Tonight I heard an announcement. You all know the kind - "I'm pregnant! I'm due..." (blah blah blah) I expressed in my last post that during my IVF cycle, I was blessed with a renewed sense of peace and perspective. I feel there is still time Allen and I have together before starting another IVF cycle in the hope of achieving pregnancy. We both feel comfortable and ok about it right now.
Tonight when I read this specific announcement though, some pain came back feeling to fresh to be comfortable. "Well, it's official! Baby is due November 24th! We're so excited!" My heart suddenly was in my throat.
We were given the due date of November 23rd on our IVF calendar...
A rush of thoughts flooded my mind... 'Would I be announcing my pregnancy now too?' 'Would Allen and I be sharing that special secret for a while?' 'I wonder what fun baby cuteness I would I have already purchased had our lil embryo made it?'
The pain is not gone, but the knowledge of a loving Father who has a special plan for me is still here. That is where I can always go to recover that new found peace.
...but I have a feeling that November 23rd will be a hard day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Excerpts From Jill's Journal
February 22, 2011
"I’m so happy to say that we are doing IVF early next month. Finally! I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We’re both really excited and anxious to start this process, and feel like we’ve very much been led to this point..."
March 1, 2011
"...I went to see Dr Heiner yesterday. I was going in to see if I was ready for egg retrieval this week. It wasn’t great news...It was discouraging to leave that office knowing that the chance of canceling for this cycle is high...I had a breakdown when I got to my mom’s after my appointment. There’re just so many ups and downs during this process... I’m grateful that I haven’t been an emotional monster. I’ve been praying for that constantly... I know that it doesn’t matter in the end what my tests/levels say... I will be ok. We will be ok. We will strive to align our will with the Lord's and carry on with whatever that is. Thank goodness for the gospel. This process would be unbearable without it."
March 4, 2011
"Yesterday I went in at 1:30 pm. My lining had only grown to a 4.5, not enough, or even close. Dr Heiner told me that he really wanted us to think about just counting our losses with this cycle and saving the money that we’ve paid for “the really expensive part” and putting that towards our next cycle. My lining is just really thin, even though I have growing follicles. I told him I would talk to Allen and we would have to decide whether to freeze or bail. When the nurse left the room she said, 'Oh Jill, keep plugging along. Bumpy road but hopefully we’ll get you to the finish line.' I broke down when the door closed... The tears now are only because this is an emotional cycle. I don’t feel one bit sad, or upset, or angry. I have found so much comfort knowing that this is the Lord’s will regardless. There is a peace with me now. I don’t need a guarantee that this will work. I don’t need to know either way or even try to guess anymore. I just know that the Lord is happy with my efforts. I know he is very involved in my life and especially now...What a wonderful blessing this trial has been!"
March 5, 2011
"...After the ultrasound today Dr Heiner said, 'You’re kind of a mystery girl, Jill.' He wanted to talk to me in his office... While we were talking in his office, he stopped for a few minutes. I could tell he was really thinking. I said a quick prayer that the Lord would bless him to know what to do, and then thought in my head, ‘Go with your gut. Go with your gut!’ Dr Heiner looked up at me and said, 'You know, at some point in this process you really have to make decisions based on you feel and kind of go with your gut instead of relying on science.' I smiled and said, 'And I would rather you go with that than anything else'.” ...I give myself the trigger shot tonight at 11:30 pm. Egg retrieval is scheduled for Monday at 10:30.
March 7, 2011
"...When I woke up in recovery, Allen told me they only found one egg…one. While initially I suppose I was a little discouraged by that, I told Allen, 'Well it only takes one, doesn’t it?' Dr Heiner told us that my lining is now 8.7. EIGHT POINT SEVEN!!! I was so happy to hear that. My lining has been surprising him all along. He said that all we could do was hope that the one tiny egg would be mature enough to fertilize... Allen and I prayed together before I left recovery....I went home and slept for 3 hours. I was a little sore but other than that, I felt pretty good. I missed Katie’s call, but woke up to listen to a voicemail that the egg was in fact MATURE! They will find out tomorrow how the fertilization went. I’ve been praying constantly since then. I sure hope that little embryo makes it..."
March 8, 2011
11:09am
I got a call from Dr Heiner.
Our little embryo didn't make it through that night...
That little part of Allen and I that I already loved so much, prayed and hoped for...
was gone.
It was a hard day.
Please know that I'm not looking for any sympathy in response to this post. I have no regrets about our cycle. Not one. I feel like it was the Lord teaching us in such an intimate and amazing way, and through a truly special experience. We saw miracles during that cycle! I saw the hand of the Lord work in me. In MY body...something I never thought would happen to me. And although it wasn't our desired outcome, it gave me so much hope. Hope in knowing the Lord can do anything! Hope and confidence in my physical body; one I have often called "broken." And hope that I can make it through this trial, no matter how long it lasts, with a perspective and peace that can only come through love, trust, and through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
If you have any questions, concerns, or fears about IVF, please know that I'm here, as always.
And if you need a good specialist?
Well...I know an incredible doctor.
"I’m so happy to say that we are doing IVF early next month. Finally! I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We’re both really excited and anxious to start this process, and feel like we’ve very much been led to this point..."
March 1, 2011
"...I went to see Dr Heiner yesterday. I was going in to see if I was ready for egg retrieval this week. It wasn’t great news...It was discouraging to leave that office knowing that the chance of canceling for this cycle is high...I had a breakdown when I got to my mom’s after my appointment. There’re just so many ups and downs during this process... I’m grateful that I haven’t been an emotional monster. I’ve been praying for that constantly... I know that it doesn’t matter in the end what my tests/levels say... I will be ok. We will be ok. We will strive to align our will with the Lord's and carry on with whatever that is. Thank goodness for the gospel. This process would be unbearable without it."
March 4, 2011
"Yesterday I went in at 1:30 pm. My lining had only grown to a 4.5, not enough, or even close. Dr Heiner told me that he really wanted us to think about just counting our losses with this cycle and saving the money that we’ve paid for “the really expensive part” and putting that towards our next cycle. My lining is just really thin, even though I have growing follicles. I told him I would talk to Allen and we would have to decide whether to freeze or bail. When the nurse left the room she said, 'Oh Jill, keep plugging along. Bumpy road but hopefully we’ll get you to the finish line.' I broke down when the door closed... The tears now are only because this is an emotional cycle. I don’t feel one bit sad, or upset, or angry. I have found so much comfort knowing that this is the Lord’s will regardless. There is a peace with me now. I don’t need a guarantee that this will work. I don’t need to know either way or even try to guess anymore. I just know that the Lord is happy with my efforts. I know he is very involved in my life and especially now...What a wonderful blessing this trial has been!"
March 5, 2011
"...After the ultrasound today Dr Heiner said, 'You’re kind of a mystery girl, Jill.' He wanted to talk to me in his office... While we were talking in his office, he stopped for a few minutes. I could tell he was really thinking. I said a quick prayer that the Lord would bless him to know what to do, and then thought in my head, ‘Go with your gut. Go with your gut!’ Dr Heiner looked up at me and said, 'You know, at some point in this process you really have to make decisions based on you feel and kind of go with your gut instead of relying on science.' I smiled and said, 'And I would rather you go with that than anything else'.” ...I give myself the trigger shot tonight at 11:30 pm. Egg retrieval is scheduled for Monday at 10:30.
March 7, 2011
"...When I woke up in recovery, Allen told me they only found one egg…one. While initially I suppose I was a little discouraged by that, I told Allen, 'Well it only takes one, doesn’t it?' Dr Heiner told us that my lining is now 8.7. EIGHT POINT SEVEN!!! I was so happy to hear that. My lining has been surprising him all along. He said that all we could do was hope that the one tiny egg would be mature enough to fertilize... Allen and I prayed together before I left recovery....I went home and slept for 3 hours. I was a little sore but other than that, I felt pretty good. I missed Katie’s call, but woke up to listen to a voicemail that the egg was in fact MATURE! They will find out tomorrow how the fertilization went. I’ve been praying constantly since then. I sure hope that little embryo makes it..."
March 8, 2011
11:09am
I got a call from Dr Heiner.
Our little embryo didn't make it through that night...
That little part of Allen and I that I already loved so much, prayed and hoped for...
was gone.
It was a hard day.
Please know that I'm not looking for any sympathy in response to this post. I have no regrets about our cycle. Not one. I feel like it was the Lord teaching us in such an intimate and amazing way, and through a truly special experience. We saw miracles during that cycle! I saw the hand of the Lord work in me. In MY body...something I never thought would happen to me. And although it wasn't our desired outcome, it gave me so much hope. Hope in knowing the Lord can do anything! Hope and confidence in my physical body; one I have often called "broken." And hope that I can make it through this trial, no matter how long it lasts, with a perspective and peace that can only come through love, trust, and through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
If you have any questions, concerns, or fears about IVF, please know that I'm here, as always.
And if you need a good specialist?
Well...I know an incredible doctor.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Pound the Pavement For Parenthood 2011
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