Another False Start

Went in for the 3rd attempt at a Suppression Check. Uterus good. 7 follicles on the left, 3 on the right - not bad. But, blood check...not so good. Estrogen level is still elevated at 71 and needs to be less than 50. Major bummer! So, once again we cancel all appointments and wait for the next period to start.

Waiting...

Was just looking at the calendar and noticed that today would have been the last possible day for the transfer if the previous calendar had worked out...kinda sad. But, both Baby Daddy and I feel confident that everything is working out just as it should. This time we have planned nothing and are just going with the flow...actually, waiting for the flow! : ) We've started to talk about delivering the baby...yes, perhaps getting a little ahead of ourselves, but we watched a documentary on giving birth in America and it was quite interesting. We are now thinking of going the midwife route vs. hospital route. Lots to think about.

Scared Like A Baby

Ok, what do most women get for Valentine's Day? Flowers, candy? Well, Baby Daddy just gave me a shot of Novarel (HCG) in the butt with a 1.5 inch needle! He's outdone himself this time. Seriously though, he was great and boy, was I a big baby! It took at least 45 minutes to prep for the 5 second shot cause I was so scared I wouldn't let him do it. I was in such a panic that everything wasn't just right or that the needle was contiminated or that it would hurt or whatever. I've given myself numerous shots, but for some reason this one just freaked me out. And, when I finally let him do it, I didn't feel a thing! Crazy! It hurt less than any of the others. He did such a good job - mainly putting up with and helping to calm all my fears.


Now, the reason we had to do this tonight was because the doctor said today that she still doesn't know for sure what happened, but they believe my body did not respond to the Lupron. I'm not positive, but I think the HCG was to make sure that I do ovulate now if I didn't already. Now, we follow a different protocol...the "Spontaneous Antagonist"...sounds like a superhero movie to me.

So, now we wait for my next period and start the Suppression check process all over again. Possible retreival dates are now March 10-14 which puts possible transfer dates as March 13-19. Looks like we are looking at a Christmas baby now, which actually makes sense.

Disappointment...

Today did not go as we had planned or hoped. Ultrasound showed that uterus lining was thickened and cysts have gotten bigger instead of smaller. Doctor says she doesn't know for sure, but thinks that my body did not respond to the medications and ovulated anyway. So, additional blood tests will confirm what is going on and we must wait until Monday to see what the next steps are. More than likely we will need to wait for another menstrual cycle to pass and then try again next month. Super disappointing...

Plans Postponed

As Baby Daddy said...plans have been postponed for a week. Estrogen level is too high. So, we go back for another Supression Check on Friday. Disappointing for sure, but we are trusting in the divine timing that is...perhaps there is a grand reason for the delay that is yet to be revealed.

delay of game

We're sitting out the next step for a few days since the estrogen levels are high or some such business. Gotta sit on the bench a few days more until the levels drop so we can start the stimulation meds. If we did it now - which was the original schedule - the meds would stimulate cysts to build-up rather than the follicles to grow. (I hope this is what they told me - I could more easily articulate how a DVD player works).

New suppression appointment scheduled for next week to verify estrogen levels have dropped to acceptable levels. Bummer. About 7 more days delayed.

That's one thing I think we have learned so far about this process: be prepared for change. Good lesson for starting and raising a family too, I guess.

Supression Check

So...today's ultrasound revealed that:
1) Uterus lining was thinned - as it should be.
2) Follicle count was13. Ideal range is 10-15. Yeah!
3) I have 2 cysts that were larger than they like to see. I'm still not exactly sure what this means. I asked for clarification 3 times, but the medical jargon still didn't make sense to me. Basically, what I do understand is that my body may not be ready for stimulation meds just yet. So, needed to have blood test today to check estrogen levels to make sure they are not too high. Will get results tomorrow between 12-2 and that will determine if I am ready to start the next phase. Can't help but be somewhat frustrated that it may delay my whole schedule.....And, yet again, I am reminded that most things have not gone according to my schedule. So, I let go...and trust in the process...and the timing of it all.

Day 10 of Injections

We just did the 10th day of Lupron injections. It's been much easier than I anticipated. We have it down to a science. Baby Daddy does all the prep and I do the shot. Takes us less than 5 minutes now. We make a great IVF team. Tomorrow we go for the Suppression Check appointment which consists of an ultrasound to make sure the uterus and ovaries are good to go for the next phase of the process. If all is good, which we have faith it will be, we start stimulation meds on Saturday. So, we will add Follistim and Menopur injections to our daily regimen. It is possible that the egg retrieval could be in just 11 days - wow!

Thanks Baby Daddy for all your amazing support through this journey together. I love you!