Here are some Facebook statuses I wish I could have posted this week:

-why is my uterus twitching? 

-Hummus makes is possible to gag down carrots

-the endo diet can suck it

-Gluten and dairy detox is no joke

- I'm now 13 days caffeine free

-Cinnamon Chex are like crack 

-Hi, my name is Angie and I'm an addict... 

You guessed it. I'm back on the endo diet (no gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine, or alcohol and very limited red meat). Every single day is a challenge for me. Seriously. I need a 12 step program.  I'm pretty much an addict for processed, junk food. It consumes my thoughts...But as long as I stay on top of meal prepping for the week, don't buy crap at the grocery store, and tell myself over and over (and OVER) that I can do this, I CAN do it.  

I owe this to my body. My ovaries and eggs deserve a break from the chemical crap food I've been eating for so long. 

My goal is three months on the diet but a trip to Disney World next month might prove to be more than a little challenging. 

Anyone else doing something like this?  Any advice? 

First Maryland Post!

I really should be getting groceries right now but instead I thought I'd finally write my first post from Maryland. We moved in July and so far I like it here, though it might be another story when winter comes around (I'm already so stinkin' cold it's scary!).  Our neighborhood is wonderful and I could see us raising Skittle here, if we were actually going to live in one place longer than two years that is.  It's older, established and has TONS of kids.   After a lot of debate, we decided to put Skittle in kindergarten at the local neighborhood school.  We are able to walk there (.8 miles each way) and I LOVE being able to do that.  I absolutely cherish that time we spend together, walking and talking.  Skittle has said how much she loves that too-and that she wants to be a crossing-guard when she grows up.  I will say though, it's been VERY tough for me socially here.  I do have one of my best friends of all time here (we live a five minute drive apart!!!!) but I'm having a hard time breaking in to this school.  My anxiety level is actually scaring me a bit and I feel myself pulling away from meeting other people and wanting to hide out.  I guess I've always been like that to a point (MUCH rather be at home than out with a group of people) but having Skittle in school 6.5 hours a day feels funny.  We definitely haven't ruled out homeschooling at DH's next assignment so we'll see happens what then. 


I haven't written much because there really hasn't been much to tell in my world of infertility.  I FINALLY got a refund check from my canceled FET procedure from GA...which was a bitter reminder of what will never be.   Walter Reed National Medical Center is semi close-and while I would still have to do all the normal crappy testing I'd have to do anywhere, I'd be able to get right into their program and not have to be on a waiting list for IVF.  I really don't see us doing that but at least I have the option.  A part of me is holding out hope that I can get preg naturally although, I'm getting older and I don't have the eggs I used to (though who knows if they were all that great to begin with).  I do have more options when it comes to healthcare here and I want to take advantage of that.  I'm thinking of going a more holistic approach but even that I don't want to tackle yet.  I'm taking this move as a welcome break-from my obligations of being a military spouse and from infertility treatments.


I guess another reason why I haven't posted is because I have new friends on my fb list.  I like being able to post my blog link on my fb page but having new "friends" read this worries me a bit.  I've friended people from the neighborhood, people from Skittle's school and from her sports activities and I'm not sure I really want them knowing so much personal information about me-when I certainly haven't said anything to them about my infertility or other health issues before.  What would YOU do?

For whatever reason, I can't upload my pics from the computer and only from my phone-and these two are the only ones I have on there. It's a pic of Skittle showing off the first book she read all by herself!

And one of sleepy Jax cuddled up on the couch with me...keeping me warm!!

FET #5 CD2-?

Things have been fairly smooth for this FET.  Sure, some annoying non-call backs from nurses happened but I just expect that's how it is going to be.  Here's been the breakdown:



CD2-Baseline U/S-Got the u/s done by Dr. L himself.  I'm SLOWLY warming up to the man.  DH did have to be there with me to sign consent for the FET (which I find a bit odd) and overall it was uneventful (as uneventful as a vaginal u/s on the second day of your period can be that is).  I was cleared to continue and told to come back CD 12 for a recheck.

CD3-11-Started with 1mg Estrace and am up to 6mg Estrace a day (which by the way is a lot more than what I'm comfortable with) and it makes me nauseated if taken on an empty stomach. 

CD12-Bloodwork for Estrogen level was somewhere in the 400 range.  Told that was fine. P4 (progesterone) was low which is what it should be.  U/S showed a 16mm follicle and my lining was 9.7mm.  I needed to start the PIO the next day to counteract the growing follicle.  If I ovulated on my own, it would cause my hormone levels to be off and we'd have to cancel the FET.  It all ended up being fine.

CD13-now- PIO can SUCK IT.  I thought ONE PIO injection a day was bad...I'm doing it TWICE a day!!!! TWICE.  Do you all know what that means??? It means some seriously SORE butt cheeks and a whole lot of whining from me.  I get WHY I'm doing it that way (1cc in the am, 1cc in the pm instead of 2cc in the pm) but holy wow it is awful.  For those that haven't seen my rants on PIO in the past, well, here you go.  It is a NASTY HUGE mother of a needle and goes into my butt muscle.  But here's the thing, it's not just a water like medication that's pushed into me...NO it's OIL.  THICK ugly oil that takes forever so that that dang needle seems to be stuck in my behind for far too long.  I'll drop down to once a day again starting Friday and that's helpful but seriously, no times a day is better.  I will say that I am very, very thankful that I haven't had any allergic reaction type issues this time around...yet. 

I'm also on doxycycline and prednisone type drug.  I've never taken so many meds for an FET before but hey, I'm willing to try just about anything to get our "take home baby."

The transfer is this Friday at 11:15.  I'll be doing a vaginal steam at 8:00ish, acupuncture at 10:00 and then the transfer.  I am hopeful that our baby will survive the thawing process, but there is always some doubt there. 

I love you all!  Thank you for continuing to be on this journey with us. 

FET #5

FET #5 is officially underway.  Of course it was a scramble yesterday to get things going on the clinic's end but at least it's finally happening.  I have my baseline u/s today and DH has to be with me to sign FET papers (papers to release the embryo? who knows).  I find it interesting that every RE I go to has a different protocol for these things.  I've done everything from bcp's to Lupron to just Estrace and Progesterone.  This time I've already started Estrace (1mg and building to 6mg within 10 days) and will add PIO (Progesterone in oil), Dexamethasone, Doxycycline, and Prometrium (progesterone vaginal suppositories).  It looks like I'll be doing both the injection of progesterone and the suppository at the same time.  I'm actually OK with that since I seem to have low progesterone normally. 

As of now, the transfer should be on CD 19-around Feb 21.  I'll try to keep y'all posted as to what's happening. 

As always, thank you for reading this, supporting us and praying.  It means the world to our family.