Hi, this is Jill - I think I logged in under Zann, but it's me!
Okay, Zann, you have officially become an expert on the process here -- look at the thorough explanations of this stuff! I knew you'd get up to speed in no time, but I'm impressed -- and thankful, as always. I had to crack up at the injection party... I should have done that back when it was my butt in the air. As for the progesterone shots, that woman from the blog was crazy to try doing them herself -- certainly more brave than I! And here's the good news: the progesterone is now less thick than it was when I first started IVF and how it's described (in oil) on the blog. I believe, Zann, you can use a slightly smaller needle - although it's probably the same one you are using for the E2V. Fun, fun, I know.
Special thanks to all those helping Zann (and saving Scotty) with injections. James and I are so excited to be this close to the big tranfer day!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
An Explanation...
You guys can thank my friend Cassie for this - she posted a comment and was curious as to what the injections were. So, I did a lil' research myself and here ya go :
Right now I'm on daily Lupron injections, E2V injections every Tuesday and Friday and soon I'll be on progesterone injections daily.
Lupron / Leuprolide : Lupron injections are to help shut down the bodies normal hormone production so the doctors can control your cycle and be sure the surrogate's uterus is ready to receive the embryos at the exact time for the best chance of success.
E2V / Estradiol : E2V acts as a growth horomone and it's main goal is to thicken the lining of the uterus. They do Ultrasounds to check the thickness of the lining and if it's too thin, they will increase the dosage of the E2V before the transfer to help make the lining nice and thick. If I'm wrong, please someone correct me but I believe it's just Estrogen.
Progesterone : Progesterone is natually produced by our bodies when we get pregnant. Therefore, since my body is not producing the egg, I will start these injections about a week before the transfer to kind of fool my body into thinking I'm pregnant. And then these injections will continue for a few weeks post transfer. After that point, my body will/should realize I'm pregnant and will start producing it naturally.
Check out this blog entry I found when I was trying to pull up some more info on the drugs I'm taking :
This cycle marks my first exposure to progesterone in oil. I'd always heard how agonizing the injections are, and although I considered myself lucky to have avoided them thus far, I also felt a certain superiority to those who complained. Really, how bad could it be?
Paul dutifully delivered the first injection to my right hip with little fanfare and no pain. This is a breeze, I thought smugly.
The second injection came due after he'd already left town, so I twisted myself into spasms to deliver the injection to my left hip. Because the angle was so awkward, I didn't plunge the needle straight in and ended up wiggling it more than I should have — that is to say, at all. Although the shot itself didn't hurt, the next day the injection site was a bit sore from my deep tissue noodling. This will be a breeze, I thought, if I do the next one in my thigh.
Now, I was told that the injection should be done in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks. (If you were referring to someone with actual muscles in her ass, you might say "glutes." But we're talking about me, so "well-marbled rump" is more apt.) But you can deliver intramuscular shots into the quadriceps, and I thought I might be able to drive the needle with more accuracy and finesse if I wasn't concurrently herniating a disc. Because, hey, I'm clever.
So today I set to. I warmed the injection site with a hot, damp cloth. I drew up the oil into the syringe. And I plunged it deep into the meat of my thigh.
Don't ever, ever do this.
The injection didn't hurt. But the senation of driving the needle in was extremely upsetting. If you would like to simulate the experience at home, assemble the following:
1 McDonald's drinking straw
3 lb. eye of round, partially frozen
Now stick the straw into the steak. Now imagine, if you will, that the beef is intimately tied into your somatic nervous system.
Yeah, that's the stuff.
I felt a wave of queasiness as I looked at the 1 1/2" needle entirely embedded in my leg. But because I am ten kinds of mighty badass, I steeled myself to complete the injection, which must be delivered slowly...slowly...slowly...ahhhhhh.
This wasn't really such a breeze at all, I concluded as I massaged the injection site with my warm, limp washcloth.
But, again, the shot didn't actually hurt, and once I'd massaged the oil out of its stubborn lump into the depths of my muscle, I was fine, and went gaily about my business.
Now, a scant eight hours later, I am practically crippled.
My right thigh is as sore as if I'd been stabbed with an icepick — not surprising, considering that I was stabbed with an icepick. The muscle throbs even at rest. When I try to walk, I have to fight the urge to drag my leg behind me Quasimodo-style. When I flex my knee, a dull but insistent ache washes over my entire leg. When I put my weight on it — well, look, it just hurts, okay? Jesus, do I have to paint you a picture?
I'm guessing this is why they recommend doing the injections in the upper outer quadrant of the well-marbled rump, a muscle that does significantly less work than the lean, unlarded upper thigh. With newfound humility, I hereby join the ranks of women who complain about how painful PIO injections are. Almost as painful as my stupidity.
Right now I'm on daily Lupron injections, E2V injections every Tuesday and Friday and soon I'll be on progesterone injections daily.
Lupron / Leuprolide : Lupron injections are to help shut down the bodies normal hormone production so the doctors can control your cycle and be sure the surrogate's uterus is ready to receive the embryos at the exact time for the best chance of success.
E2V / Estradiol : E2V acts as a growth horomone and it's main goal is to thicken the lining of the uterus. They do Ultrasounds to check the thickness of the lining and if it's too thin, they will increase the dosage of the E2V before the transfer to help make the lining nice and thick. If I'm wrong, please someone correct me but I believe it's just Estrogen.
Progesterone : Progesterone is natually produced by our bodies when we get pregnant. Therefore, since my body is not producing the egg, I will start these injections about a week before the transfer to kind of fool my body into thinking I'm pregnant. And then these injections will continue for a few weeks post transfer. After that point, my body will/should realize I'm pregnant and will start producing it naturally.
Check out this blog entry I found when I was trying to pull up some more info on the drugs I'm taking :
This cycle marks my first exposure to progesterone in oil. I'd always heard how agonizing the injections are, and although I considered myself lucky to have avoided them thus far, I also felt a certain superiority to those who complained. Really, how bad could it be?
Paul dutifully delivered the first injection to my right hip with little fanfare and no pain. This is a breeze, I thought smugly.
The second injection came due after he'd already left town, so I twisted myself into spasms to deliver the injection to my left hip. Because the angle was so awkward, I didn't plunge the needle straight in and ended up wiggling it more than I should have — that is to say, at all. Although the shot itself didn't hurt, the next day the injection site was a bit sore from my deep tissue noodling. This will be a breeze, I thought, if I do the next one in my thigh.
Now, I was told that the injection should be done in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks. (If you were referring to someone with actual muscles in her ass, you might say "glutes." But we're talking about me, so "well-marbled rump" is more apt.) But you can deliver intramuscular shots into the quadriceps, and I thought I might be able to drive the needle with more accuracy and finesse if I wasn't concurrently herniating a disc. Because, hey, I'm clever.
So today I set to. I warmed the injection site with a hot, damp cloth. I drew up the oil into the syringe. And I plunged it deep into the meat of my thigh.
Don't ever, ever do this.
The injection didn't hurt. But the senation of driving the needle in was extremely upsetting. If you would like to simulate the experience at home, assemble the following:
1 McDonald's drinking straw
3 lb. eye of round, partially frozen
Now stick the straw into the steak. Now imagine, if you will, that the beef is intimately tied into your somatic nervous system.
Yeah, that's the stuff.
I felt a wave of queasiness as I looked at the 1 1/2" needle entirely embedded in my leg. But because I am ten kinds of mighty badass, I steeled myself to complete the injection, which must be delivered slowly...slowly...slowly...ahhhhhh.
This wasn't really such a breeze at all, I concluded as I massaged the injection site with my warm, limp washcloth.
But, again, the shot didn't actually hurt, and once I'd massaged the oil out of its stubborn lump into the depths of my muscle, I was fine, and went gaily about my business.
Now, a scant eight hours later, I am practically crippled.
My right thigh is as sore as if I'd been stabbed with an icepick — not surprising, considering that I was stabbed with an icepick. The muscle throbs even at rest. When I try to walk, I have to fight the urge to drag my leg behind me Quasimodo-style. When I flex my knee, a dull but insistent ache washes over my entire leg. When I put my weight on it — well, look, it just hurts, okay? Jesus, do I have to paint you a picture?
I'm guessing this is why they recommend doing the injections in the upper outer quadrant of the well-marbled rump, a muscle that does significantly less work than the lean, unlarded upper thigh. With newfound humility, I hereby join the ranks of women who complain about how painful PIO injections are. Almost as painful as my stupidity.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
E2V #2...DONE
I had Mara over again last night to do my E2V shot and she brought over Kathy and Nancy as well. The girls were on their way out for the evening so it was a quick stop but since there were 4 of us girls - we were able to document it.
For your viewing enjoyment...
Nurse Mara prepping everything...
Kathy in awe over the large 18g needle...
Kathy practicing in a lime...
Nancy practicing in a lime as well...
For your viewing enjoyment...
Nurse Mara prepping everything...
Kathy in awe over the large 18g needle...
Kathy practicing in a lime...
Nancy practicing in a lime as well...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
E2V #1...mission completed!
I did it. The first E2V shot in the butt was a success.
Mara, Scotty, Carolyn (my mother in law) and even Sebastien were all there to witness it. Mara is a nurse who works 2 full time jobs as a nurse with both special needs adults and at a convalescent home. She's amazing and I don't know how she does it or how she has time to come over and give me shots in the butt. But she did and I'm grateful. THANKS MARA!
Carolyn and Scotty watched Mara get everything ready. I pulled out the 18g needle to show Scotty and he didn't say much. But a few minutes later, his mom looked over at him and went "wow" and so I looked too. Scotty was pale or even a light shade of yellow. He looked like he was about to pass out. The poor guy can't stand needles. So, he apologized and said "I'm sorry babe - I just can't do it." I told him to go ahead and get out of the kitchen and I totally understood. At this point, I was ready to go grab the bottle of vodka and take a shot of it. I was getting pretty nervous myself. So, Mara got everything ready and Carolyn looked so excited. Mara told me to go lay down on the couch and pull my pants down. (Kind of funny to hear your good friend say). So I laid down and Sebastien was really interested in all that was going on too so he sat on the couch watching me. Mara starting showing Carolyn where to do the shot, how to measure from my hip bone and all that stuff. Scotty started to emerge from the back of the house and offered to take Sebastien away but Sebastien wanted to stay and watch. So Scotty migrated over to the couch to kind of see what was going on. And then that was it - Mara counted to 3, I covered my eyes and nothing. I didn't feel it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! So nice. I felt it a lil' on the way out but it wasn't bad...at all.
The funniest part was after she was done - Carolyn wanted a go at it. She said "that's it...I don't get to do one." I told her Friday night was all hers. I think Mara will come over again just to supervise. But at this point, I think it'll be Mara and Carolyn doing the shots. I totally understand where Scotty's coming from. I couldn't imagine giving a shot to anyone else either.
A funny thing to mention, which Mara brought up last night. Scotty and I are both somewhat afraid of needles but both of us have multiple tattoos. He's got 4 tattoos, 3 of the 4 were pretty extensive tattoos too - including his whole back piece that's still in progress. And I have 6 tattoos. So, we can subject ourselves to hours of pain with 3 small needles piercing the skin over and over and over but yet a lil' injection scares us. How weird, huh?
Thank you Mara for my shot in the bum! Thanks to Carolyn for being so willing to do this and I can't wait till Friday. And baby - thanks for trying. I love you.
Edited to say - my butt's tender! LOL.
Mara, Scotty, Carolyn (my mother in law) and even Sebastien were all there to witness it. Mara is a nurse who works 2 full time jobs as a nurse with both special needs adults and at a convalescent home. She's amazing and I don't know how she does it or how she has time to come over and give me shots in the butt. But she did and I'm grateful. THANKS MARA!
Carolyn and Scotty watched Mara get everything ready. I pulled out the 18g needle to show Scotty and he didn't say much. But a few minutes later, his mom looked over at him and went "wow" and so I looked too. Scotty was pale or even a light shade of yellow. He looked like he was about to pass out. The poor guy can't stand needles. So, he apologized and said "I'm sorry babe - I just can't do it." I told him to go ahead and get out of the kitchen and I totally understood. At this point, I was ready to go grab the bottle of vodka and take a shot of it. I was getting pretty nervous myself. So, Mara got everything ready and Carolyn looked so excited. Mara told me to go lay down on the couch and pull my pants down. (Kind of funny to hear your good friend say). So I laid down and Sebastien was really interested in all that was going on too so he sat on the couch watching me. Mara starting showing Carolyn where to do the shot, how to measure from my hip bone and all that stuff. Scotty started to emerge from the back of the house and offered to take Sebastien away but Sebastien wanted to stay and watch. So Scotty migrated over to the couch to kind of see what was going on. And then that was it - Mara counted to 3, I covered my eyes and nothing. I didn't feel it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! So nice. I felt it a lil' on the way out but it wasn't bad...at all.
The funniest part was after she was done - Carolyn wanted a go at it. She said "that's it...I don't get to do one." I told her Friday night was all hers. I think Mara will come over again just to supervise. But at this point, I think it'll be Mara and Carolyn doing the shots. I totally understand where Scotty's coming from. I couldn't imagine giving a shot to anyone else either.
A funny thing to mention, which Mara brought up last night. Scotty and I are both somewhat afraid of needles but both of us have multiple tattoos. He's got 4 tattoos, 3 of the 4 were pretty extensive tattoos too - including his whole back piece that's still in progress. And I have 6 tattoos. So, we can subject ourselves to hours of pain with 3 small needles piercing the skin over and over and over but yet a lil' injection scares us. How weird, huh?
Thank you Mara for my shot in the bum! Thanks to Carolyn for being so willing to do this and I can't wait till Friday. And baby - thanks for trying. I love you.
Edited to say - my butt's tender! LOL.
Monday, February 18, 2008
E2V's...here we come!
So tomorrow is the day. I start the E2V injections tomorrow night. I'm not too excited about them but it has to be done. And I've been asking, and re-asking people about the shots. I've made Jill tell me over and over that they're not that bad. I've made Mara tell me over and over that the butt is the best spot to get the shots. And another girl that is going through a surrogacy has assured me that they aren't that bad. I'm really taking everyone's word on this. I hope everyone is being honest.
The Lupron injections have been going alright. Some days are good, some days are harder. I think I've had 3 injections that have hurt. But when I say hurt, it's not any worse then plucking one of those finicky eyebrow hairs. But the fact that I have a needle in my hand and I have to poke myself with it - I really have to talk myself up on some days. For instance, this morning I texted Mara and told her I couldn't do it after standing at the kitchen counter for over 5 minutes with my shirt up, shot out, aiming at the invisible target (2" from the belly button). She called me immediately and said "MARCH IN THERE AND DO IT." I still couldn't. I would leave the shot in the kitchen, go do some work, come back and look at the shot, try to do it, give up and walk away. It was a horrible pattern for almost 30 minutes today. I know it doesn't hurt...but I just can't do it some days. So, on the last walk of shame to the kitchen, I said a lil' prayer, grabbed the syringe and went for it. Did I feel it...? Absolutely not!
Uggh...the mind over matter thing...I just can't do it. I thought in the begininning that I'd be able to do my own E2V and progesterone injections but I don't think I can.
My lovely friend Mara is coming over tomorrow night to help with the first E2V and show Scotty and possibly Carolyn how to do them. I think she'll be the first one to actually do it. Maybe I'll grab some pictures of the event tomorrow night.
I had the baseline U/S today and had some bloodwork done. (Again, weird that I can handle getting bloodwork done but I'm dreading a needle in the butt tomorrow night...I don't understand either). I'm sure everything was fine...the U/S tech said everything looked great. I have to say that I'm still amazed about the whole science behind the surrogacy. Dr Acacio gets all his patients on the same cycle so he can do all the transfers at the same time. And then gives us all these drugs to prep our bodies for the transfer. Ahh, it just blows me away. Oh, something fun - I was in the lab getting bloodwork and I was discussing payment with them and they asked who my Dr was. I said Dr Acacio and there was another lady in their doing bloodwork and she spoke up and said "You're the other one." Her and I were both patients of Dr Acacio and are on the same cycle and I guess the office told her that there were 2 patients of Dr Acacio on today. She's on here 3rd try for IVF, first time with Dr Acacio and has high hopes that he's going to be the Doc to make this happen. So, I have the feeling I might see her down South in March for the transfer!!! I hope so!!!
Alright - my battery is about to die so I'm gonna wrap it up for the night. Wish me luck, think happy, painless thoughts for me tomorrow night. And I'll let you know how it goes!
The Lupron injections have been going alright. Some days are good, some days are harder. I think I've had 3 injections that have hurt. But when I say hurt, it's not any worse then plucking one of those finicky eyebrow hairs. But the fact that I have a needle in my hand and I have to poke myself with it - I really have to talk myself up on some days. For instance, this morning I texted Mara and told her I couldn't do it after standing at the kitchen counter for over 5 minutes with my shirt up, shot out, aiming at the invisible target (2" from the belly button). She called me immediately and said "MARCH IN THERE AND DO IT." I still couldn't. I would leave the shot in the kitchen, go do some work, come back and look at the shot, try to do it, give up and walk away. It was a horrible pattern for almost 30 minutes today. I know it doesn't hurt...but I just can't do it some days. So, on the last walk of shame to the kitchen, I said a lil' prayer, grabbed the syringe and went for it. Did I feel it...? Absolutely not!
Uggh...the mind over matter thing...I just can't do it. I thought in the begininning that I'd be able to do my own E2V and progesterone injections but I don't think I can.
My lovely friend Mara is coming over tomorrow night to help with the first E2V and show Scotty and possibly Carolyn how to do them. I think she'll be the first one to actually do it. Maybe I'll grab some pictures of the event tomorrow night.
I had the baseline U/S today and had some bloodwork done. (Again, weird that I can handle getting bloodwork done but I'm dreading a needle in the butt tomorrow night...I don't understand either). I'm sure everything was fine...the U/S tech said everything looked great. I have to say that I'm still amazed about the whole science behind the surrogacy. Dr Acacio gets all his patients on the same cycle so he can do all the transfers at the same time. And then gives us all these drugs to prep our bodies for the transfer. Ahh, it just blows me away. Oh, something fun - I was in the lab getting bloodwork and I was discussing payment with them and they asked who my Dr was. I said Dr Acacio and there was another lady in their doing bloodwork and she spoke up and said "You're the other one." Her and I were both patients of Dr Acacio and are on the same cycle and I guess the office told her that there were 2 patients of Dr Acacio on today. She's on here 3rd try for IVF, first time with Dr Acacio and has high hopes that he's going to be the Doc to make this happen. So, I have the feeling I might see her down South in March for the transfer!!! I hope so!!!
Alright - my battery is about to die so I'm gonna wrap it up for the night. Wish me luck, think happy, painless thoughts for me tomorrow night. And I'll let you know how it goes!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
a conglomeration of things...
Happy Valentines Day to everyone!!!
First and foremost, a big thank you to Scotty who surprised me this morning with a box of chocolate and a dozen red roses. I didn't want to get out of bed this morning 'cos Spencer had a rough night last night and so I laid in bed till about 8am. Got up, got the boys ready and walked out to the kitchen to put the bottles from the night away and there awaiting me was a surprise. I was shocked. What a great surprise this morning. It put a HUGE smile on my face and the boys were quite impressed as well. Although Sebastien kept looking at them and calling them "fish." Don't ask 'cos I have no idea...
Secondly - how cute are these kids. For some of you that don't know Scotty and I. These are our 2 boys. Sebastien is the oldest and Spencer is the youngest one. I got them dressed this morning in their dress shirts 'cos they're having a Valentines Day Party at daycare so I figured, "hey, impress the ladies."
And lastly and most importantly...
And lastly and most importantly...
NO MORE BCP's FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For those of you that aren't familiar with all the medical slang - BCP stands for Birth Control Pills. I took my last pill last night and I am done. Now you all may wonder why this excites me so much, so let me tell you. I realized about 2 weeks ago why I stopped taking the BCP's after Scotty and I got married. Hence the reason we had 2 kids...both accidents (in which we wouldn't trade for the world). I was MOOD-Y. And when I say moody, I mean moody. I could not stay on top of my emotions and the last 2 weeks, I think I cried at least 5 times a day. I got upset at the lil' things. Oh, it was horrible. Poor Dr Acacio and Jill got an email from me on Monday pleading for help. I told them I needed either a different BCP or some mood altering drugs. And then I looked at my FET calendar and realized I got to stop taking them on Wednesday. So, I emailed them both back and said nevermind and that I would be able to make it till Wednesday. After a few emails were exchanged between the 3 of us, Dr Acacio even called to check in on me and to make sure I wasn't on a ledge ready to jump off. Very sweet of him. Anyway, back to the BCP - guess what I did with them this morning!?!?!?
Yep, that's right - they went down the toilet. ALL GONE!!!
When I said up top "LASTLY," I was just kidding. Some people have asked when the transfer is supposed to take place. Jill and I will meet down in LA on March 10th. During the next couple of days, I will have daily ultrasounds to check the uterine lining and make sure that there's a good lining for the embryo to attach to. Once the lining is just right, they will do the transfer. It's on the calendar to happen anywhere between March 10-13th. After that, it's about 4 days of bedrest for me and then we wait. I think Dr Acacio said I can take a pregnancy test about 12 days after the transfer and we will know whether or not it took.
Monday, February 11, 2008
i did it...i did it...
The first one was Saturday morning and the boys were snowboarding and Jen and I got all 4 kids to play nicely for a few minutes. I pulled my lil' box out of the freezer and when I told Jen I was going to to do it in the bathroom, she said no way. (I wanted to do it in the bathroom in case I cried). She wanted to be there for me. So, I pulled up my shirt, nasty stretchmarks and all and went for it. I jabbed it in pretty fast and low and behold, I felt NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. I couldn't believe it. I pulled out the needle very excited and I think I gave Jen a high five and I had a huge smile on my face. I couldn't believe I had just given myself my very own shot!!!
So, Sunday morning I woke up and I wasn't dreading the shot at all. But low and behold, I didn't jab myself very fast and it actually hurt a lil' and even bled a lil'. I was a bit sad that it hurt. But I figured, tomorrow's another day and I'll just have to try again.
That leads me to today. Since I have to keep the Lupron refrigerated, I was in the kitchen and I decided to make myself some toast and get my syringe ready. I was going to use my toast as my distraction and my lil' reward. LOL. So, I had the syringe ready and I swabbed down my tummy with the alcohol wipe and waited for it to dry. I cringed a lil' thinking about yesterday's not so good shot and decided just to jab it in fast. I did it...it didn't hurt. I was so relieved. I enjoyed my toast as my treat and was proud yet again. 3 shots down...many more to come.
The trick is - JAB IT IN FAST! Just go for it. That's the way it's going to work for me.
And since James and Jill didn't make it up to Rocklin, we only got tons of pictures of the kids. Sorry...
So, Sunday morning I woke up and I wasn't dreading the shot at all. But low and behold, I didn't jab myself very fast and it actually hurt a lil' and even bled a lil'. I was a bit sad that it hurt. But I figured, tomorrow's another day and I'll just have to try again.
That leads me to today. Since I have to keep the Lupron refrigerated, I was in the kitchen and I decided to make myself some toast and get my syringe ready. I was going to use my toast as my distraction and my lil' reward. LOL. So, I had the syringe ready and I swabbed down my tummy with the alcohol wipe and waited for it to dry. I cringed a lil' thinking about yesterday's not so good shot and decided just to jab it in fast. I did it...it didn't hurt. I was so relieved. I enjoyed my toast as my treat and was proud yet again. 3 shots down...many more to come.
The trick is - JAB IT IN FAST! Just go for it. That's the way it's going to work for me.
And since James and Jill didn't make it up to Rocklin, we only got tons of pictures of the kids. Sorry...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
What a trooper!!!!
Okay, I'm finally catching up on my blog reading after being out (and I mean OUT) sick all week. I feel so horrible - yet so thankful that these needles have not scared Zann off quite yet! Boy, I've done it four times, so I know the overwhelming feeling she has, but it has to be different when you're doing it for someone else. She really is amazing for doing this (can I ever say that enough??). I spoke with her yesterday and she survived the first injection!! The Lupron ones really aren't bad, as far as shots go. And the others, while certainly not a day at the park, are not terrible once you get the hang of it. But the learning process is intimidating -- I'm glad Zann has a great sense of humor about all of this. I do want to say thanks again - in case they're reading - to Nurse Linda and my step-mom Teresa for helping teach Zann. I know they'll be there for her as she progresses to the next ones too.
Unfortunately, we should be in Rocklin this morning making breakfast with everyone, but because of my flu, we decided to stay away. Don't want to risk giving anyone this horrible bug! I'm hoping Zann partied a bit last night (Kev, did you make Cosmos?!). I want her to have lots of fun before that transfer just in case we get lucky and make a baby. And would someone please take her snowboarding?!!!! She's been dying to go since I met her and we have yet to help her make it happen. I really want her to enjoy a few runs asap, in hopes that she'll be on hiatus this spring.
Okay, that's it for me. I feel a bit helpless in the process right now, but I know Zann is carefully following her calendar, taking her shots and vitamins, etc. So keep up the good work girl!
Unfortunately, we should be in Rocklin this morning making breakfast with everyone, but because of my flu, we decided to stay away. Don't want to risk giving anyone this horrible bug! I'm hoping Zann partied a bit last night (Kev, did you make Cosmos?!). I want her to have lots of fun before that transfer just in case we get lucky and make a baby. And would someone please take her snowboarding?!!!! She's been dying to go since I met her and we have yet to help her make it happen. I really want her to enjoy a few runs asap, in hopes that she'll be on hiatus this spring.
Okay, that's it for me. I feel a bit helpless in the process right now, but I know Zann is carefully following her calendar, taking her shots and vitamins, etc. So keep up the good work girl!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
holy cow...can you see this...
Okay, so I know I'm being a lil' overdramatic here but just to give you an idea of the sizes of needles...take a look...
Sorry the pictures aren't so clear but the syringe is the diabetic needle that I start with on Saturday morning. That will have the Lupron in it and I can give it to myself in the tummy. No big deal. That doesn't scare me.
Do you see the needle that has the pink type of cap on it. Can you see how THICK that thing is in comparison to the small diabetic needle? See it...??? Well, that's an 18gauge needle. It's MASSIVE. Now, for the good news - I don't have to inject myself with that needle. THANK GOD. But I have to draw up the E2V with that and then inject myself with a 25gauge needle. Good Lord, when I pulled the cap off of that needle, I wanted to faint. But Linda was here to reassure me that that needle was ONLY to draw up the medicine with. I haven't looked at the 25gauge needle yet but I know it's the same length - just smaller in diameter.
Thanks again to Linda and Teresa for driving over here on their lunch break to explain all this to me. It makes a lot more sense to me now and it looks manageable.
Like I said - I start the Lupron injections on Saturday (with Jen...he he) and then the E2V shots start on the 19th if I'm cleared from the baseline Ultrasound on Monday.
Sorry the pictures aren't so clear but the syringe is the diabetic needle that I start with on Saturday morning. That will have the Lupron in it and I can give it to myself in the tummy. No big deal. That doesn't scare me.
Do you see the needle that has the pink type of cap on it. Can you see how THICK that thing is in comparison to the small diabetic needle? See it...??? Well, that's an 18gauge needle. It's MASSIVE. Now, for the good news - I don't have to inject myself with that needle. THANK GOD. But I have to draw up the E2V with that and then inject myself with a 25gauge needle. Good Lord, when I pulled the cap off of that needle, I wanted to faint. But Linda was here to reassure me that that needle was ONLY to draw up the medicine with. I haven't looked at the 25gauge needle yet but I know it's the same length - just smaller in diameter.
Thanks again to Linda and Teresa for driving over here on their lunch break to explain all this to me. It makes a lot more sense to me now and it looks manageable.
Like I said - I start the Lupron injections on Saturday (with Jen...he he) and then the E2V shots start on the 19th if I'm cleared from the baseline Ultrasound on Monday.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
pictures....
I finally grabbed the camera from my mother in laws house...here ya go...
A lil' overwhelming, don't you think? The small needles in the last picture don't scare me as much. Those are the small diabetic needles that I can choose either my tummy or my upper thigh to inject myself with. It's the bigger ones that are about 2" long and look way thick that scare me. Once I start opening up those packages, I'll take a picture for you...
I tried attaching a copy of my calendar showing all the meds I have to take but it doesn't do it justice on here - it's too small to read. Oh well.
Oh, I forgot to mention, rumor has it that all the horomones that I'll be taking really help (being sarcastic there) with putting on weight. I'm really sensitive to any kind of medication and so the birth control that I'm on already is already helping with the weight now too. FUN! I feel my arms expanding by the day and my thighs touching more and more. I hate it. That's what I don't like taking medication. Even ask my husband...he was ready to call Dr Acacio and ask when I get to get off birth control. I've become pretty moody and have developed the art of "Crying at the drop of a dime for no apparent reason." It's pretty impressive...well for some. Well, maybe for none.
I haven't asked her yet but I know she reads my blog. In fact, she's the one that's helping me make it look pretty. Rachel - will you start walking with me so I don't blow up like a big pumpkin? Otherwise, I might have to be rolled around like this pumpkin...
Alright - I'll quit boring you for the day. I'll post tomorrow after Linda and Teresa come over to show me how to jab myself and sort through this box o' horomones.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
it's here...
All I have to say is....
I'm being a lil' sarcastic but a lil' not. LOL. I called Jill immediately and asked her what everything was. Seriously - it's a serious druggie's dream come true. I'll get my camera from my in-laws house this afternoon and show you all what my life will consist of the next few months. Should be interesting.
Oh, and I told my boss this morning. I was a bit scared of what he thought 'cos he means a lot to me and I don't want to put him out too much with this whole process. He took it pretty good. So, that's a big weight lifted off my shoulders. Phew...
Needles, needles and more needles - oh my!!
I'M SCARED!!!
I'm being a lil' sarcastic but a lil' not. LOL. I called Jill immediately and asked her what everything was. Seriously - it's a serious druggie's dream come true. I'll get my camera from my in-laws house this afternoon and show you all what my life will consist of the next few months. Should be interesting.
Oh, and I told my boss this morning. I was a bit scared of what he thought 'cos he means a lot to me and I don't want to put him out too much with this whole process. He took it pretty good. So, that's a big weight lifted off my shoulders. Phew...
Needles, needles and more needles - oh my!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
the drugs are coming...
...this kind of scares me. Actually it really scares me. But I know it won't be that bad. It's just the anticipation that they are coming. The pharmacy called this afternoon to confirm my delivery address and to see when I wanted them. So, they'll be here tomorrow. I'll feel like a drug dealer 'cos Jill says it's pretty overwhelming when you first open the box but it's not that bad. I'm really learning to lean on Jill for support 'cos she's been through this all herself. She says the shots aren't that bad and I'm really believing her. I have to!
Jill's also arranged for Teresa to bring her nurse friend Linda over on Thursday to teach me how to inject myself since I don't want to drive down to LA to learn. Linda taught Jill I guess and says she's really great. So, I'm looking forward to meeting Teresa and Linda. I'll update you all on Thursday to let you know how scared I really am. LOL. And I'll try to post pictures tomorrow of my "box o' fun" containing sharp, pokey needles tomorrow.
I also talked to my "council" today about the contract. Man, all this law lingo makes my brain hurt. All I want to do is help James and Jill out but because of the surrogacy, you have to jump through a lot of hoops. It's all good but it gets a bit tedious. The good thing is, my "council" (I use parenthesis just 'cos I don't know exactly what she is to me) is great. She's very kind and has actually gone through about 17 IVF treatments and finally had her cousin be her surrogate. So, she encouraged me about all the shots and reaffirmed what I was doing was a wonderful thing. She's got a sense of humor too and I like that.
I give my first injection on Saturday morning. It's of the Lupron. Jill says it's a small diabetic needle and I can give it to myself in either the stomach or the thigh. The funny thing is, we'll be up in Rocklin visiting our friends Kevin and Jen. Jen will be my support and I'm sure we'll get a good laugh at it all. The boys will be off snowboarding. So, Jen will have to hold my hand through it all. James and Jill are going to head to Rocklin Saturday night to hang out. So, it'll be a good weekend of catching up with everyone. Funny thing about this whole thing on Saturday night - I forgot to tell Jen that I invited James and Jill over. As I was typing this - I realized I hadn't told Jen about this plan yet. Luckily Jen is such a great sport and thought it was a great idea and would have invited them herself had she known the plans...lol. (SORRY JEN). We'll post some pictures of our party. And hopefully then, you can get an idea who we are, who James and Jill are and a bonus - Kevin and Jen. Oh, and all the cute stinkin' kids.
Well, that's my story for the day - I'll show you the needles tomorrow...
Jill's also arranged for Teresa to bring her nurse friend Linda over on Thursday to teach me how to inject myself since I don't want to drive down to LA to learn. Linda taught Jill I guess and says she's really great. So, I'm looking forward to meeting Teresa and Linda. I'll update you all on Thursday to let you know how scared I really am. LOL. And I'll try to post pictures tomorrow of my "box o' fun" containing sharp, pokey needles tomorrow.
I also talked to my "council" today about the contract. Man, all this law lingo makes my brain hurt. All I want to do is help James and Jill out but because of the surrogacy, you have to jump through a lot of hoops. It's all good but it gets a bit tedious. The good thing is, my "council" (I use parenthesis just 'cos I don't know exactly what she is to me) is great. She's very kind and has actually gone through about 17 IVF treatments and finally had her cousin be her surrogate. So, she encouraged me about all the shots and reaffirmed what I was doing was a wonderful thing. She's got a sense of humor too and I like that.
I give my first injection on Saturday morning. It's of the Lupron. Jill says it's a small diabetic needle and I can give it to myself in either the stomach or the thigh. The funny thing is, we'll be up in Rocklin visiting our friends Kevin and Jen. Jen will be my support and I'm sure we'll get a good laugh at it all. The boys will be off snowboarding. So, Jen will have to hold my hand through it all. James and Jill are going to head to Rocklin Saturday night to hang out. So, it'll be a good weekend of catching up with everyone. Funny thing about this whole thing on Saturday night - I forgot to tell Jen that I invited James and Jill over. As I was typing this - I realized I hadn't told Jen about this plan yet. Luckily Jen is such a great sport and thought it was a great idea and would have invited them herself had she known the plans...lol. (SORRY JEN). We'll post some pictures of our party. And hopefully then, you can get an idea who we are, who James and Jill are and a bonus - Kevin and Jen. Oh, and all the cute stinkin' kids.
Well, that's my story for the day - I'll show you the needles tomorrow...
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