We went to our first appointment at Oregon Reproductive Medicine yesterday and left with a lot information and pages of material to read! I have a little over 2 months before the expected embryo transfer date with so many appointments, I think I could benefit from a temporary residence in NW Portland! :) Due to the nature of the procedure the amount of detail I give, may be too much for some. In that case, you may choose to continue or come back for a less detailed post.
Between now and the embryo transfer, I will have a physical and annual exam as well as a clearance for pregnancy from my OB. The intended parents have purchased an insurance policy for me and I will be doing all of my prenatal care, labor and deliver and post partum care with Kaiser. With the new Westside Medical Center opening, I will be able to have all of my care very close to home! Jake and I will both go in for STD and HIV testing.
Once I start my period I will start birth control so that ORM can take over and control my cycle. I will also begin daily injections of a few different hormones. Lupron to suppress my ovaries; this will be injected in my abdomen, Delestrogen to help maintain early pregnancy; this will be injected in my buttocks and progesterone to help prepare the lining of my uterus for implantation of the embryo or embryos and maintenance in early pregnancy as well as Endometrin another form of progesterone to support maintenance of early pregnancy; this I will insert vaginally three time per day. I will continue the injections until 12 weeks into the pregnancy. Jake and I will also take an antibiotic to ensure that there is no bacteria in our reproductive tract and ensure that I do not get an infection from the various procedures they will be doing.
While I am taking the medications, I will be monitored by ORM to check my blood, have ultrasounds, complete a mock transfer to map the path for the transfer date, and have a Sonohysterogram, a procedure where they fill my Uterine cavity with saline to check for any abnormalities (such as polyps or fibroids) and if needed, Hsterosalpingogram which is a an x-ray study of my uterine cavity, fallopian tubes and pelvis. As long as I do not have anything thing that could prevent a healthy implantation and pregnancy, we will continue to follow the calendar that has been prepared for me. If they do find something, I will have a procedure to correct the problem and then continue with the transfer.
As part of the agreement between the intended parents and myself, a life insurance policy is purchased to protect my family in the event that something happens to me during this process. This is very unlikely and just used as a precautionary part of the process. I had my physical exam with the nurse from the life insurance company today and while she was taking blood, Addy was so intrigued with the needle and the vials of blood, while Jackson was in the background, covering his eyes and yelling "Ewww...gross!!!" He takes after his daddy when it comes to needles!! Addy on the other hand has a love for taking care of others and wants to be a doctor or nurse someday! She went and grabbed her doctor kit and took the nurses blood pressure and pulse and listened to her heart during the exam! It was precious!!This has been such an amazing journey so far and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together. S & R are so excited and afraid at the same time. It is hard for them to get their hopes up when they have experienced so much heartache in the last few years. I wish I could be in Israel to be there for them during their difficult times because sometimes a hug says it all when no words seem to be right. I have a very great feeling about all of this and I know that in time, S & R will find comfort and joy in this process and be able to trust that everything will okay!!
