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The Groups
Begin the Beguine
The orchestra is finished warming up and the lights have dimmed. The ushers are closing the doors to the theatre and a recording chimes in to remind you to turn of your cell phones and pagers. It’s time to start the show. And didn’t I promise you all front row seats?
Welcome to The FET, a show produced and sponsored by the Uterus Brigade and The IVP.
Local clinic stuff was sorted out easily (thank goodness!) and my body responded by promptly beginning to bleed. This means that my baseline ultrasound and blood-work will happen tomorrow. And if all looks well I will begin estrogen pills tomorrow evening.
I can’t believe this cycle is finally here. So much anticipation. So much.
Your daily moment of cute:
The Prequel to the Sequel
I have one thing to say and then I want to have a conversation with you guys. Here is the statement: I am currently celebrating the (quiet) start of my period. Which, while not a cartwheel moment, it IS something that has to happen in order to get TO the cartwheel moment. That moment would be my next period. That cycle will be the beginning of THE cycle. You know the one you guys have been helping me save up towards for five+ months. Yes. THAT cycle. The FET cycle. The sequel to the almost perfect IVF (that bled away…).
And because I am going to be an obnoxious good girl (& by good I mean try to off-set any health issues that my fat ass might be bringing to the party by abstaining from caffeine and booze) this will be the last week that I will partake of the yumminess that is red wine and enjoy the alertness that is my morning coffee/s.
Since this is a new page in this chapter I decided to unveil a new look on the blog. (if you are reading me in a blog reader you are totally not getting the full effect…just saying) If you notice any glitches please raise your hand and speak up. And yes, that is what my kitty looks like. Cute as hell, right?!
Now- on to the conversation. As I have been clicking and reading along being a nacomleavmo gal I have noticed all KINDS of blogs out there that deal with the same subject differently. That subject would be talking about a cycle vs. not talking about it. There are blogs that give you the juicy facts from every angle and then there are the ones that simply say things like, “went to the RE” and then move on to talking about other stuff.
Personally I am an over-sharer. Way too much sharing. But I wonder if that is a turn off. Would you rather read ALL the details, a few choice details, or a vague shrug of the details? (sorry. NO details is not an option.)
Now don’t get me wrong, as far as blogging a cycle I expect this one to be super boring for most of you. (if you want excitement may I direct you to the Hep C scare cycle of October ‘07) I mean there will only be four ultrasounds total from start of period to transfer of the embryos day. But really I ask this for those that are going through shit times. I have been there so don’t lie. Is it going to be annoying as hell to have to read stuff? Should I put things at the end of posts? or do one of those post breaks so that if you are reading on a reader program that you don’t have to see something you are not in the mindset to see?
Just something I am thinking about. Now excuse me while I go to the store to buy a vat of wine.
OMG FET!
I have three words for you: We Did It!
Through much hard work, love, dedication, determination, paypaling, and support guess who has reached her FET savings goal? Me! I don’t think I can even articulate this feeling that is gallivanting through my body right now. Imagine 3 cans of red bull without the headache. Imagine the exhilaration of a continuous volt of electricity without the pain. My spirit is doing cartwheels and triple salchows.
I just got off the phone with the North East clinic and I could do my FET whenever I want. As in if I bleed tomorrow I could be cycling the next day. Insane.
Too much insane, actually. But I have a date. Well, really it is a month. July will be the independence month for my embryos. July. 2008. As in just a bit over a month from now. Insane. Insane. Insane.
Here is what the clinic’s plan is: CD2 ultrasound and bloodwork at local clinic. If all systems go then I begin estrace. CD15 gets another ultrasound and bloodwork. If things are still going well then I begin PIO and Pvagrockets. (& maybe medrol? um…I was doing the cartwheels and might have missed something) I don’t have to be up at North East Clinic until CD20 (or later if I want to take the embryos to blast. Do I want to do that?) Three days after transfer I get bloodworked & ultrasounded and then I can go home.
Forgive me, but: HOLYSHITOHMYFUCKINGGAWDCANYOUBELIEVETHATTHISISGOINGTOHAPPEN???
I wish I could single out & thank each and every one of you that helped me get this far. Our community is unstoppable and all-embracing. I have met so many groovy and wonderful women in these last few months. Women that went above and beyond to help me out. I will probably never know how much work some of you guys did behind the scenes. I love you all.
What I do know is that this kind of support is something that needs to continue on to others. I can’t wait to find out who the next UTERUS recipient is for the Summer season.
Thank you. Thank you infinity. You are now getting front row seats to the great summer thaw of 2008.
A Bushel and a Peck
This is the song that I sing to GM around 300 times a day. Usually I sing the first two lines of the chorus and I can tell how she is doing by whether or not she chimes in on, “and a hug around the neck.” If she doesn’t remember the line then I know it will be a hard day or a hard afternoon. But that is not what my post is about today. GM talk will be later.
The point of mentioning and including the song (& bonus points for having Music on a Monday, right Ms. Prufrock?) is that it is one of my ultimate warm fuzzy songs. Sure you’ve got your Wind Beneath the Wings, and your I Will Always Love Yous. But if you have my true love I will sing this song to you…and often. And you will LIKE IT!
How do I begin a thank you note? “Dear Readers” seems so stuffy. “Dear People that are changing my life” almost covers it. How do you convey all of the love and affection with just words? Inserting a million X’s and O’s wouldn’t even do it justice. How can I ever thank you all enough?
The U.T.E.R.U.S. brigade is like a team of Super Heroes in our community. I have no idea what most of you look like, but in my mind you are all foxy women standing on a mountain with vibrant capes flying out behind you. The Brain-stormers, the make it happeners, the people submitting items to auction, the people bidding on them, the friends and anonymous strangers donating directly to my FET fund, the people advertising and rallying on their blogs, the e-mails of support and encouragement, the silent readers offering up prayers- we are no longer individuals, we are a palpable community with a shining flame of hope carried by The U.T.E.R.U.S. brigade.
Holy fuck are you guys awesome. Supremely awesome.
Thank you. (& you are welcome for not singing you The Golden Girl’s theme song even though I know all of the words of the extended version.)
Cali wishes you would click on this…
Not a real post…just a little information sharing. Click on the image above to see some amazing and wonderful things. And look to the right at the swank new direct donation tracker. You guys are just incredible!
Don’t call it a comeback…
Totally pretend that I am still gathering my zen, but I need to address something pretty effing awesome that is going on. Have you ever heard that insanely optimistic religious phrase, “Let Go & Let God”? Well I am experiencing something that I am now calling Let Go & Let the Internets.
There is a movement, yes I called it a movement, going on that makes me all kinds of aw shucks-ish. I have been selected to be the guinea pig & first recipient of U.T.E.R.U.S. (Union To Expedite Relief Until Self-Fulfillment) I am very honored and overwhelmed and insanely inspired.
Mel, amazing gal and friend that she is, has spear-headed this organization that’s goal will to be to help women in our corner of the infertility world move forward with their goal of becoming a parent. This is just the first link in a chain of how we are all connected to each other. I look forward to being able to help the next people.
Fantastically enough there has also been a semi underground movement within The IVP that Hope and many other rock stars have been working on. (links with info on that to come.)
All of this goodness. I am sure you can imagine how the tears have been flowing today.
Please take a moment to read about U.T.E.R.U.S. and if you want to participate I would be beyond thrilled & thankful. It would also mean a lot to me if you could spread the word via your blog by using the image below and linking it to Mel’s original post. Directions can be found here.
It kills me to be a needy gal, but I am. And I know that so so so (SO) many of you have helped me in the past. Hell most of you are the very reason why I have embryos to transfer in the first place! But here I am…being all needy & shit some more. Sometimes asking for help & accepting it are the biggest hurdles to success. Consider my hurdle jumped.
Going back to my zen place…but you better effing believe that I will update on this. (& for those of you on FlickR I will be doing weekly acne updates.)
THANK YOU ALL for all of your support and love.
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