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

Amazed!

Hey Everyone,

Today things changed, and I can't describe to you the wonderful bond we established with these men. They exceeded every expectation, and blew us away with their kind words and appreciation. I know I have said it before, but again, now more then ever I am excited and so eager to begin this process. I can answer the question "How are you going to give this child away?" with ease. I am not giving this child away. I am simply delivering it to its home-to the place this child was meant to live and be loved.

Let me explain this fantastic day to you and all the emotions that came with it.

First we planned on meeting them at the zoo. All morning I was a nervous wreck and was so worried there would be a language barrier (since they are from France). When we arrived, they were there anxiously waiting for us, and honestly, I felt like passing out! After our introduction I calmed down within a few short minutes and felt much more comfortable. We walked around the zoo, and they seemed to really enjoy watching Ruby explain to us the animals we were about to see. We mostly kept conversation simple-about the animals, the girls, American culture, French culture...very light. Ruby quickly warmed up and rode on their shoulders, let them pick her up to see the hidden animals, and held their hands while walking. Watching them interact with the girls was pleasant and very reassuring. I could picture them holding their own child’s hand, piggybacking him/her and conversing as only a parent of a small babbling child could. I knew in those moments these men were going to be caring parents-great parents!

After strolling around the zoo, playing in the water park, and enjoying a lot of small talk, we decided to grab a bite to eat. We left the girls with my sister (who was kind enough to come to the zoo to pick the girls up) and headed to PF Chang’s. At this point, we knew quite a bit about one another-more than I thought was possible in such a short amount of time. Chris and I ordered a table full of food, and as we ate we discussed surrogacy, life styles, families, friends, pets-everything under the sun. They made us feel completely comfortable asking about their sexuality and how it would effect raising a child as well as how they planned to explain my role to the child as it grew up. We were at first relieved and then blown away with their consistently perfect thoughts on becoming parents. Chris and I were so incredibly happy to find that they too hope that we can continue to be a part of their lives after we carry this baby for them. We all hope to share visits, send letters, Skype , and do so much more just to keep in touch and watch the baby grow into an adult, as we would with any other child in our family.

After dinner we did some shopping around Circle Center (side note: Levi's in France = $150. YIKES!) This is where Chris and I split up and had a more one on one conversation with each man. Chris got the question, "You are so young; why would you let your wife do this for some other man?" Chris of course said it was not a easy decision for him to make. He told them that I would do it free of charge if he would let me, but due to risks and effort involved Chris would insist on payment for doing this. He told them this is something I really want to do, and since he supports me and loves me, he is on board and excited to be a part of this. While I was spending time with the other man, I received praise for my willingness and acceptance. I explained that my life would not be complete without our girls and that it is because of the love I have for Ruby and Hazel that I am willing to do this for them. Everyone deserves the happiness that my kids bring to me.

We found out so much more about surrogacy from both sides of the process today than we had previously known. Today I gained much more perspective on what I will be going through in a few short months. Let me run down the procedure and information:
-This week I will get physicals, complete blood work, and meet with my OB/GYN
-Shortly thereafter, I will go to a fertility clinic here and get some hormone shots
-24-36 hours after taking the shots, Chris and I will fly to Portland to have a few more tests run including an ultrasound on my ovaries and a mock transfer (to prepare the doctors for the actual transfer)
-After that we will wait for the egg donor to have a regular cycle. Once she does, I will again get the shots, and we will travel back to Portland for the transfer.

We also discussed the costs of all this, the roles each person will play, and the time frame in which this will happen. One tidbit of information that surprised us both was how they chose the paternity of baby. They did not choose one or the other-they chose both! It’s going to work like this: there will be 2 embryos implanted, one fertilized by one man and one fertilized by the other! It is overwhelmingly weird to me, holding 2 different men’s babies (and neither of them is my husband) -craziness but very exciting. The odds of success at the clinic we are using are very high, so we are now prepared to carry two babies. (The likelihood of success is about 80% per embryo. That gives us about a 95% chance that at least one embryo will take and about a 40% chance that I will carry two babies.)

After an eventful and very hot, muggy day spent with these guys Chris and I were saddened to leave them. They gave us a hug goodbye, and Chris said the expressions on their faces were the same as the expression he had for me when I got pregnant with Ruby and Hazel-love and admiration. I can honestly say those feelings are mutual. I really admire these men and what they are willing to do to experience parenthood. They already have jeopardized their jobs (by taking off to travel so much) and put their normal routines on hold to fly to a foreign country just for a day to meet me and my family! I can say that today was the start of a friendship and an unbreakable bond of which I couldn't be happier to be a part. I look forward to seeing them in Portland soon and calling them the second we find out the egg took to my body to tell them that they are expecting!!!

Thank you all so much for you words of encouragement. Today went fabulously and your messages, texts, and calls helped tremendously! I was very pleased to tell this couple about all the love and support my friends and family have shown us, and they were as blown away by all of you as I am!

I cannot wait to update you all on what’s to come. I should hear from the clinic in Portland very soon. I will update you with the date we plan on traveling and what is to be expected, so stay tuned! Thanks again, you guys really ROCK!