I recently watched a law and order episode about an IVF mishap where embryos were created using one woman's eggs and mistakenly implanted into another women. The child was five when it was noticed. Then, of course, I am following the recent story about the wrong embryos being implanted! Ahh, I remember back to simpler times when babies just got switched after birth...in the hospital. On that note, I have been taking lupron for a couple weeks and will start stimulation drugs in the next couple days. That equates to three shots in the belly each morning. When that's all said and done, Chris will get the pleasure of practicing his IM injection technique on my rear.
We expect to do the egg retrieval the week of the 5th. Of course, in the world of infertility, nothing can actually be planned in advance.
Chris has this week off and he has an ambitious to do list. Patching holes, fixing stuff, replacing things. What a vacation!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Happenings
# One
An old fashion drive in movie theater recently opened near our house and we finally got to go. We saw a double feature, The Time Travelers Wife and The Proposal. Neither were great but it was fun none the less. We watched the first one outside our car but it got chilly so we moved inside the car for round two. Oh, and we split a goochdog, a hotdog garnished with mac and cheese and a tangy BBQ sauce. Surprisingly tasty.
# Two
We have started IVF drug protocols. So far the only side effect to the Lupron has been some slight irritability, though Chris may disagree with the word 'slight'. I go in for an ovarian ultrasound later this week to determine...well to determine something.
# Three
I got a second job. Working more than one job is pretty standard for me and it is keeping my mind on something other than the whole IVF thing. Now, Im being very optimistic in the sense that I expect to start after IVF is said and done with the expectation that I will not have to figure out how to slip away from a new job to get a blood test/ultrasound/injection. The job is as a pediatric hospice and palliative care nurse. I will work 8 hours during the week and be on call one weekend a month. Chris also got his approval to moonlight at the VA ER. He plans on working a couple 4 or 5 hour shifts a month, nothing major.
# Four
Happy Birthday Mom!
An old fashion drive in movie theater recently opened near our house and we finally got to go. We saw a double feature, The Time Travelers Wife and The Proposal. Neither were great but it was fun none the less. We watched the first one outside our car but it got chilly so we moved inside the car for round two. Oh, and we split a goochdog, a hotdog garnished with mac and cheese and a tangy BBQ sauce. Surprisingly tasty.
# Two
We have started IVF drug protocols. So far the only side effect to the Lupron has been some slight irritability, though Chris may disagree with the word 'slight'. I go in for an ovarian ultrasound later this week to determine...well to determine something.
# Three
I got a second job. Working more than one job is pretty standard for me and it is keeping my mind on something other than the whole IVF thing. Now, Im being very optimistic in the sense that I expect to start after IVF is said and done with the expectation that I will not have to figure out how to slip away from a new job to get a blood test/ultrasound/injection. The job is as a pediatric hospice and palliative care nurse. I will work 8 hours during the week and be on call one weekend a month. Chris also got his approval to moonlight at the VA ER. He plans on working a couple 4 or 5 hour shifts a month, nothing major.
# Four
Happy Birthday Mom!
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Transformation
Here's what we (well, my role is strictly limited to cheerleader) have been up to...
Before:
During:
*please note the surgical gloves and no, Chris is not naked)
After:
Before:
During:
*please note the surgical gloves and no, Chris is not naked)
After:
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Columbus, Ohio
We went to Columbus this weekend. We met up with some friends, checked out neighborhoods with a realtor, and caught a OWU soccer game.
Now if I could just fit this sculpture in our living room...
In our suite, yep, that's a 40!
I got the full but brief campus tour on our way to the soccer game. This is the Ohio Wesleyan University chapel. I just love old campus buildings.
This sign humors me, perhaps more than it should. No people allowed here in Ohio!
Overall, it was a much nicer city than I expected. I really liked one of the areas, Arlington. Go figure. Currently it's on the bottom of the short list. Warning: list changes regularly;)
Now if I could just fit this sculpture in our living room...
In our suite, yep, that's a 40!
I got the full but brief campus tour on our way to the soccer game. This is the Ohio Wesleyan University chapel. I just love old campus buildings.
This sign humors me, perhaps more than it should. No people allowed here in Ohio!
Overall, it was a much nicer city than I expected. I really liked one of the areas, Arlington. Go figure. Currently it's on the bottom of the short list. Warning: list changes regularly;)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Nitty Gritty
This is our morphed child! I found a website that morphs pictures of two people. While I did morph myself with Brad Pitt, this baby is actually the morph of Chris and I.
I asked for opinions (thank you to everyone who emailed, called, and posted), but then I realized I didn’t really give enough facts to support much of an opinion. First, when you look at the statistics between doing injectables, 15% chance of working, and IVF, 50% chance of working it seems obvious to do IVF. Here’s the zinger…
One round of injectables = $200
One round of IVF = ~$12,000
Nope, you read that right. The zeros are correct! It's certainly financially worth it to try the injectables again but I'm not sure it's emotionally woth it anymore.
Now, for the second…
As for adoption, contrary to what people believe, there are not an abundance of babies out there. There are however an abundance of children that need homes. Cost to adopt a baby in the US ~ $10,000-$20,000. Cost to adopt a child in the foster care system ~ 0. At this time we want a baby (figures, I always want what is more expensive;).
An adoption worker recently told me that many people give there babies to people who can not have a child and who do not already have a child. This makes sense because they what to feel as if they are giving a couple something they could never have otherwise. So, with that said, if we do have a baby through IVF we could still adopt afterwards for baby #2, but it is possible less birthmothers would choose us. Another thing I was told is that birthmothers often choose young couples and in the adoption world we are as young as it gets (the longer we wait the less young we get;).
Also, when you pay the adoption fees you will have a baby in the end vs. when you pay the IVF fees you may have a baby. What if we spend all of our money on IVF and it fails will we have enough to move on to adoption?? Truth be told, Chris and I would work overtime and find a way but it wouldn’t be ideal.
So, why not adopt now and do IVF later? Turns out women in their mid-30’s are considered senior citizens in the IF world. In other words, the younger you do IVF the better your odds.
Yep, we are pretty much screwed either way. We don’t want an only child. In fact, we have considered adopting a baby and then moving forth with IVF right away. We think once we have a baby then we will be less stressed about having a baby…make sense?
What I’d really like to do is move ahead with the adoption process while doing IVF. However, it appears that many agencies do not allow this. There thinking is that you still want a biological child but you will settle for an adopted one. Really, I just want a baby!
One of my biggest hesitations with adoption is that I will be sitting around helpless while we wait and I will go insane…no literally, insane. As I was recently reminded, patience is not a virtue of mine (thanks Summer). At least with IVF I will have many, many appointments and procedures and I will feel as if I am doing something. On the other hand, all the appointments with my job…man oh man.
Anyway, we have our consultation with our RE next Wednesday and the adoption orientation meeting a day later. While, I still believe we will move ahead with IVF we both want to explore our options. This is offically my longest post ever....
I asked for opinions (thank you to everyone who emailed, called, and posted), but then I realized I didn’t really give enough facts to support much of an opinion. First, when you look at the statistics between doing injectables, 15% chance of working, and IVF, 50% chance of working it seems obvious to do IVF. Here’s the zinger…
One round of injectables = $200
One round of IVF = ~$12,000
Nope, you read that right. The zeros are correct! It's certainly financially worth it to try the injectables again but I'm not sure it's emotionally woth it anymore.
Now, for the second…
As for adoption, contrary to what people believe, there are not an abundance of babies out there. There are however an abundance of children that need homes. Cost to adopt a baby in the US ~ $10,000-$20,000. Cost to adopt a child in the foster care system ~ 0. At this time we want a baby (figures, I always want what is more expensive;).
An adoption worker recently told me that many people give there babies to people who can not have a child and who do not already have a child. This makes sense because they what to feel as if they are giving a couple something they could never have otherwise. So, with that said, if we do have a baby through IVF we could still adopt afterwards for baby #2, but it is possible less birthmothers would choose us. Another thing I was told is that birthmothers often choose young couples and in the adoption world we are as young as it gets (the longer we wait the less young we get;).
Also, when you pay the adoption fees you will have a baby in the end vs. when you pay the IVF fees you may have a baby. What if we spend all of our money on IVF and it fails will we have enough to move on to adoption?? Truth be told, Chris and I would work overtime and find a way but it wouldn’t be ideal.
So, why not adopt now and do IVF later? Turns out women in their mid-30’s are considered senior citizens in the IF world. In other words, the younger you do IVF the better your odds.
Yep, we are pretty much screwed either way. We don’t want an only child. In fact, we have considered adopting a baby and then moving forth with IVF right away. We think once we have a baby then we will be less stressed about having a baby…make sense?
What I’d really like to do is move ahead with the adoption process while doing IVF. However, it appears that many agencies do not allow this. There thinking is that you still want a biological child but you will settle for an adopted one. Really, I just want a baby!
One of my biggest hesitations with adoption is that I will be sitting around helpless while we wait and I will go insane…no literally, insane. As I was recently reminded, patience is not a virtue of mine (thanks Summer). At least with IVF I will have many, many appointments and procedures and I will feel as if I am doing something. On the other hand, all the appointments with my job…man oh man.
Anyway, we have our consultation with our RE next Wednesday and the adoption orientation meeting a day later. While, I still believe we will move ahead with IVF we both want to explore our options. This is offically my longest post ever....
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Decisions - Decisions
The decision of the moment is that we are moving towards IVF. I feel so much better after making any big decision....now if we could only decide where to start our family I'd feel even better. But, the fact of the matter is we have to figure out what the baby situation holds for us before we can move forward. To get even further into this tangent, we are visiting Columbus Ohio in about a week in an effort to come closer to this decision. I know, I know, you are thinking 'Columbus Ohio! What?'...well, Chris lived there for college and it's like his Austin (which, btw, we have already looked at).
I digress. Back to the decision made. Tomorrow I will make a consultation appointment with our RE. I reserve the right to change my mind after said consultation! In September we are also going to an adoption orientation at a local agency...just in case. Best case scenario, we get pregnant all natural the old fashion way this month!
I digress. Back to the decision made. Tomorrow I will make a consultation appointment with our RE. I reserve the right to change my mind after said consultation! In September we are also going to an adoption orientation at a local agency...just in case. Best case scenario, we get pregnant all natural the old fashion way this month!
Friday, August 28, 2009
what's a girl to do?
Not pregnant. Went to the doctor today. Have many cysts on both ovaries. Can't proceed with treatments this month. Sucks.
Option 1: Wait a month and proceed with injectable drugs. Pros: Cheap, easy. Cons: 15% chance of working. If treatment fails I will get more cysts and be forced to take November off too.
Option 2: Wait a month and initiate IVF protocol. Have IVF in November. Pros: 50% chance of working. Cons: $$, time.
Option 3: Screw all treatment plans and skip right to adoption. Pros: will likely have a baby as soon as or sooner than by giving birth. Not having to actually give birth. Cons: not being pregnant, $$, scary, no little Chris or Jenn faces.
When I got home from the doctors office I read a packet of information on adoption and thought everything sounded great. Then I read the packet on IVF and thought everything sounded great. I'm so confused! Can someone else tell me what to do? And it best not be 'just relax' or you may get hit.
At the beginning of all of this, Chris and I decided to try IF treatments until the end of this year. At which point we would start the adoption process. In addition, Chris finishes his chief year next June and we are in the process of deciding where to live. That deadline is also by the end of the year (we need several months to get work licenses, sell our house, buy a house, etc). If we move down the adoption path we kinda need to stay put. Talk about decisions! Seriously, someone help!
Option 1: Wait a month and proceed with injectable drugs. Pros: Cheap, easy. Cons: 15% chance of working. If treatment fails I will get more cysts and be forced to take November off too.
Option 2: Wait a month and initiate IVF protocol. Have IVF in November. Pros: 50% chance of working. Cons: $$, time.
Option 3: Screw all treatment plans and skip right to adoption. Pros: will likely have a baby as soon as or sooner than by giving birth. Not having to actually give birth. Cons: not being pregnant, $$, scary, no little Chris or Jenn faces.
When I got home from the doctors office I read a packet of information on adoption and thought everything sounded great. Then I read the packet on IVF and thought everything sounded great. I'm so confused! Can someone else tell me what to do? And it best not be 'just relax' or you may get hit.
At the beginning of all of this, Chris and I decided to try IF treatments until the end of this year. At which point we would start the adoption process. In addition, Chris finishes his chief year next June and we are in the process of deciding where to live. That deadline is also by the end of the year (we need several months to get work licenses, sell our house, buy a house, etc). If we move down the adoption path we kinda need to stay put. Talk about decisions! Seriously, someone help!
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