The Versatile Blogger Award!!

YAY!!! I'm so excited that I've received the "Versatile Blogger Award" from ♥ C, the author of
 Ready for My Baby Bump. 

 If you get a chance, I highly suggest you visit ♥ C's Blog. I haven't been following long but so far I'm really enjoying her blog. Like many of us, she has only chosen to share her TTC journey with the blogesphere so lets be here to support her.

Here are the rules for being awarded The Versatile Blogger Award:
(I may have changed some rules but there seems to be so many variations out there - or so I saw.)
1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 7 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Here it goes, 7 random facts about lill ol'me...

1. I'm 5'7'' and a half. I know, did you really need to get that half in there?!? ;)
2. My favorite color is Purple... well it has been for the last little while anyways.

3. I'm a neat freak.

4. I'm obsessed with my iPhone!! I just got it Thursday and I can't put it down.

5. Just found out that I have very good coping skills
6. I can't leave the house without my make-up on.

7. I have a secret soft spot for my fur baby... lets call him Manny, he gets away with everything. OK so maybe not so secret.

And now, drum roll please…My Versatile Blogger Awards go to - and in particular order, I promise

1. Nic at Trying For A Baby
2. Tippy at Tippy & Tidy's tumultuous Trip to Toddlers
3. SurlyMama at It's Definitely Possible
4. Jen at Jelly's Bean
5. A at The Journey to Baby G
6. Thirtiesgirl at Babies, Balanced Translocations, and Being in my 30's
7. Diana at Bun(less) in the Oven

So go on and visit these amazing blogs and be inspired like I did.

Welcome ICLW'ers!!

Hello All!!

This is my first time participating in ICLW and so far it's been great!! I've found a ton of new blogs to follow and I've gained 3 followers so far YAY!! I hope I don't disappoint!

I also love the fact that I've gotten some great responses to the "To Shave, Or Not To Shave, That Is The Question" post, so please keep them coming!! We need to have a little fun while having to go through all this, don't we?!?  On that topic though, I do agree with the waxing, it hurts like b**ch but it lasts way longer.

I just want to send out a BIG thanks for all the support you all have shown me so far wither its for IF stuff or the stuff I'm going through with my dad and his newly diagnosis of unknown primary liver cancer. It's been great to be able to escape here and to chat with people who have gone though similar stuff, though I wouldn't wish it upon anyone, it has been great.

To read more about what I've gone through as far as IF goes you can check out my first post Here or...

In short, I'm a 34 your old with stage 4 endometriosis diagnosed at age 30. Started ART approx a year and a half ago. Check out "Our TTC Journey... So Far" to get a more summarized detail on the cycles we've done so far.

I've tried Acupuncture and taken tons of vitamins and still nothing to show for it. Next steps, G (my hubby) and I have chosen to seek out DE at Oregon Reproduction Medicine with Dr Hesla. FX that this step brings us to our dream of baby.

Happy ICLW Week!!

Hopeful1

Road Trip To Brooks, AB Canada?!?

I woke up today and posted on a few blogs to fulfill my ICLW posts for the day, just in case I can't make it back to my computer and thankfully I did because I called dad to see how he was doing today. He said he was good but just a little tired.

I felt so bad, he really hasn't been doing as much fun stuff since all his chemo so I asked him if he would like to go down to Brooks to get the model ship that he built for my uncle many years ago - which we've kind of been holding off on. See, ever since my uncle passed away my aunt hasn't wanted it and my dad loved it so much that he offered to take it off her hands. What she doesn't realize is that those model ships cost a pretty penny. Anyways he agreed and now we're off to brooks on a day trip to get it.

Well at least I got out of cleaning the house and dad and I get to spend more time together. G is driving I'm typing and dads resting in the back. He's pretty happy to be getting the ship, now he can stain it and it gives him yet another thing to work on.

Getting a little nervous now that the hysteroscopy and endo biopsy are fast approaching. I got my time yesterday so it seems more real. I've decided to take the following day off of work after the surgery just because I think I deserve it after all I've been through.

Well we're in Brooks now, chat with you all soon and happy ICLW week!

My Dads CT Results Are In

Dad got his CT results back on Monday, they were ok but most of the masses in his liver grew approx. 1cm. The doctor feels that the reason we’re seeing an increase in size is because there was a two month wait between the first CT scan to the start of his first chemo session. See he had the original CT done January 10, 2011. Then he started Chemo March 7, 2011. Then May 9, 2011 was his most recent CT scan which really has only been two months of chemo. The Doctor, from what my dad tells me, sounds optimistic so my dad has chosen to continue with chemo for another three months then they will have another CT done to get a better idea of what’s really going on. Now we wait… AGAIN!

I’m so sad, I really don’t know what to think at this point. I guess I was just really hopeful based on how my dad has been feeling and looking these past few weeks that we would have gotten some really good results. I guess that’s really not the case but I have to keep in mind that he is only on palliative chemo, which I knew, but it just seems more real when you actually read it on the CT results. I just pray that he continues to look and feel better in the next three months in hopes of some good news.

In Other News...

Hystroscopy and Endo Biopsy are quickly approaching. Only 6 more days to go!! Does anyone know if I will need to take a few days off after this or could I go back to work the next day? I just have a desk job so I won’t be doing anything strenuous. Does it hurt to have this done?

To Shave, Or Not To Shave, That Is The Question...

I've always wanted to ask this but was too scared of what people would think. So is it bad to shave your entire nether region? Or would you just do a partial shave or leave it entirely?

I mean when I was younger I always heard - to put it lightly -  that only the very promiscuous types shave it all off - I know that's not true.  Or if I don't shave it all off am I considered "not clean"? The partial shave seems to be in the middle of the two so is it just better to do that?

I personally would prefer it all off because I just feel cleaner but I'm scared to shave it all off when having all these appointments in fear what the doctors may think . So is it normal to shave it all off? Would the doctors think differently of me if I did or didn't?

I know this is such a dumb question but one I've pondered for a long time and thought that it wouldn't hurt to just throw the question out there in blogger land.

Another Visit?!?

Well, for some reason AF decided to show her ugly face today. This is a good thing because at least - FX it stops - I will be in the Follicular Phase of my cycle when I get the endo biopsy and hesterocopy done, which is what Dr Hesla wanted, but bad for the fact that it's only been 18 days since her last appearance. :( I really wish she would just get back on track again... damn IVF!

Yesterday my dad had his CT so I'm hoping that we should hear something in a few days and if not then for sure by next Monday when he goes in for another chemo session. He says he's been feeling better and he's even feeling hopeful that it is working so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Also when I saw him on Sunday he looked way better, he even had some color in his cheeks YAYY!!

Monday we went to get our blood tests done, so that's a few more things checked off of our list for ORM. Now I just need a donor...

The following is a list of the tests that we had to have done.

My Blood Tests
*Hepatitis B surface antigen
*Hepatitis C antibody
*RPR (syphilis)
*HIV (AIDS) 1 & 2
*Rubella IgG
*TSH
*Varicella IgG
*ABO/Rh blood type
*Rh antibody screen

G's Blood Tests
*Hepatitis B surface antigen
*Hepatitis C antibody
*RPR (Syphilis)
*Cystic Fibrosis panel


When we got to the lab there really wasn't many people there so we didn't really have to wait too long which was nice for a change. First I got called then sometime when I was getting my blood drawn G got called.
It was so funny, he came out of the room waaaayyy after me which I found weird but figured he must have went in way after me - even though there wasn't anyone else in the waiting room?!?

He looked a little perplexed when he came out so I'm thinking something must have happened back there. When we got out of the Lab Services place I asked if something happened, well, well, well, first off he said that they  poked and poked and fished and fished until they finally got a vein - I'm sure we all know how that feels, right ladies!?!? Then he said that they had to fill 4 HUGE vials - over exaggeration I'm sure and did you see my list of tests compared to his. Then to top off his traumatizing experience he said that the blood was flowing out super slow and that's why it took so long. Men... such little babies. LOL but it did kind of make my day though, is that wrong :)

Damn!!

I guess I always knew it was a possibility but I didn't really think it would come true...

I got a call today from the Donor Coordinator at ORM, she didn't sound to optimistic so I knew right away that she wasn't calling with good news. After a few seconds of small talk - which felt like minutes - she then said that she was sorry to say but the donor that we had chosen has decided that she no longer wants to cycle. I'm so sad, this sucks big time!! Now what?!?! I guess it's back to the drawing board.

I'm having a hard time picking donors on the current donor list so the Donor Coordinator said that she would help me find what I'm looking for. Fingers crossed that it all works out. Who knows, maybe this was suppose to happen and I will end up finding exactly what I was looking for.

What a way to start my weekend. :(