OB Appointment today went great. I have gained a good deal since the last visit, but Dr. wasn't too concerned. About 7 lbs. Considering all of the holidays and extra food, guess a little more than usual is expected. : )
My blood pressure was good at 109/66 and the baby's heart rate was 133.
Apparently, C's Grandfather is a retired OB and actually worked with our OB several years ago. He called our OB to talk to her and say hi and that she was seeing his Granddaughter. Hehe. I mentioned it to Dr. B and we talked a little about the conversation. She said when he first started talking to her that he didn't mention any names, but then once he told her my name and I was the surrogate, she knew exactly who he was talking about it. Such a small world.
My company Christmas party is coming up and it is at a bowling alley, so I talked to her about that as well and she said that it would be fine for me to bowl. Yea! She was more concerned about a shoulder or elbow injury. She said to just be conscious of my balance. I did also talk to her about the Pertussis vaccine and she said that I can get it anytime before the baby is born. She said that it has been quite prevalent recently and that if I get the vaccine, it will protect the baby for 6 months after birth as well. I had talked to C about this prior to the appointment as well and she already has the vaccine and was going to tell W to get set up to get a booster too. Typically, anyone that will be around the baby will need the vaccine. I will get it at one of my appointments over the next few weeks.
Showing posts with label Appointments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appointments. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
OB Appointment
Had an OB appointment today to check on this little one and everything is going well. I just took the morning off work since my appointment was for 8:45am. I stopped for a Jamba Juice on my way to the Dr's office since I didn't really have time to eat anything quite yet. I headed to Dr. B's office, got signed in and waited for my appointment. "C" got called to NY for a luncheon, so wasn't able to make it, but these appointments are usually pretty short anyway, so no worries at all. I got called back, gave my urine sample, which all came back clear. Then I got on the scale. Only gained .2 lbs since the last visit. Not bad at all and I'll take it, as I know there will be plenty added on in the next few weeks.
Blood pressure was good too at 128/72 and baby's HR was 145. I recorded the OB's Doppler to send to "C" after the appointment. Dr. B said that everything is going fine and will see me again in 4 weeks. So our next OB appointment is in 4 weeks and it's actually scheduled the day before our US appointment. : ) I know it will be here before we know it.
Blood pressure was good too at 128/72 and baby's HR was 145. I recorded the OB's Doppler to send to "C" after the appointment. Dr. B said that everything is going fine and will see me again in 4 weeks. So our next OB appointment is in 4 weeks and it's actually scheduled the day before our US appointment. : ) I know it will be here before we know it.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Absolutely wonderful day!!
Such a busy, but completely wonderful day!!! I was off work and got to sleep in a "little". About an hour, but hey, I'll take it. Any extra sleep is great. Our youngest DS broke his ankle several weeks ago and was originally scheduled for a follow up appointment on the 20th. I ended up having a colleague off that day, so it would be really hard for me to take him. I was already off for the day for the two baby appointments, so called to see if I could get his appointment rescheduled. Luckily, I was able to reschedule for today at 9am. He's had a boot on for a little over 3 weeks and it was a great appointment and he finally got it off. The Dr. said it actually healed really well and the bone had fused back together, which rarely happens. He will have an air cast for another 4-6 weeks when he does any physical activity and has to do some physical therapy too to help prevent re-injury. After I finished at his appointment, I grabbed him some lunch and took him back to school. I grabbed a sandwich for myself too, but could only eat half of it.
After I ate my sandwich, I headed to the airport to pick up "C". "W" had to work, so wasn't able to make it, but hoping he will be able to come up for the next one. I picked her up and we headed to the Perinatologist's office. It was only about 10 minutes from the airport, so we were there really early. I knew there would be some paperwork, so it worked out just fine. We got all the paperwork filled out and got to visit for a while before they called us back. "C" gave me a gift. It was so sweet! She gave me some soaps that look like macaroons and a gift card to Loft. It was such a thoughtful gift and I'm so grateful. The interesting thing is that I was looking at their maternity stuff on line last night.
I think we were both excited, anxious and nervous all at the same time. It has been 5 weeks since our last ultrasound, so we were both ready to see the baby again. I was so excited for her to see the baby today because he/she would really look more like a baby. The nurse called us back and we headed to the room. I told her about my "retroverted" uterus, so she had me go ahead and undress from the waist down in case they needed to do a vaginal ultrasound to get the measurements they needed. They had a nice big sheet to put over, so no worries. The Dr. came in and tried to traditional ultrasound first and it actually worked. I had my camera, so I recorded the whole thing. As soon as he started, I watched the screen so intently for that HB flicker or the smallest movement. I saw the baby kicking and just felt so relieved. Knowing the baby is good and we are now in the 2nd trimester made me feel so good. I had been feeling a few flutters for a week or two, but it's so early, I just wanted that reassurance and I'm sure "C" did too. The baby was kicking and the Dr. pointed out all the parts.....legs, arms, face, eyes, etc. He tried to see if he could tell the sex, but he said he couldn't really see anything, which he said means it could be a girl or a boy. ; ) That works out just fine for "C" because she doesn't want to know just yet anyway. "W" wants to know, so if the Dr. could tell, they were just going to put it in an envelope for them. I did have to ask him to listen to the HB, which he so nicely obliged. I recorded that too, so that I could send it to C & W. Such a great appointment!
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| Profile with hand to face. |
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| Profile with kicking legs. |
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| Face - Yes it looks like a skeleton at this point, but you can see the eyes and nose pretty easily. |
After our appointment, we discussed grabbing something to eat, but figured we would just go ahead and drive over to my OB and see if we could get in early there too. I wasn't really hungry yet after the half sandwich I ate and had a granola bar I could snack on in the car anyway, so that would tide me over. "C" said she wasn't really hungry either. The offices were only about a 30 minute drive apart, so we ended up at the OB's office around 2:30. We had such great conversation in the car on the way there and then when we were waiting to be called back for the appointment. We talked about nursery themes and if she thought they could hold out on knowing the sex. I told her I would be happy to hang onto the envelope for them if she didn't think it would stay sealed. ; )
When we arrived the Office Manager was up front training someone and I introduced her to "C". The other front desk person was there too and I introduced her too. They are all so nice every time and it doesn't seem like that long since I was there last, but it's been over a year since my postpartum visit. The entire staff is so friendly and supportive and I hope they made feel "C" as comfortable as I thought they did. After about 30 minutes, we were called back. Not too bad. I weighed first and then had to provide a urine sample, which is done at every appointment. They check for protein in it to make sure everything is going well. Weight was good and blood pressure was great too. 114/70. I absolutely love Dr. B and she was so sweet. She came in and was so nice to "C" too. She did a cervical check and asked how everything was going. She asked me if I had any questions and then asked "C" if she had any questions. She asked her a couple of questions and then we were all done.
We headed out and when we were a little out the door, I remembered I needed to get my parking ticket validated. LOL! I had put it in my purse, so had forgotten about it. We got to the elevator (which was SO slow) and the first time it came around, it was completely full. The 2nd time, it only had one person, so we headed down to the car. It was around 4pm and "C"s flight wasn't until 8:45, so we thought we would go ahead and grab an early dinner since we were both getting hungry at this point. We decided to eat at La Madeleine. I hadn't eaten there in forever and neither had "C", so it was a great option.
We got our food and sat down. It was nice to just relax for a bit. We continued our conversation and it was so nice to visit with her about so many different things. We talked about babies, mums, what my kids were up to, their family and tons of other stuff. We finished eating around 5pm and headed back to the airport. I couldn't have asked for a better visit and was so glad she was able to come and spend the day with me. They are going to make such wonderful parents!!!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
OMG, OMG!!!
I am so excited!! Only 2 more sleeps until I get to see "C" and this little one. The time has definitely been flying. I can't believe we're almost out of the first trimester. Monday will be a very busy and big day. I was able to reschedule DS's orthopedist appointment for Monday morning at 9am to follow up on his broken ankle. Truly hoping we can get his boot off. I'll be picking "C" up at the airport at noon and then we are heading to the Perinatologist right after for the NT scan at 1pm. We will get see this little one again. : )
At the NT scan, the Dr. could probably take a guess at the sex since we will be over 13 weeks, although, only "W" wants to know right now. "C" wants it to be a surprise, so we will probably have them put it in a sealed envelope and save it for later (unless they decide to wait until the baby is born). I'm not evening going to hazard a guess at this point. So many people have "feelings" about what they're having, but honestly, the only one I got right, was my first. I've been wrong about all the others, including baby "E", so think I'll just keep this one to myself too. LOL!
After the NT Scan, we will head over to my OB for our first appointment with her. I absolutely love my OB. I just started going to her with my pregnancy with "E", but decided to just stay with the practice. The only draw back is that it is so far from the house. I've delivered all my kiddos and baby "E" all at the same hospital, so that will be nice.
Pretty sure I've felt a little bit of movement from this little one over the last week too. It's so hard to tell this early, but it's so neat to feel it. I've tried to find the heartbeat with the Doppler a few times, but I know it's definitely super early (for me at least). I did pick it up for just a second one night at 166, but couldn't keep it. I have a retroverted uterus, which means it's tilted to the back and can take longer for things to be pushed up. I don't think I picked up "E" with the Doppler until around 14 weeks. I'm anxious to see if they will be able to do a traditional ultrasound or if they will need to do a vaginal ultrasound tomorrow. They tried traditional with "E", but had to switch to the vaginal because they couldn't get the view they needed with the traditional.
Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep Sunday night before the big day.
At the NT scan, the Dr. could probably take a guess at the sex since we will be over 13 weeks, although, only "W" wants to know right now. "C" wants it to be a surprise, so we will probably have them put it in a sealed envelope and save it for later (unless they decide to wait until the baby is born). I'm not evening going to hazard a guess at this point. So many people have "feelings" about what they're having, but honestly, the only one I got right, was my first. I've been wrong about all the others, including baby "E", so think I'll just keep this one to myself too. LOL!
After the NT Scan, we will head over to my OB for our first appointment with her. I absolutely love my OB. I just started going to her with my pregnancy with "E", but decided to just stay with the practice. The only draw back is that it is so far from the house. I've delivered all my kiddos and baby "E" all at the same hospital, so that will be nice.
Pretty sure I've felt a little bit of movement from this little one over the last week too. It's so hard to tell this early, but it's so neat to feel it. I've tried to find the heartbeat with the Doppler a few times, but I know it's definitely super early (for me at least). I did pick it up for just a second one night at 166, but couldn't keep it. I have a retroverted uterus, which means it's tilted to the back and can take longer for things to be pushed up. I don't think I picked up "E" with the Doppler until around 14 weeks. I'm anxious to see if they will be able to do a traditional ultrasound or if they will need to do a vaginal ultrasound tomorrow. They tried traditional with "E", but had to switch to the vaginal because they couldn't get the view they needed with the traditional.
Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep Sunday night before the big day.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Appointments Scheduled
After lots of emails back and forth, the first appointments are finally scheduled. We decided to go ahead and schedule the appointment with the MFM and my OB in the same day, so that C&W don't have to come twice in such a short period of time. They are both scheduled for Monday, 9/16. C&W decided to do the ultrascreen testing, which tests for downs and Trisomy 21 and 18. I did the blood work for this test last week and the apt with the MFM will be for the NT (nuchal translucency) scan part of the test. After the specialist appointment, we will head over to my OB's office for the first visit with her.
I am so excited to see C and the baby again. Unfortunately, W has some work stuff that he wasn't able to get out of, so we will try to Skype or at least video the appointment so that he can see his little one again too. It's going to be so neat, because the baby will be so much bigger and truly resemble a baby by then. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!
I am so excited to see C and the baby again. Unfortunately, W has some work stuff that he wasn't able to get out of, so we will try to Skype or at least video the appointment so that he can see his little one again too. It's going to be so neat, because the baby will be so much bigger and truly resemble a baby by then. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!
Friday, August 16, 2013
2nd Ultrasound Appointment
Today was our 2nd ultrasound. C & W are traveling, so weren't able to make it to this one. We were going to try to reschedule for Tuesday, but they wouldn't be able to make it then either, so we just decided to keep the appointment for today. I decided to take the afternoon off because I had to get some A/C work done, so figured I would head home after the ultrasound appointment. Went into work and was pretty busy, so definitely kept my mind occupied. I was so excited for the appointment. As I walked out of the office for my appointment, my mind wondered a little and wasn't too happy with it. I knew in my heart that everything was fine and the appointment would be great, but honestly, I went through so much with the 1st cycle of my last journey and with the chemical on our first try this time, I think I wanted to prepare myself for everything. As much as I didn't want to think anything negatively, it's like I just couldn't keep myself from doing it. Anytime a negative thought would enter, I would just think of something positive. "Everything is fine", "I'm still having all my symptoms", "I haven't had anymore bleeding"......I would send thoughts to the baby, "Your mommy and daddy love you so much already", "They are so excited", "Just keep growing", "stay strong".
Before I became a surrogate, some of the negative thoughts would have never crossed my mind. I always think of the saying, "ignorance is bliss", because in this situation, it totally is. You become so much more aware of all the things that could happen through this process. Definitely my least favorite part, but I've learned to deal with it.
I got to the RE's office and didn't have to wait long before being called back. I did however, have a bit of a wait once I got in the room. I was so excited and anxious to see what was going on with this little one. The nurse came in to let me know that he Dr. was with another patient and running a little behind. I totally understood. I just think of the last ultrasound and how they saw me unexpectedly when I had my bleeding episode. Maybe someone else was going through the same thing. I could wait a little longer. The Dr. finally came in after about 30 minutes. She asked me how I was doing and if I had any more bleeding. I told her that I hadn't and then she started the US. Just a few seconds after starting, she said that everything is looking good and that the baby is much bigger than the last time. Measuring around 8w4d and HB was 167!! Yea!!! So excited for C&W and this little sweet pea. Dr. said baby is measuring a little under an inch long. Amazing! At the end of the appointment, I recorded the Dr. telling about the parts of the baby. The head and how the brain is developing, the arm buds, the heartbeat, the cord and the blood going through it and then the leg buds too. It was so nice of her. I texted the video to C&W right after the appointment. Now we just wait for them to send the report to the clinic in Houston and then wait for the next steps. I'm still on PIO each day and 1 vaginal Estrace and Prometrium each night. I think my next appointment will be with my OB. ; ) I am so much more at ease now and can't wait to keep watching this little one grow!
Before I became a surrogate, some of the negative thoughts would have never crossed my mind. I always think of the saying, "ignorance is bliss", because in this situation, it totally is. You become so much more aware of all the things that could happen through this process. Definitely my least favorite part, but I've learned to deal with it.
I got to the RE's office and didn't have to wait long before being called back. I did however, have a bit of a wait once I got in the room. I was so excited and anxious to see what was going on with this little one. The nurse came in to let me know that he Dr. was with another patient and running a little behind. I totally understood. I just think of the last ultrasound and how they saw me unexpectedly when I had my bleeding episode. Maybe someone else was going through the same thing. I could wait a little longer. The Dr. finally came in after about 30 minutes. She asked me how I was doing and if I had any more bleeding. I told her that I hadn't and then she started the US. Just a few seconds after starting, she said that everything is looking good and that the baby is much bigger than the last time. Measuring around 8w4d and HB was 167!! Yea!!! So excited for C&W and this little sweet pea. Dr. said baby is measuring a little under an inch long. Amazing! At the end of the appointment, I recorded the Dr. telling about the parts of the baby. The head and how the brain is developing, the arm buds, the heartbeat, the cord and the blood going through it and then the leg buds too. It was so nice of her. I texted the video to C&W right after the appointment. Now we just wait for them to send the report to the clinic in Houston and then wait for the next steps. I'm still on PIO each day and 1 vaginal Estrace and Prometrium each night. I think my next appointment will be with my OB. ; ) I am so much more at ease now and can't wait to keep watching this little one grow!
Friday, August 2, 2013
Scary day with a great ending
The morning started a little rough. Probably the most nauseous I've felt so far, but luckily, it still only stayed as nausea. I headed to the clinic for the blood draw. Just routine these days. The monitoring clinic is always pretty quick and most times I can still make it to work a little before 8 and today was no different.
I ate some oatmeal when I got to work and that helped the nausea quite a bit. I got hungry a little later (which is not unusual), so I ate a banana and that helped. I had been texting with C some over the morning discussing the day and dinner later. Trying to decide on where we were going to eat. We ultimately decided on Railhead BBQ near the downtown area. Around lunch time, I went to get lunch at CFA for the office, since that's what we all wanted. On my way back, I was having a little cramping and thought since I had eaten a banana and hadn't had as much water (usually have 44oz. by noon and had only had around 30 oz) that it was just constipation. I had eaten about half my sandwich and just didn't feel like eating the rest of it. I through the rest of it in the trash and still wasn't feeling 100%.
A few minutes later, I felt a very small gush and knew it was a little more than the usual from my meds. I went straight to the bathroom and my fear was confirmed. I was bleeding and it was bright red. Not a lot, but definitely made me panic for a few minutes. Luckily, I had on a panty liner because the vaginal Estrace can stain blue if I don't, so only a little got on my underwear. As I'm sitting there wondering what to do, I just keep telling myself, "It's common. It happens a lot. Stay calm." I had some bleeding with Baby "E" too, so I knew it didn't necessarily mean anything bad, but I wanted to be sure. I texted Gayle to let her know since she was going to meet us at the clinic for the appointment at 4pm and then told the other manager in my office, as she's aware of the journey. I told her I was going to run to Walgreen's to grab some pads, since I didn't have any on me. On my way, I went ahead and called Gayle and decided I would go ahead and run to the clinic, since it was only 5 minutes away. Pretty sure they would go ahead and see me immediately. I got there and let them know what was going on and they said they could go ahead and get me in right then. Thank goodness. I hadn't call C & W yet, but knew they were on there way. I wanted to know either way and would decide how to move forward after the ultrasound. The Dr. came in and of course we discussed that bleeding can be common with IVF pregnancies and we all (my surro sisters) tell each other the same thing all the time. I think there have been 4 other ladies in one of my group that have had bleeding around this time (or earlier) and all has been well. I just kept thinking positive thoughts and praying that this little one was ok. She started the ultrasound and I didn't have a great look at the screen, but was looking for the little flicker of the heartbeat. She said everything looked normal and then we saw the heartbeat. The baby measured 6w4d and the HB was 120. She did say that I had an SCH (see below for more info) that is measuring 3x1, which I think is smaller than the one with "E". I think that one was a 7x3. Hoping that it will just reabsorb and resolve on it's own. OMGosh!! What a relief! She was totally good with me coming back at 4pm with C & W too. Such a great clinic. I decided that I wasn't going to say anything to C & W about it until our appointment later in the afternoon. I didn't want to ruin that moment of them seeing their baby and hearing the heartbeat for the first time. Such a big milestone. I wanted them to remember the joy that they would feel when they found out this little one is progressing along, not all the drama that I experienced earlier in the day.
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| C & W's Sweet "Pea" (as that's the size of the baby right now) |
I left the clinic and headed back to work. I hadn't been gone very long. I was scheduled to leave the office at 3pm, so decided to stay until around 3:40pm to make up the time I was gone for "lunch". I called Gayle to let her know and then worked for the rest of the afternoon, until 3:40pm. I left and headed over to the clinic. The bleeding had definitely slowed down and I was feeling a little better. I texted C to let her know I was leaving the office and heading to the clinic. She said that they would be there right around 4pm and we couldn't have planned it much better. When I got there, there were 2 other couples in the office. Not long after I got there C & W walked in and a few minutes after that, Gayle and her husband arrived. We all joked in the exam room about what the other couples thought of us. We were quite a bit entourage. Two couples and me. LOL! We got back to the room and visited in there for a while until the Dr. came in. She came in and asked how everyone was doing. I didn't realize she had met them in the hall, so I introduced them to her. She asked how everything was going and I said it was good. She asked if I had told them and I said no. We filled them in at that point. She said, "she had a little bleeding earlier" and I said, but everything is fine. I know they were probably a little worried at that point and we explained that it can be quite common in IVF pregnancies. The Dr. said, "yes, everything is fine." and they seemed a little relieved after that. She started the exam and she said that everything looked good. Baby measured 6w3d and HB was 117. Measurements are good and they can vary a little more when they are SO small. This little one is about 1/4 inch long. C got teary and it made me teary. I'm so happy for them. I can't wait for them to hold this little one in their arms. We took some pictures together after the appointment with the ultrasound pictures and then we headed over to C's parent's house.
We still had an hour before dinner, so they let me tag along with them because there is no way I could've driven all the way home and back by 6pm. DH was bringing the kiddos and my Mom was going to meet us there too. I was so excited. I got to see some pictures of C's brother and sister and some of the pictures from their trips to the beach. While we were there, C & W gave me a beautiful gift. I will be able to use it for my wedding ring or other jewelry. They are always so thoughtful and I really appreciate it.
After a little while, we headed to Railhead for dinner. I haven't had BBQ in forever, so it was a nice change. Plus, I'm meeting some of my surro sisters for an early dinner (Mexican food) on Sunday. We had such a great dinner and visited for a couple of hours. I was glad that my kiddos finally got to meet them. Especially DD because, as usual, she is the most fascinated with the pregnancy. I would normally wait until further along to tell her, but she's a very intuitive little girl. She knew when I got home from the transfer and kept asking, "Is there a baby in your belly." I just kept telling her soon, but you know that only lasts so long. She really cracks me up. She always kisses my belly. Now she knows who the baby's mommy is and will know who I'm talking about when I mention C & W. I'm sure we'll get together more throughout this journey and so glad that they chose me to "babysit" for them. So excited to continue on this journey with them.
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Subchorionic Bleeding During Pregnancy
Sometimes, blood clots form within the layers of the placenta. But more often than not, they heal themselves.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Happy Dance, Happy Dance!!
I am totally doing the happy dance. Today was a fantastic day. I went by the clinic for the 2nd Beta blood draw on my way into work. I'm so happy that they open at 7:30am, that way I can still make it to work by 8am. I got there a little before 7:30, so actually had to wait for them to open. There were several other people there too. I always wonder what they are there for. First consult, ultrasound, blood work, etc. and figure they may be wondering the same thing. I didn't have to wait long and then went back for the blood draw. Left around 7:40am and headed to the office. Now, to wait for the results. Here's the test from this morning, yesterday and the one from the morning of the first Beta too.
Now we just wait for the results. Today they would be testing the HcG, E2 and P4 to make sure the hormone levels are good for that too. I texted C when I was done to let her know.
I was glad I had to work today, because I knew that would help keep me busy while waiting for results. It was a pretty busy day, so didn't really worry about it until a little after lunch. At a little after 3pm, I texted C to let her know that I hadn't heard anything, but had sent our NC a "reminder" email. At close to 4pm, still hadn't heard results, but at least got an email back saying, "Still waiting!!!!" from our NC, so I least we knew she had it on her radar. I will say that she has definitely been more prompt this time around, which has made things so much less stressful. I asked if she wanted me to the monitoring clinic and around 4:30pm, I got an email saying that she was on the phone with them. Yea!! Almost got 'em. At 4:37pm, I got the call with the results......Hcg was now at 483!!! Woohoo!! That is an awesome #. Over double, which is great. We were hoping for at least 66%, which would've been 330 and double would've been 398. Our NC was so excited for us too. She said that she and Dr. M were crying they were so happy and that she was not going to leave the office until she had those results for us. She said that we would probably have the E2 and P4 back in the next day or two and would let me know as soon as those are back too. She said the next appointment will be the ultrasound and we can do that in Houston or here in FW and would be Monday, 7/29. I explained that Monday's are really tough for me, so she said anytime that week would be fine. I told her I would talk to C & W and decide if they want to do it here or in Houston and let her know.
I couldn't wait to call C, so as soon as I hung up the phone with our NC, I called her. I told her the number and explained the doubling. Now they can start telling their families. I can only imagine how hard it's been keeping it a secret. The estimated due date based on the transfer will be 3/23/14. I sent C a calendar that will calculate it for you and she said that W's birthday is 3/24. What a fabulous birthday present this little baby is going to make!
Now we just wait for the results. Today they would be testing the HcG, E2 and P4 to make sure the hormone levels are good for that too. I texted C when I was done to let her know.
I was glad I had to work today, because I knew that would help keep me busy while waiting for results. It was a pretty busy day, so didn't really worry about it until a little after lunch. At a little after 3pm, I texted C to let her know that I hadn't heard anything, but had sent our NC a "reminder" email. At close to 4pm, still hadn't heard results, but at least got an email back saying, "Still waiting!!!!" from our NC, so I least we knew she had it on her radar. I will say that she has definitely been more prompt this time around, which has made things so much less stressful. I asked if she wanted me to the monitoring clinic and around 4:30pm, I got an email saying that she was on the phone with them. Yea!! Almost got 'em. At 4:37pm, I got the call with the results......Hcg was now at 483!!! Woohoo!! That is an awesome #. Over double, which is great. We were hoping for at least 66%, which would've been 330 and double would've been 398. Our NC was so excited for us too. She said that she and Dr. M were crying they were so happy and that she was not going to leave the office until she had those results for us. She said that we would probably have the E2 and P4 back in the next day or two and would let me know as soon as those are back too. She said the next appointment will be the ultrasound and we can do that in Houston or here in FW and would be Monday, 7/29. I explained that Monday's are really tough for me, so she said anytime that week would be fine. I told her I would talk to C & W and decide if they want to do it here or in Houston and let her know.
I couldn't wait to call C, so as soon as I hung up the phone with our NC, I called her. I told her the number and explained the doubling. Now they can start telling their families. I can only imagine how hard it's been keeping it a secret. The estimated due date based on the transfer will be 3/23/14. I sent C a calendar that will calculate it for you and she said that W's birthday is 3/24. What a fabulous birthday present this little baby is going to make!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Great appointment and visit!!
Got to the hotel in Houston a little after 10pm last night. Definitely a bit exhausting to make that drive after working all day, but I think it beat getting up at 3am to make the same drive. My appointment was at 8am and C and I had discussed just meeting at the clinic at 7:45am. C & W were both going to come, along with C's mom M. C's Mom has been staying with her to help her recover from her surgery. It's funny how things work out sometimes, as I parked and started to head in, I had already gotten on the elevator and realized I had forgotten my phone, so went back up one floor to go back to the car to get it. As I was almost to the car, I saw a vehicle pull in that looked like W's and sure enough, it was them. Timing couldn't have been better. I was introduced to her Mom and we all walked in together. C looked great and I couldn't believe that she had just had major surgery just a week and a half before. She had a follow up appointment yesterday and they removed one of her drain tubes (on the right side), which is great and means that the healing is going well.
When we got upstairs, we checked in and got to visit a bit before they called us back. C came with me (for the fun part) and W and M waited in the lobby. We went back for the ultrasound and "physical" first. Dr. M actually did the ultrasound, so it was nice to see her and get to talk to her a little bit, as well as ask a couple of questions. Everything was great!! My lining was at an 8.6!!! Yea!!! I'm so glad that I asked them to start the vaginal Estrace early, so that we didn't have to push the transfer back. I was so afraid we would have to cancel and move it to August since I can't take any time off before or after due to other colleagues being on vacation. I asked Dr. M about my Estrogen level being so high after the first check and if it could cause any issues or be "too high". She said that it can only be "too low" and that a high number doesn't really impact the cycle as much. That was definitely good to hear.
After we finished the exam, C and I headed over to get my blood drawn. Such fun! They took 9 vials all together. 8 the first time and 1 the second time. Yes, I said 2nd time. She had pulled vials for all of the FDA required labs, but forgot to pull one for my second E2 check. Ugh! Good thing I'm a pretty easy stick and I'm not afraid of needles. She was really good too and didn't leave any bruising and was very apologetic that she had to do it again. She kept saying, "I'm so sorry. I always like to get them all at once." It was quite funny though because they don't use traditional tape when your done. They have some sticky bandage type material they wrap around. This time it was bright, neon green. I joked that I had on my Hulk bandages. LOL! As we were checking out, Barb came over to say that my E2 level was at 2815, which was fine. Glad it hadn't shot up a ton since the first check on Monday. She was so excited for us and I have to say that she does seem to be much more on top of things this time around. We got all of the testing done early and I don't feel rushed, which is fantastic. She said she would send me the updated calendar and that we were on for transfer July 5th.
C & I headed back to the lobby and we all headed to brunch. It was still really early, a little before 9am, so I guess you could still call it breakfast. C rode with me and I followed W and M. We went to a place in City Centre called Flora & Muse (http://floraandmuse.com/index.asp), which was right by the hotel where I was staying. We all ended up getting breakfast, since they didn't start serving lunch until 11:30am. W is a lot like my DH in that I think he would've totally ordered lunch if they had been serving it. C, her Mom and I all had the exact same thing. We got to chat and had great conversation. C's mom lives in the DFW area and coincidentally enough, not far from my work. I think it will be nice having her close because if C & W aren't able to make an appointment, I figure her Mom could join me if she would like. Her Mom is just as sweet as she is and has such a positive outlook too. When we were done with breakfast, we had that hostess take a picture of the 4 of us and one of just the 3 of us as well. We all headed back to the cars and I figured since I had a little bit of time before check out, that I would grab a short nap before making the drive back home.
I got in a good 30 minute nap and then headed back home. I was excited to see my DH and babies. The drive wasn't too bad and I even made a little stop just South of Waxahachie. I saw these Sunflower fields on my way down, but didn't really want to stop, but made a note on my phone where it was so I could stop on my way back. They were amazing and SO big. I've never really seen any up close before and when I looked even closer, the brown part is actually made up of a lot of tiny flowers (I think the seeds are in the middle of each one). Beautiful!! I had to take a few pictures and luckily, I know how to work the timer on my camera so you can see how really big they were.
When we got upstairs, we checked in and got to visit a bit before they called us back. C came with me (for the fun part) and W and M waited in the lobby. We went back for the ultrasound and "physical" first. Dr. M actually did the ultrasound, so it was nice to see her and get to talk to her a little bit, as well as ask a couple of questions. Everything was great!! My lining was at an 8.6!!! Yea!!! I'm so glad that I asked them to start the vaginal Estrace early, so that we didn't have to push the transfer back. I was so afraid we would have to cancel and move it to August since I can't take any time off before or after due to other colleagues being on vacation. I asked Dr. M about my Estrogen level being so high after the first check and if it could cause any issues or be "too high". She said that it can only be "too low" and that a high number doesn't really impact the cycle as much. That was definitely good to hear.
After we finished the exam, C and I headed over to get my blood drawn. Such fun! They took 9 vials all together. 8 the first time and 1 the second time. Yes, I said 2nd time. She had pulled vials for all of the FDA required labs, but forgot to pull one for my second E2 check. Ugh! Good thing I'm a pretty easy stick and I'm not afraid of needles. She was really good too and didn't leave any bruising and was very apologetic that she had to do it again. She kept saying, "I'm so sorry. I always like to get them all at once." It was quite funny though because they don't use traditional tape when your done. They have some sticky bandage type material they wrap around. This time it was bright, neon green. I joked that I had on my Hulk bandages. LOL! As we were checking out, Barb came over to say that my E2 level was at 2815, which was fine. Glad it hadn't shot up a ton since the first check on Monday. She was so excited for us and I have to say that she does seem to be much more on top of things this time around. We got all of the testing done early and I don't feel rushed, which is fantastic. She said she would send me the updated calendar and that we were on for transfer July 5th.
C & I headed back to the lobby and we all headed to brunch. It was still really early, a little before 9am, so I guess you could still call it breakfast. C rode with me and I followed W and M. We went to a place in City Centre called Flora & Muse (http://floraandmuse.com/index.asp), which was right by the hotel where I was staying. We all ended up getting breakfast, since they didn't start serving lunch until 11:30am. W is a lot like my DH in that I think he would've totally ordered lunch if they had been serving it. C, her Mom and I all had the exact same thing. We got to chat and had great conversation. C's mom lives in the DFW area and coincidentally enough, not far from my work. I think it will be nice having her close because if C & W aren't able to make an appointment, I figure her Mom could join me if she would like. Her Mom is just as sweet as she is and has such a positive outlook too. When we were done with breakfast, we had that hostess take a picture of the 4 of us and one of just the 3 of us as well. We all headed back to the cars and I figured since I had a little bit of time before check out, that I would grab a short nap before making the drive back home.
I got in a good 30 minute nap and then headed back home. I was excited to see my DH and babies. The drive wasn't too bad and I even made a little stop just South of Waxahachie. I saw these Sunflower fields on my way down, but didn't really want to stop, but made a note on my phone where it was so I could stop on my way back. They were amazing and SO big. I've never really seen any up close before and when I looked even closer, the brown part is actually made up of a lot of tiny flowers (I think the seeds are in the middle of each one). Beautiful!! I had to take a few pictures and luckily, I know how to work the timer on my camera so you can see how really big they were.
Monday, June 17, 2013
E2 (Estradiol/Estrogen) Check
Today was my first blood draw to check my E2, or Estradiol (Estrogen) level. I'm able to get this done at the monitoring clinic here in FW thank goodness. I can't imagine making a trip to Houston just to have my blood drawn.
The weather was horrible and I definitely had a hectic morning, but it all worked out just fine. Again, timing is everything (I'll get to that in a bit) because I ran into my surro-sister, Lisa, who was there for a lining check. I've met her a few times and she is so sweet. She is scheduled to transfer next week. Definitely helped turn my day around a little. I was running a little late to my appointment because of some car trouble. Well, specifically, the motor on the back passenger window broke, so I couldn't roll the window up. It was pouring down rain, so I had to stop at Home Depot and get some plastic and tape to make it to work in the rain. Not fun! You should've seen me. I would've laughed....and I did. Here I am in my dress and heels sprinting into Home Depot during a torrential down pour. It was THAT bad. Luckily I had my hoodie in the car, so that helped a little, but still. You know there are no close parking spots at Home Depot. It's just funny, that if I had been on time, we may have missed each other. Hehe. Now we just wait for the results.
The weather was horrible and I definitely had a hectic morning, but it all worked out just fine. Again, timing is everything (I'll get to that in a bit) because I ran into my surro-sister, Lisa, who was there for a lining check. I've met her a few times and she is so sweet. She is scheduled to transfer next week. Definitely helped turn my day around a little. I was running a little late to my appointment because of some car trouble. Well, specifically, the motor on the back passenger window broke, so I couldn't roll the window up. It was pouring down rain, so I had to stop at Home Depot and get some plastic and tape to make it to work in the rain. Not fun! You should've seen me. I would've laughed....and I did. Here I am in my dress and heels sprinting into Home Depot during a torrential down pour. It was THAT bad. Luckily I had my hoodie in the car, so that helped a little, but still. You know there are no close parking spots at Home Depot. It's just funny, that if I had been on time, we may have missed each other. Hehe. Now we just wait for the results.
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Big Day!!!
Today was the big day.....TRANSFER!!
I slept really well last night thank goodness, because today was a big day. I ended up waking up before my alarm around 6:30am, which is still an hour after I would normally wake up during the week. I took my meds, watched a little TV and then started getting ready. C had a work call at 9am and W had some work to finish up, so I was just going to eat breakfast downstairs and C would pick me up after her call to head to the clinic. My acupuncture appointment was scheduled at 11:15am. I was pretty excited for that part, as I've always been fascinated by it, but just never had the opportunity to actually do it. After I got ready, I headed downstairs for breakfast and they had a great buffet. They even had some pineapple! Yea! Pineapple is a tradition for a lot of surros since it has an enzyme, Bromelain, that is said to help with implantation. I love pineapple, so it works out just fine for me. I had some other fruit and an omelet too with spinach and mushrooms. It was a really good breakfast.
After breakfast, I headed upstairs to my room to hang out while waiting for C to finish up at work. It was a very relaxing morning. C called a little after 10 and was finished up and heading to pick me up. They only live about 5 minutes from the hotel and about 15 minutes or so from the clinic. We headed to the clinic and absent minded me, realized as we were about to pull into the parking lot, that I had left my new patient paperwork on the desk at the hotel. Luckily when we arrived, they were able to print new forms and they were really quick to fill out. It's great that the acupuncturist is actually connected to the IVF clinic, so I just had to walk across the hall when I was finished. I went back for my appointment and C waited for me in the lobby. The acupuncture was very relaxing. They use all individually wrapped needles and swab the area to put the needles with alcohol prior to inserting them. They are really teeny tiny things and a couple of them, I felt a small sting when she put a couple of them in (which she warned me about), but once they were in, I couldn't even feel them at all. She placed one or two on the top of each of my feet, one on each wrist and arm, one on my head and a couple in each ear. She placed the first set of needles and then left me to relax for about 10 minutes then came back in, made a few adjustments and left for another 15 minutes. She had some very relaxing music/water sounds playing and turned out all the lights. Once I was finished, I went back to the lobby and W had arrived. We all walked over to the IVF clinic and checked in. We didn't have to wait very long at all. I went back for blood work first and then shortly after, they came out to get us to head back for transfer. I had wondered if I had enough water to drink because I asked the nurse as I was walking back for my blood work how much I really needed to drink and she asked how much I had already. I told her and she made it seem like I was way under where I should've been. I did feel like I was starting to get the feeling that I would need to go pee soon, so I really think I was fine. She told me I should've had 32-40oz of water. Wow, that sounds a bit excessive to me. She said it takes an hour for it to get from my mouth to my bladder. I had a glass of water and orange juice with breakfast too.
When we got back to the prep area for transfer, I asked the nurse there too. (Different answer too - Crazy) At this point, I knew I had enough to drink and would be fine. I changed into the gowns and then the nurse came in with C & W to go over paperwork. She was so nice. After we all signed the consent paperwork, I took my Valium, we waited a few more minutes and then headed back to the transfer room. W had a prior commitment that he couldn't miss, so he headed out. C and I got settled in the transfer room and all the nurses were bustling around getting everything ready. The embryologist came in and asked my name, last 4 of my social, my DOB, who I was transferring for, etc. She confirmed that we were transferring one embryo. Yes, that is correct, only 1! The nurse checked my bladder to make sure that it was full enough (and it was). Shortly after that, Dr. M came in and got ready for the transfer. The embryologist came in around the same time, wheeling the embryo in with her in an incubator. C got to go over and see it under the microscope too. I made sure to ask for a picture of the embryo too, so that C would have a copy. Dr. M started the transfer and explained everything as she went. It was amazing to watch the catheter go in and actually see where she was placing the embryo. She said that my uterus looked great and that the embryo looked great too. Now we are PUPO (Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise). BETA for pregnancy confirmation is scheduled for 4/14, which is a Sunday, so I'm thinking they will push it to Monday. Now the dreaded 2WW begins.....
After I changed back into my clothes, I headed back over for my second acupuncture treatment. I actually fell asleep during the 2nd one. It was so relaxing. The Dr. actually left 2 needles in each ear and said to remove them on Monday. I can't even feel them though, so that's great.
After acupuncture, C and I took a picture in front of the beautiful fountain at the clinic and then headed to grab some lunch. We both really like Panera, so that's where we headed. We had great conversation. After lunch, she took me back to the hotel, so that I could rest and we planned on an early dinner. When I got back, I threw on my sweatpants and watched a little TV. After a few minutes, I decided to go ahead and take a nap. I slept for a good 3 hours. When I woke up, I called C to see if they were still up for dinner. They planned to pick me up at 6:45 and head to dinner. I also had an email from the clinic with my blood work results. She said everything looked good. My Estrogen was at 994 and Progesterone was 9.8.
We went to a little restaurant pretty close to the hotel and the food was great. I had a pecan crusted baked chicken with a risotto and sauteed spinach. I grabbed a piece of key lime pie to eat later because I was stuffed and there was no way I could eat another bite while we were there. Dinner was great and I had such a wonderful time visiting with both of them. The conversation comes so easily with them and it makes the whole journey that much better. I'm so glad that we got to spend some more time together during this visit. Stay tuned.
I slept really well last night thank goodness, because today was a big day. I ended up waking up before my alarm around 6:30am, which is still an hour after I would normally wake up during the week. I took my meds, watched a little TV and then started getting ready. C had a work call at 9am and W had some work to finish up, so I was just going to eat breakfast downstairs and C would pick me up after her call to head to the clinic. My acupuncture appointment was scheduled at 11:15am. I was pretty excited for that part, as I've always been fascinated by it, but just never had the opportunity to actually do it. After I got ready, I headed downstairs for breakfast and they had a great buffet. They even had some pineapple! Yea! Pineapple is a tradition for a lot of surros since it has an enzyme, Bromelain, that is said to help with implantation. I love pineapple, so it works out just fine for me. I had some other fruit and an omelet too with spinach and mushrooms. It was a really good breakfast.
After breakfast, I headed upstairs to my room to hang out while waiting for C to finish up at work. It was a very relaxing morning. C called a little after 10 and was finished up and heading to pick me up. They only live about 5 minutes from the hotel and about 15 minutes or so from the clinic. We headed to the clinic and absent minded me, realized as we were about to pull into the parking lot, that I had left my new patient paperwork on the desk at the hotel. Luckily when we arrived, they were able to print new forms and they were really quick to fill out. It's great that the acupuncturist is actually connected to the IVF clinic, so I just had to walk across the hall when I was finished. I went back for my appointment and C waited for me in the lobby. The acupuncture was very relaxing. They use all individually wrapped needles and swab the area to put the needles with alcohol prior to inserting them. They are really teeny tiny things and a couple of them, I felt a small sting when she put a couple of them in (which she warned me about), but once they were in, I couldn't even feel them at all. She placed one or two on the top of each of my feet, one on each wrist and arm, one on my head and a couple in each ear. She placed the first set of needles and then left me to relax for about 10 minutes then came back in, made a few adjustments and left for another 15 minutes. She had some very relaxing music/water sounds playing and turned out all the lights. Once I was finished, I went back to the lobby and W had arrived. We all walked over to the IVF clinic and checked in. We didn't have to wait very long at all. I went back for blood work first and then shortly after, they came out to get us to head back for transfer. I had wondered if I had enough water to drink because I asked the nurse as I was walking back for my blood work how much I really needed to drink and she asked how much I had already. I told her and she made it seem like I was way under where I should've been. I did feel like I was starting to get the feeling that I would need to go pee soon, so I really think I was fine. She told me I should've had 32-40oz of water. Wow, that sounds a bit excessive to me. She said it takes an hour for it to get from my mouth to my bladder. I had a glass of water and orange juice with breakfast too.
When we got back to the prep area for transfer, I asked the nurse there too. (Different answer too - Crazy) At this point, I knew I had enough to drink and would be fine. I changed into the gowns and then the nurse came in with C & W to go over paperwork. She was so nice. After we all signed the consent paperwork, I took my Valium, we waited a few more minutes and then headed back to the transfer room. W had a prior commitment that he couldn't miss, so he headed out. C and I got settled in the transfer room and all the nurses were bustling around getting everything ready. The embryologist came in and asked my name, last 4 of my social, my DOB, who I was transferring for, etc. She confirmed that we were transferring one embryo. Yes, that is correct, only 1! The nurse checked my bladder to make sure that it was full enough (and it was). Shortly after that, Dr. M came in and got ready for the transfer. The embryologist came in around the same time, wheeling the embryo in with her in an incubator. C got to go over and see it under the microscope too. I made sure to ask for a picture of the embryo too, so that C would have a copy. Dr. M started the transfer and explained everything as she went. It was amazing to watch the catheter go in and actually see where she was placing the embryo. She said that my uterus looked great and that the embryo looked great too. Now we are PUPO (Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise). BETA for pregnancy confirmation is scheduled for 4/14, which is a Sunday, so I'm thinking they will push it to Monday. Now the dreaded 2WW begins.....
After I changed back into my clothes, I headed back over for my second acupuncture treatment. I actually fell asleep during the 2nd one. It was so relaxing. The Dr. actually left 2 needles in each ear and said to remove them on Monday. I can't even feel them though, so that's great.
After acupuncture, C and I took a picture in front of the beautiful fountain at the clinic and then headed to grab some lunch. We both really like Panera, so that's where we headed. We had great conversation. After lunch, she took me back to the hotel, so that I could rest and we planned on an early dinner. When I got back, I threw on my sweatpants and watched a little TV. After a few minutes, I decided to go ahead and take a nap. I slept for a good 3 hours. When I woke up, I called C to see if they were still up for dinner. They planned to pick me up at 6:45 and head to dinner. I also had an email from the clinic with my blood work results. She said everything looked good. My Estrogen was at 994 and Progesterone was 9.8.
We went to a little restaurant pretty close to the hotel and the food was great. I had a pecan crusted baked chicken with a risotto and sauteed spinach. I grabbed a piece of key lime pie to eat later because I was stuffed and there was no way I could eat another bite while we were there. Dinner was great and I had such a wonderful time visiting with both of them. The conversation comes so easily with them and it makes the whole journey that much better. I'm so glad that we got to spend some more time together during this visit. Stay tuned.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Whirlwind Trip
Wow, what a day. I have had the busiest couple of days off in a long time. I'm glad I kept Thursday off too, because it was just as busy as Friday. I had to run tons of errands, then we had family pics with my favorite photog for Spring. Plus, I wanted to get a family picture before I'm pregnant again. After pictures, I had a band booster meeting at oldest DS's school. I finally got home and got to get ready for my trip to Houston today. It was definitely a whirlwind trip. My flight out was at 9am for an ultrasound appointment at 11:45am. Unfortunately C & W had to work in the AM, but C was going to meet me at the clinic at around 11:30am for the appointment. I'm so glad that she wants to be so involved. I do want them to be as involved in the entire process as they are comfortable with.
The surrogacy community is so large and I have been so blessed to have met several surro-sisters in different cities. I know of 2 in Houston that I have met before and I was so lucky that Denise volunteered to pick me up at the airport and get me to the clinic. It was a nice drive and we had some time to catch up. I got to the medical center and hung out in the lobby for a little while since I was pretty early. About 11:25, I went ahead and headed up to the clinic and checked in. Right after I checked in, C walked in. We didn't have to wait very long before they called me back. I went back for blood work first (as always) and then we headed to the room for the ultrasound. We sat and chatted while we waited for the nurse to come in to complete the procedure. It's funny that when the nurse came in, she had mentioned again that they want it to be over a 7. Really?! Is it 7 or 8?! Oh well, either way, I was already there. She took all the measurements and said that it was a 7.9. I was just hoping that would be sufficient for them to move forward and not have to push the transfer again. After the appointment, we had them page our NC so that we could confirm that the US results were acceptable and that they weren't going to need me to come back again the next day since I was scheduled to fly out that afternoon at 4:30pm. The NC came out and said that everything looked good and we would still transfer next Friday. Yea!!! Such great news.
We left the clinic and then headed out to meet W for lunch. The weather was great, so we ate outside at Cafe Express. I really enjoy talking to them and getting to know them even more each time we get together. They have been through so much and both have such a wonderful and hopeful outlook on everything. The conversation always seems so easy with them and I love that. I was a little self conscious at first because I was afraid that maybe C and I would talk more and that W wouldn't feel included, but the conversation seemed to flow well between all 3 of us. After we finished lunch, W headed out to play golf and C took me to the airport. I gave C her gift and I'm so glad she liked it. It was an Origami Owl locket that I selected each element for. She put it on right there. Made me so happy.
We headed to the airport and I was quite early, so when I checked in, it gave me the option to change my flight. I was able to get a flight out an hour earlier. Yea for not sitting at the airport forever.
The surrogacy community is so large and I have been so blessed to have met several surro-sisters in different cities. I know of 2 in Houston that I have met before and I was so lucky that Denise volunteered to pick me up at the airport and get me to the clinic. It was a nice drive and we had some time to catch up. I got to the medical center and hung out in the lobby for a little while since I was pretty early. About 11:25, I went ahead and headed up to the clinic and checked in. Right after I checked in, C walked in. We didn't have to wait very long before they called me back. I went back for blood work first (as always) and then we headed to the room for the ultrasound. We sat and chatted while we waited for the nurse to come in to complete the procedure. It's funny that when the nurse came in, she had mentioned again that they want it to be over a 7. Really?! Is it 7 or 8?! Oh well, either way, I was already there. She took all the measurements and said that it was a 7.9. I was just hoping that would be sufficient for them to move forward and not have to push the transfer again. After the appointment, we had them page our NC so that we could confirm that the US results were acceptable and that they weren't going to need me to come back again the next day since I was scheduled to fly out that afternoon at 4:30pm. The NC came out and said that everything looked good and we would still transfer next Friday. Yea!!! Such great news.
We left the clinic and then headed out to meet W for lunch. The weather was great, so we ate outside at Cafe Express. I really enjoy talking to them and getting to know them even more each time we get together. They have been through so much and both have such a wonderful and hopeful outlook on everything. The conversation always seems so easy with them and I love that. I was a little self conscious at first because I was afraid that maybe C and I would talk more and that W wouldn't feel included, but the conversation seemed to flow well between all 3 of us. After we finished lunch, W headed out to play golf and C took me to the airport. I gave C her gift and I'm so glad she liked it. It was an Origami Owl locket that I selected each element for. She put it on right there. Made me so happy.
 |
| Good luck charm for transfer. The pink charm says "hope" for a cure, the ring is for C & W's marriage, a "faith" charm, the yellow stone for fertility and the green stone for luck. |
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Ultrasound Update
Today was the ultrasound at the local clinic and it seemed to go well. I stopped by the clinic on my way in (at 7:30am) to have my blood drawn and then went back at 1:15pm for my ultrasound. I have had a couple of surro-sisters that have used this clinic and I've always heard good things. The RE was so nice and she took several measurements. A couple of the measurements were over 8 and the remainder were all over 7 with triple stripe. She said everything looked great and she would send the results to the clinic in Houston.
I headed back to work to wait for a call from the clinic. I got a call late in the afternoon and it wasn't what I wanted or hoped to hear. She told me that it did look a lot better, but that it was still not to an 8. I asked if they were looking for it to be a 7 or an 8. She said that over 7 is good, but 8 is "ideal". She said that since it wasn't an 8 yet, that they want me to have another ultrasound on Friday in Houston so that we can ensure there aren't any discrepancies with the measurements. She also said to go ahead and add a single vaginal Estrace in the evening. This will help build the lining more as well.
Well, I guess it's good that I kept my days off and we're closed on Friday. Still just a little frustrated since this means more money that C&W will have to pay and another trip to Houston for me. At least I will get to see C & W again and we are getting closer to where we need to be. One step closer to transfer.
I headed back to work to wait for a call from the clinic. I got a call late in the afternoon and it wasn't what I wanted or hoped to hear. She told me that it did look a lot better, but that it was still not to an 8. I asked if they were looking for it to be a 7 or an 8. She said that over 7 is good, but 8 is "ideal". She said that since it wasn't an 8 yet, that they want me to have another ultrasound on Friday in Houston so that we can ensure there aren't any discrepancies with the measurements. She also said to go ahead and add a single vaginal Estrace in the evening. This will help build the lining more as well.
Well, I guess it's good that I kept my days off and we're closed on Friday. Still just a little frustrated since this means more money that C&W will have to pay and another trip to Houston for me. At least I will get to see C & W again and we are getting closer to where we need to be. One step closer to transfer.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Catching up and new plan
I've had a very busy last few weeks since being on my sabbatical. Well, I called a local clinic and they were so nice and helpful. I scheduled my E2 (Estradiol) and US (lining check) for Wednesday. Luckily, they are right down the street from my office, so I'll just go in at 7:30am for the blood work and take a late lunch for the ultrasound. Let's just hope my uterus conforms to the requirements of the clinic.
Unfortunately, I have a colleague that is off on April 1st, so I wasn't able to get that time off for transfer, but I was able to get Friday, the 5th off, so it looks like that is the new transfer date. We will have to see what happens on Wed too.
Unfortunately, I have a colleague that is off on April 1st, so I wasn't able to get that time off for transfer, but I was able to get Friday, the 5th off, so it looks like that is the new transfer date. We will have to see what happens on Wed too.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Great First Visit
What an extremely long day for me, but definitely all worth it. I had my first visit at the clinic in Houston where C&W's embryos are being kept safe until transfer. I actually decided to drive instead of fly for several reasons. I'm so glad I made that decision, especially after the foggy, rainy day it turned out to be (more so in Houston than DFW). No telling if my flight may have been delayed due to the weather. That would not have been good. We had a joint psych evaluation scheduled at 10:30am and then I had my exam (hysteroscopy - I'll explain more about that later) at 12:30pm.
Because Houston is a little over 4 hours away, I decided to give myself 5 hours before my appointment time just to be on the safe side and it really couldn't have worked out much better. I was up before the sun (4:30am) and out the door about an hour later (the time I'm usually getting up to start my day). I was so excited to see C&W again and knew I wouldn't need any coffee for a little while. I figured I would stop around half way to get some coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. Traffic was light and I had some good tunes, so on my way I went.
Around 7:30am, I figured it would be a good time to stop for coffee. I opened my Starbuck's app searched for the closest store. To my surprise, the closest one showing was in Houston! Really?! I was quite disappointed. I had to go in and get coffee at the Loves Truck Stop where I was currently sitting. Needless to say, that even after the sugar and creamer I added, I only had a couple of sips. NOT good. Drove on a bit further and found a McDonald's. Got a cup of coffee and some oatmeal from there. Coffee was ok, but the oatmeal is always good and continued on my way. I usually don't drive a lot, as DH usually does the driving and I get to sleep. Hehe
I did hit a little bit of traffic once I got into Houston when I was getting onto the Tollway and a little close to my exit too. The drive itself was pretty easy without issue. The medical center the clinic is at is HUGE. Thank goodness Gayle told me what to look for when I got close. I exited and pulled right into the garage I was supposed to be in. I got in a parking spot at a little after 10 and texted hubby that I had arrived safe and sound. I headed on in for our appointment. The clinic is on the 23rd floor and has floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful view. If it hadn't been such a cloudy, gloomy day, I would've taken a picture. I'll be back for at least 2 more visits, so I'll take a picture then. C arrived a few minutes after me and W wasn't far behind. We went in for our appt and had some really good and honest conversation. Again, we had to talk about of a lot of the what ifs that are so important in ensuring that it is a good match. We talked for about an hour and then C&W had to head back to work. As we were talking on the way out, I asked C if they would be ok with me blogging publicly about the journey. She said that it would be fine and I'm so excited about it. She said she was going to start one after her diagnosis, but just didn't get a chance. We discussed the parameters and I agreed to only use their first initials and I won't post any pictures of them without their permission. I can definitely do that! I had a little less than an hour before my exam appointment, so I went to grab my laptop from the car and went to the cafeteria to grab some water and burn a little time.
At about 12:15, I headed back up to the clinic for my next appointment. This was the fun one. *sarcasm* This appointment was for a hysteroscopy, where the RE would check to make sure my uterus looks good (no cysts or issues) and is ready to carry another baby. I took a couple of Advil before because the last time I had one done, there was a little bit of cramping. Dr. M came in and started the procedure. This time, I barely felt a thing (thank goodness). The procedure took all of about 7 minutes. I think it would've only been 5 minutes, but they had some computer issues. Gotta love technology. Dr. M was taking some pictures and they got a printer error and the screen went blank, so she couldn't see anything. Thank goodness it didn't take too long to get it back on line and she took a few more pictures. I think around 5-6 all together. She said that everything looked great.
Once I got dressed, I went to get some blood work done and meet with our NC. Went to get my blood drawn and the tech pulls out 6-7 vials. I knew that was a lot and I had done a ton of blood work at my OB's office back in December at my yearly exam in anticipating another journey in the next 6 months. I had all the infectious disease screening that is typically required, along with several other tests that are usually performed. I told the tech this, so she went to check with the NC (even though I had emailed the records to the NC a couple of weeks ago and informed her of the tests I had already had). I got a bit frustrated because some of these tests are quite expensive. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind having blood drawn and have had tons of blood draws over the and I always try to save my IP's money when I can and I thought she was going to make me retake ALL of them. She came out and removed some of the tests at least. I still think they duplicated some of them and some I will have to have again 30 days before the transfer due to FDA requirements. We have to go through the same FDA testing for an embryo transfer as someone who is getting a tissue or organ transplant.
Once I was done with blood work, I went to meet with our NC and let me tell you, that was very interesting. She introduced herself and then we started talking about protocol and a mock cycle. A mock cycle is where you are placed on cycling meds as if you were doing an actual cycle to see how your body reacts to the meds. Near the end of the conversation, she said, "at the end of the mock cycle, we'll see where C is in her cycle and then sync everything up." I told her, "It's a frozen transfer". Here I am about to walk out the door with patches to start a mock cycle and she thought it was a fresh transfer this whole time. She said, "Oh wait, that changes things. We may not need to do a mock cycle since it's a frozen transfer and we can just adjust your meds and extend it out if we need to. Let me go check with Dr. M." Really? She came back and said, "Ok, nevermind. Let's start over. Hi, my name is B." I went along, "Hi B, I'm Julie." It was quite comical honestly. So instead of starting a mock with patches, I was to start BCP's immediately. Since I was on day 4, I would need to take two pills. One right away and the other before going to bed. Before I left, I did think to ask her if the embryo's were in two separate straws or if they were frozen together, as that had come up in an earlier conversation. She said that she wasn't sure and she would need to check with the lab. We are all really wanting to transfer only one, so I'm not sure if that will have an impact on an SET or not. Guess we will have to wait and see. From what I understand, there doesn't seem to be a significant risk to freeze and then refreeze an embryo and it seems to be done quite often, so we will just have to wait and see on that one. She told me that she would get busy working on the calendar as soon as she can and that she was off on Friday. She told me that we could be transferring in as early as 6 weeks. That timing works out just about perfectly for me, as I am on sabbatical for work from March 4th - 22nd. So exciting!!
After I finished with the NC, I had made plans to meet with a couple of surrogates that live in Houston for lunch. The medical center is connected to a mall, so I found myself through the maze to the entrance of the mall and we had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. It was fun and the food was yummy! Dominique and I split the avocado club egg rolls and they were really good. I'll definitely have to get those again sometime. We spent about an hour talking and it was really nice meeting some more of my surro-sisters.
After we finished lunch, I walked back through the maze (got a little turned around once), got back to the car and headed back home. I stopped at a Starbuck's in The Woodlands for coffee to help make the trip home, as it had been a long day. Lots of good memories for me in that City, so it was nice to pass through. Hit a little bit of traffic on the way home and a couple of people that wanted to go under the speed limit (a bit frustrating), but for the most part a good trip home. Got home safe and sound and texted C to let her know. I was so glad I drove because it allowed me to not feel rushed, have lunch with some wonderful ladies and really enjoy the quiet time in the car.
Looking forward to getting our calendar and moving on to the next step through this wonderful journey.
Because Houston is a little over 4 hours away, I decided to give myself 5 hours before my appointment time just to be on the safe side and it really couldn't have worked out much better. I was up before the sun (4:30am) and out the door about an hour later (the time I'm usually getting up to start my day). I was so excited to see C&W again and knew I wouldn't need any coffee for a little while. I figured I would stop around half way to get some coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. Traffic was light and I had some good tunes, so on my way I went.
Around 7:30am, I figured it would be a good time to stop for coffee. I opened my Starbuck's app searched for the closest store. To my surprise, the closest one showing was in Houston! Really?! I was quite disappointed. I had to go in and get coffee at the Loves Truck Stop where I was currently sitting. Needless to say, that even after the sugar and creamer I added, I only had a couple of sips. NOT good. Drove on a bit further and found a McDonald's. Got a cup of coffee and some oatmeal from there. Coffee was ok, but the oatmeal is always good and continued on my way. I usually don't drive a lot, as DH usually does the driving and I get to sleep. Hehe
I did hit a little bit of traffic once I got into Houston when I was getting onto the Tollway and a little close to my exit too. The drive itself was pretty easy without issue. The medical center the clinic is at is HUGE. Thank goodness Gayle told me what to look for when I got close. I exited and pulled right into the garage I was supposed to be in. I got in a parking spot at a little after 10 and texted hubby that I had arrived safe and sound. I headed on in for our appointment. The clinic is on the 23rd floor and has floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful view. If it hadn't been such a cloudy, gloomy day, I would've taken a picture. I'll be back for at least 2 more visits, so I'll take a picture then. C arrived a few minutes after me and W wasn't far behind. We went in for our appt and had some really good and honest conversation. Again, we had to talk about of a lot of the what ifs that are so important in ensuring that it is a good match. We talked for about an hour and then C&W had to head back to work. As we were talking on the way out, I asked C if they would be ok with me blogging publicly about the journey. She said that it would be fine and I'm so excited about it. She said she was going to start one after her diagnosis, but just didn't get a chance. We discussed the parameters and I agreed to only use their first initials and I won't post any pictures of them without their permission. I can definitely do that! I had a little less than an hour before my exam appointment, so I went to grab my laptop from the car and went to the cafeteria to grab some water and burn a little time.
At about 12:15, I headed back up to the clinic for my next appointment. This was the fun one. *sarcasm* This appointment was for a hysteroscopy, where the RE would check to make sure my uterus looks good (no cysts or issues) and is ready to carry another baby. I took a couple of Advil before because the last time I had one done, there was a little bit of cramping. Dr. M came in and started the procedure. This time, I barely felt a thing (thank goodness). The procedure took all of about 7 minutes. I think it would've only been 5 minutes, but they had some computer issues. Gotta love technology. Dr. M was taking some pictures and they got a printer error and the screen went blank, so she couldn't see anything. Thank goodness it didn't take too long to get it back on line and she took a few more pictures. I think around 5-6 all together. She said that everything looked great.
Once I got dressed, I went to get some blood work done and meet with our NC. Went to get my blood drawn and the tech pulls out 6-7 vials. I knew that was a lot and I had done a ton of blood work at my OB's office back in December at my yearly exam in anticipating another journey in the next 6 months. I had all the infectious disease screening that is typically required, along with several other tests that are usually performed. I told the tech this, so she went to check with the NC (even though I had emailed the records to the NC a couple of weeks ago and informed her of the tests I had already had). I got a bit frustrated because some of these tests are quite expensive. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind having blood drawn and have had tons of blood draws over the and I always try to save my IP's money when I can and I thought she was going to make me retake ALL of them. She came out and removed some of the tests at least. I still think they duplicated some of them and some I will have to have again 30 days before the transfer due to FDA requirements. We have to go through the same FDA testing for an embryo transfer as someone who is getting a tissue or organ transplant.
Once I was done with blood work, I went to meet with our NC and let me tell you, that was very interesting. She introduced herself and then we started talking about protocol and a mock cycle. A mock cycle is where you are placed on cycling meds as if you were doing an actual cycle to see how your body reacts to the meds. Near the end of the conversation, she said, "at the end of the mock cycle, we'll see where C is in her cycle and then sync everything up." I told her, "It's a frozen transfer". Here I am about to walk out the door with patches to start a mock cycle and she thought it was a fresh transfer this whole time. She said, "Oh wait, that changes things. We may not need to do a mock cycle since it's a frozen transfer and we can just adjust your meds and extend it out if we need to. Let me go check with Dr. M." Really? She came back and said, "Ok, nevermind. Let's start over. Hi, my name is B." I went along, "Hi B, I'm Julie." It was quite comical honestly. So instead of starting a mock with patches, I was to start BCP's immediately. Since I was on day 4, I would need to take two pills. One right away and the other before going to bed. Before I left, I did think to ask her if the embryo's were in two separate straws or if they were frozen together, as that had come up in an earlier conversation. She said that she wasn't sure and she would need to check with the lab. We are all really wanting to transfer only one, so I'm not sure if that will have an impact on an SET or not. Guess we will have to wait and see. From what I understand, there doesn't seem to be a significant risk to freeze and then refreeze an embryo and it seems to be done quite often, so we will just have to wait and see on that one. She told me that she would get busy working on the calendar as soon as she can and that she was off on Friday. She told me that we could be transferring in as early as 6 weeks. That timing works out just about perfectly for me, as I am on sabbatical for work from March 4th - 22nd. So exciting!!
After I finished with the NC, I had made plans to meet with a couple of surrogates that live in Houston for lunch. The medical center is connected to a mall, so I found myself through the maze to the entrance of the mall and we had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. It was fun and the food was yummy! Dominique and I split the avocado club egg rolls and they were really good. I'll definitely have to get those again sometime. We spent about an hour talking and it was really nice meeting some more of my surro-sisters.
 |
| Me, Dominique (38 wks-Singleton), and Denise |
Looking forward to getting our calendar and moving on to the next step through this wonderful journey.
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