Hi, friends! Cory and I are in a big, dark hole and we’re seeking help. Read to learn more about what happened and how this feels to us. And if you are in your own big, dark hole, I hope you know it’s okay to ask for help…in big ways and in small.
Read MoreCory and I started a GoFundMe campaign called “Come Fertility with Us!” to fundraise money for our fertility related medical bills. This is a blog post for anyone who is considering donating but might not know much about us or might be just entering into our fertility story. Read this blog post to catch yourself up on who we are, what happened to us, and how we feel about asking for help now.
Read MoreAt dinner tonight, Cory aptly observed the irony with this post: a post about me vulnerably describing the anxiety I have recently felt about posting vulnerable content on social media. Then, after processing my anxiety attack last night, I provide a brief update from our appointment at Conceptions to plan out our second round of IVF.
Read MoreIn this post, I share the results Cory and I received from our two embryos’ genetic testing. I talk about what comes next for us in the IVF process.
Read MoreThe embryologist threw me off guard with an early morning phone call with our day 5 embryo update. I spent the rest of the day processing the news, googling definitions, and trying to make sense of this phase of IVF.
Read MoreOur egg retrieval was this past Saturday (9/8/18), and today I’m sharing how the trigger shot and egg retrieval went. I’ll also share our initial results. We are now entering the “hurry up and wait” phase of IVF as we wait in anticipation for the results of our embryos as they continue to develop!
Read MoreSeven days of IVF stimulation medications down…only a couple more to go! Today I share an update on how the IVF stimulation phase has been going for us, including details about my IVF medications, symptoms, and plan for egg retrieval!
Read MoreI share a frustrating update about my follicle count and size during this IVF stimulation phase. I remind myself to breathe and stay here because the future is unknown…no one knows the end of my story yet. I also share a beautiful poem by Lynn Shattuck.
Read MoreI reflect on the simultaneously speedy and slow passage of time during the IVF process (and life in general)! I write a summary of recent IVF happenings to my future self. Click to read more…
Read MoreCory, the other half of this one-horned adventure, introduces himself to the Unicorn community! Click to read more about a man’s perspective on infertility and this IVF process…
Read MoreCory and I attended a required, 4-hour IVF introductory class this week at our clinic. In this post, I share the top 10 takeaways from this class, including information about the IVF process, IVF success rate, and IVF cost. Click link to read more!
Read MoreAfter a recent planning meeting with my reproductive endocrinologist (RE), I share what my six stages of IVF will look like (in newbie-friendly language). For me, a gal with unicornuate uterus and diminished ovarian reserve, these stages will include ovarian supplements, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, diagnostic tests, uterus prep, and the frozen embryo transfer (FET).
Read MoreI got caught in the rain last night. Karli and I pulled into the parking lot near the REI downtown. We were there to exchange the Chacos she and Aleks lovingly bought me last month (see "We Surprised Kristen" for the full Chacos story)…
Read MoreI feel out of control this weekend, and it’s manifesting through obsessive, perfectionistic thoughts. The calm of my morning routine I described in last week’s blog post “How I Stay Here, Now” has vanished. None of my strategies work today, and I’m spiraling…
Read MoreShe’s always been there in my life
My oldest daughter, my best friend
She made her glorious appearance
When I was 23 years old
When I became a mom…
Today, I’m killing it. Pill box filling. Office Depot shopping. Medical bill filing. This girl, like the late afternoon July sun, is on fire. Thank God. I needed some productivity in my life…
Read MoreI went to bed last night with that Christmas-eve excitement in my bones. “I get to wake up early and write!” I thought to myself as I popped my Melatonin. As the sleepy tingles set into my cheeks and eyelids, I thought about tomorrow…
Read More“Clomid” is a bad word. It’s even worse than “monkey.” For those who know me well, especially Kristen circa 2004, you know that one of my favorite expletives is “monkey.” Stub your toe on the foot of your bed? “Monkey!”…
Read MoreI laid there in the hospital bed in the emergency room. The pain had subsided for a few minutes. During the pain, the world was a blur. I writhed and twisted. I moaned. Eyes squeezed shut. The pain dominated all…
Read MoreMy name is Kristen, and I’m a unicorn. Really, I promise. Ask my doctor if you don’t believe me. Six weeks ago, I was diagnosed as being a unicorn…
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