Fifteen Days

Well, on Day 15 the IUI was performed. I picked up this huge box from the cryobank which contained the canister and carried it to Dr. K's office. Roger came about ten minutes after they told me they were starting the thawing process. It didn't take long and we were moved into an exam room. I got ready and on the table. I was a little nervous and Roger could see that in my face. He told me we could run out of there if we wanted but I just laughed as I took more deep breaths out. Dr. K came in with a nurse to assist him and we started the process. It was pretty much painless except for one sharp pain similar to the pain I felt from the HSG procedure which told me he was in my uterus. It was over before we knew it then he elevated my bottom half and told me to lay there for about ten minutes. He wrote some notes in my file then Roger started with the barrage of questions. I couldn't think of any questions just yet but Roger covered it all. And Dr. K again was more than happy to answer Roger's questions. He even pulled out a binder with diagrams and was showing us the procedure compared to natural conception. It was very educational. This is also when we asked him about what to do next. He told us to test at home in fifteen days. If we tested earlier it would most likely indicate positive because the HCG shot I was given the day before to release the egg remains in the system and could give a false positive on home pregnancy tests which tests for HCG. When Dr. K was done and left the room, Roger prayed over me and for us. His nurse came in a few minutes later to tell us I could get dressed and leave. It was a little strange of an experience but it should be since we were trying to conceive in a doctor's exam room and not in the privacy of our home. Plus it wasn't as fun as trying to conceive in the privacy of your own home. :) So we are waiting fifteen days to test which will be Saturday, January 1st. What a way to start the new year!

The very next day, Roger had his first seizure in 3.5 years. When he started the clinical trial at MD Anderson he had to switch one of his anti-seizure medications because it increases liver enzymes. And increased liver enzymes affect chemotherapy so they would have to increase his chemo on the trial and they don't want to have to do that. So they switched it to a different anti-seizure med and have been keeping track of it in his system with his bi-weekly blood tests. But the levels in his blood have always been under where they would like to see them but he had not had a reason yet to increase the meds so they left them where they were. But good ole Dr. Conrad Roger's oncologist also prescribed him Ativan to keep on his person at all times in the event he started to have a seizure. So as soon as we figured out it was a seizure and not a toe cramp, he grabbed his Ativan pill on the night stand and put it under his tongue as he laid down on the bed while the seizure was working it's way up his right side. It lasted one minute longer and made it up to his lower back then stopped completely. That was pretty freaky. So it was only a partial seizure thank goodness. He felt loopy the rest of the day and sat a lot as his right leg was exhausted from the seizure. He left messages with his team at MD Anderson and on Monday they increased his Depakote and felt like that was really all he needed. They will continue to monitor the levels in his blood. But this answers one question we have had for a while. Roger will probably have to be on anti-seizure medications forever.

Since the IUI I have been asked the same questions from people, "Do you feel pregnant? Do you feel different? Have you tested yet? When can you test?" At first I did not feel any different. Plus I didn't know what being pregnant felt like so I couldn't answer that one. But as I got asked over and over again I started to think more about, "Do I feel different?" That's when I started noticing small things. Then I remembered the counsel of a very wise girlfriend who gave me some great advice this summer when we had a few months to try naturally. She told me to be aware of my mind playing tricks on me and even making me think I am feeling or imagining pregnancy symptoms, that way I am not super disappointed when I am not pregnant. I completely understood her advice then because I have experienced my brain making me think I am feeling things when I am not or I am imagining things that are not. My lower back has been hurting. But I started working on my core again a couple weeks before so that could be from all the crunches and push ups I had been doing. It could also be lower back pain from starting my cycle soon. I have been really tired lately. But that could be from us staying up too late and just being lazy during the Christmas break. We drove up to Roger's family's Christmas celebration and as soon as I got in the truck I started to feel sleepy even though I had only been awake for a couple hours. But I start to get sleepy every time I get in a vehicle for short and long drives for ever... Nothing new here. I have had some small weird feelings on one side of my pelvis. I don't know how to explain those but again, my mind could be playing tricks on me.

If my home pregnancy test is positive, I make an appointment for a blood test at Dr. K's office. If their blood test is positive they will test again in a few days to watch the numbers to make sure it is not an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy since there is a slight kink in my right fallopian tube. Once we get past this, I will then return to my ob/mid-wife practice. If my home pregnancy test is negative or I start my cycle, I also make an appointment to return to Dr. K's office to discuss the next step. So we'll test this Saturday and of course, you'll know here on the blog. And now you know how to pray for us. Thanks everyone and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

~ Holly