You know those formerly-infertile women who go through IVF, get pregnant immediately and just sail through nine blissful months of happiness and good health? The women who never have any other issues, because Lord knows they paid their dues with ART and now they’re gliding through pregnancy with ease and little baby angels singing in the background and sweet-smelling potpourri coming out of their ass?
You know the ones I’m talking about??
Yeah. Me neither.
I’m fine, everything is fine. So far, so good.
But remember when I talked about the chances of my Natural Killer Cells staging a rebellion, or perhaps even a coup? Well, that is in fact happening. My numbers were elevated last week, so I have to go in for another IVIG/infusion which as you all know, is just my favorite thing in the world. (Mmmmmm….yummy! More of some stranger’s blood by-products coursing through my veins.)
Plus, I have to start taking Prednisone. And continue taking the Metformin until at least 12 weeks.
And my thyroid is up, so I’ll need to increase the dose of my thyroid medication too.
(And just when I was about to place my order for The Organic Pregnancy book on Amazon! DAMN YOU to hell killer cells and retarded thyroid.)
Other than extreme bouts of whining about having to cram all those meds down my gullet, I don’t have too many symptoms so far. I really don’t know what’s going on IN THERE. I assume I’m still pregnant, my next Beta isn’t until this Wednesday. And my first scan is the 21st, so I guess it’s all one big crap shoot until then.
Symptom Watch 2007: (When you read this, you have to imagine those overly-dramatic Storm Watch segments that the news stations do. With the scary DUHN DUHN DUHN music and the flashy headlines they use to scare you into watching. Around here they’ll say: STORM WATCH 2007! Gale-force winds! Winds up to 20 miles per hour. They might even blow your hair back! And it will be freezing cold. Possibly below 65 degrees!! And torrential rainstorms in the forecast! YOU MIGHT GET WET. Stay tuned!!)
So that’s what I’m going to do: SYMPTOM WATCH 2007!! [Insert dramatic music here…] I haven’t had any nausea, and my boobs are just starting to get sore. It’s weird that they weren’t more tender while I was on the PIO shots, because the all-natural form of progesterone I used to take would cause me such utter agony in the chestal region I could barely walk up and down my stairs without an industrial strength brassiere on. So I consider myself lucky on this one. Although, speaking of my boobs, my areolas are freaking huge. It looks like I have two slices of bologna attached to the front of my chest.
(I’m not quite sure why I chose to draw such a specific picture for you. Forgive me.)
Moving on.
I should have a good story later this week, because my Mom leaves tomorrow for Sedona where she’s spending several hours a day in something called a Life Pod or Vessel or something like that. I guess it uses sound, light, energy and something else (she’s notoriously scant on details!) to heal you of, according to my Mother, everything.
She said yesterday, "Once you and your sister are done having babies, I’m sending you both to the Life Pod to cleanse your systems."
Done having babies?
Man, that seems like a long way away from where I stand now…
As always, thanks for the laughs!! The baloney reference was brilliant!
Well, I am happy to hear that you are being watched closely, though I am of course not happy to hear that you have to take all of those drugs. I think you should refer to them as your “pregnancy cocktail.” I know this is completely unrelated (and thankfully so!), but I think it is strange that HIV meds are referred to in the same way as my favorite beverages. “Cocktail” carries such a happy, light-hearted connotation that it doesn’t seem related to drugs with icky side effects at all. Maybe giving your daily dosage a nickname that will remind you of getting drunk and having a great time will remove the negative association!
Just my two assvice cents.
List of things i didn’t want in my mind:
1. pictures of your nipples.
kee, hee, hee. that sucks that you can’t jsut be pg. you have to be pg and get some blood prodcuts. blech. sorry.
i think your mom is going to smoke peyote.
“my areolas are freaking huge. It looks like I have two slices of bologna attached to the front of my chest.” That was the most horrifying yet apt description I have ever heard!
Thanks for the nice laugh this afternoon=) Sorry for the upcoming IVIG, but hopefully that will be a thing of the past soon–looking forward to news about the beta!=)
Um…what does the Life Pod do that is so detrimental to procreation?
Hey,
Very nice description, no one should get confused about what your boobs look like now. 😉
Too bad those of us who are at the point of not being in the baby making business any longer can’t donate our blood to you, even though we are strangers, at least you sort of kind of know me.
Love the baloney imagery!
I wonder what the Life Pod is like? So unsurprising that it is in Sedona.
Are we talking trail bologna or sandwich bologna?
You are still early for symptoms my dear. I felt fabulous till 6 weeks then for the next 10 weeks my world whirled with nausea. Not that I am wishing that on you but enjoy the calm before the storm so to speak.
I would love to spend a day with your mother. She sounds so, well, um, interesting.
Glad all is going well. Except for the nipples, that sounds rather unfortunate.
at 7 weeks, i have no nausea and very few symptoms except that i could eat my whole house and sleep for days on end. except for waking up to pee every 20 minutes. and snack again.
i can’t imagine anyone feeling their post-IVF pregnancy is a cakewalk. if nothing else, the sheer agony of waiting between betas and scans. i sometimes wonder if they find all these little things to be off just because they’re checking all the little things. you know, if regular pregnant fertiles would have all sorts of little things off too if they were going in for detailed investigation every few days? probably not, but i like to think of it that way…
the mental pic of your nipples came way to close to lunch for me…:)
I loved your update and for whatever it’s worth, I hope that the good stuff continues, the killer cells GO AWAY and then just regular ole pregnancy for you. (Yet I doubt how much entertaining reading for me that would make…alas, I will still not wish nausea on you!!)
your mom just cracks me up…but won’t you be glad when her system is clean? hahah
*hug*
dude, you left the best damn baby shower ideas on my blog, the hippie bead-making one and all – THANK YOU.
best of luck on your beta!
life pod?! . . . oh brother. great, now I’m gonna have to research that cuz it’s just too weird. . . . vortex anyone? 🙂
I didn’t really have any symptoms in the early weeks….so enjoy it! LifePod–can’t wait to hear what happens there!
Gosh that sucks that you have to mess with all of that stuff, but I know you’ll do what you have to. It just keeps piling on! Hang in there and keep entertaining us!
It may seem a long ways away but at least you’re on the right path.
Just like everyone else, the bologna reference cracked me right up!!! And almost sore boobs is a lovely symptom to have. Hang in there.
Good luck with today’s beta! Post as soon as you can.
Carla
Waiting with fingers crossed.
Err, this may be because I’m British and we have Different Words, but what in hey is bologna? As far as I knew, it was a city in Northern Italy. Now, that mental image is wierding me out a little.
I’m still stuck laughing at Bologna! That’s hysterical!
May, bologna is a lunch meat.
http://www.southernangel.com/food/bologna.jpg
Hey Watson,
I’ve been reading, but I haven’t commented since you got your positive. So, first let me say… YES! HOORAY! THAT ROCKS!
Yeah, my breasts hurt like hell for the first few weeks, but it eased up eventually. Thank god.
Good thing I’m off deli meat anyway because I never want to eat baloney again!
Will be tuned in obsessively to Symptom Watch 2007.
HAHAHAHA. Dude. I so remember symptom watch. My poor boobs were good and pissed off at me for constantly jumping up and down to see if they still hurt. And I don’t exactly have mosquito bites for tits either.
I’m surprised I didn’t give myself multiple black eyes.
Also, I’m making a mental note to never eat bologna again.