We are all...

VERY SLEEPY!!!

Thank you uncle Tomi for my cool shirt!

Real Quick

Not much time to finish my story now but I had to share.

Sooooooooooo,

The anesthesiologist came in and had me slouch to get my epidural. Very easy. I felt my legs the whole time, I can't say the felt normal but they were there.

At this point I felt SO relaxed. It had been so long since my body was fully relaxed. So there I was, stoned on the epidural chatting with hubby (for maybe 45 minutes) when the nurse came in to check me. She told me I was 7cm. She called the doc in, he checked me and told me I was 5cm. WHAT??? The doc and the nurse were bickering over who was right and the doc told us he would be down stairs in the lounge waiting for the call. He figured it would be later around dinner time.
The nurse said that the doc told her to start Pitocin as he thought I was at 5cm, she put it on the slowest drip because she swore I was 7cm.

Then I started feeling intense pressure down there and a feeling that I needed to push. Hubby got the nurse, who called the doc. At this point I was holding back.

The doc came up to check me, 10cm!! Ready to go.
Doc and nurse started suiting up. All I can say is that I am so happy I got the epidural before I felt serious pain because the pressure was so intense. I can only imagine what it would feel like without the epidural. Mentally I was getting ready for a long time of pushing, but it was only about 20 minutes and my little guy was here. 2:48pm.

Ohhh, little one calls.
Moooooooooo!

Before & After

Here is the labor & delivery story:

On Tuesday, I woke up at about 3:30am to some heavy menstrual cramps. The ladies with endo would consider this pain fairly normal and would grab the meds to get through the day/night.

I started watching the clock in bed and realized that the cramps were stopping and starting. Cool! Contractions!

At this point I headed downstairs to start the online contraction timer, Contraction Master (highly reccomend the website for the preggos out there). The contractions were not what I considered regular. They were about 10, 14, 9, minutes apart.

At about 6:30am I went to use the restroom and discovered that I was bleeding red. This is what the doc told me was one of the signs to go right to the hospital. I ran upstairs to tell the hubby that it was time to go.

We arrived on the Labor and Delivery floor at 7:30am where we met nurse Michelle. She put me in the room where they monitor preggos to make sure they can be admitted. Michelle checked me and told me I was at 3cm. I was staying and having a baby TODAY, at least by TONIGHT. WOW.

I was wheeled in to the labor room where my fantastic nurse ordered me some toast so I could power through labor with some energy. She called the doc, he was returning from LAX. He had another patient in labor in the room next door to me.

Once the doc showed up, he checked me and I was at 5cm. At this point my nurse advised me to get my epidural. They had a c-section scheduled at noon and wanted to make sure that I was not in any pain. Let me just say, once I arrived at the hospital my contraction pains were not as painful. Not sure why, but I think it is because I was where I needed to be.

To be continued...

Kiddo is hungry.

October 20th 2009

Matthias Jakab was born at 2:48 PST. He weighed in at 7lbs 7 oz; 19 inches long.

We are in love!

Labor and delivery story to come...

Pregnancy Insomnia

Remember the "Crunchy Towels" post?

That is what it feels like. Everyone is snoozing and I am WIDE awake.
I am comfy when I lie down, it is dark in the room, it is just that I cannot fall asleep.
Is this what they are talking about when they say your body is preparing to stay up with a baby all night long?

I think so.

Well tonight I am going to the Hollywood Bowl with my mom to a Sound of Music Sing Along.
It should be fun since I really love that movie.

Have a great weekend!

Fatty Arbuckle

This is my new nickname due to the perfect roundness of my midsection whenever I wear my husband's boxer shorts high at my belly button. That and it obviously jiggles quite a bit. Credit must go to my husband who, in all his sensitivity and compassion, dubbed me with this new nickname.

Update:

Thirty-four weeks tomorrow. Passed the Glucose test. The only complaints (if you want to call them that) are sometimes I feel as if I can't breathe. I guess it's normal as my insides are being pushed all over the place. I know pressure on a particular artery also has something to do with that 'feeling'.

Our boy is moving around all the time. I think he hears me chewing (?) because when I chew or crunch on food he moves a bit more. Whether this is the case or not, I imagine him yanking on the umbilical cord saying "Hurry up mom, get that food down here!"

We're still working on the room...little by little...by little. I'll post pics once it's done.

And, finally, the shower is on October 4th and I am really looking forward to it.

I hope all is well with everybody out there! Again, thank you very much for the comments and support through the months. Most of you visitng this blog have followed along through this whole process and I love and appreciate hearing from you.

Pow!

Check out the belly. Rub it. Love it.

On Friday we went to see our boy one more time before we REALLY get to see him. We caught a pic of him yawning. Life is rough in there...
Oh, and I made sure that he was still a boy. He is.

Also, We attempted to register yesterday for the shower. Ugh.
We lasted about an hour before I just had enough.
I have recruited a friend to help me and I'll have to finish/re-do the registry project today...

On Monday I am 30 weeks, 10 more to go.
Wow.

Worst blogger ever...

I know. My updating has been more than horrible. I cannot blame it on anything except pure laziness. There, I admit it.

Here is my update:
28 weeks.
Took my glucose test on Friday.
Doing A LOT better with my weight gain. I was jumping up and down happy that I only gained one pound on my last visit.
Doing another ultrasound in two weeks. I can't wait to see what the heck my boy is doing in there. He is really active and I watch and feel him move everyday. I swear he is either putting up shelving to stay longer or he his trying to dig his way out. I can't figure it out.
I have been procrastinating on everything. My reasoning is that I won't be able to do what I want for a while so I am enjoying it.
We have been BLESSED with hand-me-downs like you would not believe. We have clothes all the way to a jogging stroller. Pretty awesome.
Well, I think that is all I have for now.
Hope everyone is doing well!

Arrivederci Vespa!

It was a sad, sad day. My beloved Vespa is gone. I sold it Saturday, its new home is in Hollywood. I think it belongs there and will be put to good use. It was fun while it lasted though I've not ridden it since becoming pregnant. Fair trade I think.

AFP results were all negative. Next ultrasound is set for a month from now. My weight has stabilized (thank goodness) as I've been much more disciplined with my daily intake.

I now have a hard time tying my shoes. Another fair trade. We're currently cleaning out the spare room, and it should resemble a dorm room more than a nursery...posters, signed drum heads, soccer and football stuff galore. It's not your average over-the-top nursery to say the least.

We'll update again soon, maybe a belly progress photo...'til then take care!

Hello baby bump...

Here is the 19 week belly pic.
You like?



Ok, everyone is asking about names and we are not sure we are ready to give that info up. All I can say is that we are sure of what we are naming him. The only clue I will give is that it is Hungarian and it is pretty awesome (at least we think so).

Until next post...

Liz and Baby Z

P.S. I love my husband, he makes me pizza.

Here HE is.

Say hello to our son.

Feelin' the Baby

Finally, I am starting to feel pregnant.

Yesterday I laid down put my hand on my tummy and felt a couple of taps from the inside. To me it feels like a pencil eraser giving me a poke. SO COOL.

I made Jesse touch my belly and he felt it too!
There is some crazy karate chopping going on there.

When we went to visit the doctor today, we heard the heartbeat. 140bpm.

We will be going to a gender scan ultrasound next week.
Anyone care to take a guess?

And while we patiently wait, a random photo.

Miss me?

Between working, sleeping and resting I have been very lazy.
There, I admit it.

I've been growing and am proud to report that I have a little belly.
And according to the ER doctor I waited 4 hours to see on Friday, measuring at 16 weeks...

Let me explain.
This Friday, I was feeling some sharp stabbing pains in my lower abdomen. Between these pains I felt a dull ache. I called the doc and he had me come in. Long story short, he told me that I have a small polyp on my cervix, which can cause "some irritation". As the day went on the pain got way worse. As I was resting at home, I was in such horrible pain that I literally had tears. It felt like when my cyst ruptured EXCEPT that it was not constant. It was coming and going.
Upon seeing me in tears, Jesse took me to the ER.
After 4 hours of pain (and a really cool Ultrasound!), the ER doc said there was nothing wrong with me. He went along with the polyp theory.
My theory?
SEVERE Round Ligament Pain. It comes and goes. I think when my uterus decides it needs to stretch, my pain is on a higher level then the average preggo. I think I hurt more due to my endo adhesions not being able to strech like a regular muscle.
So, that is the story.

Other than this string of events, I have nothing much to report other than Jesse thinks this kid is going to walk out on its own. He was such a proud papa when they said the baby was measuring large... too cute.

Well, that is all I got for now.
As things move along, I'll keep you all informed.

Week 12

So, Liz has been sleeping a lot. I mean a lot. She's suffered a couple bad headaches. No nausea whatsoever. She's gained 4 lbs. but to hear her talk about it you'd think she's gained 80.

Ultrasound was done this past Friday and all is well. Little baby did some moving around for us which was pretty exciting. She is just starting to show and is much more agreeable due to an influx of larger dresses into her wardrobe.

Next ultrasound is on May 22nd.

And YES we are going to learn the sex of the baby. She wins...this time.

Next post to have some photos. Thanks for sticking around. Liz says she'll update more frequently. She should be able to stay awake for more than 20 minutes soon.

Update and a Poll!

Week 9

I'm sleepy all the time!

I eat about normal. I'm just tire all day long, which is normal so I hear. The street sign is to warn drivers of children playing and not to run them over with your 1977 Soviet-built Lada, you may dent your Lada.

Not too much going on. Work. Sleep. Eat. Work.

I'll see the doc again on Aprl 17th for another ultrasound.

Poll: When the time comes do we want to know if it's a boy a girl?

My husband votes for keeping it a surprise. I lean towards knowing. Please comment!

Hungo Street Sign - Dime baby

What does that sign mean exactly?
Please in send your ideas.

OK, so now the baby is the size of a dime...a dime with a heartbeat.
Doc says "You're in business", so that's good.
I've been keeping my Hungarian doctor appraised. He's been great and we'll be back there again down the road.

My husband pet my toes during the ultrasound. He's the sweetest. Sometimes. Usually.

Two 'dimes' would've been cool but (trust me) one is plenty good. It's kinda odd being this open with such an early pregnancy, we both understand this, but it's been great sharing this journey. We stay positive and look forward to meeting our new baby, but, we certainly don't take for granted that we're still in the earliest stages and sometimes "things" just happen.

Believe it or not my husband and I don't spend a lot of time talking about the baby. A belly rub here and there - that's about it. In the end we hope and pray, because really, that's all we can do. And that is the beautiful part.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as it's still a long road.

Tanks for sticking around!
Liz

Little Flicker

I saw ONE little heartbeat on Tuesday.
I go back next Tuesday to make sure it is only one.

Still does not seem real.

Waiting....

After three years of TTC, I am waiting to see our little one...

A week from today I will (hopefully) see something in there.
I should be 6 weeks 1 day by then.

Until I have something to report, I will post my hcg numbers...

#1 11dp5dt: 245
#2 13dp5dt: 497
#3 15dp5dt: 1038

Only crazy TTCer's will know what this really means.
All anyone else needs to know is that as long as my numbers double every other day it means that the baby is settling in.

Let the countdown to the first ultrasound begin...

Anyone see my camera?

VESPA FOR SALE

It will be for sale early summer.

This whole baby thing is starting to sink in and I realized that I can't ride around on the Vespa anymore. Do they make car seats for Vespas? Didn't think so. Besides Stig would not go for that EVER.

Sad to see the Vespa go but TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Where the heck is my camera?

I could not wait...

I had to find out early.

SOooooooo, I am pregnant.

4 weeks and 3 days.

According to the week by week calendar online, our baby should look like a salamader.
So, settle in little salamander. It should be a fun ride.

BTW, I was going to post a picture of my test but I have misplaced my camera.
I'll make sure to post it as soon as I find it.

If you were a camera where would you be?

Finally back on track

I have been working all week, coming home and SLEEPING.
Not sure if that is jet-lag or a GOOD sign.

Another week of waiting and we will know for sure if this IVF thing worked.

Today (as soon as it is an acceptable time to call people), I will be catching up with friends. I plan on the Farmers Market, hanging out with BK and her little one and possibly dinner with my two besties.

Hope everyone is doing well and as soon as I know anything I will post.

Hugs and kisses.

Back Home

So nice to see my babe...

Jet lag stinks.

Still in the 2WW.
Isn't it fun suffering along with me?

Welcome,

to what TTCer's (Trying To Conceive) call the Two Week Wait (2WW for short).

This is the torturous two weeks spent wondering if you're pregnant or not. These 2WWs aren't new to me. I've been going through them almost every single month for the past three years. During the past 2WWs the ladies in my TTC support group (on WebMD) were a great help and have provided support through all of this. My prayers go out to all of them and I hope we all get our long awaited BFP's (Big Fat Positive) very very soon.

Today is my last day in Budapest. I'll be in Munich, Germany for a day then I'm off for home. It's bittersweet because I'm going to miss my Pops, a lot. He's pretty cool.

On the other hand, I am ready to go home and get back in to the swing of things and try my hardest to get through this 2WW as fast as possible.

Goodbye Budapest...

Munich, here I come!

Treatment Complete

OK, there are two embies with me and the rest will live in the building above.

Out of the 13 eggs, 11 fertilized, 8 of good quality.
The quality of embryos are graded from 1 to 4 w/ four being perfect.
Doc told me that he rarley sees a grade 4 and my eight were all graded a '3'. Nice.
So, two were transfered (which was easy peasy), and 6 were frozen for later.

I really wish I could bring my doc home with me. He really has been the best and this coming from someone who has been to five OBYGNs and one RE in the U.S. Hands-down my euro-doc, Dr. Kovacs, and his team win. Dr. Kovacs is so attentive and very understanding to the sensitivity of infertility. He and everyone at Kaali Institute exceeded my and my husband's expectations.

For anyone suffering from infertility, and is considering IVF, I highly recommend they look into Kaali Institute...especially after adding up what we've spent versus what we'd would've spent at home, it's really worth considering.

I'm resting for the rest of the day and about to finish the first season of 'Mad Men' with pops.

Thanks for all of the prayers, thoughts and comments. They are very much appreciated and I read through the comment section (sometimes several times) often, it's been helpful.

I'll be home soon.
Until tomorrow. Bye!

Here We Go!

In about two hours I head to the clinic for the transfer and embryo report. I am wearing my comfies so that when I get home I can just lay down and let the little beans settle in. Hooray for stretchy pants!

So, last night we went to grandmas to say goodbye and I thought I would give a brief synopsis of the discussions that went around the dinner table:

Recent shady politician lock-ups. Late grandpa's line of Skodas and the history of garaging them. Chernobyl and the effects of radiation. Organic and Bio products. Farmers Markets. My other Grandpa's Lada and its garage. The Dirty Russians. The dynamics of the Tancsis Utca home and how the piano fit inside. The Rotten Turks. Each hospital stay of my late grandpa and my grandma. Vitamin D and the positive effects of the sun. The full story of my mothers birth. My grandpa's twin and the case of the missing kidney...that's just off the top of my head.

I'll post once I return from the transfer.
Wish me luck!

Flipsy Flips...

As I sit in the apartment in my stretchy pants, I munch on these delicious peanut buttery crunchy snacks.

I most definetly am expanding at an alarming rate. Time to break out the Winsor Pilates DVD while I can.

Tomorrow is the transfer and I can't risk using my abs for anything other than keeping the embryos nice and warm.

Darn flipsy flips and stretchy pants. Such a dangerous combination.

News

Just wanted to share that I got another call from the doc this morning while I was at the bank with Pops.
Doc says that there are NINE good quality embryos!
He wants to do the transfer, Friday at 2pm Hungo Time.
NINE.
Nine.
WHOA...

Oh by the way, the pic above was snapped about a 3 minute walk from the apartment.
I love this city. Breathtaking.

Adios Russian Metro

Russian Metro Cars are being replaced. It was fun while it lasted. Six months from now they'll be retired and new fancy ones will be introduced. As for me, I like the old ones. I've been riding them around since I was a little kid and now that I am trying to have a little kid, they're being retired.

Well, I know you all wanted to hear more IVF news BUT Internet was down all day here yesterday! It was terrible. Man, it felt like I was back to the dark ages!

Here I was freaking-out excited to report back on the number of eggs that fertilized and I couldn't communicate with anyone! Annoying.

Thank goodness for the international b.lack.ber.ry. or else I'd been totally cut off.

So, (drum roll, please) here's the update:

I got the call from the doc yesterday morning that five of my eggs fertilized! Doc says there could be more in the coming days and that he'd call me on Wednesday morning to give me the final count and grade of each one.

We will transfer two and freeze the rest that qualify. The frozen ones will live at the Kaali Institute until I return for them. That way if we want siblings or this round is not successful the embryos will be in waiting, ready to be implanted. And if that happens, I'll be riding on the new metro.

I'll report back soon.

Our Humble Castle

Here is a photo of Liz's lair. It's not much, I know, but I'd thought you'd all like to see where she's spending her time. Cool, huh?

Just under that arch is where I slayed my first dragon back in November'05 during my first trip to Hungaria. OK, back to Liz.

And the lucky # is?

So this morning I woke up and got a ride from my buddy and his mom (who no doubt is my other mother) and we headed to the clinic.

I checked in and was met by the doc where he did an ultrasound to check out all my follicles. After that I was led to an upstairs room where I changed in to a lovely rear-opening gown, booties and a fancy cafeteria-lady hat. In the operating room I hopped on the table, the anesthesiologist put a needle in my arm and the next thing I know POOF I am laying out in the operating waiting room.

After about 20 minutes I climbed in to a lazyboy chair where they gave me tea and cookies. YUM. Once the nurse felt that I could walk on my own, I changed back in to my clothes and went back downstairs to meet with the doc. He got thirteen eggs!

Doc told me not to get too excited because just because they had so many eggs doesn't mean that all of them will be fertilized. So I am awaiting a call tomorrow morning from the doc to tell me how many are on their way to being embryos. Upon that call he will tell me when I should go in for the transfer. It is looking like Wednesday or Thursday.

So far so good.

Over and Out.

Szörnyű Beer by Stig

On this trip, as a distraction, I was focused on finding the cheapest beer in Europe, or at least Hungary, and believed I'd I found it. Where? Tesco, the UK-based supermarket not unlike WalMart. However, my victory party was short-lived as Liz's dad laughed at me and swears there exists even cheaper beer.

I demanded answers and specifics as to where one could acquire this mythical, lousy beer.

Until Liz's dad's reaction I was content with my victory. I'd paid 109 Forint for the Tesco beer - 48 cents USD. Liz's father claims that outside Budapest, near our little (I do mean little) house by the river, I can buy a particularly crappy beer for 99 Forint which comes to...hold your breath... 44 cents! In the words of General D. Mac Arthur: "I shall return."

In the meantime I'm home now and my beautiful wife is faraway enduring all of this IVF business. She's tougher than me, that much I know. I sure married the right one.

He's gone home

So sad. I wish he could have stayed the entire time. According to the flight tracker he landed hours ago, but of course pop's Hungo internet isn't working. Hungo = Free unsecured WiFi in the area. Hooray for Hungos.
Today pops and I plan on heading to the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends. He ate all of the yummy leftovers from the restaurants so we need to stock up. I'll also head to grandmas this afternoon because she wants me to take some things to my mom. Another Hungo exchange. I am sure I will be pooped after this day is over.
I can't eat or drink after midnight tonight so I'll do my best to stuff as much of grandmas food in my face before I turn in to a gremlin. At which point I will be so full I won't be able to move...


IVF Update:
The retrieval has been scheduled for Sunday at 8:30am, Hungo time. I finally injected my last shot (for the time being) last night at 9:30pm. This shot induces ovulation so that all those mature follicles pop open to produce happy gappy lizzy eggs. I assume that the transfer of the embryos will be either on Wednesday or Thursday. At which point I will do more of the "relaxing" that I have already been doing.

Well, that's it for now. I'll let you all know how it goes and how many eggies they retrieve as soon as I find out. Enjoy the weekend.

Special from the Stig: Leftover Commie-nism

Rarely does someone living safe and sound in the hermeticaly-sealed United States witness something so incredily hazardous it stops 'em dead in their tracks. Well, let me tell ya about this certain metro station on the Buda side of the city.

It should be pointed out first that there are plenty more ways to die and/or be mangled in this part of Europe than other EU nations to the west. One example is walking. Being a pedestrian here requires a certain level of skill. I've heard reports that three people per day die by vehicular means in Budapest. I believe it. Walking in parts of the city reminds me of playing football: move quickly and keep your head on a swivel.

Back to the metro station. Your basic giant shards of broken glass in what used to be three separate display windows. Perfect height, by the way, for children to play with.

The interesting part is these windows look as if they were broken in 1987. Nobody has cleaned it up and certainly no one has even considered replacing the glass.

So who lets this happen? Well, I blame communism for 40 years of soul-crushing ideological brainwashing that still stains parts of Hungarian life to this day. That or maybe someone just forgot to call the window guy.

I return home tomorrow which is just perfect because I got over my jet-lag today. Oh the irony. Liz is reaching the most crucial point and Sunday is the retrieval so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for reading and for supporting her from faraway.

-Stig, Shug, Idiot...my wife has many names for me

Like a Pinata

What does it feel like? In a word - FULL. The injections are doubling the size of my ovaries. That and the past two nights we've hit two restaurants (one good & one great) and between four of us there was no holding back. My midsection is impossibly over-stuffed and, not to mention, I have black & blue marks from all my needlin' action. It's all been worth it. The 'Gomboc'- our dessert last night - a plum dumpling rolled in chopped walnuts with powdered sugar and still warm from the oven was worth it alone.

I'm so sluggish and I walk really, really, really slow (which drives my husband totally insane). I only feel like laying around inside all day. So, yesterday The Stig went walking with our friends from home while I stayed in. The above pic is of 'Anonymus' and it sits right next to the church I was baptised in.

We went to the clinic today and the doc says my right ovary is lagging behind my left. We're going back to the clinic tomorrow (Thursday) to see if they will catch up to each other. The doctor indicated that egg retreival will most likely be Saturday or Sunday. Therefore, today my husband did his part. The DNA has been frozen.

More tomorrow.

So Far, So Good

Monday we toured a bit of the city with friends from home who are in town for few days kicking off a wintery European vacation. Brave souls. It's great having them here, but, sadly for us, tomorrow they'll move westward to Vienna, then on to Prague and finally to Paris. Not a bad tour, eh?

One of our stops was at St. Stephen's Basillica where I lit a prayer candle for our little IVF embryos. It's an amazing place which took fifty years to build and this sorry little photo does it absolutely no justice. Oddly enough St. Stephen's 'holy' right hand is kept, petrified, in a gold encased glass box that one must hand over 200 Forints (85 cents) to illuminate. Otherwise you have to look at a 500 year old hand in the dark. Seriously.

Official IVF Update...We took the metro/bus ride to the clinic where The Stig got to meet The Doc. My ultrasound showed one mature ready-to-go follicle (which won't get used) and at least six follicles measuring 11MM and another two at 10mm.

All good news as it means I'm responding to the stimulation medication very well.

Also, I was given an injection of Citratide to prevent natural ovulation. I have to inject that one along with Gonal-F. This means two shots per day BUT hopefully only for two days. We'll go back Wednesday to see how the follicles are progressing towards the 15MM target as well as to schedule egg retreival for either Friday or Saturday.

Breakfast at Grandma's

Grandma lives in Kispest in a soviet-era apartment complex or 'People Storage Units' as my husband calls them. Let's just say the architecture was aimed at utility with little focus on aesthetics. OK, zero focus on aesthetics.

She had two tall-boy cans of beer to present Stig upon his arrival. It's 10AM. Why? I have no idea, but it was sweet of her. He drinks them both claiming something about "easier than carrying them back home."

Grandma was so happy to see us. Oh, and she wants to cradle our baby before she dies. That's hungarian for ya.

Stig Arrival

He was so tired and just out-of-it.

My friend Evi and I picked the Stig up in her car, which was barely able to fit his luggage. Only one bag was his, the other is grandma-bound.

I'm so happy he's here...I can't wait 'til he wakes up.

In less than 24 hours....

The Stig arrives! YAY!
I have been tracking his flight online and as of right now he only has 8 hours and 42 minutes to go. I am eagerly waiting...

As pops snores away, I'll share my day. I hung out with my BFAM, wife and little guy today. That was nice. We had some pastries in a cafe downtown and then they drove me up to Kaali. This time I asked the nurse to watch me do the injection, just to make sure I am doing it right. Of course I am and I am just being paranoid.
So tomorrow, I'll actually really do it on my own.
Then we all headed down to the grocery store so that I could get The Stig his requested items. Beer, breakfast bars, salami and water.
After that we headed over to their house and ordered some Hungo Pizza.

My next appointment is on Monday for an ultrasound to make sure things are going the way they should be. I think after that, I will need to go to the clinic every other day.

That is pretty much it for now.

Injection Report

Pops and I went to Kaali Institute this afternoon. On the way there all I could hear was a friend's voice (initials BK) in my head saying: "Ewww, no way! Call a taxi." Between the bus and the metro she'd have a full blown germ-a-phobe meltdown.

Believe me Im not touching any of the handrails if I don't have to. All I cared about today was getting my million dollar medication to the clinic so the nurse could show me how to administer - in other words inject myself!

And ya know what? Not bad AT ALL.

The needle is super sharp and the more I think about it, I may just do it myself.

Also it seems that I've found a sleep schedule! I doze off at about 8PM, wake-up at midnight. Fall asleep again at 5AM then wake around 8. At least Pops is cheery in the morning while making coffee (tea for me) and talking ceaselessly in Hungo...blah blah blah this & that blah, blah, blah...and I'm still only half awake. Then when he stops for air I fall back to sleep until around noon.

As I write this Pops is snoring like a bear in the woods. I'm considering sticking a breath-right strip on his nose right about now.

I don't have much else to report except that I'm catching up on 'Moonlighting' and the original 'CSI' (in Hungarian) on DVD. Oh and I'm half-way through 'Eclipse'. It makes me miss The Stig even more. Speaking of, WHERE IS MY STIG? It sounds like he's busy tormenting his coworkers. No worry girls, I (happily) take on the abuse shortly.

It's time to get back to reading. My dad's one man snore-fest can serve as a soundtrack. I'll check back in tomorrow.

Over and out.

Mari Winsor is my friend

well kinda.
Anytime my pops leaves me alone for a longer than 15 minutes (so far, twice) I break out the Winsor Pilates DVD and "work my buns and thighs".
Glad I hauled that yoga mat from the other side of the globe.
It sure feels good after going to grandmas to eat.
She made enough food for at least 8 people. Pops ate enough for 3. I ate for one. And we brought tupperware to take the rest.
I Love grandmas cooking!
She made:
chicken soup with pasta
blood sausage, kolbasz, pork ribs and red cabbage.
Potatoes cooked in the fat of the above.
Another thing about Hungos: We don't eat light.
Seeing grandma was nice. Although I do see that she has not taken the diet my mom puts her on while she is in SoCal back to Hungary with her. That's ok, I figure as long as she has an appetite she is happy.
The Stig had me bring her a couple of gifts, which she loved. A VHS copy of GoldenEye and pictures from our wedding. Yeah, I know. The wedding was over four years ago but it is better late than never.

Today Pops and I went to the bank and then went to his work to introduce/re-introduce me to his co-workers. After that we went to a little restaurant called 'Kis Harang'. It means 'Little Bell'. I think I'll take the Stig there. He would like it, I think.
I am ready to do the happy dance when he arrives in the airport. I can't wait to see him. Just thinking about him being here so soon gets me giddy!

As for tomorrow, I will head over to the Kaali Institute to get my first shot.
I opened the meds in the fridge today, just to take a gander. It doesn't look that scary and I think that I am over my jet-lag enough this time to remember how the nurse does it so that I can do it myself. Although I might take advantage of the nurse until Friday. Saturday and Sunday I will have to do it myself.

I am excited for Thursday too. I am going to visit my brother-from-another-mother and his wife and baby. They are such a cute little family and I love them dearly. They have been a great help in supporting me through all of this. I can't wait to see them.

Well, that is all I have to report today. I'll let you all know how the injection goes. And hopefully the hormones won't turn me in to an evil, crazy lady.

Thinking about you all in the US and I will talk to you all soon!

I forget...

Last night, to get out of the house, pops and I went for a walk. It was a perfect night. No rain or snow. Crisp and cool.
We walked along the Danube between the Chain and Elizabeth bridges.
Gorgeous. I forget what a beautiful city this is. Everything is perfectly lit up and really just stunning.
Therefore, I am happy to report that I left the house yesterday.

We left the house today too, as we had some business to attend to. That is always fun. Waiting in a stuffy, over-heated room filled with people waiting on doing government "business". But all in all it is good news: Let's just say that as of tomorrow (as long as I pay up, which I will force pops to do), I have some health insurance here too. We are not exactly sure if it will help with the treatment I am going through now, but it never hurts to try. Perhaps some of my meds can be "covered". Perhaps not. It is part of the perk of being a citizen of a socialist nation.

Tonight should be fun. We are going to grandma's house for dinner and shower.
Let me explain.
Somehow or another someone in the apartment house where we live in, keeps flushing rags down their toilet. We suspect anyway.
Last time this happened, Pops had the plummer pull out and keep the 'clog'. It was a wash rag. So now Pops is on the look-out for anyone who has a similar wash rag in the building. He is on a mission to find out which upstairs neighbor is flushing rags down the toilet so he can punch their lights out.
So, needless to say, when the drain started backing up last night, Pops was pissed.
HAHA, man there was some serious words coming out of his mouth. Hungos are very colorful with their words when they are cussing.
So long story short, we can't take a shower without the tub part overflowing. It's cool. It will be resolved, hopefully, by the time The Stig arrives. And besides, somehow grandma gets her towels super soft. HOO-ray for grandma. I sure hope she likes the gift we got her.

UPDATE: Pops fixed the shower...he is hoping the rag was flushed to the downstairs neighbor so they have to deal with it. Hungos: We like to pass on the greif.

I'll report back soon.

Oh and I can't say thank you enough for all the comments!!! Keep 'em coming!

3AM Showers and The Crunchy Towels

Showering in a space the size of a small telephone booth (we americans are so spoiled) in the wee hours of the morning is fun!

I didn't leave the apartment all day. I helped my pops re-organize the place. Let's just say it's obvious there are no ladies hanging out here (for long periods of time, anyway).

This whole jet-lag thing is a blast. Everyone sleeps while I'm wide awake. I fell asleep at around 11pm and then BAM I'm awake at 2:00. I tried reading but my mind was racing too much to really get in to the 'Eclipse' book. Only on chapter five. I figure a chapter a day.

I pulled out my sleep shades. Nope. So now I'm blogging about 3AM showers and crunchy towels which, in case you're wondering, are due in fact that not many people here have dryers which means everything is hung out to dry. When it's winter and/or you live in the city where you don't have a place to hang your clothes in the sun everything comes out crunchy. My husband just loves it!

Also, due to the icy reception of my thermal spa yearnings by those in my family, I won't be going to any of the world famous spas. Booooo. Oh well, it is not the end of the world. Acthung! Der spa ez verboten!

Note: Spas here are actually thermal baths and most do not use chlorine.

All I can say now is I'm ready for 'The Stig' to arrive. I miss him terribly. He is so dreamy. And by the time he gets here, my jet-lag will be done and his will start. I figure as long as we are in balance with this treatment, that is all that matters.

Well, I suppose I'll go hang out on WebMd and kill some time.

Oh, before I go, I have to say THANK YOU so much for every one of the comments. I swear I check in all the time and I am so happy to see more. You guys make me laugh... chartered jets and magic wand smiley faces. Good stuff.

OK, I'll check in soon.
From the Motherland - Over and Out.

Ultrasound Good-to-Go

I finally met my doctor today face-to-face.

Here's the run-down:
We left the apartment at about 1pm.
Went to the metro station and my pops bought me my two-week bus pass.
Went way down to the depths where the red-line runs, went 3 stops.
We met up with one of my dad's friends to make an exchange (we are Hungos and we do lots of exchanges..don't ask).
Got on the bus and went 6 stops up the hill on the Buda side.

Note: Budapest is actually two cities separated by the Danube river.

The bus stops right across the street from the Kaali Institute.
The place is surrounded by residential homes in a very quaint area.

The waiting room is elegant and pretty full with patients.
I was called into dr. Kovac's office and reviewed the paperwork I'd sent. He then gave me a run-down of the process. Man, those hungos sure love to talk!
After all the blah, blah, blah the next step was an ultrasound to make sure that I don't have any cysts.

In an adjoining room a nurse was waiting for me. I changed into a gown and then came the magic wand. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Ultrasound showed NO CYSTS and several good follicles on both ovaries. Hungo doc says that is good. Based on the ultrasound he recommended that I continue on my birth control pill for one more day.

I am to start the stimulation medication on the 28th. So, fo the next four days I don't have to do anything. The best part is, the doc said it is OK for me to go to the spa! Oh, that makes me so happy. I will go before my stimulation starts, just in case.

So after that, I forced my dad to pay the $93 consultation fee and the ultrasound. Hee hee. He was happy to do it. We walked out and got my prescription filled at the bottom of the street (6 stops on the bus).

I will be injecting myself with Gonal-F. The same medication they give to IVF'rs in the U.S. I will be taking 112.5 of this stuff which, by the way, is in my little euro-fridge next to the salami and peppers. Gotta love it.

I dropped about $430 at the pharmacy. On one of these posts I may gather a list of how much this is all costing by going abroad.

Oh and the best part is that I can go to the Institute and the nurse will do the injections for me. They showed me how but I might have them do the first two or three or until I get comfy with the process. If this all has a happy ending, I love the fact our baby will be 'Made in Hungary'.

I feel pretty good for the most part.
Breathe. One step at a time.

I am here!

I got in to Budapest last night.
That was easy.

It is pretty cold but there is no snow or rain. In fact there isn't any wind right now either. It is not so bad!

This afternoon I hed to meet Dr. Peter Kovacs at the Kaali Institute to figure out the rest of my schedule.
I'll let you know how that all goes down when I get back.

Real quick: I have to say a big thanks and give a big hug to all who have left comments. Thank you so much for being my support net from so far away.
I really do look forward to reading and seeing them.

I'll post as soon as I meet with the super doc.

Tomorrow I leave!

In less than 24 hours I'll be at the airport kissing my husband goodbye. I'll probably be crying. Actually, I will be crying.

In fact, while writing this I just looked up with tears streaming down my face and my husband says to me: "Stop crying you wuss."

This, of course, made me burst out in laughter. He loves me and I know it. He loves me enough to choose me as the mother of his child. He always knows how to make me laugh.

Anyway, we've chosen to take this journey step-by-step, moment-by-moment. We don't spend any time speculating. We don't get too excited or too skeptical. Instead we're hopeful and prayerful and whatever happens, well, happens.

Speaking of hopeful; this time next year, I could be cradling a two month old.

Or, two-month-old twins. Holy Cow!

Then again, maybe not. That's what makes this a journey, not a story. We don't know how it's going to end.

I'm ready. I'm strong.
Like the detergent says; Small & Mighty

I work a half-day tomorrow then come home and get ready to sit on an plane for twelve hours. Then I have a four hour layover and another flight which will take two hours.

Thursday night I get into Budapest where my dad will be waiting for me with a taxi. We'll stay up all night talking, sharing, squeezing six months of " I missed you" into three weeks time.

Friday morning I meet my doctor for the first time at 1400 (whatever time that is) to get an ultrasound. In preparation for that event I got a pedicure this afternoon. It's always good to have cute toes when your 6,000 miles from home, your legs are up in the air and your lady-bits are on display for a strange doctor to gander at.

I'll have all the medication explained to me that day. I've heard it's not as scary as it sounds.

Then it's another ten days of waiting for the medication to stimulate as many eggs out of me as possible and at about that time I'll get to see my husband again! I am looking forward to that day. I miss him already.

One part of this trip I'm looking forward to is my stay at a (very) nice hotel in Munich on the way home. It was my husband's idea. While there I'll be doing just what I've been told to do so many times over the past three years:

"Just relax."

Almost 10 days to go....

Ten days to go and I'm freaking out a little.

Soon I'll board a plane and take the first step of a miracle process called In Vetro Fertilization or IVF.

Nervous about: the hormone treatment, packing, the long flight, stressing out family in the states, my job while I'm gone (and when I get back), meeting my doctor for the first time, being away from my friends & family, giving my own injections...

In the past three years my husband and I have gone through:

Two months of taking clomid
A cyst rupture
A Laparoscopy and D&C in September'07
A Diagnosis of Endometreosis and Fibroids
Six months of a drug called Lupron (forced me into menopause)
Six more months of trying and hoping
Two more months of clomid
Three more months of trying and hoping
Nothing.

After all that, we went to see an RE (fertility specialist). This doctor informed us our best bet is IVF. I was sobbing the entire time. Soon after which a nurse came into the office and explained the financial details. $10,000 for one cycle. If it fails, oh well. You're out 10K. Sign here.

Thanks but no thanks.

So...

I researched the motherland. Hungary. Turns out they have an institute that does IVF for half the price by doctors who've trained in the US and their success rates are among the highest anywhere.

I sent the doctor my entire medical history along with my husband's blood work and various test results.
My first appointment is set.
Our tickets are booked.
I've started packing.
This is our journey.

I'm freaking out.