2008 is going to be Great

This is going to be new motto for this year. I was bit concerned because a few bits of business had started thee year off to ruin my "Great 2008" mantra.

• One scary call from the Stamford Hospital radiologist about my annual MRI - which ended up resulting in NOTHING. The pesky tumor has not grown in 3.5 years. Let's sing and dance.


• The Thanksgiving Tragedy. One mistakenly parked car. One angry neighbor and her entire family yelling at my entire family. I ended up with a "record". Well, the crazy lady dismissed the case and now I have to remain on good behavior for 13 months. But, I am free and clear. I hope I don't see my neighborly neighbor at the summer Ledgebrook picnic. By the way, what does good behavior mean?


• A year of baby making - but no baby YET!!


• Finally, finishing my MBA. 3.48 baby!!!

So, this is all in the past. Now, I spend my days playing our new WII and getting ready for my first IVF cycle. I am a bit excited and scared. But, I had the most amazing thing happen on Friday. We have been paying out of pocket for medication since May thanks to a generous loan from my parents. Well, the fertility office called and told me they were donating 98% of the medication I need for this cycle. This is HUGE and is about $3,000 worth of medication. Jeff and I feel so blessed and after the recent bad that has been happening - it felt really amazing to have some good. So, I am feeling really good about this cycle. Well as good as I can feel when something involves needles and extracting things from your body.

So as I prepare - I share a few tips that I am doing to prepare for my IVF.

Pamper yourself. Oreos in the closet and massage date is set!

Rest is important. Developing eggs take a great deal of space and energy. I need NO invitation to take a nap.

It may help to make a friend or two who is at the clinic for IVF, too. This is a good suggestion and I found that the website resolve.org is a great place to connect with other fertility patients and ask questions.

Do whatever it is you need to do to make this manageable for you. (Naps, backrubs, favorite foods, etc. Be very good to yourself during this time.)

Small amounts of alcohol will probably not adversely affect you or your eggs, but caffeine has been shown to affect fertility, even in small amounts, so try to avoid it. Yeah, I will need a nap for sure!

Always ask your RE a lot of questions about your progress, what the numbers mean, etc. That is what they are there for!

Start taking a prenatal vitamin prior to your cycle. The FDA suggests 800 mcg during pregnancy, so it is best to look for a prenatal with that amount. I have so many vitamins - I am a like my own vitamin store!

I am relaxed and thinking positive!! And I am ready for the main event....