It’s Finally Here

The day we have been waiting for since we were diagnosed with infertility. That day is tomorrow, Friday September 6th. We (mainly I, but I say we because we are a team) get to start our medication at 8am.

*A little backtrack…*
After our appointment in July at the RRC, they told us we would be starting our IVF journey in August. However, I got a phone call on July 25th, and Cynthia told me that they had an emergency involving their staff and the week of August 26th for an egg retrieval was not going to be possible.
I would be lying if I said that didn’t completely shatter my heart. I was devastated.
Going through the infertility processes, you learn that no date is set in stone. Yet, that doesn’t make it easier for you when something gets moved. To be honest, it absolutely sucks. So, I cried like a baby, picked myself up and we scheduled the next available time for Nick and I to be on the books and get this party started.

Fast forward…
I was due for a baseline/suppression ultrasound on September 4th. At this ultrasound they check your ovaries to make sure there are no cysts and that everything is calm and ready for all the medicine that is about to be put into your body.
I got a call from RRC on August 22nd. I was TERRIFIED to answer. They left a message….and it said “Hi Nicole, this is Cynthia. I need to talk to you about your upcoming appointment. Please call me back.”
Poor Cynthia, I feel like she is always calling to tell me bad news. So, I called her back…and she told me they needed to move my ultrasound on September 4th. She said they were looking over my chart and they just weren’t sure if I was going to be suppressed in time to start my meds on September 6th. So, they wanted me to come in a week early to check me out. Cynthia said if I was not suppressed, they would be able to put me on another medication to try and make me suppressed by the 4th, to start meds on the 6th. But, if I was, then no worries and I wouldn’t have to come back before starting meds on September 6th.
Nick and I got up and left our house at 4:45 the morning of our appointment. Which was NOT early enough….we hit KC right at morning rush hour. So I was having anxiety we would miss our appointment. However, we called to let them know we would be a few minutes late because we underestimated traffic, and of course they were SO kind and told us not to worry at all.
We finally got there and we met our new nurse Sarah who then started with the ultrasound. She found an emerging follicle (which you DO NOT want) but she said it wasn’t huge. Sarah told us if my blood work came back “off” then we would have to cancel this cycle and wait. (Back when Cynthia called me she said if I wasn’t suppressed we would have to wait until the end of October to start a new cycle….) I was so scared.
Nick and I both had some blood work to do, they were testing my Estradiol and Progesterone, and then we both had some parental blood work for Natera we had to get turned in.
30 minutes later, we were back in the car and on our way home. Anxiously waiting for that email or phone call from RRC telling us if we were a green light for this cycle.

We got to Bella Vista and I got a text saying “you have a new message from RRC”. I had Nick log into the app and check my inbox. It was from Cynthia….I told Nick NO! She always tells us bad news!!
But praise God, it was GREAT news. I was suppressed and we had the green light to start medication September 6th.

So tomorrow is September 6th. I have NEVER in my life been so excited to get a shot.
I am on four different medications.
Leuprolide, Menopur, Gonal-F and Dexamethasone.

Starting September 6th, I will have a shot of Leuprolide (also known as Lupron), at 8 am and 8pm.
I will add in menopur in the AM on Sunday as well as Gonal-F and dexamethason in the PM. So starting Sunday it will be 2 shots in the morning and 2 shots at night, plus a pill (Dexamethasone).
I will have blood work on Tuesday the 10th, to see how my progesterone and estrogen look. Based on blood work I will get a message from my doctor telling me to keep everything the same or he will adjust doses of medications.
On Friday, September 13th I will go to KC to have my first ultrasound to check the follicles to see how they are growing. I will also have blood work to check progesterone and estrogen and later that day they will tell me to keep meds the same or adjust.
Monday, September 16th I will be back in KC for another ultrasound to check the follicles again as well as blood work.
The week of the 16th, I could potentially be in KC every day for an ultrasound as they check the follicles to see how they look. As soon as everything measures like they want, I will take my “trigger” shot and that will tell my body its time to release those eggs!
36 hours later I will have my egg retrieval surgery.

I know the next two weeks are going to be very busy and very tiring. But I also know that everything I am going through right now, is for a reason. The journey of infertility has taught me SO many things. Its taught us that we are in a different season of life than most of our friends. We aren’t saving money for a fun trip, we are saving money to pay for these doctors appointments. We aren’t drinking on the weekend, because I can’t have any alcohol and Nick is limited to 6 drinks a week. And we have come to realize…that is OK. We chose to try and start our family early, and thank goodness we did because we had no clue what was coming and the time it would take us to actually start our family.

Infertility has challenged Nick and I’s relationship. (They say the first year is the hardest…..right?)
Infertility has shown me who my true friends are.
Infertility has really made me think about the parent I want to be.
Infertility has made me thankful for all that I have.
Infertility has made me jealous.
Infertility has made me mad.
Infertility has made me cry so hard I couldn’t breathe.
Infertility has made me make friends on instagram with others in the TTC community. (crazy right?)
Infertility has given a new meaning to life isn’t always fair.

But most of all….Infertility has brought me closer to God, and has shown me the power of prayer.

As Nick and I really get this going tomorrow with my shots, I ask for prayers from anyone who has taken the time to read this. God listens and I know he will answer.
We are praying for my body to respond well to these medications and for me to grow as many follicles with mature eggs as I can, while keeping me healthy of course.
We are praying for the doctor and nurses who are helping us start our family. (Dr. Phipps and his team)
We are praying for God to keep us safe as we travel to appointments in KC.
We are praying for our relationship, as things may get hard and emotional over the next couple weeks of medication.

I thank each and every person who takes the time to read this and pray for us. You have no idea how much we appreciate all of the support.

Blessings,

Nicole