Moving Right Along

I got word today from IP-A that their egg donor got the stamp of approval from her monitoring appointment.  She'll be visiting our doctor (we'll all use the same one) in Toronto next week for another monitoring appointment and the final retrieval and transfer date will be set.  We're tentatively looking at July 5th for the egg retrieval/fertilization and the 10th for the transfer, but that can fluctuate a day or two in either direction.  I also have a monitoring appointment for July 5th to make sure my lining is thick enough and ready for the transfer.  This is such an interesting process!

I've been doing just fine with my Lupron injections.  It really doesn't hurt at all!  Five of the ten days are complete and I have yet to feel any loopy side effects.  The hardest part is actually staying up until 9:00 some nights.

Saturday I started my Estrace tabs twice per day until confirmation of pregnancy.  Again, I haven't felt any side effects from the hormones.  I've heard some surrogates say they loved being on hormones but I don't feel any different yet, so I can't really give my opinion.

We were able to hang out with our IP's this weekend while we were in the cities.  They are such wonderful people!  I feel fortunate that they want to be so involved in the pregnancy and the whole process!  It was a strange feeling giving them a hug good-bye knowing that the next time I see them will be in Toronto where their little embryos will be growing and waiting for a home in my womb, at least two of them anyway.        

Hello Josie, My Name is Lupron...

 *Less Than 3 weeks until the Transfer*

I was due for my cycle to begin Monday, Tuesday at the latest.  When I went to sleep Tuesday night I was very scared that something was wrong with me because it hadn't started yet.  In terms of my menstrual cycle, I'm one of those women who is so regular that I can almost time it to the hour.  I honestly don't think I have ever gone longer than 28 days between my periods except when I was pregnant. (Now you know more about me than you ever thought you needed, but this is a huge day because meds start when my cycle starts.) 

My REM sleep got the best of me that night when I woke up in panic mode because I had the WORST nightmare ever!  You guessed it, in my dream I was pregnant...with Ben and my baby!  AHHHH!!!  First of all, Dr. snippy snippy would be in big trouble if this happened.  Second, this was probably the scariest dream ever because we truly don't want any more kids, and I'm pretty sure I'd be bawling the same way I was in my nightmare!  After waking up at 3:30 am I couldn't fall back asleep and stressed the rest of the night about not starting my cycle yet.

During lunch the next day, I still didn't have my period, I decided that I should put my mind a ease and take a pregnancy test.  Of course it came back negative and it made me feel so much better just knowing that all was well.  I guess the anticipation made my body react in such a strange way.  I text Ben right away and all he could do was laugh.  I called my IP's on my way home from work and they laughed so hard at the whole story.  Thank God I'm not pregnant with our child.  Lets hope next month our IP's little Pea sticks in my Pod!

 My cycle started today, so that means Lupron starts today!

EEEK!

It might be BLOODY (It didn't bleed at all)

I figured it would be best to sit down just in case I passed out

Close up

DONE!  IT REALLY WASN'T BAD AT ALL
Thanks to my AMAZING Husband for the wonderful photos!!!

 

 

 

 

 

          
I thought it was important to text my IP's, Sister, and Mom a countdown about 11 minutes before the poke, so they could feel a little bit of what I was as the anticipation grew.  I watched Jamie, from the YouTube video, as I prepared for the injection.  I'm thinking that will be the only time I will need her to walk me through this process.  It was so easy!  I felt a tiny stick but not even a little burn as it went in.  My heart was racing the whole time and it only took a moment to calm down when I was done.  I'm not going to sweat this again! 

I asked my friend, Charity, how she felt from the Lupron and she warned me that one can get a little moody from it.  Another Surrogate friend, Nicole, said that the worst side effect was the headaches.  I have just nine more days of injections.  My Estrace tabs start on Saturday. 

Travel plans begin tomorrow!    

Feeling a Little Lightheaded

Step-by-Step Training...Yeah Right!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsCsnvY6jY8
(she is injecting her leg...I'm injecting my belly) 

How on earth can a dental hygienist who administers local anesthetic to people every working day feel lightheaded about injecting a tiny little insulin needle into her own stomach?  Monday is my anticipated Day 1 (The first day of ones next menstrual cycle) and when I'll begin 10 days of Lupron injections.  They go into my lower abdomen near my belly button.

I sat down to watch the video provided by Walgreens about how to administer Lupron injections.  The video basically told me that the injection would be placed in the fatty area at a 90 or 45 degree angle and that's about it.  The only good thing about having a Mama pouch is that this shouldn't hurt as much as someone with rock hard abs!  The next best thing after watching a crappy video was to check out Youtube.  I watched several videos and decided that Jamie was the most likable and someone that I could stand spending five minutes a day with for ten days.  I plan on her walking me through the steps as I give myself (deep breath) this injection.

I know that most of you think that I could just have Ben give me the shot, right?!?!  Those of you that have had a back rub by my amazing husband know that he doesn't have a gentle touch, so I'm a little affraid of giving him a needle and allowing him to JAB it in my belly.  I have to do this one myself, or perhaps find a willing nurse  :)

Next update=first injection day 
Wish me luck!       

The Meds Arrived!

 The meds are finally here...

 ...I'm a little nervous...

 ...I wonder what's inside...

 ...of course the sharps container has to be on top!

Here is the inventory of my medications

 

It's always a process to move on to the next phase of surrogacy.  I was told on Friday that the Rx was called into Walgreens and I would hear from them on Monday.  They'd need to talk to me over the phone prior to shipping the medications, and the agency would like them here on Tuesday.  I anxiously waited all day for the phone to ring and by 2:20pm I'd had enough and thought I'd call IARC and let them know that I hadn't heard from Walgreens.  Kim didn't think anything of it and said it would be fine as long as I had the meds by Friday.  I ended up hearing from Walgreens the following day and my meds arrived TODAY!

I start my injections of Lupron, which basically quiets my eggs so I don't ovulate, on Day 1 of my next cycle (aprox 1.5 weeks away). I'm directed to start the Estrace oral tablet on the 22nd of June.  I have Progesterone vaginal suppositories that I'll take when IARC informs me.  I've taken off of work July 9-11th for a July 10th TRANSFER!  The egg retrieval is planned (for now anyway) on July 5th.

I'm not sure if many of you are aware that the transfer is actually going to happen in Toronto, Canada.  It's about 2.5 times cheaper for my IP's and our agency uses this clinic quite frequently.  In fact,  this will be the egg donors fourth donation with the same doctor that we'll be using.  We've heard from the doctor that he had good success with this donor!      

My IP's met with their lawyer today to get everything set for their Wills and Power of Attorney.  We need to know what to do with the little peanut if, God forbid, anything tragic happens.  I heard from them today and they said that it's information overload and it made their heads swim.  They'll  have that all wrapped up before the transfer happens (and that is really soon)!