Surgery Tomorrow

I'm scheduled to have a diagnostic laparoscopy at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. They're basically going to pump my abdomen full of gas and then insert a scope through a small incision under my belly button and look around. While they're in there, they'll be look for endometriosis, cysts, and fibroids, and they'll also shoot some dye through my fallopian tubes to see if they are open. If all goes well and the Dr. doesn't find anything exciting, it's probably back to Clomid for a few more cycles. If its bad news, we'll be referred to a Reproductive Endocrinologist to explore "other options". I was really freaked out about this surgery at first, which is why it's taken me so long to post about it. I almost backed out of it countless times, but in the end I decided its better to know if there's something physically wrong now instead of later. I appologize in advance if I decide to post about the outcome while all doped up on prescription pain killers.

Month 15...Here we come!

Clomid cycle #5 is officially a no-go. I'm sad, but trying to focus on the positive. My luteal phase increased from 10 days to 17 days. This is a huge improvement and should increase our chances of getting pregnant in the future. I have an appointment with Dr. Isakson tomorrow to discuss the plan going forward. At my last appointment, he mentioned doing some exploratory surgery to see if that reveals any reasons for why I'm not getting pregnant. That is a big step for me to wrap my head around. Up until now, its just been blood work, ultrasounds, and the occasional pill. I know Pat isn't very excited about the idea of me having surgery. We'll see what tomorrow's appointment brings.

Losing Hope

Big temp drop today. Its not looking good for this cycle.

Day 13 and counting...

Today is officially 13 days past ovulation. This is the longest luteal phase I've had since we started trying to get pregnant. I'm starting to believe that there is a possibility that I'm actually pregnant. Its a slippery slope, because the more I think it's a possibility, the more heartbroken I'll be when it turns out not to be true.

In happier news, I volunteered Pat and I to babysit a friend's 5-month-old baby girl tonight. I'm pretty excited about it. She is just precious. I did have to promise not to try to coerce Pat into changing any diapers while we're there, but I think it will be really sweet to see him play with her.

Saturday is Pat's birthday. He'll be turning the big 2-7. I've bought all of his gifts and hidden his cake, but I still need to wrap a couple things and make sure we have some birthday candles somewhere in the house. We're just going to do a small celebration at the house, and then he's going to a poker game. It should be a fun night.

The Wonders of B Vitamins

I'm just back from a lovely adjustment at the Chiropractor, so I thought I'd post something upbeat for a change. I'm on my 5th cycle taking fertility meds, and I added some extra stuff this time to try to improve my chances of getting knocked up. The last two cycles, my Luteal Phase has been too short to sustain a pregnancy (only 10 days). I found (through the magic of Google) some research showing that Vitamin B6 can lengthen your Luteal Phase. Well, as of today my Luteal Phase is 11 days and counting! Woo hoo! This means that I'm either preggers or the B6 is working. Even if this cycle turns out to be a bust, I'll be able to take some comfort in the fact that things are improving. If I still don't know one way or the other by Sunday, I think I'll take a home pregnancy test. Saturday is Pat's birthday, and I don't want to be an emotional wreck on his day, so I'm waiting until after then.

Another New Cycle

Well, we found out over the weekend that the latest Clomid cycle did not work. I was pretty upset for a few hours, but Pat has done a good job of keeping everything in perspective for me. My O dates have been later on the Clomid than normal, so I'm going to try adding a B Complex this cycle to try to move it up. I take the first of five doses of Clomid tonight before bed. Bring on the hot flashes!

An Age-Old Question Answered

Here's a fun tidbit from The Book of Liz. Women get drunk faster than men because we are lacking an enzyme in our stomachs that breaks down alcohol. This means that 100% of the alcohol women drink ends up in the blood stream, while about half of the alcohol men consume gets broken down in the stomach. I'm not making this up...I promise. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,153672,00.html

Heartbreak Again

Definitely not pregnant. Again. It doesn't matter how many times you tell yourself that you're not going to get your hopes up this time, your heart doesn't listen.

Good News for People Who Love Good News

We got Pat's Cystic Fibrosis carrier screening back, and it's negative!!! That means that we can continue on the path we're on without having to move on to IVF yet. I didn't realize how stressed out I was about the results until we got them back and a huge wave of relief washed over me.

This also means that I can now post that I'm officially 8 days past ovulation. That's right...I ovulated for the first time in 6 months!!! I'm having some cramping today, which either means that this cycle will end in the next day or two or that there's a little bean burrowing away inside. I'll post again when I know more.

Labor Day Weekend

Pat and I spent Labor Day weekend in Kansas City, MO to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We spent Saturday shopping at the Country Club Plaza and then eating and drinking at Westport. The area was really nice, and there were tons of shops and restaurants within walking distance. I decided to sacrifice comfort for fashion and wear really cute, but not sensible shoes for the day. I paid the price with a couple of blisters that I'm still babying.

On Sunday, we went to the World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial. It is really world-class. The museum itself had more information that we ever could have taken in during one day. Pat got in for free since he is on active duty, which is always nice. We took the elevator ride up to the top of the tower on the memorial and had a nice view of the city.

Next we headed over to the Irish Festival that was happening at Crown Center. Pat had some lovely beef stew with Guiness (on an almost 90 degree summer day) and we bought a cute Irish snowman ornament to add to the Christmas tree this year. I was pretty wiped out after all the walking, so we headed back to the hotel for a swim.

Monday was our last day in Kansas City, and we decided to go see the outdoor sculptures at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. The highlight for me was definitely the giant shuttlecocks on the lawn outside of the museum. I wish I could commission a couple of them for the house. We would be the talk of the neighborhood!

Unhappy Camper

Another one of my co-workers announced her pregnancy today. This is the second one in as many months. To add insult to injury, I will have to cover for both of them while they are out on maternity leave. When will it be my turn? :-(

Another Rough Day...and a Little History

I had a follow-up appointment with my OB/GYN today. As I was getting ready to write about the appointment, I realized that there's a lot of back-story missing in these blogs. So, I'm going to try to catch you up in a paragraph or two.

About a year ago Pat and I decided we were ready to welcome a baby into our family. I finished my last pack of birth control pills and expected to be pregnant in a matter of months. Instead, I ended up with ridulously long cycles (we're talking over 100 days as opposed to the textbook standard of 28 days). I went to several doctors before I was finally diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Basically, I don't ovulate on my own, possibly because of underlying Insulin Resistance. The doctor who diagnosed me put me on an insulin sensitizing medication and a drug called Clomid that is supposed to help my body ovulate. I tried the combination for 3 months with no luck. That brings me to my follow-up appointment today.

Today I found out that I'm a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis. This means that we have to stop all efforts to get pregnant until Pat can be screened for the gene mutation. If he is also a carrier, then we have a 1/4 chance of having a baby with Cystic Fibrosis if we conceive naturally. We would have to decide if that was a risk we are willing to take or we could consider IVF where they screen the embryos before they transfer them back into me. I never expected to have to be making these decisions. Shouldn't this process be easier than this?

On a lighter note, tomorrow is our 3 year wedding anniversary, and for the first time Pat and I will be on the same continent! That's right...continent. He was in Iraq for our first anniversary and South Korea for our second anniversary. We're looking forward to enjoying a nice, romantic dinner together.

Just What I Needed

Its been a bit of a rough day for me. Our latest cycle on fertility meds is officially a bust. I knew it was an eventuality, but it really hit me hard. I was feeling very down about myself when I got a call from my boss. The Vice President of Engineering for our division requested me by name to work on a special project for him. I am incredibly flattered, and really needed something to brighten my day today. I just hope I don't end up in over my head.

Go USA!

Did you see the incredible performance by the US Men's 400m Freestyle relay last night?!?!?! If not, you need to YouTube that shit!!!! The French team had been quoted in the press saying that they were going to "smash the Americans". Well, the Americans swam an incredible race and edged out the French team by 8/10ths of a second to win gold. It was one of the best moments of the games so far!!!!! I *heart* the Olympics

I do declare...

I'm officially declaring war on spiders. One of the joys of living in the country is that we have all manner of wildlife around our house. Sometimes its fun. We have a pair of red-headed woodpeckers, tons of hummingbirds, a family of wild turkey, and the occasional deer in our yard. Not welcome are the HUMONGOUS spiders that find their way into our house. The single most terrifying spider I have ever seen has taken residence between the screen and window in our guest room. I almost pooed myself a few days ago when I walked into the guestroom and saw it. At first I thought it was actually in the house. Luckily its not, because if it was I would probably have to move. The problem is that I'm so scared of this beast that I can't bring myself to go outside and spray it. Well, I've decided that I will live in fear no more! Tomorrow I will kill the spider!!!!! I'm too scared to do it tonight...its dark outside. :-(

Make a Statement with Your Next Baby Shower Gift

I stumled across this article today, and it is the funniest thing I've read all week. The commentary on each item is reminiscent of that e-mail that went around a long time ago with the guy trash-talking childrens' artwork. Hi-larious.

http://www.cracked.com/article_16475_20-baby-products-great-traumatizing-infants.html

TDY

Pat is out of town for work until Wednesday. For some reason, my body decides that it can function on much less food and sleep while he is gone. When he is not out of town, my stomach is growling uncontrollably at 5:30 PM. Today, I sat down at the piano sometime after work and played until 6:30, at which point I decided I should go get myself a Subway sandwich. I could have not eaten, but I figured I probably should.

I'm also the girl who normally falls asleep on the couch if I dare to recline at all. It could be 8:30, and I'll be sound asleep. When Pat is gone, I often don't close my eyes until well after midnight. I'm not looking forward to trying to drift off peacefully tonight while being serenaded by the swarms of cicadas that live around our house. Maybe I'll force Mimi to snuggle up with me so that I'm not alone in the bed.

Happy Friday!!!!

Uhg...I'm so glad that this week is finally over. Work has been tedious lately, and it doesn't seem like we've had time to relax at home much. The past three weeks have been chock-full of scheduled events. I'm really looking forward to having a whole weekend with no obligations. If you need us, we'll probably be drinking beer in the kiddie pool in the back yard. Seriously.

Getting my Feet Wet

I've done it. I've finally broken down and created a blog. There's a long-running joke between Pat and I that I get all of my terrible jokes and completely random facts from a book...The Book of Liz. This book is not currently available for sale, so I thought a blog would be a nice place to collect all the bits of wisdom and random facts and stories that make their way from the pages of The Book of Liz into my daily life.

Originally I had grand plans of waiting to start a blog until I was pregnant and could alternately bore and fascinate the masses with every detail of my pregnancy. After almost a year of trying to get knocked-up I've decided to stop putting my life on hold while I'm waiting for those two pink lines. So here it is. I'm not really sure what this blog will evolve into, but that's half the fun, right?