Prep Work- Part 1

This morning I went for blood work for my lap on Wednesday. I have donated blood and had to have blood work done many, many times but I still do not like the pick and feel of the needle in my arm. I guess it's just one of those things that I will never get used to. My phlebotomist had this on her cork board:






I got out my j.ello to make for tomorrow. Although I'm not sure how much I will be eating because I have to drink a liquid that will flush out my system. The directions state to drink it in the morning to make sure it has enough time to work completely.
I do hope to get some anwers from the surgery. I also hope it's not anything too bad. My Mom mentioned endometriosis. It is hard to toss another item into the ring that hinders me getting pregnant.
I'm going to the library today to get some light reading. I figured since I will be stuck in the house and in the bathroom I should have some good stuff to entertain me. Do you have any suggestions?
My holiday weekend ended well. I went with my family to see fireworks in the neighboring town. I enjoyed the show and spending time with my husband and daughter. I did catch fireworks at work Saturday night. The finale anyway. We really have a great view from the OG patio. We also have really great sunsets in our neck of the woods.
Thank you to Mel for wishing me well on my lap and for posting it on LCFA! She takes such good care of us all ;-)

July 4

Happy 4th of July!! I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday! If any of you are in my area feel free to drop by the OG and watch the fireworks with me on the patio ;-)

My visit to the gynie

I saw my other gyno yesterday. My blood tests were normal (I so thought my progesterone would be out of whack) so I'm having a lap done on Wednesday. A lot of prep goes into getting ready for a lap. I did not know that. On the down low, he's going to shoot dye and comb my ovaries, to see how things are from a fertility stand point. Maybe it's just what we need to make this baby happen.
M and myself have off today and I'm not sure how we are going to spend it. We talked about taking the puppies for a walk and going to the drive-in. We can also visit Chachi out at the campground. Maybe not-she's supposed to be studying for her comps on Monday.
I started to do the T.otal Bod.y Mak.eover by Op.rah's trainer Bob Gr.eene. I am good with doing my stretches and weights. I do have a hard time getting motivated in the morning to do my cardio. Also, breaking my eating in front of the tv at night. There are five simple rules: eat breakfast, no alcohol, eat consciously, have cut off time from eating 2-3 hours before bed and drink 6 8oz. glasses of water. Exercise isn't too bad either. Stretching and aerobics 6x a week for 30 mins. I am not a morning person so that doesn't help. Any advice?
I'm off to get ready for the day. If I don't get to post tomorrow, please have a happy and safe 4th of July!


Kissing puppies

Going to the gynie

Last Friday I had an appointment with my gynecologist. Going through the usual procedure (taking blood pressure, weight, etc.) the nurse noticed that my last appointment was December of '06. I can not believe it had been that long. I guess because we did our iui in Nov of '07 and had appointments pertaining to that that it slipped my mind about my yearly exam.
I told my gynie about my irregular periods (I have bleeding before I get my period. I call it the period before my period) and having extremely painful cramps. She ordered an ultrasound, blood work (she's concerned with my thyroid and progesterone levels) and a laparoscopy to find out what's going on. She also said the lap would be good also to see if my parts are in working order. I asked her if the bleeding could be a sign of short luteal phase and she said it's possible. She also asked about our plans to have a baby. She mentioned donor sperm and adoption. I told her that we will be doing ivf because it's not like we don't have any sperm. Of course if there's something wrong with me we will have to have discuss another course of action.
I mentioned not being able to lose weight also. I've been eating healthy and exercising for an hour every day and I'm not seeing/feeling a difference. It's just so frustrating. The whole if thing and now we are starting year five with no baby. I hope to get answers after the tests and surgery.

Show and Tell -Donor

No, not a swimmer donor but a bone marrow donor. A little boy named Liam, whose mother is from my area, has a very rare blood disorder. The family set up a bone marrow registry at a nearby hotel. I went this morning and found out that I was already in the registry after having done so many years ago at the Red Cross. I got bracelets for me and E. Walking into the hotel I started to cry. I kept thinking how terrible it is that this little boy is going through something so horrible. The registry started at 10 am. I got there at 9:50 and the parking lot was quite full. I'm glad there was such a tremendous outpouring of support. They were also selling baked goods and there was a Chinese Auction. I pray that they find a donor soon.
You can read more about Liam here: news story.
All they do is swab your cheeks. Have you thought about being a donor? Find out more here.
Find out what the rest of the class is showing at Mel's blog.

My body

I get a period before I get my period. I'm such a lucky girl. I have shared this info with my gyno and she never really addressed it. I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and I now believe that I have short luteal phase. I'm seeing my gyno on June 5 and I hope to-- A. have answers and B. have a solution. It certainly doesn't help our situation if I can't even give an embryo an endometrium lining to burrow into. I'm going to get my progesterone checked and also my thryoid so that when I go to my appointment I'm armed with information and none of that, "I'm sending you for blood work and we'll make another appointment." I'm tired of waiting. Anyone who knows me is familiar with me and patience--we're not on the same page when it comes to my body. I just want to get the ball rolling. If I can't have another baby I want to know now so we can go in another direction. We have talked about adoption before. Maybe that's the plan.

No cords for you

Saturday I graduated from college with a 4.0. My degree will read "summa cum laude" but I was not allowed to wear honor cords. Why you may ask? Because prior to the semester in which you are graduating you must have 45 credits. I had 39. "Wait," I asked the provost lady--"what about this semester?" "It doesn't count." That's crazy--I had 12 credits for student teaching which were not free and this person tells me it doesn't count. I should have ordered the cords online. I did attend the ceremony, certainly not for me, but for the people who love me and support me--my family. I still can't believe that I worked so hard, at times had two jobs and a family and I was not recognized as an honor graduate. That is terrible.