Well, this has been the longest/shortest three months of my life. We are officially past the halfway point! I just had my third shot last week. This last week I have been thinking a lot about the last three months. I have a new respect for all of the women going through menopause! I knew that one of the side effects of taking the Lupron shots could be hot flashes and night sweats. Well let me be the first to tell you these are NOT fun! Although there are quite a few friends and residents at work that get a kick out of watching me when I get a hot flash. :D I just remind myself that it is ALL worth it in the end when Jon and I are holding that precious bundle of joy in our arms.
I have been researching more about the side effects of these shots because I have noticed changes in my habits and body. I have been having headaches just about every day. I have had nightsweats, so I am definatly happy that the snow is here! I have noticed a little more forgetfulness, but thankfully nothing too serious. The biggest change I have noticed is that I want to sleep ALL OF THE TIME! As soon as I get up the first thing I think about is the next time I can go back to sleep. Otherwise, I haven't had too many problems thankfully!
I have a doctor's appointment in two weeks to check up and see how everything is going, so hopefully it is good news because I have plans with a friend of mine to have bundles of joy together ;)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Isn't it Ironic?
Have you every noticed that whenever you want something it seems that everyone else has it except for you? I think that pregnancy is in the water this year. Almost EVERYONE I know is pregnant or just had a baby. I think that there are at least 10-15 girls I know that just had a baby or are expecting. I guess I am drinking out of the wrong cup ;).
One of my girlfriend's had a baby shower for her first baby. I am SOOOO excited for her! But at the same time it is very depressing... But I just keep telling myself that hopefully in a year that will be me. It was such a nice shower! She is such a beautiful pregnant woman! Not that she isn't beautiful when she's not pregnant but pregnancy suits her. I think that is the experience that I look forward to the most. Watching your baby bump grow as your baby grows. The closeness that only you and your baby will ever be able to share. Being the first person to KNOW the new person growing inside of you. Feeling the first movement.
Tomorrow will be a week since I got my first shot. The nurse at the doctor's office said that the first week will be easy but, expect the second week to go bad. So I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. I keep feeling like I am having hot flashes and night sweats but then I think its just me moving around and just plain old working up a sweat. I think that it is the placebo effect. You know what can happen with the shots so you feel like you are having the side effects. So maybe this whole thing is mind over matter. We will see....I will let you know this up coming week! Ashley :)
One of my girlfriend's had a baby shower for her first baby. I am SOOOO excited for her! But at the same time it is very depressing... But I just keep telling myself that hopefully in a year that will be me. It was such a nice shower! She is such a beautiful pregnant woman! Not that she isn't beautiful when she's not pregnant but pregnancy suits her. I think that is the experience that I look forward to the most. Watching your baby bump grow as your baby grows. The closeness that only you and your baby will ever be able to share. Being the first person to KNOW the new person growing inside of you. Feeling the first movement.
Tomorrow will be a week since I got my first shot. The nurse at the doctor's office said that the first week will be easy but, expect the second week to go bad. So I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. I keep feeling like I am having hot flashes and night sweats but then I think its just me moving around and just plain old working up a sweat. I think that it is the placebo effect. You know what can happen with the shots so you feel like you are having the side effects. So maybe this whole thing is mind over matter. We will see....I will let you know this up coming week! Ashley :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Introduction
I do not claim to be a fancy writer or even that interesting enough to have a blog, but I decided to start a blog to track my journey on this Unmarked Path. For some couples getting pregnant was just about as easy as looking at each other. But as my Husband and I have found out it is not that easy for us. We have been married for just over two years.
I have had problems with my monthly cycle since I was in high school. I was on birth control for a couple years. Then before we were married I went off of the birth control because we wanted to start a family soon after getting married. I got my visit from Aunt Flow off and on for the next year. I started going to my OB/GYN and he put me on a hormone to help me ovulate and hopefully concieve. Every month that I took these pills I had to take a home pregnancy test to make sure that I wasn't pregnant before starting the next month's cycle. Every month was the same, getting our hopes up that this might be the month that we would get the two lines, or the positive sign, or what ever symbol that the manufacturers decided to put on the test. Then after the mandatory 10 minutes great disappointment. Then in April of 2011 I quit getting my period at all. I went back to the OB/GYN and went through some more tests, which I have to say a man must have created because a woman would never have thought up something like that.
After the tests came back this time the Doctor let me know that the ultrasound showed that I had an 8 cm cyst in my left ovary. The standard procedure is they operate on anything bigger than 3 cm. So I was scheduled for my first surgery. I was terrified. I have never had surgery besides getting my wisdom teeth removed. The day of the surgery arrives and my Husband, Mom and Mother-in-law see me off on this path to hopefully fix my insides so we can start a family. After the surgery I am brought out to the recovery room. I am still coming out of the anesthesia and I ask my Mom about what the doctor told her. I know that she is just as overwhelmed as I would be and told me the bare basics. I actually did not have an 8 cm cyst. I had a couple of smaller cysts that they drained but the mass they saw on the ultrasound was a fibroid in my uterus. This is the problem that has been blocking our path to parenthood. My mom said that Doctor said I would have to be put into menopause to get rid of this fibroid. I just started bawling. The first thing that came to my mind was this is not supposed to happen to someone who is relatively healthy and young.
In the post op appointment with my OB/GYN he answered so many of the questions that my family and I had about this plan of treatment. We agreed that I would take Lupron shots that would put my body into a menopausal state. This is supposed to shrink the fibroid because hormones are the food that feeds these growths. The shots come with all of the symptoms that natural menopause comes with. Doctor said to expect hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, decrease in sexual drive, among several other uncomfortable problems. On an up note he did say that his younger patients handled the treatment very well. Well, from the experience I had just with my period I am afraid that my Husband and I will be divorced before this treatment is over. We shall see.
The next bend in the path was how to obtain the shots. Doctor said that usually the shots cost $750 A MONTH. I was sure that there was no way we could afford this treatment even with insurance. The office assured me that there were a couple options that we could persue if my insurance would not cover the shots. The next day that I was at work at the hospital I went to the pharmacy to see what could be done. As an employee of the hospital we have a prescription allowance of $3000 a year per couple. Thank God that Husband and I are healthy and have not touched one cent of this allowance. We figured it out that there are 4 months left in this year and 4 shots cost just under $3000. Oh, and at the hospital pharmacy the shots only cost $657. Then once the new year starts we get another $3000 allowance. So I can get the other two shots to complete the 6 month treatment. I took this a sign that this was the right path to take to treat this fibroid.
Today was my first injection. My sister-in-law is a LPN so I was able to take the shot home and my SIL could give it to me. After work I went over to her house to do the deed. Of course this was a "perfect" oppurtunity to show my 5 and 3 year old nephew and niece that shots don't hurt. Well, I just have to say that Aunt Ashley did great and didn't even flinch when I got poked. I hope that they learned a lesson. LOL
My purpose of this blog is to share my experience going through these miles of my journey. I hope that one day after these shots are done I can go back and read these entries and laugh. I hope that this helps me realize what my attitude is like and take a breath and get back on track. Also I want to share with my family and friends what is going on with me in my head. And maybe there is someone out there that will find my blog and get hope and inspiration that there are things out there that can help a couple find the happiness and joy of starting a family.
Until next time! Ashley :)
I have had problems with my monthly cycle since I was in high school. I was on birth control for a couple years. Then before we were married I went off of the birth control because we wanted to start a family soon after getting married. I got my visit from Aunt Flow off and on for the next year. I started going to my OB/GYN and he put me on a hormone to help me ovulate and hopefully concieve. Every month that I took these pills I had to take a home pregnancy test to make sure that I wasn't pregnant before starting the next month's cycle. Every month was the same, getting our hopes up that this might be the month that we would get the two lines, or the positive sign, or what ever symbol that the manufacturers decided to put on the test. Then after the mandatory 10 minutes great disappointment. Then in April of 2011 I quit getting my period at all. I went back to the OB/GYN and went through some more tests, which I have to say a man must have created because a woman would never have thought up something like that.
After the tests came back this time the Doctor let me know that the ultrasound showed that I had an 8 cm cyst in my left ovary. The standard procedure is they operate on anything bigger than 3 cm. So I was scheduled for my first surgery. I was terrified. I have never had surgery besides getting my wisdom teeth removed. The day of the surgery arrives and my Husband, Mom and Mother-in-law see me off on this path to hopefully fix my insides so we can start a family. After the surgery I am brought out to the recovery room. I am still coming out of the anesthesia and I ask my Mom about what the doctor told her. I know that she is just as overwhelmed as I would be and told me the bare basics. I actually did not have an 8 cm cyst. I had a couple of smaller cysts that they drained but the mass they saw on the ultrasound was a fibroid in my uterus. This is the problem that has been blocking our path to parenthood. My mom said that Doctor said I would have to be put into menopause to get rid of this fibroid. I just started bawling. The first thing that came to my mind was this is not supposed to happen to someone who is relatively healthy and young.
In the post op appointment with my OB/GYN he answered so many of the questions that my family and I had about this plan of treatment. We agreed that I would take Lupron shots that would put my body into a menopausal state. This is supposed to shrink the fibroid because hormones are the food that feeds these growths. The shots come with all of the symptoms that natural menopause comes with. Doctor said to expect hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, decrease in sexual drive, among several other uncomfortable problems. On an up note he did say that his younger patients handled the treatment very well. Well, from the experience I had just with my period I am afraid that my Husband and I will be divorced before this treatment is over. We shall see.
The next bend in the path was how to obtain the shots. Doctor said that usually the shots cost $750 A MONTH. I was sure that there was no way we could afford this treatment even with insurance. The office assured me that there were a couple options that we could persue if my insurance would not cover the shots. The next day that I was at work at the hospital I went to the pharmacy to see what could be done. As an employee of the hospital we have a prescription allowance of $3000 a year per couple. Thank God that Husband and I are healthy and have not touched one cent of this allowance. We figured it out that there are 4 months left in this year and 4 shots cost just under $3000. Oh, and at the hospital pharmacy the shots only cost $657. Then once the new year starts we get another $3000 allowance. So I can get the other two shots to complete the 6 month treatment. I took this a sign that this was the right path to take to treat this fibroid.
Today was my first injection. My sister-in-law is a LPN so I was able to take the shot home and my SIL could give it to me. After work I went over to her house to do the deed. Of course this was a "perfect" oppurtunity to show my 5 and 3 year old nephew and niece that shots don't hurt. Well, I just have to say that Aunt Ashley did great and didn't even flinch when I got poked. I hope that they learned a lesson. LOL
My purpose of this blog is to share my experience going through these miles of my journey. I hope that one day after these shots are done I can go back and read these entries and laugh. I hope that this helps me realize what my attitude is like and take a breath and get back on track. Also I want to share with my family and friends what is going on with me in my head. And maybe there is someone out there that will find my blog and get hope and inspiration that there are things out there that can help a couple find the happiness and joy of starting a family.
Until next time! Ashley :)
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