I've been done teaching for about a week and a half and finished closing my classroom for the summer last Thursday! I still have some curriculum mapping (ugh, gag me!) to complete for work by the end of this month, but otherwise I am done with school until August! I haven't made much progress on my summer plans (reading, painting, major cleaning, embroidering, cooking, yoga) due to some family situations (a death and some relatives who have needed some unexpected child care coverage) but things are probably going to start calming down now.
We had our blood work done last Wednesday and everything came back fine. One strange thing, which the nurse repeatedly told me was NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, is that my Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccination has worn off. So, I no longer have the antibodies to protect me against those illnesses and they can't give me the vaccination until after delivery. Apparently the vaccination wears off for some people over the course of time. So, I am just trying not to worry and in August I'll check in with the school nurse to make sure all of my students are current on their vaccinations. We were surprised that they did a second ultrasound at the blood work appointment so we were lucky to see that Ponyo has been growing right on track. My doctor was a little concerned about my protein intake since I am vegetarian and gluten free. If I don't gain weight on track or there is any concern with Ponyo's growth I will need to talk to a nutritionist at some point. For now, everything looks fine, though. Tonight we are attending a mandatory early pregnancy class at the clinic. It should be interesting. I think it is just a Q&A session type of thing.
We are still holding off telling friends and extended family our news for a few more weeks. We have told our parents, siblings, and grandparents, now, though, which is nice. Still hoping and praying that everything goes well and still hoping and praying for every one of you. I think about all of you often (is that creepy or weird? oh well).
Showing posts with label Ultrasound. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ultrasound. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Ponyo
Today we had our first pregnancy ultrasound (definitely not my first ultrasound, though, given the 2 pelvic ultrasounds and several follicle ultrasounds I've had along this journey). When I arrived I had to give a urine sample (not sure what they are testing with that) and I was told blood labs would be drawn after the ultrasound.
The ultrasound tech was very nice. She asked some routine questions: When was the first day of your last menstrual period? April 7. Did you conceive using fertility drugs? No. Have you had any spotting or bleeding? No. Do you have any concerns? Well, I was supposed to be having surgery for endometriosis tomorrow so we hope everything is where it should be. Then she smiled and said, Oh so we just need to threaten surgery and then you get pregnant, huh? I guess so...
She found the baby right away and we saw the heartbeat immediately. Thankfully everything is inside of my uterus - no concerns about this being an ectopic pregnancy anymore. Then she said they had to measure my cervix, which she didn't tell me anything about. Hopefully it is how it is supposed to be! Then she went back to the baby and measured the heartbeat. It came in on the fast end of normal at 198bpm and then later at 189bpm. I started crying, partially out of happiness and relief and partially out of concern over the fast heartbeat. She said it wasn't anything to worry about; a fast heartbeat is generally better than a slow one and it could just mean that the baby had been moving around. We got to see arm buds and leg buds as well as the yolk sack, the beginning of the umbilical cord and placenta. The baby was upside down and wiggled a few times. That made me laugh. She measured the baby and on first measurement said 8w6d but then measured again at 8w4d (which is right on track).
Thank you all for your hope, support, and prayers; they mean so much to us! We hope that things continue to go well and that little Ponyo (that is what we named them for now so we don't have to call our little one "the baby, " "it" or "baby") grows healthy and strong. For anyone wondering where Ponyo came from, yes, it is from the movie of that title. Ponyo was a magical goldfish-girl and we know this baby is quite a miracle. Translated to English, Ponyo loosely means soft, squishy, and chubby.
The ultrasound tech was very nice. She asked some routine questions: When was the first day of your last menstrual period? April 7. Did you conceive using fertility drugs? No. Have you had any spotting or bleeding? No. Do you have any concerns? Well, I was supposed to be having surgery for endometriosis tomorrow so we hope everything is where it should be. Then she smiled and said, Oh so we just need to threaten surgery and then you get pregnant, huh? I guess so...
She found the baby right away and we saw the heartbeat immediately. Thankfully everything is inside of my uterus - no concerns about this being an ectopic pregnancy anymore. Then she said they had to measure my cervix, which she didn't tell me anything about. Hopefully it is how it is supposed to be! Then she went back to the baby and measured the heartbeat. It came in on the fast end of normal at 198bpm and then later at 189bpm. I started crying, partially out of happiness and relief and partially out of concern over the fast heartbeat. She said it wasn't anything to worry about; a fast heartbeat is generally better than a slow one and it could just mean that the baby had been moving around. We got to see arm buds and leg buds as well as the yolk sack, the beginning of the umbilical cord and placenta. The baby was upside down and wiggled a few times. That made me laugh. She measured the baby and on first measurement said 8w6d but then measured again at 8w4d (which is right on track).
She also checked my ovaries. My right ovary was easy to find. I asked about the cysts (my chocolate cysts or endometrioma) and she pointed to a dark circle on my right ovary and said that was likely one of them. She had trouble finding my left ovary so I mentioned that at my last follicle ultrasound in January the ultrasound tech said my ovaries were very close together and then she found it, right next to my right ovary. I will be asking if my ovaries being so close together 1. is anything to worry about and 2. could be caused endometrial tissue binding my organs together. I'll have to wait to ask that, though, because my doctor was out delivering a baby during our appointment so we are going back next Wednesday to meet with her and do the blood work that we were supposed to do today.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Infertility clinic visit #3: Follicle u/s #2
Last Friday, The Bee and I went in for another follicle u/s as I hadn't gotten a + on the OPK's yet. I actually may have gotten a + that day...it was the darkest line I had seen, but that would mean I ovulated pretty late this cycle (OPK taken CD 16) and I am not sure if it was a true positive. Who knows? I am not certain of anything these days, why should a simple at home ovulation test be any different?
Anyhow, it was a different person doing the u/s so it was hard to know if she was seeing the same things or different things from the u/s I had on New Year's Eve. This u/s lady gave me this information:
Oh Lord, please fix me! Or help the surgery fix me! I want this so badly and I am turning into a sad, unpleasant person through this painful experience! I don't even like myself most days. I feel angry, jealous, embarrassed, guilty, unworthy, hopeless. I ask You to create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
I asked my Mom to talk to my Grandmother, a retired nurse specializing in gynecologic oncology, about the laparoscopy and if waiting 6 more months will allow for too much more damage. Her opinion was that, no, it would be fine to wait until summer but if it is causing me too much worry to do it asap. My Grandma also asked the name of my doctor so she can check up on her at the hospital she used to work at (that made me laugh a little but warmed my heart knowing my Grandma is looking out for me and The Bee and hoping for the same successes we are!).
We won't know if endometriosis is what we are facing unless I have the laparoscopy, though. The Bee asked me to wait until after his SA (scheduled for this Wednesday) to call to set up the appointment to discuss the procedure. I guess I would not be surprised if I have endometriosis. All along I've been answering the question, "Do you have painful periods?" with "No, I just take some ibuprofen and then I am usually fine. I've never missed work because of my period." But after talking to my Mom, I realize that cramping for a week and a half before my period is not normal. And the few times I've needed to sit down to prevent blacking out on the way to the kitchen to get ibuprofen when my period starts in the middle of the night is not normal. And my period getting heavier over the last 2 years is not a good sign. I always thought I had a less severe period than my older sister, who has endometriosis, and who used to actually pass out from the pain. She had my beautiful nephew relatively easily, though. It took her 9 months all together to conceive my nephew but she did sadly lose a pregnancy due to Rh factor 2 months before her successful pregnancy.
I feel angry that I didn't have kids sooner or take birth control pills. Both of those things help keep endometriosis at bay. I am digging deep to find hope and to believe that we will have a baby someday. Right now I just feel so lost.
Anyhow, it was a different person doing the u/s so it was hard to know if she was seeing the same things or different things from the u/s I had on New Year's Eve. This u/s lady gave me this information:
- My ovaries are apparently very close together.
- She could see 3 things that she was guessing were cysts. Based on the size of them, I am inclined to believe they are some of the same 3 found on the ultrasound from 12/07/11 (from that u/s I was told I had 2 cysts on the left and 3 on the right. At THIS u/s she only mentioned 3 altogether...2 on one ovary and 1 on the other)
- She said these cysts looked like "chocolate cysts" which are a sign of endometriosis.
- In addition to the endometriosis on my left ovary (found on the u/s New Year's Eve) there is some on my right ovary as well. (See where this is going??)
- There was some fluid around my right ovary (which was the one we thought had a mature follicle New Year's Eve) but she said it was very hard to tell if it was a sign of ovulation or not.
- My progesterone level was 3.3 which indicates that ovulation likely didn't occur this cycle or that it occurred very recently and the blood test was taken too early (they like to test 5-6 days after assumed ovulation).
- A progesterone level of greater than 4 means that ovulation likely occurred.
- A progesterone level of 15 or more indicates pregnancy.
- My doctor wants me to set up an appointment to discuss a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis.
Oh Lord, please fix me! Or help the surgery fix me! I want this so badly and I am turning into a sad, unpleasant person through this painful experience! I don't even like myself most days. I feel angry, jealous, embarrassed, guilty, unworthy, hopeless. I ask You to create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
I asked my Mom to talk to my Grandmother, a retired nurse specializing in gynecologic oncology, about the laparoscopy and if waiting 6 more months will allow for too much more damage. Her opinion was that, no, it would be fine to wait until summer but if it is causing me too much worry to do it asap. My Grandma also asked the name of my doctor so she can check up on her at the hospital she used to work at (that made me laugh a little but warmed my heart knowing my Grandma is looking out for me and The Bee and hoping for the same successes we are!).
We won't know if endometriosis is what we are facing unless I have the laparoscopy, though. The Bee asked me to wait until after his SA (scheduled for this Wednesday) to call to set up the appointment to discuss the procedure. I guess I would not be surprised if I have endometriosis. All along I've been answering the question, "Do you have painful periods?" with "No, I just take some ibuprofen and then I am usually fine. I've never missed work because of my period." But after talking to my Mom, I realize that cramping for a week and a half before my period is not normal. And the few times I've needed to sit down to prevent blacking out on the way to the kitchen to get ibuprofen when my period starts in the middle of the night is not normal. And my period getting heavier over the last 2 years is not a good sign. I always thought I had a less severe period than my older sister, who has endometriosis, and who used to actually pass out from the pain. She had my beautiful nephew relatively easily, though. It took her 9 months all together to conceive my nephew but she did sadly lose a pregnancy due to Rh factor 2 months before her successful pregnancy.
I feel angry that I didn't have kids sooner or take birth control pills. Both of those things help keep endometriosis at bay. I am digging deep to find hope and to believe that we will have a baby someday. Right now I just feel so lost.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Infertility clinic visit #2: Follicle u/s
On New Year's Eve morning, The Bee and I went in for my first follicle u/s. I was glad he was there with me again! Here is all of the info I got during the u/s:
(It was cycle day 10, for reference)
The Bee is going to try to set up an appointment for his SA sometime this month. I am sticking with the higher calorie diet and haven't been drinking green tea. I have started drinking coffee again, though, but only one cup in the morning with breakfast and with cream, yum! I did the FitDay counting thing for one more day after posting about it...we'll see if I get back on that. I am not sure how helpful it will be for me since I don't measure stuff out while eating (nor do I have the time/desire to start doing so) and it is hard to enter in homemade foods accurately.
Here's hoping that 2012 is a wonderful year!
(It was cycle day 10, for reference)
- One mature follicle (18.5) on my right ovary. No follicles on my left, which the u/s lady said was common for an unmedicated cycle.
- Lining (7.9) was described as "beautiful" as she was measuring.
- Slight endometriosis on left ovary, which made me sad. Although the u/s lady said it didn't look bad, shouldn't require surgery and shouldn't impair fertility.
The Bee is going to try to set up an appointment for his SA sometime this month. I am sticking with the higher calorie diet and haven't been drinking green tea. I have started drinking coffee again, though, but only one cup in the morning with breakfast and with cream, yum! I did the FitDay counting thing for one more day after posting about it...we'll see if I get back on that. I am not sure how helpful it will be for me since I don't measure stuff out while eating (nor do I have the time/desire to start doing so) and it is hard to enter in homemade foods accurately.
Here's hoping that 2012 is a wonderful year!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
NOT a good day
I got the call from my doctor. My uterus looks "very normal" but both of my ovaries have cysts. Two on the right and three on the left. This could (obviously) mean PCOS. My next step is to see a gynecologist at the fertility clinic. My doctor mentioned Clomid and Metformin as possible "minimal interventions."
The Bee still hasn't been seen in regards to this whole mess, although it sounds like it is probably me. I don't know a ton about Clomid or Metformin but medications in general scare me a little. My doctor said that people on Clomid are closely monitored so if we end up taking that route we'll probably have to wait until summer (I think I'd be able to handle everything better when I'm off of work and making appointments would be a lot easier then, too). I'll be giving the fertility clinic a call tomorrow and hopefully setting something up.
The Bee still hasn't been seen in regards to this whole mess, although it sounds like it is probably me. I don't know a ton about Clomid or Metformin but medications in general scare me a little. My doctor said that people on Clomid are closely monitored so if we end up taking that route we'll probably have to wait until summer (I think I'd be able to handle everything better when I'm off of work and making appointments would be a lot easier then, too). I'll be giving the fertility clinic a call tomorrow and hopefully setting something up.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Ultrasound
This morning I had my pelvic ultrasound. It was pretty uneventful. They said I did a GREAT job drinking A LOT of water and not wetting myself - woohoo, another talent I had never considered before (I told them I am a teacher so I am used to not being able to pee when I need to and we had a good laugh)!
I was hoping I'd get some info today (like how thick my uterine lining is or how big any follicles I have are) but I didn't get anything! I am CD 13 today so *if I am in fact even ovulating* I should be getting pretty darn close. According to my NFP observations from the LAST 5 YEARS and my bbt charts from the last 4 months, I am pretty regular as far as ovulating between CD 13-16 (CD 15 is actually my most common day of O). I was hoping they'd say, "Your lining is 8mm and you have a 20mm follicle ready to go! Have fun with your hubby tonight, tomorrow and Friday!" and then we would, and then in 2 weeks I'd pee on a stick and see "Pregnant" but no such luck. I did get to see my ovaries on the screen (the right one looked pretty much how I expected, the left one looked weird but I am not EXACTLY sure what else I could have been seeing...hoping they weren't cysts...). I asked what I'll be finding out from this and they said pretty much what my doctor said - just basic anatomy stuff.
The ultrasound technician asked if I had used Clomid or anything yet. I said, "No, I want to know if I am even ovulating on my own first." And she said she was the same way. Everything had been regular for her but she didn't get pregnant until she was put on Clomid. The other person in the room (the u/s tech's student who was doing all of the recording) asked if I have used ovulation predictor kits before. I told her that I haven't, but I have one at home that I plan to use next cycle. I was going to use it this cycle but since my cycle was short last time and I was uber stressed, I just didn't bother. Plus, I already take my dumb temperature every morning and peeing in a little cup and dipping that paper strip into it just does not seem like the most delightful thing to do at 5:30am. Ugh. I need a job where I get to sleep in later! I WILL use it next cycle, though, since now I have read the instructions and everything. As for this month? We are trying to BD every other night and so far so good! We have done every other day and even every day in the past, though, and it didn't work out. I am trying to be hopeful without being TOO hopeful!
As for the rest of the day (since I called in sick, hee hee!) - I went shopping and got the new Zelda game (or what I called "The Sword of Whatever" Thankfully the guy at the store knew exactly what I was talking about) for The Bee for Christmas. I know he will be so excited! I also got some socks with grippy stuff on the bottom for one of our nieces (who is 1.5 years) and runs EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME and slips a lot. I know, she'll be super excited to open those (not!). I took a nap, did some dishes, read Harry Potter and now need to tackle the laundry. Tonight we are going to celebrate The Bee's Grandmother's 90th birthday! She has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home now so everyone is gathering there to see her and eat some cake.
Unrelated funny story - I started taking yoga classes last month (thanks to The Bee for getting me a CorePower Groupon for my birthday!) and there is a studio right by my school. Well, on Sunday I went to an afternoon class and it was really crowded so the instructor asked everyone to squish so we could fit 3 more people in the studio. I was on the end by the wall so I scooted closer to the wall and one of the 3 put their mat down by me...and...IT WAS ONE OF MY 8TH GRADERS FROM SCHOOL! I didn't say anything to him because I didn't know if he even recognized me in my yoga clothes, I didn't want to embarrass him, and you have to be silent in the studio anyways. It wasn't bad, it was just a surprise! Yesterday at school another 8th grade boy who stops in and helps in my classroom during recess asked, "So, you take yoga with _________, huh?" and I just started to laugh. Next time I'll have to say "Hi" or at least "Namaste."
I was hoping I'd get some info today (like how thick my uterine lining is or how big any follicles I have are) but I didn't get anything! I am CD 13 today so *if I am in fact even ovulating* I should be getting pretty darn close. According to my NFP observations from the LAST 5 YEARS and my bbt charts from the last 4 months, I am pretty regular as far as ovulating between CD 13-16 (CD 15 is actually my most common day of O). I was hoping they'd say, "Your lining is 8mm and you have a 20mm follicle ready to go! Have fun with your hubby tonight, tomorrow and Friday!" and then we would, and then in 2 weeks I'd pee on a stick and see "Pregnant" but no such luck. I did get to see my ovaries on the screen (the right one looked pretty much how I expected, the left one looked weird but I am not EXACTLY sure what else I could have been seeing...hoping they weren't cysts...). I asked what I'll be finding out from this and they said pretty much what my doctor said - just basic anatomy stuff.
The ultrasound technician asked if I had used Clomid or anything yet. I said, "No, I want to know if I am even ovulating on my own first." And she said she was the same way. Everything had been regular for her but she didn't get pregnant until she was put on Clomid. The other person in the room (the u/s tech's student who was doing all of the recording) asked if I have used ovulation predictor kits before. I told her that I haven't, but I have one at home that I plan to use next cycle. I was going to use it this cycle but since my cycle was short last time and I was uber stressed, I just didn't bother. Plus, I already take my dumb temperature every morning and peeing in a little cup and dipping that paper strip into it just does not seem like the most delightful thing to do at 5:30am. Ugh. I need a job where I get to sleep in later! I WILL use it next cycle, though, since now I have read the instructions and everything. As for this month? We are trying to BD every other night and so far so good! We have done every other day and even every day in the past, though, and it didn't work out. I am trying to be hopeful without being TOO hopeful!
As for the rest of the day (since I called in sick, hee hee!) - I went shopping and got the new Zelda game (or what I called "The Sword of Whatever" Thankfully the guy at the store knew exactly what I was talking about) for The Bee for Christmas. I know he will be so excited! I also got some socks with grippy stuff on the bottom for one of our nieces (who is 1.5 years) and runs EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME and slips a lot. I know, she'll be super excited to open those (not!). I took a nap, did some dishes, read Harry Potter and now need to tackle the laundry. Tonight we are going to celebrate The Bee's Grandmother's 90th birthday! She has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home now so everyone is gathering there to see her and eat some cake.
Unrelated funny story - I started taking yoga classes last month (thanks to The Bee for getting me a CorePower Groupon for my birthday!) and there is a studio right by my school. Well, on Sunday I went to an afternoon class and it was really crowded so the instructor asked everyone to squish so we could fit 3 more people in the studio. I was on the end by the wall so I scooted closer to the wall and one of the 3 put their mat down by me...and...IT WAS ONE OF MY 8TH GRADERS FROM SCHOOL! I didn't say anything to him because I didn't know if he even recognized me in my yoga clothes, I didn't want to embarrass him, and you have to be silent in the studio anyways. It wasn't bad, it was just a surprise! Yesterday at school another 8th grade boy who stops in and helps in my classroom during recess asked, "So, you take yoga with _________, huh?" and I just started to laugh. Next time I'll have to say "Hi" or at least "Namaste."
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