That's right...tonight I don't have to give any of my other shots. Instead, Bobby will give me my trigger shot. This shot is high dose HCG and it basically triggers ovulation 30-some hours after you give it. I was instructed to give mine at 11pm, which means my retrieval will be at 10am on Wednesday.
The great news about this is that I don't have to have any shots tomorrow, which also happens to be my anniversary. Awesome. We could actually go to dinner without me having to excuse myself to give shots in some restaurant bathroom stall - woo hoo!
The kind of sucky thing is that I had to cancel my Wed. acupuncture appt. So I will only have one more acupuncture before my transfer. Aw well, I gave it my best shot and hopefully the appointments I have had so far will prove to be beneficial.
Ok, so let's talk follicles. Sadly my left ovary has decided to stop working. Poor little bugger just didn't have it in him for the long haul. None of the follicles on the left have grown. Boo to that!
The righty was doing ok. Still a slow grower - none of the follicles are where the doc wants them to be but we can't push them anymore so it looks like they are as good as they will get. He told me they were aiming for 20 follicles total and I will probably end up with between 5 to 10. Which of course means less eggs, and possibly no mature eggs. You would think at this point I would be freaking out, but my saving grace is having all of the little frozen embryos. I know that no matter what, we will be transferring good embryos, and at this point that feels pretty good.
I am pretty tired this week. Driving back and forth to Spokane everyday wears on me - which in turn has made me sort of stupid. I have been forgetful, um...I forgot that I talked to my sister in what I can only conclude was a pretty in depth conversation and I've also been a bit clumsy...walking into doors and such. But honestly, that is about it for the side effects.
Oh, and I have a new little tip that I read online...apparently pineapple (mainly the core) is supposed to be very helpful in the implantation process. I am going to confirm this webformation (that's a little term I like to use regarding information I find on the web) tomorrow at my appt. But hey, I like pineapple so if it will help even a little, then serve me up some yummy fruity goodness :-)
Ok, here's the rest of week:
- Ultrasound and labs tomorrow to confirm I am still on track for retrieval and to rest assured that my body hasn't decided to spontaneously decided to ovulate
- Tomorrow night is freedom from shots or anything IVF related
- Wednesday morning is up to Spokane by 7:30 so Bobby can make his big debut in this lovely production, then probably breakfast for Bobby while I talk about how hungry I am because I can't eat but let him eat in front of me anyway because we are in Spokane so stinking early that nothing else is open and we have time to kill. Then back to the Dr office by 9am so they can get the iv in and wheel me in for my 10am retrieval.
- Wed. night starts my progesterone shots (yep the big huge ones that I really don't care for)
I will update tomorrow after my appointment, 'till then....
Monday, June 15, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Grow Follicles, Grow
So I had my appointment today and it was same old, same old. The Doc was concerned because pretty much all of the follicles on my left ovary are the same size they were two days ago. Luckily my right ovary has decided to take over, but it too is lagging. My follicles are simply not growing. I think I have 2 on my right ovary that have grown a little, but they aren't where they should be. The Doc said that we will probably up the dosage of my follistum, but we would have to wait to see what my bloodwork says. He also warned me that we are probably going to have little to no mature eggs this time.
I got the call from my nurse and she said to keep all my dosages the same. Confused...I told her what the doc had said and asked if she was sure I shouldn't up my dosage. She said they don't want to up the dosage because my numbers are where they should be and they don't want to elevate them because then I will hyperstim. Ugh! Why won't my darn body just cooperate one time...one stinkin time!?!
My nurse told me not too worry because we do have our frozen embies so if we have to thaw some of those, then that's what we'll do. Thanks, but that doesn't really make me feel better since I'm possibly pumping my body full of hormones for what might turn out to be nothing. Grrr....
On another note....My friend Nicole and I were talking in the waiting room and we both agreed that sometime people say the weirdest things to infertiles and/or adoptive parents. I thought I would include a little list of things not to say for those of you that might not know.
* (side note) I am out of the ordinary when it comes to infertility. We adopted, so the fact that we are reproducing-challenged is no secret. I am an open book when it comes to questions, and feel like I can educate people on this process. I am the Exception the the Rule. A good majority of infertile women feel this is a very very private issue. They don't like personal questions, and most don't like to share their experience. The reason for this side note is because I don't want people to look at this list and suddenly feel afraid to ask me things. I am just putting this out there so you'll know what Not to say...
Things NOT to say to:
People trying to have a baby (before any ART):
- "Just relax"
- "Don't try so hard" (my personal favorite)
- "You've only been trying for" (fill in the amount of time here), give it time."
*all of the above statements make you feel like it is in someway your fault for not getting pregnant when in actuality, it is probably out of your hands.
People going through IVF or adoption:
- "So who has the problem, you or your husband?" (really? Why do you need to know this?)
- "I would never implant more than one embryo" (never say never. You truly don't know until
you've been there)
- "I know a friend of my cousin who did IVF, got pregnant the first time, and then got pregnant
again shortly after. Once her body knew how to be pregnant, it happened naturally." (there
are soooo many reasons why this statement is stupid. Don't say this to me, because if it did
happen, then it is rare and most likely won't happen for me.)
- "Oh, don't you know once you adopt you'll get pregnant? It's because you aren't worrying
about it anymore." (If only it were that simple.)
- "If it doesn't work, you could always adopt". (Really? Thanks. That never occurred to me.
Obviously I know I can adopt. And by the way, for some people, adoption isn't plan B. For us,
it was our first choice. Please don't imply to me that adoption is some sort of second place
prize.)
- "It will all be worth it in the end". (will it? How do you know? Even my Dr. isn't so sure about
that.)
There are many, many more, but I wanted to post the most common. If anyone wants to add comments that they have heard, feel free. I know most people mean well, and aren't trying to be insensitive. I just thought I would throw these out there in case you ever catch yourself wanting to say one of them :-)
Next Appointment is on Sunday. Grow Follies Grow.
I got the call from my nurse and she said to keep all my dosages the same. Confused...I told her what the doc had said and asked if she was sure I shouldn't up my dosage. She said they don't want to up the dosage because my numbers are where they should be and they don't want to elevate them because then I will hyperstim. Ugh! Why won't my darn body just cooperate one time...one stinkin time!?!
My nurse told me not too worry because we do have our frozen embies so if we have to thaw some of those, then that's what we'll do. Thanks, but that doesn't really make me feel better since I'm possibly pumping my body full of hormones for what might turn out to be nothing. Grrr....
On another note....My friend Nicole and I were talking in the waiting room and we both agreed that sometime people say the weirdest things to infertiles and/or adoptive parents. I thought I would include a little list of things not to say for those of you that might not know.
* (side note) I am out of the ordinary when it comes to infertility. We adopted, so the fact that we are reproducing-challenged is no secret. I am an open book when it comes to questions, and feel like I can educate people on this process. I am the Exception the the Rule. A good majority of infertile women feel this is a very very private issue. They don't like personal questions, and most don't like to share their experience. The reason for this side note is because I don't want people to look at this list and suddenly feel afraid to ask me things. I am just putting this out there so you'll know what Not to say...
Things NOT to say to:
People trying to have a baby (before any ART):
- "Just relax"
- "Don't try so hard" (my personal favorite)
- "You've only been trying for" (fill in the amount of time here), give it time."
*all of the above statements make you feel like it is in someway your fault for not getting pregnant when in actuality, it is probably out of your hands.
People going through IVF or adoption:
- "So who has the problem, you or your husband?" (really? Why do you need to know this?)
- "I would never implant more than one embryo" (never say never. You truly don't know until
you've been there)
- "I know a friend of my cousin who did IVF, got pregnant the first time, and then got pregnant
again shortly after. Once her body knew how to be pregnant, it happened naturally." (there
are soooo many reasons why this statement is stupid. Don't say this to me, because if it did
happen, then it is rare and most likely won't happen for me.)
- "Oh, don't you know once you adopt you'll get pregnant? It's because you aren't worrying
about it anymore." (If only it were that simple.)
- "If it doesn't work, you could always adopt". (Really? Thanks. That never occurred to me.
Obviously I know I can adopt. And by the way, for some people, adoption isn't plan B. For us,
it was our first choice. Please don't imply to me that adoption is some sort of second place
prize.)
- "It will all be worth it in the end". (will it? How do you know? Even my Dr. isn't so sure about
that.)
There are many, many more, but I wanted to post the most common. If anyone wants to add comments that they have heard, feel free. I know most people mean well, and aren't trying to be insensitive. I just thought I would throw these out there in case you ever catch yourself wanting to say one of them :-)
Next Appointment is on Sunday. Grow Follies Grow.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cupping and other such things...
Ok, the cupping actually has to do with my acupuncture appt. but first I will give the deets on my dr. appointment.
Monday I got the call from my nurse that everything was going ok and to keep up with my same dosages/shots. So no news there. Today I had another appointment in Spokane, and it was nice because my friend Nicole was there (yay!). We didn't get to talk too long unfortunately, but still, it was nice to see a friendly face.
Anyway, at my appointment, the Dr. was doing my ultrasound and hemmed and hawed (never a good sign, I have learned). He said my endometrium was finally starting to build up (good) but I only had one follicle on my right ovary that measured over 11 and they all should be measuring over 11 by today (not so good). He asked me why I always had to cause him trouble, and I told him I was just trying to keep him on his toes. (*fake laugh by the doc here) He said we would wait and see what my bloodwork looks like and that I would get instructions from my nurse. Since this isn't my first go-a-round I knew that when my nurse called she would instruct me to up the dosage of my follistum, I just wasn't sure by how much. Oh, but the great news is it looks like my right ovary is back in the game and just might produce some mighty fine eggs :-)
When my nurse called (actually it wasn't my nurse, it was another nurse Debbie - but that's ok by me and not really important to this story in anyway, shape or form) anywho, when she called, I was in my acupuncture appt. so she left me a msg. and told me to up the dosage of my follistum (who's a smarty pants?) to 50, and leave my other dosages the same. Looks like more hormones for me. (*sigh)
Now onto my acupuncture, which I must say has piqued quite the interest with people.
Last night I went in and she did the normal, look at my tongue, take my pulse thing. Then I layed down and she put the needles in. I had a few different spots this time. She pressed really hard on the upper cartilage of my ear and I yelped so she stuck a needle in there and told me that was a pressure point for my uterus. I told her that my uterus must hurt because that didn't feel great (poor uterus has been through so much). On my other ear/uterus point, she placed this seed pod. A seed pod is a seed on this sticky tape-like-thing. She told me to massage it gently every now and then and she would take it off the next day. Pretty basic appointment.
Today I went back for my second appointment of acupuncture this week. This one was a little different. I layed down and she was asking about my stress. I said I felt pretty good, but I might be under a little stress. Then she asked me to lay on my side and she felt all the muscle in my back and shoulders. She told me that my muscles were hard as rocks and she wanted to try cupping before we inserted the needles. Um, cupping? Is that anything like spooning, 'cause I'm good thanks.... She had me sit in a chair with my head resting on a pillow on a table in front of me. (oh, I had to take off my shirt, and at this point I still had no idea what cupping was - aren't I trusting?). Then she proceeded to place about 8 small glass cups on my back and shoulders, and as she placed them, she used this suction thingy to suck all the air out of the cups so they were suctioned cupped to my body - can you say weird?
I have to say the cupping wasn't pleasant...at first. It felt like you had a really bad sunburn and someone came up and scratched you over and over...you know that kind of burning/stinging/ouchiness? Well that's what it felt like for the first few minutes. Then that went away and suddenly there was a really warm sensation that was happening. I was just starting to fall asleep when she came in and told me it was time to remove the cups - ah, well. She did say that I might have mild bruising on some spots. That will be a fun one to explain (lol).
Anyway, she proceeded with my acupuncture, I had a nice little nappy, and before I left she placed a seed pod in the other ear.
Here is a pic of the cupping - these aren't ouchy bruises. more like temporary hickies :-)
Upcoming events for me: Doc. appt on Friday in Spokane, then another one on Sunday. Retrieval is set for Tuesday, then acupuncture on Wed. and Thursday. Man this round of IVF is going by really fast (and I'm not complaining!).
Monday I got the call from my nurse that everything was going ok and to keep up with my same dosages/shots. So no news there. Today I had another appointment in Spokane, and it was nice because my friend Nicole was there (yay!). We didn't get to talk too long unfortunately, but still, it was nice to see a friendly face.
Anyway, at my appointment, the Dr. was doing my ultrasound and hemmed and hawed (never a good sign, I have learned). He said my endometrium was finally starting to build up (good) but I only had one follicle on my right ovary that measured over 11 and they all should be measuring over 11 by today (not so good). He asked me why I always had to cause him trouble, and I told him I was just trying to keep him on his toes. (*fake laugh by the doc here) He said we would wait and see what my bloodwork looks like and that I would get instructions from my nurse. Since this isn't my first go-a-round I knew that when my nurse called she would instruct me to up the dosage of my follistum, I just wasn't sure by how much. Oh, but the great news is it looks like my right ovary is back in the game and just might produce some mighty fine eggs :-)
When my nurse called (actually it wasn't my nurse, it was another nurse Debbie - but that's ok by me and not really important to this story in anyway, shape or form) anywho, when she called, I was in my acupuncture appt. so she left me a msg. and told me to up the dosage of my follistum (who's a smarty pants?) to 50, and leave my other dosages the same. Looks like more hormones for me. (*sigh)
Now onto my acupuncture, which I must say has piqued quite the interest with people.
Last night I went in and she did the normal, look at my tongue, take my pulse thing. Then I layed down and she put the needles in. I had a few different spots this time. She pressed really hard on the upper cartilage of my ear and I yelped so she stuck a needle in there and told me that was a pressure point for my uterus. I told her that my uterus must hurt because that didn't feel great (poor uterus has been through so much). On my other ear/uterus point, she placed this seed pod. A seed pod is a seed on this sticky tape-like-thing. She told me to massage it gently every now and then and she would take it off the next day. Pretty basic appointment.
Today I went back for my second appointment of acupuncture this week. This one was a little different. I layed down and she was asking about my stress. I said I felt pretty good, but I might be under a little stress. Then she asked me to lay on my side and she felt all the muscle in my back and shoulders. She told me that my muscles were hard as rocks and she wanted to try cupping before we inserted the needles. Um, cupping? Is that anything like spooning, 'cause I'm good thanks.... She had me sit in a chair with my head resting on a pillow on a table in front of me. (oh, I had to take off my shirt, and at this point I still had no idea what cupping was - aren't I trusting?). Then she proceeded to place about 8 small glass cups on my back and shoulders, and as she placed them, she used this suction thingy to suck all the air out of the cups so they were suctioned cupped to my body - can you say weird?
I have to say the cupping wasn't pleasant...at first. It felt like you had a really bad sunburn and someone came up and scratched you over and over...you know that kind of burning/stinging/ouchiness? Well that's what it felt like for the first few minutes. Then that went away and suddenly there was a really warm sensation that was happening. I was just starting to fall asleep when she came in and told me it was time to remove the cups - ah, well. She did say that I might have mild bruising on some spots. That will be a fun one to explain (lol).
Anyway, she proceeded with my acupuncture, I had a nice little nappy, and before I left she placed a seed pod in the other ear.
Here is a pic of the cupping - these aren't ouchy bruises. more like temporary hickies :-)
Upcoming events for me: Doc. appt on Friday in Spokane, then another one on Sunday. Retrieval is set for Tuesday, then acupuncture on Wed. and Thursday. Man this round of IVF is going by really fast (and I'm not complaining!).
Monday, June 8, 2009
First side effect has made it's debut...
I had an appointment in Spokane today, so I was up at 4:3o and out the door just before 5am. I know that I don't really need to get there early (and by early, I mean about 5 or 10 minutes earlier than the 7am appointment) since I'm just coming home after my appointments and not rushing off to work, but I am an impatient person. I'm a person who hates to wait. And since this series has lots of women going through, I thought it best for my own sanity to try to arrive a little early to reduce my wait time. Boy was I glad that I made that decision! I only waited about 5 minutes, but the people were streaming in as I was walking out.
I had labs and ultrasound today. The Doc had his usual cheery bedside manner (sense the sarcasm, please). He did say that it looks like I have some polyps, although it is hard to see on this type of ultrasound. He also said my endometrium isn't building up yet and there was some liquid in my uterus. That could be because I finally just finished my period (yep it was well over a week long) - he assured me that this isn't something we need to worry about at this point. I had 15 follies on my left ovary and still only 6 on my right. Come-on right ovary, the left one is kicking your ass!
I haven't heard from my nurse yet, and I usually wait to blog until that point - but let's be honest, there are a ton of women going through this series and somehow I ended up marrying someone with a W last name, which means I am at the end of the calling list (they go alphabetical). So I don't expect my phone call until sometime late this afternoon. I will update what my nurse says when I update about my acupuncture tomorrow.
Oh, and I officially have a side effect. I think the technical term is "hot flash", but I like to refer to this particular side effect as the "hellish inferno that is taking over my body from the inside out with no relief in site" - I am frikkin hot - and not hot like a "oooh, look at my ass in these jeans" kind of hot...I am hot....like a sizzling piece of bacon in a fry pan kind of hot. I am so hot that when I stopped at Wi.nc.o on my way home I spent an unusual amount of time leaning into the milk bin to cool myself off. I was asked to step out of the way....twice...and I didn't care because it was such sweet, sweet relief.
Till next time......
I had labs and ultrasound today. The Doc had his usual cheery bedside manner (sense the sarcasm, please). He did say that it looks like I have some polyps, although it is hard to see on this type of ultrasound. He also said my endometrium isn't building up yet and there was some liquid in my uterus. That could be because I finally just finished my period (yep it was well over a week long) - he assured me that this isn't something we need to worry about at this point. I had 15 follies on my left ovary and still only 6 on my right. Come-on right ovary, the left one is kicking your ass!
I haven't heard from my nurse yet, and I usually wait to blog until that point - but let's be honest, there are a ton of women going through this series and somehow I ended up marrying someone with a W last name, which means I am at the end of the calling list (they go alphabetical). So I don't expect my phone call until sometime late this afternoon. I will update what my nurse says when I update about my acupuncture tomorrow.
Oh, and I officially have a side effect. I think the technical term is "hot flash", but I like to refer to this particular side effect as the "hellish inferno that is taking over my body from the inside out with no relief in site" - I am frikkin hot - and not hot like a "oooh, look at my ass in these jeans" kind of hot...I am hot....like a sizzling piece of bacon in a fry pan kind of hot. I am so hot that when I stopped at Wi.nc.o on my way home I spent an unusual amount of time leaning into the milk bin to cool myself off. I was asked to step out of the way....twice...and I didn't care because it was such sweet, sweet relief.
Till next time......
Saturday, June 6, 2009
One appointment down, many more to go...
I had my second acupuncture appointment this past week and it went really great. She put the needles in a few different spots from last time, told me to continue to cut the dairy and red meat, and keep up the soaking of my feet. I scheduled all of my upcoming appointments before I left and I had to put some on back to back days, which she assured me would be ok. I really love the acupuncture. I don't know if it's doing anything, but I can say that it is very relaxing and every time I am in there I try to mentally envision any blockages of blood, energy, what-have-you moving out of the way and clearing a path of goodness to my uterus....well, that and sometimes I take a little nappy :-)
I also had my appointment to kick off this IVF series. I drove to Spokane bright and early Friday morning. I was happy to see that there weren't too many people in the waiting room. I had my blood drawn (aka "labs") and my super quick ultrasound - for those of you new to this blog, that would be an internal ultrasound with the big giant wand thingy - yuck! Things look good, so the Doc says. I have 10 follicles on my left ovary and 6 on my right. I thought this was a bit odd because my left ovary is sort of bench warmer - stands off to the side, never really does much, but I guess it has finally decided to get in the game.
I left my appointment and headed to my ever-relaxing spa day. I had a pedicure, a bikini wax (because let's face it...the bikini area is getting lots of coverage now-days with all the appointments and what-not), and a massage. I left there with pretty toes and a relaxed body and mind.
Last night I had to add 2 more shots into the mix. I normally inject 20 of Lupron, but that was knocked down to just 5 (yay!). Then I added 25 of Follistum, and 1 vial of Menopur - stings like a freakin-mo-fo! I seriously don't know why, but the Menopur just really stings. I let it sit for awhile, which helped last time, but that didn't seem to do the trick this time. Any tips on this one would be appreciated.
I talked to my nurse, with great concern in my voice, about how I am worried that I will hyperstim again. She assured me that they are watching me very closely and that they only prescribed 25 of Follistum when last time I had 75. That did seem to relieve my worries a bit.
My upcoming week is super busy...I have a Dr. appt in Spokane on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and next Sunday. I also have acupuncture on Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week. Busy, busy, busy.
I will update again after my appt. on Monday.
Oh, and I am happy to report NO side effects so far on any of my injections. No Lupron headache, no extreme bitchiness, even my sleepiness has gone away. In fact, I feel downright energetic! Maybe the acupuncture is helping, maybe the change in my diet - whatever it is, it's bliss!
I also had my appointment to kick off this IVF series. I drove to Spokane bright and early Friday morning. I was happy to see that there weren't too many people in the waiting room. I had my blood drawn (aka "labs") and my super quick ultrasound - for those of you new to this blog, that would be an internal ultrasound with the big giant wand thingy - yuck! Things look good, so the Doc says. I have 10 follicles on my left ovary and 6 on my right. I thought this was a bit odd because my left ovary is sort of bench warmer - stands off to the side, never really does much, but I guess it has finally decided to get in the game.
I left my appointment and headed to my ever-relaxing spa day. I had a pedicure, a bikini wax (because let's face it...the bikini area is getting lots of coverage now-days with all the appointments and what-not), and a massage. I left there with pretty toes and a relaxed body and mind.
Last night I had to add 2 more shots into the mix. I normally inject 20 of Lupron, but that was knocked down to just 5 (yay!). Then I added 25 of Follistum, and 1 vial of Menopur - stings like a freakin-mo-fo! I seriously don't know why, but the Menopur just really stings. I let it sit for awhile, which helped last time, but that didn't seem to do the trick this time. Any tips on this one would be appreciated.
I talked to my nurse, with great concern in my voice, about how I am worried that I will hyperstim again. She assured me that they are watching me very closely and that they only prescribed 25 of Follistum when last time I had 75. That did seem to relieve my worries a bit.
My upcoming week is super busy...I have a Dr. appt in Spokane on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and next Sunday. I also have acupuncture on Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week. Busy, busy, busy.
I will update again after my appt. on Monday.
Oh, and I am happy to report NO side effects so far on any of my injections. No Lupron headache, no extreme bitchiness, even my sleepiness has gone away. In fact, I feel downright energetic! Maybe the acupuncture is helping, maybe the change in my diet - whatever it is, it's bliss!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
You want to look at my tongue?
So today was my first acupuncture appointment, and it was actually pretty interesting. My Acupuncturist (is that what they are called?) was a super nice women who really put me at ease. She took me back to the exam room, which actually resembled a massage room at a spa - very nice. Then she had me sit and asked me to stick out my tongue. Ok, that's a little weird.
I guess the tongue says a lot about you. The shape, color, and texture can be very telling. She didn't tell me what my tongue said to her, and I was so intrigued by the question that I think I forgot to ask. Then we talked...a lot. I answered a ton of questions - mostly about my cycle, failed attempts, etc. Then it was time for the needles.
I layed down on the massage table and she lifted my shirt to expose my lower belly area. Then she put this heat lamp over the same area. It felt good and warm :-) Then she started pushing on different areas of my arms and legs asking me which areas felt sensitive to her pushing. When I indicated an area, she put a needle in. There were several on my feet, some on on my ankles, by my knees, one in my abdomen, a couple in my wrists/arms, shoulders, ears and one in my forehead. Then she left me there. I took a little nap, the heat lamp induced it I'm sure, and before I knew it she came back to check, turn the needles a bit, take my pulse (she checked my pulse a lot) and then left me alone for another 10 minutes. All in all I think I was in there with the needles in for about 40 or 45 minutes. Then she came back in and took the needles out.
She did have some instructions for me. I am supposed to soak my feet (from just below my shin, down) in warm water for 10 minutes every night. I should put a hot water bottle over my lower abdomen for about 1 hour 3 times a week. I have to cut out all dairy because I am getting too much animal protein from dairy and I am supposed to scale back other animal protein. So that's what I'm going to do. It's worth a try right? I will visit with her once a week up until retrieval and then I think I'll go twice before transfer and once after, but we'll play that by ear.
All in all, I have to say I think I like acupuncture. I left there feeling relaxed - like I had just had a massage. And I think I have tried everything else under the sun...maybe this is something that will help me in the IVF process.
I guess the tongue says a lot about you. The shape, color, and texture can be very telling. She didn't tell me what my tongue said to her, and I was so intrigued by the question that I think I forgot to ask. Then we talked...a lot. I answered a ton of questions - mostly about my cycle, failed attempts, etc. Then it was time for the needles.
I layed down on the massage table and she lifted my shirt to expose my lower belly area. Then she put this heat lamp over the same area. It felt good and warm :-) Then she started pushing on different areas of my arms and legs asking me which areas felt sensitive to her pushing. When I indicated an area, she put a needle in. There were several on my feet, some on on my ankles, by my knees, one in my abdomen, a couple in my wrists/arms, shoulders, ears and one in my forehead. Then she left me there. I took a little nap, the heat lamp induced it I'm sure, and before I knew it she came back to check, turn the needles a bit, take my pulse (she checked my pulse a lot) and then left me alone for another 10 minutes. All in all I think I was in there with the needles in for about 40 or 45 minutes. Then she came back in and took the needles out.
She did have some instructions for me. I am supposed to soak my feet (from just below my shin, down) in warm water for 10 minutes every night. I should put a hot water bottle over my lower abdomen for about 1 hour 3 times a week. I have to cut out all dairy because I am getting too much animal protein from dairy and I am supposed to scale back other animal protein. So that's what I'm going to do. It's worth a try right? I will visit with her once a week up until retrieval and then I think I'll go twice before transfer and once after, but we'll play that by ear.
All in all, I have to say I think I like acupuncture. I left there feeling relaxed - like I had just had a massage. And I think I have tried everything else under the sun...maybe this is something that will help me in the IVF process.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
For the inquisitive minds
Ok, so I have had a few people send me e-mails asking if I ever heard back about whether or not you can do the spa thing while partaking in an IVF series. This is what my nurse told me.
That they recommend doing any sort of massage or pedicure at least 1 week prior to egg retrieval. I guess when you get a massage/pedicure there are toxins released in your body (the massage is supposed to rid the toxins). My nurse advised me that it could take a week (on the safe side) for my body to rid itself of those toxins. I am sure other doctor's might say it's ok, but I know my doctor's office tends to be overly cautious - which I don't mind.
So, my nurse told me if I was going to the spa thing I would have to do it next week. So I got on the phone and made my appointment for the 5th. Yay me!
I have to go to the doc on the 5th anyway, so this works out perfect because I can just go directly after. This is a weekday however, and because of that, I am going solo. I'm sad that my friend Nicole can't go with me, but at the same time it gives me an excuse to go again with her at a later date.
Well, I hope that answers any questions that some of you other IVFers had. I would always check with your own doc to find out what they say, everyone is different.
That they recommend doing any sort of massage or pedicure at least 1 week prior to egg retrieval. I guess when you get a massage/pedicure there are toxins released in your body (the massage is supposed to rid the toxins). My nurse advised me that it could take a week (on the safe side) for my body to rid itself of those toxins. I am sure other doctor's might say it's ok, but I know my doctor's office tends to be overly cautious - which I don't mind.
So, my nurse told me if I was going to the spa thing I would have to do it next week. So I got on the phone and made my appointment for the 5th. Yay me!
I have to go to the doc on the 5th anyway, so this works out perfect because I can just go directly after. This is a weekday however, and because of that, I am going solo. I'm sad that my friend Nicole can't go with me, but at the same time it gives me an excuse to go again with her at a later date.
Well, I hope that answers any questions that some of you other IVFers had. I would always check with your own doc to find out what they say, everyone is different.
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