Healthy and Blessed

Most of you know that I had exploratory surgery on October 25th. I wanted to do that before we continued with any treatments. I appreciate all of your prayers and kind words. My surgery went really well. The doctor didn't find much at all, but that was exactly what I prayed for. He found a little bit of endometriosis. I know most people freak when they hear ENDOMETRIOSIS. However, it's really very common, and a lot of women have a little bit, and it never impacts their ability to conceive at all. It's the more severe cases that cause issues. It is rated on a scale of 1-4. Mine was barely stage one, so it's really no big deal. He lasered it all out.  He also did a D&C to remove some excess endometrial tissue. He found a few polyps and removed those as well. He said that it was all very common and nothing to worry about and that he was just mainly cleaning things up.

Now that all of that has been done and we know all my plumbing works properly, we will be proceeding with fertility treatments. Within the next month, we will do another round of treatments with an increased dosage of medicine. It's hard to do treatments during the holidays, but you do what you have to do. I would appreciate your prayers that my treatments won't impact my holiday travels. You all know that my family is down in Dothan, and I really don't want to cut my visits short.

I like to keep you all updated, because so many of you are praying for us. Thank you to all who have contributed towards our fundraising efforts. Thanks to you, we have been able to pay off almost all of our treatments from the summer. We can start anew this next month.

We still covet your prayers. Please pray that the treatments work, and we will have our baby soon. Please pray that we will be able to afford the treatments. God is so good, and I know he has his arms wrapped around us. I know our baby is on its way. Also pray that I won't have to miss so much work. It is so hard to plan for subs, and the amount of work I have to do after being absent is stressful. I found that out firsthand after missing a week of work because of my surgery. Plus, teachers don't have tons of sick days, and I need mine for maternity leave.

Thanks again for your love and support.

Shatisa

Feeling Blessed

I know that I've been horrible about updating my blog, but it's been a little hectic around here. I found out August 27th that I wasn't pregnant, so even though both cycles were the best ones I've ever had, I failed to achieve pregnancy. I would've posted a blog, but honestly, I've been so busy adjusting to the new school year and this ridiculous eight-period day. It has truly been a nightmare and very stressful. The good news is that it's kept my mind off all this fertility stuff. Plus, I wanted to wait until I met with our doctor before I posted any updates.

Richard and I had to take a day off today to have a video conference. That may not seem like something you would need to take a day off for, but I always end up waiting forever to see the doctor, and today was no exception. They were running behind as usual. We had a nice appointment. Dr. Allemand said that I responded the best that I ever have. They definitely found the perfect dose and combination of meds. He literally said that he was baffled as to why I'm not pregnant. They've gone down the list checking for every possible reason, but I don't have any conditions.

He gave us two options. First, we can do a cycle with a really high dose of meds. However, I've tried to avoid that because of the increased chances of multiples. Second, he said we could do exploratory surgery to rule out anything internal that hasn't shown up in tests.  I chose the second option. I just feel like we should rule out everything before we spend more money. I told him about a sweet friend who has two unused boxes of our meds and offered to sell them to me at a very low price, which is truly a blessing. So, if he decides after the surgery that he still wants to do an increased dosage, we have the meds.

No one wants to have surgery. I hate missing school with all that is within me, but it is what it is. I will have surgery in October. I don't know the dates yet. The surgical nurse should call sometime this week or next to schedule it. I will have it done at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham. It will be outpatient surgery, and I will be able to go home that evening. He said it normally takes 4-5 days to recover, depending on what has to be done. If he finds excessive endometrial tissue, he will do a D&C and remove it, and if he finds any endometriosis, he will go ahead and laser it. Those procedures could cause recovery to be a little longer. He will do laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, which are very common.

Honestly, I'm fine with it. I said we would be aggressive this year and do whatever we have to do to get pregnant, and that is exactly what we are doing. God is in control, and I know I'm having a baby. I was reminded recently that God loves me, I will have a baby sooner than I think, and God wants my life and my story to be a blessing and a testimony for him and his glory. I truly believe those things.

God has already blessed us. Richard got an extra part-time job, and I started teaching voice/piano lessons from home. Those extra jobs have helped out tremendously. A sweet friend offered us her unused meds for only $200. You have no idea how much that saves us. And, despite having to wait today, they felt sorry for the wait and didn't charge us. Those are all great financial blessings. Fertility treatments are expensive, but God is making a way.

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words. It means so much to us. Continue to pray for us. Pray that the surgery goes smoothly and there are no serious issues.

Round 2

I've been really quiet about the fertility stuff the last couple of weeks. There is no particular reason other than the fact that I've been busy getting ready for school, and I just don't need to be consumed with it every waking minute. I was sad that the last treatment didn't work, but I am hopeful that this one will. God is in control. I just have to let go and let him handle it.

I am doing the same thing as last time, just at a slightly higher dosage. I am currently taking my injections, and I will go in some time next week to do the procedure. I have an appointment Sunday in Birmingham, and I will know then when we will do the procedure for sure. After that I have the horrible two-week wait. This time I will be too busy with school to notice every twinge. That's a very good thing.

Just continue to pray for good results and good progesterone levels and a positive pregnancy test. But, don't forget to pray for me and Richard. Fertility treatments are rough and keep you on an emotional roller coaster ride. We believe that our time is coming. Our baby is on its way. It's just a matter of time. We really need this procedure to work. We've maxed out our insurance and now have to pay for all drugs ourselves. It is extremely expensive. I really don't want to have to do a round without drug coverage. Plus, fundraising is not fun. You run out of things to do. However, if we have to raise more money, I guess a garage sale will be next, but don't worry, I'll be sure to pick an off weekend. We are Bama fans for sure.

No matter what, I know that nothing is impossible with God. He sees the big picture and knows the perfect time for us to have a baby. If we get pregnant this time, that will be amazing, and I am believing we will.  If we don't, we will take a month off for sure and meet with our doctor to see what he would like to do next. We will continue treatments during the school year if we have to.

Pray, pray, pray! That's what we need right now. Thanks for your prayers, kind words, and support. We really appreciate the outpouring of love we've received from our friends and family.

Negative

Well, I'm not pregnant. It's okay. After eight years of trying, that's ninety-six times that I've gotten a negative. That doesn't make it any easier. It still hurts just the same, but it makes you resilient. You bounce back faster and keep on truckin'.

I really am fine. You don't have to console me or feel sorry for me. And whatever you do, please don't give me advice. Now is not the time to tell me that I just need to relax or go on vacation or drink a glass of wine. I have heard every single piece of advice possible and have tried numerous things to get pregnant. Infertility is a medical condition. If you broke your foot, I wouldn't tell you to just relax and not stress. I'd tell you to get your butt to a doctor. I know people mean well, but you must think before you speak. All I want you to do is pray for me. 

We have 2 1/2 weeks until school starts, so that gives me enough time to get another round in.  Hopefully, that one will work. If it doesn't, then we will take a month off and start back after I get settled into the new school year. No matter what, we will keep on trying.

I don't understand why this keeps happening, but I know God sees the big picture. He knows the perfect time for us to get pregnant, and we will. I don't know a lot of things, but I know that nothing is impossible with God. And I know, without a doubt, that we will be parents. We have a peace about it.

Please continue to pray for all the things you prayed for last time. I responded very well to this medicine. It was one of the best responses I've had, so it's just a matter of time. My doctor doesn't want to change anything. Thanks for your prayers and support. 

Sunday Morning Appointments

Woke up bright and early this morning with a smile on my face and peace in my heart. We had an 8:15 doctor's appointment in Birmingham. Yes, fertility doctors are open seven days a week. I'm not making   this stuff up. I hate missing church, but you do what you have to do. The good thing about these appointments is that there is no traffic and plenty of parking.

While everyone else was in church, we sat in a cold waiting room surrounded by very young couples nervously waiting. I play this game when I sit in the waiting room. I read everyone's body language and figure out what his/her stories are. We were definitely the oldest ones there today and the only veterans at this fertility stuff. The room was filled with kids in their early to mid-twenties. They were nervous and fidgety and unsure. They didn't know where to sign in or what to do. They were new to this, probably their first procedures. I wanted to look at them and tell them it would all be okay. They are so young and have plenty of time, but, of course, I didn't say a word.  You know you're a veteran when the staff can pronounce your name correctly. That may not be the case for you, but with the name Shatisa, that says a lot.

Let me rewind a little and get you caught up. Everything I asked you to pray for in my last blog was answered. My estrogen level was perfect, my period was late, my CMV test was normal, I didn't have to buy anymore medicine, and I responded perfectly. As I told you before, I tried a less expensive round of drugs this time. We went in today to measure my follicles and make sure I responded.  When you take fertility drugs, they cause you to produce more follicles. Follicles produce eggs. Some women produce lots of follicles and can produce lots of eggs. This can result in multiples, and you hear about that a lot. I'm not trying to produce massive amounts of follicles or eggs, and at my age, that's probably not going to happen anyway. Give me one good egg, and I'm set.

A mature follicle has to measure 1.8 mm. They say that the smaller ones can produce an egg, but normally your mature ones will be in the 1.8-2.0mm range.  I had three follicles today, which is fine. I had two smaller follicles on one side, but I had a good mature follicle on the right side that measured 1.9 mm. I didn't produce as many follicles this time because I took a different drug. I had several follicles last year, but I still never had more than one or two mature ones. Anyway, I asked the nurse if she wanted me to finish up my remaining medicine, but she said no. She said I responded and had a mature follicle and was ready to go. All you need is one egg. Normal ovulating women produce one egg every month. I have to take my trigger shot tonight. It will cause me to ovulate in 36 hours. I will go back Tuesday morning for my IUI.

There are a few things I need you to specifically pray for. They checked my progesterone today. You want it to be around 200 for every mature follicle, so pray that I have good numbers. Pray that my IUI works Tuesday and I'm pregnant. On the 23rd they will do blood work again and check my progesterone after the IUI. Anything over 10 means that you ovulated, but they like for it to be higher on a  medicated cycle. Pray for good numbers. I will go back for my pregnancy test on the 30th. My anniversary is the 31st, so that would be a great anniversary gift. Just pray, pray, pray, but most importantly, thank him and praise him for all he's done for us.

God is so good to me. He has answered all of my prayers and continues to bless me. I don't know what people do without him. I'm ready to be a mom. Call me crazy, but I know that I know that I know I am having a baby.  This is my month. Nothing is impossible with God.

Answered Prayers

Warning!!! If you get grossed out by the female reproductive system, you might not want to read this.

Just in case you didn't know, I want you to know that God answers prayers.  In my last blog I asked people to pray about my CMV test results and to pray that my period would be a few days late.  Well, my test results came back, and I am negative.  That means we are clear to proceed, and my period was late, to the point that the doctor had to write me a prescription for something to make me start.  I thought that was funny.  In fact, I didn't start my period until after my test results were back.  It was all perfect timing. Never think that your prayer request is too insignificant.  God cares about you, and if it isn't insignificant to you, then it isn't insignificant to him.

I will start taking my medication today.  I will take it for most of the next week, and then I will begin taking shots.  I hate giving myself shots, but it goes with the territory.  I've gotten used to it by now. Today is day three of my cycle, so days three through eleven I will be on medication.  I will go back to the doctor Sunday the 14th for an ultrasound.  That is part of taking these drugs.  You have to be monitored constantly to make sure your ovaries aren't hyperstimulated.  I will have to have my follicles measured and checked pretty regularly.  This is when they will determine if I need more medication or an increased dosage. 

I do have a few prayer requests for this week.  First, I had blood work done Monday and Friday.  My estrogen was too high Monday, so they tested it again Friday.  Please pray that my estrogen is where it needs to be.  Second, pray that this new medicine works really well and I won't have to increase my dosage and order more medicine.  If they need to do that, I would love it if they would just give me some samples.  They've done that before.  It saves money. Also, please pray that the procedure works.  I'm ready to have a baby.  I get tired of doing these procedures, and I don't want to have to do IVF if I can help it.

For those of you who have contributed money or helped with our fundraising, I want you to know where your money has gone.  So far, we've spent $1500 on this procedure.  That isn't counting the other copays that we will pay or any extra medicine we may have to order. I am thankful that we didn't have to do IVF.  That would've been even more money, but the fact is that ALL procedures are expensive.  We are still fundraising and will continue to do so.  We have one week to go on our Avon fundraiser, and we are doing another fundraiser this next week.

Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement.  I will continue to keep you posted.  As always, here is the link to our fundraising site:  http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/our-journey-to-parenthood/50742.

Minor Setbacks

I've said it before, and I really mean it. I believe I'm having a baby. I completely believe in miracles. I absolutely believe to the core of my being that nothing is impossible with God. I believe that a doctor is not necessary for me to conceive. I wait every month to see if I'm pregnant, because I believe that I can naturally conceive a child. I don't care what doctors say. I'm under the care of the great physician, who is able to do more than we ask or imagine.  So I let setbacks and frustrations roll off my back. 

After a great doctor's appt. Monday, we got a couple of test results back that are frustrating. They tested my AMH, which they don't test until you are over the age of 35. It is a test that measures how many eggs they think you have. Well, anything under 1.0 means that your eggs are starting to deplete. My number was .44. It's not the end of the world. It's common for women as they age. It just means that I don't have as many eggs left. For the first time in my life, I feel old. Women in their forties oftentimes have numbers that are .1 or don't even measure, and they still conceive. It's just a small puzzle piece in the puzzle that is fertility. That test wasn't a big deal. It's expected as you age. It doesn't change anything. 

However, we did another test called the CMV test. It's a common virus that women carry and never even know they have. You need to be positive or negative for the virus. It's really very difficult to explain. My test came back showing that I am currently infected with it. It looks to be changing over to positive but hasn't yet. They can't continue on with our treatments until they retest me. The test will be done in two weeks, which is July 5th. They have to get the results back before we can proceed. This may be too much information for you, but my period is supposed to start July 2nd. I have to go in and have my baselines and start my medicine around days 3-5. We will be cutting it really close. It could mean that we can't do the procedure in July and will have to wait until August. I don't want to do that. I was hoping to have time to do two, if needed, before school starts back. 

It's a minor setback, but it's all good. God is in control. I just need prayer. The most amazing thing in the world would be for me to be pregnant and never even have to do the procedure. If not, then I need my period to be a few days late so that we can get the test results in. I need you all to pray. Thanks!