Thursday, November 10, 2011

What a difference a month makes!

First and foremost; I apologize for leaving some of you "in the dark" by not updating my blog.  But wow! What a difference a month makes!  I'm not quiet sure where to start off.

First we sold our condo! Amen and Amen!  That was a huge blessing!  We only had the condo listed for nine...count them...nine days!  We had two showings, and sold it to the lady who was our second showing.  We were able to sell the condo as is so there weren't any modifications we had to do, which again is a huge blessing! 

Second, we had to pack and be out of the condo in about two and a half weeks!  I know that our place was small....but I think we may be organized pack rats....because we had a lot of stuff to move!  It amazes me how much I threw out, yet we still filled up a Uhaul!  CRAZY!

Third, well the part you've all been waiting to hear...Baby or No baby?  Despite our best efforts and the aid of Clomid, we are sadly, not pregnant.  There is nothing more disheartening then to spend four weeks planning every moment, feeling tender, or nauseous or crampie and to think: "I think this is it!  I may actually be pregnant! YAY!" just to find that you really aren't.  The cramps must have been some bad Mexican food, or God forbid another cyst developing.  I think the worst part is allowing yourself to hope.  To copy a phrase: "The audacity of HOPE", to dare to hope that something may work out for you.  I tell you honestly, it is SO hard to not loose hope.  To not become bitter.  I guess to not be human.  I look at Jeffrey and I and wonder what we did to "deserve" this.  Why can't we be parents?  There are women aborting unwanted babies every day, and all I want is one.  There are parents who leave their children at home alone to go get a drink or meet up with friends and their house catches on fire and burns down with the children inside; perishing in a horrible fire.  Or parents who beat their children to death in the name of "God".   Why do these people get to conceive and bring babies into the world, never knowing the treasures they posses, while I can't.  I hear all of the encouraging words of "You'll be such a great mom" or "You're SUPER MOM!" but it doesn't seem tangible.  Not right now.

Its been a crazy week.  Maybe it was too crazy.  Maybe God wants me to wait a little longer.  Maybe it will never happen.  I guess right now I'm just trying to learn to trust and be willing to accept "Come what may". 

However, all hope is not lost.  I have a doctors appointment today and maybe this next four week cycle will be the one that works.  Maybe?!?  Maybe I'll be brave enough to actually hope and dare to believe in hope.  Maybe.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Plan

When entering a battle it always wise to have a plan of attack.  Thankfully I have a wonderful Doctor and Nurse Practitioner who are working with me to see what is exactly going on.  We have some basic ideas as to what is going on.  I thought for the longest time that I have something called PCOS, however I don't actually have this.  Although I don't have an actual diagnosis we have a basic theory.  I don't ovulate. 

So this weeks plan is to start two drugs.  One is Metformin which I need to be on anyways because I have an issue with my insulin and its a form of type 2 Diabetes.  The second drug is called Provera.  It will get things going and clean up the insides. *Trying to keep this pg for some of my guy friends* (However this is all medical and science.).  I will go in for a series of test over the next week and a half.  There will blood test to see what my hormone levels are and and to check for certain antibodies.  Then an ultrasound to see what my reserve is...if any. 

If everything comes back good and there seems to be some hope during this process there will be a third drug added to my cocktail (the more the merrier...right?)  The third drug is called Clomid.  It will help me develop an egg or as Clomid is known to do...maybe two or three.  What a thought!  To go from no babies to one, two or three!  If only! 

Fun side effects of drugs...hot flashes, nausea and scores of other fun side effects.  Then there are side effects that the doctor didn't tell me about and that the drug flyers didn't say would happen.  There is a whole other symptom that at times proves to be overwhelming.  Dealing daily with the thought of never being able to have a family of our own.  Dealing with the mixed feelings of joy for others and sorrow for yourself.

However great the odds are when you face a battle, there comes a point right before the initial attack when you pause for a split second and consider not advancing.  I think this is my moment.  But I've decided that although there may be a losses and at times I may loose the will to fight on, I can't afford that luxury.  If I am to be successful I must advance when when it hurts.  So the white flag has been put away.  The troops have been rallied and the battle cry is sounding.  Advance my comrades advance! 

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The corner of lonely and heartbreak.

There are few things in this world that can hurt a woman more than telling her that her dreams are out of reach.  I haven't been told that yet but I fear those words...and that they are just around the corner. 

Let me start by telling you a little about me and what my dreams have always been.  I grew up as a military kids.  We moved every four years.  I've lived in multiple states and overseas.  I loved that lifestyle.  Most people would be annoyed by always packing up and moving on, by never having any real roots, but there was something about that lifestyle that called to something inside of me and brought out a sense of adventure in my soul.  My dad retired when I was in 8th grade and we took a family vote and chose to settle down in Denver, Colorado.  I love it here. I love the changing seasons, the mountains, the art and the food. 

Ever since I was a kid I knew that there were a few things worth fighting for.  The first is friends.  When you move as much as I did (and if we weren't moving there was usually another friend that was) friends were something you held on to and held dear.  I still feel that way.  The second thing I learned to fight for was family.  As nutty as my family is, I wouldn't trade them for any other family; there are a few people I'd love to add to my family but really no one I would get rid of...they make the family who we are.  My mother was a stay at home mom for most of my life.  She cleaned, cooked, ran errands, hosted numerous sleepovers and at times when my father was deployed, acted as both mom and dad.  Seeing her and the way she loved my brothers and myself inspired me to also want to be a mother.  If you had asked me a decade plus a few years what I wanted to be when I grew up I would confidently look you in the eye and tell you that I want to be a wife and mother.  I always wanted four kids; I'm not sure why but four was my magic number.

LONG story short, I didn't and haven't exactly gotten my wish.  I am a wife.  I am married to what I know is the best man in the world.  He is sweet, long-suffering, kind, providing and loving man.  He makes me laugh and holds me when I cry.  He believes in my dreams even if they change from day to day.  He knows that once I get an idea in my head there is little he can do to stop it from happening.  Jeffrey is my world and without him I was and would be loss.  He has brought so much to my life including a sweet and passionate little girl; Nevaeh.  Nevaeh is Jeffrey's five year old (or as she would tell you... 5 1/2 year old) daughter.  So in one year I've become a wife and a mother.  One would think that all of my dreams have come true.  Well almost.

Over the next couple of days, weeks and maybe years; my blog will grow to show the challenges of being a step parent and the trials of conquering infertility.  Yes I have been told that having a baby may never happen for us.  So where do I go from here?  How do you bury your dream of 10+ years and build a new one?  How do you deal with a Mother in law who is convinced you are pregnant now, or if we would just relax things will happen naturally.  I'm not sure.  But join me in following A Mother's Intuition.