Next Stop...Embryo Transfer

Here's a little video that explains IVF in two minutes!

http://youtu.be/HnGQI_rtOzw

Saturday night after church, we ventured north again...I can now navigate us to Dr. Morris' office without Google Maps!  We stayed overnight at PJ's in Crown Point.  Our monitoring appointment was bright and early at 7:30 Sunday morning.  All was looking good, we just had to once again wait to hear back after Dr. Morris reviewed the labs and ultrasound.  Random IVF fact, all these hormones are to stimulate your follicles and produce eggs.  That's all fine and dandy, but it leads to ovaries that feel like the size of Texas!  We spent some time with the family while anxiously awaiting news from the doc.  Cue a sigh of relief  when Nurse Brittany called to give us our directions.  Sunday night was going to be the trigger shot and retrieval would be on Tuesday morning.  The trigger shot is done about 36 hours before the retrieval.  We packed up, picked up the 4 doses of antibiotic I needed, and ventured down 65 again to make it home for the trigger shot.  While I can do shots wherever, Joe was a man on a mission that we could do these at home.  This trigger shot was HCG and Follistim...so a little different than I've done before.  I am so thankful not to have any major side effects from the injections,  just a headache here and there or some cramping compliments of my ginormous ovaries.  I think I blocked out the part about being so lovely and bloated.  Odds are if you see me in the next two weeks, I will be living in yoga pants that have never been to yoga!
Monday night we ventured north again.  Our arrival time was 6:30 on Tuesday morning...oh goodness!  On the bright side, since we had such an early time it involved less time for me to whine about being hungry and thirsty.  We met another Nurse Alison!  I'm a dork, but it made me feel better...that reminder of the familiar!  Alison shared that she had been through IVF as well.  Chit chatting about preschool helped distract my tired nerves. Around 7:30, they wheeled me back.  I remember the anesthesiologist asking me what my favorite cocktail was.  My response was a glass of sweet, red wine...he said it just so happens Dr. Morris has an amazing wine cellar.  That's the last thing I remember! 

There was a sticky note beside the bed with the number 18.  Woohoo!  Of course I still love Peyton even though he's not in Indy anymore.  We had 18 eggs during our first IVF, too.  After the grogginess wore off, we were wheeled out and headed home.  They had given me some medicine for the pain, so the trip home and most of Tuesday are a little blurry.  I slept a lot and missed Bible study. 



Wednesday morning we received our alert that there was a message in Patient Portal.  (Patient Portal is how we receive lab results, instructions, etc.)  We had 11 of the 18 eggs fertilize.  Another step in the right direction.  My prayers have switched from fertilizing to having two of the best embryos ready for a day five transfer.  (So, for my friends that pray specifically for us...please pray for two great embryos to transfer and that at least one will stick and give us a healthy baby!)
My game plan has been to take off from the embryo transfer to the time of pregnancy test from the munchkins (and more specifically their germs).  Getting ready to miss two weeks of preschool is a nice distraction from all the overthinking you can do while hormonal and waiting for the next step!  I'm so thankful that Kathy Baryoh is able to sub for the majority of the time I'm out.  Having someone reliable and trustworthy is just a huge relief!  My staff at preschool is amazing, so I know my little guys will be in great hands.  Being out and planning ahead does increase this ADD girl's focus and organization.  I had lunch with my dear friend Christy.  It means so much to have a friend pray for you, hold your hand, and give you encouragement.
On the way home from Marion yesterday, it hit me...the emotions and anticipation of the wait between transfer and test.  I'd been able to distract myself with school stuff, I hadn't spent much time focusing on the emotional adventure ahead.  It was a little time to drive, be overwhelmed, pray, and listen to some encouraging music.  In one of the sermons for the Transformed series we are doing at church, Pastor Gregg talked about you control your thoughts.  So, I'm really working on not letting myself get too anxious, freaked out, scared, etc.  I'm just focusing on hope and faith!

Today, I've been attempting to be domestic.  Dr. Morris doesn't require bed rest after the transfer, but for my mental health if nothing else I will be taking it easy and propping my feet up for a couple days.  I've managed to wash our sheets and comforter and make some no bake cookies.  It's the little things.
We are overwhelmed with the support and love we receive along our journey.  It means more than you know!  As our family and friends pray for us in the next few days, please pray that we can stay hopeful, calm, and not get caught up in all the what if scenarios or what happened last time thoughts.  Pray that our little embryos will grow and that we will have two perfect blastocyst embryos to transfer and that one or both of those little guys will implant and become a healthy little bambino!
We can always use prayers for safe travels, especially since the snow won't go away.  Our plan is to head north in the morning, spend tomorrow with PJ, and then head home after the transfer.  (Yes, I will probably have the seat leaned back and my feet on the dash)
I'm sure I will update Sunday or Monday! 
Love,
Sarah and Joe

Celebrating one week of shots!

I never leave home without my mustard seed!  Thanks Steph!!

Oh goodness, a lot has been going on and I've been slacking in the update department!  We are smack in the middle of our IVF cycle.  The adventures began on March 12 when my momma braved the early alarm clock and forecast of snow to ride with me for my baseline appointment.  Everyone except for me was slightly concerned about the forecast of snow. Denial is a happy place to be when you have to drive to another state for an appointment...it's a happy place until reality comes falling from the sky.  It took us a little over seven hours to get from my house to Dr. Morris' office.  Oh goodness, we had three close calls and I had several "Sarah Elizabeth" moments.  Thankfully, Dr. Morris' staff was so wonderful to work me in whenever we got there.  We safely arrived in Naperville, got my labs and ultrasound done, got some Follistim, and we were out the door.  Once we were on the road home, we faced sunshine!  Crazy Indiana weather!!  

After hearing that the ultrasound and lab results came back, we received the official green light to start on Saturday the 15th.  Everyone starts hormones in the church bathroom, right?  From the 15th-18th, I had one injection in the evening.  Follistim does what the name implies...stimulates growth of your follicles.  I've been on this before for IUI's and our IVF and always have responded well.  We were due back up north on the 19th for my first monitoring appointment.  Driving was a lot less stressful without the snowfall!  Joe was able to get the day off and rode along.  I was a little bummed that our first monitoring appointment was on this date because the munchkins were going to Farm Fest.  While field trips are stressful and crazy to plan, I was really looking forward to this one.  The joys of IVF, you have no control of your schedule and plan.  I was excited to see all the pictures that my preschool peeps sent me!  I'm so thankful to have a job that I love, awesome munchkins that wear me out, and a whole crew of people that remind me to take care of myself and they have munchkin land covered!!
Back to the appointment, I started off responding well to the medicine.  The nurse had me plan to return on Friday, but nothing is for certain until Dr. Morris reviews the labs and ultrasound.  We were home bound again.  Lesson for this trip was that Google maps doesn't always keep up and reroute fast enough!  It took us a minute to get out of Naperville, but then we were good to go.  We stopped in Merriville for lunch and so we could swap drivers.  Joe needed to catch up on some rest and I needed to be able to control the music selection and stop at Dunkin Donuts.  We got home just in time to do the day's shot except I didn't have my instructions from the doctor yet.  Cue a momentary panic when the directions included a low dose HCG which I hadn't received yet.  Our nurse for the day was so nice to call and let me know not to panic.  Wednesday also started another shot (that I had on hand)...Ganirilex.  This one keeps me from ovulating before I'm ready.  Walgreens was able to overnight the low dose HCG so crisis was averted.
On Thursday, I was back to the land of the little munchkins to hear about the fun field trip!  I really missed out on some fun.  Bless my mom for going to my house for the third day in a row to get medication, unpack it, and stick it in the fridge.  
I was due back to Dr. Morris on Friday and mom agreed to another road trip.  Since we were up and out the door early, we treated ourselves to Concannon's for breakfast.  Yummy!  This trip up north was less crazy and only took 4.5 hours...this country mouse is getting pretty good at driving like a city mouse!  My ultrasound looked good and the nurse thought I might have to come back today.  Scheduled the appointment and made plans to drive up solo so mom wouldn't miss her small group and church.  (My orders that she needed to go!)  On the drive home, getting up at 4:03 caught up with me.  I've been a good girl and not cheated, just having decaf coffee still.  I'm still not certain what was going on but traffic was backed up on 65 so we ventured off course.  Bless my momma again for taking over the driving!  I'm typically a little control freak and always want to drive, but I had to surrender.  When we stopped for a potty break and a fresh beverage, I got my update from the doctor.  New plan, back up on Sunday not Saturday.  I was very thankful for a change in the game plan because it let me stay home and have a lazy day...it is Spring Break after all!  My low dose HCG was increased and the Follistim is decreased.  We are venturing up to PJ's after church tonight to make our 7:30 appointment in the morning.  This girl needs to get her church in to keep sane!  Christi, one of the nurses, said we probably will trigger on Sunday and have the egg retrieval on Tuesday.  That's all tentative until after tomorrow's ultrasound and labs.  
Things are off to a good start, crazy snow trip not included.  We are so thankful for all the love and prayers we receive. 
If you pray for us specifically, here's what we need...
Please pray for our safe travels back and forth between Muncie and Naperville.  Please pray that I continue to respond well and we are able to move ahead with the egg retrieval.  Pray that the egg retrieval goes smoothly and that we have two very healthy embryos to transfer back!  Pray for me to be productive and get everything ready at school for when I will be out!  (My plan is to take off until the pregnancy test just to play it safe and avoid germs)
With Spring Break being this week, I shouldn't be so side tracked that I can't update the blog.  Between here and Facebook, I should have things covered!  Now, I've got to pack up my hormones to take to church.  HCG on ice...don't you take that to church?  There's never a dull moment!
Have a safe and relaxing Spring Break and wonderful week!
Sarah and Joe

3/12/14 Smiling with no clue of what was ahead!

Blessings

Goodness, it's been over a month since I've written and there's stuff to share.  (Hold onto your hat, this may be all over the place)
There's never a dull moment when it comes to infertility treatments and procedures.  Dr. Morris had wanted a saline ultrasound to make sure everything was in prime condition.  After a few mini moments of panic, I called Dr. Bopp to see if he could do the saline ultrasound for me.  (My local OB was out and it's one a doctor has to do)  Bless Dr. Bopp for agreeing to do the ultrasound and Nurse Alison for getting me scheduled on the right day of my cycle.  I must say venturing to Midwest Fertility was a bit comforting.  We made a pit stop at Dunkin Donuts for a decaf coffee and then headed down 31.  There's comfort in the familiar!  Having Dr. Bopp give me a hug, make sure everything was okay, and just be so encouraging really was calming.  The staff at Midwest Fertility is amazing and so caring.  They are excited that we have the chance to do IVF again thanks to Dr. Morris donating the cycle.
My TSH levels came back at .8, so we are good to go there.  I was sure that they would be off because I've been so tired.  Harsh reality, this girl hadn't been caffeine free at preschool...love my munchkins but they wear me out!  I've pondered just showing Dr. Morris a video of life in preschool to see if he would let me have just one caffeinated beverage per day.  I've been good and not given into the temptation, but don't expect me to answer my phone past nine!
One thing that has been a concern was how much the medication would be.  Thanks to one of the Facebook infertility pages, I learned about the First Steps program.  It's an application that you submit to see if you qualify for a discount on your medication.  I hadn't heard back from them since Joe had sent in our application and was getting a little worried.  Being an impatient girl, I sent an e-mail asking about the status of our application.  The next day, I had confirmation that we are eligible for 25% off our medication!!  This is a huge blessing!  While we are amazing blessed that medications are the only out of pocket expense we have,  this still was a huge weight off my shoulders!  Please share this with anyone you know that needs fertility medication! First Steps
At the moment, it's just a waiting game.  The next medication cycle for Dr. Morris will start on the 15th.  We should be good to go, but you never know!  (Ironically, between now and when we start medicine my fertility doctor will have to call in birth control pills!  It's to line up my cycle with his calendar, but it just makes me chuckle that the make a baby doctor calls in birth control)
In the mean time, I'm adjusting to full time teaching again!  This winter has been crazy with delays and cancellations.  I'm trying to get case conferences done and get ahead on lesson plans so that I won't have to worry about that.  I'm really going to miss my kiddos with all these monitoring appointments, but know they are in good hands when I'm not there.  Since I will take off the time between embryo transfer and pregnancy test, I'm excited that we can at least Face Time!  I'm so lucky to love what I do, even if it wears me out and makes me bonkers at times.  (This summer, I will start with Ball State to finish up my early childhood special education license that will keep me where I am!)
We have kicked off a new series at church called Transformed!  I'm super excited about it and the fact that some of the girls at work are doing a small group with me.  At the kick-off dinner at church, I just felt that I needed to step up and suggest a group at school.  We are going to start meeting on Wednesday!  Thankfully, I have a DVD and a guide to go off of.  I'm looking forward to fellowship with my preschool peeps.  I'm a little worried about being able to get homework done for my Tuesday night study and for Transformed.  Jonesy will need to focus!
Joe's keeping busy at the furniture store and hoping to break the motorcycle out soon!  We celebrated our 16th Valentine's Day this year, and I'm pretty sure when we celebrated our first in 1998 he had no clue what the future would hold.  I'm so thankful for a man who loves me all the time and handles my hot mess moments quite well!

We certainly have many praises!  The saline ultrasound was clear, my thyroid levels are fine, and we qualified for a discount on our medication.  (Of course, we can't forget Dr. Morris and the Cade Foundation)
As we move closer to starting our IVF cycle, we just need lots of prayers.  It's a physical and emotional process!  I'm going to need to stay positive and have faith.  Having the prayers, love, and encouragement from our family and friends has gotten us this far and what helps us get through this one!
We hope everyone is staying safe and warm!  (Here's to no more snow)
Lots of love~
Sarah & Joe

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, I leave you with these!