Medical Work-up

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend. Like many of you, our family was extremely busy with cookouts, fireworks, friends, and family. We also got to celebrate another special day over the long weekend...Chris turned 28! The girls and I were so excited to give him his gifts (tickets to the Bob and Tom Comedy tour and the Steve Martin CD) and enjoy the ice cream cake (Xtreme Chocolate) we picked out. Over all, the past 3 days have been so much fun, and like you I was sad to say goodbye...Tuesdays here, and its back to reality!

Surrogate life has became very confusing and a little stressful. I have been given so much information and so much paper work that it has become hard to follow. The men we are working with picked a Reproductive Clinic in Portland, OR (because of its high success rate) so most information is given to me via email or snail mail and is written in medical terms making it hard to understand. We are on a very strict time schedule and a lot of testing needs to occur before we can move forward, which makes everything a bit frustrating for everyone involved. We are doing our very best to move quickly through these medical exams so that we able to be pregnant sooner rather then later.

I have been cleared and given the "Go Ahead" by my OB/GYN, and he seems very excited to be the doctor delivering this baby(ies). He has delivered babies through a surrogate before so I felt very comfortable talking to him about the process this far as well as what to expect after the baby is delivered. Like most of you, he was a bit shocked at the fact that the couple I am carrying for are gay men and he was more shocked that both men would be fertilizing 1 egg each. After digesting for a minute, and grasping all the facts thrown at him he seemed eager to give me his blessing and assure me that his job is bringing babies into this world and that is just what he intends on doing!

I have now completed my annual exam (pap test and breast exam), my physical, and all of my paper work. Blood work is next, Chris and I both will be tested for a number of things before we are able to move forward. These are standard blood test, and I have had them all before so I am not worried about anything but the needle itself!

While I wait on those records and results to be sent to the Reproductive Clinic I will anxiously await the next step. This time is very critical to the surrogacy process, and very tricky. I have to get my ovulation schedule on the same track as the egg donor which requires medicine. The medicine has to be strictly monitor so I will be watched by a clinic in Indianapolis due to the distance between me and Portland, OR.

Soon I will receive an estrogen patch which is a hormone treatment given to me via skin patch. This patch will control my ovulation, giving the clinic better knowledge of my schedule. Once I wear the patch and start my menstrual cycle I will call the Portland Clinic and set up our 1st trip there. We will only be there for 1 day, at which time they will do a "Mock Medical Treatment" meaning they will do an ultra sound on my ovaries to make sure I am in fact ovulating, then they will do the implantation treatment without the baby and egg just to make sure my body reacts the way it should and so I am familiar with the treatment. This should take place this month or beginning of August.

If all goes well we will start the actual hormone treatment which Chris will get the pleasure of administering. I will say "Goodbye" to the estrogen patch and "Hello" to estrogen and progesterone injections. these injections will synchronize my menstrual cycle with the egg donor's cycle which optimizes the chance of pregnancy.

I am excited to move forward, and even more excited to have all these tests and forms out of the way. Everything is going wonderfully and we are on track to be pregnant in September, but until then I will be sure to keep everyone up to date!

If you have any questions about any of the above information please let me know and I will do my best to help you follow, it has been a challenge for me to process all the information given so I hope I can be of assistance.

Have a fabulous evening and please share my site with anyone who might be interested!

Enjoy your Hump Day!

Alexis