Day 11

Heading to Houston for my Ultrasound & Blood Work. Grateful it's Labor Day weekend but why is this taking so long?? The doctor has said follicles aren't quite ready. 

FYI: do you realize what this costs per day? Friday I was told I needed more meds to last me till Monday night. $200 for two boxes of Cetrotide. At this point I working it out day by day. 

Oh, and my stomach hurts like crazy. Scale 1-10 , 10 being the worst it's a 6. My stomach is not meant to be shot up every day. 

:(

Hormones + one

Wednesday?!? 

Cetrotide started 

Injections nightly

I think this was this past Monday. 

8th day of IVF cycle

My stomach is a bit sore from pricking myself on the same side over and over again. I can only do the left side and under belly button due to Transplanted Kidney on my right.

This morning and last night felt a bit woozy.

I have another check with the clinic tomorrow for Ultrasound and Labs to see how big the follicles are. The goal i was told is 18 cm or some metric unit. I was at 12 on Wednesday. So we await for further results.

The nurse who contacted me got the assumption I would be doing the Trigger shot Friday night which means retrieval is Sunday/Monday.

Excited but tired.

I really don't have much side effects from Hormonal medication.

6th day on IVF Medication

I wanted to do this blog mainly so our child can see we really tried and we really love him. I see blogs regarding the Gestational Surrogates or Surrogates in general. Yes I understand you are putting your body through a lot for someone else. We are grateful.
But, what about the parents who cant have? When i was told the statistics on me trying to carry a child I was deeply saddened and felt my world shatter. Then, i realized this can still happen. My husband and I can still produce just . . . I can not be the oven, as a friend tells me.

This journey of our started Spring 2014. Appointments with OB/GYN, Nephrologist and of course Fertility Specialist via a Clinic. It was completely overwhelming but I have always wanted a child. People keep telling me hey, you can still adopt. But i am fertile and our "stuff" works, why can't we just be. I started working with a Clinic after my appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine which gave me horrible news: Due to my Kidney Transplant Nov. 2010 I will put my transplanted kidney at risk if i birth and carry a child.

I hope that our Gestational Carrier will like to blog or at least write because I will never experience having a child in me and birthing one. I want to know everything. But step by step, I say "phases".

Phase 1: Paperwork and more/ Blood work & Ultrasound from "patient" (female)
Phase 2: Financial Coordinator
Phase 3: Order meds (pricey pricey)
Phase 4: Begin ART program
           a)  hormone medications
BRAVELLE^® (urofollitropin for injection, purified) is a prescription medicine that contains hormones. BRAVELLE contains follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone activity. These hormones stimulate healthy ovaries to make eggs.
MENOPUR^® (menotropins for injection) is a prescription medicine that contains hormones. MENOPUR contains follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone activity. These hormones stimulate healthy ovaries to make eggs.
            b) Hormone meds along with control med. (Cetrotide).
Cetrotide® (cetrorelix acetate for injection) is indicated for the inhibition of premature LH surges in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation.
            c)  Ovulation trigger (Ovidrel)
Phase 5: Egg Retrieval
Phase 6: Fertilization occurs

Phase 7: Wait & save save save $$
Phase 8: Gestational Surrogate gets screened.
Phase 9: Lawyers / Legal documents / Psychological
Phase 10: Transfer
Wait.....

'
So you can see I am on stage 4 currently.
Timeline:
Hormones started 8/21/14 (Bravelle & Menopur)
Added Cetrotide 8/25/14.