Bonjour, bon giorno and hola, ICLWers!

My Story, or "Never, Ever, Ever Give Up"
So.

If you go read last month's ICLW post, you might be shocked to learn what has happened since.

A quick recap. I survived cancer at the age of 17. This year, I did some pre-baby blood tests to see if the treatments had affected my fertility (I am now 26). They had. I was diagnosed with High FSH, which means my eggs were diminished in quality and/or quality. Before we even started trying, we were told we would have challenges. My OBGYN did not pass go and immediately referred me to an RE, who didn't have an appointment available until June 16. In the meantime, we decided to try naturally.

A couple of weeks ago, I was (I thought) finishing my first natural cycle off of birth control. I had temped and done an OPK, with timed intercourse the day before, of, and after ovulation. About two weeks later, I was waiting for AF (Aunt Flo) to arrive.

She never did.

But THIS happened:


It was the biggest "holy shit" moment of my entire life. Read about it here.

Later that day, a beta of 600 confirmed the pregnancy. Two days later I was up to 1873 and I had a whole new kind of WTF meeting with my doctor.

I'm pregnant. 6 weeks and 3 days to be exact. And I'm high risk simply because of my high FSH and my medical history. My OBGYN is stepping into the role of the RE, ordering the early blood tests and ultrasounds and monitoring me carefully. I have an appointment on Tuesday, May 24 to check for a fetal pole and/or possibly a heartbeat. My protocol according to Dr. A. and to my own preferences is:

-No exercise (Dr. A)
-No sex (Dr. A)
-No heavy lifting (Dr. A)
-No caffeine (Me)
-No alcohol (Dr. A)
-No carbonated beverages (Dr A. - she believes that since carbonation leaches calcium from bones in adults, it could theoretically do the same to a baby.)
-Lots of rest and time spent sitting and laying down (Me)
-Prenatal Vitamin (Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal) (Me)
-Essential Fatty Acid Supplement (Expecta)(Dr. A)
-Lots and lots and LOTS of water (Me)

In the meantime, I'm suffering from abdominal cramping (which they assure me is normal), nausea that lingers in the back of my throat (but which mercifully has not made me sick yet), slightly larger, slightly tender boobs and the ever-so-fun rushes to the bathroom every hour.

I'm currently trying to stay as relaxed and optimistic but time is going SO slowly as I wait for my appointment next week.

So join me on this crazy journey! We'll see what this month brings...