Feb 28 - Saturday - Updates and lots of information on Fertility Associates of Memphis

Wow I let 2 weeks go by without updating, and left on that sour note:) I was in a sad place for the week or so following the bleed and ER visit with the subchorionic hematoma. The week following that was full of cramping and just feeling off. I went to the Dr for a follow up and told him everything and he suggested, get this: STOOL SOFTENERS.

Ok, so I knew about constipation in pregnancy, so I was aware all that could happen. And I was pretty sure I'd been going ya know not as often, but still nothing like 5 days waiting. I took his advice and started taking one every day. He said I needed to get back on a regular schedule so my body would adjust and be in a more normal state again. I don't know if that did the trick of what, but the cramping went away within a few days. I will never know, but I'm not stopping those stool softeners (TMI, but so is the last 4 months).

The week following, he told me to start weening off of progesterone injections. Remember, Matt has given me a 1.5 inch needle shot of progesterone every night in my rear for the last 8 weeks. When you do a frozen embryo transfer your body doesn't ovulate. Ovulation is what triggers the ovaries to be active and make progesterone for potential baby. Well, my body was more like, WTF there's a baby in there! And it looked to the ovaries who were like, "hey we've been sleeping so we can't help!" So, I have to supplement with estrogen and progesterone until my body catches on that miraculously a baby ended up in my uterus without the help of my own hormones.

Around weeks 9 or 10 the placenta takes over making the progesterone, so the injections can stop. I will continue taking crinone (vaginal cream progesterone ---wow, disgusting omg gross I'm traumatized) until week 12 to be sure all is well. Look, crinone is good because it helps the baby but that's it. It's gross. What goes in must come out because it does not all aborb. I'll leave it at that. But in one word, crinone is just. gross.

So getting off of progesterone injections is a mental battle. It's hard because you worry that the placenta is just slacking on the job and since this is somewhat unnatural there has been no communication to the ovaries to say, "hey help me out buddy I'm struggling to get started making this progesterone stuff," so I worry about getting off the extra progesterone help in case I have a slow placenta. Not trying to cut my body's abilities short, but c'mon, I had 1 slow fallopian tube for sure, and I'm pretty sure the other one is just over the flailing around, completely incapable of doing its job. I'm sure it has good intentions, but I picture that tube as one of those blow up things you see at a car lot where the air just makes it blow up and down and all around. That's my fallopian tube, bless it's heart.

Anyway, here's what makes it tougher: We started every other day injections last Thursday. The following Wednesday (and dr said it takes 4 days for the body to realize we reduced the amount of progesterone), I spotted. Just a bit. Pink. And for less than an hour and not even enough to be in underware. But I took it as my body saying, hey help me out lady. Thankfully that was shot night. Then, we skipped Thursday, and on Friday before the injection time, I spotted again. This time just some brown, but right before shot time. It could all be coincidence, but I do worry (noway really?). So, last night (friday) was supposed to be our last day of injections. Dr. Amanda says no. I'll be injecting Sunday, and thankfully Monday we have another ultrasound and consultation with the Dr. so I can further prove to him I am anxious, well, about much of this. I figure why would it hurt to help the placenta out for another week or so. I don't mind the injections. Don't get me wrong. They suck. But I don't mind them in comparison to losing the baby. I don't mind much of anything in comparison to losing the baby. All clinics are different in how long they give progesterone. It doesn't hurt to keep taking it, but it's always good to get off something that requires injections every night. My butt is tired.

We shall see.

That's the update. Today is Saturday. It's been so coooold lately. Lots of snow so I actually got to stay home from work quite a bit between snow and being sick in the last 2 weeks. God may have been forcing some more rest on me, and I was okay with that.

I'm so ready for the ultrasound again Monday. Last ultrasound was 7.5 weeks, and the baby had a 165 heartbeat and had grown very well. Started being able to make out little appendages. I'll be 9 weeks as of Monday, so I'm hoping we see much more! After that if all is well, I'll be transferred to my regular OBGYN. It'll be nice to be "normal" (like i'll ever feel that way in regards to fertility and pregnancy), but it'll be sad to leave a great staff. After all, they facilitated God's miracle for us and I don't want to ever lose touch with them. Because I don't want to ever ever forget,  here are some key people from my fertility clinic, Fertility Associates of Memphis:

Dr. Ke: he was my main Dr. We consulted with him on EVERYTHING for about 2 years now. He has been amazing, understanding, informative, and had truly let us guide this process to our comfort level. I have zero complaints.

Dr. Brezina: He did the egg retrieval. Didn't get to know him very well but he gave me lots of good information prior to the retrieval (if you remember, I was slightly panicked over OHSS and retrieving so many eggs that we ended up with 20 fertilized embryos...and we in no way could bring ourselves to not giving them all a chance at life). Thank the Lord, he retrieved 12, leading to 7 fertilized, and 5 frozen blastocysts, one of which is currently in my uterus, thanks to Dr. Bailey, but first:

Dr. Ding: He is in the lab where all the miracles happen. He gave us frequent updates on the status of our embryos. Always informative, and always professional. I had to call him a couple of times because we were hesitant on how to decide which to transfer. We knew we wanted to transfer 1, but they had frozen our two best quality together, and I was confused on if we should thaw then refreeze one from that straw. He gave me so much information and helped make a decision that allowed us to transfer one and give comfort around the high possibility that the other would be fine and re-frozen. And it was! He was always timely in calling back. Very thankful for him and the watch and care he took over our eggs as they went through fertilization to then making decisions on freezing.

Dr. Amelia Bailey: She was so nice and made me feel so comfortable. Dr. Bailey did my embryo transfer, and she rocked it! This lady really stuck with me; i can't really explain but it's how she made me feel and I could tell she was a strong, yet compassionate person and I was so thankful to have her there for this delicate emotional experience. She, essentially, brought us to the finish line for pregnancy, and we're forever grateful.
the next sentence is updated Oct 2015: (let me spoil the reader here and say, remember the name Amelia; you may hear it again....)

Dawn: Dr's Ke's nurse. She answered all of my questions (and there were many) and always called me back regardless of how insignificant my question could have been. She guided us through the technicalities of this process, and I am very thankful for her.

Miss Trudy: Wow. BEST EVER! She rocks her job. She draws blood all day. ALL DAY! And I have the worst veins, and not once (in the probably 15-20 draws I had) did she bruise me. It was always quick and painless. She has the job of drawing your blood that will validate pregnancy. She sees you the day of your retrieval and your transfer. She was right there through this process and one of the best staff members there. THANK YOU!

Ultrasound techs (i wish i knew their names): I will describe...one lady probably early 40's with blonde hair so friendly and comforting. One lady probably 20's or 30's short brown hair, extremely professional and informative. One lady, in her 20's, longer brown hair, only had her once. One lady, probably late 20's/early 30's long dark brown hair usually in pony tail. These women were AWESOME. The best thing is they told you everything you were seeing. They actually answered questions. They were gentle (and this is huge, especially after you're pregnant and taking crinone nightly), and they were so sensitive to your emotions. Always pleasant, and always professional. I was always comforted during this experience and I've had some unpleasant experiences when I dealt with my ectopic. I will work on getting their names, I really don't like not having their names on here, because that does not equate to how much they meant to me.

Overall, I am just so grateful for my experience, and I will be back there to try and give siblings to the little one in my belly. I can't get too far from these wonderful people because they are taking care of our 4 other embryos:)

Sorry for the long post. I've been meaning to write this one, though, because these people deserve recognition and thanks.

Amanda


Quick updates on how I'm feeling and some pictures: Symptoms have gone away some which of course scares me. What has stuck around is I'm still pretty tired, and I get so full so fast. If I eat a normal sized meal (i'm talking a wrap or something) it will just hit me to the point of misery. I have recently started eating slower. Like I'm 80. And that helps so much. Foods don't seem exciting which is so weird for me! I've lost about 3-4 pounds, but have read that's normal due to: no alcohol, food seeming gross, and getting fuller faster so you eat less. That's really it unless spotting is a symptom. I'm hoping spotting is just insignificant. Thankfully, I've had no bleeding like the night we went to the ER. That was totally different.


Here were some foods I ate basically all week while I was sick (this was 2 weeks ago). Now those foods look gross.

Matt made me a special grilled cheese:) A grilled cheese still sounds good.

Here is our latest ultrasound picture. 7.5 weeks. It's kind of looking more like a baby blob vs just a spot on the screen! Also, you can see my hematoma is smaller. It's the other black blob in the upper left over the black blob with the baby.

Matt went fishing last weekend, and had an awesome time. I was happy for him. He's been a super trooper this whole time, giving shots, putting up with my worrying and emotional  ups and downs, taking a larger role in house duties while I was on bed rest, and just being there. That's the most important part. He's been there through it all. Never a complaint. That should be a given in marriage since we are partners in everything, but I've read some stories where it's not so much that way with this process. That men can either get on board or sometimes distance themselves to an 'as needed' role. But, Matt has been there whether needed or not. He inserts himself into the equation which is all I can ask for. More than I can ask for. I know he'll be that type of father as well. Thankful for him beyond words.

I've probably already posted some of these, but here they are for the last 4 weeks. I'll have 8 weeks tomorrow right as I start 9 weeks. I've been taking the picture on the last day of the week i'm in b/c i figure as i get to the end of pregnancy, assuming it goes 40 weeks, I'll want one from the later end of that week.

There's a typo here. But I haven't gotten around to fixing.