Monday 26 November 2012

#19 Ends & beginnings

I've started & deleted this post about 5 times now. I keep writing words but none of it seems to make sense or it just hurts to much to think about. I've also had to edit the finished product quite heavily because of personal nature, it got a bit too personal & a lot of it is still quite raw

15/11/2012
Started again

It feels so much better being back at home, I think I might have completely lost the plot if we'd have spent any more time in that hospital, It's just got too many bad memories attached to it & it's far from aestetically pleasing to look at
Apparently there was some complications in surgery, I'm glad I didn't know this at the time or the seemingly eternal wait for Libby to come back from theatre would have been a hell of a lot more agonising than it already was. The offending fallopian tube had become bound to part of the bowel, so it had to be separated gently for it was completely removed.
The wait was strange, I had to go to the Accident & Emergency dept to get my elbow checked & ended up in tears in front of the doctor, Luckily she was really understanding & was really comforting, having just started her forth IVF cycle, she knew pretty much what I was feeling (Or so she said, maybe she just said that to help calm me down) I spent some of it once again in the chapel, but left before the chaplain offered his unwanted godly views (No offense to any religious readers out there) The rest of the time I just sat in the window of cubicle staring out over a courtyard, where people go out to smoke, including expectant mothers, & that there is the ultimate kick in the teeth. Why should these people be allowed to have kids when people like us try our hardest & seemingly never get anywhere. More annoyingly, the hospital don't seem to do anything about it, even though they claim to have a no smoking anywhere on hospital grounds policy.

16/11/2012

This is horrible, I didn't think it was possible to feel so sad & drained of life. I keep trying to put a brave face on things, mainly for the sake of the people I deliver to, but then I feel guilty for smiling. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME??? Normally self pitying people wind me up, but here I am contradicting myself.
I'm so glad I have band practice tonight, just for a few hours distraction & take my frustrations out on my drums, Probably not a wise decision with my elbow in the condition it's in, but needs must when the devil drives

18/11/2012

Why do people feel the need, to tell you how you should feel? when they don't really know anything about me, I'm sick & tired of people telling me I need to stay strong & supportive for Libby. I may be a typical bloke to a degree, but I'm not afraid to admit to having emotions & feelings. I can't pretend not to be absolutely devastated by the event of this last week, the last thing I need is being made to feel even worse than I already do, because I can't by the rock I should be for my wife. We're there for each other & that's what counts.


22/11/2012

Today is the first day i've felt anything like human again. I've not cried for a few days, I just wish I could say the same for Libby, she hasn't got the same distractions from reality as me, When I get in from work or band practice, I can see straight away she's struggling & it hurts to see it. I think she'll actually be glad to get back to work.

26/11/2012
One last addition before I finally get round to posting this.
It seems the dust has settled & the normality we've been craving is finally starting to show it's face, I know we still have a long way to go, there's still going to be emotional days, but they seem to be interspersed with good days, We've managed to get out & about to see friends & family for food & drink, & that in itself has been really healing.
As horrible this experience as been, I'm so thankful for the few positives to come out of it.
I've come to realise that the 6 week scan that took our dream away, saved my wife's life, If this had been a regular pregnancy where upon the scan wouldn't have been done until 12 week'. The embryo growing in the tube could have taken her life. She wasn't feeling the pains from ectopic pregnant because she's used to the cramps & sharp pains in her lady bits, because she's had endometriosis for so long, the pain was 'normal' to her. Also, now that the tube has been removed there is no chance of another etcopic pregnancy  because the other tube is blocked & that's one less thing to go wrong.

Libby is back at Rotherham General Hospital for yet another blood test, because the beta HCG (pregnancy hormone) levels hadn't dropped quite enough, so hopefully the test tomorrow will be good news.

Both of us will hopefully making a trip back to the hospital to make an entry (our second) in the memory book. This is a book where all the would-have-been parents get to leave a little message or poem for their lost little angels. I dreading this to be honest, it was quite painful last time, but i'm so glad to have do it

We're still none the wiser as to what happens next, whether we will start a second live cycle or if the clinic will try to use our frozen embryo's. & we have no idea when we will be able to start again. If anyone can fill in the blanks, it'd be much appreciated

Monday 12 November 2012

#18 .My heart is broke, But I have some glue

04/11/2012

Whilst going through the various webpages where I normally share this blog, I came across something so hateful & bitter, it angered & upset me a lot. I am usually not all that easily offended, but this really hit me. www.facebook.com/story.php?korawalker>ivf

"I find it highly offensive this shit (IVF) is allowed, and encouraged, to proceed when so many kids already exist who need homes, food, and medical care JUST so some mother fucker who is SO SELFISH he wants,and can PAY for, a worthless, "mini me". HOW SELF ABSORBED could a person be to believe HIS DNA is so stellar and superior the world can't do without his offspring?"

Then goes on to say
"I would never force this world on another human and those smart and selfless enough wouldn't either and adopt if they want parenthood so badly. It does effect my life, you people are ruining this planet and it's heart wrenching. Ivf is expensive and it's just a smack in the face to all the other millions of homeless children.You people are ignorant. Infertility is a blessing. Adopt, you selfish moos"


I don't know if this person is trolling & just out to upset people that are already in a delicate frame of mind. or if he/she actually believes the bile they're spewing. I'd really like to meet this person, just to see what makes them tick &/or give them a slap

08/11/2012

I'm currently sat in Rotherham's accident & emergency dept awaiting an Xray to see if I've dislocated my elbow after a fall at work. I'm so clumsy it's unbelievable!
I'm taking this as a good omen. the last time Libby was expecting, we had to come here because little eggburt had to leave us. So now Libby is pregnant again, It's my turn to be here, So Nemo will do just fine. Good logic eh?

09/11/2012

This day has taken so long to come. We have our six week scan & hopefully i'll get to see someone special

10/11/2012

Yesterday didn't quite go to plan. the scan didn't show anything in the womb, but high levels of the pregnancy hormones in the blood. So it's definitely there somewhere, just no idea where. The clinic thought it wise that
Libby should be admitted to hospital straight away, because of the high possibility of an ectopic pregnancy. They want to keep her under observation because of the complications associated with it. If the foetus is in the fallopian tubes. it will have to be terminated. There is a chance things will be ok, but it is very slim.
I don't know what to feel, it swings between anger & misery constantly, I want to cry, but can't

11/11/2012

I'm so frustrated right now, I don't have a clue what is happening, Libby is an emotional wreck, & all the doctors seem to be doing is assume. Another blood test has shown that he the hormone level has doubled again.
The doctor has suggested that the reason for the no show on the scan could be that it's twins & may have been too small to see on the scan, but it's more than most likely ectopic. so a scan has been book for the morning & hopefully if it is twins they should be more visible because of the hormone level being so high. & if it proves to be ectopic, it's looking like a trip into surgery to remove the foetus & he offending tube. On the plus side, if they remove the tube, it's one less thing to go wrong
I know this is a horrible things to say, but I think a miscarriage would have been easier to deal with, purely because is a definite end instead of being (unavoidably) dragged out

12/11/2012

Today we've had to say goodbye to someone so special, so wanted & so much needed. But they'll never get know any of this. We'll never get to meet our little Nemo, Hopefully one day we'll meet, along with Eggburt & we'll have our day in the sun.
Libby was taken into surgery this morning to remove the foetus. Its hit me so fucking hard i can't even begin to make sense of it all. I even wen't to the hospital chapel,  I have no idea what I was expecting, inner peace the voice of god? all I got was angry & more upset. If there there is a god, I want to know why, why now, why us AGAIN???


I very nearly scrapped this whole blog today, I hoped something like this could never happen, but I suppose it's all part of the journey, no matter how much it hurts, & if it helps someone in the long run, then I suppose Ive achieved something
Please don't be offended by this, but I'm not after sympathy of anything like that, I don't handle messages of sorry & stay strong  or positive or whatever too well, I just need to time to get my head round things & hopefully dust myself off & carry on with life

Sunday 4 November 2012

#17 Needing a hug & a shoulder to cry on

03/11/2012

Since we've had the positive pregnancy test on Monday, I think i've become even more worried, than I have at any point up to this. Every little pain & ache Libby has, I automatically assume the worst is happening. I'm trying to remain as positive as I can about it all, But something keeps eating away at me. I'm absolutely scared to death of history repeating itself.
It's been just over two years since we lost 'Eggburt' (that's the pet name we gave to our unborn child) & it still feels pretty raw to this day. I dread to think what another miscarriage would do to us.Hopefully we'll never get to find out. no one should ever have to endure it. It was hard on me, I don't think i've ever cried so much in my life. The worst thing about it for me was seeing it almost physically & mentally destroy Libby and not be able to do anything about it. I really wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
I rarely remember my dreams, but I'm fairly sure I know what I'm dreaming about, I seem to be grinding my teeth more & more, to the point of agony. This next clinic appointment & scan cannot come quick enough to put our minds at rest.

My Mum passed away 18 years ago. & right now I never missed her more. I really need that one person you can always rely on to say the right thing to put your mind at ease or just to listen to what you have to say & not pass judgement or anything like that. It doesn't help that I don't have a grave or anything to go & visit to vent my spleen. Instead she's still 'sat' in an urn in my dads flat gathering dust. I just wish we could spread them somewhere special, somewhere where we could visit when we need to be close to our mother. but i have a feeling that'll not happen anytime soon
Sorry to go on & on about death & misery, It's just how i'm feeling. Positive by day, bitterly negative by night