Back home

Vegas was great! We had a fantastic time, and it was so nice to get away and spend time together again as a couple. I definitely feel like I got a good break before we move ahead with the plans. Here we are in Vegas, at one of the shows that we went to where they take your picture and then sell them at the end. I'm such a sucker for pictures. 

I've started having a few side effects from the medications, but what has been bothering me most are the headaches and nausea. The plane ride wasn't much fun, and I found myself actually looking in the pocket in the seat in front of me to see if they still had the barf bags. Take off, landing, and the slightest turbulence made my stomach turn and my head spin. Apart from that, I've also got cramping, bloating, and much to my dismay, weight gain - having put on about 5 lbs. since I first started the meds. (Nothing to do with the Vegas buffets, I'm sure.) I pulled out the info sheets from the pharmacist, and looked online last night, and this is all completely normal. I remind myself that it's all for the greater good when I'm tugging a bit harder to close the button on my pants :) The dose of my hormones doubles tomorrow, so I'm hoping that the side effects don't as well. In the meantime, Tylenol and Ibuprofen are my new best friends!


One nice surprise that I received when I got home, was some beautiful flowers waiting for me! On one of my phone calls home while we were gone, my mother-in-law told me that some flowers had arrived for me, but she didn't know who they were from, and asked if I would like her to open the card. Of course I said yes, as it's not everyday that I get flowers! They were from Janelle's brother, who I've never met, and along with them was the nicest card. She read it over the phone, and it touched me more than I would've expected. I'll share his words, and hope that he doesn't mind.

Kim,
About a year and a half ago, I got a call saying "the doctors haven't given up hope, but they don't expect her to make it." But she did. Now I find out someone like you is on this planet and in my sister's life. Thank you. (Carl too)

I'm not sure if it's the elevated hormone levels, but I think I would have had a good cry right then, had we not already had plans and needed to get going. I remembered that time too, getting the emails and waiting to hear about Janelle, and that everyone was going to be ok. I remember my heart breaking for her in hearing about the hysterectomy, and thinking how devastating it was; as we were planning for our own baby. All these emotions and memories stemming from this little card that came with these flowers. It took me back to that time, and I needed a minute to compose myself again before we could go. It's funny how a few words can have such an effect on you. Especially when you're least expecting it. 

In the meantime, the countdown is really on now! One week to go till everyone's here! Can't wait!

Viva Las Vegas!

Tomorrow we leave on our trip to Vegas, and I am SO excited! It will be our first time leaving the girls, so I'm a little bit nervous about that, but even more excited about going. The kids will be with my in-laws, so I know they'll be fine. I'm sure routines and schedules will get a little hazy, and there will most likely be extra treats and goodies, but I hear that's what being with grandparents is about.

This is the beginning of what is going to be a hectic month! We're in Vegas for 5 days, back home for 1, then off camping with the girls for 3, back home for 2, and then will have everyone here while we go through the process of our first attempt doing the embryo transfer. Janelle, her mom, and Joel will be here before we know it! I'm pretty excited! Will try to get our house back in order before everyone gets here, so it doesn't completely look like a tornado has just been through it. (Key word here is "try")

This morning I went for another ultrasound and more bloodwork at the clinic. This was done to get a baseline of where my body is at, my hormone levels since my depot injection and my endometrial lining. I was talking to the doctor about our upcoming plans and that we were off to Vegas tomorrow, and we figured that since we're about to do all of this, we thought we deserved to have a 'last hurrah' before getting knocked up again. He was in full agreement, and told me that it was GREAT idea! It's nice to have medical endorsement for our upcoming week of excess. Heheh...

The technician and I were talking about Vegas while the doctor was doing the procedure; restaurants, shows, casinos and hotels, and in between I'd hear him call out numbers and results of my tests, that she would then mark down. Now I wish I'd been paying more attention. The only thing that I'm sure I definitely heard, was that my lining is thin right now, which is neither good nor bad, just normal as to where I am at in my cycle. They'll take control of it tomorrow as I start taking my Estrace, a medication to start making the lining of my uterus as thick as it can be, which is needed in order to be able to receive the embryo(s). Wow! Seeing that (s) there at the end of embryo, makes me realize it could be more than one. Though I've known this forever, it really hits me seeing it in print, and typing it out. Crazy.

I'm excited for what's to come, and looking forward to the next few weeks.

So in the meantime...hello Sin City! No cooking, no cleaning, no diapers and no getting up at the crack of dawn for this gal! And who knows - we might even be able to bring back some of the money we left behind last time we went there!  :)

Much Ado About Nothing

The injection was a piece of cake.

I like to think it was because I have a great pain tolerance, and not because of extra padding I may have to 'soften the blow' of getting poked in the rear end.

I can take this moment of enlightenment, learn from this experience and realize that I shouldn't worry prematurely about things beyond my control. More realistically... I should aim to get better control over my 'inner-wimp'.  :)

Hello Lupron... goodnight ovaries

So on Friday I get my Lupron depot, a long lasting intramuscular injection. I've read that some people do daily SC (subcutaneous) injections, meaning just under the skin, but instead of doing those I'll be having just one IM injection that goes directly into the muscle. I'm not sure which I think is worse. This injection will "put my ovaries to sleep" and temporarily stop the production of estrogen and progesterone. Hmmm.....I wonder if I'm going to be a bit of a hormonal mess. I guess I'll let you know next week.  :)

I'm feeling a bit nervous about it, and thinking of getting an intramuscular injection makes me feel a little queasy. I've only had 2 IM injections before, and all I remember from both is the pain. The first one was at work, maybe 10 years ago when there was a hepatitis scare and the staff needed to get shots. I don't remember if they were vaccinations or boosters or what exactly it was they gave us. The second time was when Rowan was born. I hemorrhaged after delivery and they gave me a shot to stop the bleeding. Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting it, maybe it was because I was tired, but I yelped out. It really hurt. Afterwards, and even now, I feel silly having that as a prominent memory of the birth of my daughter as I had just gone through a natural birth without any pain medication, and it's the injection that I complain about. Ridiculous.  

Initially I was supposed to go to the clinic on Friday to have an ultrasound as well as the injection, but I no longer need the ultrasound. Because of this, I've asked the staff if my husband could give me the injection at home rather than have to make a trip just for that, as the injection itself is supposed to be administered by a physician. My husband is a nurse and gives injections everyday, otherwise I don't think it would be a go. It will be so much more convenient though, so for that I'm grateful. I'm not sure if my husband feels the same way yet, as I'm not sure what kind of patient I'll be. I've asked where it will be "administered" and looks like it's going to be in the rump. Oy! I'll try not to curse him as I bend over :)

So Friday is the day. I feel nervous. I feel silly for feeling nervous. I feel a little anxious. This is really happening now. This month will be spent prepping my body with more medications and drugs that I've ever taken before.

I'm posting some pictures of the Lupron. Pretty big needle, eh? (Just thought I'd add that last part to remind any international readers that I'm in Canada) Actually, those were the actual words that I thought, and even though reading it back I realize how stereotypically Canadian it looks, I thought it'd be fun to keep it that way. Maybe I'm still reeling from all of our recent Canada day celebrations and feeling a little patriotic. After all, my almost 4 year old is still sporting her maple leaf tattoos!