. The fantastic news is...NO MORE PATCHES!!! My stomach looks like I was abducted by aliens and itches like you can't imagine! The itchiness actually has a tendancy to wake me from a sound sleep! I really hope they heal soon...before the itchiness of a stretching pregnant belly starts!
I hope the Estrace does the trick and helps these babies stick!
I hope the Estrace does the trick and helps these babies stick!
Rocky Mountain High
We arrived in Denver 4 days ago for our FET. The day we arrived we just went grocery shopping, got settled into our hotel and then to dinner at Benihana. The following day, we decided to go to the water park. We had a lot of fun, despite the rain that kept threatening to fall! A friend of mine went to a water park before her FET and she now has beautiful 13 month old twins...I hope to follow in her footsteps!
The morning of the FET we had breakfast and then I went to the fitness center to work out a little. I wanted to do whatever I could to be tired for bedrest. On the way to CCRM I was feeling very anxious. I can't really remember feeling like this before any other transfer...it was intense. Soon after our arrival, I had my blood drawn to check my estrogen and progesterone levels. Then up to the second floor where the FET would be. The acupuncturist on staff that day came to get me around 10:40 am. I told her I have never looked so forward to acupuncture and a valium in my life! She laughed at my honesty! She was fantastic. I felt immediately calmed down with the first session...thank God! Then, after the needles came out she said she'd send the nurse in with my valium...yippee!! After that, the ultrasound nurse came in and said my bladder was very full so I was allowed to empty it a little...oh that was wonderful! haha! I felt so much better after that.
The doctor came in a short while later and got me "in position". While I was looking at the ultrasound screen I saw the door open, but didn't think much more about it other than, "uh, hello...who is that while my legs are up in the air?!" It was the embryologist with a big incubator carrying our babies. She showed us a picture of our embyros on a monitor. They were beautiful...even hatching! The transfer couldn't have gone any smoother. They were only out of the incubator for less than 20 seconds before they were back inside me...hopefully for the long haul!
After the transfer, I had the second part of my acupuncture treatment. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. R told me I was snoring! haha!
So now here I am, day 2 of bedrest. R has been great waiting on my every whim. He even bought me a chick flick I've been wanting to see...maybe we will watch it tonight! I am technically off bedrest tomorrow. I am going to take it easy though. I think we may go to brunch at Mimi's. They don't have one in Michigan...it is probably a good thing or I'd be huge! Today he brought lunch from the Cheesecake Factory. If you have one near you and you have never tried the Mac n Cheese balls...you must! OMG, they are good!
I'd like to stay on bedrest until about 1pm tomorrow...that will be exactly 48 hours after the FET was completed. My best friend who lives in Colorado Springs is coming up with her family for dinner tomorrow. Then we are homeward bound on Monday morning.
Bedrest is boring, but I don't care. As long as I have a baby or babies to hold at the end of all this, then this lovely nest that has developed on the back of my head from laying down for so long will be more than worth it. Whenever I start to get really bored I think of my good friend who spent 13 weeks on bedrest and I know how lucky I am that it is only a couple of days and I suck it up!
The morning of the FET we had breakfast and then I went to the fitness center to work out a little. I wanted to do whatever I could to be tired for bedrest. On the way to CCRM I was feeling very anxious. I can't really remember feeling like this before any other transfer...it was intense. Soon after our arrival, I had my blood drawn to check my estrogen and progesterone levels. Then up to the second floor where the FET would be. The acupuncturist on staff that day came to get me around 10:40 am. I told her I have never looked so forward to acupuncture and a valium in my life! She laughed at my honesty! She was fantastic. I felt immediately calmed down with the first session...thank God! Then, after the needles came out she said she'd send the nurse in with my valium...yippee!! After that, the ultrasound nurse came in and said my bladder was very full so I was allowed to empty it a little...oh that was wonderful! haha! I felt so much better after that.
The doctor came in a short while later and got me "in position". While I was looking at the ultrasound screen I saw the door open, but didn't think much more about it other than, "uh, hello...who is that while my legs are up in the air?!" It was the embryologist with a big incubator carrying our babies. She showed us a picture of our embyros on a monitor. They were beautiful...even hatching! The transfer couldn't have gone any smoother. They were only out of the incubator for less than 20 seconds before they were back inside me...hopefully for the long haul!
After the transfer, I had the second part of my acupuncture treatment. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. R told me I was snoring! haha!
So now here I am, day 2 of bedrest. R has been great waiting on my every whim. He even bought me a chick flick I've been wanting to see...maybe we will watch it tonight! I am technically off bedrest tomorrow. I am going to take it easy though. I think we may go to brunch at Mimi's. They don't have one in Michigan...it is probably a good thing or I'd be huge! Today he brought lunch from the Cheesecake Factory. If you have one near you and you have never tried the Mac n Cheese balls...you must! OMG, they are good!
I'd like to stay on bedrest until about 1pm tomorrow...that will be exactly 48 hours after the FET was completed. My best friend who lives in Colorado Springs is coming up with her family for dinner tomorrow. Then we are homeward bound on Monday morning.
Bedrest is boring, but I don't care. As long as I have a baby or babies to hold at the end of all this, then this lovely nest that has developed on the back of my head from laying down for so long will be more than worth it. Whenever I start to get really bored I think of my good friend who spent 13 weeks on bedrest and I know how lucky I am that it is only a couple of days and I suck it up!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Love is a Battlefield
Thanks for the title, Pat Benetar! The love is for my little snowbabies...the battlefield, well that is still my abdomen. Today, when I removed the 3 patches from Sunday, thankfully I did not have any more blisters...just itchy welts. I got a call back from the nurse and the other form of estrogen they use is also a patch. I used this other patch once before and, while I didn't have the extreme reaction I had the other day, I still had a reaction. And the patches are about 4 times the size of the ones I have now! So, call it "motherly love" if you want, but if this is what my body needs to make a cozy environment for my babies, I will slather on the neosporin and deal with it! I suppose it is just yet another means to a happy ending! That all being said, I have 4 brand new patches on today and I will trade them for 4 fresh ones on Thursday! If the welts persist, I'm going to have to find some new real estate for them to reside...or we can just play checkers on my stomach to pass the time on bedrest!!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
YEOUCH!!!!
I have been on estrogen patches for a little over a week now and I have always had some irritation wherever I place the patches. Today, however, was a new kind of irritation. I have actually developed little blisters...they itch and hurt all at the same time. It is so not fun! I have a call into my nurse to see if I can do another form of estrogen. If this is what is best, I will tough it out, but if there is something that is just as effective, I am all for it! Here are some pics of my lovely tummy after removing the patches. (don't mind my bloatedness!)
This one is from later in the day...the blisters are the tiny little darker areas...the rest of the red area is like a little raised itchy welt.
Fun, huh?! I have 3 new ones on until I hear from the nurse...hopefully this was an isolated incident!
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