Monday, June 11, 2007

The Journey Continues...

I started ovulating yesterday so the wheels are moving! YAAA!! I have a call into my doctor to confirm, but I believe I start the Lupron shots in 8 days which is next Monday! WOW! Not really sure what Lupron does, but I do those shots for 2 weeks, then start the stimulation shots for 2 weeks, then implantation, then we get pregnant and 9 mos later we all get to meet and hold the MUCH AWAITED Baby Hutcheson!! That's the timeline as I see it. Any questions? Ha ha. I'm glad I'm ovulating bc that means my body is back to normal and working properly on its own.

I have been struggling with insomnia off and on for the last 3-5 years so I thought it was time to go and see a sleep doctor. He's helped immensely! I didn't want to take any drugs bc it's not recommended while pg and dont know how it'd interact with the IVF drugs so he helping me sleep soundly on my own. So far so good! He put me on a sleep schedule called "Sleep Restructure Therapy" where he actually rebooted my system as I was only allowed 5.5 hours for 2 nights, then 6 hours for 2 nights, then 6.5 hours for 2 nights and so on building up in increments of 30 minutes each night. No naps either. It was VERY tough and I'm up to 6.5 hours tonight and can not wait to get in the 8 hour range. Im going to sleep with a heart/breathing monitor on my finger next monday night at home and if he sees anything unusual, then he'll have me sleep over in their clinic. That would be bizarre!!

The thought behind this technique is that my body does not trust itself to sleep so he's teaching it how to crave, need, and get confident in sleeping. He also suggested a great book "Say Goodnight to Insomnia" that has helped IMMENSELY! Reviews a lot of natural relaxation techniques that have already helped me! I know it sounds crazy for all of you good sleepers out there, but if anyone has struggled with sleep you'll know how awful it can be! I really want this taken care of and "put to bed" for IVF and when I'm pg.

I'm continuing my acupuncture 1x per week and started seeing a chiropractor for some minor neck pain. Nothing serious, probably just stress related, but he's helping to get my body aligned and ready for IVF as well. Through him, I'm starting weekly massages(covered by insurance - YES!) so I can be in the best mind, body, spirit connection for this next round of IVF. I'm even thinking about taking Yoga at my gym.

No, I'm not a hypochondriac, but I'm just trying to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE I can think of to help me be in the best shape for this next round. I have time off work so I'm taking FULL ADVANTAGE of the endless dr. appointments. I have one almost everyday. I dont mind at all. It's actually kind of fun to learn and educate myself on how to be a better person.

Thanks for caring and loving us! I'll be hearing from the doctor today. Hopefully with some dates for our datebook!! :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kelly, anything to help you relax and work up to a good 8 hours of sleep a night will certainly make all of those appts worth it and it's great you have this time off. I've been thinking about trying yoga too - from what my mom told me it seems like it can also help with relaxation and flexibility.

Donna : )