Finally... GOOD NEWS

This morning we had an ulrasound to see if my ovaries were reacting to the hormone injections and we were pleasantly surprised to see that they were!!! I have 1 large follicle that is almost at maturity! Follicles get to 16 when considered mature and mine was at 14. This is the first time we have ever seen a follicle (except for one time when it was 3), so we are beside ourselves excited! They gave me 2 more rounds of the bravelle hormone injection that I will take tonight and tmrw night then I will give myself an HCG trigger shot to hopefully release a healthy egg. After that, Dr Casson instructed us to breed like rabits lol! He was so funny, jumping around all excited for us! Its a GREAT DAY!!!!! We will see in a couple weeks if I get my period or not... praying that I won't but understand that like the rest this is all part of the process!! Thanks everyone for your continued support!

Injection cont.

Tonight was our 3rd and final shot (for this round). I wasnt able to do it myself still but I was calm and able to watch. Getting closer! Thanks again to my wonderful hubby!

2nd Injection

Saturday I had to do my second injection. My nerves were not nearly as ramped as they were with the first. My faithful little GP (Amanda Dillon) was a good friend and did the injection for me... I haven't gotten to the point where I can do it myself, maybe the tonights?! We will see. Anyways, I failed to mention on my last post that with the first injection I used the needle meant for thigh... long enough to go through muscle! WHAT AN IDIOT, I didn't see the shorter needles until I had finished with the injection. Thank goodness hubby didn't stick it in all the way. Injection 2 was much better with the shorter skinnier needle. Thank you Amanda for being a good sport!

Injections Suck!

So my first injection totally SUCKED! I came home to a sleeping husband and in trying to be a good wife I didn't want to wake him. I nervously opened the packages to prepare my injection. HOLY SHIT that needle is a lot longer than the one the doctor used as an example. I am in a full blown sweat now and ready to have explosive diahrea at any moment. I told myself to get it together! Thoughts racing through my mind... What if I get a air bubble and die, what if I stab through a major organ, what if I pass the F out?! My mind was racing a hundred miles per hour. I prepared everything and put the needle tip back on the syringe. HOLY SHIT I can't do this. JAY!!!!!!! Wake up I need you to do this... He stumbles over and as any normal person would do he begins to look everything over to make sure he does it correctly. I snap. Full blown Raymond Fuller status and I say to him something along the lines of I already did all that shit just stick it in... Frustrated he told me to calm down and I snapped back with well I am ready to freak out just get it over with! And so he did....... I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and laid my head back. Are you doing ok he said? Yea I replied, hurry! He finishes and I just started crying! I felt a sense of relief to have the first one under my belt yet I had an overwhelming sense of defeat. The further into this we go the more anxious I get. The main question that goes through my mind is what if I can't have a kid!? I try to think about something else when I begin thinking about that but its hard. However, I know the importance of positive thinking and so I try very hard to not let myself be down for too long. I know this is just another bump in the road to something beautiful. I am blessed with my husband, he is my angel!

The time has come to stick myself...

I just returned from my ultrasound appointment which Mom (thankfully) came along to. No follicles. Another blood draw done and a meeting with Doctor Jen. The very thing I wanted to avoid was having to do injectable’s BUT it was determined that a letrozole/injectable combination is next for us. The nurse gave us a nice little tutorial on how to mix and inject the hormones which calmed my nerves about having to do them in the first place. Waiting on the fertility pharmacy to call and tell me if my insurance covers the meds. Gotta do what we gotta do right?! Hopefully it will all be worth it someday……………………………………………………….

Spread the word! Make others aware!

April 19 - April 25 is National Infertility Awareness Week! Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples. That is a very large number... too large! Many people don't want to talk about this tough subject whether it is because they are embarrassed, private, etc. but it is an IMPORTANT subject and those that are willing to talk about it can be a voice for others! I have always been a very open person, some may frown upon that but my belief is that its the people in your life who make the good times that much better and the hard times less daunting so why not share your life with them even if they don't always do so with you?! I am not bothered by those who ask questions... sure there are some days when it is easier to engage but I rely on those discussions to keep my mind focused on the "prize." If you don't struggle with infertility you can still raise awareness and I encourage you to do so... Things you can do: * Change your social media profile picture for infertility * Share information on social media * Educate yourself on the subject * Honor someone you know struggling with infertility * SHARE INFORMATION (most important) Thank you for your continued support. I have a doctor's appointment this morning for yet another ultrasound, hoping for positive news! Will update you all later.

Fingers crossed......

I apologize for not blogging sooner after my doctor’s visit. Nurse called me with blood results and my levels were where they wanted to see them. They started me on letrozole 7.5 for 5 days. I will go back and have an ultrasound in a couple weeks to see if there are any matured follicles. Because I had a menstrual cycle on my own, they held off on injectable hormones for now (phew). Fingers crossed!

Why metformin and PCOS?

Some have been asking why metformin so here is a little tidbit that may help clarify: Young women with PCOS often have elevated insulin levels and are more likely to develop diabetes. What is insulin? Insulin is a hormone made by an organ in the body called the pancreas. The food you eat is broken down into simple sugar (glucose) during digestion. Glucose is absorbed into the blood after you eat. Insulin helps glucose enter the cells of the body to be used as energy. If there’s not enough insulin in the body, or if the body can’t use the insulin, sugar levels in the blood become higher. What is insulin resistance? If your body is resistant to insulin, it means you need high levels of insulin to keep your blood sugar normal. Certain medical conditions such as being overweight or having PCOS can cause insulin resistance. Insulin resistance tends to run in families. What can insulin resistance do to me? In young women with PCOS, high insulin levels can cause the ovaries to make more androgen hormones such as testosterone. This can cause increased body hair, acne, and irregular or few periods. Having insulin resistance can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Metformin helps to regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. It makes your body more sensitive to insulin, and decreases the amount of glucose your liver releases. Research studies have shown that young women with PCOS who are overweight and who were treated with Metformin and a healthy lifestyle (healthy nutrition and exercise) were able to lose weight and lower their fasting blood sugar. Metformin is not approved by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) for PCOS, but it’s commonly prescribed for this condition.

A glimpse of hope!

Most women dread the first sign of a menstrual cycle while in my head I hope and pray that a little cramp or change in appetite could be just that! A few days ago I began to have extreme chocolate cravings, which is unusual for me because I am not big on sweets. I woke up this morning and BAM, I was BLESSED (yes I said blessed) with “Aunt Flo” herself! Some of you are probably thinking I am crazy for being excited about her arrival, but this is GREAT progress for us! 4 weeks ago when I first started metformin, I was told “I will see you in 8 weeks unless you get your period”… we were all thinking that I wouldn’t return to NRM for 8 weeks. 4 weeks on MET and I had a “NATURAL” period! By natural of course I mean it wasn’t induced by a medicine aimed for just that. Me getting my period means metformin is doing what the doctor had hoped for and it is benefitting my body. Today, although blustery and cold… the sun is shining and there is warmth in my heart. Today, we see HOPE!