IVF#3 Baseline/Med Class

April 24:  What a day.  I had FOUR IVF appts today.  I had to wake up at 5am in order to get to my first appt at 6:15.  When I don't get enough sleep and get a Fibro "flare" I either wake up with a rocking headache or I get diarrhea and cramping.  Today I got the later.  Unfortunately, because I'm not taking my Fibro meds anymore, I wake up with diarrhea and other Fibro issues pretty frequently.  I know, just what you all wanted to know.   I made it to my first appt a bit early and since I wasn't quite sure where to go, it worked out well.  I picked up my two very full bags of medicine and headed to the lab.  I got a couple vials drawn and went back downstairs to wait for my baseline u/s or what I like to refer to as the cattle call.  On any given day, there could be up to 50 women waiting to get an ultrasound.  It's first come, first serve.  Today I was the second one on the list so I was in and out very quickly. 

Report from today's u/s:

Lining: 2.5 mm
Left follicle count: 7
Right follicle count: 6

Let me just point something out.  Back 5 years ago when I did my first IVF, I had close to 30 follicles on my baseline u/s.  My second IVF I had around 20.  Today, 13.  Even though I'm only 29 years old, my age is already playing a very large role in my fertility.  I was a bit disappointed with 13 as there is no potential for any more than that this round. 

My last appt was at 1:30 and it was called a medication class.  I forced (and yes, forced is the correct term here) DH to go with me as I thought we could both learn something.  Let me first say that I'm not happy with my meds at all.  My protocol this time around is pretty much the same as the my first IVF-the one that didn't work.  There are a couple different ways to do IVF and I'm doing the less traditional one.  There were four women total for the class, and all four of us are doing pretty much the same thing (dosages were different and a couple random different meds but really the same).   The class ended up being over three hours long.  We did get to practice giving the injections (uh, I think I've had close to 500 injections from DH over the past five years) so there wasn't much for us to learn there but it was kind of funny listening and watching the other couples try it for the first time.  I kind of wish we would have had this kind of training before the first time we did IVF though. 

I'll be on two new types of meds (for me).  They are Follistim and a micro dose of HCG.  I have no idea how my body will respond to these meds.  I don't get why I couldn't just do what worked for me last time.  I start both those injections on Saturday and continue until Wednesday when my doc will adjust the dosages.  I will give myself one in the morning and one 12 hours later.  Follistim does come in pen form and a much smaller needle than Menopur. 

I do have to add this in too.  Both DH and I got a good chuckle in when the IVF coordinator said that we should be under no stress and have no other meetings or appts other than IVF for the next three weeks.  Monday is the start of the work conference for both of us.  I really am trying to laugh it off and not worry about what's to come.  I have to keep thinking and even saying out loud, "I can do this.  I can do this.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

New House

I have no idea what CD I'm on anymore and as soon as I stop BCP's I'll probably start over again so I'm going to quit with the CD talk and stick with the date.

April 10: We have a house in Georgia!  YAY!  We aren't going to be homeless!  We decided to rent site unseen because we don't feel like we're going to have any time or even a free weekend to go out there and look at the area.  It's a little scary for me but I know tons of other military folks that do it that way.  We've done it once like this before (and we even ended up getting a chance to see the house before we officially moved in) and that was the only house out of all the ones we've lived in that I really didn't like.  I'm trying to look at it like it's an adventure and I get to have a surprise house waiting for us in just under two months now.  I've gotten to see about six pictures of it and while I love what I see, I can't for the life of me picture the layout.  I may go back and study each picture blown up...haha!

Our new house! 

April 11: Fibro is a beast.  I haven't had much relief from the pain and exhaustion since Good Friday.  It's been continuous for two weeks now.  Weaning myself from the Fibro meds was very, very difficult and as a result, I'm not sleeping well at night again.  I am completely off everything now, and I hurt...a lot.

 

 

Please, if you don't mind, continue to pray for us.  Thank Him for finding us a home!  Thank Him that He continually sustains me and shows me His faithfulness.  Ask that we would be content with IVF not working and content with our little family.  Ask that He would give me peace about the logistics for the work conference coming up and the logistics for all the requirements of IVF. 

 

We love you all!  

IVF #3 CD1-12

My IVF #3 journal:

CD 1: I got AF today. I expected it yesterday but I'm just happy I got it on a Friday instead of the weekend, which would have caused a bit of extra stress. When I called the RE clinic to tell them it started, for the first time in my infertility history, I got immediately connected to a human being! I didn't have to leave a voicemail and hope someone would call me back! The coordinator explained my next steps and I got to ask questions. You don't even know how happy that made me! Next up, lab work and bcp's.

CD 4: I did my CD 3 lab work this morning (my CD 3 was Easter and obviously the lab wasn't open). They drew TSH and estradiol to check my levels before proceeding. I've never had any issues before so I'm assuming my hormones are fine now too. I start bcp's tonight!!!

CD 9-11: Holy mother of all boob pain!  BCP's can suck it!  Seriously, I'd be OK with breast tenderness IF I was pregnant, but I am clearly NOT!  This is so NOT COOL.  Only 15 more days until I can stop!  I've ordered a Baltic Amber necklace and I'm hoping it can ease some of my Fibro pain and maybe as a bonus it'll help my girls too...

CD 12:  I decided to "organize" my fertility meds box again.  Sheeshhhhhhh, who needs 150 two inch 18 gage needles!  I think I have just as many 20 gage needles too.  I did find five boxes of progesterone so maybe that will come in handy.  No person needs that many needles...I wish I could donate them to another infertile like me.  I did have a thought that if the world goes to crap I could be a needle supplier.  Hey, you never know.