About Me

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I'm Alison, a thirty-something, married, mother of two girls, with a passion for animals of all kinds. My family adopted our goofy, lovable dog {Charlie} from a local shelter. It breaks my heart to know there are countless animals out there being mistreated {to say the least} and I would love more than anything to help even one animal find a loving forever home. Think adoption first. Find a local animal shelter or animal rescue... don't buy your next pet... rescue him/her!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

We'll call you tomorrow...

So, here's how things have gone since I last posted:  I had another appointment at TFI on Monday, 4/23.  Everything still looked great, and (when asked) they told me they were still looking at a mid-week ER for a transfer next week.  Then, like every appointment, they said they'd call me in the afternoon after my blood work was back, to give me further medication instructions.  They called and gave me med doses for Monday night and Tuesday morning, then said the donor would be seen on Tuesday, so they'd call me again with more instructions.  They called Tuesday afternoon and said they were still not sure if ER would be on Thursday or Friday (Wednesday was now out), so they gave me med doses for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and said they'd call me tomorrow.  Ugh.  Really people?  Now, mind you, these meds doses are not changing...every time they tell me to take the same things morning and night.  Then, finally, the phone call we've been waiting for!  Wednesday they call and tell me that they are going ahead with ER on Thursday, so the transfer will be Tuesday morning!!!  I don't have to go back for any appointments before then, which is wonderful, so next time I make the drive up there it will be to make a baby (or two)!  They gave me all of my med instructions for now through Tuesday morning before transfer, which is a record for the most med instructions they've given me at one time, lol, but it's wonderful.  I'm now taking estrogen & progesterone, which will continue on for some time if we have a positive pregnancy test; and also adding in an antibiotic and steroid, just for the next 7 days.  Right now I take 8 pills and one injection a day.  But, it's all worth it to know that I am making the very best little home I can for the embryos to snuggle in and get cozy for the next 9 months.
So now I need all of you for some positive thoughts!  Let's cross our fingers that the egg retrieval goes wonderfully tomorrow morning, and that we get lots of little eggies that will fertilize and go on to make beautiful little embryos, so that the doctors have lots of excellent looking options when it comes time to decide who's going in.  ; )  Wish us luck!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Counting down...

Well, the transfer should be approaching!  I say "should" be because the clinic does not allow me to plan ahead at all!  They will not confirm with me that we are hoping for a 4/25 egg retrieval, all they say is that they have to see how the egg donor is doing and they'll know more as we get closer.  I get that!  I know that it's not set in stone and that you have to retrieve those eggs when they are ready, so things can change...I'm just looking for an idea here.  Since they told T the 25th/30th, I'm sticking with that for now.  I had my appointment on the 11th, which was a baseline u/s to see where we're starting at and bloodwork to set up my medications.  Ok, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking "they'll tell me more once these results are in".  Well, no such luck.  They literally tell me what meds to take for 3-4 days at a time and then call me with more instructions.  Everything looked good at the appt on the 11th, so when they called that evening they gave me instructions through the 16th.  Then they called on the 16th to give me further instructions and to make me an appt for the 18th (yep, 2 days notice for this one).  The appt on Wednesday (the 18th) went well and was actually a little more relaxed than others have been.  I don't know if everyone was just in a great mood that day or what, but it was nice!  We all chatted a bit, then did the u/s.  During these ultrasounds, they measure the lining of the surrogate's uterus.  At baseline you have recently had a period and shed the lining, so it is thin.  This u/s, a week later, showed that my lining is already perfect for transferring!  The doctor and nurse both said "wow" when they measured, then the doctor told me I have a "stellar lining"...fabulous!  I am proud of my uterus, even though I had no control over what it's doing- I just take my meds when I'm supposed to take them and let my body do what it's apparently very good at doing.  ; )  They again told me that they would call me when my blood work was back, then we'd go over my meds for the coming days and my next appt, which after some probing, they said I could expect to be for Friday (the 20th).  Well, that afternoon when I got the call, they gave me my med instructions through Friday, then said that they will call me once they've seen the egg donor that day with further instructions- no need to come in.  Yay!  It's nice to know I won't have to make that drive twice this week.  So, I'll hear from them on Friday and I'm still hoping one of these times they'll actually give me a heads up on when we're expected to transfer.  Since this appt with the egg donor is closer to egg retrieval time, maybe it will give them a better idea of a timeline so they'll be willing to share it with me.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Appointment tomorrow

I have an appointment at TFI tomorrow for an u/s and blood work.  The sad thing is the appointment will probably take 15 minutes and my total drive time for the day will be around 6-7 hours!  Kind of ridiculous, but it will all be worth it in the end!  This will make me appreciate my OB that much more once I can finally stop going to TFI and start seeing her at her office...local to me...about 15 minutes away.  But I'm getting ahead of myself, since I'm not even pregnant yet.  ; )  I actually have an idea of the timeline we are hoping for- I didn't get it directly from the clinic, as they do not share much about cycle dates until you're there, or dragging it out of them- but I heard it from T, who did drag it out of them.  We're hoping for an egg retrieval around 4/25 and then the transfer on 4/30!  I'm hoping we hit those dates, or earlier- because an April transfer would be fun- since it's my birthday month!  Maybe it'll be lucky!  Wish me luck and not much traffic for my drive tomorrow- it's supposed to be raining.  Normally I love the rain- when I can stay inside and cuddle with my girls and my DH!  Not so much when I'll be driving all day long.  : (  Fingers crossed everything is looking good!