Parenting Magazine-"Fate of Frozen Embryos"

Click here to read an interesting article in Parenting Magazine about "The Fate of Frozen Embryos." Although I don't agree with all of it, I'm glad the fate of these little lives is "getting out there." It doesn't mention embryo adoption but embryo donation.This quote from the article REALLY made me think of just how precious these frozen babies are..

"I don't think anybody knows what their opinion is until they're in this situation," says Ginny Scott of Austin, TX. She had one embryo left after giving birth to her children, now 7 and 6. After two years of deliberating possibilities that never seemed right, she and her husband decided to use it to have another baby—her now 3-year-old daughter. One unused embryo, she says, "changed my whole life." She's thankful for her daughter, but also thankful she had only one embryo remaining.

JUST JAB...It's for the BABIES!

Well, my estrogen lab result FINALLY came back at 3:30pm-UGH!!!!! And, I am pleased to say that my estrogen was below 7-YIPPEEE!

So, I put a movie in for the kids, headed to my bathroom, locked the door and tried to talk myself into giving my 0.2ml of Delestrogen for about 20 minutes before I succeeded. I put on my BIG GIRL PANTIES and finally shoved it in. I started out standing, then laying and finally sitting on my vanity chair praying to God all the while that I could do it. He finally gave me the strength to PRESS ON! It wasn't bad at all! I think it will get easier every time! AND, my DH will be here on Sunday and will be off work until September 1st so I only have one more shot to give myself Saturday night and then he will take over! Supposedly estrogen makes you cheery. Anyone else heard that? How can I get any cheerier? YEE HAW!

It's been a good day! Good lab results, good shot experience and my babies are flying as we speak to their last destination before my uterus!! WOO HOO!

Only God could orchestrate all this amazingness! I am praising Him today!

"I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!" Deuteronomy 32:3

The Good, The Bad and The Disgusting!

THE DISGUSTING
Where do I even begin on this post. I am STRESSED TO THE HILT! AF started RIGHT ON TIME on Saturday night. THAT PSYCHO CAME ON WITH A VENGEANCE! I have had the heaviest, most bloated uncomfortable period in my 39 years. Last night I went in and sat on the pot and heard a big "PLOP." I know this is graphic but I must have this on my blog "FOR THE RECORD." A golf ball size solid clot-I WAS SO SCARED! I called my RE nurse cell phone and she simply said "that's normal after being on BCP's so long." Why do I always feel calmer just hearing her voice? She said if it happened again last night to call back. It didn't and I had a RESTLESS night sleep.

THE GOOD
I was able to shower before my little ones awoke AND my babysitter was on time. My GYN's office is 1 hour away. I prayed over my belly all the way there that those 2 cysts would be gone. I arrived for my Estrogen level blood draw and my ultrasound. My 2 large cysts WERE GONE! Thank you LORD! AND as I was leaving the clinic the cryo bank in TX called to tell me that my 6 baby embies will be shipping out tomorrow to CA! They will be safely in CA by Thursday. I asked all the typical mommy questions. "Will they be safe on their flight?" "What are the chances of them thawing or getting lost." and MUCH more. I was reassured that they will be safe in their canisters and even if they get lost, they will stay frozen inside for 10 days. WHEW!

THE BAD
As I was on my way home, my RE's office called. She said "I got your ultrasound but not your lab. Do you know where the estrogen level is?" So, I called my GYN's office and they said "Yes, we ran it STAT but STAT to us means TOMORROW MORNING." WHAT THE???? Yes, that's right people, when you live in THE STICKS there is no lab that is run STAT anywhere close. In order to get STAT lab, I would have to drive about 3 hours-AIN'T HAPPENIN PEEPS. SO, then the RE nurse calls me back & says this "Well, they found an 18mm cyst OR follicle on your left ovary so until I get your lab back so we know for sure that the follicle or cyst is not producing estrogen, you are on hold with your estrogen shot for tonight." DOUBLE UGH!! AND then she said THIS "and if it IS producing estrogen....YOUR TRANSFER WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS CYCLE." That is about when I PANICKED! So, now I must wait until tomorrow morning to see if I am an estrogen mess or not. My friend Jen & my GYN's nurse have both convinced me that there is most likely NO WAY it is an active follicle since I have been on continuous BCP's for months and am only on CD4 of my first period in 3 months. They are both convinced it is one of my shrunken up cysts and for tonight, I am choosing to believe right along with them. I will admit, I thought about taking one of those Valium I was prescribed as I am SO KEYED UP. Thankfully I have chilled out now.

Dear Lord, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't let my estrogen be high. Please let it just be a normal old boring low number. I pray for your comforting arms to surround me tonight so I can sleep soundly. I pray that I will not have to wait to long in the morning for my results and if I do, that you give me the patience I need to not be a grumpy waiter. Thank you for all the blessings in my life. Please watch over my 6 embies & keep them snuggled in and safe as they make their journey 1/2 way home tomorrow. AMEN

DOPE!

The FED EX guy probably had NO IDEA how excited I was to "GET MY DRUGS!"

The box included:

• A BOATLOAD of needles, syringes, alcohol swabs & gauze
• Delestrogen 20 mg for injection
• 5 tabs of 10 mg Valium
• 5 tabs of 16 mg Prednisone
• 10 tabs of 100 mg Doxycycline
• 4 bottles of Prog in oil for injection

The needles are all 1 1/2 inch needles. Hmmm. My DH will be gone for my first few injections so it's time to BUCK UP & give them to myself. Thank the good Lord I've given thousands of shots and drawn a lot of blood in my life so I have some clue what I'm doing. And even if I didn't, to get my babies home.... I would do ANYTHING!

$94.50

The grand total for all meds NOT paid by our insurance for our upcoming FET cycle. Not bad EH?

SWEEEEEEEET.....

They will be here tomorrow! Last BCP "officially" down the hatch!

One More & Contract

ONE MORE LEFT YIPPEEE!!

Tomorrow is my last day of these dreaded things! The donors have one minor change to the contract and so do we which should be done today!

The contract thing is holding up everything & the donor parents are going on vacation Saturday for 2 weeks & we MUST get this finalized, notarized and signed by Friday in order for the embies to be there 2 weeks prior to the transfer as requested by our clinic.

I will be SO RELIEVED when its done and they are there-HAVE I SAID THAT BEFORE? LOL

We are going out to dinner tonight with a fun group of friends and I can't wait!

If all goes well, AF will be here & Sunday will be CD1 and I will be ON MY WAY!

Lord, you know I need to "chill". I am trusting & leaning on you to keep my anxiety level at a minimum as only you can do. I know you have not gotten us this far to let things fall through now. Thank you for all you've done for us already in this miraculous process!

ISSUES..

Today I woke up, went to the bathroom and had "issues" meaning it was just like I was starting my period. I have had some spotting all along since I started this last pack of BCP's. I take 2 a day you know. But like I said, today was different.

SO, I proceed to call my RE's office 3 times and then the office is closed and STILL Noone has called me back about my "gushing." SO, I call and ask that the Dr. be paged (MAINLY BECAUSE I WAS A PANICKED CONTROL FREAK WHO JUST KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO END MY CYCLE)He told me to page him ANY TIME! Instead of paging him, they transferred me to the nurse still in the office who QUICKLY apologized that she had been on VACA for the last week (like I didn't know, I call EVERY DAY). My acupuncture really helped CHILLAX me and I also took a 2 mile bike ride when I got home (the pedalling kind).

She eased my mind quickly and assured me not to worry & that this happens all the time and since I have been on my BCP's for several months, my lining should be nice and thin and I will probably still have a small period after I stop my BCP's Thursday. She assured me this rarely if ever screws up anyones cycle-WHEW!

She went on to tell me that I would be getting a call this evening from the mail order pharmacy about my meds. She was right, they called. I expected the total to be much more, I don't know why. For ALL my meds, syringes, EVERYTHING-the grand total is $237.17 THEY WILL BE HERE FRIDAY! WOO HOO! She also told me after my 1st ultrasound on the 21st to BOOK MY AIRLINE TICKETS BABY! SO exciting!

After we got off the phone, I asked my DH "SO, do you want to know what's going on with me?" He said "yep." SO, I got out my calendar explained all the ultrasounds, acupuncture, shots, pricing, spotting and everything else I have going on and he was actually really patient and interested in all of it. COULD IT BE because I just spent time helping him pick out the perfect luggage rack for our Harley?

So here's my cost break down for our embryo adoption and FET. The donors were tested 6 months ago so I don't have to pay the normal $500 for that.

$2200 FET
$500 Acupuncture in L.A.
$295 Shipping the embies from TX to LA
$237 Meds
FREE Legal (our friend is doing it)
FREE Travel to L.A.-thank God for frequent hotel stays and airline miles.

$3232 GRAND TOTAL My hubby thought it was a very good total!

Thank you Lord for making this financially "affordable" for us. Thank you for providing the money we need to help unfreeze our precious babies. Thank for NEVER ONCE closing a door in this process. Thank you for the reminder that these orphans need a home just like so many around the globe.