Friday 27 October 2017

The Big Day!

On Sunday, I was scheduled for blood work and ultrasound. After my ultrasound, the doctor told me that I would be using my trigger shot that evening and to wait until this afternoon for further instructions since they still needed to see my blood results. Once the nurse called, I was instructed to take my trigger shot at 9:30 pm and to also start a medication to help prevent ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome since my estrogen levels were on the higher side (over 10,000). I had no idea how I was going to stay awake until 9:30, I was exhausted.

Tuesday morning was our egg retrieval. I honestly don't remember it being as painful as it was. And the clinic started using more sedation since the last time I did it. I was so uncomfortable. All I remember from the procedure was an IV that was being tricky, being told to breathe, and holding Chris' hand while I lied there with my eyes closed, tears running down my face and being told it was almost over.

They were able to retrieve nine eggs. I can't lie when I say I felt a little disappointed about this. My mind thought about last time when I had more than double that number retrieved. But I reminded myself that I was told that our goal was between 10-15 in hopes they would all be good quality eggs. Well, it turns out, all of the 9 eggs were fertilized using ICSI. That knocked their 75% fertilization rate with ICSI out of the park! As of yesterday, they were all embryos that were looking good. The lab gave me two transfer dates, which were today and Sunday. The transfer would have been today if our embryos took a drastic turn overnight, but there was no call from the lab this morning so that means we transfer an embryo on Sunday.

We are praying that all of the embryos survive and keep growing strong!

Friday 20 October 2017

Keep Calm and Carry On

This morning was another early morning for me with blood work and an ultrasound. I was happy when I walked into the ultrasound room and saw it was my doctor who was there. Before he started the ultrasound he said that so far things have been picture perfect for me. It was something that I needed to hear after my last appointment since I felt a little discouraged.

I couldn't keep track of all of the measurements for my ovaries or which one was which, but I think my right ovary had 5 that he measured between .9 and 1.4 and my left had quite a few ranging between 1.0 and 1.6. He was happy with the ultrasound and I was instructed to make sure I have enough medication to get me through the weekend.

The clinic called me not that long ago with my blood work and it came back good. My estradiol is at 4699 and my LH 1.6. I am to keep going with the same dosage and I am to go back on Sunday for blood work and ultrasound.

We just have to take all of this one day at a time and I will keep praying that this is God's perfect timing!

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Stimming

Stimming sounds so much cooler than it actually is. Yesterday was Day 5 of stims and also blood work and ultrasound day.

The results are as follows:

Right ovary: 1 follicle measuring between 1.0 and 1.2 (I don't remember the exact measurements but the ones they could measure were all between this measurement). 7 follicles that were too small to measure.

Left ovary: 4 follicles measuring between 1.0 and 1.2. 10 follicles that were too small to measure.

After my ultrasound, there was talk about increasing my puregon dosage and I was told to make sure I had enough at home in case that happened. I was also told to have orgalutran on hand, but that I probably wouldn't be starting it yesterday.

But there is a reason why they wait until your blood work comes in. My blood work was great and after reviewing it with the ultrasound, the doctor decided to keep my dosage the same for both menopur and puregon and to also start orgalutran.

So that's what I did last night. I've been injecting the medication into the left side of my abdomen and my left thigh. I can't use the right side of my abdomen because my ileostomy is located on that side. So as I was pondering where to inject the orgalutran, I had an "aha!" moment. For some reason I was thinking I couldn't use my right side at all, not the case. So last night, my right thigh got a little bit of loving too.

Tonight I continue with the 3 injections. My next appointment for ultrasound and blood work is Friday morning.

Monday 16 October 2017

Day Four of Stims

Today will be day four of my stims. On Friday evening, I started taking Puregon and Menopur on Friday evening. I have to work myself up to give myself the injections. I pinch my skin and stare down and do a one, two, three and go! I think I have been tolerating the medication fairly well. For the hour after I take the injections I feel a bit woozy and by the time 9 o'clock rolls around, I'm ready for bed, lights out! Other than that, I'm really hoping things are going well! I have my ultrasound and blood work tomorrow morning, so I will find out tomorrow morning how my ovaries are looking and find out tomorrow afternoon overall how everything is looking. I am praying things are going great! And I am continuing to pray that I will have a positive outlook and that this is God's perfect timing for our baby number 3!


Thursday 12 October 2017

Day Two - Blood Work and Ultrasound

Today is day two of my cycle. I had my blood work and ultrasound first thing this morning at 7:30. The clinic was busy and I had to wait over an hour for the ultrasound. While I was waiting, I had the chance to talk to two other women who were waiting outside the ultrasound room with me. One of them was already stimulating and the other was on her day two, like myself.

The fertility clinic has a specific ultrasound room for these early morning appointments. It has two small "holding cells" that connect to it. One woman goes it, she gets called in for the ultrasound, another woman is waiting in the other holding cell. When the first is done, she returns to hers and gets changed and leaves and another woman steps in. So while one is having their ultrasound, another is getting ready. Waiting is a bit tedious. You're sitting in a tiny room with a bench, shelves that have blankets on them, a garbage, a dirty laundry bin, and a speaker that plays music so you cannot hear what is going on inside the ultrasound room. It's uncomfortable waiting inside this tiny box because you are sitting there undressed from the waist down, while on your period. Not an ideal situation.I think they should give you a two minute warning since some ultrasounds are rather long, like the one before I went in.

I received a call from the fertility later in the afternoon with my results. The blood work and the ultrasound were both good and I was told to start my medication tomorrow. It was not my nurse case manager who called which is a little worrisome for me. What if they missed something in my chart and I'm not supposed to start on day 3? She assured me I was, but I still would have rather spoken to my nurse.

So now I wait until tomorrow when I start my injections.

Wednesday 11 October 2017

Day One

Day one is finally here! I feel like I waited forever for my cycle to start but in reality it's only 3 days late. It wasn't first thing this morning that I noticed it but it was first thing this morning that I decided to just breathe and told myself that it will come when it comes. Then an hour late I went to the washroom and low and behold, Aunt Flow has arrived. I was so excited that I shrieked and my oldest son came running asking me if I was okay.

I made the call to the fertility clinic and tomorrow morning at 7:30 I will be going for my blood work and ultrasound. If the results are okay, then I begin my medication tomorrow evening.

Tuesday 10 October 2017

No News

So during my last post, I would say that my theme song was Walking on Sunshine. At the moment, I would say my theme song is more along the lines of So Hard. I was so sure my day one would show up this weekend and when it didn't it just left me feeling deflated. My emotions are at the end at the moment and I'm just feeling so empty. I know this is probably all pms because my day one is late. But why can't anything just go right? Or happen when it's supposed to happen?

I find myself doing double takes at the toilet paper hoping for my monthly visitor. How things have changed this month. Instead of scrutinizing a negative test, I'm scrutinizing toilet paper. I have to admit, infertility makes me do some strange things. I hope I'm not alone!

So as of right now, no news on day one or starting my meds.

Friday 6 October 2017

Any Day Now

So I'm just sitting here patiently all like "hey, day one, where you at?" Haha, who am I kidding, I am not being patient about any of it. Day one, seriously, I wanted you here like yesterday.

It's an odd feeling wanting my period to come. I suppose it kind of is and kind of isn't because during any normal month, I want my period to come and be on time so my mind doesn't run wild and start to think crazy thoughts like "hey, maybe I am pregnant." When it is late, well, that's a whole other story, a story that involves me buying a cheapy test to which it is always negative but to which my mind will twist that into the thought of well, you never know, which eventually leads to a late period and a crushed me. Appropriate hashtag: storyofmylife.

FYI, my period isn't late yet, but come on, is it too much to ask for it to come early this one time?