And, I'm feeling good...

Today was the day! (or one of them!) We had our egg retrieval this morning. We triggered on Saturday at 9:30pm sharp for a 9:30 am retrieval this morning. I was a little bit nervous...mainly for the IV part. (*TMI:Funny how them poking a hole through the sides of my vagina doesn't scare me, but a tiny IV needle going into my hand does!) The anesthesiologist was wonderful, and the IV didn't really hurt that much...so YAY! Then, anesthesiologist and my nurse (who I love dearly! She's awesome!) took me into another room (the "operating" room) and had me lie down on a bed with wonderful stirrups (yeah...not so comfortable). I met the embryologist (the person who collects the eggs and takes care of them through out fertilization), saw my doctor, asked a few questions, and then they let me have the drugs! I started feeling pretty good, and have no idea when I finally "zonked" out. Procedure only took a about a half an hour. I was back in the other room, and just wanted to sleep (that was the drugs talking). Stayed there for about half an hour and then walked out to the waiting room and Sung took me home. :)

I was pleasantly surprised that I did/do not feel as awful as I thought I would. I'm a little sore when I sit up straight or stand (and when I try to pee...dang bladder muscles pushing on the poor ovaries!), but otherwise I'm doing pretty good! Just taking it easy so as not to strain anything.

Oh and the news everyone's waiting for...we got 15 eggs! We don't know how many are mature yet...But, tomorrow we should find out how many were mature and how many were fertilized! Can't wait for the call!

Blood-work and Ultrasound #3

Had another appt today! I wanted to make a joke about IVF doctor's being part vampire with all the times they've taken my blood! Luckily, the office phlebotomist is AMAZING! I've definitely been spoiled having her take my blood.

So, the progress/results. Estrogen was about 759! Yay for it going up a good bit! Still have about 15 follicles. All growing a little more! 5 on left and 10 on right ovary (most around 10 mm, with 4 or 5 closer to 13mm). I was thinking about it, and I guess the follicles are about the size of peas right now. So I have about 15 peas "stuck" on my ovaries. Yeah...that's about how they looked! BUT, my right ovary DID look much more "full" this time!

I think I'm starting to "feel" things growing down there. It's like I can feel things getting "fuller". Pregnancy definitely must be weird...having a BIG thing growing in there!

Blood-work and Ultrasound #2

We (meaning I) got to see our little follicles today! We have about 14 or 15 growing! Seems so weird to say that high of a number (highest I've ever seen before today is about 6, after my second injections cycle). My ovaries didn't look that "full" for having that many follicles.

My estrogen was about 253 (good for this far along I guess...). I had about 5 follicles on my left ovary (4 measuring 5-7mm, 1 at 9mm). My right ovary had more follicles about 9 (3 measuring 9-10mm and the rest 5-7mm).

Hoping they all keep growing...nice and steady! Can't believe we're actually going through this!

Realistic, Not Optimistic

Going through this process has got me thinking. When we made the decision to go to IVF, I was very optimistic. I figured our solution would soon be realized. I pictured myself as being positive and everything would go perfectly.

I changed that view though. I said earlier that I've participated on a discussion board with other ladies all going through IVF in January. (What a support its been to be able to ask questions and reaffirm feelings about this difficult, stressful process!) But, I've seen different outcomes with each woman on there. (I'm scheduled for a late Jan egg retrieval/transfer, but a lot of ladies have already gone through their's.) We've had ladies make it to egg retrieval and then not be able to transfer any embryos or have to freeze them for later. We've had a lady have 40 eggs retrieved and 20 of those fertilized (and hopefully all extra are healthy enough to be frozen)! We've had ladies retrieve 10 eggs, but only 1 embryo survives for transfer. So many different outcomes. So, its changed my perspective.  I'm hoping for the best but preparing for whatever might happen. I'm trying to be realistic, and trusting in Someone who knows my plan better than myself. :)

Blood-work Visit #1

Had my first bloodwork appt this am. Estrogen level was at around 49. (Baseline appt, estrogen was at 23). Things are progressing! Grow follies, grow!

Yup. I was spoiled.

So, we've brought out the big guns now! Stimming (as we call taking the stimulation drugs in the infertile world) has begun!! With this new protocol, the shots are a bit more difficult than the injections I did last fall. I have to mix 3 different drugs together, and two of the drugs I need half vial doses which causes me to have to do all kinds of math and manipulation while mixing... 1 cc of saline in Bravelle vial, 1 cc in Menopur vial. Take 1/2 vial and put it into another vial. Repeat with other med. Refridgerate remaining two half-vials for tomorrow. Mix all other vials together. Top it off with 5 units of Lupron and there's my medication cocktail!

Add to that shot, one baby aspirin, 1 prenatal vitamin, and an antibiotic three times a day and I'm a walking pharmacy!

But, like the title said...I've been totally spoiled. Lupron shots were easy...these new ones suck...the needle is about the same size, but the amount of liquid being injected it alot greater. But, 2 shots down and no bruises! I'll take that!

I have an appt monday for bloodwork and ultrasound, so here's to hoping for good hormone levels and beautiful growing follicles!

(oh and I was going to not publish in "real time" --or as it happens, because I'm a little paranoid about people asking about what's going on and knowing my "schedule", but I'm sure there aren't many of you out there, so I'll go ahead and keep the few out there "in the know")

January Schmmamuary...

I've been posting in this IVF support group/discussion board and I feel like I need a recall on blogger in order to remember my last posts! Hmmm...maybe that means it's been too long since I posted! So, if any of this is repetitive...forgive me!

So...January has been a little bit of a hellish month for me (forgive my language, but it's the only way to describe it). I was really trying to get healthy because we knew we were going to do the IVF in Jan. Well...who would have thought trying to get healthy would make me sick!! grr...

I was sick with a sinus bug from before Thanksgiving until Christmas. I went to the dr at the beginnning of Dec and got an antibiotic hoping to "wipe it out fast" and get on to being healthy.

So, I start feeling better around Christmas finally, and then right after the New year's I start having GI issues. Nothing debilitating, but annoying and a little concerning. At first, I think I just messed up my eating schedule and habits over the holidays and that's it. SO, I try eating better and working out. GI issues don't go away...I wait about a week and a half. I had to go to Boston for work and visited my sister while I was there. I was to the point where it would hurt a few hours after eating, so I was already not enjoying eating food. Well, my sister talked me into making an appt with my GI dr to get things figured out (especially before we started all the "hardcore" IVF stuff). The GI dr just happen to have a cancellation thurs afternoon (the afternoon after I flew back to HSV--he's usually booked AT LEAST a month in advance). So, I go in and he asks some questions. It's been a couple years since I've seen him, so he says let's schedule a colonoscopy just in case test results are inconclusive...AND he wants to do...a stool sample (UGH!!) to see what's going on (whether it's bacterial).

Let me just say...I NEVER want to have to do that again. So, I think "yuck" and start freaking out, because the dr also recommended postponing IVF depending on results from the sample... I think "nope, not postponing unless I HAVE to". So I go home with my "at home kit" and dread the night away. Well I ended up also spending the night waking up doubled over in pain every 2 hours! I was MISERABLE! I wake up and go to work, call the dr since it's a new symptom, call the IVF clinic with an update, wait to hear the news from the test results, and still curl up every less than 2 hours in pain (while at work might I add).

GI nurse FINALLY calls late in the afternoon and says they didn't get the results and won't until Monday, because I dropped the sample off at one location and the dang currier didn't pick it up in time to get it processed that day!! But, the dr thinks it might be bacterial, so he calls in a prescription for antibiotics and one for the pain I'm in.

(Oh and did I mention that I'm already giving myself daily shots along the way...that was fun traveling with shots!) ;)

Well, I think Friday night might have been the worst night of my life (with Thursday as a close second, of course). I felt like I had NO control over my body. I felt absolutely horrible. But, after a nice blessing from DH and a friend, I did get some sleep and was able to rest and "recover" over the weekend. Monday was an off work day, so I got to rest for free that day too! And, the tests came back that I had Clostridium Difficle (or C. diff. in medical lingo). Sung was SHOCKED when he heard. (They have to suit up in masks and body suits at the hospital for any patients with it...) I was just glad that I was on the right meds and could still go through IVF! Dr said it's caused by taking antibiotics, so the antibiotics in December probably resulted in the infection. I guess your intestinal bacteria (both good and bad) gets wiped out by the antibiotics and the C. diff. just grows and thrives in there and causes all the problems...

So long story short, bad month caused by last bad month, but good because we're still on for IVF! (I'll catch up on the IVF related posts soon!)

Time to begin

So, I started shots yesterday! Woot! The dr changed our protocol again. Now I'm on the Lupron leuprolide (sp??) protocol... What it means is instead of waiting until Aunt Flo comes (we call that our baseline appt) to start shots, I have to start them a couple weeks earlier. So, I'm on Lupron (a drug that suppresses your ovaries and makes it so all the eggs grow around the same rate/stay the same size). Let me tell you...it's a BABY shot! My shots before were about 1 cc of fluid. These lupron shots are like a FRACTION of a cc! So nice...so spoiled...

So, here's to letting the process begin!

Need to Get the Crafty Bug Back!

For the past 6 months or so, I have absolutely NOT been feeling crafty. AT ALL. I have even given away bought cards (ouch...that hurts), because I have not felt like making an even simple birthday or thank you card. So...I decided last weekend that I'd put together my unopened stamp sets I've bought and try to get crafty this year! I periodically follow a couple stamping blogs, and happened to get a little inspired for the Hand Stamped Sentiments #99 challenge.

So, here's what I made.

(Needed a birthday card for my little sis!)