Well I've been horrible at updating my blog this cycle.
Things are quickly moving along. I started stimming over the weekend and just had my first u/s appointment this morning. Things are looking good so far. This is has actually been the best start to date. The doctor said that it looks like I am having a much more "robust stimmulation" . Now if only that can translate into robust eggs and healthy embryos and then a baby!
We have about 5 or 6 follicles showing up on the chart with 13 more coming up behind, most of which were just on the edge of showing up on the chart. Grow follies grow!!
My stomach is starting to look like a battle zone. With the repronex I usually get a red circle a few inches big that lasts a few days and is at it worst about 12 hours after the injection. There is usually no pain other than when injecting. This time it looks like I am having a more adverse reaction to one of the shots. I have some VERY red marks that are super sore. It was super painful in the shower and clothes rubbing against it hurts. The thing that's weird is that it's a few inches away from where I did the actual injection. I had my usual redness at the injection site plus this. Maybe it's not even related??
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
First injection of the cycle done
Well we are officially back on this rollercoaster and the hormones have started again. Yesterday I put on the first patch and this morning was my first injection.
I was a little worried about this morning's injection as it is the first time I used this new medication. From googling, there actually seems to be a world-wide shortage of orgalutran so I was put on cetrotide instead which uses the same ingredients really but requires you to mix a powder with a liquid.
With the orgalutran I had a small red welt that would last a few hours at most and then go away. I was also super itchy right after the injection. With the cetrotide there was no itchiness, a little bit of burning but not too bad. The red welt however is much bigger. It's been an hour now and still very obviously there. We'll see how long it lasts! If this is the only side effect though I'll be happy :)
I was a little worried about this morning's injection as it is the first time I used this new medication. From googling, there actually seems to be a world-wide shortage of orgalutran so I was put on cetrotide instead which uses the same ingredients really but requires you to mix a powder with a liquid.
With the orgalutran I had a small red welt that would last a few hours at most and then go away. I was also super itchy right after the injection. With the cetrotide there was no itchiness, a little bit of burning but not too bad. The red welt however is much bigger. It's been an hour now and still very obviously there. We'll see how long it lasts! If this is the only side effect though I'll be happy :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Things are starting to move
Well I finally got my positive OPK on Saturday about 2 days later than usual. I'll be starting the Estrogen Patch on April 18th.
I was supposed to be on Orgalutran from the 19th-21st but the clinic ran out so we'll be using cetrotide instead. I was told the side effect are the same as orgalutron; it's just more of a pain to use since it involves mixing saline water with a powder before I can inject. The Repronex and the trigger shot work the same way (everything is pretty much pre-measured so it isn't hard) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
Now my thing is, how does a fertility clinic run out of a fertility medication? Apparantly they won't get any orgalutran until the end of May! This happened last time with the dexamethasone but thankfully they got it in a few days before I needed it so we were ok.
I was supposed to be on Orgalutran from the 19th-21st but the clinic ran out so we'll be using cetrotide instead. I was told the side effect are the same as orgalutron; it's just more of a pain to use since it involves mixing saline water with a powder before I can inject. The Repronex and the trigger shot work the same way (everything is pretty much pre-measured so it isn't hard) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.
Now my thing is, how does a fertility clinic run out of a fertility medication? Apparantly they won't get any orgalutran until the end of May! This happened last time with the dexamethasone but thankfully they got it in a few days before I needed it so we were ok.
Monday, March 28, 2011
She showed up!
Well AF finally showed up one week late. This was actually the longest cycle I've had in about 3 years not counting when I had my miscarriages.
I called it in to the clinic. Usually they require me to pay the cryo fee (fee to freeze any leftover embryos) upfront before they even send my file to the nurses. However this time they didn't ask for it? We haven't anything to freeze in either of our two previous cycles so I am not too worried about it. They would have just ended up having to refund it back to us anyay.
I also found it funny how the nurse was explaining to me how things were going to work over the cycle. After hearing by bored sounding answers she was like "You've done this before, haven't you." Umm, this will be the third time same protocol, same doses, did she not look at my file before calling?? She then asks me if I wanted a teaching visit. Umm, no thanks I think I know how to inject myself by now :P I rather not take time off work I don't have to.
At least we got the ball rolling now. Next step is testing for ovulation starting next week. Once I get a positive OPK (ovulation perdictor kit) then I call that in and wait again for 10 more days. That's when the fun really starts. Lots of boring waiting for the next 3 weeks but from experience I know they will fly by.
Crossing my fingers and toes that third time's the charm!
I called it in to the clinic. Usually they require me to pay the cryo fee (fee to freeze any leftover embryos) upfront before they even send my file to the nurses. However this time they didn't ask for it? We haven't anything to freeze in either of our two previous cycles so I am not too worried about it. They would have just ended up having to refund it back to us anyay.
I also found it funny how the nurse was explaining to me how things were going to work over the cycle. After hearing by bored sounding answers she was like "You've done this before, haven't you." Umm, this will be the third time same protocol, same doses, did she not look at my file before calling?? She then asks me if I wanted a teaching visit. Umm, no thanks I think I know how to inject myself by now :P I rather not take time off work I don't have to.
At least we got the ball rolling now. Next step is testing for ovulation starting next week. Once I get a positive OPK (ovulation perdictor kit) then I call that in and wait again for 10 more days. That's when the fun really starts. Lots of boring waiting for the next 3 weeks but from experience I know they will fly by.
Crossing my fingers and toes that third time's the charm!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
AF is MIA
Where or where is AF? She was due on Saturday. One of the few times I am looking forward to her arrival so that we can get his show on the road she is MIA.
Before anybody asks, I am 100% sure I am not pregnant so it's not because of that. It's also been a pretty stressful month so I am pretty sure that's the cause. These are the times I wish I was charting again. I know I had ovulation signs for almost a week after when I should have ovulated so I knew this was going to be a possibility but was really hoping my body would behave.
I am really hoping that by posting this, she'll finally show up :P
Once she comes, we call in our day 1, pay the clinic the fee for freezing (which we get back if there is nothing to freeze) and then we wait some more. Things will only start moving about 3 weeks after I call in my day 1.
Before anybody asks, I am 100% sure I am not pregnant so it's not because of that. It's also been a pretty stressful month so I am pretty sure that's the cause. These are the times I wish I was charting again. I know I had ovulation signs for almost a week after when I should have ovulated so I knew this was going to be a possibility but was really hoping my body would behave.
I am really hoping that by posting this, she'll finally show up :P
Once she comes, we call in our day 1, pay the clinic the fee for freezing (which we get back if there is nothing to freeze) and then we wait some more. Things will only start moving about 3 weeks after I call in my day 1.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Reality setting in
This morning was not such a good morning. Reality is setting in that there is a very real possibility that I will never have that biological child. I will most likely never be able to look at my child and see myself in them, never see my familie's traits. This has always been something I did not think I cared about but now that I am faced with it I guess it seems I do. Don't get me wrong, the yearn to have children his stronger than the need for a bio child so we will definately pursue adoption or donor eggs but for now I am mourning my fertility.
I guess this is probably at the core of why I want to get this next cycle started as soon as possible. I need to know one way or another whether I should be closing the door on the prospect of a bio child. I feel like by waiting to cycle it's like pulling a band aid off slowly and just stretching out the process. I also compare it to dangling that carrot just out of my reach. There's that little bit of hope of getting that child that feels like if I just stretch hard enough maybe I could grasp it. The longer it's hanging there the more cruel it seems.
I guess this is probably at the core of why I want to get this next cycle started as soon as possible. I need to know one way or another whether I should be closing the door on the prospect of a bio child. I feel like by waiting to cycle it's like pulling a band aid off slowly and just stretching out the process. I also compare it to dangling that carrot just out of my reach. There's that little bit of hope of getting that child that feels like if I just stretch hard enough maybe I could grasp it. The longer it's hanging there the more cruel it seems.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Follow-up appointment
Well we had our follow up with the specialist today. We got pretty much the answers we expected which was none really.
He showed us the embryologist report which had a paragraph in bold that was basically medical jargon for my eggs were crap and there was a definate egg quality issue this time that was not there 6 months earlier.
When we asked the doctor if it was my reserve that deterioated that badly over 6 months, we were told it was "hard to tell" so bascially it's a crapshoot whether our next cycle will be closer to the first time or similar or worse to the second.
On paper, the stimulation, hormone levels looked even better than the first time and just goes to show you that you really don't know what you have until you get in there.
We got the go ahead that we can now try again at any time. We'll be kept on the same protocol and same doses and will cross our fingers that 3rd times a charm! There is also now a note in our file to give me more happy drugs at the next retrieval, hopefully that will help with the pain.
Now the issue is that I want to get right back on the horse and call in my next day 1. (AF is 10 days away so stims would still only start in about 6 weeks with the egg retrieval and what not still about 8 weeks away)
My husband however wants to wait another cycle. It looks like we have some more discussions on the this issue in our future
He showed us the embryologist report which had a paragraph in bold that was basically medical jargon for my eggs were crap and there was a definate egg quality issue this time that was not there 6 months earlier.
When we asked the doctor if it was my reserve that deterioated that badly over 6 months, we were told it was "hard to tell" so bascially it's a crapshoot whether our next cycle will be closer to the first time or similar or worse to the second.
On paper, the stimulation, hormone levels looked even better than the first time and just goes to show you that you really don't know what you have until you get in there.
We got the go ahead that we can now try again at any time. We'll be kept on the same protocol and same doses and will cross our fingers that 3rd times a charm! There is also now a note in our file to give me more happy drugs at the next retrieval, hopefully that will help with the pain.
Now the issue is that I want to get right back on the horse and call in my next day 1. (AF is 10 days away so stims would still only start in about 6 weeks with the egg retrieval and what not still about 8 weeks away)
My husband however wants to wait another cycle. It looks like we have some more discussions on the this issue in our future
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