Femara for Fertility FTW.

Hello friends! It's your favorite crazy baby lady here, and we've reached yet another leg of our TTC (trying to conceive) journey this week! I'd like to back track a second & give you my input on progesterone and all that has happened since I last blogged...

Progesterone kicks Zzzquil's butt! Where was this stuff when I was trying to sleep all day & survive night shift?!? Best sleep I've had in years. And sexy dreams to boot! Nothing about this journey is really appropriate for sharing, I'm talking about my reproductive organs after all, so I figured I'd take a no holds bar approach and give it all I've got. There are certainly downsides to the progesterone though, like this SUPER CUTE acne I've developed. I had beautiful (pasty) skin as a teenager and suddenly I'm a hormone infested twenty-something with acne. A little positive note about that is the fact that my patients think I'm younger than 26 & today two different high school students thought I was a student as well. Acne FTW! I'm also mind-blowingly moody, but that isn't much of an outlier from my normal. I've done a significan amount of crying, especially work-related crying, and have even thrown a few temper tantrums. All for the pursuit of a little one who will own me when it comes to crying & tantrums!!

The most significant and positive outcome of progesterone is that I finally had a cycle!! YES! How many women do you know that are excited about that? I am thrilled! And so is everyone I've told. It's amazing how many people have shown up in support of us & who feel comfortable enough to discuss this with me. Just last Friday at a football game my dear father-in-law (father of 2 men, likely not interested in my gynecological pursuits) asked if I was ovulating! Haha! If you knew him you just laughed out loud with me. It cracked me up & touched my heart simultaneously. I may or may not be tearing up just thinking about it, but I'm a hormonal wreck so I'm allowed to do that.

Now, since Saturday evening, I've been taking Femara 2.5mg. This is the magic little pill that will hopefully stimulate my tiny ovaries & provide us with 1/2 of Baby Lipsey's DNA. Please, Lord, let this work! I'll be taking it through Wednesday evening & will begin ovulation tests on Thursday morning in addition to cervical fluid and basal body temperature monitoring in an attempt to pinpoint ovulation. The Femara has caused me no nasty side effects thus far. I was told I may have hot flashes, dizziness, and worsening mood swings, but fortunately I've been fine. I pray I continue to be side effect free, but if it will bring me a child I'll take all the hot flashes, dizzy spells, tears, anger and acne I can get it! Bring it on endocrine system, I never really liked you anyway!

For further assistance, I also purchased a delightful product from Walgreen's called PreSeed. I cannot stop laughing about it which may prove I'm an adolescent at heart myself, but the whole thing just sounds ridiculous. This is supposed to enhance sperm motility and if it doesn't help you get that big fat positive there's a money back guarantee! I figured it couldn't hurt, but it was a little bit embarassing to purchase. The box says, "Seriously fun baby making!" in big, bold letters. It felt like the box literally shouted, "Attention Walgreens Shoppers, I'm engaging in coitus to make a baby and I would love for everyone to know that!" I suppose that's essentially what I'm doing by posting my story on a public forum, but at least you can't see my face while I'm sharing the ins and outs of my reproductive organs.

Anyway, that's where we stand. I've had many of my infertility sisters (and yes, I consider them sisters we're in an unseen battle together) receive devastating news this week & it is so hard to see people I love so much in pain. We know that God has a plan & that He works for OUR good, but it is so difficult to watch. I ask that you continue to pray for me & these beautiful people touched by this hardship.

And lastly a big, whopping THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for loving us through this, for praying with us and for the countless emails, texts, and facebook messages I've received since I first spoke of this. Your support means the world to us & I have never felt more loved in my life.

Still loving someone who doesn't yet exist,
Hannah