Curlee Cues

Hello everyone. Ben here. We wanted to give you an update about our IVF journey.  Let's back up a bit... After Monday's retrieval, our doctor called Shelby on Tuesday to tell us that 13 of the 20 eggs fertilized. We were overjoyed! I was in Nashville for the Southern Baptist Convention. Shelby's voice was so full of hope when she called me!  We waited all week on our next update. Yesterday our doctor called during the rain/power outage. In the weirdest turn of events yet, I was taking a shower in the rain because our water ran out. That's living on a well for you. Shelby's face said it all- what a strange way to hear this news! Our doctor told us that 6 of the 13 did not make it. Of the 7 remaining, one looked great and the other 6 were still developing. She promised us that she'd call back today with more information. She called about an hour ago as I write this.  We have two embryos in the freezer. One is graded "fair" and one is graded "poor....

 Today was egg retrieval day! Before I give all the details, let me backtrack to our last two appointments.  Friday, June 11 We have been married for 5 years, and what better way to celebrate than trying to make a baby! Just getting started with the IVF humor over here, people. We had an 8:40 appointment that morning that went very well. The nurse counted 21 follicles that were mature or would be by Monday. We left feeling very encouraged by that! After that, we went to what is becoming a new favorite breakfast place, Maple Street Biscuit Company. If you know Ben you know he loves a good breakfast bread, particularly biscuits. I am also a fan of their chicken. 10/10 would recommend! The nurse called later that afternoon to review lab results and to schedule our last monitoring appointment for the following day.  Saturday, June 12 Our appointment was one of the first on the schedule, so we had to be there at 7:15 AM. With an hour and a half drive, that had us leaving by 5...

 Hello and welcome to another episode of IVF for Beginners. On today's episode... shots Left to Right: Gonal-F, Menopur, and Lupron. Also, featuring my medication tool box and Stay Positive candle from my friend, Cameron. Friday, June 4 Ben and I had started to consider ourselves pros at giving and/or receiving Lupron shots nightly. Then, the stims were introduced.  Stims : follicle stimulating hormone injections; most commonly Gonal-F and Menopur  Gonal-F is a prefilled pen that you dial your dosage. I had a prescription for 300 units of Gonal-F for my last IUI, so I was already familiar with its administration. Menopur was a new one for me. It is a powder that must be mixed with a solvent before it is used. Besides having a minor panic attack at the length of the Menopur needle, there was a burning sensation for which I was not prepared. It only lasted a few seconds, but man, I wish someone had told me. These three shots will continue to be administered each night until...

 Tuesday, June 1, 2021 Hey folks! It's Ben. Shelby wanted me to "guest blog" tonight.  We've had a busy stretch of days in the Curlee household. Shelby finished school on Thursday and had a PD day on Friday. Then, as soon as we possibly could, we left out for Orange Beach. Friday also marked one week doing Lupron shots every night at 9:45.  Most nights I prepare the shot, then we each administer the shot on alternating nights. I am thankful Shelby feels comfortable enough to let me be involved in this part of our journey. It is hard to adequately put into words how this IVF process feels. One day we are excited and just can't wait for retrieval.  The next day we might wrestle with anxiety over any one of the numerous factors that are under examination by our doctor.  Our time with family has been a needed encouragement. The Lord in His providence aligned our family vacation perfectly with our IVF calendar. God always knows what we need! Even though we had to lea...