Mind Over Matter

Mind Over Matter....something I constantly have to remind myself during this journey. Our mind can be so dangerous and it can be our worst enemy. When I went in my for my hysteroscopy, my sister found a flyer about acupuncture in the waiting room. She started to talk to my mom about how good it would be for me to do and all the reasons why I should do it. My mom said "Reagan, you are preaching to the wrong person. You need to talk to sister who is scared to death of needles." Well we went to eat breakfast that morning and she brought it up. She pulled out the flyer and was telling me all about it. I told her that I did hear that it helped with IVF and that I was thinking about trying it. Her, my mom, and Mikie were shocked when I said that. I read the flyer and it said acupuncture increases your success rate by 50%.....after three unsuccessful transfers, I'm willing to try anything. I held onto the flyer and kept telling myself to call. Well I've been posting my blog updates on facebook and an old high school friend contacted me on facebook. She mentioned to me that she had a friend who went through IVF. Her friend had three unsuccessful transfers and on her fourth transfer she did acupuncture and was successful. She told me that I should look into. When I read her message...I was like WOW....here is my sign that I need to call. The next day I decided to call and book my free consultation. I made my appointment for last Thursday. I called my mom and asked her if she would go with me and of course she said yes.

My mom...let me say a few words about her. She has been such an awesome supporter. She never misses any procedures (no matter how early it requires her to get up and that says a lot because she isn't a morning person HA!). I have to say this journey has been just as hard for her as for me. She hates that everything is out of her control and there isn't anything she can do to fix it or make it better. A mother wants only the best for her daughter and when something is out of a mother's control...its hard. I have to say I've been blessed with an amazing mother. I'm so proud to call her my mom.

My mom and I went for the consultation last Thursday. The doctor was super nice and was so knowledgeable about IVF. He took his time to answer all my questions and listen to my story. I told him everything that I've been through and explained we were starting a new cycle. He was glad that I was doing a new cycle and not just another transfer. He said that since I was starting a new cycle the acupuncture would work better than just for a transfer. He explained how I would need to come once a week until the transfer. When I find out when my transfer is then I will have to come in 24 hours before and then 4-5 days after my transfer. If I get a positive pregnancy test then he recommends me to come until I'm 12 weeks pregnant. He said that the acupuncture would be done from the elbows down, knees down, and in my stomach. He explained how it would help with my hormonal headaches, stress, and it increases the blood flow to prepare your uterus and lining for the transfer. After he explained all the details, I said "Can I see what the needle looks like?" HA! I couldn't help but sit there and think the entire time "Needles, Needles, Needles". He showed me a needle and it was as fine as a strand of hair. I was at ease a little bit after seeing how little it was.

After the consultation, I went to the front desk and signed up for a package. The more sessions you buy the cheaper it is. I bought a packaged deal and made my first appointment for this coming Tuesday. Since I've left the doctor all I can think about is needles and if its going to hurt. My mind has been going 90 to nothing. I came across this picture I posted on my instagram a while back. "Keep Calm and remember that Mind over Matter" I have to keep telling myself that in my mind I think needles and pain but in reality I probably wont be able to feel these needles. I'm not going to lie, my mind is winning at the moment. All weekend long I'm thinking about the pain I might be in on Tuesday. I told my sister that I'm scared that I paid for everything for no reason and that I'm going to chicken out. She keeps telling me that I wont feel anything. When it comes to needles I can make myself so sick. I get sick to my stomach, no appetite, and I almost vomit. I'm pretty much at that point right now. I'm so ready for this appointment on Tuesday. Once I know how one session goes then I will be okay. I mean if I can survive all the other shots and injections then I can handle acupuncture. I just hate the unknown.

I did go online to the clinic and read all the reviews. The doctor (I guess that's what you would call him) has been highly recommended. All the reviews talked about successful transfers, how caring he was, and how less stressed they were. Some of them explained how scared of needles they were and how it didn't hurt....that made me feel better! :)

Even though I'm nervous about Tuesday, I'm so proud of myself for making the appointment. I hope this helps us have a successful transfer and help my stress levels. I always tend to become very stressed around transfer time...again because my mind runs 90 to nothing. I will update everyone on Tuesday to let you know how my appointment went.