Peter Cottontail Strikes Again!

I am so bloated, tired, emotional and feel like I am carrying a sack of rocks around in my ovaries! I am also in bed, at 9pm, writing this post, one handed on my iPhone. That's exhaustion at its best. All that being said, I couldn't be happier to share with you we are officially scheduled for our egg retrieval in Easter Sunday!!!

I go back in tomorrow morning, more blood and another looksee inside. My legs are all beat up from the Lupron and Gonal F injections and my arms look like I shoot up some pretty severe narcotics from all the blood work! Score!

I know nothing of what to expect for Sunday, again, I am rolling with thus no questions asked campaign. So far, its been working for me. At the very least, I do know all Easter egg hunting will have to be postponed. But I think this little Acker is well worth it. :)

Good night all!

Egg Hunt

Let me bring you up to speed.

Monday: Went in for another blood draw and a good old fashion egg hunt! Level are good, per my nurse. And we have a total of 13 eggs. 6 on the right ovary and 7 on the left. The two largest measuring 14's and the smallest a little baby 6. We were instructed to keep on keeping on. We are looking for that magic number 20, so my little huevos rancheros need a few more days to grow. I would be coming back in on Thursday for another check in.

Wednesday: Today I receive a phone call from the hospital coordinator who would like to collect payment for the hospital portion and the actual egg retrieval. This is BRAND new information to me. One, I don't even have the retrieval booked yet. (She did mention that was normal and that when she calls it usually means we are VERY close) Two, we have already forked over a LARGE lump sum of money and were told the rest of the services were going to be covered by insurance. After a few more seconds of shear panic and terror and wondering what corner I could turn tricks the quickest on she informed me they had me associated with the wrong insurance company. MUSIC TO MY EARS, I think. They would need to do some verifying and would be getting back to me a little later. (STILL WAITING) In between all of this, I emailed my nurse to tell her that I've been experiencing major cramps today. I am currently taking something to postpone ovulation, but today I have MAJOR ovulation symptoms. And it was starting to worry me. She replied back to me that these symptoms are all very normal and no need to worry. PLUS, I will be in tomorrow.

Although I am not positive what the next couple of days will bring, I am very hopeful that we will be having our very own unique egg hunt here soon! On a personal note, I am in sales and Friday is our end of year, so I am really hoping Friday is the day to escape all that madness. Plus, I have a hair appointment on Saturday and would HATE to miss that!!! Is that terrible to say out loud??? :)

Regardless, the Acker house hold is starting to get a little excited/anxious and we are hoping for good news tomorrow. As usual, I will keep you posted!!! Here's to Mr.Peter Cottontail!!!

Phobias

I have this phobia of needles. Ever since I was little, any time I knew a shot was coming, the water works would start a pouring! The anticipation was always way worse than the actual shot itself, but to this day, I still HATE them. Even when I just have to get my blood drawn, I dread it. I do everything I can to remember I'm a BIG GIRL now and I can handle it.

So naturally, during this whole trying to make a baby process, I have been dreading the IVF step, because of all the injections I've heard about. Well the first week of injections has been pretty simple honestly. There is still that 5 seconds a pure fear before I jab the needle into my leg, but at least the sucker goes in. Yesterday, I started my 2nd injection in the evening. This one I've done before, but it has been about 2 months, so I did what I did last time and watched an instructional video via youtube about a million times, had my mini freak out session and shoved that shit in there. Again, not as bad as I was thinking, but it still makes a owwie.

I go back in on Friday for blood work and a check-in. Things seems to be progressing quickly now, after about a 2 month stand still. I've been avoiding The Bump, cause honestly going in blind has been a little better on the nerves than doing the overly researched thing. I just don't want to put any ideas into my head that I could possibly cling to.

All and all, the phobia is still there, but much I'm handling it much better. Or at least I think I am. My thighs look like my husband secretly beats me where no one can see. :) Thank God I don't plan on wearing any Daisy Dukes any time soon!!!!!

Update you guys on Friday!

Cysts Be Gone

The cysts are gone! We started meds on February 9th. Well, one med so far, Lupron, which is supposed to hold off ovulation. The injection have to be done in the morning, at the same time everyday, so I am having to administer the injection to myself. It was a little scary, but I just did it. I tried not to make it too much of a big deal and tried not to cry this time.  So far so good. We go back on Monday for our first baseline. I'm excited, that's it. If the baseline is good, we start the Gonal F, which is what we did in our last IUI. So it's good to be familiar with SOMETHING while in a brand new environment. If everything stays on track, were expecting the egg retrieval to be around the 30th.

Stay tuned folks!

THINK POSITIVE

It's been about 3 1/2 months since last I posted. I wish I could tell you I've been absent for some awesome reason, but I think I just needed a break from continuously feeding this blog with false hope and disappointment. OUCH, those are pretty painful words. My friend Stephanie has this energizing way with words. She effortlessly uses BIG and perfectly paired words that come to life as you read them aloud off the screen or page that you read them from. I wish I could use her brain and her words to articulate in a more amusing way how these journey really feels, but I am simply not as talented as her. I'm the more less talented Stephanie, so this journey fucking sucks.

I will spare you the entire devastating 3 month recap and just cut to the chase of where we are today. February 6th we decided to leave our OB and see a fertility specialist. Our February 7th visit with the feritilty specialist showed two cysts which had formed due to the last injectable cycle. This would mean we'd have to skip a cycle before proceeding with the next step, which would be IVF. It's VERY weird to be here. And even weird-er to think I knew we'd eventually be here. But my faith in our new DR has been some what renewed. I am trying to make peace with the last year and and half of our journey and accept that we are here and can't do anything about. Only God knows why and when and I have to be okay with it. A work in progress to say the least. It's not that I don't trust God, it's just that I am impatient. I have been dreaming on our little Georgia a lot lately, so I know she's coming. I just have to trust that she will come when he says we're ready.

Here's the skinny. February 9th was the first day of my last menstrual cycle. (Sometimes it's still a little shocking how close we are here) I started birth control pills, which will help get rid of the cysts and will take those through March 13th. We go in this Friday to see if the cysts are gone. If we get the green light, we will start the IVF meds on March 9th. I may be trying to psych myself out here a little bit, but I'm not so terrified of the meds. I have decided to NOT read anything about anyone else's experience, I don't need to get any ideas in my head. I am becoming familiar with the idea of being a human pin cushion and just trusting that Vance will be my knight in stabbing honor! :) I have the schedule of meds, but will spare you that nonsense. And will let you know what we hear on Friday.

We are hoping and praying for a one and done. And that's all I will say about that. I am sorry to have just abandoned you the last couple of months, but I am back. We're making Ackers here people, I can feel it!