Showing posts with label Thai Massage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai Massage. Show all posts

Monday, April 20, 2015

So ready for our frostie baby

This time tomorrow, I will be Officially Pregnant (until proven otherwise). There will be an actual, live embryo getting cozy in my uterus, settling in for the next 40ish weeks. After almost three years of trying, I am so excited and so ready that I feel like I might burst.

My pre-transfer protocol began this morning with the last of my Z-Pack, my estrace, aspirin and vitamins. I ran the last of the errands I'm going to be allowed to run for the next 4 days and then had a wonderful, relaxing acupuncture session to increase the blood flow to my uterus. Although she forgot to tell me the day before, my acupuncturist S also recommends a massage the day before transfer to completely relax the muscles. This sounded wonderful of course, who doesn't love a massage, but they usually require a bit more advanced notice than 20 minutes to book.

So, after leaving acupuncture, I called my mother in law to see if she could get me in for a massage at her regular place. Most of the places near me require at least a days notice but her place is unusually  flexible. To my great delight, they were able to squeeze us both in at a moments notice and I spent a glorious hour getting rubbed and stroked by a deceptively strong little woman. I hadn't realized I was in need of a massage until she dug her elbows into my shoulders and pressed the small of my back. Holy Ow. After being waved out of the massage clinic, hair all over the place and a tiny Thai woman telling me something about my face (perhaps that I needed water?) we capped off the evening with some delicious Italian food.

The next step begins tomorrow at 8am when I take the first of two Naproxen, along with my usual estrace and aspirin. I skip the Endometrin until after the transfer, so I'll probably bring that to the appointment with me. I follow that up with breakfast and at least a liter of water between 9 and 9:30am to ensure that I have a super full bladder for the transfer. The fuller my bladder is, the more it presses my uterus into an optimal position. Finally, we check in at 10am for our 10:30 transfer and I get to bring our little embryo home.

Everything is lining up perfectly. E and I are so ready for this frostie to be our baby. This IS going to be our baby.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Stanley Cup Champions!

I don't often post about sports but there's no way I could let today pass without saying something. For the second time in 3 years, the Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup! Congratulations boys, you did it! The Cup is coming back home!

Stanley Cup Champions!!
During the regular season, E works all of the Los Angeles Kings hockey games. He was there when they won The Cup in 2012 and got to celebrate with the team afterwards in what was an unbelievably memorable night. We've got pictures of him with The Cup and they're definitely some of my favorite "work" shots.

Unfortunately, this year was a little bit different. E worked all the regular season games, but since the post season games aren't crewed until we know they're happening, he was already booked by other teams by the time the post season came around. He was only able to work a couple of the Kings post season games, and was working the LA Dodger game when the Kings won The Cup tonight.  He'll have to wait until next season to celebrate with our boys in black but that doesn't make the victory any less sweet. I'm pretty sure we'll be at their celebration parade on Monday, if my E2 ultrasound finishes in time.

Aside from the Kings killer victory, today was my second day of double injections and they seem to be going well. Still no weird side effects to speak of, and my skin isn't too irritated yet. Covered in little pin marks yes, but no bruising or redness. My only complaint is that it's a little crazy to go through this many vials of Menopur a day. I feel a bit like a walking pharmacy (Hey, wanna score a vial? I've got 8!) and although this cycle IS GOING TO WORK, positive thoughts!, if we have to do this again I'd definitely like to try Letrozole and Gonal F or Follistim. 

I also got to enjoy some double relaxation in the form of acupuncture AND a massage. My acupuncture appointment was first and went off like usual, a weekly nap. Needles go in, I go out. I think I'm actually starting to get drowsy on the way to acupuncture, like I'm anticipating the coming nap. Instead of fighting traffic and heading home afterwards, I met up with my mother-in-law to do a little work and we ended up going for massages and dinner. She goes to the best Thai massage place I've ever been to and I had the pleasure of the strongest masseuse working on me today. It was incredibly painful to have her repeatedly digging her elbow into my shoulder blade, so much so that she had to brace me on the table at one point because I was arching off, but I know I'll feel so, so much better tomorrow.  It felt almost like a battle of wills, can I take the pain or should I ask her to lighten up? Is she pressing harder because I'm not asking her to lighten up? Is this a test?

I survived my massage, just barely, and we capped off the evening with some delicious Italian food. I was well behaved and got my entree with whole wheat pasta, but I was sorely tempted by the deliciousness on the menu. I wonder if that's a symptom of the Menopur, the desire to hoover all food within reach? Soon, Italian goodies, once I'm pregnant I will eat you all.