And it starts again

Well today was day #1 of injections. I am doing 150 units of follistim in the am & 75 of follistim & 75 of menopur in the evening. I am excited to finally be moving along in this process. In the back of my head I keep getting this nagging feeling, "What if it doesn't work this time?" I know that we had to scrape, beg, & borrow so that we could pay for this cycle so another cycle is nowhere in our near future. I would be completely devestated if I come out of this cycle empty handed once again. I am not a religious person but I have found myself just PRAYING that this cycle works so I can stop with the negative thoughts. Next appt with the vuvu cam isn't until Saturday so I have a little break. I will try to be a better blogger during all of this so that I can keep everyone up to date. Please continue to keep me & my DH in your thoughts as infertility is not easy.

DRUGS ;-)

I got a hold of my fertility nurse & discussed the drugs we would be using for this cycle. This time they have put me on the Antagonist protocol, which includes Ganirelex, Menopur, & Follistim. I got quite a few drugs from the clinic but I am trying to be well informed and price out my meds this time. I need the Ganirelex & HCG (the only 2 I didn't get from my Dr.) I have priced out Freedom Fertility pharmacy, Burman's pharmacy, fertilitymeds.com, Walgreen's Specialty pharmacy, & Alexander's Twin pharmacy. So far Alexander's pharmacy has been the cheapest. Does anyone else know of a less expensive pharmacy; or any other pharmacies in general that I can check out? Last time we went with Freedom pharmacy because that is what my RE suggested & I think we ended up paying far too much for our meds. Any & all help or suggestions are appreciated!!!

My luck is changing

So my last post was looking for some help with creative ways to fund my next IVF cycle... Since I got an overwhelming response from all my blogging friends ** ENTER SARCASM HERE** I decided to come up with a plan on my own. I actually came up with many different plans. Plan 1) Sell our house & live with my in-laws for a year, save up money that would go to the mortgage. This would be a great idea EXCEPT I am a horrible house keeper & my MIL keeps a meticulous house, NOT GONNA WORK! Plan 2) Sell our broken boat for what we owe on it so that we reduce one more bill & can exchange it with a baby bill. This idea sounds PERFECT except my sweet husband is absolutely in love with our boat. Our boat is like his "man cave". Boat plan is out of the question. Plan 3) Become an egg donor. I thought this would be a great idea because our fertility issues have nothing to do with poor egg quality & I hear you can make a couple thousand dollars doing this!! Plus I would be helping a lot of people who are in a similar boat as me. Talked to my Babe about this plan & he was very uncomfortable with this idea. He can't quite get over the thought that I would have a biological baby living somewhere in this world. So for now this plan is a no-go but we may re-visit it in the future (I would love to give back!)

So with all of my plans shot down we are still left with No money & No baby. Being unemployed I have had a lot of time which I generally spend 70% of it online. I am either searching for jobs or perusing facebook. I happened to mention on my facebook page that I was UNEMPLOYED & actively looking for a job to occupy my time. When out of no where I got a job offer!!!! A chat window popped up on my facebook screen. It was my Uncle's-wife's (my aunt by marriage) brother's wife (my aunt's sister-in-law). She is the nurse manager of a small ambulatory surgery center & offered me a per diem nursing job! WOOOOOHOOOOO!! I started last week & I absolutely LOVE IT!!

"Per diem" means that I don't owe them any set number of hours & they don't owe me set hours. BUT if they need someone I am available to fill the holes. I should be getting around 20 hours per week, which isn't a lot but on a nurses salary it's enough to start IVF again!! YAYYYYYYYY!!!!! We called the loan company & were approved for a personal loan & now that I am working we will have enough to cover the payments! This job is not only perfect in the monetary aspect, but since it's only per diem I will have the time & flexibility in my schedule to do all of the monitoring. PERFECT. So I have to call my clinic's nurse today but the NEW plan is to start again in August. Hooray for luck!

Paying for IVF

So I have recently passed Nursing school & state boards, but am also recently unemployed (YUCK!!) I really want to jump into our next IVF cycle. I am mentally & physically prepared for everything to come. The only thing I don't have is the finances... So I figured I would put up a post to see the creative ways everyone uses to pay for their IVF cycles. I really thought that since I don't have a job right now I would have plenty of time to do an IVF cycle without worrying about getting time off. We need $6,000 up front for this cycle. We are unable to get a loan for this try because we got a loan last cycle & can't get another. We considered refinancing our house, but that would put us in this house for longer than we want. I have applied to EVERY nursing job I have found & gotten absolutely no responses. I have considered taking on a part-time job just to bring in a little cash until I get a real job.

SO please comment & let me know some creative ways you have come up with the money for IVF...

Pinning, Graduation, Life =)

I just realized it has been quite some time since my last post. As everyone in the universe knows, I graduated nursing school. Before you graduate from the college the nursing class does a pinning ceremony. It is a ceremonial "welcome to the world of nursing." At the ceremony we get pinned by our nursing instructors, light candles, and recite a professional nursing pledge.
Here I am getting pinned by my instructor

Me reciting the professional nursing pledge

Pinning was on Friday night. Saturday afternoon I had a small graduation party at my in-laws. Sunday afternoon I graduated college. Graduation was long and drawn out but I was so glad to go through the process.
Me after graduation

Me & my beautiful little sister

The next big step is my boards. Nurses take what is called the NCLEX, a state licensing exam. I am scheduled for Friday, so I will be studying ALL WEEK LONG! I have also been applying for jobs left & right. I lost my job working as a CNA at my local hospital because I am getting my RN license ugh. Hopefully I can find something soon so that I can start my IVF process again.

99 things about ME!

I thought this was a cute post so I copied it! Only problem is it's missing #49 so I added my own =) Please feel free to use this, & enjoy!

1.Started your own blog - Yup & next month is my 6 month bloggiversary!
2.Slept under the stars - I went to summer camp every year as a child but haven't slept under the stars since then.
3.Played in a band - I played the Clarinet in band in 6th grade
4.Visited Hawaii
5.Watched a meteor shower
6.Given more than you can afford to charity - I give to charities ALL the time! Normally 20-40 dollars, never more than I can afford
7.Been to Disney World - Went with my grandparents & big brother when I was about 6 years old. I was too small for most of the cool rides so I would like to go again!
8.Climbed a mountain
9.Held a praying mantis
10.Sang a solo
11.Bungee jumped
12.Visited Paris
13.Watched a lightning storm - Not since I was little with my mom. I am terribly afraid of storms but my mom always had a way of making them seem cool and soothing.
14.Taught yourself an art from scratch-SCRAPBOOKING =)
15.Adopted a child
16.Had food poisoning
17.Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty -I visited the statue of liberty when it was closed, so I couldn't climb it.
18.Grown your own vegetables
19.Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20.Slept on an overnight train
21.Had a pillow fight - At a slumber party when I was a kid
22.Hitch-hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - Did this for the first time EVER this year...My little sissy was having her big 8th grade dance & *coughcough* I came down with something
24.Built a snow fort - My brother & I would build huge snow forts & dig tunnels when we were young with all the neighborhood kids.
25.Held a lamb
26.Gone skinny dipping - I was in high school & did this with a girlfriend, her neighbor walked outside & we freaked out...Never done it again
27.Run a Marathon
28.Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29.Seen a total eclipse
30.Watched a sunrise or sunset - Plenty of times
31.Hit a home run
32.Been on a cruise
33.Seen Niagara Falls in person - One time when I went to buffalo on a mission trip with my youth group
34.Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35.Seen an Amish community - Visited Pa Dutch country many times as a child with my grandparents
36.Taught yourself a new language
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38.Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39.Gone rock climbing
40.Seen Michelangelo’s David
41.Sung karaoke
42.Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43.Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44.Visited Africa
46.Been transported in an ambulance - Well...I am an EMT does this count?
47.Had your portrait painted
48.Gone deep sea fishing
49.Put out a fire - I am a volunteer firefighter, something many people don't know about little old me!
50.Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51.Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52.Kissed in the rain
53.Played in the mud - Did this all the time as a little kid
54.Gone to a drive-in theater
55.Been in a movie
56.Visited the Great Wall of China
57.Started a business - I started a home sale business (Lia Sophia-jewelry) I discovered I'm not a very good salesperson
58.Taken a martial arts class
59.Visited Russia
60.Served at a soup kitchen
61.Sold Girl Scout Cookies - Once again did this as a kid
62.Gone whale watching
63.Got flowers for no reason
64.Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65.Gone sky diving
66.Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67.Bounced a check
68.Flown in a helicopter
69.Saved a favorite childhood toy - Not a toy but my childhood "blankie." Which I still sleep with every night
70.Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71.Eaten Caviar
72.Pieced a quilt - I love quilting, I have 2 or 3 unfinished projects right now
73.Stood in Times Square - Really cool place during the holidays
74.Toured the Everglades
75.Been fired from a job
76.Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77.Broken a bone
78.Been a passenger on a motorcycle - When I was a kid
79.Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80.Published a book
81.Visited the Vatican
82.Bought a brand new car - I bought a 2009 Hyundai Tuscon last year, it was a dealer's demo so it was sold as used but only had 3,00 miles
83.Walked in Jerusalem
84.Had your picture in the newspaper - I took dance lessons & made the paper a ton of times for that. i also was on the board of education when I was in high school & made the paper for that too.
85.Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86.Visited the White House - Did this almost every year in elementary school
87.Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88.Had chickenpox - As a little kid
89.Saved someone’s life - I am an EMT & now a nurse, I have helped save quite a few people
90.Sat on a jury
91.Met someone famous
92.Joined a book club
93.Got a tattoo - I have 2, a butterfly on my hip I got at 18 and "LOVE" on my foot I got in May before I got married as a wedding gift
94.Had a baby
95.Seen the Alamo in person
96.Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97.Been involved in a law suit
98.Owned a cell phone -TONS!!
99.Been stung by a bee- More times than I can remember, Thank god I'm not allergic

I hope you learned a few things about me!

On to the next big thing

One week from today I will graduate from Nursing School. After that it's on to the next BIG thing =) And by next big thing I mean BABY!! I am starting to get anxious & excited all over again! After my last egg retrieval I was so sad and beat down I pushed everything baby into the background. DH and I talked about when would be an appropriate time to restart our journey. We decided that after I graduate college would be better for us since we would all be much less stressed out and hopefully our finances would be in order. At the time graduation felt like such a far away time, like when you were a little kid saying, "one day when I grow up..." But it's here (well almost here). I think we will start the preocess again in July to give us a little time to recooperate and time for me to find a job =(. So for now I am getting exited to start thing moving again. Hopefully this will be my last child-free Mother's Day!!!