"Don't give up... Don't you quit... There is help and happiness ahead - a lot of it... You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"Tough times don't last, but tough people do." -- On the cover of a book I saw
What are some things that you have heard, read, or people have said to you that have helped you through some of those really tough days?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Know Any Good Dr.s?
Jordyn asked:
I have a good friend in Provo who is dealing with infertility and is looking for Doctor recommendations. Would you mind passing along names of the Doctor(s) you liked? A good dr. is worth their weight in gold. Thanks!
I think this question can be expanded to any doctors in the Salt Lake/Utah Valley area.
I have a good friend in Provo who is dealing with infertility and is looking for Doctor recommendations. Would you mind passing along names of the Doctor(s) you liked? A good dr. is worth their weight in gold. Thanks!
I think this question can be expanded to any doctors in the Salt Lake/Utah Valley area.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Kenna's Writing a Book!
I copied this post from Kenna's Blog.
I like writing.
Obviously.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm good, it just means I have found an outlet that really helps me cope and move through some hard, HARD situations in life. This is a blessing.
A blessing I tell you.
I have been able to tell my story to so many people via this blog. In return, I have met some of the most amazing individuals. I wouldn't have been in contact with them if my life had taken a different turn. This is a classic example of your trials really enhancing your life.
So, my friends, let's enhance our lives. Let's help enhance others' lives.
I know there are so many women that have read my blog who have been in the same, or similar, situations before. Struggling with infertility and all that it entails. From treatments, to procedures, to adoption. The medication, the appointments, the despair. So many of you haven't told your story. I know it's hard. This is such a private battle.
But...
Maybe...
You would like to share now?
I want to put together a book. (Most likely via blurb) I want to put all of these stories into one compilation. I have been wanting to write a book for so long, but I realized I can't touch as many people as ALL OF US can touch. There are so many stories, situations and because every one's experience with infertility differs, we need a 'book' that will offer many different stories and experiences of disappointment, and hope, and faith. Of trial and error. Of loss, of gain, of blessings.
Now, see, I can't do this without your help.
So please, if you would like to share your story, if you would like to be involved, get in touch with me. I would love for ANYONE who wants to be a part of this project to, well, be a part of this project. I think it could help heal wounds, broaden horizons, and help us connect and again, enhance our lives.
So, will you join me?
Will you?
Email me: kennagoesemo(at)gmail(dot)com
Please, spread the word. Post it on your blog. If you know someone who might be interested in participating, let them know. Also, to all my wonderful anonymous commenters who have shared experiences, join in.
UPDATE
After talking with on of my besties, Lauren, I am thinking I want to include some experiences from those of you who have friends & family dealing with infertility. How you feel, what you think helps, what you think doesn't, etc. So, if there are any of you who would like to participate in that as well, just lemme know.
I like writing.
Obviously.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm good, it just means I have found an outlet that really helps me cope and move through some hard, HARD situations in life. This is a blessing.
A blessing I tell you.
I have been able to tell my story to so many people via this blog. In return, I have met some of the most amazing individuals. I wouldn't have been in contact with them if my life had taken a different turn. This is a classic example of your trials really enhancing your life.
So, my friends, let's enhance our lives. Let's help enhance others' lives.
I know there are so many women that have read my blog who have been in the same, or similar, situations before. Struggling with infertility and all that it entails. From treatments, to procedures, to adoption. The medication, the appointments, the despair. So many of you haven't told your story. I know it's hard. This is such a private battle.
But...
Maybe...
You would like to share now?
I want to put together a book. (Most likely via blurb) I want to put all of these stories into one compilation. I have been wanting to write a book for so long, but I realized I can't touch as many people as ALL OF US can touch. There are so many stories, situations and because every one's experience with infertility differs, we need a 'book' that will offer many different stories and experiences of disappointment, and hope, and faith. Of trial and error. Of loss, of gain, of blessings.
Now, see, I can't do this without your help.
So please, if you would like to share your story, if you would like to be involved, get in touch with me. I would love for ANYONE who wants to be a part of this project to, well, be a part of this project. I think it could help heal wounds, broaden horizons, and help us connect and again, enhance our lives.
So, will you join me?
Will you?
Email me: kennagoesemo(at)gmail(dot)com
Please, spread the word. Post it on your blog. If you know someone who might be interested in participating, let them know. Also, to all my wonderful anonymous commenters who have shared experiences, join in.
UPDATE
After talking with on of my besties, Lauren, I am thinking I want to include some experiences from those of you who have friends & family dealing with infertility. How you feel, what you think helps, what you think doesn't, etc. So, if there are any of you who would like to participate in that as well, just lemme know.
Fertility Injections
I'm not sure if everyone saw these comments, but I thought Heather had some GREAT information that might be helpful to others.
Infertility Goddess Asked:
How were the injections? That is my next step and I'm terrified about them. Would you mind walking me through how they work and how they made you feel? Did your husband have to give them to you? My husband is terrified...as am I.
Heather Answered:
Sorry - small book ahead!! I just wish I had someone who could have explained it to me and I tend to write a lot:)! If you want to leave your email I can email you too!They really aren't that bad (well, not great but doable:)! I would make sure you have an appt with your dr to specifically walk through the whole process bc each dr does it a little different. I used Follistim (brand name) that had a shot "pen" that came with it - it was REALLY easy to calculate the dose (you can google the brand). I also made sure to order the drugs a few weeks before I started so I had it waiting and ready to go. I know some you have to mix in water and blend but I would ask for this if you can (don't be afraid to ask for what you want or at least have him explain why he chose something different!). They are tiny vials you put in the pen and then twist to the dosage you need and do the injection. I am not afraid of needles so I might be biased but the needle is seriously TINY. It is a little freaky to jab it in, but if you do it fast it is almost painless! Although there was bruising and some bruise more than others. I found it easier to give it to myself than my husband(he is squeamish) but I know others that had their husbands or moms do it. I started on day three and then had a shot every night, I had ultrasounds about every other day (he did them in the morning before work which was such a blessing) to monitor the growth of the eggs - which is actually really cool to see and to know something is really working! When they reach the right size they have you take a trigger shot (had to mix, bigger needle but at least it was only one shot and I treated myself to ice cream after:)) I would also ask your dr how many eggs they allow for your age, mine wouldn't go above 4 bc the risks were too high, which I appreciated. 36 hours later they did the IUI. My dr wouldn't do injectables without IUI bc if you are going to do all of that work give it the best shot possible even in there isn't anything wrong with the little swimmers! It isn't super planned bc they don't know how your body will respond -this was super frustrating since I am a complete planner but I just did a lot of deep breathing:)I did have some side effects - serious bloating, blah feeling, tired and more emotional and everyone is different. I made sure I didn't have a lot planned and going on that month. Eating protein(bars and egg whites) and fiber helped with the side effects. I would also make sure to check with insurance, mine covered the drugs and ultrasounds but not the actual procedure - it is just good to be prepared. One more thing to be aware of is that the chances of getting preg the first time compared to the 6th time are the same, even though it seems like it cant fail the first time doesn't mean it wont work later (found this out after my major meltdown when the first round didn't work). You can TOTALLY DO THIS!! It is hard and even more frustrating when you don't know if it will even work ever but you keep going! Just make sure to plan some pedicures for yourself and load up on ice cream:)
Infertility Goddess Asked:
How were the injections? That is my next step and I'm terrified about them. Would you mind walking me through how they work and how they made you feel? Did your husband have to give them to you? My husband is terrified...as am I.
Heather Answered:
Sorry - small book ahead!! I just wish I had someone who could have explained it to me and I tend to write a lot:)! If you want to leave your email I can email you too!They really aren't that bad (well, not great but doable:)! I would make sure you have an appt with your dr to specifically walk through the whole process bc each dr does it a little different. I used Follistim (brand name) that had a shot "pen" that came with it - it was REALLY easy to calculate the dose (you can google the brand). I also made sure to order the drugs a few weeks before I started so I had it waiting and ready to go. I know some you have to mix in water and blend but I would ask for this if you can (don't be afraid to ask for what you want or at least have him explain why he chose something different!). They are tiny vials you put in the pen and then twist to the dosage you need and do the injection. I am not afraid of needles so I might be biased but the needle is seriously TINY. It is a little freaky to jab it in, but if you do it fast it is almost painless! Although there was bruising and some bruise more than others. I found it easier to give it to myself than my husband(he is squeamish) but I know others that had their husbands or moms do it. I started on day three and then had a shot every night, I had ultrasounds about every other day (he did them in the morning before work which was such a blessing) to monitor the growth of the eggs - which is actually really cool to see and to know something is really working! When they reach the right size they have you take a trigger shot (had to mix, bigger needle but at least it was only one shot and I treated myself to ice cream after:)) I would also ask your dr how many eggs they allow for your age, mine wouldn't go above 4 bc the risks were too high, which I appreciated. 36 hours later they did the IUI. My dr wouldn't do injectables without IUI bc if you are going to do all of that work give it the best shot possible even in there isn't anything wrong with the little swimmers! It isn't super planned bc they don't know how your body will respond -this was super frustrating since I am a complete planner but I just did a lot of deep breathing:)I did have some side effects - serious bloating, blah feeling, tired and more emotional and everyone is different. I made sure I didn't have a lot planned and going on that month. Eating protein(bars and egg whites) and fiber helped with the side effects. I would also make sure to check with insurance, mine covered the drugs and ultrasounds but not the actual procedure - it is just good to be prepared. One more thing to be aware of is that the chances of getting preg the first time compared to the 6th time are the same, even though it seems like it cant fail the first time doesn't mean it wont work later (found this out after my major meltdown when the first round didn't work). You can TOTALLY DO THIS!! It is hard and even more frustrating when you don't know if it will even work ever but you keep going! Just make sure to plan some pedicures for yourself and load up on ice cream:)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Heather's Success Story
I hope she doesn't mind, but I really enjoyed Heather's comments on the last post, and wanted to post her story as strength and encouragement for us. It's always nice to hear success stories to bring us back up and help us feel like we can do it too!
- Heather -
I normally have nothing to say but get strength from you girls! I have been trying to get pregnant for 3 years and for the last 1.5 years have been on progesterone from day 16 to day 28 -with the test on day 28 and then go off if Negative (lots and lots of negatives). I know all of our stories are a little different - mine was I just wasn't getting pregnant(and we tested EVERYTHING) but had some spotting every month so they thought to put me on progesterone just to see (sounds like California is a little more aggressive that other places). It didn't get me pregnant but I started injectables and iui this year and to my GREAT surprise got pregnant after a few rounds and have been on progesterone for 10 weeks now and still crossing my fingers/toes and anything else I can think of. My dr will take me off it after 13 weeks when the baby starts making its own progesterone. My dr said there really isn't anything harmful to be on it so why not be on the safe side!!
I use the brand name Crinone- which I would highly recommend. I know they do shots which are painful and capsule inserts which melt and are messy. The crinone (sorry to be graphic) is like a little tampon that squirts cream up into you - it gets a little clumpy but it stays and works well. I know you can take it once or twice a day and I take mine every morning. There are a few side effect - I got a little depressed and more tired but didn't have the other side effects, I know others and it is just trying and seeing to how you react - but doable which is good!! It is actually what they put all of the girls on who do injectables or ivf that I have talked to.I know this is a long comment, I hope some of this helps!! And my thoughts are with you!
Sorry, I wanted to add one more clarification - the dr specifically told me to take it 2 days after I saw the lh surge on the pee sticks - which for me was consistently on day 14, so I started taking it on day 16. You don't want to take it before you ovulate so it doesn't mess up your cycle! Also I never bled, do you have a dr you feel comfortable asking? It took me a little bit (actually had a dr that laughed bc he thought at 25 I shouldn't worry about having babies...) but I finally found a dr (RE) that had a way to reach him on an answering machine to ask him questions that didn't need an appointment but brought me a little peace of mind - cause it is so frustrating being on new drugs!!
Thanks so much for sharing Heather!
Ya, I wondered about starting the progesterone on day 14 and how that would effect ovulation. My Dr. wasn't real clear on how it all worked, and I guess I didn't know enough to ask all the questions. I appreciate your experience with progesterone, that really helps a lot!
Well, I spotted for about 5 days, and it has stopped now, but I also stopped taking the progesterone on Saturday because I'm not pregnant. It's now Monday and no period yet. I hope I didn't mess things up. I'm a little concerned. There's a woman in my ward, a good family friend, who works for an OB/GYN with fertility specialty. I plan to talk to her soon and see if I can get in to this Dr. I'm not so confident in my previous Dr.'s infertility knowledge. I know he knows stuff, but he's a family practice Dr., so I didn't feel like I was getting all my needs met. I'm excited to start with a new Dr. and hopefully have some success soon. My mom said this guy is good and he's the one that all the girls go to to help them get pregnant. We'll see :)
- Heather -
I normally have nothing to say but get strength from you girls! I have been trying to get pregnant for 3 years and for the last 1.5 years have been on progesterone from day 16 to day 28 -with the test on day 28 and then go off if Negative (lots and lots of negatives). I know all of our stories are a little different - mine was I just wasn't getting pregnant(and we tested EVERYTHING) but had some spotting every month so they thought to put me on progesterone just to see (sounds like California is a little more aggressive that other places). It didn't get me pregnant but I started injectables and iui this year and to my GREAT surprise got pregnant after a few rounds and have been on progesterone for 10 weeks now and still crossing my fingers/toes and anything else I can think of. My dr will take me off it after 13 weeks when the baby starts making its own progesterone. My dr said there really isn't anything harmful to be on it so why not be on the safe side!!
I use the brand name Crinone- which I would highly recommend. I know they do shots which are painful and capsule inserts which melt and are messy. The crinone (sorry to be graphic) is like a little tampon that squirts cream up into you - it gets a little clumpy but it stays and works well. I know you can take it once or twice a day and I take mine every morning. There are a few side effect - I got a little depressed and more tired but didn't have the other side effects, I know others and it is just trying and seeing to how you react - but doable which is good!! It is actually what they put all of the girls on who do injectables or ivf that I have talked to.I know this is a long comment, I hope some of this helps!! And my thoughts are with you!
Sorry, I wanted to add one more clarification - the dr specifically told me to take it 2 days after I saw the lh surge on the pee sticks - which for me was consistently on day 14, so I started taking it on day 16. You don't want to take it before you ovulate so it doesn't mess up your cycle! Also I never bled, do you have a dr you feel comfortable asking? It took me a little bit (actually had a dr that laughed bc he thought at 25 I shouldn't worry about having babies...) but I finally found a dr (RE) that had a way to reach him on an answering machine to ask him questions that didn't need an appointment but brought me a little peace of mind - cause it is so frustrating being on new drugs!!
Thanks so much for sharing Heather!
Ya, I wondered about starting the progesterone on day 14 and how that would effect ovulation. My Dr. wasn't real clear on how it all worked, and I guess I didn't know enough to ask all the questions. I appreciate your experience with progesterone, that really helps a lot!
Well, I spotted for about 5 days, and it has stopped now, but I also stopped taking the progesterone on Saturday because I'm not pregnant. It's now Monday and no period yet. I hope I didn't mess things up. I'm a little concerned. There's a woman in my ward, a good family friend, who works for an OB/GYN with fertility specialty. I plan to talk to her soon and see if I can get in to this Dr. I'm not so confident in my previous Dr.'s infertility knowledge. I know he knows stuff, but he's a family practice Dr., so I didn't feel like I was getting all my needs met. I'm excited to start with a new Dr. and hopefully have some success soon. My mom said this guy is good and he's the one that all the girls go to to help them get pregnant. We'll see :)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
What Do You Want to Talk About? and My Update.
Well, I'm back in touch with the electronic world! WOO HOO!
I've had a lot of great comments on the last few posts, so I hope we can get it rolling again. I'm happy to see us supporting each other and sharing our ideas and opinions.
I'm not really sure what to post about because you guys haven't told me what topics are of interest to you, so I'll just start by giving an update about what's been going on with me.
In the middle of all of the craziness of moving, I found out I was pregnant, and 2 days later confirmed that I was miscarrying again. The hard thing for me was that I just thought it was one of those really long cycle months, and we weren't even "trying", so I didn't expect to pregnant. I still get upset that I didn't find out sooner so I could have gotten help sooner! Maybe I could have made a difference and kept this one!
When my period still hadn't come on the last day I thought possible, I took a test, still expecting a negative. When I saw it was positive, I couldn't believe it, but knew I had to get to my Dr. right away. He told me I needed to get progesterone as soon as I got pregnant again, so I went in thinking they would write me a prescription and I'd be on my way. Unfortunately they said I had to have a blood test first and they would get the results on Monday and let me know if I needed progesterone. I wasn't happy about that, but there was nothing I could do. The next day I thought I saw some discoloration and called the on-call Dr. (b/c it was a Saturday). He basically said there's nothing we can do one way or another so just wait until your Dr. calls you on Monday. Again, not what I wanted to hear. I didn't see anything else the rest of the day, so I thought maybe I was just paranoid and spent the rest of the day laying in bed holding my tummy and promising that baby that if it would just stay in there I would take really good care of it. Unfortunately by Sunday, it was obvious it was over. On Monday the Dr.'s office called and told me my progesterone level was low, so they would supplement me. I told them no need, I had already lost it. They got me in with my Dr. the next day. We discovered from the blood test that I was already miscarrying by the time I found out I was pregnant. My HCG level was about 640ish, which is no where near it should be for being almost 6 weeks along. Also, my progesterone level was 4.something, which was normal for someone who isn't pregnant, so they said I would need a progesterone supplement. So he prescribed some for me to take from day 14 to 28, then take a pregnancy test, and if I'm not pregnant, stop taking it and have a period, then start again on day 14. Has anyone else done this? About a week after I started the progesterone I started spotting/bleeding for the next week. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be concerned about that, but I figured it was just a hormonal adjustment thing, or I hadn't expelled everything from the miscarriage. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? What happened? What did you do? This part is just all kinda new to me. So now we're just playing the "wait and see what happens" game again.
Anyways, I want to know what you guys want to talk about! Does anyone know more about hormone supplements, such as progesterone, or others? How do they work? How have they worked for you? How are things going for you in the growing people process? Any success yet? We want to share and draw strength from your success! We also want to support those of us who are having a hard time. Talk about anything. The next topic of discussion is up to YOU!
I've had a lot of great comments on the last few posts, so I hope we can get it rolling again. I'm happy to see us supporting each other and sharing our ideas and opinions.
I'm not really sure what to post about because you guys haven't told me what topics are of interest to you, so I'll just start by giving an update about what's been going on with me.
In the middle of all of the craziness of moving, I found out I was pregnant, and 2 days later confirmed that I was miscarrying again. The hard thing for me was that I just thought it was one of those really long cycle months, and we weren't even "trying", so I didn't expect to pregnant. I still get upset that I didn't find out sooner so I could have gotten help sooner! Maybe I could have made a difference and kept this one!
When my period still hadn't come on the last day I thought possible, I took a test, still expecting a negative. When I saw it was positive, I couldn't believe it, but knew I had to get to my Dr. right away. He told me I needed to get progesterone as soon as I got pregnant again, so I went in thinking they would write me a prescription and I'd be on my way. Unfortunately they said I had to have a blood test first and they would get the results on Monday and let me know if I needed progesterone. I wasn't happy about that, but there was nothing I could do. The next day I thought I saw some discoloration and called the on-call Dr. (b/c it was a Saturday). He basically said there's nothing we can do one way or another so just wait until your Dr. calls you on Monday. Again, not what I wanted to hear. I didn't see anything else the rest of the day, so I thought maybe I was just paranoid and spent the rest of the day laying in bed holding my tummy and promising that baby that if it would just stay in there I would take really good care of it. Unfortunately by Sunday, it was obvious it was over. On Monday the Dr.'s office called and told me my progesterone level was low, so they would supplement me. I told them no need, I had already lost it. They got me in with my Dr. the next day. We discovered from the blood test that I was already miscarrying by the time I found out I was pregnant. My HCG level was about 640ish, which is no where near it should be for being almost 6 weeks along. Also, my progesterone level was 4.something, which was normal for someone who isn't pregnant, so they said I would need a progesterone supplement. So he prescribed some for me to take from day 14 to 28, then take a pregnancy test, and if I'm not pregnant, stop taking it and have a period, then start again on day 14. Has anyone else done this? About a week after I started the progesterone I started spotting/bleeding for the next week. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be concerned about that, but I figured it was just a hormonal adjustment thing, or I hadn't expelled everything from the miscarriage. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? What happened? What did you do? This part is just all kinda new to me. So now we're just playing the "wait and see what happens" game again.
Anyways, I want to know what you guys want to talk about! Does anyone know more about hormone supplements, such as progesterone, or others? How do they work? How have they worked for you? How are things going for you in the growing people process? Any success yet? We want to share and draw strength from your success! We also want to support those of us who are having a hard time. Talk about anything. The next topic of discussion is up to YOU!
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