Today was another blood test....an another negative. I am starting to get used to seeing the negative, who knows how I will react when I actually get a positive! I had taken a test yesterday, so I already knew the outcome of the test. I was still holding on to that one shred of hope though that it was a false negative. No such luck! Abby, the ARNP, that I see every time sounded just about as disappointed as I am feeling. It really makes me feel that they really do care about their patients and I am being treated at the right place.
I made an appointment for me and Josh to go talk about our next plan of action on May 9th. Which also happens to be our 2 year anniversary!! We will discuss injections as well as IVF I believe, but who knows what will be right for us. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we reach uncharted waters and rising costs! Lol
So after a little bit of an intermission, we will continue on this long hard journey and hopefully some day see it come to an end!! =)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
*-*-*Waiting Game*-*-*
So I ended up again only having one mature follicle. I know that you only need one, but for me it seems that is not enough. But who knows, maybe this time one will work. I still have a few days until I find out if it worked or not. I will probably test the day before again like last time so that I will be prepared.
Last night we went over to my moms for dinner and a play date with Katie and baby Jonah! He is growing so much!! He's starting to get chunky and smiles a big gummy smile.
This weekend is Easter and I am really looking forward to having it at our house this year! Josh and I will spend Saturday preparing the house and coloring eggs. We just love our new house so much and really enjoy having people over now. Josh is so excited to get to use the fire pit he built!
Last night we went over to my moms for dinner and a play date with Katie and baby Jonah! He is growing so much!! He's starting to get chunky and smiles a big gummy smile.
This weekend is Easter and I am really looking forward to having it at our house this year! Josh and I will spend Saturday preparing the house and coloring eggs. We just love our new house so much and really enjoy having people over now. Josh is so excited to get to use the fire pit he built!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Grow Follies, Grow!!
I had an appointment yesterday with my Dr. after doing the three pills a night for five nights. I have really been getting some serious hot flashes and headaches from this round of meds. I had three good sized follies, two that measured 10 and one that measured 12. This was really good because usually I am a really slow grower! I have another appointment on Friday and am hoping that they have a significant growth spurt so that I can go ahead and get my trigger shot and get busy of the weekend....I have been told by a couple of my fertility buddies that Preseed lube is the way to go, so I will try to find some tomorrow!
I am starting to feel some pain in my right ovary today which is a good sign! My left ovary never produces any follies, so my right one is working hard for me! So hopefully we will see some progress on the screen on Friday! Fingers crossed that 4th round will be the winner!!
I am still scared of the thought of another miscarriage, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and just think about making a baby first!! Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!
I am starting to feel some pain in my right ovary today which is a good sign! My left ovary never produces any follies, so my right one is working hard for me! So hopefully we will see some progress on the screen on Friday! Fingers crossed that 4th round will be the winner!!
I am still scared of the thought of another miscarriage, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and just think about making a baby first!! Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Family & Friends
This past weekend two of Josh's brothers came in town. We had a really great time!! They arrived on Thursday evening just in time for St. Patty's Day! We went downtown to Irish Fest and then to Julies for some kareoke! We had a great time, maybe a little too much fun for some of us!
Friday we went to brunch at Another Broken Egg, which was fabulous of course, and visited my sister-in-law Meredith at the Capitol. She is the House Photographer so we got a behind the scenes tour of the Chamber and such! She even took a great picture!
We then went over to the Supreme Court where we got another behind the scenes tour from my friend Alexis as well as one of the security guards there. All in all it was a great experience for our out of towners as well as for me and Josh. 18 + years living in Tallahassee and I had never been to either! After a quick stop at Tropical Smoothie, we showed the guys our new house we will be moving into on April 1st! We were so happy to see even more progress made on the house and cannot wait until moving day! Friday night was a delish dinner at Bonefish Grill with Alexis and Kyle followed by some intense games of Spoons and Kings! I broke 2 nails and chipped every nail on my right hand...we are all a little competative! Needless to say we were up until 4:30 am which never happens these days!! Soooo much fun!!
Saturday morning the boys went to Another Broken Egg again and I stayed home for some R&R. When they got home we headed to pick up my mom for bowling! We played quite a few games. Of course I was WINNING that day! I won one single game and Josh and I beat Travis and Jeremiah in our teams competition! After bowling it was off to meet Joel, Meredith, Anna and her sister at El Jalisco for mexican food and margaritas! It was yummy of course and we even told our server it was Jeremiah's birthday so he could get the full El Jalisco experience! After dinner we headed over to Joel and Meredith's for some family fun! Meredith's sister Britany, her husband Matt and their little boy Trace came over. We had a really great time playing some games and hanging out.
The boys had to leave at 5:30 Sunday morning. We really enjoyed having them here with us and can't wait until next time (possibly next month). We will be in our new place by then so we will have more room, and maybe have people to our house next time! Thank you to everyone who helped us show our guests a great time!!! xoxo
Now I am back to concentrating all of my energy on my next cycle. I have started the birth control pill that I will take until the 27th. So maybe 4th time will be a charm and we will have some positive action in the beginning of April!
Friday we went to brunch at Another Broken Egg, which was fabulous of course, and visited my sister-in-law Meredith at the Capitol. She is the House Photographer so we got a behind the scenes tour of the Chamber and such! She even took a great picture!
Travis, Josh, Emily, Jeremiah
We then went over to the Supreme Court where we got another behind the scenes tour from my friend Alexis as well as one of the security guards there. All in all it was a great experience for our out of towners as well as for me and Josh. 18 + years living in Tallahassee and I had never been to either! After a quick stop at Tropical Smoothie, we showed the guys our new house we will be moving into on April 1st! We were so happy to see even more progress made on the house and cannot wait until moving day! Friday night was a delish dinner at Bonefish Grill with Alexis and Kyle followed by some intense games of Spoons and Kings! I broke 2 nails and chipped every nail on my right hand...we are all a little competative! Needless to say we were up until 4:30 am which never happens these days!! Soooo much fun!!
Saturday morning the boys went to Another Broken Egg again and I stayed home for some R&R. When they got home we headed to pick up my mom for bowling! We played quite a few games. Of course I was WINNING that day! I won one single game and Josh and I beat Travis and Jeremiah in our teams competition! After bowling it was off to meet Joel, Meredith, Anna and her sister at El Jalisco for mexican food and margaritas! It was yummy of course and we even told our server it was Jeremiah's birthday so he could get the full El Jalisco experience! After dinner we headed over to Joel and Meredith's for some family fun! Meredith's sister Britany, her husband Matt and their little boy Trace came over. We had a really great time playing some games and hanging out.
The boys had to leave at 5:30 Sunday morning. We really enjoyed having them here with us and can't wait until next time (possibly next month). We will be in our new place by then so we will have more room, and maybe have people to our house next time! Thank you to everyone who helped us show our guests a great time!!! xoxo
Now I am back to concentrating all of my energy on my next cycle. I have started the birth control pill that I will take until the 27th. So maybe 4th time will be a charm and we will have some positive action in the beginning of April!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Another Month, Another Negative
So another negative test to add to the millions we already have seen! I already knew it was negative since I took a test yesterday, but I still got the blood test today just in case. You always hold on to that glimmer of hope for that false negative. I was bummed yesterday, but not today since I already knew the outcome. It was a lot easier seeing it alone and knowing ahead of time instead of getting the call at work and retreating to the bathroom for twenty minutes.
I talked with Abby, my Nurse Practitioner that I see every time I go, about 15 minutes ago. She called to break the news. She said she wants to try one more time with the same medication and up the dosage again. She will start me on day three of my cycle instead of day five and keep me on it for longer than five days. Our goal is to produce more than one mature follicle. I am crossing my fingers for this fourth try because the next step would be injections.
I am trying to be patient, but it's hard seeing the months go by...oh well I'll just have to keep a smile on my face and keep on trying! =) I am so thankful to have such an amazing, supportive man at my side through all of this! xoxo
I talked with Abby, my Nurse Practitioner that I see every time I go, about 15 minutes ago. She called to break the news. She said she wants to try one more time with the same medication and up the dosage again. She will start me on day three of my cycle instead of day five and keep me on it for longer than five days. Our goal is to produce more than one mature follicle. I am crossing my fingers for this fourth try because the next step would be injections.
I am trying to be patient, but it's hard seeing the months go by...oh well I'll just have to keep a smile on my face and keep on trying! =) I am so thankful to have such an amazing, supportive man at my side through all of this! xoxo
Monday, February 28, 2011
Medication Info
Since I haven't had much to report, well actually I am just being stingy with my info, I googled some info on the meds and things that I have been using. It will give you more insite on the monthly process I go through! I have an appointment today at 1:00 to check out my follicles. I am hoping to have more than one mature one this time around! I tested positive on my Ovulation Test today, so we are crossing our fingers.
Letrozole is a medication that has been widely used in women with breast cancer. It is sold under the trade name Femara. Letrozole belongs to a class of medications known as aromatase inhibitors.
Recently, the manufacturer of Letrozole sent a notice to doctors warning that there are reported cases of birth defects that arose in the children of women who received Letrozole while pregnant. Novartis, the manufacturer of letrozole, reviewed their safety database and found 13 reports of pregnant women receiving the drug worldwide. Of those 13 women, two had children with birth defects. In the United States, the labeling of letrozole already warns that it has been associated with birth defects. Novartis has never sought FDA approval to market letrozole as a fertility medication and is clearly concerned about their liability if given in pregnancy.
However, there are no reports of letrozole being associated with birth defects when given prior to pregnancy. It is important to make the distinction that when used as a fertility medication, letrozole is given before the establishment of pregnancy. Letrozole is a medication that is metabolized rapidly in the body. It is not thought to have significant levels in the blood or tissues for a prolonged period of time.
At least one major pharmaceutical company, Serono, is conducting studies with a similar medication called anastrozole in the hopes of obtaining FDA approval to market it specifically as a fertility medication.
Aromatase is an enzyme that is responsible for the production of estrogen in the body. Letrozole works by inhibiting aromatase thereby suppressing estrogen production. Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, blocks estrogen receptors. In both cases, the result is that the pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate the ovaries. These hormones, FSH and LH, can cause the development of ovulation in women who are anovulatory or increase the number of eggs developing in the ovaries of women who already ovulate. As a result, several studies have now been published using letrozole as a fertility drug.
One of the earliest studies using letrozole as a fertility drug looked at 12 women with inadequate response to clomiphene citrate. Ovulation on letrozole occurred in 9 of 12 cycles and 3 patients conceived. A later study by the same investigators compared the effects of letrozole to those of clomiphene citrate. This time 19 women were studied. Ten women received clomiphene citrate and nine women received letrozole. This study was unable to demonstrate any difference in the number of women who ovulated, the number of eggs that developed in each woman, or the thickness of the uterine lining during treatment. However, a more recent study by a different group of investigators found that compared with clomiphene citrate, letrozole is associated with a thicker uterine lining and a lower miscarriage rate.
Nobody has yet identified the optimal dose for letrozole. Three dose regimens have been tested: 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7.5 mg. Different studies comparing these dose regimens have occasionally found favor with one dose or another but there is no conclusive data that one dose is better than another. The usual length of treatment is for five days.
Some early studies suggested that the pregnancy rates with letrozole far exceeded those with clomiphene citrate and were possibly even higher than gonadotropins. Further data has determined that this is not the case. Pregnancy rates with letrozole are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate and are lower than the pregnancy rates seen with gonadotropins. Older patients have a lower chance of success than younger patients.
Treatment with letrozole may still be successful even if other treatments have failed. For example, some data shows that in women who did not ovulate with clomiphene citrate, they still may ovulate with letrozole.
Hot flashes
Headaches
Breast tenderness
1. Call the office on Day 1 of your period.
2. Day 2 or 3 - Office visit- Blood test and ultrasound.
3. Take the letrozole 2.5 mg tablet on days 5,6,7,8, and 9.
4. Start testing urine on the morning of day 10 or 11.
5. Look for the first definite color change. Do not continue to test after the color change.
6. Have intercourse the same day you see the color change and the next day.
7. Call the office when you see the color change. Schedule an appointment approximately one week later for a blood test to verify ovulation
Letrozole for Infertility Treatment: Background information
Letrozole is being used commonly as an infertility treatment. Letrozole is the most recent addition to the drugs being used for fertility treatment. Fertility drugs are used often in infertility treatments. There are two situations in which fertility drugs may be useful. First, these drugs can be used to induce an egg to develop and be released in women who are not ovulating on their own. This is known as ovulation induction. Fertility drugs can also be used to increase the chances of pregnancy in women who are already ovulating. This is known as superovulation . In many fertility centers, clomiphene citrate (Clomid, Serophene) has been the drug of first choice for either ovulation induction or superovulation for many years. In general, it has been a relatively effective medication. However, clomiphene citrate lasts for a long time in the body and may therefore have an adverse effect on the cervical mucus and uterine lining. Some groups of patients, such as women with PCOS – polycystic ovary syndrome, do not respond well to clomiphene citrate. Another group of fertility drugs which are administered as injections are called gonadotropins (Gonal F, Follistim). The gonadotropins are very efficient at inducing ovulation and have higher pregnancy rates than clomiphene citrate. However, gonadotropins are much more expensive than clomiphene citrate and the injectable route is uncomfortable for patients to administer and inconvenient. The risk for multiple pregnancies is also much higher with gonadotropins.Letrozole is a medication that has been widely used in women with breast cancer. It is sold under the trade name Femara. Letrozole belongs to a class of medications known as aromatase inhibitors.
Recently, the manufacturer of Letrozole sent a notice to doctors warning that there are reported cases of birth defects that arose in the children of women who received Letrozole while pregnant. Novartis, the manufacturer of letrozole, reviewed their safety database and found 13 reports of pregnant women receiving the drug worldwide. Of those 13 women, two had children with birth defects. In the United States, the labeling of letrozole already warns that it has been associated with birth defects. Novartis has never sought FDA approval to market letrozole as a fertility medication and is clearly concerned about their liability if given in pregnancy.
However, there are no reports of letrozole being associated with birth defects when given prior to pregnancy. It is important to make the distinction that when used as a fertility medication, letrozole is given before the establishment of pregnancy. Letrozole is a medication that is metabolized rapidly in the body. It is not thought to have significant levels in the blood or tissues for a prolonged period of time.
At least one major pharmaceutical company, Serono, is conducting studies with a similar medication called anastrozole in the hopes of obtaining FDA approval to market it specifically as a fertility medication.
Aromatase is an enzyme that is responsible for the production of estrogen in the body. Letrozole works by inhibiting aromatase thereby suppressing estrogen production. Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, blocks estrogen receptors. In both cases, the result is that the pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate the ovaries. These hormones, FSH and LH, can cause the development of ovulation in women who are anovulatory or increase the number of eggs developing in the ovaries of women who already ovulate. As a result, several studies have now been published using letrozole as a fertility drug.
One of the earliest studies using letrozole as a fertility drug looked at 12 women with inadequate response to clomiphene citrate. Ovulation on letrozole occurred in 9 of 12 cycles and 3 patients conceived. A later study by the same investigators compared the effects of letrozole to those of clomiphene citrate. This time 19 women were studied. Ten women received clomiphene citrate and nine women received letrozole. This study was unable to demonstrate any difference in the number of women who ovulated, the number of eggs that developed in each woman, or the thickness of the uterine lining during treatment. However, a more recent study by a different group of investigators found that compared with clomiphene citrate, letrozole is associated with a thicker uterine lining and a lower miscarriage rate.
Nobody has yet identified the optimal dose for letrozole. Three dose regimens have been tested: 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7.5 mg. Different studies comparing these dose regimens have occasionally found favor with one dose or another but there is no conclusive data that one dose is better than another. The usual length of treatment is for five days.
Some early studies suggested that the pregnancy rates with letrozole far exceeded those with clomiphene citrate and were possibly even higher than gonadotropins. Further data has determined that this is not the case. Pregnancy rates with letrozole are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate and are lower than the pregnancy rates seen with gonadotropins. Older patients have a lower chance of success than younger patients.
Treatment with letrozole may still be successful even if other treatments have failed. For example, some data shows that in women who did not ovulate with clomiphene citrate, they still may ovulate with letrozole.
Letrozole side effects
Letrozole works based on its ability reduce estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels of any cause can cause a woman to have symptoms. The data on side effects comes from women who have been using letrozole for an extended period of time in order to treat breast cancer. The treatment duration for letrozole is only five days. In our experience, we have seen side effects that are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate:Letrozole and pregnancy
Studies conducted so far have shown either no increased risk of miscarriage or a decrease in miscarriage risk. Letrozole is considered pregnancy Category D. Letrozole should not be given to women who are already pregnant. Studies in rats and mice have shown that letrozole increases the risk of fetal death and malformations. Since there are no studies in human beings, it should be assumed that a similar effect is possible.Letrozole Fertility Treatment Protocols
Monitoring with ovulation predictor kits and having intercourse only.1. Call the office on Day 1 of your period.
2. Day 2 or 3 - Office visit- Blood test and ultrasound.
3. Take the letrozole 2.5 mg tablet on days 5,6,7,8, and 9.
4. Start testing urine on the morning of day 10 or 11.
5. Look for the first definite color change. Do not continue to test after the color change.
6. Have intercourse the same day you see the color change and the next day.
7. Call the office when you see the color change. Schedule an appointment approximately one week later for a blood test to verify ovulation
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy and not so Happy Valentine's Day....
Saturday afternoon Josh and I headed to Apalachicola to the Coombs Inn Bed & Breakfast. The drive was beautiful and it took us less than two hours to get there. The room we got, The Hemingway, was amazing and included a 2 person jacuzzi tub and a separate sitting room.
We explored the town for a while and looked around at all the unique shops. We had a snack at That Place Off 98 that included shrimp cocktail and soup...yes I know weird combo, but it was delicious! We had dinner at another restaurant, can't think of the name. I had Ahi Tuna and Josh had some yummy shrimp! We also enjoyed a wine tasting at the Bed & Breakfast!
Apparently we didn't get the memo that you aren't supposed to put bubbles in a jacuzzi tub and ended up having more bubbles than water in the tub. Needless to say that makes your bath time less than enjoyable!! lol
Sunday morning we had a great breakfast at the B & B that included a bacon and spinach quiche and some fruit. They also had bagels, muffins, cereal and many other things to choose from. After breakfast we went on a bike ride. It was pretty nice except Josh could not seem to connect with his bikes because both of them broke!! Haha!! It was pretty fun and we had some really great laughs. We did a little more exploring and then picked up our picnic basket and headed to the beach! St. George Island was only about 15 minutes away. We drove to the state park and found a private spot on the beach. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed sandwiches, chips, fruit etc.
We had a crazy seagull not too far from us that would "yell" at every bird that came near it. It was like our own little body guard! We also saw some dolphins. There were about 7 or 8 that we spotted. After we finished at the beach we parked the car back at the room and went for some homemade gelato. It was excellent, I got mint chocolate chip and Josh got coffee!
After relaxing in the room for a while it was time to get ready for a nice dinner. We had dinner at The Verandas. It was amazing!! We had Lobster and Crab Bisque Soup, Salad and a yummy bottle of Riesling. Josh ordered out side of the box and ordered Duck! It was soooo good!! I ordered a Filet Mignon with mushrooms and some roasted red potatoes and vegetables. It was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had! After dinner we relaxed in the jacuzzi tub, minus the bubbles, and watched the Grammys and talked and such ;)
It was a really amazing weekend to just be together alone and talk and spend some really great time together!!
This morning we had another yummy breakfast at the B & B and packed our things to head out. The drive home was going really well and we were to get home around 11:30. We noticed though that every time we were completely stopped the car would start shaking. When we would go, we would hear a big water swooshing noise. So Josh took the car to Joel to look at. He told him that he thinks it's the radiator and that a gasket blew. This really stinks because as some of you know, about this same time last year our engine blew up. This vehicle has been causing us nothing but problems so I may be looking for a way to get rid of it. Only problem is that I'm not really into the whole using 1 car thing.
I'm trying to stay positive and just think about my next doc appointment on Wednesday. I really hope that my body will have made some progress! I have been taking my pills two a night for a couple nights now and I am hoping it works! If all goes well I will be getting my HCG trigger shot this time next week!!
We explored the town for a while and looked around at all the unique shops. We had a snack at That Place Off 98 that included shrimp cocktail and soup...yes I know weird combo, but it was delicious! We had dinner at another restaurant, can't think of the name. I had Ahi Tuna and Josh had some yummy shrimp! We also enjoyed a wine tasting at the Bed & Breakfast!
Apparently we didn't get the memo that you aren't supposed to put bubbles in a jacuzzi tub and ended up having more bubbles than water in the tub. Needless to say that makes your bath time less than enjoyable!! lol
Sunday morning we had a great breakfast at the B & B that included a bacon and spinach quiche and some fruit. They also had bagels, muffins, cereal and many other things to choose from. After breakfast we went on a bike ride. It was pretty nice except Josh could not seem to connect with his bikes because both of them broke!! Haha!! It was pretty fun and we had some really great laughs. We did a little more exploring and then picked up our picnic basket and headed to the beach! St. George Island was only about 15 minutes away. We drove to the state park and found a private spot on the beach. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed sandwiches, chips, fruit etc.
We had a crazy seagull not too far from us that would "yell" at every bird that came near it. It was like our own little body guard! We also saw some dolphins. There were about 7 or 8 that we spotted. After we finished at the beach we parked the car back at the room and went for some homemade gelato. It was excellent, I got mint chocolate chip and Josh got coffee!
After relaxing in the room for a while it was time to get ready for a nice dinner. We had dinner at The Verandas. It was amazing!! We had Lobster and Crab Bisque Soup, Salad and a yummy bottle of Riesling. Josh ordered out side of the box and ordered Duck! It was soooo good!! I ordered a Filet Mignon with mushrooms and some roasted red potatoes and vegetables. It was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had! After dinner we relaxed in the jacuzzi tub, minus the bubbles, and watched the Grammys and talked and such ;)
It was a really amazing weekend to just be together alone and talk and spend some really great time together!!
This morning we had another yummy breakfast at the B & B and packed our things to head out. The drive home was going really well and we were to get home around 11:30. We noticed though that every time we were completely stopped the car would start shaking. When we would go, we would hear a big water swooshing noise. So Josh took the car to Joel to look at. He told him that he thinks it's the radiator and that a gasket blew. This really stinks because as some of you know, about this same time last year our engine blew up. This vehicle has been causing us nothing but problems so I may be looking for a way to get rid of it. Only problem is that I'm not really into the whole using 1 car thing.
I'm trying to stay positive and just think about my next doc appointment on Wednesday. I really hope that my body will have made some progress! I have been taking my pills two a night for a couple nights now and I am hoping it works! If all goes well I will be getting my HCG trigger shot this time next week!!
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