The real start

I have been thinking of starting a blog for a while now, and have been putting it off. I decided today that I wanted to start documenting this process, maybe not in a public way yet, but in my own way. So I would have something to look back on and remember these confusing and scary days and hopefully smile about them with a sweet baby in my arms.

Tonight I went back and copy and pasted e-mails into the blog, just as a start. So I can see how it all started and just the updates that I sent to everyone.

Tonight is night 3 of taking 3 shots at one time. I started my first injection on 4/26/08, and it has not been so bad, now that I know what to do. I started the other 2 on Monday night and they are slightly worse. The needles are bigger, and you have to get them ready, and it takes a little time. Overall though, it's not so bad. The first night, we were both slightly overwhelmed and just read the directions and got thru it the best way we could. Last night was better, so I hope tonight will be a breeze. I go back on Friday morning for another ultrasound and hopefully we will still be on schedule for everything next week.

Next Thursday, the 15th, I could have my eggs retrieved and attempt to be fertilized. It's exciting, but kind of scary at the same time. Also slightly weird to know that they are doing all of this in a petri dish. BUT, I'm very thankful that they are ABLE to do it, and we have this chance of having a baby of our own.

Anyway, this is my first official blog entry and this won't be public for a while, but when it is, I hope it will be interesting, and maybe helpful to someone, to look back and read about our journey to having a family.

Medicine appt

Tuesday we received all of our medication in the mail, via UPS. I was quite surprised when I opened the box and all of THIS was in there!
We had our first official IVF appt with a nurse today. I had to bring all of the medication in and she went over how to give it, how to give the injections, when to take what, what to expect, etc.
It was A LOT of information and I just hope that we both took all of it in. It is a little intimidating right now, but I hope that once we actually start doing it, it will seem a bit easier.
Everything is still on track with the same calendar as before. Today I had an ultrasound with saline, where they injected saline solution in my uterus to make sure it looked Ok and there were no abnormalities, which there aren't, thank goodness!
So all is well until the 26th, when I get my first shot, yay!
So anyway, just a mini update. Here is all of my medication and just a glimpse of how I'm feeling about all of this, lol...
Love ya'll,
Beth

Hi everyone! Just a quick e-mail to give you an update on what is happening with us. I met with the nurse practitioner yesterday for a check in about my diet, and on Friday of last week I got a packet in the mail with an IVF schedule. This was a surprise to me, since I thought I wouldn't know when we would start until after this appt ( yesterday).

Anyway, we will be starting the IVF process/cycle in April, and will go thru May. Basically what that means is that we meet with our nurse on 4/16 and go over everything. I will start having sonograms, I think 6 or 7 in total, and I will start the injectable hormones the last week of April. I will do them for about 3 weeks and we hope to do an egg retrieval on May 15th. That is our target date. We will then either implant them on May 18th or 20th, depending on which day the embryologist thinks is best.

I was not going to tell anyone about all of this, because I did want it to be sort of a surprise when we got pregnant, but I decided that I love you guys and you are all my closest friends, so I wanted you all to know, because I know I need prayers and support.

I would ask that you not spread the word too much though, because I don't want a lot of people asking me about it, especially if it doesn't take the first time, I think that would be too hard on me, having to go back and tell everyone it didn't work.

So, keep it quiet for a while if you would.
Kristy, I will be telling Jules and Lori I will be telling Linda, I just didn't have their e-mail addresses here at work.

Janet, you can tell Jamie too, or I will if you want.
Soo, that's the scoop! We are very hopeful and right now I think I am more nervous than excited. It doesn't seem real right now to me, but maybe after we meet with the nurse it will….

I just wanted to share our news and the update.
Love you all,
Beth

I went back to the fertility doctor yesterday morning to get the results of my lab work and glucose tolerance I did on the 14th. It seems that I have a metabolic disorder, and my hormones are not balanced at all. I have much more testosterone that I'm supposed to have, and the doctor said I am Insulin Resistant - which means that I am basically on the path to having full blown diabetes later in life. He said it is a genetic thing, and not something I could have prevented, but it is treatable, since we know now, in the early stages. Because of the insulin resistance, I have what is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which again, goes hand in hand with being insulin resistant. The ovaries send out hormones to release eggs ( ovulation) and since my hormones are not balanced, they are not being released right, etc. which is why my cycles have not been regular since going off the pill.

Anyway - basically the bottom line is that we will have to wait 3-5 months to start trying to get pregnant. He wants to try to regulate my insulin and hormone levels, before he adds a pregnancy to the mix. People will polycystic ovarian syndrome have a 50% chance of miscarriage, and much higher rates of premature babies, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, placenta tearing away from the uterus, abnormal weight gain and a host of other very bad things in pregnancy. If we can regulate my body and get it in normal to low ranges, then he believes all of these risks will be lowered dramatically, to about 5-10%.

He said that he would rather have me at the optimum place to get pregnant and have all of these things as controlled as they can be, so that I will have the very best chance of getting pregnant, staying pregnant and having a healthy baby.

Sooooo, I will go back on birth control pills for the next few months, and I have also started taking a pill called Glucofage ( sp?). The biggest way to treat this is with nutrition changes, so I have 2 weeks to totally wean myself off of carbs - and then when we go back in 2 weeks, I will be on a Zero Carb Diet!!!! Zero, none. We will do that for a few months, see how things are progressing, what the levels are doing and then proceed from there.

I really hope it will be more in the 3 month range, rather than the 5 month range, but I am trying to be positive and just take one thing at a time, though it is very hard.

I was not expecting this news yesterday at all, I was quite shocked and confused, and just didn't even know what to say, other than to ask the few questions that came to my mind. I am frustrated that we have to keep waiting, and I feel like there are barriers all around, that we keep hitting, when we just want to start our family…but I have to trust that God has a plan for this, and I have to keep following it and trusting it.

So, please send strength and prayers our way. I am concerned about being able to stick to the diet, I am afraid I will not have the self-discipline to do it, but I am going to try my best. Billy says it's " not a big deal" but it feels like a very big deal, because it is a huuuuge lifestyle change for me, one I am willing to make, I am just afraid of not doing it good enough. But again, I can only try and try my best, and see what happens.

I will keep you updated on any other changes, but I wanted to pass along this info.
Love ya'll,
Beth

I'm sorry today is a crazy day for me, have not been able to log onto e-mail very much.

Everything went Ok. I'm not overly excited about the doctor, he was not very personable and I just didn't feel like he really answered my questions patiently and thoroughly. He was nice enough I guess, but Billy thought he was like a robot, lol...

Anyway, bascially, he gave me some info, asked a ton of questions, and we have some sort of plan. I really wanted a timeline, but I dont' have one. Basically, I have to go for lab tests first, whic I have an appt for next week and I will meet with him again in 2 weeks. After we meet again, he will put me on some sort of de-regulation/suppresive medicine that bascially puts my ovaries in a basal state ( sort of like birth control pills do). I'm not sure how long Ill do this, maybe a month? ( this is what I don't feel like he gave me a clear time line). Anyway, after I do the de-regulation thing, I will start the injectable hormones and again, not sure how long I do that. After that, they'll retrieve eggs and all that good stuff. He said the whole IVF process takes about 6 weeks, and I'm pretty sure he says taht the 6 weeks starts when I start the injectable hormones.

Billy has to do 2 semen analysis, and he has the appt for the first one next week.

Sooo, all of that being said, I hope to start the injectable stuff by maybe the first part of March? That is just in my head though, the doctor didn't actually give me any dates or anything. I think he wants to do the lab work first, make sure there is nothing else hormonal going on with me, and will then proceed.

It was very overwhelming and I felt tired when we left.

Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:18:06 -0500
From: beth.montelongo@gmail.com
Subject: Update

Hi everyone! Well it's Sunday about 5:09 and I have been home for 24 hours now. I had my surgery on Thursday morning, around 7:30. It started pretty much on time, but went a little longer than originally planned, about 3 hours, as they ran into a few things they didn't anticipate.
Basically the outcome was that I had to have both of my fallopian tubes removed completely. I went in for one and possibly an ovary, but came out with 2 tubes removed and no ovaries removed. So it's good and bad news. Overall, the surgery went fine, I am fine and they completed the task. The bad news is that since they took out both tubes, there is no chance of conceiving a child " naturally." We will have to use invitro-fertilization to have kids.
The doctor said that both of my ovaries looked good and so does my uterus and has no reason to think that IVF will not be successful for us. Both of my tubes were completed non-workable, they were fluid filled and matted shut at the ends, and there was no chance of anything ever getting through them.
So again, good news and bad news. I am happy that the surgery is over and we can move on. I am happy that my " bad" tubes are now removed from my body, but I'm sad and disappointed that me and billy will not be able to have a child in the natural way that we wanted. I am trying to be hopeful though and look on the positive side of things and see that we still have a chance to have kids, it will just be with IVF, which is certainly not the end of the world.
It is taking me a bit longer to accept that though..but it will come in time.
My mom came down on Wednesday and left this morning and she was such a huge help, I was very thankful to have her for a few days. My dad also came down and was here, and Billy and his family were of course here and supportive as always.
I have a lot of support with us and for us and I am very thankful for that.
This week we have to work on insurance stuff, there is a chance that one of our insurance companies covers IVF, and if so, we have to make some changes ASAP. IVF is very expensive and any insurance coverage we can get we will def. need.
So, as always, please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers, I think we will need them over the next couple of months.
I am recovering, in some pain, but overall, doing Ok. I'm moving slow and Billy is helping me and waiting on me, so I'll be taking advantage of that as much as I can. He is a great guy and I feel lucky to have in my life. We will get through this hurdle as a couple and what is meant to be will be.
I look forward to hearing from everyone! I might not be as quick as normal as it hurts sitting here at the computer, but that should pass soon. Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Love ya'll,
Beth

ate: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 13:56:41 -0500
Subject: Surgery tomorrow
Hi everyone! Well, tomorrow is the day of my surgery and I just wanted to check in and say hello beforehand. I am at home now, my mom is here, and I have just started drinking this lovely bowel cleanser. I think I am in store for some fun times tonight, lol...
Anyway, the surgery is tomorrow at 7:30 am. Billy will have my cell phone and then I will have it afterwards, after I'm in a room and everything. If anyone wants to call or come by, that is certainly fine, I love visitors!!!
My cell number is 904-885-6788.
I'll write once I'm home and settled in a bit, probably Saturday sometime!
Please send prayers and good thoughts our way!
Love ya'll,
Beth