IVF

Im Very Freakedout



I know I've posted some IVF stuff before, but I was apprehensive to keep posting about it. I've had so many disappointments throughout this journey, I wasn't sure if this time doesn't work if I really wanted to share that with everyone. But, the more people I have that know what is going on that can wish, hope, and pray for me the better; in my opinion! Besides, those that care would find out anyway! There are people I love dearly who read this that I don't get to talk to often, so this is my way of keeping you informed. If you have any questions, please ask me!

Ok, so this is what's going on. The Lupron at the top left is making my hormones shut down so I will not ovulate (which I don't normally do anyway, but just to be sure). I have been on it since Dec. 22, giving myself 20 unit injections every night. I went for a baseline ultrasound on Monday and they said it did what it was supposed to do and that my ovaries looked good, so my dose was lowered to 5 units a night.

Beginning this Sunday, I will add 2 more injections. I will start 150 units of the Bravelle and Menopur, which are intended to make my follicles (eggs) grow big. I will still take the Lupron to make sure that while these are growing, they do not go anywhere. Also, I will start a med to make my uterine lining thicken to make it ready for pregnancy. Bill and I will both start antibiotics at this time to prevent any infection so the process will not be hampered by sickness!

I will go to Evansville on Thursday the 14th for a blood draw to test my estrogen. Hopefully it will be going back up. Sadly, that is the only thing I will be making the 4 hour round trip there for. 5 minutes of waiting to have my blood drawn! But, there isn't a lab in all of Southern Illinois that will draw and have the results back the same day....oy. Depending on the numbers, my doc will either increase, decrease, or keep the same dosage of med.

I will go back on the 16th and the 18th for ultrasounds to measure my ovaries/eggs. Frequent scans are needed to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation. If the medicine causes them to get too big, they could burst, resulting in serious business....but we won't go too far into that!

Keep in mind that while these eggs are growing, they are meant to not go anywhere, so when they are ready (to be decided by doc) I will be given a shot of Novarel, which is a "trigger" shot to make me ovulate. Within 36 hours of that shot, I will go back for egg retrieval. This date is not decided yet, but will be approximately around the 22nd. Retrieval will take approx 30 minutes and I will be sedated, then will be in recovery for 1-2 hours. As soon as eggs are retrieved, they are immediately taken to the lab to be with Bill's "sample" (how romantic, right?). We will be called the next day to know the fertilization rates.

3-5 days after this, I will go back for a transfer. We won't know how many we will implant until we discuss it with the doc. I don't know how long transfer takes, but I will be in recovery for about 1 hour.

Somewhere in the mess of all of this, I will also get shots of progesterone and I will have prednisone to take.
Now comes the toughest part. The 2 week wait! It will make me crazy!!! I'm thinking we will know something by the 2nd week of Feb. Of course all of this depends on everything else playing out like it should, which I have came to doubt, but I am trying to be optimistic.

So, there you have it! I will try to update progress, as long as there is some! Please keep Bill and I in your thoughts for all of this. It is overwhelming and is consuming my thoughts. My heart aches for nothing more than to be a mother to my own child. Let's hope that the new year will bring me what I long for!