Wow...well my day started with quite the surprise! I went to the RE this morning for my first ultrasound and blood work after starting stims. They check the progress of the follicles and estrogen levels throughout the cycle to make sure that things are growing and to try to prevent overstimulation (OHSS.) OHSS is bad enws and NOT something you want to have happen.
Anyway, back to my appt this morning. I had my u/s first and then they did the blood draw. Nurse Jo told me not to be surprised or worried if they weren't very big yet. I said ok, and then told her I've been feeling pretty uncomfortable and full lately. She relayed that message to Dr. H and when he came in he asked about it. I told him after the 2nd stim shot I was starting to feel stuff, so I figure it has to be working, and he agreed that it probably was working. So I get into the lovely stirrups and in goes the wand. He measured my endometrial lining first which was at a 9 (yea!) then he moved the wand to my left ovary. He started measuring the follicles and rattling off the measurements to Jo who recorded it on my chart. I tried to keep count but it was all going so quickly that I gave up, and I was in a little bit of shock at how many he was finding! Finally after what seemed like forever he moved the wand to my right ovary and started the process all over again. By the time he was finished I had OVER 40 FOLLICLES! That number is huge! he said we were going to wait to see what my E2 (estrogen) looks like and then decide on the medicine dose.
After the u/s I went back to the waiting room to wait for my blood draw. One of the lab techs, Brian, did my draw today. I LOVE when he does it. He is the best person I've ever had draw blood. I could barely feel the needle stick! He's drawn it once or twice before and always does a super job. Anyway, after Brian drew my blood, I met with Merry Kay my coordinator. She told me that unless they called and told me differently, to do my injections tonight at the same dose. They are focusing on making the almost mature follicles reach maturity, and the little ones are not important any longer. I have so many that they don't need to worry about the tiny ones! I have to go back tomorrow for another u/s and more blood work to continue to check the E2 levels. Hopefully they're not out of control! OHSS is not something I want to deal with on top of everything else!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Things are moving...
Tonight was stim night #4. The meds have most definitely kicked in! In fact, after just two nigths of stimming I was already starting to feel a fullness in my abdomen and it was a little tender. I was walking down the hallway at school, kind of quickly, yesterday and everything felt like it was bouncing around and being jossled with every step I took.
It really surprised me that after only two days I'd be feeling the effects of the stims, but when I thought about it a longer, it made a lot more sense. For the January IUI I was only doing 50iu every night. I did that for 6 nights total and had 5 total follicles. Two of them were mature, and a third potentially matured by the time I actually ovulated. My dosage this time for the first two nights was 225iu each night, which means, in one night I had almost as much medication as I did in a whole week back in January. No wonder I could feel it working already!
Last night was the start of Menopur. That was quite the experience. My dosage of Follistim went down to 150iu and then I took half a vial of Menopur. Menopur is a little tricky in that it has to be mixed. It comes in two vials. One containing the powder, the other has the sterile solution. Once I got it all mixed I thought the hard part was over. Unfortunately my syringes have been kind of a pain in the rear and I've had a lot of air bubbles in the syringe. I tried to get as many out as possible, but I also didn't want to lose the medication. Since I'm not injecting into a vein it's not a huge deal to have air bubbles, but it definitely feels weird! As I'm pinching my skin to give Matthew a place to inject, I can feel the air bubbles underneath. It's a little disturbing, not gonna lie. It throws Matthew for a bit of a loop too.
The addition of Menopur last night plus continuing the Follistim made my belly even more tender and sensitive. I had to losen my belt at school from the normal notch because it was so uncomfortable. I'm really starting to see why people have told me to make sure to wear loose clothing by the time I get to the retrieval. They're not kidding about becoming really uncomfortable. I'm really starting to wonder what I'm going to feel like a week from now!
Needless to say I'm really anxious to see what kind of progress I've made on Monday. I think this is the first time ever that I actually want Monday to be here! I would be really surprised if there isn't much follicle growth. As much as I can feel right now, it just doesn't seem possible for there to be minimal growth. It's also getting hard to find a spot to pinch that isn't sore. I'm doing really well with the injections, but this evening between the sore abdomen/ovaries and the bruised tender skin, pinching for my two shots was a little painful. Oh well, WHEN it works and we finally have our baby it will all be worth it! Any extra positive thoughts and prayers for this cycle are greatly appreciated!!!
It really surprised me that after only two days I'd be feeling the effects of the stims, but when I thought about it a longer, it made a lot more sense. For the January IUI I was only doing 50iu every night. I did that for 6 nights total and had 5 total follicles. Two of them were mature, and a third potentially matured by the time I actually ovulated. My dosage this time for the first two nights was 225iu each night, which means, in one night I had almost as much medication as I did in a whole week back in January. No wonder I could feel it working already!
Last night was the start of Menopur. That was quite the experience. My dosage of Follistim went down to 150iu and then I took half a vial of Menopur. Menopur is a little tricky in that it has to be mixed. It comes in two vials. One containing the powder, the other has the sterile solution. Once I got it all mixed I thought the hard part was over. Unfortunately my syringes have been kind of a pain in the rear and I've had a lot of air bubbles in the syringe. I tried to get as many out as possible, but I also didn't want to lose the medication. Since I'm not injecting into a vein it's not a huge deal to have air bubbles, but it definitely feels weird! As I'm pinching my skin to give Matthew a place to inject, I can feel the air bubbles underneath. It's a little disturbing, not gonna lie. It throws Matthew for a bit of a loop too.
The addition of Menopur last night plus continuing the Follistim made my belly even more tender and sensitive. I had to losen my belt at school from the normal notch because it was so uncomfortable. I'm really starting to see why people have told me to make sure to wear loose clothing by the time I get to the retrieval. They're not kidding about becoming really uncomfortable. I'm really starting to wonder what I'm going to feel like a week from now!
Needless to say I'm really anxious to see what kind of progress I've made on Monday. I think this is the first time ever that I actually want Monday to be here! I would be really surprised if there isn't much follicle growth. As much as I can feel right now, it just doesn't seem possible for there to be minimal growth. It's also getting hard to find a spot to pinch that isn't sore. I'm doing really well with the injections, but this evening between the sore abdomen/ovaries and the bruised tender skin, pinching for my two shots was a little painful. Oh well, WHEN it works and we finally have our baby it will all be worth it! Any extra positive thoughts and prayers for this cycle are greatly appreciated!!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Stims have begun!
Well tonight was my first stimulation injection. It's the same medicine I used for our last IUI, only a lot higher dose. This time, instead of giving the shot to myself, Matthew gave it to me.
Before he gave me the shot I made him practice. We had some medicine left over from the IUI in January. It's not good any longer, and it has to be thrown away, so I decided to let Matthew get used to the feel of the pen injector. I now have 3 different FOllistim pens. The original one was given to me for our first IUI, the 2nd came with a bunch of unused needles and things from our neighbor, and the 3rd came with the meds this time around. So since we have a few extras, I used one with the old medicine, and a spare needle, loaded everything up, dialed the right dosage and handed it to Matthew. He decided he wanted to stick something, not just squirt the medicine into the sink, so he got out a potato. I'm glad we practiced ahead of time, because the top of the pen twists back down. He was a little surprised by the feel of the twisting, so practicing was definitely a good thing!
After he practiced on the potato, I removed the needle, took the bad medicine back out and put it into my sharps container, and then prepped myself for the real shot. I attached the needle, swabbed my stomach with an alcohol wipe, dialed up the dosage and handed it over to Matthew. Just like our morning routine with the Lupron shots, I sat down, pinched, and he stuck. I couldn't feel a thing. He did great! He's definitely becoming more and more comforable with giving me the shots, which is great! I'm glad that he can be a part of everything in some way besides just jizzing in a cup. As hesitant as he was about giving me the shots, I think he's glad he's more than just a sperm donor too.
We're on the downhill slide now! Stims have begun, the finish line is in sight!
Before he gave me the shot I made him practice. We had some medicine left over from the IUI in January. It's not good any longer, and it has to be thrown away, so I decided to let Matthew get used to the feel of the pen injector. I now have 3 different FOllistim pens. The original one was given to me for our first IUI, the 2nd came with a bunch of unused needles and things from our neighbor, and the 3rd came with the meds this time around. So since we have a few extras, I used one with the old medicine, and a spare needle, loaded everything up, dialed the right dosage and handed it to Matthew. He decided he wanted to stick something, not just squirt the medicine into the sink, so he got out a potato. I'm glad we practiced ahead of time, because the top of the pen twists back down. He was a little surprised by the feel of the twisting, so practicing was definitely a good thing!
After he practiced on the potato, I removed the needle, took the bad medicine back out and put it into my sharps container, and then prepped myself for the real shot. I attached the needle, swabbed my stomach with an alcohol wipe, dialed up the dosage and handed it over to Matthew. Just like our morning routine with the Lupron shots, I sat down, pinched, and he stuck. I couldn't feel a thing. He did great! He's definitely becoming more and more comforable with giving me the shots, which is great! I'm glad that he can be a part of everything in some way besides just jizzing in a cup. As hesitant as he was about giving me the shots, I think he's glad he's more than just a sperm donor too.
We're on the downhill slide now! Stims have begun, the finish line is in sight!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Matthew's New Job
Up to now, Matthew has been quite happy watching me inject myself with the meds. Ok maybe not happy...but he was perfectly fine with not having any part in it. Even in my last IUI cycle, he watched as I gave myself the injection, night after night. He always told me he didn't think that he could do that to me, hurt me and stick a needle into me, which I found thoughtful and endearing. The problem is, in a couple of weeks he doesn't have a choice. After our retrieval the Progesterone shots (PIO) that I will have to be given need to be done in my rear end. I don't even want to consider attempting to reach back there with a 2 1/2 in long needle and try to get it in the right spot! Matthew has known for a long time that he will be the person giving me these shots, but that hasn't made him any less nervous.
Last weekend I decided the best way for him to become more comfortable with the PIO is to start practicing with smaller injections. The feel is a little different, since the shots right now are subcutaneous (under the skin) and not intramuscular, but it's a start. I showed him how to sterilize everything, draw up the medicine, and get read for the injection. Now even though he knows how to do all the prep, I still do it all. It's one of those control things ya know... ;o) Once I have everything ready I hand him the syringe, (He found out the hard way that you NEVER set the syringe down until the injection is given.) I sit on the toilet, pinch my skin and he sticks. We were both pleasantly surprised at how well he did the first time!
His confidence is definitely building. He's not nearly as nervous any more. Like most things, it's the fear of the unknown and the anticipation that's worse than the actual event. I am glad that he's agreed to do them for me. While I can do them on my own, it's actually less painful if he does them for me. It allows me to pinch more skin and pinch harder, resulting in a painless injection. I think it's also helping him feel a little more involved in the whole process. Men tend to feel like nothing more than a sperm factory when going through infertility treatments. I can't say that I blame them. There really isn't anything else that they can really do besides provide moral support, so it's nice that he's been able to give me the injection. It's more of a combined effort now, and not just me!
Last weekend I decided the best way for him to become more comfortable with the PIO is to start practicing with smaller injections. The feel is a little different, since the shots right now are subcutaneous (under the skin) and not intramuscular, but it's a start. I showed him how to sterilize everything, draw up the medicine, and get read for the injection. Now even though he knows how to do all the prep, I still do it all. It's one of those control things ya know... ;o) Once I have everything ready I hand him the syringe, (He found out the hard way that you NEVER set the syringe down until the injection is given.) I sit on the toilet, pinch my skin and he sticks. We were both pleasantly surprised at how well he did the first time!
His confidence is definitely building. He's not nearly as nervous any more. Like most things, it's the fear of the unknown and the anticipation that's worse than the actual event. I am glad that he's agreed to do them for me. While I can do them on my own, it's actually less painful if he does them for me. It allows me to pinch more skin and pinch harder, resulting in a painless injection. I think it's also helping him feel a little more involved in the whole process. Men tend to feel like nothing more than a sperm factory when going through infertility treatments. I can't say that I blame them. There really isn't anything else that they can really do besides provide moral support, so it's nice that he's been able to give me the injection. It's more of a combined effort now, and not just me!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Yea! GO DAWGS!
Sorry for OT post #2 in the same week, but there hasn't been any change in our IVF routine lately, so I'll continue to blog about my Bulldogs instead :o)
Last night they beat Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 to advance to take on Florida in the Elite 8 tomorrow afternoon! The game was great again. Thankfully it didn't send my blood pressure through the roof like last time!
Florida...oooohh Florida. This game is personal. Florida has beaten us twice in the tournament in the last several years. Once was a first round game, and the second was in the Sweet 16 a few years ago. I think that was the last time Florida won the title, but don't quote me on it. Anway, my best friend and I were at that Sweet 16 game, and boy did it sting and burn when they lost. It's time for the Gators to be on the losing end of this match up!
It's been incredible to actually hear all the tv announcers and talking heads give Butler credit and praise their style of play. There was a time that I didn't think anyone outside of Butler supporters would ever do that! Looks like they have shown eveyone (well everyone but Charles Barkley...what a dumbass) just how much they truly deserve to be where they are!
One of my coworkers is so sweet. Last year during Butler's amazing Final Four run she made me a poster for my classroom door, and she's done it again! I do have to say, I am incredibly fortunate to work with wonderful people! Here is the poster she made to support my team!
Last night they beat Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 to advance to take on Florida in the Elite 8 tomorrow afternoon! The game was great again. Thankfully it didn't send my blood pressure through the roof like last time!
Florida...oooohh Florida. This game is personal. Florida has beaten us twice in the tournament in the last several years. Once was a first round game, and the second was in the Sweet 16 a few years ago. I think that was the last time Florida won the title, but don't quote me on it. Anway, my best friend and I were at that Sweet 16 game, and boy did it sting and burn when they lost. It's time for the Gators to be on the losing end of this match up!
It's been incredible to actually hear all the tv announcers and talking heads give Butler credit and praise their style of play. There was a time that I didn't think anyone outside of Butler supporters would ever do that! Looks like they have shown eveyone (well everyone but Charles Barkley...what a dumbass) just how much they truly deserve to be where they are!
One of my coworkers is so sweet. Last year during Butler's amazing Final Four run she made me a poster for my classroom door, and she's done it again! I do have to say, I am incredibly fortunate to work with wonderful people! Here is the poster she made to support my team!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Happy Distraction
Since there hasn't been any major changes in our cycle yet, today's post is another off topic post.
Thank goodness for March Madness! My Bulldogs are making another run, hopfully deep, into the NCAA tourney and bustin everyone's brackets along the way! That's the way we roll :o) I wasn't able to watch their first round match up against ODU because they played during the day, and it's highly frowned upon to stop teaching children to watch basketball...although I don't know why! ha! So I had to periodically check the game score while my kids were working and playing in centers. I think it's a good thing I couldn't watch it though. Buzzer beaters are always fun but they send my blood pressure through the roof!
The second round match up against Pitt was sure to be a great game. I can't even count the number of times I heard TV announcers and talking heads not giving Butler a chance, but obviously they haven't learned from the past. You NEVER count Butler out, #1 seed opponent or not! We didn't get to watch the whole game, but we were able to see the most important and crucial part of the game. The last 7 seconds that seemed to last all night long! What a crazy ending! I'll spare you all the details, but wow. It took probably half an hour for my BP to go back to normal! My heart was about to beat out of my chest. I had 7 or 8 people sending me texts at the end of the game and I could barely keep up with all of them! What a game! So glad I didn't miss it! We were watching at a friend's house so I actually had to behave myself. Had we been at home I would've been screaming at the TV and probably jumping around on the couch. Instead, I sat with my head buried in my hands and mouth gaping open unable to believe what was unfolding in front of me.
So at least for now we have a wonderful distraction from IVF. Thursday night is going to be tough. Wisconsin isn't going to be easy, but I'm confident it's going to be another AMAZING game! GO DAWGS!
Thank goodness for March Madness! My Bulldogs are making another run, hopfully deep, into the NCAA tourney and bustin everyone's brackets along the way! That's the way we roll :o) I wasn't able to watch their first round match up against ODU because they played during the day, and it's highly frowned upon to stop teaching children to watch basketball...although I don't know why! ha! So I had to periodically check the game score while my kids were working and playing in centers. I think it's a good thing I couldn't watch it though. Buzzer beaters are always fun but they send my blood pressure through the roof!
The second round match up against Pitt was sure to be a great game. I can't even count the number of times I heard TV announcers and talking heads not giving Butler a chance, but obviously they haven't learned from the past. You NEVER count Butler out, #1 seed opponent or not! We didn't get to watch the whole game, but we were able to see the most important and crucial part of the game. The last 7 seconds that seemed to last all night long! What a crazy ending! I'll spare you all the details, but wow. It took probably half an hour for my BP to go back to normal! My heart was about to beat out of my chest. I had 7 or 8 people sending me texts at the end of the game and I could barely keep up with all of them! What a game! So glad I didn't miss it! We were watching at a friend's house so I actually had to behave myself. Had we been at home I would've been screaming at the TV and probably jumping around on the couch. Instead, I sat with my head buried in my hands and mouth gaping open unable to believe what was unfolding in front of me.
So at least for now we have a wonderful distraction from IVF. Thursday night is going to be tough. Wisconsin isn't going to be easy, but I'm confident it's going to be another AMAZING game! GO DAWGS!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Morning routine...for now
Today will be short and sweet. Just thought I'd post a pic of my morning med routine. The injection is Lupron, for now it's 10 units a day, it will drop to 5 in about a week. The pills are birth control, baby aspirin, prenatal vitamin, steroid, Metformin (2), and Vitamin C.
With all the germs and stomach flu that has been going around school lately, I'm praying the Vitamin C does its job! KEEP ME HEALTHY PLEEEEEEAAAASE!!!!! I don't even want to imagine what it could do to my cycle if I wind up with the stomach flu. Do injected meds come back out if you get sick? Let's hope I don't have to find out!
With all the germs and stomach flu that has been going around school lately, I'm praying the Vitamin C does its job! KEEP ME HEALTHY PLEEEEEEAAAASE!!!!! I don't even want to imagine what it could do to my cycle if I wind up with the stomach flu. Do injected meds come back out if you get sick? Let's hope I don't have to find out!
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