birth control pills

Want to hear something ironic? The Coach and I have been trying to have a baby for just over two years now and we've been with our RE for just over a year. Previous to us trying to have a baby, we didn't really use any method of birth control (pull and pray, I suppose) because we always knew we wanted kids and if it happened, it happened. We weren't planning for it but we also weren't against it. So I was really only on birth control pills during the very beginning of our relationship. So, what I'm getting at is...I've been on birth control pills more while we've actively been TTC (with a fertility specialist!!) than I was when we weren't trying to have a baby.

Ironic stuff.

So, I started birth control pills again on Friday. There was no way I could get in for a baseline for this cycle, meaning I couldn't cycle, so, in hopes of getting rid of any cysts--which I'm sure I have--that were the result of our last [canceled] cycle.

In other news, The Coach starts session #2 of camp today so I'm hoping to get to spend an hour with him between today and Wednesday. Early Thursday morning he flies up to New Jersey for a recruiting trip. I'll be working on planning our Chicago trip this week..considering I don't actually have work to do at work. My uber type A personality is loving putting this trip together!

of course this would happen

Scheduling did call me back last night. Only to tell me it is impossible to cycle this month. You see, my clinic's main office is 2.5 hours (each way) away from my house and office. Their satellite office, where I go 90% of the time, is only an hour from my house, 45 minutes from my office. So, of course, that's where I wanted to go for my baseline (at 7am, I might add).

The scheduling lady kindly informed me that my NP will be out of the office Thursday and Friday but she could certainly set me up with a baseline appointment at their main office. Er, no. That won't work. You see, my post-op appointment is this afternoon. Here. In town. The only available time they could get in for my baseline would have made it impossible for me to make it back here in time for my post-op. My surgeon didn't have any other appointments available for today or tomorrow (he's in surgery all day tomorrow). And I have to see my surgeon before I can start any treatments because he has to clear me. But if I do see him today or tomorrow, that puts me too far into my cycle to start meds. And I can't take off of work at all on Friday to go up to the main office because my assistant is out on vacation Friday and one of the two of us must be in the office at all times. No exceptions. FML. No way to make it work. This cycle has gone up smoke, just like the last. And of course, wouldn't you know, next cycle won't work out either because we will be on our vacation. So we are looking at August as the soonest possible month to cycle. Again, FML. That's going to put us too damn close to our looming 7 month break because of The Coach's season for my comfort. Fabulous.

Looks like I may potentially be getting pregnant in 2021.

This happened once last summer when were cycling as well. I had to go up to the main office on a Sunday for a follie check (local clinic isn't open on the weekends). They said I needed to just do one more little follie check on Tuesday before triggering... No problem, right? WRONG. The NP was out of my local office that Tuesday so I had to go back up to the main office. Essentially take a half day off of work for a freakin' ultrasound. That lasted 2 minutes. And Tuesdays were damn near impossible for me to get out of work..I really had to work my magic with my boss on *that* one. The nurse was shocked that my NP just happened to be out of the office that particular Tuesday..."You know, in my 8 years of working here, she's never been out of the office for a full day. Not once!" Hmmm..interesting..considering that has now happened to me TWICE in 3 cycles. I mean, I'm not suggesting the poor woman never get a vacation day, but seriously, maybe have one of the REs (who do visit the local clinics) make a drip down on the days when the NPs are out of the office.

Just a thought.

So I'm now going on birth control. Because I'm sure, 110% positive that I have residual cysts from our last cycle that also went up in smoke so this is me "self medicating" I guess. Not that I (or my nurse) see any harm in it. I mean, with my luck, what are the chances my surgeon would even clear me for pregnancy anyway?

I'm failing miserably at this game. My opponent may run-rule me. Sweep the series. Knock me the f out...

CD...1...?

First off--this going back to work thing after surgery is tough stuff. I'm absolutely exhausted after work every day..so I haven't gotten around to updating lately. So sorry!

Second..today appears to be CD 1...which is odd, considering yesterday was only CD 21. Hmmm...I called the RE this afternoon to schedule a baseline for tomorrow morning but they haven't gotten back to me and they close, well, 12 minutes ago. So I guess maybe I'll be going Friday? Which is ok, since I have my surgical post-op appointment tomorrow and need to be cleared by my surgeon before my RE will let me cycle. I just thought I'd sneak a baseline in there first, since I'll likely have cysts.

In other news...The Coach and I are planning a vacation! I'm so, so excited! We never, ever get to go on vacation because of his job but this summer WE ARE! We are going to Chicago for a few days and then going to a nearby wedding the following weekend. Garrett's Popcorn and Pizzeria Uno here I come! :)

camp time

Ohhh joy...love camp time. The Coach and his co-workers put on various camps throughout the summer for middle/high school players. Camp #1 starts today. The Coach left the house super early this morning and won't be home until around midnight..which, really, isn't all that different from a "normal" day. This camp goes through Wednesday night..but The Coach said (if I'm up to it) we are going to have date night on Friday night!...right before camp #2 starts.

I'm going back to work tomorrow. I'm concerned that I will get very tired and struggle to make it through. As much as I hated being in the hospital, having surgery and being in such horrible pain...I can't said I minded being away from the office for over a week.

big day..

Considering I haven't kept any solid food down for over a week now, we put a call in to my internist last night. He recommended that I continue to suck down the Sprite and suck on the popsicles and then add in very low fat solids. So, my wonderful friend and neighbor agreed to drive me to the grocery store today. We went to our local Kroger, which I'm in love with. I grabbed a rotisserie chicken, pears, applesauce, soups, more Sprite, animal crackers, plain rice and baking potatoes for plain baked potatoes. Then we decided to hit up the new Publix that opened--I've heard great things but I'm so in love with my Kroger that I knew it would be hard to sway me. At Publix I picked up some watermelon, string cheese and oatmeal. By the time I got home, I was exhausted so I still haven't tried to eat any of it. I hope something works. It was a big trip out with lots of walking around but it felt really good to get some activity in. I'm planning on plain chicken and plain rice for dinner tonight. Fingers crossed it stays down..

BTW--Publix was nice but I still prefer my Kroger..it is hard to beat!

sleep, sleep, sleep

That's pretty much all I've done since I've been home. I wake up in the morning, move my phone, my Sprite, my pillow, bottle of pain killers and myself from the bed to the couch and fall back asleep. I catch a few minutes of some daytime TV (Golden Girls, What Not to Wear, The Doctors, Whose Wedding is it Anyway), and fall back asleep.

I had my first solid food in a week last night and it didn't go well. At all. I'm considering calling my doctor. I feel like I should be able to keep food down by now...

The Coach is super busy right now with camp--two solid weeks of camp starts on Sunday. Camp is frustrating because he is actually in town but I never see him. In the past he has always had to stay up on campus (in the dorms-ha!) during camp but this year he doesn't have to. So he'll get home around midnight and be back up at camp by 5am. But camp also brings us a nice chunk of change so that's a plus.

I really need to call my RE to find out when we can cycle again but I just haven't been up to it yet. And maybe, if I'm being honest with myself, I'm afraid she'll say to take next month off. So I'm putting it off...

I'm going HOME!

I'm absolutely thrilled to be leaving this dreadful place! Surgery was, obviously, a huge success! I went in around 4:30 yesterday afternoon and was back in my room around 9:00. I really haven't been in much pain post-surgery, just a little tender and sore where the [4] incisions are. But the pain is absolutely NOTHING like the horrific pain I felt prior to the surgery.

My surgeon came in my room early this morning and said he had cleared me to go home so as long as my internist agreed, I'd be free. He told me that my gallbladder was enlarged to over 3x the normal size and it was one of the worst looking ones he had ever seen. It was obvious it hadn't been working for a very long time. He said he felt comfortable telling me it is highly unlikely I will ever feel such pain again in my life--not even giving birth--natural birth! Whoa..

I had just taken a sponge bath (oh joy) and was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth when my internist came in to see me. He was blown away at how good I looked. He couldn't believe I was standing and moving so well. So of course he approved my release.

Now I'm just waiting..I was supposed to get real food for breakfast but the cafeteria didn't get the memo so I'm thinking they will wait until after lunch, after I have my first real food in 7 days, to let me go home. Just to be sure everything goes well. Then The Coach is going to come pick me up and we have to go get my Rx for the pain killers and a few groceries for me..popsicles (my throat is very sore!), pudding, Sprite and maybe gummy bears =)

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the last few days. I really appreciate it all!

I beat this opponent...now on to beating infertility!!