SO PSYCHED!!

I have never been so busy in my life, and I haven't even gone back to full-time work yet!! (Last week I took off from clinicals, and this week the Dr's office is closed.)

I start my injectables tomorrow- apparently the RE's office ran "follistim" through the system under my insurance and it was accepted (I don't think this means it's covered in full, but it means they're covering at least part of it???) - anyway, Freedom Pharmacy is the pharmacy they called the script in to, and now I'm waiting to see exactly how much it costs. If by some act of God it is actually covered in full, I'll be getting it for sure (even though I have 2 boxes of 900 ius in my fridge right now)!

Even better news is that the Intralipids are cheaper at Freedom Pharmacy, too!! They don't have any 100mLs in stock, but they will be shipping 250mLs to the Dr's office in NY where I'll be getting the first infusion (of 100 from the bag of 250)TUESDAY, JAN 5th!! And I am paying a whopping $34 for the meds, and a $30 co-pay for the infusion!!

Seriously, can this get any easier??

I went to the Drs today and had the injectables class. Those dang pens are so darn easy! I wish the Lovenox was that simple. When I told the nurse I was on CD 2, she said, "We assumed from your blood work that you were close, so you can actually get your baseline ultrasound done now." It was, I shit you not, the QUICKEST ultrasound I have ever had. He just basically looked for any large fluid-filled cysts on either side, and that was it! So much for asking to see if that endometrioma/hemorrhagic cyst was still on the right... I guess I can ask my colleague at work to check for it on Thursday.

So, here is my protocol for Follistim (starting out):

100 units Follistim CD 3 - CD 7
Transvaginal U/S and Estradiol check CD 8 (due to New Year's, this is just 1 day later than he would normally do it, but he thinks it will be ok)
Continue Follistim, possibly at an adjusted dose, until follicles are mature
Administer hCG trigger shot
BD like bunnies

(I asked the nurse if we could put some days leading up to the trigger to use, particularly in the presence of good cervical mucus... she said this would be ok, but they prefer that you don't use any days too close to the trigger day, because you want to "save up" all the good sperm to meet the egg. I'm thinking this is why a lot of IUIs fail, actually. Knowing what I know about the cm, and my DH's sperm (astronomical count, but poor morphology), it's better to have some of the good ones up there and waiting for O day. I may take the day before trigger off, though.)

Protocol for Intralipids:
Intralipids 100mL on CD 9, and upon 2nd beta hCG (to continue about once per month through pregnancy)

Protocol for Lovenox:
Lovenox 60 mgs 2 x day starting CD 6

I am putting so much faith into this cycle... but I'm still guarded. I'm worried about my ovaries (possible endometrioma) and fimbriatic cyst interfering with conception/ovulation.

I really have to work on that trust in God. He has brought me this far, and I can honestly see His hand in all of this (I seriously cannot describe how insanely easy and inexpensive this has all been, and that is NOT normal for me!!!) I guess since Archangel Raphael is my patron Saint for 2010, this is a perfect time to start praying again for his healing power and his intercession.

Moving Right Along... (UPDATE)

UPDATE: AF (or withdrawal bleed, whichever) just showed! Whoopee, so that means no cyst (I hope), and I can get started on this cycle as early as Wednesday (CD 3 baseline)!!

Ack! So much has transpired today I don't even know where to start!

OK, let me back up and say, AF who was due to appear either under the Christmas tree or the next day decided... not to show at all. Because, well, I haven't had an ANOVULATORY cycle in a while, so my body decided that might be fun. WTH????

My first clue that I may not have ovulated was my P+7 b/w results. The progesterone was 18.8 (estradiol also rather low, 100-something or less). I was on 300 mgs of progesterone at the time!! My NaPro Dr said that # would be considered "good" on its own, but on 300 mgs of progesterone (prometrium and endometrin), I was most likely looking at an anovulatory cycle.

Now, what I don't understand is, where did my lining go, then? I had an ultrasound done right before what I *thought* would be ovulation day, and that showed a 1 cm endometrium, and 3 large follicles on the left (with the possible endometrioma on the right). I did stop taking my progesterone on P+10 when a blood test revealed I was NOT pg, and I did that because I wanted to take a 2-wk course of Diflucan for my post-Peak pasty discharge. (Following? Yeah, neither am I.) So, I took the progesterone from P+3 thru P+10 instead of P+12... but still, I should have had a withdrawal bleed by now! What is going on?? I hope it's not a cyst. Dang nab it, I will shoot someone if I have a cyst now. Honest to Pete, what else can be thrown at me! (Thanks for that phrase, Jelly Belly.)

Yesterday I had some dark brown flow - a VL I'd call it - but then today nothing.

So, with all this going on, here I'm thinking, "Ya know, just when I want a cycle to start and finish asap so I can get going on my injectable cycle, something has to hold it up..." when it dawned on me. I may be able to do injectables NOW!!

I called the office (SIRM), explained the situation, and asked when the next available time would be for the inectables class - TOMORROW! And the nurse called me back to say if I got a blood draw today, I could start an injectables cycle NOW!! (Granted the b/w comes back as not pg. I think that's a bet I'm willing to take.) I can then begin this week with the blood work and baseline ultrasound!!

In the meantime, since I will also need Intralipids sooner than expected, I did some research and found C.olumbia Pha.rmacy sells it cheapest. (My insurance doesn't cover the meds at all, but it will cover the infusion at only my co-pay cost of $30 if performed at a Dr's office!!!) So, I got a quote for the Intralipids from Ed at Col.umbia, and everything included it will only be a little over $100!!! Sweet!!

Then I called a SIRM in NYC that administers Intralipids to their patients, and told them I was a NJ SIRM patient interested in doing the Intralipids at their office, since it would be much more cost-efficient than a home health agency (since I'll have to meet my deductible before my insurance covers any of that). They got all my files from the NJ SIRM, and said, "No problem!" Now I just need to call them for the appt when I know what day I'll need the first infusion.

So many phone calls, and every single one of them was easy-peasy! Hafsa, I don't know what kind of rosary you were praying, but wow is it ever working!!

After I went to get my blood work (where everyone but my uncle was ALSO getting their blood drawn today), I did some grocery shopping, because today begins my LEAP diet.
Here's what my "menu" will consist of for the following week:

Shrimp
Cod
Lentils
Crab
Whey
Tea
Broccoli
Beets
Green Peppers
Grapefruit
Mango
Canteloupe
Avocado
Millet
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Sunflowers
Cashews
Soybeans
Dill
Honey
Mustard
Cayenne Pepper

I can add salt to things, but really I'm not supposed to add anything else that isn't on the list for that specific Week. They start out introducing the things I was the LEAST reactive to, and then they build from there.
So much happening, it's insane!!

I'll let you know how the injectables class goes tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some pointers on how to get less bruising with the Lovenox, too! (I already ice before and after, but still get ugly bruises.)

Injectables and Intralipids

DH and I went to my appt with the RE at SIRM (Sher Institute of Reproductive Medicine) this past Wednesday, the 23rd.

We were prepared to fight tooth-to-nail for what we wanted: Injectables and Intralipids.

This Dr was the first one to run an immune panel on me back in April '09- might I add, it was pretty sad in comparison to the one Dr Kwak-Kim ran. When the Dr called with the results, he said that nothing was really an issue, and that we had a partial DQ Alpha match, but that alone should not be impeding pregnancy. I felt at the time a little put off, like, he didn't want to waste his time treating me if I wasn't going to shell out for IVF.

He also told me that the MTHFR was no big deal. (The first of many Drs to say this.)

Since that time, my second (and current) hematologist, along with Dr Kwak-Kim, have found a bunch of other little issues here and there, that when added up, definitely explain my current inability to get pregnant and/or implant. There's PAI-1, fluctuating APAs, and fluctuating NK Cells (which, at the last testing, were over the limit for their killing power at 18.8%).

When we went into the appointment, the Dr looked at us both and said, "Oh, I haven't seen you two in a while! So, what's been going on?" I gave him copies of the pertinent lab work, particularly the NK Cell Assays performed since April, and explained about Dr. Kwak-Kim and her Biophysical Uterine Profile (the special Doppler ultrasound with measurement of pulsatility index in the zone of implantation). He seemed intrigued at best, and let me continue talking. I told him the treatments I was currently taking (Lovenox, and then most recently prednisone for elevated NK Cells), but said that I wanted to see if Intralipids would work better.

Intralipids are the synthetic version of IVIg, and, might I add, a WHOLE lot cheaper ($300-600 a pop vs. $4,000 - 6,000 a pop). However, Dr Kwak-Kim does not use Intralipids, and the only Drs I know who currently are using them are the SIRM Drs. Luckily, when I had my first NK Cell Assay performed at SIRM, they tested my cells against BOTH IVIg and Intralipids to see how each one would suppress the killing abilities of my NK cells. That test revealed the following:

My NK Cells on their own: killing power of 6.7%
NK Cells with IVIg: 3.5%
NK Cells with Intralipids: 4.0%

As you can see, my NK Cells respond very similarly to both IVIg and Intralipids, so there really would be no need for me to use IVIg vs. Intralipids.

Much to our astonishment, the Dr. agreed that we should try Intralipids!! When I brought up being concerned about the DQ Alpha match, he responded, "At the time when your NK Cells were so low, it didn't matter about your partial match, because the 2 work together to 'expel' your husband's half of the pregnancy. But now that you've seen elevated NK Cells, it is certainly worth a shot to try Intralipids."

He then explained that how he usually does Intralipids is once before pregnancy (I assume around ovulation?) and then once after a 2nd beta reveals an adequate rise (to make sure it is a viable pregnancy). Then he said for US, he would probably like to see us continue having an infusion of Intralipids once every month up through the 5th month of pregnancy.

He said, "This is almost unchartered territory for me, because almost all people we treat with Intralipids are doing IVF." We were pleasantly surprised to hear him say that he remembered we were not interested in going that route. (Actually, what he said exactly was, "I remember you are not doing any of the high-tech fertility treatments, right?" I had to choke back a laugh at that, thinking back on the ovarian wedge resection, the 2 selective hysterosalpingograms, the uterine lavages, the prostate injections, the 10-day IV antibiotic drip... yes, we're simple folk. We don't like that high-fallutin' technology stuff. But hey, whatever he wants to call it is fine by me, as long as he respects that we're not doing IVF or IUI.)

So, he said to be on the most safe side, continuing with Intralipids through the 5th month would be best. I agree that we would not want to stop early in the pregnancy, but during pregnancy I would see what Dr Kwak-Kim's protocol is for IVIg throughout the pregnancy. I think she continues it even after the 5th month. But I know she also is constantly re-checking the NK Cells, so maybe I'll need it, maybe I won't after Month #5... (oh, who am I kidding? I'm sure I'll need it, with my f'd up body. That is, if all of this stuff will even finally work... I'm not so sure...)

So, he told us we would need to contact a home infusion company to set up the infusions and figure out if they can get the meds, too. Luckily, from our Dr Toth treatment we are already likethis with our in-network home infusion company.

As he was wrapping up the meeting, I added quickly, "I also wanted to ask you about injectables..." He was all ears. "Sure, we could do that!" No fight necessary! And no push for IUI! He briefly explained how it would work, and that the nurse would be calling us for an injectables class, etc. etc. Only problem is we can't start it this cycle since there's not enough time to squeeze-in the injectables class. But the good news? When I asked what drug he prefers to use, he said, "Usually Follistim, but it depends on what your insurance will cover or what you can afford." Oh, what a coinky-dink! Follistim just happens to be the drug I have sitting in my fridge (from whence it came, I shall not say, but a barren woman's gotta do what a barren woman's gotta do)!

So, February will be our Injectables/Intralipids Cycle. I cannot wait!

In other news, we have a meeting January 11th with our Social Worker and the Branch Director to discuss whether or not we CAN proceed with the adoption homestudy. OMG, talk about stress :( Please pray!

Prayer Buddies Revealed...!!!

OK, calling everyone who participated in the Advent Prayer Buddies!!!

Between now and Christmas Day, please put a post on your blog with the person whom you were praying for. If you know their email address, you can also send them a personal message with specifics about to whom and what you were praying on their behalf this Advent Season. Or, if you want to make that public, feel free to share it on your blog, as well.

It's no secret to my Prayer Buddy - but I was praying my little heart out for...

Sew Infertile

My prayer warriors on Sew Infertile's behalf have been two VERY special people.

One was St. Andrew, Patron of those Hoping to Conceive, whose Novena I began on Nov. 30th while praying on a beautiful chaplet made by Joy Beyond the Cross.

The other was Hannah Grace, a beautiful soul who graced this world for but a short time before she met Jesus face-to-face. I spoke to Hannah Grace each evening, and asked her to pray for her Mommy and Daddy. I've told her (though she knew this already) how much Mommy and Daddy loved her, even before she was molded in her Mommy's womb :)

(I also lit a candle in your honor on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.)

My prayers continue for you, Sew, through Christmas Day and beyond.
May God Bless you and your family this Christmas, and keep you happy and healthy in the New Year!

Not Like Mary...

On this, the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are all reminded of the beautiful gift of Mary to us all. Her acceptance of God's will, her belief that her child was the Messiah, and her glorious birth and motherhood to Our Saviour has made her the role model of all role models. She is mother to ALL of us.

In my parish, the priest has a different person light the Advent candle each Sunday. That person represents that "part" of the congregation. For example, a child, a senior citizen, etc. And guess who lit it today? You guessed it. A mother.

And the priest made very sure to preface the lighting of the candle this week as, "Since this week we put our focus back to Mary and her motherhood to Jesus, we will have a MOTHER from our parish light the Advent candle today."

I was pre-occupied with my thoughts for the remainder of the Mass... which was the entire Mass, since the lighting of the candle happens before the entrance hymn. I just couldn't figure out, where do WE belong, and how are WE to emulate Mary? Clearly by accepting God's will we are acting like Mary. But we're the only ones who recognize that - it's not like society looks at us infertiles and says, "Oh, look how like Mary they are!" Nope. Rather, they are busy oohing and aahing over the mommies and babies of the congregation, because even the Church agrees, nothing's better than being a mommy at Christmastime.

I haven't been as depressed as I usually am this time of year, and I think I owe that to my Secret Prayer Buddy. I do have hope that I will be a mommy someday. (Don't ask me why. When I physically CANNOT implant without twice daily injections, and Natural Killer cells and a 1/2 DQ Alpha match); not to mention I just got an email from our Social Worker (though I'm not really sure I can still call her "our" Social Worker since she's not really working socially on our behalf at all) that stated we need to meet with her and the BRANCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to determine whether or not we CAN continue with the homestudy. Logically, I know it's a long-shot that I'll ever be a mother. But it's not the logic I'm going off of. It's the calling. I have felt the calling to motherhood so strongly, especially recently. And even if it takes 20 years, I know we'll get to parenthood.

One day, some day, I will be homestudy approved, and oh what a glorious day that will be!! And I imagine, too, that I'll have a lot more peace with everything once that day arrives. It'll be my Golden Ticket, and by golly, I'm just gonna buy every freaking Wonka bar I can get my hands on in order to get that Golden Ticket.

While my priest and my parish may see me and my husband as worthless right now, I'm tired of seeing myself that way.

And even though on the outside, the "mother" of our Church who lit the candle may seem more obviously to be like Mary, I know we are all given the opportunity to be like her in our lives. To trust that what God has asked of you IS what is best for you, despite how contrary it is to everything you planned for yourself... well, that is just what Our Lady did. I hope and pray that I, (and that all of us) are able to emulate Our Lady as a mother, one day... but in the meantime, I will seize any opportunity I can get to be like Mary.

I used to constantly be upset at God for not allowing me to serve Him the way I thought I could serve Him best: by raising children to adore and worship Him. But just because I cannot do that doesn't mean I have to sit around and wait to serve Him. Right now, I can emulate Mary by trusting and hoping. And maybe no one else will see it but me... maybe no outsider will see the merits of what I am doing, and how I am serving the Lord in my childlessness. But the only One who matters will certainly see it, and I hope that He will be pleased.

God knows. He knows I hurt. He knows I ache. He knows I yearn. No angel ever came to deliver my infertility to me, but I still have the opportunity to respond to this gift God has entrusted to me. Some days the response is not as favorable as others. But today, and for as long as I can, my response will be:

"Let it be done to me according to your word."

Acupuncture

I took up acupuncture again. This makes the 4th time :) First, I saw a Chinese woman for a few months (summer '07), then a Chinese man for about half a year (winter-spring '08), then I went back to the original woman this year after learning of my clotting factors, but I stopped going to her when her treatments didn't mesh with what I knew I needed. I needed blood flow increased not only pre-Peak, but also post-Peak, and she refused to work on blood flow in the luteal phase because "baby needs to stick." Yeah, well, my "babies" (non-existent as they may be) are not able to stick when there are ginormous clots all over the endometrium!!

So I contacted a new place I just found out about, pretty close to home. It's called Acupunture for Reproductive Health, and I wasn't sure how I'd feel about them since their practitioner is not Chinese. My first appointment was last week, and I must say, I really liked her! She has worked with women with clotting factors before, as well as NK Cells, LADs, you name it, she's seen it. I feel like finally she is up to the level that I, along with my gamut of issues, require.

Through email exchange she told me that while it is not standard in TCM and acupuncture to stimulate blood flow in the luteal phase, there are certain situations where it is warranted, such as in my case. She also gave me a bunch of that Moxa incense stuff to burn on my pelvis at home (I love that stuff!), along with a ton of information/brochures/pamphlets on what foods are best to eat, what foods are best to avoid, etc. (Hot foods are best for circulation, kind of a no-brainer.) And she recommended some supplements, that I haven't had a chance to get yet.

Today is my next appointment. I took off from clinicals today and tomorrow so that I can study for my final exams tomorrow evening (eeeek!) - I'm especially worried about the Ob course. There are so many things that can go wrong with a pregnancy, from start to finish, and we had to memorize them all!! The Physics final (yes, I have to take PHYSICS which I avoided like the plague in High School) was fine on Monday.

I'm hoping the acupuncture will relax me for studying :)

Nagging Feeling... semi-confirmed

So, remember those 2 nagging feelings I had a while ago?

Well, I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to blog about this, BUT, I did put a call in to Dr S.tegman's office about the likelihood of my left fimbriatic cyst being an impedance to pregnancy.
But then there was the issue of, why (since surgery last April, anyway), have I had almost exclusively left-sided ovulations??

I had another ultrasound on CD 13 this cycle (Thursday) at my clinical site. The sonographer, one of the women I work with, measured my follicles for me, and took a picture of a "hemorrhagic cyst" on my right side. It was clearly NOT a follicle. But I immediately said, "Wait... I had the same thing last cycle!" Last cycle when she said "hemorrhagic cyst," I assumed I had just ovulated from the right, and was about to ovulate from the left within a few hours. (When a cyst ruptures, it bleeds into itself, so a corpus luteum is, at different stages, a hemorrhagic cyst.)
But this cycle, I was at least 1 full day before ovulation. And the structure, whatever it was, was not a "fresh" corpus luteum. It was completely homogeneous throughout. Otherwise known as a chocolate cyst...

Endometrioma.

The sonographer said it, too. Possible. Not definite.

But I'm thinking, yeah. That would most certainly explain it.

I got a free pelvic MRI a few months ago, also- (working at the imaging center has its perks!) and in the report, the radiologist said a hemorrhagic cyst was noted... I was on CD NINE and still bleeding at the time!! My Dr and I both dismissed it... but now...

I emailed my NaPro Dr, and she concurs it seems likely it is a small endometrioma, because a residual corpus luteal cyst would resolve itself within a month, and NOT interfere with ovulation on that side.

Too bad it's the end of the year, and I'll have to start over again with my deductible when I schedule surgery :( Yes, I've decided I definitely want to get rid of it- it's only going to grow in time, and maybe he can remove that fimbriatic cyst on the left, while he's at it.

On the 13th day of Christmas, my Lord God gave to me...

hahahaha!

'sall good. I'm ok with it. He's keeping me on my toes :)

Until Then, We'll Have to Muddle Through Somehow

The title of this post is a line from one of my favorite Christmas songs, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," but it is only in the Judy Garland version (from Meet Me In St. Louis). Other renditions replace the line with "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." However, the Judy Garland version is the one that moves me, and it is primarily because of this one line. Every time I hear it sung in her rich, melancholy voice, I absolutely lose it!

The entire phrase goes:

"Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a Merry little Christmas now."

Lately, many of us (blog buddies) have been posting about the wait. And how apropos since we are in the season of waiting in the Church. As many have pointed out, there is a great dichotomy in this wait, no matter what it is we are waiting for, because while we know we need to have trust in the Lord, we also feel as if our lives are on hold in the meantime. Our vocations are not being fulfilled. What do we do with that?

As I spoke on the phone with Sew the other day, we talked about how, as much as we desire children right now, we also wonder from time to time if this childless living is a blessing. A time in our lives that we will NEVER be able to get back once we do have children. In our hearts, we know that someday, somehow, we will be parents... even if it takes 10 years. So what's the rush?

On the other hand, perseverance is a grace, I believe. As long as what we desire is good and holy, I feel strongly that God wants us to "fight" for it. Never going against His almighty will, of course, but also never giving up. To truly embrace our cross, no matter what it is, we must keep our focus on the Resurrection. When Jesus carried His cross, He didn't just resign to the fact that He was being put to death, throw up His hands and say, "OK, I give up." Rather, He struggled the entire way through His passion, getting up repeatedly throughout the flagellation, persevering every time he fell down with His cross.

I also think about St. Therese. When she knew she wanted to become a nun, she was devastated when she was told she was too young. All she had to do was wait a few years, but instead, she went as far as she could go (to the Holy Father himself) and pleaded her case. Was she going against God's will? I believe just the opposite. I think her perseverance made God happy. And as it turned out, she died at such a young age, that her extra few years in the convent really did make a difference in her life and in the lives of all she touched (and continues to touch as a Saint).

So where does that leave us? I think as Percolating Petals so eloquently put it, we need to recognize that we are walking a line in our present state of "Advent." But I think that line is shades of gray rather than the black and white of acceptance of our cross vs. denial of our cross. Many people may feel that in "fighting" for the end result, they are denying their cross, or just plain not being realistic. I like to see it more as perseverance- a perseverance that makes God happy.

I do believe we will all find our happy ending, even if it comes to us in ways we never would have imagined or planned for ourselves. It may be soon. It may be years from now. But it will come.

Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow.

So, my dear blog friends... have yourselves a Merry little Christmas now.

LEAP food sensitivity test- RESULTS (*UPDATE)

Well, I did get my results from the food sensitivity testing (LEAP) back on Monday, but my case of the bubonic plague, er, shingles, kind of preoccupied me.

But now that my shingles are getting better (no more constant pain, hooray!), here are my results:

Foods that are MODERATELY reactive:


FD&C Yellow #6
Salicylic Acid (at first when I read that I was like, wait, isn't that the stuff in OTC acne wash? Who eats that? Lol!)
American Cheese
Turmeric
Sesame
Parsley
Oregano (big joke on me for those last 2- I'm Italian, for crying out loud! At least garlic's still ok!)
Grape
Cranberry (keep in mind I read this the Monday after Thanksgiving, when I single-handedly wolfed down an entire bowl of cran-orange relish!)
Honeydew Melon
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Asparagus
Carrot (I usually eat a ton of baby carrots pre-Peak, since I had heard they help with cm!)
Yellow Squash
WHEAT (!!!)
Tilapia
Lamb
Pork
Lima Bean

And here are the foods that are STRONGLY reactive:

Saccharin
Yogurt
Paprika
Plum
Mushroom (again, I had just eaten about a dozen of my mom's famous stuffed mushrooms at Thanksgiving!!)
RICE (Rice??? Really??!!! Who else but ME would be reactive to freaking RICE???!!! So, now I can't even subsitute gluten with rice, lol! DH is afraid I'm going to waste away to nothing, hahahaha!)


There you have it. Interesting, isn't it? The rice thing just blew me away! And here I was worried I wouldn't be able to do sushi anymore because I thought fish may be on the list... but no, it's the damn RICE I can't have! I love me some fish, though, so I'm happy they were all ok (tilapia is not a big loss, I prefer swordfish or tuna steak if I'm making a large fish for dinner. King Crab is my ultimate favorite.)

I have an appointment to go over these results and to develop a diet plan with the dietician next Friday. She had forwarned me that the first couple weeks on the diet are very strict, so I have a feeling I will need to cut out ALL of those foods for 2 weeks, and then maybe slowly reintroduce the moderately reactive ones but only in moderation.

So, as it turns out, Mallomars ARE off limits (due to the cookie center, the cookie made with wheat).

And then my Mom, being oh-so- my Mom, immediately tells me: "Oh, I guess you can't have ANY of my Christmas cookies, then." AHHHHH!!!! No babies AND no cookies for Christmas??! I think I'm gonna cry.

**UPDATE:
Aww, you guys are so sweet to post recipes and substitution ideas :) To answer the quetsions about why I did the testing, it was something that Dr Boyle was talking about in depth at this year's AAFCP Annual Meeting. He presented his research to the other NaPro Medical Consultants, and was advocating for the "Food Print" test (which is identical to the LEAP test, but it is out of the UK) for all NaPro Infertility and M/C patients. He's a big believer that diet influences fertility, since fertility is a part of the overall health.

So, my NaPro Dr had told me all about it, and really wanted me to do it since July. I put it on the backburner. Until now, when I realized I could do it locally.

I do have some digestion issues, but as I've described to my Dr, it's not what I would describe as constipation. MY "normal" just happens to be going once every 2-3 days. It is not difficult to go, or anything like that, though. However, I do look forward to being more regular with this diet. I don't tend to have many outward symptoms from the foods I eat, BUT, I'm sure it is effecting my hormones, etc. and hence my fertility. I do think that this will improve my fertility.

Finally, YES, my insurance is covering it at my out-of-network rate. Since my deductible was met for this year, they are covering 60%, woo hoo! The total cost was $595. I did the complete testing, but you can also opt for other tests that cost less.