I'm having a hard time relating to real life. I feel like I'm in a dream most days. DH is great, very loving and taking over household stuff I don't feel like doing. Work has been an uphill battle with the little one asserting her 2-year-old-ness. Church has been hard to connect at too. I'm having difficulty feeling close to God. I'm feeling a bit abandoned. My church work has been blah. The upcoming children's program will undoubtedly be a mess, but I really don't care at this point.
The medicine for the next cycle arrived yesterday. It's sitting in the fridge just waiting for me to use it.
I saw 2 of my best friends this weekend. One was celebrating her birthday, and it was good to see her and the other came over to our place for dinner. She brought her lovely wife and my adorable niece with her. Holding baby A, it hit me really hard. It was adorable watching DH with her. He was so loving, caring and patient. She is a wonderful baby and I'm so happy for my friends. I just hope we'll have one of our own in the next year for her to play with.
I was able to watch my girlfriend get married via web this weekend as well. She called on Sunday and it was good to hear from her and know that she is happily married.
I haven't done much of anything exercise wise. I've been eating healthy and worked out twice. I'm planning on doing some yoga today. My acupuncturist recommended that I do 20-30 minutes of deep breathing/meditation. She thinks that it will help me get out of this funk and be more beneficial weight-loss wise than just exercising. I hope so. I can't imagine putting on 15-20 more lbs. with the next cycle.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Trying to come up for air...
AF showed last Friday. Early. This is good I suppose. With it here the bloating has gone down a bit, and my pain is almost gone. I called the RE on Monday to find out my new protocol.
The nurse I don't like, Melinda, called back to tell me she would email me my new protocol. It appears I'm going to be on the MicroDose Lupron Flare protocol. She called later on Monday to make sure I received the email and to tell me she would call Tuesday (today) with a prescription list. She then called the house phone (DH was working from home) and told him that she would email me the list. I'm not sure why she couldn't call the phone number I've listed as my DAYTIME number (cell) but whatever. I got home and checked my email. No prescription list. I emailed her to request she call me tomorrow. Very irritated with her. GRRR!
It appears that this cycle will not have the ET or ER at the end of October as I had been worried about. I'm hoping that the ET and ER will fall during my employers scheduled vacation in early November. It all depends on when my next period arrives and if all the follicles have gone away and not turned into cysts.
Emotionally I'm blah. I feel pretty worthless. I'm frustrated that my body didn't respond the way it should have. I'm upset that I developed OHSS with so few follicles. I feel like everything that went wrong was my fault. I'm feeling a lot of guilt about the whole mess that the cycle turned out to be.
This week one of my best friends is getting married in Las Vegas. She had originally asked me to be a bridesmaid. After discussing it with the RE in June, he told me he didn't want me flying during the 1st trimester, so we called it off. Now I feel tremendously guilty because I'm NOT pregnant and technically could attend the wedding this weekend. I wish we had some magical money that would appear so I could be there, but we are scraping to come up with the money for the meds and ultrasounds and blood work for this upcoming cycle.
Since the cycle was cancelled, I've been hiding at home. Socially that is. I've done what I've had to: go to work, go to church, go to the store. I still don't really feel up to social stuff, but I feel like I have to go. I mean, what's my excuse for not going? I'm physically feeling better and I don't have to be home at a certain time for injections. I feel such a loss over this last IVF cycle and really, there wasn't even anything to lose. It's not as if there was an embryo we transferred or anything, they were just follicles with the potential to have eggs in them.
I'm so rambly tonight... off to bed with me.
The nurse I don't like, Melinda, called back to tell me she would email me my new protocol. It appears I'm going to be on the MicroDose Lupron Flare protocol. She called later on Monday to make sure I received the email and to tell me she would call Tuesday (today) with a prescription list. She then called the house phone (DH was working from home) and told him that she would email me the list. I'm not sure why she couldn't call the phone number I've listed as my DAYTIME number (cell) but whatever. I got home and checked my email. No prescription list. I emailed her to request she call me tomorrow. Very irritated with her. GRRR!
It appears that this cycle will not have the ET or ER at the end of October as I had been worried about. I'm hoping that the ET and ER will fall during my employers scheduled vacation in early November. It all depends on when my next period arrives and if all the follicles have gone away and not turned into cysts.
Emotionally I'm blah. I feel pretty worthless. I'm frustrated that my body didn't respond the way it should have. I'm upset that I developed OHSS with so few follicles. I feel like everything that went wrong was my fault. I'm feeling a lot of guilt about the whole mess that the cycle turned out to be.
This week one of my best friends is getting married in Las Vegas. She had originally asked me to be a bridesmaid. After discussing it with the RE in June, he told me he didn't want me flying during the 1st trimester, so we called it off. Now I feel tremendously guilty because I'm NOT pregnant and technically could attend the wedding this weekend. I wish we had some magical money that would appear so I could be there, but we are scraping to come up with the money for the meds and ultrasounds and blood work for this upcoming cycle.
Since the cycle was cancelled, I've been hiding at home. Socially that is. I've done what I've had to: go to work, go to church, go to the store. I still don't really feel up to social stuff, but I feel like I have to go. I mean, what's my excuse for not going? I'm physically feeling better and I don't have to be home at a certain time for injections. I feel such a loss over this last IVF cycle and really, there wasn't even anything to lose. It's not as if there was an embryo we transferred or anything, they were just follicles with the potential to have eggs in them.
I'm so rambly tonight... off to bed with me.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Waiting for this cycle to end...
I'm still slightly puffy around the abdomen. The pain is less than last Friday, but by the end of the day it really hurts. Today was the first day I had to do a lot of physical lifting/walking/work and I really hurt after all of that. I'm hoping that with the arrival of AF in a week or so this will all go away.
I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that we will be gearing up to go through this again in a cycle. It's starting to feel like this won't work, and I hate being in that mind space.
I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that we will be gearing up to go through this again in a cycle. It's starting to feel like this won't work, and I hate being in that mind space.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
OHSS
Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a complication occasionally seen in women who take certain fertility medications that stimulate egg production.
Symptoms: (ones I'm having are bolded)
abdominal bloating
mild pain in the abdomen
weight gain
decreased urination
shortness of breath
significant weight gain (more than 10 lbs in 3-5 days)
Treatment:
Get plenty of rest with your legs raised. This helps your body release the fluid.
Drink 10-12 glasses of fluid a day (especially drinks with electrolytes).
Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
Avoid exercise.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Causes:
Normally a woman produces one egg per month. Some women undergoing fertility treatments are given medicines to help normalize development or increase egg production.
However, if the drugs stimulate the ovaries too much, the ovaries can become swollen, and fluid can leak into the belly and chest area. This is called OHSS. OHSS occurs only after the egg(s) are released.
*****************************************************
Yup. I've got a mild case of OHSS. I'm in pain on and off. I've been doing the prescribed rest with feet up, electrolyte fluid and monitoring of weight since last night (Friday). Last night was unbearable and I thought we might be at the RE this AM, but this morning was better. I did run errands and go to lunch with DH and felt much, much worse after. I've been resting at home with my feet up the past couple of hours and the pain is starting to lessen a bit.
Also, I still am getting hives. Dr. Opie has passed me off to my primary care doc at this point. He now thinks the hives are unrelated to the follistim. The hives aren't bugging me too much and are manageable with Benadryl, so for now I'm going to skip my primary care doc.
I think I've mostly come to terms with the cancellation. It still is sad, but I know we made the right decision. I'm in the anger, mopey mode right now and not really up for hearing all the "divine timing" and "everything happens for a reason" stuff, but I'm sure that eventually I'll be ready to hear everyone's well-meaning words.
I'm off to put my feet up again and hopefully this OHSS will settle down.
Symptoms: (ones I'm having are bolded)
abdominal bloating
mild pain in the abdomen
weight gain
decreased urination
shortness of breath
significant weight gain (more than 10 lbs in 3-5 days)
Treatment:
Get plenty of rest with your legs raised. This helps your body release the fluid.
Drink 10-12 glasses of fluid a day (especially drinks with electrolytes).
Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
Avoid exercise.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Causes:
Normally a woman produces one egg per month. Some women undergoing fertility treatments are given medicines to help normalize development or increase egg production.
However, if the drugs stimulate the ovaries too much, the ovaries can become swollen, and fluid can leak into the belly and chest area. This is called OHSS. OHSS occurs only after the egg(s) are released.
*****************************************************
Yup. I've got a mild case of OHSS. I'm in pain on and off. I've been doing the prescribed rest with feet up, electrolyte fluid and monitoring of weight since last night (Friday). Last night was unbearable and I thought we might be at the RE this AM, but this morning was better. I did run errands and go to lunch with DH and felt much, much worse after. I've been resting at home with my feet up the past couple of hours and the pain is starting to lessen a bit.
Also, I still am getting hives. Dr. Opie has passed me off to my primary care doc at this point. He now thinks the hives are unrelated to the follistim. The hives aren't bugging me too much and are manageable with Benadryl, so for now I'm going to skip my primary care doc.
I think I've mostly come to terms with the cancellation. It still is sad, but I know we made the right decision. I'm in the anger, mopey mode right now and not really up for hearing all the "divine timing" and "everything happens for a reason" stuff, but I'm sure that eventually I'll be ready to hear everyone's well-meaning words.
I'm off to put my feet up again and hopefully this OHSS will settle down.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Dealing with the Aftermath
I have to deal with the temp today. She was told I was having an outpatient surgery but that it was tentative until the blood work came back. So.... she's getting cancelled for the next two weeks. She is coming today (too late to cancel) to shadow me once again. I think I'll ask my boss if I can leave once she shows up. Grrr. My boss' response was priceless: "No apologies are necessary. We are glad you received sound advice. A little peak at the master plan that is our lives would be nice, but take heart in knowing that everything happens for a reason and the universe is unfolding exactly as it should."
I'm feeling a bit numb. Not exactly at peace with the decision just yet.... just keeping the emotions at bay to get through the rest of the week. My abdomen is still super-bloated and I assume that it will be like that until the eggs released or are re-absorbed.
Thank you everyone for your kind emails and comments.
I'm feeling a bit numb. Not exactly at peace with the decision just yet.... just keeping the emotions at bay to get through the rest of the week. My abdomen is still super-bloated and I assume that it will be like that until the eggs released or are re-absorbed.
Thank you everyone for your kind emails and comments.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Cancelled
I once again had hives over my entire body after my follistim injection. I got to my appointment and showed them. They seemed concerned. I took some Benadryl. I had my blood drawn and then waited for Dr. Opie to show up for the ultrasound. 15 minutes later he was there and did the ultrasound. Basically, everything looked about the same. He told me they would review the case and get back to me but that ultimately it would be our decision to move forward or cancel.
Today was a long and nerve-wracking day. I called the RE at 4 when we still hadn't heard from them. Dr. Opie called back and we discussed everything. He seemed to be leaning towards going for it and then he said, "if it doesn't work, we'll know what to do next cycle." I then told him "Remember, we are only able to do 1 cycle." He asked why and I told him for financial and emotional reasons. He then said if this is the one and only cycle, we should cancel and try again. He is fairly confident we will have a better outcome with a different protocol and if nothing else we would have the same results as this time.
So, after talking with DH we've decided to cancel.
And now the tears will come....
Today was a long and nerve-wracking day. I called the RE at 4 when we still hadn't heard from them. Dr. Opie called back and we discussed everything. He seemed to be leaning towards going for it and then he said, "if it doesn't work, we'll know what to do next cycle." I then told him "Remember, we are only able to do 1 cycle." He asked why and I told him for financial and emotional reasons. He then said if this is the one and only cycle, we should cancel and try again. He is fairly confident we will have a better outcome with a different protocol and if nothing else we would have the same results as this time.
So, after talking with DH we've decided to cancel.
And now the tears will come....
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Stim Day 9
AM Meds
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 225 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds
Follistim- 225 units
So, I neglected to mention yesterday that I had some strange hives on my arm in the morning and a few on my other arm at night.
This morning I did my follistim and lupron then headed out to the RE for my appointment. I got there and thought, "my legs are itchy- I forgot to put on lotion." I had my blood drawn and then went back for my ultrasound. I took of my opaque black tights and had a mini-freak-out. My legs were covered (read: RED, bumpy, not a square inch of normal skin) in hives. My belly and back and upper arms were also affected. I went into the ultrasound room and showed the nurse. She grabbed Dr. Opie. He looked at them and asked about the others from yesterday. He told me to take some Benadryl. He thinks that the latest cartridge of follistim I put in yesterday morning has something in it that I'm allergic to. He told me to hang onto the vial and call my pharmacy to inform them and NOT to use it again.
The ultrasound then proceeded. He started measuring the follicles and then when he was almost done said "well, you won't win any awards for good response" (or something stupid like that) I asked him if he was going to cancel the cycle. He pulled up the measurements, and I now have 5 dominant follicles. The rest are far behind and won't catch up in the time we have left before having to trigger. He went on to tell me that the average number of eggs retrieved in a woman my age is 20. He told me they would call me in the afternoon but to go ahead and schedule an appointment for tomorrow.
I left the ultrasound room, got dressed, popped a Benadryl and then went to the lobby. A nurse gave me a new cartridge of follistim to borrow, and I set up my appointment for Wednesday.
I went home (frantically calling DH all the way- until he called me back) and dropped off the follistim in the fridge then went to work.
I filled my work boss (the dad- mom was at work already) in about the situation. He seemed fine with the fact that it might get cancelled throwing out all the back-up nanny plans out the window. He and his friend (visiting from out-of-town) then left, and I got the girls up and ready for the day. The temp nanny showed up and we went to school. Big one said goodbye and then we hit the supermarket to get a quick dinner for the girls and temp nanny. We came home and I did the great clothing swap (2T packed up for my girlfriend's baby, 3T in little one's closet/drawers, 4T packed up in closet, 5T in big one's closet/drawers). I came downstairs and little one and temp nanny were hitting it off. We ate lunch, picked up big one and came home for naps. I put little one down and temp put big one down. I then filled her in on a few other things and took off for the rest of the day.
I called my boss (mom of the girls) to let her know how great today went with the temp and fill her in on the possible cancellation. She said it was fine and to let her know what decision is made. I got off the phone with her and called my pharmacy. They referred me to the manufacturer of the drug, who was closed for the day. While on hold at the pharmacy my nurse called to tell me, my estrogen looked great -977 and to come in the morning for my appointment.
I hope this all works out. I'm preparing myself that we might get cancelled and start over again. I just want a baby out of this. If that means starting over, then let's do that. This is our one shot at IVF. I don't know that 5 (possible) eggs are the way to go.
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 225 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds
Follistim- 225 units
So, I neglected to mention yesterday that I had some strange hives on my arm in the morning and a few on my other arm at night.
This morning I did my follistim and lupron then headed out to the RE for my appointment. I got there and thought, "my legs are itchy- I forgot to put on lotion." I had my blood drawn and then went back for my ultrasound. I took of my opaque black tights and had a mini-freak-out. My legs were covered (read: RED, bumpy, not a square inch of normal skin) in hives. My belly and back and upper arms were also affected. I went into the ultrasound room and showed the nurse. She grabbed Dr. Opie. He looked at them and asked about the others from yesterday. He told me to take some Benadryl. He thinks that the latest cartridge of follistim I put in yesterday morning has something in it that I'm allergic to. He told me to hang onto the vial and call my pharmacy to inform them and NOT to use it again.
The ultrasound then proceeded. He started measuring the follicles and then when he was almost done said "well, you won't win any awards for good response" (or something stupid like that) I asked him if he was going to cancel the cycle. He pulled up the measurements, and I now have 5 dominant follicles. The rest are far behind and won't catch up in the time we have left before having to trigger. He went on to tell me that the average number of eggs retrieved in a woman my age is 20. He told me they would call me in the afternoon but to go ahead and schedule an appointment for tomorrow.
I left the ultrasound room, got dressed, popped a Benadryl and then went to the lobby. A nurse gave me a new cartridge of follistim to borrow, and I set up my appointment for Wednesday.
I went home (frantically calling DH all the way- until he called me back) and dropped off the follistim in the fridge then went to work.
I filled my work boss (the dad- mom was at work already) in about the situation. He seemed fine with the fact that it might get cancelled throwing out all the back-up nanny plans out the window. He and his friend (visiting from out-of-town) then left, and I got the girls up and ready for the day. The temp nanny showed up and we went to school. Big one said goodbye and then we hit the supermarket to get a quick dinner for the girls and temp nanny. We came home and I did the great clothing swap (2T packed up for my girlfriend's baby, 3T in little one's closet/drawers, 4T packed up in closet, 5T in big one's closet/drawers). I came downstairs and little one and temp nanny were hitting it off. We ate lunch, picked up big one and came home for naps. I put little one down and temp put big one down. I then filled her in on a few other things and took off for the rest of the day.
I called my boss (mom of the girls) to let her know how great today went with the temp and fill her in on the possible cancellation. She said it was fine and to let her know what decision is made. I got off the phone with her and called my pharmacy. They referred me to the manufacturer of the drug, who was closed for the day. While on hold at the pharmacy my nurse called to tell me, my estrogen looked great -977 and to come in the morning for my appointment.
I hope this all works out. I'm preparing myself that we might get cancelled and start over again. I just want a baby out of this. If that means starting over, then let's do that. This is our one shot at IVF. I don't know that 5 (possible) eggs are the way to go.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Stim Day 8
Meds:
Same as yesterday.
Today was spent doing nothing with my boo. It was great. We slept in (after I woke up at 6, did my injections and went back to sleep) and then watched some DVR stuff. We went shopping this afternoon for the last of the stuff to finish my faith quilt and then out to dinner. We tried walking around the mall, but I just couldn't do it. I am very bloated/crampy/twingey right now and feel like I might pop. I had trouble sitting at a 90-degree angle at the restaurant and had to lean the car seat back for the drive home. Even now as I type this, I'm leaning at an odd angle.
I loaded my last follistim cartridge this morning. I called and left a message for the nurse on call about this fact. I figured out that after tonight and tomorrow mornings doses, I'll only have 300ish units left. She called back and said they anticipate I'll need more than 300 units and that I could have some of theirs until my order comes in and then I'll replace the one they gave me with my order. Confusing, no? It seems easier if I could just BUY their follistim. Whatever. Tomorrow morning, I go in for another ultrasound and blood draw.
Tomorrow at work my temp is going to be working with me to get the feel of the job. I'm looking forward to this. I hope she and the little one hit it off right away. I'm planning on getting a lot of fall/winter clothing swapped in and the summer/spring stuff put away in both girls' rooms while the temp entertains the little one. The older one goes back to preschool tomorrow. Hallelujah!!! Plus, if all goes well, I'll leave during nap time and be home to rest early. This is good because I've also been extremely tired as of late. It's hard work growing all these eggs!
New mantra/wish/prayer: 10+ perfect eggs at retrieval. I have faith that we'll get there.
Same as yesterday.
Today was spent doing nothing with my boo. It was great. We slept in (after I woke up at 6, did my injections and went back to sleep) and then watched some DVR stuff. We went shopping this afternoon for the last of the stuff to finish my faith quilt and then out to dinner. We tried walking around the mall, but I just couldn't do it. I am very bloated/crampy/twingey right now and feel like I might pop. I had trouble sitting at a 90-degree angle at the restaurant and had to lean the car seat back for the drive home. Even now as I type this, I'm leaning at an odd angle.
I loaded my last follistim cartridge this morning. I called and left a message for the nurse on call about this fact. I figured out that after tonight and tomorrow mornings doses, I'll only have 300ish units left. She called back and said they anticipate I'll need more than 300 units and that I could have some of theirs until my order comes in and then I'll replace the one they gave me with my order. Confusing, no? It seems easier if I could just BUY their follistim. Whatever. Tomorrow morning, I go in for another ultrasound and blood draw.
Tomorrow at work my temp is going to be working with me to get the feel of the job. I'm looking forward to this. I hope she and the little one hit it off right away. I'm planning on getting a lot of fall/winter clothing swapped in and the summer/spring stuff put away in both girls' rooms while the temp entertains the little one. The older one goes back to preschool tomorrow. Hallelujah!!! Plus, if all goes well, I'll leave during nap time and be home to rest early. This is good because I've also been extremely tired as of late. It's hard work growing all these eggs!
New mantra/wish/prayer: 10+ perfect eggs at retrieval. I have faith that we'll get there.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Stim Day 7
AM Meds:
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 225 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Follistim- 225 units
DH came with me to the RE appointment today. I had a blood draw, Estrogen is 477. I also had an ultrasound. The right ovary has follicles that are 16, 14, 13, 9 & 7 mm plus 3 or 4 more that were too small to measure. The left ovary has follicles that are 17, 11, 2 at 10, 9 and 3 more that were too small to measure. DH asked if the IVF would move forward if only the biggest follicles continue to develop. Dr. K thinks at this point at least 4 follicles would mean we can continue. She thinks that the other follicles should keep up with the biggest so hopefully we'll have a lot of eggs to harvest. It was good that DH came as he was the one to remember to ask the questions about the follicles/eggs and moving forward. It was a good appointment and has filled us with hope again. Sarah #2 called with my med schedule for the next day until my appointment on Tuesday morning.
Today is my 13th wedding anniversary. We had a low-key day and hung out around the house (after I got home from church). It is wonderful being married to my husband. He is so good to me, and I strive each day to be worthy of him. Happy Anniversary babe!
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 225 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Follistim- 225 units
DH came with me to the RE appointment today. I had a blood draw, Estrogen is 477. I also had an ultrasound. The right ovary has follicles that are 16, 14, 13, 9 & 7 mm plus 3 or 4 more that were too small to measure. The left ovary has follicles that are 17, 11, 2 at 10, 9 and 3 more that were too small to measure. DH asked if the IVF would move forward if only the biggest follicles continue to develop. Dr. K thinks at this point at least 4 follicles would mean we can continue. She thinks that the other follicles should keep up with the biggest so hopefully we'll have a lot of eggs to harvest. It was good that DH came as he was the one to remember to ask the questions about the follicles/eggs and moving forward. It was a good appointment and has filled us with hope again. Sarah #2 called with my med schedule for the next day until my appointment on Tuesday morning.
Today is my 13th wedding anniversary. We had a low-key day and hung out around the house (after I got home from church). It is wonderful being married to my husband. He is so good to me, and I strive each day to be worthy of him. Happy Anniversary babe!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Stim Day 6
AM Meds:
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Follistim- 150 units
Today I had acupuncture. It really helped calm my mind and focus on the end goal here. I'm trying not to get caught up in the little freak outs I keep having.
DH has agreed to go with me to the appointment tomorrow as he isn't all hyped up on hormones and has a better chance of actually hearing what the Dr says and asking intelligent, non-emotional questions.
My family is fabulous and is fasting and praying for us tomorrow that this will all work out and I'll be pregnant with our baby at the end of this.
I'm praying that tomorrow's appointment goes well.
I'm praying that I can have some calm in the middle of this storm.
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Follistim- 150 units
Today I had acupuncture. It really helped calm my mind and focus on the end goal here. I'm trying not to get caught up in the little freak outs I keep having.
DH has agreed to go with me to the appointment tomorrow as he isn't all hyped up on hormones and has a better chance of actually hearing what the Dr says and asking intelligent, non-emotional questions.
My family is fabulous and is fasting and praying for us tomorrow that this will all work out and I'll be pregnant with our baby at the end of this.
I'm praying that tomorrow's appointment goes well.
I'm praying that I can have some calm in the middle of this storm.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Stim Day 5
AM Meds:
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Estrogen level: 257
Eggs: 5-7 in each ovary. Only 4 were measurable. 1 8mm, 1 10 mm, and a 12 mm front runner on each side. I'm disappointed. Really, really disappointed. Dr. Opie said it all looked good, but this number of follicles is the same as I had 5 years ago doing Repronex for 2 medicated IUI's. I had really hoped that with an IVF protocol there would be more follicles. Hopefully at my Sunday scan there will be more that have caught up.
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Estrogen level: 257
Eggs: 5-7 in each ovary. Only 4 were measurable. 1 8mm, 1 10 mm, and a 12 mm front runner on each side. I'm disappointed. Really, really disappointed. Dr. Opie said it all looked good, but this number of follicles is the same as I had 5 years ago doing Repronex for 2 medicated IUI's. I had really hoped that with an IVF protocol there would be more follicles. Hopefully at my Sunday scan there will be more that have caught up.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Stim Day 4
AM Meds:
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Side Effects:
Weepy- big time today
Depressed
Tired
Forgetful
Hot Flashes
Twinges in abdomen (ovaries?!?)
Bloated abdomen
HEADACHE!!
The above side effects could also be the result of lack of sleep. I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning during a thunderstorm and was unable to return to sleep. I ran on little to no energy all day. The little ones were terrors this morning, the youngest particularly. I'm glad the workday is over. I'm nervous about the ultrasound and blood work tomorrow. I'm afraid that there won't be any follicle development, or that there are only 2 growing or something like that. *sigh* I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Side Effects:
Weepy- big time today
Depressed
Tired
Forgetful
Hot Flashes
Twinges in abdomen (ovaries?!?)
Bloated abdomen
HEADACHE!!
The above side effects could also be the result of lack of sleep. I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning during a thunderstorm and was unable to return to sleep. I ran on little to no energy all day. The little ones were terrors this morning, the youngest particularly. I'm glad the workday is over. I'm nervous about the ultrasound and blood work tomorrow. I'm afraid that there won't be any follicle development, or that there are only 2 growing or something like that. *sigh* I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Stim Day 3
I got to sleep in a bit today. It was nice. :) The AM meds went quickly/easily. Same as before:
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin - 80 mg
I arrived at my appointment 15 minutes early. I paid our deposit on this cycle, and checked in. I was surprised that they called me back right away. The blood draw was a cinch. (Since I'm super hydrated) and then they took me back for the ultrasound. I got in the u/s room and Dr. Opie came in. He pulled up my chart and looked confused. He asked, "why are you here today?" I explained I was on stim day 3 and that when I scheduled on Sunday the front desk gal told me that I'd be doing blood work and ultrasound. Nope. He doesn't do stim day 3 ultrasounds. As he put it "we wouldn't see anything worth looking at, so we'll save you the money and not do one today." Okie dokie. I left and drove like a crazy woman to work.
I arrived at work 3 hours past my normal start time. The place looked like a bomb had gone off. I don't think my boss expected me that early. Normally the house is put together, and the kids are somewhat calm. There were toys strewn everywhere! There were clean dishes stacked on the counter to be put away and dirty dishes in the open dishwasher and in the sink. The oldest (4) was feeding the youngest (2) her breakfast. (Which is completely unnecessary as she can feed herself) My boss was in pajamas and looked harried. I buzzed in, got the youngest eating on her own, the oldest cleaning up toys and my boss did the dishes. Everything was back to (my) normal, and my boss headed up to her office to work for the day.
I had a great day with the girls. We went to an incredible park with tons of ropes/nets to climb. They had a blast. We came home and ate lunch then they went down for naps. During naptime my boss came down to check in with me and see if I was still ok to work an hour later than normal. I told her I was feeling fine (sort of) and we discussed the cycle a bit. As we talked my phone rang. It was wonderful nurse Sarah. She told me my estrogen was at 112, which was what they were expecting. All my meds stay the same and I'm to come back on Friday for blood work and ultrasound. My boss left for the call and came back to find out if everything was ok. I swear, she's more excited by all of this than me! I filled her in and she headed back up to her office to work. The little one woke and then the older one. We had snack and headed out into the sunshine to play.
PM meds for tonight really hurt!
Menopur - 150 units
I watched a youtube video on injecting menopur and her tip was to let it sit after reconstituting it so that it doesn't burn as much. The first time I injected it there was no pain. Last night was a bit of burning. Tonight (even after letting it sit a bit) it burned like crazy and it actually hurt after I pulled out the needle. My abdomen is still a bit sore where I injected it (20 minutes later), but hopefully that will calm down soon.
My new concern (which I'll call the RE about tomorrow) is that I'm almost out of the Menopur. After tomorrow night's dose I only have 75 units left. If they keep me on my current protocol, I'll be out of luck. Hopefully I will get an answer and new prescription from them tomorrow.
Lupron - 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin - 80 mg
I arrived at my appointment 15 minutes early. I paid our deposit on this cycle, and checked in. I was surprised that they called me back right away. The blood draw was a cinch. (Since I'm super hydrated) and then they took me back for the ultrasound. I got in the u/s room and Dr. Opie came in. He pulled up my chart and looked confused. He asked, "why are you here today?" I explained I was on stim day 3 and that when I scheduled on Sunday the front desk gal told me that I'd be doing blood work and ultrasound. Nope. He doesn't do stim day 3 ultrasounds. As he put it "we wouldn't see anything worth looking at, so we'll save you the money and not do one today." Okie dokie. I left and drove like a crazy woman to work.
I arrived at work 3 hours past my normal start time. The place looked like a bomb had gone off. I don't think my boss expected me that early. Normally the house is put together, and the kids are somewhat calm. There were toys strewn everywhere! There were clean dishes stacked on the counter to be put away and dirty dishes in the open dishwasher and in the sink. The oldest (4) was feeding the youngest (2) her breakfast. (Which is completely unnecessary as she can feed herself) My boss was in pajamas and looked harried. I buzzed in, got the youngest eating on her own, the oldest cleaning up toys and my boss did the dishes. Everything was back to (my) normal, and my boss headed up to her office to work for the day.
I had a great day with the girls. We went to an incredible park with tons of ropes/nets to climb. They had a blast. We came home and ate lunch then they went down for naps. During naptime my boss came down to check in with me and see if I was still ok to work an hour later than normal. I told her I was feeling fine (sort of) and we discussed the cycle a bit. As we talked my phone rang. It was wonderful nurse Sarah. She told me my estrogen was at 112, which was what they were expecting. All my meds stay the same and I'm to come back on Friday for blood work and ultrasound. My boss left for the call and came back to find out if everything was ok. I swear, she's more excited by all of this than me! I filled her in and she headed back up to her office to work. The little one woke and then the older one. We had snack and headed out into the sunshine to play.
PM meds for tonight really hurt!
Menopur - 150 units
I watched a youtube video on injecting menopur and her tip was to let it sit after reconstituting it so that it doesn't burn as much. The first time I injected it there was no pain. Last night was a bit of burning. Tonight (even after letting it sit a bit) it burned like crazy and it actually hurt after I pulled out the needle. My abdomen is still a bit sore where I injected it (20 minutes later), but hopefully that will calm down soon.
My new concern (which I'll call the RE about tomorrow) is that I'm almost out of the Menopur. After tomorrow night's dose I only have 75 units left. If they keep me on my current protocol, I'll be out of luck. Hopefully I will get an answer and new prescription from them tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Stim Day 2
AM Meds:
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin- 80 mg
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Side effects:
HOT FLASHES are back. Big time.
Still tired but might still be the stupid head cold.
Overall today's injections went much more smoothly. I think I mis-injected myself with the follistim pen on Monday and injected closer to 275 units as there was extra medicine in my pen today. The cartridge I had loaded Monday was 300 units. It should have all been gone after that first dose, right? This AM I used it and it had 100 left in it. Perhaps there is always extra meds in the pen, but I'm guessing I under dosed myself on Monday. Hopefully that won't be a problem at the appointment tomorrow. I will definitely let Dr. Opie know what happened, so he has that in mind when the medicine levels are adjusted. I'm excited to see how the follicles are developing and finding out what my hormone levels are. I'm not excited that the appointment is so late in the day. My boss is having a virtual day and working from home. She has a meeting at 10:30, so hopefully I'll be in by then.
I seem to have more energy than last weekend, which I think means I'm finally getting over the stupid cold. Now if only my cough would go away...
Lupron- 5 units
Follistim- 300 units
Baby Aspirin- 80 mg
PM Meds:
Menopur- 150 units
Side effects:
HOT FLASHES are back. Big time.
Still tired but might still be the stupid head cold.
Overall today's injections went much more smoothly. I think I mis-injected myself with the follistim pen on Monday and injected closer to 275 units as there was extra medicine in my pen today. The cartridge I had loaded Monday was 300 units. It should have all been gone after that first dose, right? This AM I used it and it had 100 left in it. Perhaps there is always extra meds in the pen, but I'm guessing I under dosed myself on Monday. Hopefully that won't be a problem at the appointment tomorrow. I will definitely let Dr. Opie know what happened, so he has that in mind when the medicine levels are adjusted. I'm excited to see how the follicles are developing and finding out what my hormone levels are. I'm not excited that the appointment is so late in the day. My boss is having a virtual day and working from home. She has a meeting at 10:30, so hopefully I'll be in by then.
I seem to have more energy than last weekend, which I think means I'm finally getting over the stupid cold. Now if only my cough would go away...
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