So sorry for the 'late' update. This week has been crazy busy!
Last Friday late afternoon I got the call from Dr. Malo's office that yes, the pregnancy test was negative. Even though I was very upset I was surprised at how calm and collected I felt when I was talking to the nurse practitioner. Each time we go through this I think somehow the dissapointment gets, not easier, but more routine.
On Sunday, I got my period. Waited for 3 days and had my baseline ultrasound on Tuesday or Day 3. For the most part things looked good. However, there was an unusual spot on my right ovary and was somewhat concerning to the nurse practitioner. She said it looked like signs of ovulation and most likely it meant nothing but wanted to make sure. She explained that the eggs are grown in 'follicles' which resemble blisters. Once ovulation occurs the 'blisters' or follicles burst and release the egg. Those follicle usually return to normal, however they can sometimes fill with fluid or blood and form a blood clot. They can also sometimes produce estrogen. So, I had my blood drawn to make sure it wasn't producing estrogen. If it was, my body would not react to the injections and would need to be put on birth control for 2 weeks. I prayed all day hoping this wouldn't postpone the cycle and god must of heard my prayer because we got good news! It wasn't producing estrogen and so on Tuesday I started another round, most likely our last round ever, of injections. This time Dr. Malo wants to be more aggressive and try and produce more then one mature follicle. Hoping this works and that Oviarian Hyperstimulation doesn't occur. My first follicle study ultrasound is next Tuesday, hoping there is good change. Please continue to pray as this is our last attempt at getting pregnant with 'medical help' for quite some time.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. I know we have so much to be thankful for!
Love, Kristen & Eli
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Bittersweet
Today will be a bittersweet day as I sit and wait for the nurse from Dr. Malo's office to call. I had my blood drawn this morning for a pregnancy test, but I already know the answer. We tested at home yesterday. Our hearts are heavy.
Love, Kristen & Eli Wolfe
Love, Kristen & Eli Wolfe
Friday, November 13, 2009
Laugh
Just thought I'd share with you a funny thing my husband said to me today. We were talking about when I could test and he said he was anxious to know and then said "Well can't you just take a first responder?" So funny, so cute, he has no clue :)
Love, Kristen & Eli
Love, Kristen & Eli
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Update
Things didn't go as planned on Tuesday. I didn't make it to acupuncture instead I had to stay home in bed all day as orders from Dr. Malo. I woke up Tuesday morning with mild symptoms of OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome); nausea, bloating, PAIN in both of my ovaries and vomiting. I wasn't too concerned at first because it wasn't anything like the time I was hospitalized. However, since I now know the severity of OHSS I decided to call the clinic and tell them. They were concerned because of how fast I went from mild to serve in April, so they wanted me on strict bed rest until all symptoms were gone. I laid low most of Tuesday and felt better by Wednesday. Thank god it didn't turn into something worse!
Otherwise, I have been feeling fine. Lots of cramping and boobs so sore it hurts to put a bra on...but those are side affects NOT symptoms. I am on so much progesterone hormone to keep the lining of my uterus good that I have much stronger side affects this time. I would like to say they are symptoms of a pregnancy but can't. My blood pregnancy test isn't until the 23rd but I may test at home in the next week.
Other then those updates nothing is new. I have been doing a lot of relaxing and trying to keep my body healthy and stress free. We haven't been talking about it much and just not worrying about the outcome. Its been a pretty stress free cycle and I like it, and I know Eli does too! We WILL have a baby one day, but its up to god to choose which day. Keep praying!
Love, Kristen & Eli
Otherwise, I have been feeling fine. Lots of cramping and boobs so sore it hurts to put a bra on...but those are side affects NOT symptoms. I am on so much progesterone hormone to keep the lining of my uterus good that I have much stronger side affects this time. I would like to say they are symptoms of a pregnancy but can't. My blood pregnancy test isn't until the 23rd but I may test at home in the next week.
Other then those updates nothing is new. I have been doing a lot of relaxing and trying to keep my body healthy and stress free. We haven't been talking about it much and just not worrying about the outcome. Its been a pretty stress free cycle and I like it, and I know Eli does too! We WILL have a baby one day, but its up to god to choose which day. Keep praying!
Love, Kristen & Eli
Monday, November 9, 2009
Update
The insemination on Saturday at the Minneapolis clinic went well! I was so glad the nurse was very nice and did a great job of explaining and answering any questions. So now, we just wait. The long and dreaded 2 week wait. I go in for a pregnancy test 2 weeks from today, Monday. Please continue to pray, this just has to be our month. Please god, please.
In the past I have had bleeding before the 2 week wait was over, so they are calling that a luteal phase defect. To help prevent that this time I am on two different medications that i started yesterday. The nurse practitioner who prescribed them said they are the same medication that they use with those going through Invitro. The one medication is called Vivelle dots. They are medication patches that go on my lower abdomen and continuously give progesterone. I will change them every 3 days. I was afraid they would fall off during shower, baths etc. but they haven't come off at all. The other medication is called Endometrium. It is a long skinny pill that is inserted vaginally. Its just like the progesterone suppositories I did in the past and yes they are super annoying. Especially since I have to do them twice a day! They will be so worth it though! Hopefully these medications will help with the luteal phase defect. They will keep my uterine lining thick and make a good home for an embryo to attach :) One of the things that is concerning with a luteal phase defect is miscarriage, when the uterine lining isn't good enough to keep a pregnancy.
I also did acupuncture yesterday, Sunday. It hurt a little more this time, especially in my ears. Those are the worst spots! I am going to continue to do acupuncture and my next appointment is tomorrow at noon. Hoping she will forget about my ears :)
Love, Kristen & Eli
In the past I have had bleeding before the 2 week wait was over, so they are calling that a luteal phase defect. To help prevent that this time I am on two different medications that i started yesterday. The nurse practitioner who prescribed them said they are the same medication that they use with those going through Invitro. The one medication is called Vivelle dots. They are medication patches that go on my lower abdomen and continuously give progesterone. I will change them every 3 days. I was afraid they would fall off during shower, baths etc. but they haven't come off at all. The other medication is called Endometrium. It is a long skinny pill that is inserted vaginally. Its just like the progesterone suppositories I did in the past and yes they are super annoying. Especially since I have to do them twice a day! They will be so worth it though! Hopefully these medications will help with the luteal phase defect. They will keep my uterine lining thick and make a good home for an embryo to attach :) One of the things that is concerning with a luteal phase defect is miscarriage, when the uterine lining isn't good enough to keep a pregnancy.
I also did acupuncture yesterday, Sunday. It hurt a little more this time, especially in my ears. Those are the worst spots! I am going to continue to do acupuncture and my next appointment is tomorrow at noon. Hoping she will forget about my ears :)Love, Kristen & Eli
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
My body is ready...am I ?
Yesterday I had my third ultrasound. There are some new follicles and ones that were there before have disappeared. I have one "almost" mature follicle on my right that measures 1.67 and the two that were on my left seem to be gone. The nurse practitioner that did my ultrasound couldn't get a clear view of my left ovary, so there may be some follicles she missed on that side. She said its normal for follicles to disappear, especially when you are on a low dose and slow paced follicle stimulation plan like I have been on. Last night was the last injection of Menopur and tonight, between 5:00pm-7:00pm, I will be giving myself the Ovidrel injection to make me ovulate. I will be having two inseminations, one Friday morning and one Saturday morning. I'm not looking forward to having the one on Saturday as it will be at the Minneapolis clinic, I was hoping that wouldn't happen. I am trying to have a positive outlook on this cycle, staying positive and relaxed. I'm not sure what our plan will be after this cycle, right now it is to take one day at a time. Eli seems a little more relaxed with cycle as well. We haven't been talking about it all the time which helps. Please pray hard for us in the next couple of days. All prayers I got for this cycle seemed to help, all of the little follicles in my ovaries didn't grow!! So keep praying!!
This time I am also going to incorporate natural medicine/Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture. I have had a lot of people email me with suggestions to try acupuncture. I did some research and found a clinic in Bloomington that insurance will cover. Here is some info about acupuncture and PCOS;
Acupuncture is a 3,000 year-old traditional form of Chinese medicine used to promote health and treat disorders. It involves the use of very fine, sterile, disposable stainless steel needles placed at selected acupuncture points.
The practice of acupuncture is based on the understanding that a vital energy called "Qi" flows along pathways or meridians throughout the body. Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ. Acupuncture allows Qi to flow to areas where it is deficient and away from where it is in excess. If Qi is blocked or obstructed in its flow, pain or dysfunction may occur.
Acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body, causing pain or illness to be resolved. Acupuncture points are places along the meridians near the body's surface where Qi can be manipulated by the insertion of acupuncture needles.
There are hundreds of acupuncture points and each point has a predictable therapeutic effect. Problems can be addressed by needling points close to and distant from the problem being treated, because the meridians run throughout the body.
This time I am also going to incorporate natural medicine/Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture. I have had a lot of people email me with suggestions to try acupuncture. I did some research and found a clinic in Bloomington that insurance will cover. Here is some info about acupuncture and PCOS;
Acupuncture is a 3,000 year-old traditional form of Chinese medicine used to promote health and treat disorders. It involves the use of very fine, sterile, disposable stainless steel needles placed at selected acupuncture points.
The practice of acupuncture is based on the understanding that a vital energy called "Qi" flows along pathways or meridians throughout the body. Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ. Acupuncture allows Qi to flow to areas where it is deficient and away from where it is in excess. If Qi is blocked or obstructed in its flow, pain or dysfunction may occur.
Acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body, causing pain or illness to be resolved. Acupuncture points are places along the meridians near the body's surface where Qi can be manipulated by the insertion of acupuncture needles.
There are hundreds of acupuncture points and each point has a predictable therapeutic effect. Problems can be addressed by needling points close to and distant from the problem being treated, because the meridians run throughout the body.
Upon insertion of an acupuncture needle, people may experience varying sensations, ranging from no pain at all, to a slight pinch, a feeling of heaviness, warmth or possibly tingling and an electric sensation. The needles are retained for 20-45 minutes and people often become deeply relaxed and sometimes even fall asleep. After needle removal, you may feel energized, sleepy or lighter. You may notice immediate improvement of your symptoms.
Acupuncture provides a safe, effective, drug-free and natural approach, strengthens and balances all systems of the body, and assists our own internal energies to restore endocrine harmony encouraging conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Acupuncture emphasizes holistic care. PCOS is a very complex disorder and due to multiple hormonal imbalances. The abnormalities in the ovary are really more the result of the whole body’s dysfunction, not the cause. Currently this disorder is not well understood, so there is no single solution to reverse PCOS or assess all the symptoms. However, you can certainly choose acupuncture as a holistic medicine along with a healthy diet to improve your overall health – as a way of achieving better emotional balance and well-being, regulated periods, enriched sleep, and greater energy. Optimizing a general sense of well-being definitely influences the body’s internal hormones, chemicals and metabolisms, which in turn effectively minimize and eliminate numerous factors in the processes of PCOS.
Acupunture treats the underlying, root causes of conditions. PCOS is one of the major leading causes of infertility. Recently conventional medicine has not had a great deal of success in treating PCOS and infertility. The most popular form of treatment is with the use of ovulation inducers like clomid, hCG and gonadotropin. Unfortunately, these drugs do not easily or effectively address the underlying failure of ovarian health such as poor quality of eggs or an androgen rich surrounding environment. As a result, women have a lower pregnancy rate, a higher rate of miscarriage, and potentially undesirable side effects from drugs.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are designed to stimulate the body’s own natural production of hormones and regulate the menstrual cycle by gently correcting underlying deficiencies and/or eliminating disruptions. For example, when applied they can;
a) restore reproductive energy in the kidney system which represents the reproductive endocrine system to normalize the production of hormones that regulate ovulation.
b) balance the liver system which controls smooth flow and distribution of blood to remove obstruction or constriction of blood circulation in the pelvic organs, which might be caused from living with high stress, consistent anger, frustration and/or anxiety.
c) build an adequate supply of blood to sustain a normal menstrual cycle, nourish the eggs to be revitalized, and support a healthy pregnancy.
d) help dissolve the thick, waxy coating found on the surface of the ovaries to improve ovarian function, enhance egg quality with the use of Chinese herbal medicine.
e) soothe the sympathetic nervous system to relax the body, reduce stress and influence healthy ovulation
My first appointment was today. I was a little nervous before, but it went very well. The needles only gave a little "pinch", especially in areas where there isn't much skin. The ones in my ears and feet hurt the most going in. Once the needles are in she inserts them a little more and then leaves them in for 20 min. It was actually very relaxing and I felt warm and tingling in the areas where the needles were. She put needles in my ears, arms, stomach, legs and feet. My next appointment is Sunday. I felt it to be very beneficial, if not physically but mentally. I will be going back!
Love, Kristen & Eli
Acupuncture provides a safe, effective, drug-free and natural approach, strengthens and balances all systems of the body, and assists our own internal energies to restore endocrine harmony encouraging conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Acupuncture emphasizes holistic care. PCOS is a very complex disorder and due to multiple hormonal imbalances. The abnormalities in the ovary are really more the result of the whole body’s dysfunction, not the cause. Currently this disorder is not well understood, so there is no single solution to reverse PCOS or assess all the symptoms. However, you can certainly choose acupuncture as a holistic medicine along with a healthy diet to improve your overall health – as a way of achieving better emotional balance and well-being, regulated periods, enriched sleep, and greater energy. Optimizing a general sense of well-being definitely influences the body’s internal hormones, chemicals and metabolisms, which in turn effectively minimize and eliminate numerous factors in the processes of PCOS.
Acupunture treats the underlying, root causes of conditions. PCOS is one of the major leading causes of infertility. Recently conventional medicine has not had a great deal of success in treating PCOS and infertility. The most popular form of treatment is with the use of ovulation inducers like clomid, hCG and gonadotropin. Unfortunately, these drugs do not easily or effectively address the underlying failure of ovarian health such as poor quality of eggs or an androgen rich surrounding environment. As a result, women have a lower pregnancy rate, a higher rate of miscarriage, and potentially undesirable side effects from drugs.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are designed to stimulate the body’s own natural production of hormones and regulate the menstrual cycle by gently correcting underlying deficiencies and/or eliminating disruptions. For example, when applied they can;
a) restore reproductive energy in the kidney system which represents the reproductive endocrine system to normalize the production of hormones that regulate ovulation.
b) balance the liver system which controls smooth flow and distribution of blood to remove obstruction or constriction of blood circulation in the pelvic organs, which might be caused from living with high stress, consistent anger, frustration and/or anxiety.
c) build an adequate supply of blood to sustain a normal menstrual cycle, nourish the eggs to be revitalized, and support a healthy pregnancy.
d) help dissolve the thick, waxy coating found on the surface of the ovaries to improve ovarian function, enhance egg quality with the use of Chinese herbal medicine.
e) soothe the sympathetic nervous system to relax the body, reduce stress and influence healthy ovulation
My first appointment was today. I was a little nervous before, but it went very well. The needles only gave a little "pinch", especially in areas where there isn't much skin. The ones in my ears and feet hurt the most going in. Once the needles are in she inserts them a little more and then leaves them in for 20 min. It was actually very relaxing and I felt warm and tingling in the areas where the needles were. She put needles in my ears, arms, stomach, legs and feet. My next appointment is Sunday. I felt it to be very beneficial, if not physically but mentally. I will be going back!
Love, Kristen & Eli
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ultrasound #2
There was a change in plans. I got a call Friday evening from Dr. Malo's office, the nurse who called instructed me not to come on Saturday for my ultrasound but to come on Sunday morning. Good news and bad news. Good news, the appointment Sunday wasn't until 9:30AM, instead of at the crack of dawn. Bad news, it was the morning after Halloween!
Sunday morning came and went, thankfully fast, because it was the worst visit ever. The environment and the staff at the clinic were not as nice as the Lilydale office. There were two women who were in the ultrasound with me, one performing and one watching? The woman who did the ultrasound was so rough I had never been in so much pain with an ultrasound. I kept telling her how bad it hurt and she just replied with "your ovaries are hard to find and we need to look at them". I was in tears by the end of the ultrasound and they didn't give me anything to clean up with (if you ever have had a vaginal ultrasound they LOAD on the gel). At the Lilydale office before they leave the room they get a wash cloth and warm it up and hand it to you. Its little things like that, that make these frequent visits much more pleasant. Thankfully a woman who I recognized came in after the ultrasound, she was from the Lilydale office, and gave me my treatment plan. The two follicles on the left side hadn't grown much more, and unfortunately multiple smaller ones were getting bigger. The plan is to continue on the same medication I am on until Wednesday when I go back in for my third ultrasound, thankfully at the Lilydale office.
On top of the horrible ultrasound I ended up sitting at a pharmacy after the appointment for over an hour! I told the nurse practitioner who went over my treatment plan that I had run out of medication and wouldn't be receiving the medication until Monday when Fed Ex could deliver it. She said if we had been at the Lilydale office they could give me an "emergency" dose for one day, but the Minneapolis doctors are more strict and won't do that. So, she wrote me a prescription and told me to go to this pharmacy down the road who had the medication in stock. After about 30 minutes of waiting for them to fill it the pharmacist calls me up and tells me my insurance will not allow them to fill the prescription. The insurance company was saying it was too early to fill another prescription with that medication because it shows that I had recently filled it. True, but it doesn't say that it won't be delivered until Monday. AGHHHH!!! The pharmacist tells me I can pay for the medication out of pocket and have my insurance company reimburse me. Considering I asked him how much it comes to, over $700.00!!!! Who did he think I was? Who walks around with $700.00 on the them?? After that I just left. At this point it had already been over an hour since I had first gotten there. I called back to the clinic to tell them the situation and they too suggested I pay out of pocket!!! I asked the nurse if it would be okay for the one day to take Repronex, the medication I had taken before, for the one night. Since Meopur and Repronex are made by the same supplier and basically the same drug she said that would be just fine. Thankfully!!! I was so irritated and mad by this time I was willing to do anything to just get home. After all that I really hope I won't have to go back to the clinic and if I do then I hope its a better experience.
On top of everything that happened, I started having some bleeding Sunday night. I was super concerned because this had never happened before. It wasn't very heaving but enough to wear a liner. However, it was gone by the time I woke up yesterday morning. Still concerned I called Dr. Malo's office. The nurse on the phone seemed concerned but told me that it may be because they have me on such a slow pace injection plan that my uterine lining may be confused and shedding some, or that the ultrasound tech yesterday hit my cervix and she is sorry if that happened ( HA!). She told me to call back immediatley if I have a fever, cramps or more bleeding.
So glad Sunday is over! I have many things to do this week so hopefully I can keep my mind off things! I will update on Wednesday after my ultrasound. Please keep praying and send some positive thoughts my way I am needing them! Thank you.
Love, Kristen & Eli
Sunday morning came and went, thankfully fast, because it was the worst visit ever. The environment and the staff at the clinic were not as nice as the Lilydale office. There were two women who were in the ultrasound with me, one performing and one watching? The woman who did the ultrasound was so rough I had never been in so much pain with an ultrasound. I kept telling her how bad it hurt and she just replied with "your ovaries are hard to find and we need to look at them". I was in tears by the end of the ultrasound and they didn't give me anything to clean up with (if you ever have had a vaginal ultrasound they LOAD on the gel). At the Lilydale office before they leave the room they get a wash cloth and warm it up and hand it to you. Its little things like that, that make these frequent visits much more pleasant. Thankfully a woman who I recognized came in after the ultrasound, she was from the Lilydale office, and gave me my treatment plan. The two follicles on the left side hadn't grown much more, and unfortunately multiple smaller ones were getting bigger. The plan is to continue on the same medication I am on until Wednesday when I go back in for my third ultrasound, thankfully at the Lilydale office.
On top of the horrible ultrasound I ended up sitting at a pharmacy after the appointment for over an hour! I told the nurse practitioner who went over my treatment plan that I had run out of medication and wouldn't be receiving the medication until Monday when Fed Ex could deliver it. She said if we had been at the Lilydale office they could give me an "emergency" dose for one day, but the Minneapolis doctors are more strict and won't do that. So, she wrote me a prescription and told me to go to this pharmacy down the road who had the medication in stock. After about 30 minutes of waiting for them to fill it the pharmacist calls me up and tells me my insurance will not allow them to fill the prescription. The insurance company was saying it was too early to fill another prescription with that medication because it shows that I had recently filled it. True, but it doesn't say that it won't be delivered until Monday. AGHHHH!!! The pharmacist tells me I can pay for the medication out of pocket and have my insurance company reimburse me. Considering I asked him how much it comes to, over $700.00!!!! Who did he think I was? Who walks around with $700.00 on the them?? After that I just left. At this point it had already been over an hour since I had first gotten there. I called back to the clinic to tell them the situation and they too suggested I pay out of pocket!!! I asked the nurse if it would be okay for the one day to take Repronex, the medication I had taken before, for the one night. Since Meopur and Repronex are made by the same supplier and basically the same drug she said that would be just fine. Thankfully!!! I was so irritated and mad by this time I was willing to do anything to just get home. After all that I really hope I won't have to go back to the clinic and if I do then I hope its a better experience.
On top of everything that happened, I started having some bleeding Sunday night. I was super concerned because this had never happened before. It wasn't very heaving but enough to wear a liner. However, it was gone by the time I woke up yesterday morning. Still concerned I called Dr. Malo's office. The nurse on the phone seemed concerned but told me that it may be because they have me on such a slow pace injection plan that my uterine lining may be confused and shedding some, or that the ultrasound tech yesterday hit my cervix and she is sorry if that happened ( HA!). She told me to call back immediatley if I have a fever, cramps or more bleeding.
So glad Sunday is over! I have many things to do this week so hopefully I can keep my mind off things! I will update on Wednesday after my ultrasound. Please keep praying and send some positive thoughts my way I am needing them! Thank you.
Love, Kristen & Eli
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