This has been a tough week of side effects. More than any other medication I've taken in the past years, the Desogen has seriously kicked my butt. It made me feel exhausted and irritable and emotional and ravenously hungry. What a great combination, huh? Here I am trying to get back in shape, and my meds counteract all of my efforts. Thankfully, today was my last pill. Good riddance, nasty Desogen! Tomorrow is my first Lupron injection, and hopefully it will balance out my hormones. I sure hope so!
I have about three weeks to go before my final assisted reproductive treatment. Please pray that the Lord will bless our Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) and provide us with a healthy child. At this point, we are praying for twins!
Hope your weekend is wonderful! Ramona
Showing posts with label Desogen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desogen. Show all posts
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Treatment Intensifies
Treatment Update: For the past eight days, I have been taking Lupron injections along with my typical regimen of Natelle prenatal vitamins and Folgard (for MTHFR enzyme deficiency). I finished the Desogen on April 5th, and my cycle began on Sunday. At this point, everything is right on track for the April 29th target date. The big stuff starts Monday, the 16th--bloodwork, ultrasound and three injections daily.
As for the emotional side of things, I have been experiencing pretty serious mood swings for the past few days. I feel irritable, tense and tired about 75% of the time...but I do have good moments, too. Unfortunately, today was especially rough. I felt as if I had been flattened by a steamroller. My neck and head have been aching like crazy...and all I want to do is lie down and sleep. That doesn't fly with a toddler.
I don't remember feeling this crummy with the first IVF protocol. Hopefully things will improve soon. If not, this will be very a long month.
Although I did not choose to struggle with infertility, I did prayerfully choose IVF. So, I will accept the side effects and hold tight to the hope of a successful outcome. I pray that I will be a blessing to others through this process, no matter what happens.
Have a wonderful day! Ramona
As for the emotional side of things, I have been experiencing pretty serious mood swings for the past few days. I feel irritable, tense and tired about 75% of the time...but I do have good moments, too. Unfortunately, today was especially rough. I felt as if I had been flattened by a steamroller. My neck and head have been aching like crazy...and all I want to do is lie down and sleep. That doesn't fly with a toddler.
I don't remember feeling this crummy with the first IVF protocol. Hopefully things will improve soon. If not, this will be very a long month.
Although I did not choose to struggle with infertility, I did prayerfully choose IVF. So, I will accept the side effects and hold tight to the hope of a successful outcome. I pray that I will be a blessing to others through this process, no matter what happens.
Have a wonderful day! Ramona
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Treatment, Triplets and Tomfoolery
My treatment intensifies tomorrow whith the start of Lupron shots. I have to administer them myself every evening at the same time. We are hoping for more embryos this IVF cycle. We have decided to increase the number we transfer. Last time, we transferred two (which is all we produced). This time, we have requested that the medical team implant up to three embryos (God willing, we have that many). If we are fortunate enough to have four, we will transfer two and freeze two for the next IVF cycle. If there are five, we'll implant three and freeze two. And so on.
Yes, our chance of having multiples goes up, but considering that I've had three miscarriages, there is little chance that all three would develop healthily. A few nights ago, I had a dream that I was pregnant with triplets (wild dreams are a side effect of the Desogen). Sure, triplets are a possibility--but it's unlikely with my history.
It's fun for me to think about potential names, but I try not to dwell on it too long. I don't want to count my embryos before they hatch (embryos really do hatch, did you know that). If we have twin boys, we'll probably name them Lenny and Squiggy, but I'm not sure about triplets. Maybe Larry, Moe and Curly? Okay, simmer down!--I'm only kidding! A little April Fool's Day humor. Of course those names are not on our list!
Hope you played a little prank on someone you love today! Even more, I hope you enjoyed Palm Sunday and all of it's meaning.
Bless you! Ramona
Yes, our chance of having multiples goes up, but considering that I've had three miscarriages, there is little chance that all three would develop healthily. A few nights ago, I had a dream that I was pregnant with triplets (wild dreams are a side effect of the Desogen). Sure, triplets are a possibility--but it's unlikely with my history.
It's fun for me to think about potential names, but I try not to dwell on it too long. I don't want to count my embryos before they hatch (embryos really do hatch, did you know that). If we have twin boys, we'll probably name them Lenny and Squiggy, but I'm not sure about triplets. Maybe Larry, Moe and Curly? Okay, simmer down!--I'm only kidding! A little April Fool's Day humor. Of course those names are not on our list!
Hope you played a little prank on someone you love today! Even more, I hope you enjoyed Palm Sunday and all of it's meaning.
Bless you! Ramona
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Treatment Update
IVF update: Today I begin my 2nd round of Desogen (birth control pills) to prepare for IVF. It's a short course that ends on April 5th. My Lupron injections start Monday, April 2nd, which is the same day most of our $$$ is due. Yikes! I will be giving myself shots every night until the egg retrieval (tentatively April 29th). First, Lupron, which puts my hormones in limbo so that the medications can dictate what happens. Then two follicle stimulating medications are added in mid-April. Finally, there's one HCG injection just before the egg extraction. Then after the embryos are transferred (May 2nd-ish), it's Wade's turn to give me progesterone injections in the hip every night. Yep, things are getting more complicated and exciting!
Even though this is our 2nd IVF process, it still takes a great deal of organization and planning. Dr. Silber's office provides a huge packet of instructions, medical orders and authorizations; and it's the patient's responsibility to review it, understand it and carry out the plans. The patient orders medications, attends injection training, schedules multiple MD appointments, takes oral meds & administers daily injections, keeps track of paperwork and goes to the hospital for ultrasounds and blood tests every other morning. It's crazy!
As we get closer to the target dates, I'll continue to explain the daily ins and outs of the process. It's quite fascinating, whether you're a medical genius or novice. And if you've been following this journal, you know that there's always drama involved. Hopefully this process will be uneventful, except for the final outcome!
Here's to smooth sailing!
Blessings, Ramona
Even though this is our 2nd IVF process, it still takes a great deal of organization and planning. Dr. Silber's office provides a huge packet of instructions, medical orders and authorizations; and it's the patient's responsibility to review it, understand it and carry out the plans. The patient orders medications, attends injection training, schedules multiple MD appointments, takes oral meds & administers daily injections, keeps track of paperwork and goes to the hospital for ultrasounds and blood tests every other morning. It's crazy!
As we get closer to the target dates, I'll continue to explain the daily ins and outs of the process. It's quite fascinating, whether you're a medical genius or novice. And if you've been following this journal, you know that there's always drama involved. Hopefully this process will be uneventful, except for the final outcome!
Here's to smooth sailing!
Blessings, Ramona
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Let the Fun Begin!
Our IVF target dates are almost two months away. Yet, the fun begins this week! If you want to know the "ins and outs" of IVF...stay tuned, my friend. In the coming weeks, you will get the low down on what it's really like to go through the process. No hold barred!
My cycle began today (which may be TMI, but you have to know that to understand how the whole thing works). On the third day of the cycle, Dr. Silber's patients begin birth control pills. I know it seems counter-intuitive to ingest something that inhibits pregnancy when you're yearning for a child, but that's how the doctor controls the timeline from here on out. My cycle has to be exactly on target for both the egg retrieval and embryo transfer. That's why the medical team takes control this early. More opportunity to work out any glitches, I suppose.
Starting Wednesday, I take the Desogen for 16 days (to create a "short cycle"). I will also have my blood drawn at St. Luke's to get a baseline reading on my Day 3 hormone levels. My progesterone, HCG and estrogen should be within normal ranges at this point. Friday, I will undergo an ultrasound at Dr. Pineda's office. (Normally IVF patients have the ultrasound completed at the hospital, but my insurance does cover "diagnostic" ultrasounds...so do it this way to avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses. Trust me, there will be no shortage of expenses.) Both the bloodwork and the ultrasound are standard procedures before IVF.
We meet with Dr. Silber on March 14th for a consultation. I plan to ask him how this IVF process will differ from that in December. I'd also like to know how he plans to alter the medication regimen to help produce more high quality eggs. It seemed to me that we should have produced more than two viable embryos when I began with 26 antral follicles. We were hoping to have at least four embryos (two for transfer/implantation and two to freeze for a later date). I'd really like Dr. Silber to make adjustments to enhance the process now that we know how my body responds to the medication.
So that's the medical aspect. The emotional side of this is more difficult for me (and most IVF patients). We're getting ready to undergo a process that has an extremely high cost with about a 50% success rate. That's a bitter pill to swallow. But then again, you can't put a price tag on the life of a child. And we did get pregnant with our first IVF attempt, which is a fact I'll definitely hold onto during the coming weeks. Being positive and relaxed is crucial to success.
This is where you have to have faith. The wondering and worrying can drive you crazy! I read an article today, and I just have to share it. Here's an excerpt from "When Everyone's Pregnant...Except You" by Deborah Bohn on BabyZone:
Dr. Madeline Licker Feingold, PhD, a reproductive medicine psychologist and fertility counselor based in Berkeley, California says, "The level of depression and anxiety in the infertility population is the same as in cancer, heart disease, and HIV-positive patients. Infertility is much more difficult than people may think."
Let's be honest, baby showers, like weddings, can be tedious affairs—it's enough to drive an older mom nuts, so imagine how it feels to someone who's struggling to have a baby of their own. Imagine putting a starving person in a room full of food they're not allowed to eat. It's simply torturous.
I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me about the friend of their cousin's back in Wichita who tried desperately to have a child, went on to adopt three children, then miraculously got pregnant on her own a few years later. Somehow this miracle baby myth was supposed to give me hope that it could happen for me, too. Well, it didn't give me hope. It made me angry.
And so did all the unsolicited medical advice. I was instructed by people with no medical training whatsoever to prop my legs up after intercourse or make sure my husband wore boxer shorts. But the best one by far . . . the one every childless woman hears is this, "Just relax!" Basically it's implied that we're sexually frigid and that loosening up a little will result in a positive pregnancy test.
"They'd never say something so crazy to a cancer patient!" Dr. Feingold says. She recommends either explaining to the pseudo-physician that you or your husband has a medical condition that no amount of prickly-pear juice or Pilates will cure. Or you can end the conversation on the spot with, "That's fascinating, but I'm working with doctors and considering all the options available to me."
And that's what I'm doing, folks....state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization and old fashioned prayer. I've got a world-renowned IVF specialist overseeing my medical care, and I've got the Lord overseeing my doctor and me! What more could I ask for? So my prayer today is that I will glorify God through this process, and that He will bless us with a child (or two)!
Here's to a healthy pregnancy in May! Bless you, Ramona
My cycle began today (which may be TMI, but you have to know that to understand how the whole thing works). On the third day of the cycle, Dr. Silber's patients begin birth control pills. I know it seems counter-intuitive to ingest something that inhibits pregnancy when you're yearning for a child, but that's how the doctor controls the timeline from here on out. My cycle has to be exactly on target for both the egg retrieval and embryo transfer. That's why the medical team takes control this early. More opportunity to work out any glitches, I suppose.
Starting Wednesday, I take the Desogen for 16 days (to create a "short cycle"). I will also have my blood drawn at St. Luke's to get a baseline reading on my Day 3 hormone levels. My progesterone, HCG and estrogen should be within normal ranges at this point. Friday, I will undergo an ultrasound at Dr. Pineda's office. (Normally IVF patients have the ultrasound completed at the hospital, but my insurance does cover "diagnostic" ultrasounds...so do it this way to avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses. Trust me, there will be no shortage of expenses.) Both the bloodwork and the ultrasound are standard procedures before IVF.
We meet with Dr. Silber on March 14th for a consultation. I plan to ask him how this IVF process will differ from that in December. I'd also like to know how he plans to alter the medication regimen to help produce more high quality eggs. It seemed to me that we should have produced more than two viable embryos when I began with 26 antral follicles. We were hoping to have at least four embryos (two for transfer/implantation and two to freeze for a later date). I'd really like Dr. Silber to make adjustments to enhance the process now that we know how my body responds to the medication.
So that's the medical aspect. The emotional side of this is more difficult for me (and most IVF patients). We're getting ready to undergo a process that has an extremely high cost with about a 50% success rate. That's a bitter pill to swallow. But then again, you can't put a price tag on the life of a child. And we did get pregnant with our first IVF attempt, which is a fact I'll definitely hold onto during the coming weeks. Being positive and relaxed is crucial to success.
This is where you have to have faith. The wondering and worrying can drive you crazy! I read an article today, and I just have to share it. Here's an excerpt from "When Everyone's Pregnant...Except You" by Deborah Bohn on BabyZone:
Dr. Madeline Licker Feingold, PhD, a reproductive medicine psychologist and fertility counselor based in Berkeley, California says, "The level of depression and anxiety in the infertility population is the same as in cancer, heart disease, and HIV-positive patients. Infertility is much more difficult than people may think."
Let's be honest, baby showers, like weddings, can be tedious affairs—it's enough to drive an older mom nuts, so imagine how it feels to someone who's struggling to have a baby of their own. Imagine putting a starving person in a room full of food they're not allowed to eat. It's simply torturous.
I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me about the friend of their cousin's back in Wichita who tried desperately to have a child, went on to adopt three children, then miraculously got pregnant on her own a few years later. Somehow this miracle baby myth was supposed to give me hope that it could happen for me, too. Well, it didn't give me hope. It made me angry.
And so did all the unsolicited medical advice. I was instructed by people with no medical training whatsoever to prop my legs up after intercourse or make sure my husband wore boxer shorts. But the best one by far . . . the one every childless woman hears is this, "Just relax!" Basically it's implied that we're sexually frigid and that loosening up a little will result in a positive pregnancy test.
"They'd never say something so crazy to a cancer patient!" Dr. Feingold says. She recommends either explaining to the pseudo-physician that you or your husband has a medical condition that no amount of prickly-pear juice or Pilates will cure. Or you can end the conversation on the spot with, "That's fascinating, but I'm working with doctors and considering all the options available to me."
And that's what I'm doing, folks....state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization and old fashioned prayer. I've got a world-renowned IVF specialist overseeing my medical care, and I've got the Lord overseeing my doctor and me! What more could I ask for? So my prayer today is that I will glorify God through this process, and that He will bless us with a child (or two)!
Here's to a healthy pregnancy in May! Bless you, Ramona
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