Today I finally found out my blood tests that I had done last Tuesday. I wasn't to patient as these tests would really determine how my IVF cycle would work out as it would give us an actual indicator if I had true PCOS.
One of the first blood test was to check my insulin levels. PCOS has a lot to do with insulin and with diabetes running in my family it is definitely something that I wanted to know and need to monitor the rest of my life. My insulin level was a 12 and doctors want it under an 18. She said that is on the higher end, but no concern just want to monitor it.
The next test that they did was to check my glucose levels as this also effects PCOS. My glucose level was a 94 and it needs to be under a 99 so that is good. She also said that since I had to fast for hours before it that something still could have been in my system making the number higher. I told Chris that we didn't need ice cream that night, but he didn't want to listen to me being the voice of reason. I am hoping that next time he will actually listen to me.
She did say on my charts that Dr. A had written down to consider metformin as a drug for me to take if I did have PCOS, but when he thought about it and the side effects that I had, not really necessary. Can you say this made my day! :) However, he does still has to review my results, but this girl doesn’t have PCOS based off of my blood tests and scans! WOO HOO! I am more than convinced that I was just slapped with that label years ago based on my irregular periods, hard cramps, and diabetes running in my family. It is nice to know that I don't and it just reassures me that I am at the right doctor. Once again I can't thank you enough Stef for getting me hooked up with Dr. A for this. I think my dreams are going to come true.
I then of course asked where do we go from here as I have no clue on how to get meds, who to get them from, and how this will all work. She then said that we have an IVF Coordinator named Sharon who will be calling me soon and then again in April to set up our May calendar and ordering all of our drugs. She said that based on my insurance coverage is how they choose what companies to order from. She said that we both will have a z-pak to take before we start. Then on course there will lots of fertility drugs and a steroid again. Once I talk to Sharon for the first time, this is all going to feel and seem so real. To be honest April is just around the corner. :)
So...I guess this is where we sit right now and I couldn't have been happier with all of the good news. I am sure Dr. A will either call or email me to confirm all of this, but that is just more validation on this whole process. Now I just have 2 months to keep working out, eating healthy, and doing everything else to help contribute to this working. I am getting excited now!!! Knowing these results today just makes me feel better about the whole process. We will keep praying and praying for all of our friends that are in the same boat. May 2011 be a magical year for all of my friends dealing with infertility!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
One of Those Days
Do you have one of those days when you just want to sit and be by yourself with your thoughts? That would be today for me. Yesterday I had more blood work done (this will determine if I have PCOS or not. The doctor still doesn't think so, but we want to make sure.) and then had an amazing rest of the day with my mom, sister in law, and my nieces. It was great. During the day I had told my sister that I hadn't got a bill yet for anything and then I come home to the bill from Aetna. My mouth hit the floor. The bill alone for all of my bloodwork just made me want to cry. Then there was the bill from my doctor. Seriously...how are we going to afford this. All of the rest of our money is due May 2nd and it is a LOT!
Today I have been sitting trying to add up numbers and see how our cutting back has gone and it has gone better than I would like, but we will still be charging a HUGE number which I hate when I am debt free except for my house. I have friends that just keep saying it is money and get over it, but this isn't a for sure deal as most of you know and it is just a lot to think about when we would be finishing our basement, buying a new car, etc in which those are a for sure deal. I told you I am having one of those days. Today I was supposed to spend the day with friends as I am on spring break, but just didn't feel like it. Tomorrow I am supposed to go to the zoo with all of them and their kids and I am hoping I feel more like myself. This whole process is just hitting me.
I do have to add a funny though. Yesterday while watching my nieces, the 5 year old said my mommy said you are going to have babies. I told her I hope so and she said how many are you going to have, I said I don't know and then she added I hope that you have a dozen. I looked at her and laughed and said if I have a dozen, you can have one and name one. When I told Chris last night he said if that happens he gets his Gomez. :) See I had to end this not so wonderful post on a happy note as I am trying to think positive.
Today I have been sitting trying to add up numbers and see how our cutting back has gone and it has gone better than I would like, but we will still be charging a HUGE number which I hate when I am debt free except for my house. I have friends that just keep saying it is money and get over it, but this isn't a for sure deal as most of you know and it is just a lot to think about when we would be finishing our basement, buying a new car, etc in which those are a for sure deal. I told you I am having one of those days. Today I was supposed to spend the day with friends as I am on spring break, but just didn't feel like it. Tomorrow I am supposed to go to the zoo with all of them and their kids and I am hoping I feel more like myself. This whole process is just hitting me.
I do have to add a funny though. Yesterday while watching my nieces, the 5 year old said my mommy said you are going to have babies. I told her I hope so and she said how many are you going to have, I said I don't know and then she added I hope that you have a dozen. I looked at her and laughed and said if I have a dozen, you can have one and name one. When I told Chris last night he said if that happens he gets his Gomez. :) See I had to end this not so wonderful post on a happy note as I am trying to think positive.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Signed Up...Here We Go!
Today was a big step for me! I took our $2000 deposit and called and actually put it down. (I honestly let out the biggest sigh of relief after hanging up the phone as I finally made a decision about this.) After much talk with some family members, friends, and my principal, I decided that I needed to do this. I will have many ends of the school year and money is just money, but possibly having my own child is a dream come true. I am still scared about actually doing this, but hopefully between now and May, I will calm my nerves and get my positive juices going. I have some of the greatest friends and family that are just dropping positive little notes and reminders my way. I am starting to get a bit excited now and the positive thoughts are coming. I still can't believe we are doing this. AHHHHHHHHH
Monday, March 7, 2011
Scared to Death About IVF?!?!?!
I don't know what has happened tonight, but I just broke down about everything. I think that the emotions from my dad's retirement today and thinking about the future just did me in. Right now I don't know what I want to do. I know I was happy to have a plan with IVF, but now I am really second guessing it. I was going to call tomorrow and put my $2,000 down, but now not so sure. I don't know if I want to do it later or if at all. Right now we are leaving it at, we are going to wait a few weeks until I start my period to decide. I really just wish that someone would slap me in the face and tell me what is best for Chris and I as right now I don't know. I am scared about the whole thing, when it is taking place, and possibly about wasting that much more money. Between talks with family members about their fears for us and my already fears, I am a mess. I know that people want to be the realist for us, but I can't hear that right now as I want this to work so bad and hearing negative isn't what I need. Please pray for us right now that we can make the right decision as I honestly don't know what that is right now. It is all in God's hands right now and I just wish I knew what to do.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Better News
Today was much better news from Dr. Ahlering! He immediately started off by saying that all of my bloodwork supports that there is lots of follicles and eggs in me still! WOO HOO! He didn't give me exact numbers, but he was more than pleased with my bloodwork and really thinks this is going to work. He said it again, he thinks it is going to work. I asked him if this bloodwork shows if my eggs are good or bad based on my FSH levels. He said that you really can't truly tell if they are good eggs or bad eggs until they harvest them for the IVF cycle. It is then you will see the eggs develop into embryos or fizzle out. He said that you can have good batches and bad batches of eggs it just depends on the eggs. There is no blood test or unltrasound that can determine quality of the eggs.
The most exciting part of the phone call was hearing that Dr. A, doesn't think that I have PCOS based on my blood tests either! BIGGER WOO HOO! He said that there is nothing to indicate this except for the fact that my ovaries had a lot of eggs on the ultrasound that we did last week. He said yes that I have irregular cycles and lots of follicles, but nothing else indicates that I have true PCOS. He isn't 100% sure at this time if I have to take Metformin or not, but he doesn’t think that will help me with an IVF cycle especially with the side effects that I experience with this drug. He said in the old days people thought that Metformin improved eggs, but that doesn’t pan out in his eyes with all of the research that has been done since that time. He said a true PCOS patient has lots of irregularities on the labwork and my bloodwork doesn't show that. I asked him if I still had to do those other 2 blood tests and he said no not at this time, but he is going to recheck my files to double check. He did tell me to let him know when I start this month so I can start on birth control to get my body more stable and ready for IVF. I can't believe that in about two months we are going to be starting this process! Unreal!
I have dates for everything now too! Here is what he said about how the whole thing will work. He did say that I need to read on his blog about IVF at a distance to figure out how we are going to make this work. It isn't going to be easy with it being the end of the school year and packing up my classroom, but I can do it, I am superwoman!
Not sure on what day I start medications, but it is usually day 1. Based on my blood tests, I am going to have to do minimal amount of drug which means lower costs! WOO HOO! I am thinking more like 2 grand instead of 3 to 6 grand like it said on the financial sheet.
May 31: Day 9 of my Cycle (Appointment Day) Chris and I will go to St. Louis to have my eggs measured and see how the drugs are working. This will establish a lot of information on how the rest of the week will work.
5 to 7 days from there is when they harvest the eggs, but that all depends on how my eggs grow and how many eggs I have. We want at least 20 eggs for a good chance of IVF working. I am not too concerned as last week I had over 20 eggs and that was without drugs.
Gap of 5 days after that is when they implant them back in. He said that he implants 2 eggs or embryos back in. He chooses the best 2 embryos that were harvested and puts them back in which is very similar to how they do the IUI procedure which I had done numerous times. It isn't fun, but it is tolerable. Then a couple of days of relaxation in which they will hopefully implant in.
Then the worst part...waiting two weeks to find out if it worked. I am so excited and nervous all at the same time. Now it is time to try to save up as much as we can and charge the rest of the costs. After thinking about it, this is more than worth it and I know it is going to work as God has led us on this road and I have the greatest support group made up of amazing friends and family. Nothing but happy thoughts these next two months. I still can't believe we are doing this!
The most exciting part of the phone call was hearing that Dr. A, doesn't think that I have PCOS based on my blood tests either! BIGGER WOO HOO! He said that there is nothing to indicate this except for the fact that my ovaries had a lot of eggs on the ultrasound that we did last week. He said yes that I have irregular cycles and lots of follicles, but nothing else indicates that I have true PCOS. He isn't 100% sure at this time if I have to take Metformin or not, but he doesn’t think that will help me with an IVF cycle especially with the side effects that I experience with this drug. He said in the old days people thought that Metformin improved eggs, but that doesn’t pan out in his eyes with all of the research that has been done since that time. He said a true PCOS patient has lots of irregularities on the labwork and my bloodwork doesn't show that. I asked him if I still had to do those other 2 blood tests and he said no not at this time, but he is going to recheck my files to double check. He did tell me to let him know when I start this month so I can start on birth control to get my body more stable and ready for IVF. I can't believe that in about two months we are going to be starting this process! Unreal!
I have dates for everything now too! Here is what he said about how the whole thing will work. He did say that I need to read on his blog about IVF at a distance to figure out how we are going to make this work. It isn't going to be easy with it being the end of the school year and packing up my classroom, but I can do it, I am superwoman!
Not sure on what day I start medications, but it is usually day 1. Based on my blood tests, I am going to have to do minimal amount of drug which means lower costs! WOO HOO! I am thinking more like 2 grand instead of 3 to 6 grand like it said on the financial sheet.
May 31: Day 9 of my Cycle (Appointment Day) Chris and I will go to St. Louis to have my eggs measured and see how the drugs are working. This will establish a lot of information on how the rest of the week will work.
5 to 7 days from there is when they harvest the eggs, but that all depends on how my eggs grow and how many eggs I have. We want at least 20 eggs for a good chance of IVF working. I am not too concerned as last week I had over 20 eggs and that was without drugs.
Gap of 5 days after that is when they implant them back in. He said that he implants 2 eggs or embryos back in. He chooses the best 2 embryos that were harvested and puts them back in which is very similar to how they do the IUI procedure which I had done numerous times. It isn't fun, but it is tolerable. Then a couple of days of relaxation in which they will hopefully implant in.
Then the worst part...waiting two weeks to find out if it worked. I am so excited and nervous all at the same time. Now it is time to try to save up as much as we can and charge the rest of the costs. After thinking about it, this is more than worth it and I know it is going to work as God has led us on this road and I have the greatest support group made up of amazing friends and family. Nothing but happy thoughts these next two months. I still can't believe we are doing this!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Uh Oh...
Not going to write much other than to say that phone conference #1 didn't go the way that I wanted at all. I had my phone conference with the IVF financial consultant and more or less was told different numbers about the cost than I had originally thought. I am not happy to say the least and right now not sure what we are going to do. On top of that found out the days in May that things will start and I am not happy about that either. I am going to miss the last week of school is what it is sounding like and that doesn't work as how am I going to get my room packed up when they are still using it. Argh... I am trying not to think about it, but this on top of getting sick isn't helping either. I have the phone conference tomorrow with the doctor to go over my test results. I am hoping that this phone call goes much better or I am seriously going to have a nervous breakdown over the weekend. I guess we will see what happens tomorrow and I will write more than. Right now I am going to bed and taking some medicine. Tomorrow will be better is all I have to say... Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts!
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