tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91332300893035369192024-02-19T18:51:11.089-06:00Times of a SurrogateMy journey as a surrogate...their bun, my oven!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-75145637770002264752016-05-19T21:50:00.000-05:002016-05-19T21:50:51.928-05:008 Weeks - Back to WorkWow! It has already been 8 weeks since the twinkies were born. I go back to work tomorrow...grudgingly. Baby S is doing wonderfully after his heart surgeries. He and his sister are growing and growing. They both have such squishy, chubby cheeks! :) They all flew home on May 2nd. They have been really busy with family and friends visiting. I am so happy for them all. S&G are such wonderful parents. We took our children to meet the twins before they flew home. S&G were so calm in letting our kiddos hold their babies. I think I was more paranoid! My kiddos love seeing new pictures and seeing how much they have grown already...I do, too, of course!<br />
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Recovery was pretty darn slow. This was my first c-section. I was getting quite frustrated that I just didn't seem to be improving much. After a week or two, I was back to 100% with my previous deliveries. This time...um, nope. Not at all. The docs said I would need all of the 8 weeks I took of to recover. I truly didn't feel good, and I mean, good to the point where I could honestly say good when someone asked how I was, until a full 6 weeks had passed. I'm feeling quite well now.<br />
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After I got home, I had difficulties sleeping in my bed. Each time I would lie down, I would have a hard time catching and keeping my breath. It was a bit scary. I slept on the couch in a slightly reclined position for several days. The doctor said that could have been due to the amount of blood loss and my blood pressure still. My levels regulated about 3 weeks after delivery. It was soooo nice to sleep in my own bed again! I was able to stop the blood pressure pills and blood thinner injections. That was a relief. My blood pressure has remained stable since then.<br />
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I also began having a hard time falling asleep at night. Every time I would close my eyes, I would see flashbacks of the c-section, all sorts of doctors and nurses around me talking about me bleeding, talk of a hysterectomy, being wheeled into another operating room, etc. I thought it was a bit of PTSD. My doctor agreed. He said with all I went through and how sudden it all happened, that it was certainly likely. As you recall, I met Baby T when S&G brought her to see me in the hospital. When I was discharged, Brad had a cold and we were unable to meet Baby S. We were finally able to meet him a couple weeks later. I think meeting him was just the closure I needed. I no longer have the flashbacks. I am still having a hard time falling asleep though. My doctor says going back to work may actually help that....having something to occupy my time and tire me out. We shall see soon enough. <br />
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Thank you to all who helped us out with the kiddos and everything when things didn't go quite as planned. I can't thank you enough! Thank you all for the prayers and happy thoughts. Every single prayer helped these babies and me. I know S&G are grateful for them as well. Thank you for your support. Now, we get to see these twinkies grow through pictures and celebrate their birthdays with our first surrobabe D! :) The fun is just beginning!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-74179098213112964612016-04-02T16:46:00.000-05:002016-05-02T21:35:03.889-05:00Twinkies are hereI'm finally getting to the twinkies birth story. The last 10 days or so has been a whirlwind. It all started on Monday, March 21st with a high blood pressure reading at our normal appointment. The NST test went well that day. There was no protein in my urine. The doctor (not mine, as he was on paternity leave for his new little guy) wanted me to go back in for a recheck of my blood pressure on Wednesday. I wasn't expecting anything different, but it was around 168/100, not very good at all. The doc then said that since it had gone up over 30 points in 2 days, babies needed to come out sooner rather than later. There was now a trace of protein in my urine. She scheduled our c-section for Friday, March 25th, rather than waiting until our initial date of April 1st. She also sent me home with a gigantic jug to do a 24 hour urine collection to get a more accurate protein check. We thought it was pretty neat that the twinkies would have the same birthday as Baby D, my first surrobabe!! How neat is that?!<br />
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On Thursday, the doc called about the protein results from the 24 hour collection. She said that was a lot of protein now and that I needed to head to the hospital right away and anticipate babies to be born that night. I tried getting ahold of S&G, but they weren't answering. I figured they were out having a last "hurrah!" before the scheduled c-section the next morning. Brad and I got to the hospital, got all situated in our room, had my vitals checks, a vaginal exam (closed) and an ultrasound to see the twinkies were still transverse. My blood pressure was up even more. I definitely had pre-eclampsia now. It didn't take long for the doc to let us know that I would NOT be delivering there. She stated that the aggressive onset of the pre-eclampsia and the fact that it was twins, they didn't feel they could handle the delivery there. My hospital is quite small, but I love it. They informed us that I would be transported via ambulance to Madison. I was nervous. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. They started me on a magnesium sulfate drip...nasty stuff...to help prevent seizures. S&G called my back and said they'd meet us in Madison. Brad left to head to Madison so he would be there when I got there. I hated seeing him leave. The ambulance trip was rough, like, super bumpy and my butt was numb by the time we got to Madison...eh, the least of my worries, right.<br />
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Once we arrived at the Madison hospital (around 11:30pm), everyone was so nice and reassured us they would take great care of us. By the time they got me all prepped for the c-section, it was after 1am on the 25th. The c-section itself wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The "not knowing what to expect" was the worst. Brad was right there by my head to comfort me. Twinkies were born quite quickly. Baby boy S was born at 1:40am (6 pounds 10 oz), followed by his sister Baby T at 1:41am (6 pounds 9 oz). They both came out screaming. I didn't get to see them, but was happy to hear their cries. They finished me up and rolled me into recovery.<br />
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I don't recall how long I was in recovery. It was pretty much a haze. Brad was with me the entire time. They said I lost lots of blood and kept weighing pads. I was still numb, so I had no clue what they were doing. I think I kept going in an out of sleep, too. The doctor did tell us about the twinkies. She said Baby T was doing very well, but Baby S was in the NICU. She said he had a heart defect that we didn't know about and that he would be transferred to the children's hospital about a mile away for surgery. My heart absolutely sank. I know there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I just felt (feel) so horrible, first the pre-e, then the urgent c-section, then this poor little newborn baby needing heart surgery.<br />
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I ended up getting 2 bags of blood and 1 of plasma. Brad said he almost lost it at one point when the doctor had her arm up inside me up to her elbow to try to stop the bleeding. I didn't realize just how bad things were. It was pretty touch and go for awhile. They spoke of a hysterectomy. They put a Bakri balloon inside my uterus to help with the bleeding. My uterus was the worst pain, still is really. They said they wanted to try something else before a hysterectomy was strongly considered, an endometrial (uterine) ablation. This is where they cauterize the arteries that were bleeding in my uterus. I was wheeled up to that operating room to have that procedure. They didn't want to put me under all the way due to my blood pressure, so they heavily sedated me. I don't remember a thing. I was in the ICU for the next day or so. The procedure and balloon seemed to help with the bleeding. Removing the Bakri balloon was such a relief.<br />
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I was then moved out of ICU and onto the OB floor. It was so much more comfortable and quiet there. S&G let me know that Baby S was having another heart surgery that Monday the 28th. He had a bit of difficulty coming off the bypass machine, but has improved. S said he's relearning to drink his bottles and is doing well. He's such a fighter!! S&G brought Baby T over to see me once I got out of the ICU. She's just such a doll!! They look so absolutely in love with her! We will get to meet Baby S when he is out of the hospital. I feel like I'm not complete until I meet him. I know the kids are looking forward to seeing the twinkies, too! :)<br />
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All the nurses were great. My recovery has been slow. I couldn't get up to walk for the first day or so while in the ICU because of the ablation, so that didn't help. I kept feeling like such a wuss and the nurses, along with all the many different doctors that I saw, said how my body went through a lot, way more than just a normal c-section. I'm on blood pressure and blood thinner meds. I have a checkup on Monday at my clinic. And in case you are wondering, yes, this is my last journey. I had actually decided this a few months ago, but all the craziness that happened totally sealed the deal on that. I tried my hardest to keep these babies baking and have them come into the world healthy. I came pretty darn close to actually losing my own life in the process and couldn't imagine leaving my husband and kids behind. Please continue to pray for Baby S and for strength for S&G to make it through.<br />
<br />timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-56849978920028381422016-03-09T11:37:00.000-06:002016-03-09T11:37:40.202-06:00Parents are here, almost 35 weeksThe twinkies' parents arrived the end of February. We had an ultrasound and doctor appointment on Monday, so they got to see their babies!! How exciting! It was great to see S&G again. The little stinkers were facing my back once again, so we couldn't get any pictures. They are still measuring ahead. I was 34 weeks 4 days at the appointments. Their guesstimated weights are: boy - 6# 3oz, girl - 6# 12oz. Yep, definitely ahead. LOL. I'm so curious what they will weigh when they actually arrive. I guess I just grow big babies!<br />
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We are 35 weeks tomorrow. I'm so blessed to have made it this far. There were times along the way where I didn't know if I could possibly make it to 30 weeks, then 32, then 34. Now, with 35 just around the corner, I feel so accomplished to have kept them baking this long. Every day counts with twins. I am taking it day by day now. It seems like I have a good day, then a not so good day, then good, not good... My feet are absolutely killing me today. I had them up for 2 hours last night before bed to ease the swelling. I could barely put my sneakers on this morning and literally almost cried from the pain! I just keep reminding myself that we are in the home stretch now and that each and every pain is so totally worth it. If I don't go on my own, we are set for induction/c-section (twinkies are both transverse right now - BOOO!!) on April 1st at 38 weeks 1 day. I know, I know....April Fool's Day twins! Oh goodness! :)<br />
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Please keep the much needed and appreciated prayers and happy thoughts headed our way!!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-4037405501325336832016-02-24T14:17:00.001-06:002016-02-24T14:17:45.629-06:00Time flies!Wow, it's been a long time since I last updated! Sorry! Life is busy. :) We are going to be 33 weeks tomorrow. I have my good days and my bad days. My feet are starting to swell a bit. Just the last couple days, my back has been aching something fierce at work. I sit at my desk all day and by the afternoon, it's almost unbearable to keep sitting there. Needless to say, it's nice to go home and relax with my feet up at the end of the day.<br />
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We just had an ultrasound and doctor appointment Monday. The ultrasound went well. Babies are 2 weeks ahead....shocker! LOL. The guesstimated weights are 5 pounds 3 ounces for Baby Boy A and 5 pounds 6 ounces for Baby Girl B. That is crazy big!! Combined, they are already 11 ounces bigger than my biggest baby. Some babies are BORN that big, just to put that into perspective. We could see the boy practice breathing, which was neat. Of all my other 5 pregnancies, I've never seen that before. The ultrasound tech said she guessed we only have 2-3 more weeks, based on their size, lack of room and the practice breathing seen. Both babies were facing my back, so no adorable pics to share with the parents. Boo!! <br />
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Baby Boy was head down at the last ultrasound. He is no longer. Little stinker!! I totally felt it when he moved, too...slightly painful. He is breech, transverse kinda (almost diagonal), with his head in my right hip and his tush and feet towards the exit. Baby Girl is transverse with her head down a bit and her feet completely.up.in.my.right.ribs!! Let's pray Baby Boy flips around before labor comes. I so want to avoid a c-section. I told my hubby I wasn't sure if I was more scared of the c-section itself or of the epidural. LOL. How weird is that!? I'd much rather labor and breath through hours of pain than get an epidural. Plus, I've heard of some of the side effects of those. No thank you. :) If it's needed, by all means, of course I will get the c-section. I'll do whatever it takes to keep these babies safe! We are in the home stretch now. Next appointment and scan are March 7th. S&G will be flying to the states next Monday, so they will be able to see their babies on the scan. I'm so excited for them. I can't imagine how they are feeling as D-Day gets closer and closer. Please keep the prayers and happy thoughts coming. I know we all greatly appreciate them!! Much love to all for your support!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-57610438986403948962015-11-16T21:21:00.002-06:002015-11-16T21:21:57.029-06:0018w4d - So far, so good!We had our checkup today. I am 18 weeks 4 days. This was the big anatomy ultrasound where they measure everything and check all the organs and such. Everything is great. Baby A is the boy, measuring 19 weeks 2 days and 10 ounces. Baby B is the "big" girl, measuring 19 weeks 4 days and 11 ounces. My belly is measuring around 24 weeks. Yikes! :) I'm feeling great. The parents are super happy. It couldn't be better right now! timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-77140802487487036582015-11-05T13:49:00.000-06:002015-11-05T13:49:00.374-06:0017 weeksI haven't updated for a month. It's been a very busy few weeks for me and my family. Everything is going great and is quite uneventful on the pregnancy front - that's a GREAT thing! There is no denying I'm pregnant and haven't just eaten an entire pizza by now! :) I told Brad a couple days ago that I am now realizing I will be quite large and probably miserable in a few months. His reply, "You are just NOW realizing that!?". LOL! It's all so worth it. Worth every ache and pain. Worth the constant sore boobs. Worth every kick and punch from inside. Worth all the extra stretch marks. Worth all the heartburn. Worth the swollen ankles to come. Worth all the pillows in bed that pushes Brad to the edge of the mattress. Worth not being able to see my own feet. Worth the added pounds. Worth the million trips to the bathroom. These babies are so worth it. These parents are so completely worth it.<div>
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We are 17 weeks today. It's so crazy to think we are almost half way there. Our next appointment and the big anatomy ultrasound is in a week and a half. The last ultrasound showed babies a few days ahead of schedule, so that's awesome! I am still not feeling them move consistently yet...wondering if I have anterior placentas, as I didn't think to ask at the last ultrasound. I normally feel distinct movement around 14 weeks. The parents are getting more excited each day and decorating the nursery. I remember that excitement with my own. I'm over the moon happy for them! Again, please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. They are much appreciated!! </div>
timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-13991412871350947072015-10-05T09:25:00.000-05:002015-10-05T09:25:21.500-05:00Checking inI have been slacking on my posts here. Sorry!! The 3rd ultrasound went well. Both babies were measuring ahead a day or so ahead, so that was great! I had my first appointment with my own doctor. All went well there, too. We were even able to hear the heartbeats for a few seconds before they moved. :) I am finally feeling better in regards to morning/all day sickness. YAY! <br />
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My wrist has been bothering me. I woke up one night and almost shrieked out in pain when I moved my arm/wrist. I purchased a wrist brace and it seems to be helping. I will wear it for awhile before trying to go without it. I don't think it's carpal tunnel, as it's on the side of my wrist, not towards the middle....but who knows. I hope it's not tendinitis either. I think I just slept on it wrong and pulled it or something.<br />
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I have another doctor appointment next Monday. I will also be getting an ultrasound at every appointment (every 4 weeks) because it is twins. My doc said they do this in order to make sure both babies are growing consistently and making sure one isn't getting too much bigger than the other. I can't wait to see how much they've changed since last time!! I know S&G will love seeing the pics every month from the ultrasounds. I swear I've started feeling them move every once in awhile. I usually felt movement in my other pregnancies (except my first) around 13-14 weeks. I will be 13 weeks on Thursday! How time flies! I had to break out my fat pants and some maternity pants that fit me....and so it begins! :)timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-64453140722747946062015-08-31T11:44:00.001-05:002015-08-31T11:44:27.671-05:00Second UltrasoundWe had the second ultrasound last Thursday at 7 weeks. Babies looked great and had grown the proper amount in the week since the first one. They had heartbeats of 134 and 144 bpm. We could actually hear them this time. So amazing!! We have another one this Thursday. <br />
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I'm still feeling pretty crappy and super tired. The nurse at the fertility clinic told me I could drop one of the progesterone meds - injection or suppositories. You better believe I stopped those nasty suppositories! Those suckers are so gross, especially when you have to use them 3 times a day! LOL. I never thought I would choose a big ole needle over that. I was also able to drop the estrogen pill and decrease the estrogen patches from 4 down to 2. I was hoping by reducing my meds, that my all day sickness would decrease a bit...no such luck, as of yet though. I will be on the decreased doses now for another 3-4 weeks. I can see the light at the end of the med tunnel!<br />
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Keep the prayers coming for the babies, me and their parents! We all truly appreciate it. timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-87157191737349677262015-08-20T11:36:00.000-05:002015-08-20T11:36:08.937-05:00Ultrasound!!We just got back from our first ultrasound. I am always so nervous and anxious when going to these. I immediately saw 2 sacs. Both babies are growing great, measuring right where they should be, almost 6 weeks. We were able to see both heartbeats, too. We were not able to hear them just yet though. S&G are super excited!!!! Please keep the prayers coming for these 2 littles to keep on growing, for their parents and also for me to not feel so nauseous! :)timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-85726199902005588092015-08-18T09:56:00.000-05:002015-08-18T09:56:02.335-05:00Beta #3Well, beta #3 was yesterday. The number is pretty darn great, if I do say so myself -- 21,344! :) That's fantastic! We will find out if it's twins or not on Thursday. I'm starting to feel not so great lately. Even scrolling on my phone or computer screen makes me queasy. I may have to break out my sea bands to help with the nausea. Brad's deodorant smells so strong, just like when I was preggo with Baby D. The soap we use and even perfume smells obnoxiously strong to me. We will have to switch out the pretty smelling soaps to plain Jane soaps smells for awhile. LOL.timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-13865517441151802212015-08-11T16:08:00.001-05:002015-08-11T16:08:13.586-05:00Beta #2I'm feeling pretty good still. My chest is so darn sore, probably the most sore they've ever been (aside from when my milk comes in after delivery). I have had a couple bouts of nausea. I coughed and gagged while getting in the shower this morning...that was new. LOL. I've never had much for morning sickness before. I would get queasy in the evenings usually. Everything just seems to smell so strongly now. Everything stinks.<br />
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We had beta #2 this morning. I was hoping it was going to be above the 5,000 range. I got the call this afternoon that it is 6,260!! That's excellent! Now I'm really thinking twins. WOW!! We have another beta on Monday and then the first ultrasound on the following Thursday. How exciting!! Keep those prayers coming!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-87022014831877021052015-08-07T20:31:00.002-05:002015-08-07T20:31:26.645-05:00Beta is INHappy Friday all!! I had to go in for bloodwork to check my beta (pregnancy hormone level) this morning. I had a pretty good feeling, since the home tests were coming out positive. I (im)patiently waited until later this afternoon before I received a call from the clinic. She congratulated us and said that we were indeed pregnant. My beta number is 1330! This is a pretty awesome number. With it being so high, that <i>could </i>possibly mean twins. We will have the first ultrasound in 2 weeks and find out for sure. S&G are on their way to becoming parents!! How exciting!! Please continue praying and sending happy thoughts to the little one(s) baking and his/her mom and pop!<br />
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Another exciting thing is that my hubby is gone for the weekend. He is the one who does my PIO injections each evening...aka, the big dawgs! I had tried before to do it myself and always chickened out. I had a nurse friend who very kindly offered to do it for me. I told her I would try it one more time and then if I couldn't do it, that I'd let her know I needed her help. It took a few minutes of psyching up and I did it! It wasn't bad at all! I was so happy I did it myself. :) timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-15414533548478789112015-08-04T08:34:00.001-05:002015-08-04T08:34:17.140-05:00Check it out!Transfer was Sunday, July 26th. I really hate how the meds make you feel pregnant, so you can't really gauge anything based off of that. Smells do seem stronger, which is a good sign. I have taken some tests though....<br />
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All looks pretty awesome so far! Beta test is Friday. Can't wait to see what the number is. :) S&G are pretty excited and we are absolutely tickled for them! Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!! Keep them coming!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-59234609687376257302015-07-26T19:09:00.002-05:002015-07-26T19:09:33.581-05:00Smooth TransferMy hubby and I drove to Chicago last night. We had a very nice dinner with S&G. It was great to see them again. They are so sweet and brought me a beautiful four leaf clover necklace for luck and some yummy Dutch treats!<br />
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We were to be at the clinic bright and early at 6:50am this morning. We ended up at the opposite end of the hospital and were a few minutes late by the time we actually got to the correct location. The actual transfer was at about 7:30am. It was so fast. Dr. Kaplan and his crew were amazing and made us all feel comfortable and well taken care of. He transferred one boy embryo and one girl embryo. How exciting is that!!?? <br />
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S&G are in Chicago until the end of the week to do some more sightseeing. We headed home right after the transfer for the 3+ hour drive home. It's been all relaxing and resting now and for the next couple days. It's strange having Brad get my meals for me. ;) I will gladly accept it though. <br />
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Prayers and happy thoughts are much appreciated for at least one of these embryos to stick. Also prayers for S&G as they are going through many emotions in this waiting time, I'm sure. Thank you all for your support. It means the world to us. Love you!!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-54126742693296673192015-07-13T11:44:00.000-05:002015-07-13T11:44:07.424-05:00Good StartI had labs and an ultrasound this morning. The doc said I, as in, my uterus, looked beautiful! :) She said I'm at 11 and triple striped. That's exactly what we want it to be. She said I'm definitely ready for transfer, which is on the 26th. The Lupron hasn't been a nasty beast this time, no major headaches and no bladder spasms, thank goodness! The 2 estrogen patches have me a bit emotional, but it's all good. I will add another patch Friday. Then I will add the lovely suppositories a couple days later, along with a couple more pills and the famous PIO injections....the big dawgs! LOL. I'm happy things are progressing as they should. Prayers for it to keep heading in that direction! timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-35005304834174951672015-07-01T12:54:00.002-05:002015-07-01T12:54:52.705-05:00It's on!Well, I started the ever lovely Lupron injection Saturday. So far, I've had a steady headache. It's tolerable. I'm still praying I don't get the bladder spasms I had last time. Those were so, so terrible. I'm really pushing my water, as I've heard Lupron can dehydrate you - which could have been part of the reason for the bladder spasms before. I don't know. I just know I don't want to experience them again. We are set for transfer on July 26th if my body responds accordingly to all the meds and does what it needs to do. I've had no issues before, praying it all goes well and we end up with awesome news to share! :) timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-12875923267827687762015-05-20T09:17:00.002-05:002015-05-20T09:17:16.756-05:00On HoldI forgot to update this page. We are in holding right now, due to an insurance issue. As soon as it's resolved, we will be able to move forward. I hate the waiting game, but it is what it is now. S&G had great success with their egg donor last week. They now have some embryos for future use, which is fantastic!! As soon as we start moving along, I will update again. Surrogacy is all about "hurry up and wait"! :)timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-32167228944232738172015-04-07T14:13:00.001-05:002015-04-07T14:13:19.860-05:00Oh. My!It's been pretty quiet here. BUT, I received an email stating my meds will ship today and arrive tomorrow! Woohoo! I love it when that box-o-drugs comes! It means things are moving forward. How exciting!! Will keep you updated as thing progress. :)timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-50450186208854305212015-03-03T21:40:00.001-06:002015-05-14T15:25:22.804-05:00ScreeningMy hubby and I went to Chicago to FCI for our psychological screening and my medical screening. We got to meet Dr. Kaplan. He's so extremely kind and quite funny. He performed the sonohysterography. It didn't take long at all, maybe 1-2 minutes. As he was looking at the ultrasound monitor, he said, "Your uterus is beautiful, absolutely beautiful!". LOL, that's not something you hear every day! It was such a relief though. You never know what could be going on in there. Dr. Kaplan is a very well known and highly successful fertility doctor. He helped Bill and Guiliana Rancic have their baby via surrogacy. Small world!!<br />
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After all that, we had our bloodwork done - 3 vials from Brad and 9 from me. We then met with the psychologist. I believe all that went well. I then had to take the MMPI....a 344 question test to assess my psychological state. It's full of strange questions to see if I think people are stealing my thoughts or are out to get me or if I'm suicidal. Yeah. Interesting, to say the least.<br />
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As of right now, we are looking at a possible early summer transfer. S&G will decide later if they would like to do a fresh or frozen transfer. The success rate is the exact same, as long as the donor is young. I was reading over all the information we received tonight. It gets me all excited!! I can't wait to begin all this again! timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-30607258187558167052015-02-02T09:42:00.002-06:002015-02-02T09:42:57.762-06:00MeetingOn Saturday, my hubby and I drove 3.5 hours to Chicago to meet S&G before they headed back home. Wow! Driving in Chicago is something else! We live in a very rural town where you only have to worry about getting stuck behind a tractor or Amish buggy. I'm so glad Brad drove. I don't think I could have done it without having a panic attack! Traffic, traffic and more traffic...and they just cut you off and don't use their blinkers. We have to go back on the 12th (tentatively) for our psych and medical evaluations at the clinic. It is an early morning appointment, so we will be heading down the night before and staying in a hotel. <div>
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We had a very nice lunch and chatted for a couple hours. I think all went well. They seem to be such wonderful, down to earth people. I hope they liked us as well! They are having to use an egg donor, as they found out they are unable to retrieve any eggs from S. :( S did say that the one they really like is currently in a cycle for someone else. She will be available again in May. That would put us in a June or July transfer range. That seems like a long time to wait, but then I think of how long THEY have waited for this. I know I can handle the wait just fine. This will just give us more time to get to know each other and feel more comfortable with each other and the entire process. :)</div>
timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-10915920720606590312014-12-13T21:53:00.000-06:002014-12-13T21:53:07.820-06:00New BeginningsIt's almost a new year. How crazy is that? 2014 has flown by. We were hoping to have a better outcome with our last transfer with G&M. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as hoped. They are blessed to have D, I know. I just wished we could have helped bring a sibling into the world for them. They are like family to us. They are hoping to come to WI sometime next year to visit us all. I'm already looking forward to it!!<div>
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We went back to the agency to see if there were any potential matches for us to try to help another couple. Within a week, the agency sent us several profiles. There was a couple from the Netherlands that stood out to us. They are S&G. They have no children. They are Dutch-English translators. I told the agency I wouldn't work with an international couple if they didn't speak fluent English. This is too important of a thing to have a language barrier. </div>
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We had a Skype meeting on Sunday. They are just great! Their accent isn't too thick at all. We can understand them perfectly! A couple days later, we learned they like us, too. We are officially matched! :) They will be coming to Chicago at the end of the month so S can go through the egg retrieval process. They will be staying until the end of January. Brad and I will hopefully get to meet them in person next month while we go through the medical and psychological evaluation there in Chicago. If all goes well, our coordinator said we could be looking at a spring transfer. This is all so exciting. We are looking forward to moving ahead with S&G. I will update once we start really moving along! </div>
timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-23845276894563365792014-11-18T14:07:00.001-06:002014-11-18T14:07:05.501-06:00Bummed beyond beliefI'll just make this short. Our beta was negative. I knew it would be. I never got a positive home test at all. I didn't feel pregnant. I didn't get the sore boobs and nausea I was hoping to get. Yeah, hoping to get those....only someone who loves being prego would say that. I'm so sad, upset, mad....I know I did all I could, but I still feel like crap. I'm mostly heartbroken for G&M. I wanted this for them so badly. G&M have no more embryos. This was their final chance and it didn't work out. :( Please pray for peace for them. timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-70292098828706312872014-11-05T15:01:00.003-06:002014-11-05T15:01:59.741-06:00Smooth TransferThe hubs and I returned home last night from our transfer in PA. We left Sunday afternoon. Flights were on time both directions. They were even early both legs on the way home. <br />
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It was great to see G&M again. They seemed quite nervous...who could blame them? The clinic had thawed the 3 embryos on Thursday. All 3 survived the thaw. Yay!! Then it was on to the dividing and growing part. Two stalled at the cellular stage and wouldn't progress. The clinic thawed their very last blast that was refrozen from last time. It was progressing nicely, along with the remaining one that was thawed first. We had decided at the beginning of this cycle to put 2 back if 2 survived. That is exactly what we did.<br />
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The ambiance was completely different this time. I find it hard to describe. Everyone seemed so calm, almost surreal. I don't know. We all said we feel good about it this time. It definitely felt different. I'm praying one sticks!! This is their final chance at having a sibling for D. They say they know they are truly blessed to have D, of course, but would LOVE to have another one. I'm hoping I can help them with that! :) <br />
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I should know by Sunday or Monday via home tests if one of these little guys stuck. Please send sticky thoughts, prayers, happy thoughts, whatever you do. ALL of us would greatly appreciate it. Please also send prayers for G&M. I can't imagine all the emotions going on in their hearts right now. They need comfort to ease the stress of all this, as it can't be easy for them. Thank you all for your support again!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-50408710985032352652014-10-29T08:51:00.001-05:002014-10-29T08:51:16.876-05:00Good to go!I went last Friday for labs and ultrasound to check my hormone levels and lining. The results showed I was about to ovulate....not sure why they thought I wouldn't since I was only on estrogen. I had to run to the pharmacy after work Friday to get some ganirelix injections. This medicine puts your body in a holding pattern so you don't ovulate. <br />
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I had a checkup for labs and ultrasound yesterday to make sure I didn't ovulate. I am always so nervous with these things. You just never know what's going on in your body until you see it on that monitor and get the lab results. I'm happy to say that all is good and we are still on track for transfer MONDAY!! Woot!! I'm so thankful the medicine did what it needed to do.<br />
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My hubby gave me my first (of many, hopefully!!) progesterone in oil injection in my butt this morning. He mumbled, "I don't know why you make me do this to you." after it was all done. LOL! He usually does a great job and I barely feel the giant 1.5 inch needle going in. I did feel it this morning though. Eeek!<br />
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We are praying for at least one embryo to survive the thaw. They are starting the thaw tomorrow, in order to get them to be 5 day blasts for the day of the transfer. Please pray and send happy, sticky thoughts for the entire process. Also, please keep G&M in your hearts. This is likely their last chance at bringing home a sibling for their little D!! No pressure, right!? timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133230089303536919.post-28492218366745666272014-10-10T13:15:00.001-05:002014-10-10T13:15:18.262-05:00MedsWe have started meds once again. This time, however, I am NOT taking Lupron! I am so happy about that! As long as all goes well with my lining and hormone levels, transfer is set for November 3rd. It will be here before we know it! :) Excited and staying positive!!timesofasurrogatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07846019394133452019noreply@blogger.com0