Problem#2: I'm a ninja

Yep. I'm a ninja. Well...at least a certain "part" of my body is. 

We found out about this handy little fact back in October during the Post Coital test that I've mentioned in previous posts. This was where they (tmi alert!) take the sperm out of the woman shortly after they've had intercourse. Ya, there's NOOO dignity in this. So awkward.

Anyway, they took the sperm and put it under a microscope. Shortly after, Dr.O came into the room and said, "Yep... there's a lotta dead sperm in there!" Dang! I really didnt want to be the one killing off my potential children! Let me note so my husband doesn't get mad at me... he has been tested and everything with him is A-Ok! :o)

Sometimes you and you're partner's bodily fluids just don't agree with each other. Sometimes there's an allergy. Or it could be due to medicine. We don't really know what the cause is for my ninja abilities. But that's what the IUI is for. It by-passes those ninja's, takes a little detour to get to it's destination.

 So now, I talk very sweetly to those little guys before they swim away inside of me. And I give my ovaries a pep talk and demand that they be nice! We'll see if it works!

Problem #1 : Luteal Phase Defect

When I first began wondering if something was wrong 2 years ago, I found out that I had a luteal phase defect.  A luteal phase defect is when the time between ovulation and the next menses is less than 10 days.  10-14 days is what an average women's luteal phase is. Anything less than 10 days cannot support a pregnancy. 

How did I find this out you ask? Basal Body Temperature Charting. Back to the good old fashioned days of family planning. You use a handy little thermometer like this:

Here's the sucky thing about charting: you have to take your temperature at the EXACT moment you wake up in the morning. And preferably at the same time each day. No rolling over, no sitting up, drinking water...just grab your thermometer.  This is especially hard for me because i'm not a good sleeper. I wake up many times during the night and I never wake up at the same time. Luckily, I'm not one of those women whose temps vary dramatically if I take it at a different time!

Anyway, after 3 months of charting I found that my luteal phase was only 4 days long!!! Not good! So when I brought this up to my previous gynecologist she prescribed me progesterone pills. (note:she did not do a blood progesterone test, which she SHOULD have...and i'll come back to this point in a later post) Progesterone is a natural hormone that your body produces during the luteal phase. (unless you have the luteal phase defect in which your body fails to produce adequate amounts of progesterone) Progesterone rises in the blood following ovulation, peaks on days 5-9, and then declines and ideally day 26 should be shortly before a menstrual period. It's responsible for building and maintaining a lining of the uterus into which the fertilized egg can implant and continue to grow.

Here's what a "normal" chart looks like. This is mine while I'm taking the progesterone. Notice how levels are lower right after menses and then rise after ovulation, tapering off again when menses starts.

This is a chart of mine BEFORE progesterone supplements. Notice how my temps are all over the place. Haha! My first attempt at charting. But more importantly, the luteal phase. Definitely not normal!

This is what my progesterone supplements look like:

They remind me of little fish eggs!

The good thing about luteal phase defects is that you can "fix" the problem! Thank goodness for these little pills! Even if they do give you headaches!


Tomorrow's agenda: Problem #2: Hostile Environments.

Lazy Saturday's & What I'm Loving Today!

Jacob and I have both been sick for the past few days. I started feeling sick Thursday night. Hopefully mine wont be as bad as Jacob's! Our poor Pup Duke has been going stir crazy in the house so we took him to the school to run--his favorite thing to do--and for us to get some fresh air from being stuck inside.

I thought it was so funny that Jacob was swinging and says "Oh my gosh I'm going SOO high!" I thought he was joking. He was serious. Haha! Yeah... Jacob, so high!

He then got on the rolly thing (the picture of me above) and says, "Geez, playgrounds are dangerous!" LOL. I had to get on it and show him how to use it safely. :o)

What I'm Loving Today!

Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts.  They just taste better when they're heart shaped!

HUE Jeggings! I have tried on countless "skinny jeans" and can never find ones that fit right. But these are perfect! They're comfty and look like real jeans! And only $34 at Macy's!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Raw Organic Honey.  You can see the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar here. Honey has been a well known home remedy for sore throats and coughs. I've been mixing the two with my tea a few times a day these past two days since I started coughing and feeling sick. I think it's helping!

Tombstone. One of my all time favorite movies. Great for sick days laying on the couch!

Marriage Edition!

I thought I'd share one of my favorite "Marriage Editions" from the past. We have a lot of stories about me being sick vs Jacob being sick. I think all you women can relate! :o)

 

 

 

2009

Jacob The Husband

A Parody

by Tiffany Neighbors

Recently Tiffany had her wisdom teeth out. Surgical removed. All four.
She was on heavy duty pain meds, with not only holes in her mouth, but a hole in her sinus as well.

Poor Tiffany. Good thing she had her husband Jacob to take care of her.

Jacob brought her home and put her in bed, closing the door behind him. He played video games in the other room, made some hot cocoa, and then got bored and went back to work.

Jacob forgot to turn the stove off. Good thing Tiffany's mom came by to check on her. She was dead asleep. Tiffany might have burned to death in a housefire.

The next day, Jacob got a cold.
Poor Jacob. He thinks he's dying.  He tries to get Tiffany to move from her spot on the couch. Tiffany is too out of it and in too much pain to move. Jacob is angry. He wants to be taken care of.

Tiffany's friends bring her a milkshake to help her feel better. Jacob’s still not feeling well and wants to have her milkshake. Tiffany has to share.

Tiffany can't get out of bed and walk around so the house is a mess. Jacob wants it to be clean. Jacob wakes her up one evening and says, "we're out of toilet paper. Go get some."  Tiffany sleeps and doesn’t wake up.

A week later Tiffany is healed and feeling better. She cleans the house, gets toilet paper and makes dinner.

Jacob comes home and sees all this is done. He jumps up and down with joy and says, "I'm so happy you're feeling better! I might've starved to death!"

The End

I still love ya honey!!!!

(Us at Lost Tracks Golf Course in Bend... right after I beat the pants off Jacob!)

Awkward Encounters

Here's us at the Dr.'s Office today! 

All went well. 

Although I'm currently lying on the couch because I can't stand up straight to walk just quite yet. 

Anyhow, we are now in the  "Two Week Wait". 

It's always the toughest part of the month with emotions raging all over the place and seems to take FOREVER.

I thought I'd share with you some of the awkward encounters we've had at the Dr's. Office:

1.  I wasnt prepared for the Post Coital test when Dr. Ortolano called and said, "We need to do that test today. Can you be here in 45 minutes?" Umm... yeah I only have a house full of my husbands friends. So I went out into the living room and said, "Well boys, you gotta leave. Jacob and I've got some business to do." Haha. They shot out of the house so fast.
2. Jacob's very first time meeting Dr. Ortolano, during the post coital test, Dr. O makes some remark about something being too big...and Jacob says "that's what she said" while i'm lying on the table, spread eagle. His first attempt at making Dr.O laugh. Didnt work. 
3. Jacob's second attempt at making Dr. O laugh: Dr.O "You had a good sperm sample today." Jacob: "Yeah i'm getting used to doing this in a cup." Dr. O laughs. "Let's NOT get used to that."
4. Nurse to Jacob "Are you going to be coming tomorrow" Jacob: "I was planning on it." (use your imagination with this one) No laugh from the nurse.
5. Dr. O consistently telling me, "Oh I like your socks today." Ya. You're not really looking at my socks buddy.
6. Dr. O asking me if I wanted him to just "punch it in" rather than going slow. He said, "I had a lady tell me to do that. She thought it would help her odds of getting pregnant but I wouldnt recommend that. That would hurt." Haha! Punch it in doc.

Game Day

I'm over my down in the dumps mood now. haha.

Today was game day. :o) Tomorrow is game day #2. My doctor does back to back IUI's to increase the chances.{or maybe to get more money? who knows! }

IUI 101:
Intrauterine Insemination.
Doesnt it just sound awful? It reminds me of 7th grade, when artificial insemination first came about. On sheep. And cows.  Sometimes I feel like a cow when I'm there!!!

It's a very awkward procedure. For BOTH the male and female. I'll share stories about that some other day. The actual IUI takes only minutes, but preparing for it takes forever. And my doctors office is slammed all the time so it takes even longer.

If you want to know more about IUI, check it out  HERE.

Have you seen The Backup Plan?

 There's a scene where Jennifer Lopez is going through an IUI. Of course, she's not actually doing it so she still looks all lovely and is in no pain. It's still pretty funny though. I however, usually look like a mess by the time it's over. I'm either crying or in extreme pain.  Now for some girls, there's not a whole lot of discomfort. But for me, I take 4 advil, i've tried before and after and it cramps like a mother! Then you have to lay there for 20 minutes while your in pain. Ah such a small price to pay I guess. And why do they make you lie there forever with just a towel draped over you? Umm...uncomfortable. Then today the nurses were SO not on their game. No offense to you nurses out there-- your job is a hard one-- but man i've had bad luck with them. Three times a nurse walked into my room thinking I was someone else.  You may not think it's a big deal but when you're lying there half naked on a table, or your husband is trying to supply his sample (for lack of better terms) it's a little awkward. Really people? Remember where you put your patients! There ARE 2 nurses there that I do love though so I guess that makes up for the other bad ones.

Before I say more about the IUI, this is what my ovulation predictor test looks like the day after the hcg shot. The smiley face is so inviting.  It makes me happy. This just makes sure my body is doing what it's supposed to. And for those of you trying to get pregnant, a handy little tool to help decipher when to do the baby dance.

 

The first time I did the IUI procedure I had NO clue what to expect. 

The day before I had done a test called a Post Coital Test.  I thought it would be similar. 

Boy was I wrong! I didnt know it would be painful and so afterwords I went into complete shock. Like bawling, shaking, and all that. Haha. Poor Jacob didnt know what to do.  It's still painful everytime, you'd think it'd get easier but it doesnt!  One out of the 8 i've done so far (2 each cycle) has been painless. My doctor always tells me, "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." Me either. Well... maybe my worst enemy. What?! :o)

I told you yesterday my darling husband was sick. He was a trooper today! Came to the office in his sweats, hacking away. Got the job done. The nurses told him not to die on them today. He went to our normal family doctor today and he's got asthma induced bronchitis. Poor thing. He's got an inhaler now he has to use everyday. Asthma and acid reflux dont really mix well. :o(

Tomorrow is game day #2! I'll update then!

Swim sperm swim! You don't have that far to go! :o)

If any of you have any questions about this process, what something means, or want to hear about a certain event... let me know! I'm happy to share!

Venting

 Today things didnt turn out quite the way I'd hoped at the ultrasound.  I only had one good follicle and maybe one other one that could work. Disappointing after 4 tries, but like they say, you only need one.

Regardless, I got the HCG shot after the ultrasound and was on my way. 

It stings a little- but pretty much painless. This will make me ovulate.

Tomorrow is "Game Time". We start the IUI process-- Round 4. I'll talk more about IUI tomorrow.

I'd like to say I'm going into this with as much hope and gusto as I did the first time around, but I'm not.  Partly because I really wanted to see 4 follicles, and secondly because Jacob is sick.  Those of you who know Jacob, this means the end of the world has arrived. I feel bad for him, I do, it's not really his fault that his acid reflux causes him to aspirate into the lungs and cause problems but seriously can we get a break here! One of us has been sick every month since we started this process! This makes the whole baby making a little more difficult. But... power through! We just gotta do it. Send prayers Jacob's way for good health!

Today was one of those days where I was just in a funk. Just tired of the process. Frustrated with the waiting. Confused and asking why me. 

Have you ever been to the mall on a weekday? It's CRAWLING with young moms and their babies and PREGNANT ladies. Hi, everywhere I look there's new life! In the past year and a half I've watched 24 of my friends get the joy of announcing their pregnancy. 24!!! And that's just my friends and the ones I can remember!!  Really? 24 and not one of them experienced any difficulty in getting pregnant? It doesn't seem fair sometimes. 

Dont feel bad if you are one of those 24. Because even though I may not show it, I really am happy for you. There's nothing better than getting to enjoy that time.  I can recall countless times where I've seen those dreaded announcements on facebook. Or heard from their own mouths. Each time it takes me aback. A lot of times I cry. I remember one time I cried through an entire church service after learning of a friends pregnancy. I only allow myself one day of being depressed. When we first started this process I would get so depressed for days and I just cant allow myself to stay in that state. Gotta keep the faith! Keep moving on. There's nothing you can do and wallowing around will not help.

Last month, we finally came to a place where we were ok with adoption. I was actually kind of excited about it. I wanted to throw in the towel and go full force into it. But we prayed, and we feel like now is not the time for that. Maybe later. But not now. We need to continue this process for awhile. I dont have to like it--but I feel like that's the path God wants us on right now. 

I once heard someone describe infertility as "Living On A Bridge." I couldnt agree more. The land side is a season of having children and experiencing the joy of parenthood. The other side is a season of being married without kids. It's like being stuck in traffic-- there's nothing worse than waisting your time just sitting at a standstill, especially when you've got places to be! And if your stuck on a bridge, there's nowhere to go. No detours. You cant turn to the left or the right. There are no shortcuts.  

I saw this video on a fellow TTC (trying to conceive) site. It's a good representation of how I feel sometimes.

I Would Die For That 

I do not know what the future holds, but I do know that God is good. His intentions are good. He has my best interests at heart and knows my end from my beginning. Whatever the course He has for me, I will faithfully follow. Even when it hurts. Even when I dont understand. Even when I'm angry. Even when i'm sad.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight

Proverbs 3:5