O Day

Today has been eventful, to say the least.  I started doing OPK's yesterday morning (Wednesday) per the nurse's request on Tuesday.  The 1 follicle on my right ovary was 15mm on Tuesday, and she said that she didn't want us to miss the surge.  Well, I got my smiley face this morning, which is definitely easier than trying to read those stupid double lines tests!  I went in this morning for my appt at 7:15 am with Lillian in tow...Before Joy drew blood, I asked her what the protocol would be if I got my smiley.  She said that we would do the u/s and b/w and probably have me come back tomorrow for the IUI.  After she drew blood and did the u/s, she called Dr P and he said to come back this morning.  I called Kenny, who freaked out because he was at work.  Joy gave me my Ovidrel shot.  I took Lillian to school, picked up Kenny's specimen and hauled to the doctor's office.  I waited 2 hours for his specimen to be ready.  At 11:30+, Joy called me back and I got the IUI.  Everything went well, and I made it into work at 1:30 pm.  I couldn't believe it took so long...I start Crinone on Saturday and call in 2 weeks if AF hasn't shown...I believe this is the time.  My HEDD is 9/9/2010.

First cycle with Dr S

I am currently 2 dpo - 10 days until I can test/AF shows.  Kenny and I met with Dr S this morning.  We talked about what I wanted to do, and he made his suggestion.  I told him that I wanted to be as aggressive as we could without having to do IVF.  Our plan of treatment for next cycle is a baseline on CD2 or 3; letrozole, 5mg; CD3-7, followed by an u/s on CD8.  On CD8 or 9, I will start the Ganirelix and Bravelle, 450 iu and Menopur, 150 iu.  The nurse said that there will be a calendar that she will give me when the time comes.  She also just left me a message and said that I will also have to take Crinone 2 dpiui due to the Ganirelix.  This next cycle is going to be VERY intense if I am not preggo now.  The nurse has ordered the meds, and Ascend will be calling me soon....The wait is on. 

For now, I continue my acupuncture appointments, which are going really well.

Brandi

The results are in...

I called this morning to get the results of my AMH, and the results were not good.  My levels are less than 0.1!  This is a sign of diminished ovarian reserve, and the chances of pregnancy are extremely low.  However, I had a dream one year ago tomorrow that we would have a son.  God is amazing and faithful;  I know that He answers prayers and gives us the desires of our heart.  Our desire (me, Kenny and Lillian) is to have another baby.  I am at peace with twins...We pretty much have names for two boys or a boy and a girl.

Dr S said to create a plan for the next year at my first appointment.  At that time, I pretty much had a plan.  Kenny and I talked; and we agreed that 3 mature follicles, this does not include less mature follicles, would be the maximum that we would be comfortable with.  So here is what I am thinking right now for treatment:

First cycle: Letrozole, pre-mixed injectables and trigger, and 1 IUI.
Second cycle: Letrozole; pre-mixed injectables, lupron (if necessary) and trigger, and 1 IUI
Third cycle: Same as second cycle but with 2 IUI's
If I am not preggo by then, we will start saving for IVF, but the protocol for the second and third cycles is similar medicinally to IVF.  God has a plan and timing...

NEW RE

I had my appointment yesterday, and I am SO happy!  I cannot believe that I waited so long to find a new doc when I was unhappy with the service I received from the other place.  Dr S is amazing!  We went over my paperwork and I brought a lot with me - charts, previous chart from other doc, my calendar showing cycles from 2007 - current...He actually did an exam, so I got to see my uterus and my ovaries.  I do have a 2 cm by 2.5 cm cyst on my left ovary, so he is going to be watching it over the next couple of weeks.  He ordered the AMH b/w to see how my ovaries are working and how my egg reserve is.  I go on November 30 to go over the b/w and to set up a plan of treatment! 

God is good!

Living Debt Free

Living debt free has always been something I wanted to do; however, when we bought our house, we were not prepared for the initial expenses. This lack of preparedness has put some stress on us, our marriage and our relationship with our daughter. So, in an effort to turn this around, I listened to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University series. The principles are easy and simple. I'm excited to get thru the process and live debt-free.

Here is a ticker to show our progress on eliminating credit cards and our vehicle payments:



Once these items are paid off, we will work on establishing a better emergency fund, then pay off our student loans...The baby steps are easy and listed below:

1. $1000 emergency fund
2. Debt snowball (pay off everything except for your house)
3. Three - six months of living expenses
4. Invest 15% of household income into ROTH IRAs or pre-tax retirement
5. College funding for children
6. Pay off your home early
7. Build wealth and give! Invest in mutual funds and real estate

Countdown begins...

I haven't been on here in awhile to provide an update. While I am going to school and working, I would still love to have another baby (and a sibling for Lillian). My biological clock is ticking louder and louder, and it doesn't seem to want to quiet down. In talking to my wonderful husband, we decided to start trying again, so I made an appointment with a new RE's office. The appointment is on November 10th at 1 pm. I have been mum to the women at work, and I don't want to say anything for a little while. You bet your butt that I WILL tell them when I am pregnant!!!!

Anyhow, here is the ticker for my appointment:

Two Weeks

Usually when I talk about two weeks, it is waiting to take a pregnancy test. Well, this time, it is that AF found me only two weeks after my last period. I'm frustrated to say the least. I do not know what is going on with my body. I cannot really do anything because my (in my opinion) stupid RE won't do anything for me! I'm okay with waiting because of going back to school, but does my body really have to be this obnoxious??!?!? I take Human Anatomy/Physiology I in August, so I hope that this class will shed some light on what is going on...