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You're a trouper. Pretty soon, you'll be able to teach courses on it.
If it is any help, the abdomen is one of the four injection sites for insulin for diabetics (arms, legs, belly, butt). There is a lot of information and experience about how to do this safely. From what I've been told, the tummy injections creep you out at first, but it is something you can get used to.
[BTW, I don't say this to minimize the ickiness of what you face. ALso, I am not doing this to myself, so I wouldn't have room to talk! Just that the technique is one which has been used many many many times, and it isn't like you are being guinea-pigged. Some comfort, I hope.]
Go, Mrs. M!
[ January 02, 2005, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
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Halloween Schmalloween. In general, it is not a question of whether the Pats will win, but rather, by how much.
That said, good luck with your tummy injections. I had them for two weeks in the hospital, three times a day. I can HONESTLY say that I got used to them. I cannot honestly say that they did not hurt each time. They did. I hope, hope, hope that they work!
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My thoughts and best wishes are with you, and Andrew.
** My grandfather, a type I diabetic has administers his insulin via stomach injections. He seems to have it down pat by now - I am sure you will too! Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I am new to these forums and have never posted before now....
But I must say that I have been reading this topic with great interest and sincere prayers for your fertility...
I am hoping and praying for your next round of treatments to be effective for you and your husband.
I can honestly say that I have never had a problem getting pregnant... (I've been called "fertile Myrtle" a few times...) and I have 2 very beautiful children, a 7 year old girl and a 1 year old boy... I am getting off track...
What I am curious about is whether you and your husband have ever considered having a surrogate? Is that even an option for you, or does your medical condition prohibit it (I believe it was PCOS? <-- correct me if I am wrong)?
The reason I ask is that at 1 time after I had my daughter I had considered doing it for a friend of mine however her and her husband split up so the need never panned out...Also I wonder if it would cost as much or be more of a cost to you...
If I am over stepping my bounds please let me know. I will still keep you in my prayers Mrs. M
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Welcome, BotaLadyG! Thank you for your interest and prayers. My husband, Andrew, and I never considered surrogacy. I do have PCOS, which shouldn't prevent me from carrying a child to term. My ovaries and uterus are relatively healthy (except for the PCOS). I would not be able to watch another woman carry and give birth to my baby. I would also be worried that the surrogate would change her mind and try to get custody. We have decided against open adoption for a similar reason - we could not bear to have a child taken away from us.
I do think that being a surrogate mother is one of the most generous and beautiful things you can do for someone. It was so wonderful of you to even consider it.
I have needle class tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it, but there is a certain grim humor in the situation.
Well, the Steelers wrapped up a historic season with a win against Buffalo. Here's hoping that everyone's healthy for the playoffs.
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Have you seen the Steelers NFL ad campaign using the Steelers? My dad and I laughed at it (as we were suppose to) this New years Day.
It opens in the living room of two Steelers fans watching the NFL draft this year. There are two fans watching, a father and son, both older. One is on the couch to the right, and the father is in a chair to the lest, and they are both wearing the Steelers colors.
All the sudden you hear a voice from the kitchen yelling "What was the name of that quarterback the Steelers drafted again?", and the son, without getting up from the couch yells back " Ahhh, Rothle-something or other, I think!
There is silence for a few seconds, and then the person in the other room answers, in a voice heavy with sarcasm, " Nice one there, Cowher..."
We laughed a lot to that one, because as our family is from Pittsburgh we know that that is very accurate. A lot of people in PA thought that.....
And look where they are now.
I am looking forward to gloating once the Pats beat your team, even if this is a huggie-feelie thread. It is a different game with Dillon, Law, Seymore,and Branch in the game, even without Rothel-something or other still being punch drunk a bit.
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That's hilarious, Kwea. We haven't seen it here. I'll let you hold onto your illusions for now.
I'm a little nervous about needle class. I'm worried that I won't be able to stick myself. Oh, well, I'll do what I gotta do.
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Needle class was uncool. It was unnerving and upsetting. I didn't cry, but I did have a tiny nervous laughing fit. I got the needle pen and learned how to use it and we went over the unbelievably complicated chart of my cycle and what I'm taking when. I'll post it another time.
There was one point in the video where the woman asked what happens if you dial past your dosage on the pen. At the same time I said, "You're SOL lady," Andrew said, "No baby for you." We 're such jerks.
On Friday I start the Provera to bring on my period. I won't get one naturally because I didn't ovulate this cycle.
Oh, and the hot flashes are getting really bad.
But I have a good feeling about this. Our insemination date is between 2/2 and 2/5. February has always been a good month for me. Even if it doesn't work, then I will get to take the next cycle off and that will be a relief at this point.
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(((hugs))) *avoids possibly sore tummy* I hope this works for you. I am sending all my good wishes that at this time next year, you'll be too sleep-deprived to post.
Edit to clarify: because of a screaming infant who hasn't learned to sleep yet.
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Mrs.M, I'm a newcomer to this thread, but just wanted to tell you a)what a great writer you are, and b)what a trooper you are! I appreciate your sharing this journey with us, and wish you all the best with it. *hugs*
Reading this thread has made me think twice about my OB - I have had friends tell me I might have PCOS (I have many of the symptoms), and I have been trying for a third child for over 18 months - but his take on it is that it DOESN'T EXIST. Hmm. Hard to be treated for something my doctor thinks is imaginary! His main fertility advice thus far is "lose weight." Real helpful, ay? Posts: 25 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I just watched a Sex in the City episode, and (forget her name) gets a shot in the hiney. How come you have to get yours in the belly?
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ketchupqueen, I actually got it before the edit. That's my dream.
Kwea, Derrell, BotaLadyG
Thank you, Tink! I'm horrified that your doctor thinks that PCOS doesn't exist. I recommend that you switch doctors immediately. If you have not been able to conceive naturally for at least 6 months, then you are supposed to see a fertility specialist. Most PCOS women have problems losing weight, btw.
Elizabeth, it was Charlotte. She was getting what I think is HCg. It's a one-time shot that causes the ovaries to release the mature egg(s). The shots that go in my stomach are for 10-14 days and cause the follicles in the ovaries to mature. I will have the one shot of hCg if the pelvic ultrasound shows that follicles in my ovaries have matured.
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Mrs M, I actually have several patients I diagnosed with PCOS who had been told in the past three years by various gyns that they didn't have PCOS. It's really amazing. The reasons the doctors gave for it not being PCOS varied widely, too.
Maybe you could plan on having something nice for you right after the shot every day. Pamper yourself just a bit, and have some variety to it. A pastry, a cup of chamomille tea, a piece of chocolate, or something you might not normally allow yourself.
I hope it works out, and I'll keep you in my prayers.
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Tink, I have to echo Mrs. M's advice - find another doc!
I have PCOS, and I underwent fertility treatment for my last three children (had the first without help) While losing weight certainly isn't going to hurt, it isn't the answer to fertility problems by itself if you have PCOS!
Mrs. M, you amaze me. I love your and Andrew's comments, that sounds like what Wes and I would do, too.
I am going to be sending all the best wishes I can for February! Here's hoping it is indeed a good month for you, and turns out to be your all-time favorite month. (((Mrs. M)))
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If I read the description well, I think I have it. I learnt that from an echography I had a few years ago because my gynecologyst thought I might ave a big cyst. I didn't think it was that severe. My gynecologyst didn't seem to worry at all - and I told her I was getting married and wanted to have babies in the years to come. Maybe there are different levels ? I mean, I know my mother had it and my two sister have it, my mother had 3 children without any medical aid and both my sisters have one child with no medical aid either.
[ January 14, 2005, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
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There is a difference, I understand, with a single cyst or cyclical cysts; and PCOS. I have had cyclical cysts in the past and am currently experiencing this pregnancy with a cyst that, while not apparently harmful, is not a simple corpeus luteum.
If I understand correctly, one of the symptoms of PCOS is that the cyclical cysts do not go away at the end of the cycle, but stay. I had a cousin with it. We were all suprised when, after (not during) her first pregnancy, she gained a lot of weight. It seemed like within months, this little whisp of a girl became severely overweight. We didn't connect it to the fact that she was also unable to get pregnant again. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with PCOS. She isn't as skinny as she was at 18, but she has lost a lot of weight now and has a months old baby as well.
I'm very surprised that a doctor would think such a thing was all imaginary. But that is the case with a lot of diseases that seem to have clusters of symptoms but no real cut and dry connection.
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That's it : I have multiple little ovarian cysts that don't go away. Do you think I could have fertility problems because of them ?
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Don't be worried too much - it's treatable for the most part (Mrs. M obviously has had much more fertility trouble than I did, so cases can vary in degrees), but it's something you will need to be aware of.
Please understand too, that PCOS doesn't just affect your fertility or your reproductive system, it also can affect your overall health. With PCOS you're at a higher risk of developing heart problems and Type II diabetes. Theca can tell you more about that than I can. But it's nto a minor thing, it should be diagnosed and treated.
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There are so many kinds of ovarian cysts, Anna, that the mere presence of cysts, no matter how much they LOOK like PCOS is not usually enough to diagnose PCOS. PCOS is more of a clinical diagnosis and usually involves irregular periods and less frequent ovulations which is part of the problem with fertility in PCOS. Asking your doctor to explain your ultrasound in more detail and having a frank discussion about your general health, possible risk factors, and so on does sound like a good idea.
(You can directly ask about PCOS and your fertility also)
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The folicles are measured in millimeters, each folicle gets to be about the size of the overy. This is why the more folicles you have the more painful it gets. When I had 13 folicles I thought I was going to die, and some people get up to 40.
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I also have PCOS, but mine is very severe. I have the facial hair, the acne, the obesity, the balding, the infertility, the wacky hormone levels (I guess that is obvious), but I do not have the cysts. As already mentioned, Type II Diabetes is one health risk, but heart disease is another. Even if a person with PCOS is not trying to lose weight, she should get regular exercise. The only reason I exercise so much is because I am afraid of getting these diseases, and exercising will greatly reduce the risk. Another problem people with PCOS face is endometrial cancer. The risk for this increases when a person has fewer periods than normal.
By the way, the belly needle is not bad. The HCG needle is pretty bad, but the worst shot of the whole process is if you do IVF and have to get progesterone shots. That one also goes in the butt, but it is a much bigger needle. I loved the belly shots after having my first one of those.
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Did he say PCOS didn't exist or that it wasn't a real disease? The second would be strictly accurate, the first is dangerously misinformed.
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So, I finally got my period. I was beginning to freak out, because if I didn't get it by 2/3, it would have meant something was wrong. I usually get it right after finishing the Medroxyprogesterone and this time it took a week.
I was also freaking out b/c Andrew had to go from Texas right to his interview in Minnesota because the Roanoke airport closed due to a whole 2 inches of snow. Of course his interview clothes are here in Roanoke. He had to get a new suit at the Brooks Brothers at the Mall of America. Their sales staff is very nice and professional - I spent a lot of time on the phone with them. His interview is today and my pelvic ultrasound is today, too. It's a big day for the Marx family.
Tomorrow or the day after, I will start the clomid (not looking forward to the hot flashes and crying jags). A couple of days after that, I will start the injections.
I got a gorgeous new gray cashmere cardigan for a song, which can only be a good omen. Also, I figure I'm owed because of the tragic and incomprehensible Steelers loss to the Patriots.
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*hugs* Mrs. M. I think of you a lot, pretty much every morning when I get dressed. "What would Mrs. M say?" has become my clothing theme. But I think of you, and your journey here, not just the clothes.
Also I figured you would laugh at my accidental fashion sense that I discovered recently. I bought these comfy pajamas with flannel pants at Costco a while back. The were a little pricy but looked really comfortable and I couldn't resist.
While folding clothes I read the label and it suddenly clicked thanks to your education.
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Gray cashmere sweaters are wonderful, aren't they? I pray for you every night when I go in to check on my baby before bed. I pray that you will be able to have strength through this and that you will be able to have a healthy, gorgeous, wonderful little one of your own, because I know it will get so much love and it is so longed for.
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Well, it's not the outcome I was hoping for. I have a small cyst on my left ovary, probably because of the clomid. Dr. Slackman wants me to go through another cycle, as it will probably go away on its own. If it doesn't, I'll have surgery.
So the target conception date is pushed up to March, which is my birthday month. I'm freaking out just a little b/c every year older I get, the less fertile I am. Although when I told the resident who was doing her reproductive endocrinology rotation how old I'll be, she laughed at me. It was in a nice way and it actually made me feel better.
Derrell, believe it or not, I was the first person to ever make a Marx brothers joke to Andrew and his brother, his dad, and his uncles.
Thanks, Allegra. Some days are harder than others, but this thread helps me a lot.
dread pirate romany, I'm sure it's not so bad as that. You can always email me if you have any fashion questions or dilemas.
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(((MrsM))) I'm sorry to hear about the setback. Let's see, there's Groucho,Harpo,Zeppo,and Chico. Oh, I left out the forgotten Marx brother, Karl. Feel free to hit me in the face with a bananna cream pie.
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(((((((Mrs. M))))))) If you want to add some natural things to the mix, red raspberry tea is good for overal female health, while I've been told false unicorn root is good for fertility. At any rate the red raspberry tea tastes good and can be relaxing. I'll continue to hold you in my prayers. I know how hard this struggle is.
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and I have 2 very beautiful children, a 7 year old girl and a 1 year old boy... I am getting off track... ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Let's see, there's Groucho,Harpo,Zeppo,and Chico. Oh, I left out the forgotten Marx brother, Karl. 
