Beautiful Uterus

*Warning: Some content is inappropriate so...

if you are gonna tell me so...

or complain or tease me-...

save yourself and...

x out of the window.

  Thanks!!

this blog and all contents within the blog are for both humor and education from what we are learning- have fun, lifes too short to be so serious

So, time for some more tests.  I have been found to NOT carry the CF gene (Cystic Fibrosis gene) we previous discussed.  We now are able to proceed.  We go in on a Sunday morning to the hospital, why a Sunday you wonder? Well, it was day 3 since starting menses and I had to have the hormones checked in my blood that particular day so 7:30am, Nate in slippers, we arrive.  There is a room full of young couples.  Few women alone. We wait for a short time before being called in to have blood drawn.  Nate was being tested for HIV, as was I plus my hormone levels.  Checking for things like FSH and I did ask what we were looking for there.  I was told my the amazing nurse that if the number comes back in the teens it means the brain is working harder for creating hormones to have an easy pregnancy/conception and also means a nearing of menopause which I want nothing to do with at this time.  No way.  I am 33.

*For those of you wanting more information on testing with a HIGH FSH see this: FSH stands for follicle-stimulating hormone. It is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland that, in the female, stimulates the ovaries to develop a follicle (the housing that accompanies the egg prior to ovulation) – each month. It can be thought of metaphorically as the gas pedal which causes the ovaries to ovulate each month. As women age, it becomes more difficult for the ovaries to ovulate as the supply of eggs gets reduced and so the level of FSH rises (in order to push down the gas pedal further) over time. When a woman enters menopause, her ovaries are depleted and the gas pedal stays depressed permanently; that is to say the FSH level remains high. It is also possible for young women to have prematurely high FSH. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicle-stimulating_hormone*

It was only three hours before I received a call from the reproductive office mentioning that my level for FSH was 6.something which is great and the other levels were normal, as well.  Again, we proceed.  We haven't received our HIV tests back but that is the last of our concerns at this point.  Test for Sono is scheduled for the 22nd of December and the sounding will wait until the day of either egg retrieval or implantation.  I do not recall.  The sounding normally takes place the same day as the Sono but due to being on the cusp of a new year I had to split them as one is covered by insurance (sono) but not the sounding prior to IVF- it's out of pocked either $350 or $375 SO... I am using my Flex Spending Account after January 1st to cover it.  I made sure to load up on my employers and Nate's for flex spending to help compensate anything that may be needed out of pocket this year going through IVF, pregnancy, childbirth and normal health.  (I am going to create a new blog about insurance coverage, etc so I can elaborate on the flex spending, as well)

I went into my sono appointment early in the morning.  No big deal, only a tad nervous that something could go wrong like with Nate and his condition.  Total shocker for us.  So, in the dimly lit, very modern and comfy clinic room I undress from the waist down (yep) and cover myself with what any man would believe to be a table cloth.  I sat for about fifteen minutes waiting, looking around and thinking.  Waiting.  Anything fertility related makes me instantly anxious and impatient. :) Human. hehe

Tap, Tap! It was Dr. Doherty and a helper (I am terrible with names, sorry!).  They were giggling and Dr. Doherty was looking so... non-sterile. I mean that as a total compliment.  She was in dressy clothes, her normal cute heels and great hair- big smile.  This woman radiates whenever I see her.  I feel such a positive energy with her presence.  This is the woman that is going to make our dreams come true.  The woman that is going act as our stork in the life of reproduction.  She is my savior on earth, a true angel and it makes me choke up on how much she means to so many people.  Making huge dreams come true.

They start prepping and I get that hand motion to lay back and get in the stirrups. Previously I had observed a fancy odd computer for ultrasounds or so I believed, I saw a catheter- why was there a catheter? I don't like those.  Eek.  There is a small cup of a brown liquid and the usual long swabs.  So here I am, feet up, legs spread with two women with front row seats. Now, if you know me, this is prim-o, grade-A, , awkward and awesome material. Now they're poking around, business as usual, when the assistant says 'you sure do have the eggs'.  LOL.  How do I respond to that? LOL  I want to crack up. O-M-G. I must be a freak of nature. She starts pointing out how the gaining of 15 pounds (which I have almost done) and stopping exercising for now will be the perfect combination for IVF.  When the examine is over, my doctor sincerely looked me dead in the eyes and told me I have a 'beautiful uterus and things couldn't look better'. That's right people, be jealous. I have a beautiful uterus. I have to laugh about this.  I had no idea how to respond to that so I simply replied, "Thanks?" She gave me a big smile and said there shouldn't be any problems with the IVF.  We are all ready to go whenever we say - GO!  After talking with one of the girls there we realized we really have to wait till mid February to do the IVF due to my extensive travel schedule.

*a brown watery soap was used to 'wash' the lining of my uterus by injecting it with the catheter and then the sono was done to view the uterus and these are the pics I took. Now if you have medical knowledge and 'see something', I did overhear a conversation not to worry about it and that it appears to be in the abdominal wall. I didn't ask but I only assume weight loss surgery related- probably scar tissue being seen but that is pure assumption.

Next Appointment: January 10th, 2012: Shots Education

Next Blog: Insurance Related, coming soon