Pre Egg Retrieval Day

I have made it thus far. I took my Lupron trigger at 12:30am this morning and went in for BW only to test LH and some other level. My nurse said the trigger was successful and the numbers has 'skyrocketed'. So we are on track for retrieval tomorrow. WOW! I am about to do a full cycle of IVF...but right now I feel like crap. I got this massive headache today around lunch time and with that came some nausea. Even now I am not quite my best. I was very hungry today with specific cravings. I came home and made chicken and broccoli alfredo (alfredo sauce from scratch and quite tasty). I just ate and now the sick feeling. I think its the increased level of drugs or maybe withdrawal from the 10 days of gonalF and menopur. at any rate, I am excited about tomorrow. The biologist in me is so anxious to learn how my eggs perform in the dish. looks like 18-20 to retrieve so maybe 9-10 fertilize, and 4-5 make it to day 5. Call me crazy but my hope is 2 to transfer and possibly take. I don't want all these frozen blastocysts because I will not use them all unless the IVF is unsuccessful. My option is none frozen but a new round of meds if this fails. I am leaning that way. After this cycle, I need a break though, so lets pray for success. I am off to research now. Baby dust to all!

Trigger Night!

Went in for the usual US/BW and now have 20 follicles measured and estrogen levels upwards of 2000. I can do the lupron trigger tonight and egg retrieval on Saturday. WOW! We are moving right along now. I am so happy! NO MORE SHOTS!!!

Day 9 US/BW

I did not ovulate as I speculated. I did some reading after logging off and found that the increased estrogen levels can make the body feel like its ovulating and produce the egg white cervical mucous that I saw last night. I am really runny down there. Hope that's not TMI because this whole blog is that. The doctor's say no unprotected sex until after embryo transfer and my poor hubbie has to wear condoms. We both hate those, but oh well. Today I made it in for the BW and U/S. Glad I actually missed yesterday because they would have just old me to come back again anyway. I have 4 mature eggs and then 14 trailing ones that they think may mature. 18 total today. 10 on the left and 8 on the right. The left made a major comeback because it has about 4 last U/S but after upping the menopur to triple the dose they starting growing. So I had to do one more night of gonal and menopur. The nurse believes I will trigger tomorrow night. So prayerfully two more shots and I am done. I do have to go in tomorrow for BW and U/S. Also my estrogen levels are in the 1000s now. Last time it was 400 and I thought that was good. Not sure what all the numbers mean but its okay. I do know I have a follicle that is 24, 23, 22, 21, 18 and some that are 14 and 15 mm. After much reading I found that quality over quantity is what is important. I read women with 40 eggs retrieved only to have 2 or 3 make it to day 5. Wow. Not sure how I feel about this survival of the fittest and day 3 versus day 5 or 6 transfer but one that I did learn is that until the egg hatches, it cannot implant. As I think of the fertilized eggs in the dish dying off, I struggle...I pray. God lead me. I believe in life at conception and I have a lot more research to do before I can truly be sure what we are going to do. I have two babies and am not looking to have 3 or 4 in the future. So this is going to be a well prayed over decision. I've asked God to lead us and I know he will not fail. My tummy area is sore from all the shots and they are all subcutaneous. I cannot imagine the pain of butt shots that I've red about. Day 9 and about 20 - 23 shots in. I am ready to tap out. My mood is swinging, not terribly, but somewhat. So I am happy when this is done and praying for success on the first round. Tip - If you have an ovary that likes to hid, try dropping your butt a bit farther off the table during the transvaginal US and pressing on that side. Worked like a charm for me. Normally my left ovary hides way 'over there' as the sono tech put it. When I went in previously, I went farther off the table than I normally do and the tech was able to find my left ovary easily. Its never been that easy. Today I shared that info with the sono tech as she hunted for the ovary. Dipped down a bit lower and BAM. It was crystal clear on the screen and had 10 follicles! I am going to try this for my future paps. I have a high, tilted cervix and trying to visualize that sucker can make me feel like I've been rammed through.

Missed US/BW Today

We had inclement weather today and so I missed my scheduled US and BW. Made another appt. for tomorrow but I am anxious to see what has happened. I felt like I was ovulating earlier and then when I went to the rest room I had the stretchy mucous that is evidence of ovulation to me. Oh boy! As always God is running this so I just turn it right on over to him. Tired of mixing my menopur and taking the shots. Alas. No time for complaining though.

Ganirelix Injections

I had my US/BW yesterday and my estrogen is 417 now. Last check it was in the 100s. I was told to start ganirelix. I took a dose yesterday along with my regular dose of Gonal and then a triple does of menopur. Menopur is the one that burns when I inject it so I was not looking forward that, but I had to add more saline to it so that helped. I do less saline which is definitely why the burn is more than most would experience. I feel like a pro now mixing meds and injecting LOL! My husband, who is afraid of needles, always acts like he is going to help and appears just after I've given myself the last needle. I just thank GOD that none are intramuscular. OUCH! So this morning I was late taking the ganirelix. I was supposed to take it between 6-9am. As I was making my appointment for tomorrow I realized, I had not. its noon. Hopefully I have not screwed myself by being late. So far I am okay. I am sleepy, but its because its so wet and snowy and I stayed up late last night. I was having some mood swings from emotional near crying, to anger all within an 1 hour span. But I had to talk myself down. I have small kids and they don't understand that mess. So I put on my happy face and kept it moving. All in all its okay. I thank God that I am so busy with family that I don't have time to focus on every little detail. Egg retrieval was tentatively slated for the 31st. Not sure how we are keeping up with that. But oh I forgot, the US tech said I had 5-6 eggs that were mentionable. I don't even know where I should be right now, but I know by increasing the menopur, they are trying to increase my number of mature eggs. 6 ripe, maybe 3 will be retrieved and one make it to day 5. That's how it normally works, half of whats retrieved is fertilized, half of what fertilizes makes it to day 5. Honestly, I don't want a ton of eggs. Two good ones is my goal. Chat soon.

IVF Shots - Night 3

Phew! Night 3 of shots is over. I go in tomorrow for BW/US to see how things look and they'll tell me what to do from there. Day 3 I was a bit emotional and cranky. But its subsided. The menopur shot seems to burn a bit, but nothing unbearable. I was feeling a bit of heaviness in my ovaries last night. I could tell they were stimulated. It felt a lot like ovulation and when I ovulate it can be pretty painful. I was going to take some meds but it subsided. All in all not to shabby.

Menopur and Gonal - Night 1

First night of shots. Not to shabby although the menopur seems to burn or itch or something at the injection site. Maybe its because I put the needle in and then took it out because I remembered I only need 37.5 or half of the dose. Gonal is 112.5. I watched some youtubes and was able to get it all done. I realized that the pharmacy that works with my fertility clinic gave me enough meds for all 3 of my eligible via insurance IVFs. I have a huge bag full of stuff and was so overwhelmed thinking I had to take them all for the one cycle. We are so blessed that our IUIs and 3 IVFs are covered by insurance at 100%. Thank Jesus! As I was mixing my doses and taking them, my two little girls were in the living room screaming to the top their lungs, laughing and playing. A bit earlier in the evening, the whole while I was detangling and blowing out my oldest girls hair, the younger one terrorized us. I sat there praying for that little boy...no more heads to style please God. My oldest girls hair is almost waist length. I laughed and said these kids are going to be the death and life of me, after the youngest pulled the oldest to the floor and she hit her mouth on the floor but yelled 'I am fine Mommie, I did not knock my teeth out'. And I thought but here I am mixing and injecting trying to have yet more children. Am I crazy? Well maybe a little. But aren't we all.

IVF

Its been over 7 years since I started this journey to motherhood. I am back again after trying for the past two years to conceive our third child. I told my husband that he had until I turned 38 to make it happen. We tried, but nothing happened. Now after two failed IUI's we are moving on to IVF. I am a bit horrified to say the least. Back when we were trying for baby #1 we were planning to do IVF and then by the grace of God got pregnant naturally. Baby #2 came naturally as well. Now we are back at the drawing board (so to speak). I start Gonal and Menopur tomorrow. This after my 19 days of birth control pills, bloodwork and a mock IUI from hell. When I went in for my mock, my friggin cervix was so high that I thought the doctor may just push through me to get access. He even thought we may be unable to do the mock. But after my silent prayers and his persistence it happened, went well and I was moved on. I was very sore and bleeding after the mock. Ouch! I pray the live transfer is not like that. So as I proceed. I will OF COURSE need to come pour my thoughts out. Bear with me and feel free to comment. Thanks and God bless.