Yesterday was rough. I honestly looked forward to it a great deal. Yesterday, being my latest doctor's appointment, represented potential answers, and I hoped, some resolution to the seemingly endless doctor's visits, tests, probing, poking, etc. I was, naturally, just a little nervous about what the results might be, but was ultimately quite excited. After all, answers are awesome to have!
Anyway, I arrived at the doctor's office to discover that the large waiting area was so full there was nowhere for us to sit. And that's kinda where the "rough" part started. After glancing around the room, it became glaringly apparent that the majority of women in there were probably 4-5 months pregnant. And that's where I started to struggle emotionally...not because I can't handle seeing a pregnant woman, but because there were so many of them all right in front of me. All of a sudden, I felt very, very alone.
After about 30-40 mins, I was called back for my appointment. I was really thankful to not have to look around at any more swollen bellies, and the excitement about knowing something started to return. But, all that diminished rapidly when the nurse turned to me and said, "We're scheduling your D&C today, right?" I was horrified; I hadn't heard anything about a D&C at my previous appointments, and to my knowledge have never been pregnant nor have my tests shown anything that I would need a D&C for. I managed to hold it together, and told the nurse I didn't know anything about a D&C. She double-checked the info after leaving me in a room, and came back and reiterated the real reason for my visit - to get results and plan further testing. I was greatly relieved to not have a D&C on the horizon!!
After awhile, the doctor came in and talked my results through with me. He said my biopsy results were great and show that I am just where I should be in reproductive stages. (He was a little concerned because I had a very early period in Feb and thought there may have been abnormal bleeding. But, my results show that I am within normal ranges, my period is just a little irregular.) There were also no signs of endometriosis, scar tissue or any other abnormalities based on my test results.
So what next? More tests - this time a HSG test and three months worth of ovulation kits. I am definitely not thrilled about having to wait three more months before we can even think about getting the letter we need for our agency, but I know it will be worth it to know if there are any issues we should know about. I'm just soo ready for this adoption to move forward!!
Oh, I guess I should explain the HSG test. Basically, it's an x-ray test where they will inject dye into the uterus, where it will then flow into the fallopian tubes to check for any blockages in the fallopian tubes. Then, they use an x-ray machine to watch the progress of the dye. Hopefully it will be a relatively smooth and pain-free process. The HSG test will probably be occurring in the third week of April.
Please be in continued prayer for us. This process has not been easy, particularly the waiting.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
More doc appts...
Today I (Rebekah) had my latest doc appointment. Out of all my appointments so far, I think this is the one that I have least looked forward to, due to how invasive one of the procedures would be.
I walked in to my appointment feeling just a bit apprehensive, but was quickly put at ease by a wonderful nurse. She completed the ultrasound (the first half of my appointment) and it was all over quickly. She didn't really say much about what the ultrasound showed, and from my position I couldn't see the screen at all. So, I pretty much had no idea whether my results were good or bad or somewhere in between.
In the second half of my appointment, when I saw the doctor, I was thrilled to discover that he had my results and shared them with me. He went through all of the different pictures and said that all of my reproductive organs they checked on the ultrasound look totally normal in size and there do not appear to be any cysts or anything of that nature. So, my ultrasound showed that from what they can see so far, I am healthy. :)
Then came the not-so-fun part: an endometrial biopsy. This was the part I dreaded because I'd read that this procedure can be both painful and/or uncomfortable. I was warned to take some kind of pain meds before arriving (which I did), but I don't think anything could have really prepared me for the intensity of the pain. All I wanted to do was get out of there as soon as possible!! Thankfully, the pain diminished relatively quickly after the procedure was complete and I am not in very much pain now at all.
During the biopsy, the doctor checked out my womb, which he said showed no signs of septum (additional tissue indicating abnormalities) or scarring. He said all looked great! Now we will need to wait for the actual biopsy results, which I should receive next Wed (30th). After this follow-up, I will be booked in for further testing - possibly a laparoscopy and/or hysterosalpingogram (HSG), as well as an ovulation kit. We are hoping that these will be the last tests required prior to getting the letter from my doctor. (What I'm reading online suggests that we have been through or will have gone through most of the common infertility tests by the time we do the laparoscopy.)
So, as far as we know, everything looks good to this point from my doctor's perspective, which is a big blessing! Another blessing from the past week is that our Tennessee clearance was finally completed. The person from TN was having difficulty getting the clearance faxed to our social worker (Julie) though, so I'm not sure if it's with Julie yet or not. When Julie does receive the clearance, our home study should be wrapped up pretty quickly. If all keeps moving with both the clearance/home study and my doctor's appointments, then we could probably be looking at beginning matching within the next month or so. I am soo excited!!
That's about all the big news with our adoption for now. We are excited to see what God will do in the coming days in continuing to provide for our financial needs for our adoption and also in opening all the doors for things to go smoothly. Thanks so much for your support and prayers!
I walked in to my appointment feeling just a bit apprehensive, but was quickly put at ease by a wonderful nurse. She completed the ultrasound (the first half of my appointment) and it was all over quickly. She didn't really say much about what the ultrasound showed, and from my position I couldn't see the screen at all. So, I pretty much had no idea whether my results were good or bad or somewhere in between.
In the second half of my appointment, when I saw the doctor, I was thrilled to discover that he had my results and shared them with me. He went through all of the different pictures and said that all of my reproductive organs they checked on the ultrasound look totally normal in size and there do not appear to be any cysts or anything of that nature. So, my ultrasound showed that from what they can see so far, I am healthy. :)
Then came the not-so-fun part: an endometrial biopsy. This was the part I dreaded because I'd read that this procedure can be both painful and/or uncomfortable. I was warned to take some kind of pain meds before arriving (which I did), but I don't think anything could have really prepared me for the intensity of the pain. All I wanted to do was get out of there as soon as possible!! Thankfully, the pain diminished relatively quickly after the procedure was complete and I am not in very much pain now at all.
During the biopsy, the doctor checked out my womb, which he said showed no signs of septum (additional tissue indicating abnormalities) or scarring. He said all looked great! Now we will need to wait for the actual biopsy results, which I should receive next Wed (30th). After this follow-up, I will be booked in for further testing - possibly a laparoscopy and/or hysterosalpingogram (HSG), as well as an ovulation kit. We are hoping that these will be the last tests required prior to getting the letter from my doctor. (What I'm reading online suggests that we have been through or will have gone through most of the common infertility tests by the time we do the laparoscopy.)
So, as far as we know, everything looks good to this point from my doctor's perspective, which is a big blessing! Another blessing from the past week is that our Tennessee clearance was finally completed. The person from TN was having difficulty getting the clearance faxed to our social worker (Julie) though, so I'm not sure if it's with Julie yet or not. When Julie does receive the clearance, our home study should be wrapped up pretty quickly. If all keeps moving with both the clearance/home study and my doctor's appointments, then we could probably be looking at beginning matching within the next month or so. I am soo excited!!
That's about all the big news with our adoption for now. We are excited to see what God will do in the coming days in continuing to provide for our financial needs for our adoption and also in opening all the doors for things to go smoothly. Thanks so much for your support and prayers!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Helloo...
Hey world. :)
Just thought I'd stop by to scribble a little note to you, telling you all about the latest happenings of the last couple of weeks. I can hardly believe it's been weeks since I was last here...boy the days fly!
So, what's up?
Well, not much, but a whole lot, all at the same time. Sounds confusing, eh? Let me explain...
You're probably all getting a bit tired of me repeating which pieces of paper we're waiting for, but I'm gonna say it one more time, just in case you've forgotten. We've been waiting on child abuse clearances from TN and AL, and have been working towards getting a doctor's letter saying I can physically carry a baby.
The clearances should have been simple and straightforward, but...three months later they still weren't in the hands of our home study provider, Julie. So, I took matters into my own hands and contacted people in both states, telling them we had been waiting a long time and something needed to move. Well, I guess I made an impression or something, because I got replies within one day of writing, and both people said they would get the clearances done ASAP. Awesome! Well, unfortunately, TN is being very slow, and we still don't have that clearance. But, we DO have the AL clearance! :D God is good.
As far as the doctor's letter goes, that's where things start to get just a tiny bit complicated. We have been going through infertility testing to ascertain why we haven't been able to conceive in almost three years. This has involved lots of blood work and the like to this point. However, my gynecologist has not been able to find anything wrong, and Caleb's results also show that things are pretty normal. So, my GYN, Deb, referred me out to another doctor who is able to do more extensive testing than is available on post.
I just visited my new GYN, Dr Warren (who is awesome btw) on Friday last week. I asked him about getting the letter for our adoption, but he would like to wait until we finish our testing so that he can concretely and without hesitation give me the all clear for being able to carry. I was just a little bit disappointed to have to continue waiting, but I fully understand the need to check every possibility before getting the letter.
So, the testing continues. I have a doc appointment scheduled for the 22nd of March (two more invasive tests being done this day), then at some point after that I'll most likely have a laparoscopy done. After that...who knows what other testing will be involved. We'll just have to wait and see.
God has really blessed our adoption fund. We now have 60% of the total needed to pay for our adoption!!
Thank you to all who have been praying for and encouraging us as we walk this long journey to bring our little one home. We love you!
Just thought I'd stop by to scribble a little note to you, telling you all about the latest happenings of the last couple of weeks. I can hardly believe it's been weeks since I was last here...boy the days fly!
So, what's up?
Well, not much, but a whole lot, all at the same time. Sounds confusing, eh? Let me explain...
You're probably all getting a bit tired of me repeating which pieces of paper we're waiting for, but I'm gonna say it one more time, just in case you've forgotten. We've been waiting on child abuse clearances from TN and AL, and have been working towards getting a doctor's letter saying I can physically carry a baby.
The clearances should have been simple and straightforward, but...three months later they still weren't in the hands of our home study provider, Julie. So, I took matters into my own hands and contacted people in both states, telling them we had been waiting a long time and something needed to move. Well, I guess I made an impression or something, because I got replies within one day of writing, and both people said they would get the clearances done ASAP. Awesome! Well, unfortunately, TN is being very slow, and we still don't have that clearance. But, we DO have the AL clearance! :D God is good.
As far as the doctor's letter goes, that's where things start to get just a tiny bit complicated. We have been going through infertility testing to ascertain why we haven't been able to conceive in almost three years. This has involved lots of blood work and the like to this point. However, my gynecologist has not been able to find anything wrong, and Caleb's results also show that things are pretty normal. So, my GYN, Deb, referred me out to another doctor who is able to do more extensive testing than is available on post.
I just visited my new GYN, Dr Warren (who is awesome btw) on Friday last week. I asked him about getting the letter for our adoption, but he would like to wait until we finish our testing so that he can concretely and without hesitation give me the all clear for being able to carry. I was just a little bit disappointed to have to continue waiting, but I fully understand the need to check every possibility before getting the letter.
So, the testing continues. I have a doc appointment scheduled for the 22nd of March (two more invasive tests being done this day), then at some point after that I'll most likely have a laparoscopy done. After that...who knows what other testing will be involved. We'll just have to wait and see.
God has really blessed our adoption fund. We now have 60% of the total needed to pay for our adoption!!
Thank you to all who have been praying for and encouraging us as we walk this long journey to bring our little one home. We love you!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Hey everybody. :)
It's a glorious day here...the sky is a pale spring blue with big puffy clouds. The trees are rustling gently with a warm breeze. Ahh...I love this weather. It's been so nice to be able to open up all the windows and let the breeze flow through the house. I am definitely ready to bid winter goodbye!
We've had little bits and pieces of progress in the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, we both went through night classes to become CPR (adult, infant, child) and First Aid certified. It came in the midst of an insanely busy week, but we are thankful that it all worked out so we could both go.
On February 11, I had my doctor's appointment to follow up on my test results. The appointment was very short; we learned that as far as the GYN (Ms Delk) can see, I should not have any problems getting pregnant. But, Ms Delk referred me to another GYN to do further testing just to be sure. We do think we have some answers with regards to our infertility, but are keeping this information private.
This past week I received my referral to see the new GYN. However, it turns out the doctor is actually from Mobile, AL and only comes to our area twice a month, and he was booked out until May! So, I am going to be calling today about making an appointment with a different doctor and hopefully I can get in before too long.
Also this past week, I finally got our family profile sent off to Nightlight. :D While most of our profile has been done for several weeks, I've been waiting to work on our letter to the genetic parents with Caleb, whose schedule has been very busy. After getting the letter done, I had lots of issues with converting the file to a PDF, so it ended up being a much longer process than I expected. But, it's with Nightlight now, which is very exciting.
So, where does that put us? Well, we are sort of in limbo mode right now. We are still waiting on child abuse/neglect clearances from AL and TN to finalize our home study. We also need a letter from a doctor saying I can carry a baby, which I'm hoping to acquire when I go to my appointment with the new GYN. After those two things are finalized, we will move into the matching phase!! It is sooo exciting to me to realize how close we are to matching, especially as our agency has a very short timeframe for matching (1-4 months). :D
Other than adoption bits and pieces, not a whole lot has been happening around here, just the usual flight school crazy schedule for Caleb, piles of homework for him, me being a housewife, babysitting, and fulfilling our church commitments. :) God is definitely at work here, and we are so excited to see what He will do in the coming days.
It's a glorious day here...the sky is a pale spring blue with big puffy clouds. The trees are rustling gently with a warm breeze. Ahh...I love this weather. It's been so nice to be able to open up all the windows and let the breeze flow through the house. I am definitely ready to bid winter goodbye!
We've had little bits and pieces of progress in the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, we both went through night classes to become CPR (adult, infant, child) and First Aid certified. It came in the midst of an insanely busy week, but we are thankful that it all worked out so we could both go.
On February 11, I had my doctor's appointment to follow up on my test results. The appointment was very short; we learned that as far as the GYN (Ms Delk) can see, I should not have any problems getting pregnant. But, Ms Delk referred me to another GYN to do further testing just to be sure. We do think we have some answers with regards to our infertility, but are keeping this information private.
This past week I received my referral to see the new GYN. However, it turns out the doctor is actually from Mobile, AL and only comes to our area twice a month, and he was booked out until May! So, I am going to be calling today about making an appointment with a different doctor and hopefully I can get in before too long.
Also this past week, I finally got our family profile sent off to Nightlight. :D While most of our profile has been done for several weeks, I've been waiting to work on our letter to the genetic parents with Caleb, whose schedule has been very busy. After getting the letter done, I had lots of issues with converting the file to a PDF, so it ended up being a much longer process than I expected. But, it's with Nightlight now, which is very exciting.
So, where does that put us? Well, we are sort of in limbo mode right now. We are still waiting on child abuse/neglect clearances from AL and TN to finalize our home study. We also need a letter from a doctor saying I can carry a baby, which I'm hoping to acquire when I go to my appointment with the new GYN. After those two things are finalized, we will move into the matching phase!! It is sooo exciting to me to realize how close we are to matching, especially as our agency has a very short timeframe for matching (1-4 months). :D
Other than adoption bits and pieces, not a whole lot has been happening around here, just the usual flight school crazy schedule for Caleb, piles of homework for him, me being a housewife, babysitting, and fulfilling our church commitments. :) God is definitely at work here, and we are so excited to see what He will do in the coming days.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
God is faithful
I've been sitting here listening to worship music and I'm so humbled...humbled to realize (again!) that this life is not all about me; it's not even mostly about me. It's NOT about me. Similarly, this adoption is not about me or Caleb or us beginning a family; this adoption is solely about God bringing glory to His name by using two willing vessels. And, it will happen in His time and in His way - of that I am confident.
This has been a very busy week for us, yet one abundantly filled with reminders of God's goodness and sustaining grace. A close friend came home from a missions trip aglow with all God did in the Dominican Republic. Caleb's schedule worked out so he could take me to a dentist appointment. Caleb has been able to attend the CPR training with me for the two nights it ran, even though by his schedule he wouldn't have been able to. Our music for a wedding is coming together. The little girl I babysit has been sleeping soo much better (1hr+ at a time!). I had a great time teaching the 2-3 year olds tonight at church. As a friend reminded me tonight, these are not mere coincidences...they are God at work, showing Himself to be faithful and true, as He promised. With all of these things in my heart, I am so filled with gratitude to serve such an awesome God who loves so deeply and cares so much about the intimate details of my life.
I am learning so much in this season...I read a book (required for our adoption) that finally gave me answers about things from my past and how I can deal with them. Isn't it amazing how God takes something unexpected and uses it just where you need it at a specific time? While I am definitely not where I want to be in the healing and emotional recovery process, I know this: my God is greater than any past events and He can tackle even the most obscure of enemies. I love these words from the Psalms: "Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle." (Ps 24: 8) I am also claiming these words: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deut 31:6) God will be faithful to bring healing and whatever else is necessary.
Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!
This has been a very busy week for us, yet one abundantly filled with reminders of God's goodness and sustaining grace. A close friend came home from a missions trip aglow with all God did in the Dominican Republic. Caleb's schedule worked out so he could take me to a dentist appointment. Caleb has been able to attend the CPR training with me for the two nights it ran, even though by his schedule he wouldn't have been able to. Our music for a wedding is coming together. The little girl I babysit has been sleeping soo much better (1hr+ at a time!). I had a great time teaching the 2-3 year olds tonight at church. As a friend reminded me tonight, these are not mere coincidences...they are God at work, showing Himself to be faithful and true, as He promised. With all of these things in my heart, I am so filled with gratitude to serve such an awesome God who loves so deeply and cares so much about the intimate details of my life.
I am learning so much in this season...I read a book (required for our adoption) that finally gave me answers about things from my past and how I can deal with them. Isn't it amazing how God takes something unexpected and uses it just where you need it at a specific time? While I am definitely not where I want to be in the healing and emotional recovery process, I know this: my God is greater than any past events and He can tackle even the most obscure of enemies. I love these words from the Psalms: "Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle." (Ps 24: 8) I am also claiming these words: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deut 31:6) God will be faithful to bring healing and whatever else is necessary.
Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
An Update
So...what's new in our adoption world?
A couple of things:
Our home study is just about wrapped up now. But, we are still waiting on our Child Abuse/Neglect clearances from AL and TN. Please be in prayer that these will come back, and soon! They should have been here by now. Other than those clearances, we just need to get First Aid/CPR certification. That's on the calendar for Feb 7th, 8th, and 10th. Then, hopefully it'll be a quick process to get our home study report in the hands of our adoption agency.
We have been pursuing some fertility testing only to ensure that everything is healthy and that Rebekah specifically does not have any health problems that would prevent her carrying a child. So far, we don't know anything definite (we should know more Feb 11, at my next doctor's appointment).
What we do know is that my hormones are out of balance, making it difficult for me to get pregnant naturally. The doctor thinks I may have a specific condition that would explain a lot of things I've had going on physically ~ everything from it being difficult to lose weight to our infertility and so much in between. Just knowing something definite would be such an answer to prayer and such a relief to both of us. Knowing the name of the problem and any changes we need to make to relieve its symptoms will be so nice.
Our family profile is really coming along, just in case you haven't seen my FB page recently. :) We have put together four pages, with three to go (and two of those are in progress). Here's a sample:
Once our profile is finished, our home study arrives, and we get a letter from our doc saying that I'm healthy and able to carry a baby, things should really start to move forward. It could only be a matter of a month or two before we'd be matched with a couple!!!
In other news, I'm now babysitting an eight-month-old on a regular basis for a friend. I figured now was as good a time as any to start getting used to having to take care of a baby AND get all the day-to-day stuff done. I am enjoying it, but it's been very tiring. Kaylee has been sick most of the time I've kept her (lots of congestion the first 2 weeks and a persistent ear infection) and I'm not being used to having a kid around for hours at a time, so by the time Fridays come (my day off), I am well and truly ready for a rest. But, at the same time, I like that I'm learning all the nitty gritty bits of being a parent (or at least some!) and am learning to balance what I am doing with what the baby needs. :)
Last month my man got promoted which was very exciting, especially as the Army dated the promotion July, 2010!! That means Caleb will be back-paid to July! God is so good.
Flight school is going well for Caleb, though it is as intense as ever. Flight school = crazy schedules, that's for sure! It's been the norm this week for Caleb to leave home at 7ish and not get home til 6ish. Every week is different and definitely keeps me on my toes, especially with lunch prep, which can range anywhere from 10am to 12pm.
In November, I was asked to be a permanent substitute for two Sunday School classes (i.e. teaching whenever their teachers are away) ~ 1st-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade. I have taught two Sundays in each class, and I really enjoy it. :) Caleb is also teaching Sunday School for the Adults between 18 and 35ish, which he is also thoroughly enjoying.
I think that's about all our news for now. :) Stay tuned...hopefully our next blog post won't be a month in coming!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
What Comes Next?
I've been thinking that if any of you are anything like me, you probably had never heard about embryo adoption before we mentioned it. So, I figured I'd write a little blogpost and kind of give you an idea of what the next steps will be for us. :)
Right now, we're still technically in the application phase with Nightlight, though we have been accepted by them. This is because they need our home study report and a few other documents before our file can be considered complete. So, we are working to get the home study finished up (should be sometime in Jan) and get the other documents together.
One of the documents we're working on is called a family profile. This document is sent out to prospective families to give them a peek into our world and see whether we match their preferences for their embryos' adoptive parents. So, it's kind of an important document. :) We're probably a quarter to a third of the way through that so far.
After all of the above documents are with the agency, we will have a pre-matching interview with a social worker from Nightlight, just to clarify exactly what we're looking for in genetic parents and our preferences for future contact with them.
Next comes what is called the "matching phase", which entails our profile being sent out to prospective families. This phase can involve a lot of waiting. It just kinda depends on the genetic families and their preferences as to how quickly you are chosen.
After a genetic family chooses us, we receive a bunch of info about them, including detailed medical history, info about the embryos themselves, and their family profile. We get to decide whether they are a match for us.
If we choose them, then we begin signing contracts that solidify the adoption!! :D
Next, travel is arranged for the embryos from the genetic family's fertility clinic to our clinic.
And...finally...the most exciting stage: frozen embryo transfer (FET): where the embryos (up to 3) are transferred to me and Lord-willing, I become pregnant! :D
Nightlight estimates that the whole process should take 5-13 months from start to finish, with it being on the lower end of that timeframe if you're not picky (which we aren't). So, who knows ~ this time next year we could have a baby in our arms! :D
Right now, we're still technically in the application phase with Nightlight, though we have been accepted by them. This is because they need our home study report and a few other documents before our file can be considered complete. So, we are working to get the home study finished up (should be sometime in Jan) and get the other documents together.
One of the documents we're working on is called a family profile. This document is sent out to prospective families to give them a peek into our world and see whether we match their preferences for their embryos' adoptive parents. So, it's kind of an important document. :) We're probably a quarter to a third of the way through that so far.
After all of the above documents are with the agency, we will have a pre-matching interview with a social worker from Nightlight, just to clarify exactly what we're looking for in genetic parents and our preferences for future contact with them.
Next comes what is called the "matching phase", which entails our profile being sent out to prospective families. This phase can involve a lot of waiting. It just kinda depends on the genetic families and their preferences as to how quickly you are chosen.
After a genetic family chooses us, we receive a bunch of info about them, including detailed medical history, info about the embryos themselves, and their family profile. We get to decide whether they are a match for us.
If we choose them, then we begin signing contracts that solidify the adoption!! :D
Next, travel is arranged for the embryos from the genetic family's fertility clinic to our clinic.
And...finally...the most exciting stage: frozen embryo transfer (FET): where the embryos (up to 3) are transferred to me and Lord-willing, I become pregnant! :D
Nightlight estimates that the whole process should take 5-13 months from start to finish, with it being on the lower end of that timeframe if you're not picky (which we aren't). So, who knows ~ this time next year we could have a baby in our arms! :D
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