Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. You just can't beat the amazing colors that leaves turn and the cooler weather and of course the return of the pumpkin spice latte (as well as pumpkin spice creamer).
In the span of time since the last post Jason and I are both a year older....he's handling his change in the tens place well and I feel like mine came and went without any difference. We're just a few weeks from the rush of the Holiday season and that'll bring a whole other level of stress and excitement! It's crazy how early people and stores and cities think they need to start decorating for Christmas. Most of our towns have lights on the lampposts and have them lit every night...I'm a firm believer in waiting to decorate the weekend of Thanksgiving- I need to fully experience one holiday before beginning another.
As for dr. news I have now been on Clomid for 2 months. The first dose of 50mg did not help to increase my progesterone so they upped me to 100mg this month. We're in that dreaded 2-week waiting period so of course my emotions are all over the place. One day (or even one minute) I think we are pregnant and in the next I am positive that we're not. It's amazing to me how quickly you can forget how horrible the emotional highs and lows of all this are. Every month brings it all back like I've never experienced it before. I had bloodwork drawn today to check my progesterone levels so with every spare second I have I'm praying that they have increased enough! We're both feeling positive about this month, but through these past 10 months I've learned to be cautious as well. All I know for sure is that it is completely out of my hands!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
doctors and sewing
So, an update on the latest in doctor news is in order. After being on Prometrium for a couple months I started noticing things weren't right and that the length in between cycles wasn't long enough so I went back to the doctor. She ran a series of tests: ultrasound (normal with a possible cyst to go back and look at in 8-10 wks), bacteria test (negative), and bloodwork. It turns out the prometrium was not raising my progesterone levels high enough so she started me on prometrium twice a week until the other results came back. So I've been doubling my dose for a week or so now and am still showing signs of shortened cycles. Since that is still going on and all other tests came back negative we're going to switch to Clomid. I haven't gotten the final word on that, or begun taking it yet, but multiples here we come!!!
So, all this led to the new sewing hobby, the purchase of a machine of my own, and the first project...a pillow.
Jason thinks it's crazy, but I had extra fabric left over from his curtains, so now he has a throw pillow for the reading nook in his room. I think it turned out pretty well...could have been better, but not bad for a first attempt. A friend and I are going to a really cheap (but good) fabric store this weekend to pick out stuff for curtains (my house and hers) and a duvet cover for my guest bed. In order to make room to sew we have now moved the guest room into where the office was...I'll post pics once it's finished!
So, all this led to the new sewing hobby, the purchase of a machine of my own, and the first project...a pillow.
Jason thinks it's crazy, but I had extra fabric left over from his curtains, so now he has a throw pillow for the reading nook in his room. I think it turned out pretty well...could have been better, but not bad for a first attempt. A friend and I are going to a really cheap (but good) fabric store this weekend to pick out stuff for curtains (my house and hers) and a duvet cover for my guest bed. In order to make room to sew we have now moved the guest room into where the office was...I'll post pics once it's finished!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
so long to summer...
I was able to to go back to Iowa for a week in August; Jason had to stay home and start school, but it was nice to see my family and get a chance to go to the Iowa State Fair!! We were able to see the biggest pig, largest pumpkin, butter cow, and eat elephant ears! (see pics)
I also decided to learn to sew while up there and my first project was making Jason curtains for his room. They turned out really well and I'm going to try and keep this hobby going!
Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Jason is keeping busy with his school opening and I'm actually low at work right now so I'm pretty much just working 1/2 days. It'll pick up again here soon, but it's kinda nice having afternoons off to get things done! Thankfully the weather FINALLY cooled off so it's actually enjoyable to be outside! I guess I no longer have an excuse for not working out! So glad that fall is right around the corner! :)
I also decided to learn to sew while up there and my first project was making Jason curtains for his room. They turned out really well and I'm going to try and keep this hobby going!
Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Jason is keeping busy with his school opening and I'm actually low at work right now so I'm pretty much just working 1/2 days. It'll pick up again here soon, but it's kinda nice having afternoons off to get things done! Thankfully the weather FINALLY cooled off so it's actually enjoyable to be outside! I guess I no longer have an excuse for not working out! So glad that fall is right around the corner! :)
Friday, July 16, 2010
good news, blah news, but overall hope renewed
Ok, so this past month has been a struggle for me. We started on Prometrium and had to wait 2 weeks before I had another blood test to see if it was working. During that time we went on with things like normal. I didn't feel a difference from the increase in hormones except that I am sleeping wonderfully; Jason would disagree. He says I became a bit more moody, but he handled it well.
After I had the blood draw I knew I'd have to wait awhile to get the results back. That week of waiting was probably one of my biggest falls from, and restore in hope with this whole process. Our sermon at church last week summed up this whole process so far for me. What I took from it was that God plants little seeds of hope in us. It is not up to us to determine when those seeds will grow and bloom; it's up to us to allow the seed to live in us and wait for God. While waiting we will encounter moments of fear, moments of despair, and ultimately we try to take things into our own hands and into our own calendar of time.
I realized that was me. In the span of a week I was feeling fear of this never working, loss of hope, and was beginning to try and form my own timeline of how long I was going to give this to work (remember, we are on the first month of this). After Sunday's message, I began to think about things differently and it's taking some work, but I'm beginning to view all of this differently. I've been talking with a friend who is going through her own struggles with pregnancy and it's helped having her ear. I've also realized that as much as I thought I had given full control of this situation to God, I hadn't, and I was trying to regain as much control as I could. I've once again let that control go, and when I start to freak out I just think of my little seed living in me and I know that God has it timed out.
So, the good news- the Prometrium is working! I went from a count of 5 last month to 21 this month!
The blah news- we're not pregnant yet...
BUT the hope is there, and it will all work out according to God's timeline, not ours.
After I had the blood draw I knew I'd have to wait awhile to get the results back. That week of waiting was probably one of my biggest falls from, and restore in hope with this whole process. Our sermon at church last week summed up this whole process so far for me. What I took from it was that God plants little seeds of hope in us. It is not up to us to determine when those seeds will grow and bloom; it's up to us to allow the seed to live in us and wait for God. While waiting we will encounter moments of fear, moments of despair, and ultimately we try to take things into our own hands and into our own calendar of time.
I realized that was me. In the span of a week I was feeling fear of this never working, loss of hope, and was beginning to try and form my own timeline of how long I was going to give this to work (remember, we are on the first month of this). After Sunday's message, I began to think about things differently and it's taking some work, but I'm beginning to view all of this differently. I've been talking with a friend who is going through her own struggles with pregnancy and it's helped having her ear. I've also realized that as much as I thought I had given full control of this situation to God, I hadn't, and I was trying to regain as much control as I could. I've once again let that control go, and when I start to freak out I just think of my little seed living in me and I know that God has it timed out.
So, the good news- the Prometrium is working! I went from a count of 5 last month to 21 this month!
The blah news- we're not pregnant yet...
BUT the hope is there, and it will all work out according to God's timeline, not ours.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
anniversary and doctors
Our 2nd anniversary was on Monday, but we celebrated this past weekend. Jason planned the whole thing and kept me surprised. He started out by handing me a card and the GPS which he'd programed with 'Anniversary 1-3'. I followed the directions on the card and the GPS took us to our locations. We ended up staying in a hotel at one of the state parks nearby. It was a nice place with views overlooking the lake...it would have been great to explore except for the 95+ degree temps that unfortunately limited the activities. So instead of hiking all day we came home and went to a Sounds game (Nashville's AAA baseball team) with Garrett and Megan. It was a fun, hot evening topped off with fireworks. Sunday was a typical day until I went for my surprise massage. :)
Jason says he loves planning these things and that he would do a better job than I would so I'm off the hook for planning next years! :) He was able to get a photo editing program which he's thrilled to have that he says is making editing much easier.
So Monday was our actual anniversary and we spent the evening at the 'girly doctor' as Jason puts it. We discussed the options for me since my progesterone levels came back low. In looking at my bloodwork, progesterone levels according to the textbook should be 10, fertility doctors like to see 15... mine was a 5. So needless to say, I am not making nearly enough of that hormone to support a pregnancy. My doctor said it's a luteal phase defect, fancy way to classify a progesterone shortage.
Our options were either a form of Clomid or Prometrium, a progesterone supplement. Both options would raise my levels, however there are risks of multiples with Clomid and that's not an option we wanted to have to face immediately. So, in talking with my doctor we decided to first try the Prometrium for a few months, if my levels do not increase we'll then try Clomid, if that doesn't work we'd then be sent to a fertility specialist, but we're not yet looking that far down the road.
The Prometrium is a bit trickier to take and is more expensive (thank goodness insurance covered), but I'll start it in a week or so and we'll see what happens.
*Jason's edit: Prometrium can also cause moodiness... but I'll take that over multiples any day!
Jason says he loves planning these things and that he would do a better job than I would so I'm off the hook for planning next years! :) He was able to get a photo editing program which he's thrilled to have that he says is making editing much easier.
So Monday was our actual anniversary and we spent the evening at the 'girly doctor' as Jason puts it. We discussed the options for me since my progesterone levels came back low. In looking at my bloodwork, progesterone levels according to the textbook should be 10, fertility doctors like to see 15... mine was a 5. So needless to say, I am not making nearly enough of that hormone to support a pregnancy. My doctor said it's a luteal phase defect, fancy way to classify a progesterone shortage.
Our options were either a form of Clomid or Prometrium, a progesterone supplement. Both options would raise my levels, however there are risks of multiples with Clomid and that's not an option we wanted to have to face immediately. So, in talking with my doctor we decided to first try the Prometrium for a few months, if my levels do not increase we'll then try Clomid, if that doesn't work we'd then be sent to a fertility specialist, but we're not yet looking that far down the road.
The Prometrium is a bit trickier to take and is more expensive (thank goodness insurance covered), but I'll start it in a week or so and we'll see what happens.
*Jason's edit: Prometrium can also cause moodiness... but I'll take that over multiples any day!
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