Crisis Averted!

YAY! Just got the patches! Whew!

plans

"You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail." -Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

Just wanted to share this gem today. A friend posted this on his Facebook and I surely can't be reminded of this enough. Oftentimes I find myself tricked into thinking I am in control of my life. I love to be reminded of God's control because I know He has my best interest in mind. Although it kills me not to know what is going to happen, I have faith that I am in good hands and that God has a plan!

holy moly time is slipping away!

So this week we've been spending our time doing super fun & stress-free things.

Monday: Acupuncture was really good on Monday. It didn't hurt at all! The acupuncturist said it may feel like a mosquito bite, but I wouldn't even rate it that high. I didn't even feel some of the needles. I don't know if I really feel any different due to the acupuncture but I will take what I can get. This is pretty atypical of me to be involved in something that I haven't researched to death, but I guess I'm just trusting this acupuncture thing. Here is a website link that explains it pretty clearly.
Tuesday: Anniversary #3! I went shopping for a new outfit & got gussied up by getting my nails & eyebrows done before our big date at Ruth's Chris. Delightful.
Wednedsay: Spa day for me! I used all of my SpaFinders gift cards that I've been collecting for about a year on a Facial, Scalp Massage & Pedicure. Heavenly!
Thursday: Justin's anni-fun-day - we went to the Bennett Place historic site then to Mama Dip's Country Cooking Restaurant, a little antiquing, then got some awesome deals at Target on some new bedding and home decor.
Friday: My anni-fun-day - Justin is taking me to Wine & Design for Couple's Night. We will each paint a cubist version of ourselves as a couple. Perfect decoration for our bedroom since that is the one room we haven't even started to put together in our home.

While we were in Target today, it dawned on me that I had quite a few prescriptions waiting for me there. The specialty pharmacy mailed me all of the injectable hormones and then I was supposed to pick up some oral steroids, pain meds, anti-nausea meds, and antibiotics. I've been living in la-la land over here forgetting how fast time is FLYING by! So while I was talking to the pharmacist, I was reminded that there is outstanding Rx that we haven't been able to get filled. It's a hormone patch that the mail-order pharmacy couldn't fill and that Target can't order. I told the doctor's office about it when I first heard about it during the week before Christmas and was supposed to receive a call back, but I totally forgot about it since then. When I got home and reviewed my calendar of events I realized that the patch is the ONE medicine that I am supposed to start on Monday! YIKES! That'll send the stress right back to me. I left a message for the doctor's office and hopefully they will return my call in the morning. I'm sure my 'Androderm' issue just got lost in the holiday shuffle - that office has been great so far so I'm sure they will find a way to help me out.

So pray this goes off without a hitch. :) There are so many moving parts in this baby project! We need to be on our A game!!!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012! I know the blog's been quiet for a while... we've just been trucking along until we have the ultrasound on 1/9/12. I've been taking my birth control nightly and trying to remember my prenatal daily. I have an appointment with an acupuncturist today. I've heard & read a lot about the positive impact of acupuncture on health in general, including IVF success rates. I asked Dr. Park (the reproductive endocrinologist in charge of our care at Carolina Conceptions) about acupuncture and his reply was basically that it can't hurt and I've seen it help, so go for it. What's really cool is that Triangle Acupuncture is moving into the same building as Carolina Conceptions. YAY!

God's timing is impeccable! Ecclesiastes 3:11- "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." I know I can't even begin to comprehend much of what God has done for us, but when I catch even a glimpse of what He's done, I get really excited. When we met with the nurse for our training, our original timeline put us a week ahead of where we are now. My period came late and that pushed our cycle back one week. This works out wonderfully because I already have this week off of work to celebrate our third anniversary. We get to kick off 2012 spending relaxing quality time with each other and our families. I couldn't ask for a better way to prepare for the intensity of the upcoming weeks.

Box-O-Hormones

My injectable hormones arrived today! Justin waited patiently for Fed-Ex to arrive anywhere between 8 & 3 today. They arrived at 3:15. :-)

It is getting real

My cycle started today! I've never been so excited to get my period!!! I talked to the nurse and scheduled my baseline ultrasound for 1/9 @ 8am (this is where they check my ovaries to make sure I'm ready to start the hormones) and the next ultrasound for 1/18 @ 8am (this is where they check my ovaries to make sure I've produced some good-looking eggs that are almost ready to get extracted). I just got off the phone with the pharmacy and all of my hormone shots will arrive on Friday. God is so good that I got all of my medication for $60! Yep- sixty bucks. Thank you Daddy Biogen!

Stop being so secretive!

Ok. So I started this blog as invite-only for our family and close friends to read. Throughout all of this baby-drama I've been so selective about what I share and who I share it with. I've attributed my need for privacy to me not wanting to have to tell the story a million times and to the fact that my business is my business. In reality, I've really been so private because of the feelings of shame that plague many infertile women. This can be embarrassing! And it can challenge even the most self-assured's feelings of worth. These are feelings that I have been battling prior to learning the official news. I knew in my heart that there was a problem long before any doctor told me. Every time I think I've overcome those negative thoughts, the Enemy has been lurking in the shadows waiting for another weak moment. I'm not listening to the lies anymore! I know that my infertility does not define me or say anything about the caliber of parent I one day will be. So I've decided not to hide this blog anymore. If by sharing my story with 100% honesty helps just one other person on this planet, it's worth it to me to be exposed. I have nothing to be ashamed of. It's just a chapter in our family's life and the way we handle these circumstances will say much more about our character than the fact we are in these circumstances at all. I guess I've been concerned about receiving judgement from people who may not understand or agree with our choices. My very wise husband reminded me today that if someone is reading this and judging us then they have their own problems. I love how he simplifies all that I over-complicate in my head. One reason I am bringing this up is because I am currently tapering off my anti-anxiety medication in order to prepare for pregnancy. So, as if this process isn't emotional enough, I'm currently PMSing and stopping my "crazy-pills" (as I so affectionately call them) at the same time. Needless to say, I'm experiencing some psychological & emotional setbacks but the Bible tells me: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6, 7 NIV)
So instead of relying on medication, I'm relying on the LORD to help me to address my emotions and work through all of my worries. It's a vulnerable and oddly comforting place to be.