The gumball machine has officially been emptied! And let me tell ya, it was certainly a gumball machine since my doctor removed 22 follicles from my ovaries. It's important to note that on my last IVF cycle, they were only able to retrieve 5 follicles...so this was definitely good news AND worth the wait!
As I laid on the gurney looking around the room I couldn't help but notice a stark difference between CCRM and Dr. Thompson's office. I guess this is the difference between a world class office and a mediocre office. This was certainly a night and day experience for both myself and Jim. CCRM felt more like a surgery center whereas Dr. Thompson's office felt like a doctors office. At Dr. Thompson's office I swear I was placed in stirrups, given an IV, and knocked out for retrieval. At CCRM I was completely hooked up to monitors and given IV fluids for an hour prior to retrieval. Than I was wheeled to an OR where retrieval took place. I actually awoke in a full recovery room where I stayed for an additional 2 hours before I was released!
Jim left Denver once again immediately following retrieval and I'll be making the rest of this journey on my own. If my follicles fertilize properly than retrieval should be on Monday, which means I will not be returning to work on Monday as scheduled. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, especially considering I'm suppose to be on "vacation".
My estrogen levels continue to spike which means I'm still at a high risk of hyperstimulating. If I continue to hyperstimulate than it's possible that the rest of this cycle could be canceled and we would end up doing a frozen transfer at a later date when my estrogen levels out. Dr. Surrey ensured us that they have a 98% success rate on defrosting embryos. My ovaries are still in some pain and I feel really bloated. This is a direct result of the hyperstimulation so I'm on new medication and a very strict diet to try and combat these symptoms. In the meantime, I plan to spend another relaxing in our hotel room in front of the television.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Good To The Last Drop
My husband has one job and only one job in this process, to provide a plentiful and robust sample to be used to fertilize my follicles. Obtaining that sample can at times be a little tricky. Since I'm not a guy I don't fully understand the stress and anxiety that he feels when completing this task and something tells me I never will. In my view, this should be an easy and relaxing experience and rather enjoyable. Considering the tests that I had to go through his few minutes in a plastic cup should be a walk in the park. However, according to him, I'm dead wrong on this notion! Instead this is a completely stressful experience filled with dread.
Let me just put something out on the table...in case you've ever wondered, yes the "collection room" is equipped with dirty magazines and a few porn flicks to help speed up the process. I typically accompany Jim for his appointment. In an odd sort of husband and wife way, this is a tradition for the two of us. We each like to feel like we have walked the same experience and been by each others side through the whole process. I often wonder what the office staff thinks when the two of us show up together to do the deed. Not that the two of us really care since we'll never see these people again and it's not like we'll be bumping into them at the grocery store. But can you imagine what some of these staffers have seen working this job?
My job is simple, do a few things to speed him up and make sure that every drop gets into the cup! It's not a pleasant experience when you realize that you've missed...which we've done. I like to call this Good to the Last Drop...obliviously a play on the Folgers commercial, which often plays in my head. As we head into retrieval tomorrow I'm only concerned about Jim. I hope he can perform and I pray that he doesn't miss a drop! Did you know that the highest concentration of sperm is in the first few drops? Now ponder that one for a few hours.
Let me just put something out on the table...in case you've ever wondered, yes the "collection room" is equipped with dirty magazines and a few porn flicks to help speed up the process. I typically accompany Jim for his appointment. In an odd sort of husband and wife way, this is a tradition for the two of us. We each like to feel like we have walked the same experience and been by each others side through the whole process. I often wonder what the office staff thinks when the two of us show up together to do the deed. Not that the two of us really care since we'll never see these people again and it's not like we'll be bumping into them at the grocery store. But can you imagine what some of these staffers have seen working this job?
My job is simple, do a few things to speed him up and make sure that every drop gets into the cup! It's not a pleasant experience when you realize that you've missed...which we've done. I like to call this Good to the Last Drop...obliviously a play on the Folgers commercial, which often plays in my head. As we head into retrieval tomorrow I'm only concerned about Jim. I hope he can perform and I pray that he doesn't miss a drop! Did you know that the highest concentration of sperm is in the first few drops? Now ponder that one for a few hours.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Trigger Time!
Finally, after waiting almost an extra week I get to do my trigger shot tonight! I'll be wide awake at 1:30am to inject my butt with HCG. I'm really nervous about this particular injection though since it's a muscular injection rather than the sub-q injections that I've been use to. Typically Jim does this injection for me, but since he's not available than that leaves me to do the deed. I sure hope I can reach the pretty little "X" that marks the ideal spot on my butt.
I still have over 20 follicles brewing in the gumball machine with my right ovary doing most of the work. My right ovary has always been a high achiever with over 20 follicles on that side alone. Unfortunately not all of those follicles are of mature size, but about 12 of those follicles will be a good size. My left ovary has been a little lazy and we only have about 15 follicles on that side, 8 of which should be a good size to work with.
Retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday and I'm toying with the idea of leaving Denver for a few days and heading back to New Mexico until transfer. My stay in Denver has cost my wallet much more than I originally anticipated and I think a few days back home will be a welcomed relief to my bank account. Obliviously I'll have to check with the office prior to making this decision, but I was wide awake at 3am debating this one. Not to mention I could use a few extra days with my husband.
Well please pray for me tonight so that I can magically hit the bulls eye on my butt!
I still have over 20 follicles brewing in the gumball machine with my right ovary doing most of the work. My right ovary has always been a high achiever with over 20 follicles on that side alone. Unfortunately not all of those follicles are of mature size, but about 12 of those follicles will be a good size. My left ovary has been a little lazy and we only have about 15 follicles on that side, 8 of which should be a good size to work with.
Retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday and I'm toying with the idea of leaving Denver for a few days and heading back to New Mexico until transfer. My stay in Denver has cost my wallet much more than I originally anticipated and I think a few days back home will be a welcomed relief to my bank account. Obliviously I'll have to check with the office prior to making this decision, but I was wide awake at 3am debating this one. Not to mention I could use a few extra days with my husband.
Well please pray for me tonight so that I can magically hit the bulls eye on my butt!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Delay After Delay
Well here I sit with very little progress since my last update. It's been a very emotional week and frankly I'm a wreck and in a deep depression. My estrogen levels continue to be sporadic and the Cetrotide has slowed my follicle growth to a snails pace. I had a few days when my estrogen began to stabilize and Dr. Surrey was comfortable enough to place me back on my primary stimulation drugs in an attempt to try and speed up their growth. Unfortunately after two days I once again began to hyperstimulate and I was pulled off of the medication. Thankfully, I don't feel physically sick this time as I did last week but without the synthetic stimulation my follicles won't grow much on their own. I still have about 12 follicles that they are monitoring closely and those are the follicles that we hope to "harvest" at retrieval. These follicles range anywhere from 14mm to 19mm.
So when is retrieval? I wish I knew, but at this point I have no clue. When I originally left New Mexico, retrieval was tentatively scheduled for Friday April 1st but now they are unable to give me a date. The doctors office continues to monitor me on a daily basis with blood work and ultrasounds but I still haven't been able to do the all important "trigger shot". After I preform the trigger shot than retrieval will be 35 hours later.
Since things have begun to progress slowly, Jim decided to go back to New Mexico. It was a tearful goodbye when he left and I broke down shortly thereafter. I have no idea when and/or if he will be returning to Denver, but he felt compelled to go back to work. I'm hoping he returns for retrieval but we can't say for sure...it all depends on if he can get additional time off from work. We do have a frozen sample at Dr. Surrey's office that we can resort to but a fresh sample is always better.
Currently I feel defeated and I feel like a failure. My ovaries aren't performing well and now my husband isn't here for emotional support. I've retreated to solitude in an attempt to shield myself from the outside world and I'm fearful that my dream is slowly slipping away...one follicle at a time.
Stay tuned.
So when is retrieval? I wish I knew, but at this point I have no clue. When I originally left New Mexico, retrieval was tentatively scheduled for Friday April 1st but now they are unable to give me a date. The doctors office continues to monitor me on a daily basis with blood work and ultrasounds but I still haven't been able to do the all important "trigger shot". After I preform the trigger shot than retrieval will be 35 hours later.
Since things have begun to progress slowly, Jim decided to go back to New Mexico. It was a tearful goodbye when he left and I broke down shortly thereafter. I have no idea when and/or if he will be returning to Denver, but he felt compelled to go back to work. I'm hoping he returns for retrieval but we can't say for sure...it all depends on if he can get additional time off from work. We do have a frozen sample at Dr. Surrey's office that we can resort to but a fresh sample is always better.
Currently I feel defeated and I feel like a failure. My ovaries aren't performing well and now my husband isn't here for emotional support. I've retreated to solitude in an attempt to shield myself from the outside world and I'm fearful that my dream is slowly slipping away...one follicle at a time.
Stay tuned.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hyper Ovaries
Just when I think things are going well with no complications, my ovaries have decided that the medication regimen I'm on is their new best friend. I wish this was good news, but the fact is my ovaries are in a mild form of hyperstimulation. I guess this means that I have to many gumballs in the machine and frankly my ovaries are freaking out and throwing my estrogen levels in a dangerous tailspin. Thankfully, my doctor is pretty confident that they can control the OHSS and prevent my estrogen from reaching the dangerous 5,000 level (currently my estrogen is over 3,000).
When I awoke this morning not feeling well I just assumed that the medication was kicking my butt. I had my usual ultrasound and blood work this morning and I originally had plans to drive to Fort Collins today but I was so nauseous that I decided to stay in town for the day. Later this afternoon I received a call from Dr. Surrey's office stating that I was beginning to hyperstimulate and that they needed to change my medication. They have since pulled me completely off the Lupron and Gonal-F and started me on a new medication called Cetrotide. The Cetrotide is supposed to prevent an early release of my follicles and help control my estrogen levels. I was given two doses and now I just need to hope and pray that things stabilize in these hyper little ovaries that I have.
A part of me isn't surprised by any of this considering I've always been one to progress at a hurried pace. I actually consider Alabama's "I'm In A Hurry" as my personal theme song for how I live my life. Goodness, maybe I just need to give my little ovaries a small dose of valium to get them to chill out a bit? So, here's hoping that I can magically keep my estrogen low and keep the gumballs in the machine until the proper time comes when they will be emptied.
Stay tuned!
When I awoke this morning not feeling well I just assumed that the medication was kicking my butt. I had my usual ultrasound and blood work this morning and I originally had plans to drive to Fort Collins today but I was so nauseous that I decided to stay in town for the day. Later this afternoon I received a call from Dr. Surrey's office stating that I was beginning to hyperstimulate and that they needed to change my medication. They have since pulled me completely off the Lupron and Gonal-F and started me on a new medication called Cetrotide. The Cetrotide is supposed to prevent an early release of my follicles and help control my estrogen levels. I was given two doses and now I just need to hope and pray that things stabilize in these hyper little ovaries that I have.
A part of me isn't surprised by any of this considering I've always been one to progress at a hurried pace. I actually consider Alabama's "I'm In A Hurry" as my personal theme song for how I live my life. Goodness, maybe I just need to give my little ovaries a small dose of valium to get them to chill out a bit? So, here's hoping that I can magically keep my estrogen low and keep the gumballs in the machine until the proper time comes when they will be emptied.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hello Denver!
I can not believe the time has finally arrived and I'm now in Denver! Actually, I've been in Denver since Thursday and so far things are progressing well. Jim was here for the first few days but he traveled back to New Mexico yesterday. With Jim's departure I'm a little lonely and I feel like I'm making this journey on my own...sigh! I just need to keep reminding myself that the loneliness is a small price to pay and that I need to keep my head up and move forward.
Anyhow, I've been trucking right along thus far on my injections. My stomach is looking like a war zone, but that's just part of the process. Currently my regimen consists of Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur, which are actually different medications than what I used in the past. My ovaries like the medication too and they are responding well. So much so that my doctor has had to back down my meds to slow the growth. I have roughly 20 follicles growing at this point and I recently decided that I'm a human gumball machine. I have 13 follicles on my right ovary and 7 on my left ovary. Only time will tell if all of those follicles will be harvested or not. It's not uncommon for some of those follicles to flat out stop growing to make room for the other follicles. Retrieval/emptying of the gumball machine is tentatively scheduled for Friday and transfer should follow five days later, or at least a 5 day transfer is optimal. All of which will depend on how well the follicles divide after insemination.
I've been going to the doctors office almost daily to have my follicles monitored and blood work performed. The office staff is fantastic and they've been very friendly/supportive to both myself and Jim. I'm still shocked at the number of patients they have, their lobby is always packed. I can't help but think that there is an infertility epidemic in this country. You know there is problem when you're driving on the interstate and you hear a commercial on the radio for a respective infertility office, or see a billboard for an office. And I find myself wondering, is there a problem, or are they desperate for new patients? Anyhow, just a few random thoughts that run through my head.
Anyhow, I've been trucking right along thus far on my injections. My stomach is looking like a war zone, but that's just part of the process. Currently my regimen consists of Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur, which are actually different medications than what I used in the past. My ovaries like the medication too and they are responding well. So much so that my doctor has had to back down my meds to slow the growth. I have roughly 20 follicles growing at this point and I recently decided that I'm a human gumball machine. I have 13 follicles on my right ovary and 7 on my left ovary. Only time will tell if all of those follicles will be harvested or not. It's not uncommon for some of those follicles to flat out stop growing to make room for the other follicles. Retrieval/emptying of the gumball machine is tentatively scheduled for Friday and transfer should follow five days later, or at least a 5 day transfer is optimal. All of which will depend on how well the follicles divide after insemination.
I've been going to the doctors office almost daily to have my follicles monitored and blood work performed. The office staff is fantastic and they've been very friendly/supportive to both myself and Jim. I'm still shocked at the number of patients they have, their lobby is always packed. I can't help but think that there is an infertility epidemic in this country. You know there is problem when you're driving on the interstate and you hear a commercial on the radio for a respective infertility office, or see a billboard for an office. And I find myself wondering, is there a problem, or are they desperate for new patients? Anyhow, just a few random thoughts that run through my head.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
$18K Baby
What is the cost of a baby? How much would you pay to have a child of your own? For me that cost is $18,000. Yep, unfortunately today I took out a loan to pay for having this baby. Here I stand at the threshold of the casino with $18,000 in my hand for one shot at creating a life that both Jim and I will be proud of. In a way I’m playing black jack and placing a full bet on red. I worked hard getting myself out of debt and moving away from living paycheck to paycheck, but here I was forced to take out a big fat loan so that Jim and I could realize our dream. That’s a hard bet to swallow and the fact that I have that loan hasn’t been sitting well with me….I’ve even been tempted to pick up a second job to payback that loan. I keep reminding myself that the end result is more important than the cost to obtain that goal, but I’m an accountant at heart and all I see are dollar signs.
It’s not uncommon for infertile women to hope and pray for twins…and I’m no different. Yes, we may be naive about how hard twins or multiples would be in comparison to a singleton. And yes we are fully aware of the risks twins or multiples bring, but I like to call it the two for one special. I certainly don’t want to pay another huge chunk of money to walk this journey a second time.
On a happier note, Jim and I have gotten all of our testing completed and on February 4th we had another phone consult with the doctor to go over the test results and figure out our game plan. Considering my age, everything looks excellent! In fact, most of my hormone levels are better now than when Jim and I did IVF in 2007. I have no explanation as to why my hormone levels actually improved over a three year period. I would like to think that 6 months of acupuncture helped to bring everything back in balance, but I have no way to prove that fact.
Shortly after our phone consult with Dr. Surrey, we also received our official calendar. I’ll be traveling to Denver on March 24th where I’ll be staying for about two weeks. I’ll start my injections here in New Mexico and I’ll even undergo two ultrasounds in New Mexico before traveling to Denver. However, beginning March 24th I’ll need to be monitored on a daily basis via blood work and more ultrasounds. Tentatively we are scheduled for retrieval on March 31st and transfer is tentatively scheduled for April 5th. Of course, depending on how ripe my ovaries become will determine this timeline.
Today I called the office to place my order for our medication. Which means our medication and supplies should arrive next week. I’ll be doing the injections myself again and since it’s been three years, I’m actually a little nervous. Thankfully, most of my injections will be sub-q and not muscular… I’m sure I’ll quickly become a pro again.
Well that’s the latest from Jim and I, things should be relatively quiet until I start my injections in about two weeks. Take care, and please pray for us!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
My Deep Dark Abyss
I'll be the first to admit that there have been times in my life when I should have been sent away in a straight jacket. Undergoing IVF is certainly no exception. I haven't even started taking any synthetic hormones yet and already I'm unbearable to be around. Since the moment that we walked out of the CCRM clinic, my emotions have been all over the board. I want nothing more to be a mother but can't understand why we have to spend so much money on something that ordinary people get for free, or worse take for granted. Where did I go wrong in my life to deserve this fate? Long ago I stopped attending baby showers and it pains me to no end to see a pregnant women. Even worse, I always seem to get to get the pregnant employees at the office and I often listen to them complain about being pregnant. I want nothing more than to scream at the top of lungs how blessed these women are for the gift that has been bestowed upon them. They still don't listen. My wonderful mother doesn't seem to help this either. She's always been quick to point out a cute baby in my presence and it hurts knowing that I can't give her the blessing of a grandchild.
I hit my all time low in 2008 when a tumor was discovered on my spinal cord between L1 and L2 vertebrae, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Just before undergoing the necessary back surgery, I turned to my husband and said, "please write on my tombstone..greatest legacy never achieved." Obliviously my condition wasn't severe enough to bring me to deaths doorstep, but the thought of not having children was enough to kill me. I was afraid that this latest illness would certainly be the end of my fertility. Which of course was my biggest fear heading into our first official appointment at CCRM. After talking to our new Endocrinologist he informed me that the radiation therapy could have thinned the walls of my uterus...making pregnancy extremely dangerous. After undergoing an ultrasound we luckily learned that I had no residual effects from the radiation to my uterus.
I seriously need to pull myself out of this funk before I'm sent to my own private desert island...
I hit my all time low in 2008 when a tumor was discovered on my spinal cord between L1 and L2 vertebrae, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Just before undergoing the necessary back surgery, I turned to my husband and said, "please write on my tombstone..greatest legacy never achieved." Obliviously my condition wasn't severe enough to bring me to deaths doorstep, but the thought of not having children was enough to kill me. I was afraid that this latest illness would certainly be the end of my fertility. Which of course was my biggest fear heading into our first official appointment at CCRM. After talking to our new Endocrinologist he informed me that the radiation therapy could have thinned the walls of my uterus...making pregnancy extremely dangerous. After undergoing an ultrasound we luckily learned that I had no residual effects from the radiation to my uterus.
I seriously need to pull myself out of this funk before I'm sent to my own private desert island...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Electro Shock Therapy
It didn't take long for me to become an acupuncture believer! I've been an acupuncture patient for over six months, but it only took a few small treatments for me to become addicted. I would highly recommend the practice, even if you are not trying to conceive. Acupuncture can be used as a way to relieve pain and relieve stress. You might also be surprised to know that acupuncture is very relaxing. It isn't usual for me to leave the office in what can only be described as an acupuncture coma. So much so that I often wonder if it's safe for me to drive. I've seriously gotten into my car and said to myself, "should I be driving?" Luckily, I've always made it home safely.
If you have any fear of needles, it's time to put those fears behind you! The first few times, it's a little disturbing to look down on your stomach and see a handful of needles sticking out of you like a science experiment. I recently had a new spin placed upon me during my last acupuncture appointment. I actually had electro shock therapy on my back. I'm still a little undecided if I liked it or not, but it is necessary at this point. Unfortunately while we were in Denver we learned that the blood flow to my uterus is incorrect. Very incorrect. Apparently the blood is flowing in reverse. Imagine my surprise when our nurse announced that information to me! Seriously, how does that happen? Is there some internal switch that tells your body, "no, I think it's time to flow in the other direction." And on the same token, how do you get it to flow in the proper direction? In case you haven't figured out the answered to that question is...electrco shock therapy. Now imagine my horror as my acupuncturist announced my therapy. I honestly don't know the science behind it, but supposedly the electricity corrects everything in 8 simple treatments.
Here's how the protocol works. Needles are inserted up and down my spine on each side, and also on my upper butt. Finally, needles are inserted in the back of my calves. Then (here's the kicker) they attach jumper cables to some of the needles and turn on the electricity. Okay, so not actual jumper cables...but you get the point. Finally I get to lie there for 1/2 an hour with the electricity turned on. It's not exactly comfortable, but it doesn't really hurt either. Somehow this is all suppose to correct my blood flow issue. I need to have 7 more treatments of this prior to our scheduled transfer. Due to my hectic work schedule, I can only see my acupuncturist once a week (for those of you that don't know, my acupuncturist is in Albuquerque..which is a 2 hour drive each way). If I ever have extra time, I can go twice a week for those treatments and if it was up to me, I would opt for twice a week...but work has me downing at the moment.
If you have any fear of needles, it's time to put those fears behind you! The first few times, it's a little disturbing to look down on your stomach and see a handful of needles sticking out of you like a science experiment. I recently had a new spin placed upon me during my last acupuncture appointment. I actually had electro shock therapy on my back. I'm still a little undecided if I liked it or not, but it is necessary at this point. Unfortunately while we were in Denver we learned that the blood flow to my uterus is incorrect. Very incorrect. Apparently the blood is flowing in reverse. Imagine my surprise when our nurse announced that information to me! Seriously, how does that happen? Is there some internal switch that tells your body, "no, I think it's time to flow in the other direction." And on the same token, how do you get it to flow in the proper direction? In case you haven't figured out the answered to that question is...electrco shock therapy. Now imagine my horror as my acupuncturist announced my therapy. I honestly don't know the science behind it, but supposedly the electricity corrects everything in 8 simple treatments.
Here's how the protocol works. Needles are inserted up and down my spine on each side, and also on my upper butt. Finally, needles are inserted in the back of my calves. Then (here's the kicker) they attach jumper cables to some of the needles and turn on the electricity. Okay, so not actual jumper cables...but you get the point. Finally I get to lie there for 1/2 an hour with the electricity turned on. It's not exactly comfortable, but it doesn't really hurt either. Somehow this is all suppose to correct my blood flow issue. I need to have 7 more treatments of this prior to our scheduled transfer. Due to my hectic work schedule, I can only see my acupuncturist once a week (for those of you that don't know, my acupuncturist is in Albuquerque..which is a 2 hour drive each way). If I ever have extra time, I can go twice a week for those treatments and if it was up to me, I would opt for twice a week...but work has me downing at the moment.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
From the Beginning
I wasn't sure where to begin in the timeline of this blog and I wasn't sure which topic to tackle first. I have so many ideas flying in my head that I honestly don't think there will be enough space out here to compile everything. So where do I begin? I suppose like everything else, it's best to start from the beginning. Which means in order for you to understand our quest, you must first understand how Jim and I landed on IVF's doorstep.
I'll spare you most of the details from my prior attempts to get pregnant during my first marriage. While I'm sure that my first marriage will creep in here from time to time I'm really not in the mood to discuss it tonight. With that said, I'll start when my life really mattered...when I met Jim. Jim and I decided to start a family pretty much right off the bat. In fact I think we went through some testing and a few IUI's prior to the wedding. I remember thinking that since our relationship started in reverse than it would be perfectly normal to start a family prior to the actual wedding. And so that's what we did...
New Mexico doesn't pride itself on having the greatest medical care and the field of infertility isn't any different. In fact the entire state only has one Endocrinologist....Dr. Thompson resides his practice in Albuquerque. I had been a patient at Dr. Thompson's office prior to meeting Jim, but I was uncomfortable using him again as I was afraid Dr. Thompson would look at us as a cautionary tale. Through the grapevine I had learned that there was a Endocrinologist that practiced at UNM Hospital. Dr. Magarelli splits his practice between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. Dr. Magarelli is equipped to perform IUI's at his UNM office, but he needs to send his patients to Colorado Springs for those undergoing IVF.
Before I continue, I feel like I need to define a few terms so that all of us are on the same page. IUI translates to intrauterine injection and is commonly refereed to as artificial insemination...as a joke you'll also hear it called turkey basting. During this procedure on the day of ovulation, sperm is collected, washed, and injected back into the woman's uterus. Nature is than allowed to do it's own thing and hopefully eggs will fertilize in their natural environment. IVF translates to in-vitro fertilization and is sometimes still refereed to as test tube babies. In this procedure, a woman's follicles are removed from the ovaries (by way of surgery), sperm is collected, washed, and then both sperm and follicles are allowed to interact in a small petri dish until the sperm penetrates a follicle. Once the follicles are fertilized than the fertilized product is injected/transferred back into the uterus.
Anyway, under Dr. Magarelli's care Jim and I decided to try a few IUI's. Obliviously the IUI's were unsuccessful, but I did get one positive pregnancy test. The pregnancy didn't last long and Jim and I were heartbroken. We met with Dr. Magrelli numerous times while we were at his office and each time we sat down with him, we felt he was more of a used car salesmen than a doctor. He was constantly trying to sell us on IVF and we always felt like new patients as Dr. Magarelli went to great lengths to educate us on how a pregnancy occurs...as if we didn't already know. Needless to say, at some point we decided that Dr. Magarelli wasn't the right fit for us and we should probably make our way to Dr. Thompson's office.
When Jim and I first met with Dr. Thompson I expressed my concerns to him about my prior experiences with his office and he seemed genuinely sympathetic and willing to work with us. We decided to skip the IUI's and go straight to IVF. Our first IVF cycle started out well. I responded well to the prescribed medication and all of the ultrasounds came back normal. On the day of retrieval, 5 follicles were removed and allowed to mingle in the petri dish with the prepared sperm. When I called the next day to inquire about fertilization, the nurse gave no indication that anything was wrong. A few days later when Jim and I arrived for our scheduled transfer, we were told that there was a problem with the fertilization. Typically one sperm enters the follicle and no other sperm are allowed to enter. Unfortunately in my case, I had several sperm that entered each follicle and when this happens the follicle doesn't divide properly and eventually dies off on its own. This event is known as polyspermy, but its unclear if this is "normal" for my follicles. The only way we'll know if this is a normal occurrence is to undergo another round of IVF.
Jim and I had originally planned to wait a few months before undergoing round two of IVF but our lives quickly got hectic. So we decided to put it off a year while we got ourselves more financially stable. During that year I fell ill and had several setbacks in terms of my health. I'll explain my other health problems in a later post. After I had been healthy for a consecutive year we decided to revisit building our family. A co-worker of Jim's told him about a fertility clinic in Denver that they used and I was quickly placed in touch with his wife. After speaking to his wife, I was confident that Denver was where we needed to be.
I contacted the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in October and was informed that we needed to set-up a phone consult with one of the doctors. After filling out a tower of paperwork, we were scheduled for our phone consult the week of Thanksgiving. As usual I was super nervous prior to this phone call because I was afraid that as a result of my prior medical problems we would be rejected. Thankfully we weren't rejected...in fact we were welcomed with open arms. We were also informed that we needed to schedule an appointment in Denver to undergo a "one day workup". I decided to wait until after the holidays before I called CCRM again to schedule the one day workup. At the beginning of January I called the office and was soon scheduled to have our workup on January 14th.
Jim and I traveled to Denver the night before our appointment and we stayed with my aunt and uncle in Lakewood. Both Jim and I were once again super nervous about these appointments...well at least I was nervous. Jim said he was nervous, but I can't imagine why...his test was a walk in the park compared to what I had to go through. Our day started promptly at 7:30am and we were whisked from one appointment to another while we met with nurses, doctors, undergoing tests, blood work, and signing more paperwork. The entire day was information overload...I mean when we first arrived, we were handed a three-ring binder of information. It was good information though and Jim quickly fell in love with them. I've never met office staff so friendly, so compassionate, and so professional. It was clear that the office held high standards for their staff and we appreciated that.
As we stand today, I'm still undergoing some more tests and we're still waiting for results on some prior testing. We have decided to pursue IVF using CCRM and I'm hoping to have all of our test results by our next scheduled appointment on February 4th.
I'll spare you most of the details from my prior attempts to get pregnant during my first marriage. While I'm sure that my first marriage will creep in here from time to time I'm really not in the mood to discuss it tonight. With that said, I'll start when my life really mattered...when I met Jim. Jim and I decided to start a family pretty much right off the bat. In fact I think we went through some testing and a few IUI's prior to the wedding. I remember thinking that since our relationship started in reverse than it would be perfectly normal to start a family prior to the actual wedding. And so that's what we did...
New Mexico doesn't pride itself on having the greatest medical care and the field of infertility isn't any different. In fact the entire state only has one Endocrinologist....Dr. Thompson resides his practice in Albuquerque. I had been a patient at Dr. Thompson's office prior to meeting Jim, but I was uncomfortable using him again as I was afraid Dr. Thompson would look at us as a cautionary tale. Through the grapevine I had learned that there was a Endocrinologist that practiced at UNM Hospital. Dr. Magarelli splits his practice between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. Dr. Magarelli is equipped to perform IUI's at his UNM office, but he needs to send his patients to Colorado Springs for those undergoing IVF.
Before I continue, I feel like I need to define a few terms so that all of us are on the same page. IUI translates to intrauterine injection and is commonly refereed to as artificial insemination...as a joke you'll also hear it called turkey basting. During this procedure on the day of ovulation, sperm is collected, washed, and injected back into the woman's uterus. Nature is than allowed to do it's own thing and hopefully eggs will fertilize in their natural environment. IVF translates to in-vitro fertilization and is sometimes still refereed to as test tube babies. In this procedure, a woman's follicles are removed from the ovaries (by way of surgery), sperm is collected, washed, and then both sperm and follicles are allowed to interact in a small petri dish until the sperm penetrates a follicle. Once the follicles are fertilized than the fertilized product is injected/transferred back into the uterus.
Anyway, under Dr. Magarelli's care Jim and I decided to try a few IUI's. Obliviously the IUI's were unsuccessful, but I did get one positive pregnancy test. The pregnancy didn't last long and Jim and I were heartbroken. We met with Dr. Magrelli numerous times while we were at his office and each time we sat down with him, we felt he was more of a used car salesmen than a doctor. He was constantly trying to sell us on IVF and we always felt like new patients as Dr. Magarelli went to great lengths to educate us on how a pregnancy occurs...as if we didn't already know. Needless to say, at some point we decided that Dr. Magarelli wasn't the right fit for us and we should probably make our way to Dr. Thompson's office.
When Jim and I first met with Dr. Thompson I expressed my concerns to him about my prior experiences with his office and he seemed genuinely sympathetic and willing to work with us. We decided to skip the IUI's and go straight to IVF. Our first IVF cycle started out well. I responded well to the prescribed medication and all of the ultrasounds came back normal. On the day of retrieval, 5 follicles were removed and allowed to mingle in the petri dish with the prepared sperm. When I called the next day to inquire about fertilization, the nurse gave no indication that anything was wrong. A few days later when Jim and I arrived for our scheduled transfer, we were told that there was a problem with the fertilization. Typically one sperm enters the follicle and no other sperm are allowed to enter. Unfortunately in my case, I had several sperm that entered each follicle and when this happens the follicle doesn't divide properly and eventually dies off on its own. This event is known as polyspermy, but its unclear if this is "normal" for my follicles. The only way we'll know if this is a normal occurrence is to undergo another round of IVF.
Jim and I had originally planned to wait a few months before undergoing round two of IVF but our lives quickly got hectic. So we decided to put it off a year while we got ourselves more financially stable. During that year I fell ill and had several setbacks in terms of my health. I'll explain my other health problems in a later post. After I had been healthy for a consecutive year we decided to revisit building our family. A co-worker of Jim's told him about a fertility clinic in Denver that they used and I was quickly placed in touch with his wife. After speaking to his wife, I was confident that Denver was where we needed to be.
I contacted the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in October and was informed that we needed to set-up a phone consult with one of the doctors. After filling out a tower of paperwork, we were scheduled for our phone consult the week of Thanksgiving. As usual I was super nervous prior to this phone call because I was afraid that as a result of my prior medical problems we would be rejected. Thankfully we weren't rejected...in fact we were welcomed with open arms. We were also informed that we needed to schedule an appointment in Denver to undergo a "one day workup". I decided to wait until after the holidays before I called CCRM again to schedule the one day workup. At the beginning of January I called the office and was soon scheduled to have our workup on January 14th.
Jim and I traveled to Denver the night before our appointment and we stayed with my aunt and uncle in Lakewood. Both Jim and I were once again super nervous about these appointments...well at least I was nervous. Jim said he was nervous, but I can't imagine why...his test was a walk in the park compared to what I had to go through. Our day started promptly at 7:30am and we were whisked from one appointment to another while we met with nurses, doctors, undergoing tests, blood work, and signing more paperwork. The entire day was information overload...I mean when we first arrived, we were handed a three-ring binder of information. It was good information though and Jim quickly fell in love with them. I've never met office staff so friendly, so compassionate, and so professional. It was clear that the office held high standards for their staff and we appreciated that.
As we stand today, I'm still undergoing some more tests and we're still waiting for results on some prior testing. We have decided to pursue IVF using CCRM and I'm hoping to have all of our test results by our next scheduled appointment on February 4th.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Getting Back Into The Saddle
Holy cow, it's been almost three years since I last made a post out here! Let me begin by saying why I discontinued my blog. The original blog was started as a way to update friends and family on our quest to build our family. Jim and I underwent one round of IVF that is detailed here in earlier posts. Unfortunately IVF was unsuccessful for us and today we are still on the same quest. When we stopped IVF the blog turned into more of a diary than my ultimate vision, so I discontinued blogging.
Well here we are three years later and Jim and I have decided to take a leap of faith. We are once again going to the IVF casino and we are certain that we will come out a winner! So this blog will again be used so that all of you can pray for us and follow us through this emotional journey. However, due to the sexual content of this journey some of the posts may become graphic so please be advised. With that said welcome to;
A Girlfriends Guide to Infertility, by Margot and Jim Liberty Our Personal Quest to Build the Family of our Dreams
Stay tuned!
Well here we are three years later and Jim and I have decided to take a leap of faith. We are once again going to the IVF casino and we are certain that we will come out a winner! So this blog will again be used so that all of you can pray for us and follow us through this emotional journey. However, due to the sexual content of this journey some of the posts may become graphic so please be advised. With that said welcome to;
A Girlfriends Guide to Infertility, by Margot and Jim Liberty Our Personal Quest to Build the Family of our Dreams
Stay tuned!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Playtime!!!
Sorry everyone but I really haven't had much to post lately. So, I thought I would share a few pictures of Tundra taken throughout the week during playtime. Jim and I continue to marvel at how big he's getting. Today, I plan on taking both dogs to Overlook Park....by myself. Jimmy and I went last weekend and it was really difficult on me, I was in tremendous pain by the time we returned. Jim plans to spend the day working in the yard so since he's busy I'll try this adventure alone. Anyway, here are the pictures from the week.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monkey See Monkey Do
So I know its been a while since my last post, but I've been extremely busy these days. School has been almost overwhelming and work has been filled with drama. So when I get home in the evenings I'm either doing homework or trying to clear my head. Not to mention, now that I'm off crutches I've been doing some chores around the house in the evenings. Anyway, I've got a really cute story to tell all of you about Tundra and Nanook. At the end of this post you'll find some updated pictures...we can't get over how quickly he's growing.
Anyway, when we got Tundra naturally we got him a few toys to chew on as well. My mother had gotten him a toy bone and another plastic toy with a rope through it. For some reason the rope toy has been Tundra's favorite and he really hasn't paid much attention to the toy bone...or at least not at this point.
One evening Jim thought it would be a good idea to give Nanook his rawhide (we only give it to him every so often). I was a little hesitant since I wasn't sure how Tundra would react. So, Nanook lays down on the floor and begins to enjoy his bone. Meanwhile, Tundra is staring at him trying to figure out what he's doing and he begins to bark at him. Next thing we knew Tundra runs to grab his toy bone and lays down in front of Nanook and proceeds to imitate his every move. Tundra was holding the bone between his paws just the same way Nanook was and Tundra was chewing on his toy bone the exact same way Nanook was. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen! I actually told Jim that I had no idea that dogs imitate each other....monkey see monkey do.
Anyway, when we got Tundra naturally we got him a few toys to chew on as well. My mother had gotten him a toy bone and another plastic toy with a rope through it. For some reason the rope toy has been Tundra's favorite and he really hasn't paid much attention to the toy bone...or at least not at this point.
One evening Jim thought it would be a good idea to give Nanook his rawhide (we only give it to him every so often). I was a little hesitant since I wasn't sure how Tundra would react. So, Nanook lays down on the floor and begins to enjoy his bone. Meanwhile, Tundra is staring at him trying to figure out what he's doing and he begins to bark at him. Next thing we knew Tundra runs to grab his toy bone and lays down in front of Nanook and proceeds to imitate his every move. Tundra was holding the bone between his paws just the same way Nanook was and Tundra was chewing on his toy bone the exact same way Nanook was. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen! I actually told Jim that I had no idea that dogs imitate each other....monkey see monkey do.
Ahh, this is our little penthouse boy. He sleeps like this all the time!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tundra Has Arrived!
Well after many months of waiting Tundra has finally arrived! All of us are very excited and we really enjoy watching him play and get to know the other animals of the house. So far everyone is getting along really well. Nanook doesn't know what to think of the little guy and he has been growling a little. He hasn't snapped at Tundra, but he's certainly been showing Tundra who is boss. To my surprise, Corki is doing really well. I'm not sure if you guys remember or not, but I was expecting Corki to live on top of the refrigerator for the next several months, but he doesn't to notice Tundra. Sasha is a different story...she's not a happy cat. She's also all of a sudden become skittish of sudden moves. I'm sure she'll get over it, but it may take a few months.
These are my two favorite pictures thus far.
Anyway, I took some pictures of Tundra yesterday during play time so I hope you enjoy the following photos:
These are my two favorite pictures thus far.Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Beautiful Banff
Jim and I had an amazing time in Banff!!! I can't say enough about how beautiful this town is and how much I would love to live there some day. Everything about our weekend was such a dream and even though I was on crutches I still made the most of it. We arrived in Calgary on Thursday and we spent the afternoon driving around just getting to know the town. I was a little disappointed in Calgary, I was expecting it to be similar to Colorado Springs in the sense that Colorado Springs is nestled up against the mountains. Calgary is a little over an hour from the mountains...not nestled up against the mountains. Between Calgary and Banff there is a lot of open space used mainly for farming, but also has rolling hills.
We stayed in a castle in Banff (The Fairmont Banff Springs), so here are a few images of the hotel. I have a better "airel" view later on during this post.
The next two pictures are of a "bus" used to take tourists to the columbian ice fields. We were very intrigued by the sheer size of this thing.
The following pictures were taken during our gondola ride.
This picture was taken on the gondola ride, and you can see our "castle in the woods". Its located in the bottom-center of the photo in case you can't see it.
This is downtown Banff.
Here I am at Lake Louise. Crutching my way to the lake....
This picture is a hockey rink on Lake Louise. The lake was frozen...allowing people full access to walk on water. Which included playing hockey on the lake, ice skating on the lake, and walking from end to the other. This was a completely different concept to me...one that was hard to comprehend.
On Friday Jim and I slept in and then we headed up the mountain in a gondola to enjoy the view. It was rather cold on top of the mountain, but the views were amazing! We finished up the day back in Calgary where we watched the Calgary Flames take on the Nashville Predators...the flames lost but Jim thoroughly enjoyed the game and the people. Saturday was spent hanging around Banff and doing some shopping. Yes, even though I was on crutches I was still able to shop! When we woke up on Saturday morning I decided that I wasn't going to let those darn crutches ruin our weekend so I crutched around Banff all day. Of course I took a few pain killers during the course of the day though...to help with the arm pain of course. I even managed to wear Jim out walking around town! Moving on, Sunday was spent in Lake Louise and then back to Calgary to catch our flight home.
I decided during the weekend that Jim and I need to make this an annual trip. He came up with the idea of rotating seasons...summer one year, winter the next. We hope to go again next summer and I'm hoping to take Zach, Sam, Aaron, and Jimmy with us. The entire time we were in Banff I kept thinking to myself how much Zach and Sam would love this town and I can't imagine being there without them. I have numerous pictures to share with you, so sit back and enjoy the show.
Here are a few images from out hotel.
We stayed in a castle in Banff (The Fairmont Banff Springs), so here are a few images of the hotel. I have a better "airel" view later on during this post. The next two pictures are of a "bus" used to take tourists to the columbian ice fields. We were very intrigued by the sheer size of this thing. The following pictures were taken during our gondola ride. This picture was taken on the gondola ride, and you can see our "castle in the woods". Its located in the bottom-center of the photo in case you can't see it. This is downtown Banff. Here I am at Lake Louise. Crutching my way to the lake.... This picture is a hockey rink on Lake Louise. The lake was frozen...allowing people full access to walk on water. Which included playing hockey on the lake, ice skating on the lake, and walking from end to the other. This was a completely different concept to me...one that was hard to comprehend.Here's the ice skating rink that I mentioned above.
Here's Jim standing on the hockey rink.
And finally, here's me standing on the lake...something I've never done before.
Coming Soon!
Well, I just thought I would let everyone know that I am alive and well. The last few weeks have been extremely hectic for me. Jim and I just returned from Banff, plus Tundra is now home with us. I don't have time for a big post but I promise pictures of Calgary/Banff will be posted soon, as well as, pictures of Tundra.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
My Life on Crutches
Well it's been three weeks since I've been dealing with these dreaded crutches and life has been interesting. I've officially hit my half way mark, which means I have three more weeks to go (and believe me I'm counting down). Although, I realized the other day that I'll probably be using the crutches for more then three weeks. After the six week mark I'll be able to start putting weight on my knee again, but I know it will still take me some time before I build those muscles up again to put my full weight on that leg.
Things have been very interesting the last several weeks. While I feel very useless for the most part and I've put a damper on the last few weeks for Jim and I, I've come across some really wonderful people. Above all I think I'm more sympathetic to people with disabilities since this experience has made me open my eyes to a different side of the world. I've run into many people willing to help me out (strangers included) and yet I've also run into people that have flat out ignored the click-clack of my crutches.
Last week I went to our local bagel shop to find a complete stranger more then willing to help me get my drink, open the door, and walk me to my car. Ironically, I later saw the same gentleman at Dr. Lubowitz's office filling out new patient paperwork. Jim has also been a huge help to me and he's certainly risen to the occasion to pick up the extra slack here at the house. I pretty much can't do anything here at home, so between him and Jimmy they're getting my daily and weekly chores done.
As I type this though, I must say, I've also run into a few people that can't seem to notice that it's difficult for me to open a door and consequently the door has slammed in my face. I also had one woman practically knock me over on my way to class. Which brings me to another point....parking has been a continuous struggle for me. At the credit union we have one available parking spot extremely close to the front door, that's not handicapped. I try very hard to get that spot everyday. For the most part I've done pretty well getting that spot, however, every time I leave the credit union the spot is gone when I return. To make matters worse, it's the same employee taking that spot each time....
Anyway, I just wanted to send everyone a quick update on me. I hope to make another post soon so that I can update everyone on Tundra.
Things have been very interesting the last several weeks. While I feel very useless for the most part and I've put a damper on the last few weeks for Jim and I, I've come across some really wonderful people. Above all I think I'm more sympathetic to people with disabilities since this experience has made me open my eyes to a different side of the world. I've run into many people willing to help me out (strangers included) and yet I've also run into people that have flat out ignored the click-clack of my crutches.
Last week I went to our local bagel shop to find a complete stranger more then willing to help me get my drink, open the door, and walk me to my car. Ironically, I later saw the same gentleman at Dr. Lubowitz's office filling out new patient paperwork. Jim has also been a huge help to me and he's certainly risen to the occasion to pick up the extra slack here at the house. I pretty much can't do anything here at home, so between him and Jimmy they're getting my daily and weekly chores done.
As I type this though, I must say, I've also run into a few people that can't seem to notice that it's difficult for me to open a door and consequently the door has slammed in my face. I also had one woman practically knock me over on my way to class. Which brings me to another point....parking has been a continuous struggle for me. At the credit union we have one available parking spot extremely close to the front door, that's not handicapped. I try very hard to get that spot everyday. For the most part I've done pretty well getting that spot, however, every time I leave the credit union the spot is gone when I return. To make matters worse, it's the same employee taking that spot each time....
Anyway, I just wanted to send everyone a quick update on me. I hope to make another post soon so that I can update everyone on Tundra.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Another Tundra Tease and Other News
FYI, the spell checker in blogger seems to have kicked the bucket so I appologize...my spelling is horrible.
I think I'll go ahead and start by showing off a few more pictures of Tundra. I recieved these on Monday and he's getting so big and soooo cute! In case I didn't mention it, he comes home on March 10th!
Moving on to other news. I think most of you are unaware, but I had knee surgery last Wednesday. I know this sounds odd, but I made it my New Year's resolution to get my knee fixed. Here's a quick history on my knee...
Jim thought it would be a great idea to hike the Grand Canyon for our honeymoon. Not exactly my idea for a honeymoon but a marriage is about compremising and this was something he really wanted to do. I actually thought I would do really well on this hike and my concern was actaully for Jim. Boy was I wrong! Jim had no problems with this hike...I on the other hand was a wreck. Basically, my knee has never fully healed since that hike and its slowly gotten worse and worse. Not to mention, I also think sliding in softball was a factor to my knee problems.
My knee had gotten so bad that I was unable to walk up or down stairs, I had a hard time walking up any incline, and knew in this condition I wouldn't be able to play softball this year and golf was up in the air. I also still have a few pounds to lose since Jim and I did our IVF stuff, so exercising was difficult. So I figured now would be a great time to get it fixed....I had enough!
I have five months before softball begins for the season so I began to search doctors and go through testing. I had an x-ray done that proved that the bones were fine. After the x-ray I was referred to Dr. Lubowitz from Taos (whom is world renowed and the physican for the U.S. Ski Team and was once the physican for the Phillies) who thought there might be meniscus tear...so he ordered an MRI. The MRI came back inconclusive and it didn't appear there was any sort of tear.
After some discussion with Dr. Lubowitz we decided to have the knee scoped out in the hopes that the scopping job would clear the persistent pain. I was told I would be on crutches for 2-3 days max and back to normal activity after a month. So, I go into surgery and when I wake up a few hours later I was told that they found severe cartilage damage. I was also told that they drilled my knee to create bleeding and somehow this generates new cartilage. I'm not 100% sure what they did (I was heavily drugged at this point) but it was something along those lines. What I do remember them saying is I'm not allowed to put any weight on that knee for six weeks...which means crutches for six long weeks. Needless to say, I wasn't entirely thrilled. Although I am glad that it should start to get better soon. There's also a possibility that I might need future treatment.
So, here I am...pretty crippled at the moment trying to go about my daily activities on crutches. The crutches suck! My arms, hands, and wrists, are so sore and it hasn't been a complete week yet. I have no idea how I'm going to manage for six weeks. Oh yeah, Jim and I are going to Ruidoso this weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day and March 6th Jim and I leave to go to Calgary...all of which I get to do on crutches...yuck!
This past weekend was a sad, sad weekend. I'm here crippled and poor Jim had a bad case of broncitis, so neither one of us was much use to the other. Oh, and Jim was kind enough to help me cook dinner Sunday night but he sliced his thumb really bad cutting potatos for me. Poor guy, I know he was trying to be nice and he wanted to help me. He took himself to urgent care on Monday morning to have it looked at (his second trip in less then a week).
So that's about it for us. I'm here at the house unable to really do anything but watch television and get caught up on homework. Jim is feeling better now...although his thumb still hurts. He's also doing a wonderful job of helping me out.
I think I'll go ahead and start by showing off a few more pictures of Tundra. I recieved these on Monday and he's getting so big and soooo cute! In case I didn't mention it, he comes home on March 10th!
Moving on to other news. I think most of you are unaware, but I had knee surgery last Wednesday. I know this sounds odd, but I made it my New Year's resolution to get my knee fixed. Here's a quick history on my knee...Jim thought it would be a great idea to hike the Grand Canyon for our honeymoon. Not exactly my idea for a honeymoon but a marriage is about compremising and this was something he really wanted to do. I actually thought I would do really well on this hike and my concern was actaully for Jim. Boy was I wrong! Jim had no problems with this hike...I on the other hand was a wreck. Basically, my knee has never fully healed since that hike and its slowly gotten worse and worse. Not to mention, I also think sliding in softball was a factor to my knee problems.
My knee had gotten so bad that I was unable to walk up or down stairs, I had a hard time walking up any incline, and knew in this condition I wouldn't be able to play softball this year and golf was up in the air. I also still have a few pounds to lose since Jim and I did our IVF stuff, so exercising was difficult. So I figured now would be a great time to get it fixed....I had enough!
I have five months before softball begins for the season so I began to search doctors and go through testing. I had an x-ray done that proved that the bones were fine. After the x-ray I was referred to Dr. Lubowitz from Taos (whom is world renowed and the physican for the U.S. Ski Team and was once the physican for the Phillies) who thought there might be meniscus tear...so he ordered an MRI. The MRI came back inconclusive and it didn't appear there was any sort of tear.
After some discussion with Dr. Lubowitz we decided to have the knee scoped out in the hopes that the scopping job would clear the persistent pain. I was told I would be on crutches for 2-3 days max and back to normal activity after a month. So, I go into surgery and when I wake up a few hours later I was told that they found severe cartilage damage. I was also told that they drilled my knee to create bleeding and somehow this generates new cartilage. I'm not 100% sure what they did (I was heavily drugged at this point) but it was something along those lines. What I do remember them saying is I'm not allowed to put any weight on that knee for six weeks...which means crutches for six long weeks. Needless to say, I wasn't entirely thrilled. Although I am glad that it should start to get better soon. There's also a possibility that I might need future treatment.
So, here I am...pretty crippled at the moment trying to go about my daily activities on crutches. The crutches suck! My arms, hands, and wrists, are so sore and it hasn't been a complete week yet. I have no idea how I'm going to manage for six weeks. Oh yeah, Jim and I are going to Ruidoso this weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day and March 6th Jim and I leave to go to Calgary...all of which I get to do on crutches...yuck!
This past weekend was a sad, sad weekend. I'm here crippled and poor Jim had a bad case of broncitis, so neither one of us was much use to the other. Oh, and Jim was kind enough to help me cook dinner Sunday night but he sliced his thumb really bad cutting potatos for me. Poor guy, I know he was trying to be nice and he wanted to help me. He took himself to urgent care on Monday morning to have it looked at (his second trip in less then a week).
So that's about it for us. I'm here at the house unable to really do anything but watch television and get caught up on homework. Jim is feeling better now...although his thumb still hurts. He's also doing a wonderful job of helping me out.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Jimmy's New Bedroom
Just a quick post for the evening. Jimmy's new bed was delivered on Saturday so now his bedroom project is finally complete! Here are a few pictures of the final work....sorry I took these pictures before we put sheets on the bed. Although, I actually don't have any queen size sheets at the moment but I plan to take care of that one either this weekend or on Friday since we'll be in Albuquerque for a hockey game. Anyway, here are the pictures...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tundra Tease
I awoke this morning to find two more cute pictures of Tundra on my email. I'm told that he's growing fast, is healthy and frisky. He's now opened his eyes, which appear blue and I'm not sure if that will change as he gets older or not.
Well he's certainly a boy!
Well he's certainly a boy!
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