This is it, the final count on our freezer family is in the books. We have 15 embryos! 12 are considered "high quality" which is DOUBLE what we were expecting (although Ian and I have stopped expecting anything) and we couldn't be more happy. It feels as if a light, shining from above, originating somewhere deep in the universe is shining directly over head, just for us. We have conquered Mt. Everest; we have survived Death Valley. We are intact and, dare I say, hopeful. Hopeful that our happiness and joy can only grow greater from here.
The next six weeks can't pass fast enough now that I feel better and the hard part is behind us. But, we have much to look forward to in June: (1) Lake Powell Palooza - one week :), (2) Our four year wedding anniversary - totaling 11 years together, and (3) a long overdue family reunion in Utah - full of fun, relaxation and my brother Grant! Hopefully, I'll be back to work next week and that should adequately distract me for the time being.
We are so blessed! Family, friends, home, work, happiness and lots of embryos!
5.23.2012
From Moderate to Severe
I am starting to think I shouldn't post anything until this process is complete because it seems that as soon as I hit "Publish" something new develops. I guess that life is full of change, but I was hoping for something along the lines of forward progress.
When we got home last week, I felt like I was walking into some stranger's house. I was only gone for 2 1/2 weeks, but it still felt weird to be back. It really took crawling into my own bed, with my own sheets and soft pillow for me to realize I was home! Nights have been rough since the retrieval, so it didn't surprise me that I was uncomfortable and wasn't able to get a restful nights sleep. I shook it off and blamed the fact I couldn't lay in my natural sleep position but rather had to be propped up on my back with the pillows arranged in a recliner position. My breathing was more labored and painful than it had been, but again, I staved off worry by attributing it to the altitude and my large, fluid filled abdomen. By late that night, I was so short of breath I couldn't talk on the phone and couldn't move without a shooting pain in my chest. A sixth sense (my mother-in-law) told me that this was in fact NOT an improvement and I should let my doctor know. The thought in the back of my mind that this would pass was repressed further and I left a message on the Nurse Triage line.
First thing in the morning the next day, the clinic called and told me to get my Butt to the Emergency Department. Noooo!!! Please, I am getting better! Except for the fact that Ian has been my personal nurse, attending to my every need, from bathing and dressing to eating and vomiting, and the fact that I can't move without a sharp pain running through my chest, I THINK I'm getting better... Seriously, straight pipe dream.
Ian brought me in and they ran a slew of tests: chest x-ray, abdominal/vaginal ultrasound, lab work, EKG, and a chest CT. With OHSS, they were thinking fluid on the lung and heart, free fluid in the abdominal space and/or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). Yikes! It didn't take long for them to discover a large pleural effusion (fluid in the sac that protects the lung) on the right and a small one developing on the left. This was compounded by the fact that I had free fluid in my abdomen and large ovaries topped off with a boggy uterus, all pressing on my diaphragm - classic signs of hyper stimulation. Thank God it isn't a pulmonary embolism was my first thought! I couldn't bear the thought of being inpatient in a hospital that I work at, on a heparin drip that requires every six hour lab draws- dodged a bullet there! My problem was extremely high levels of hormones causing fluid to shift from where it is supposed to be (in my vessels) to where it shouldn't be (any open space). Because there is no treatment for the high hormone levels, they don't recommend taking the fluid off, because it ends up back in the same spot, ultimately prolonging the recovery process. They also don't give diuretics because it will just further dehydrate me, extending my discomfort. So, they sent me out the door on a high protein/ high salt diet and zofran and phenergan to help keep the food down.
The next day was rock bottom, but with everyone shoving some sort of protein in my face and MAKING (how dare they) me get out of bed, I started to feel a tinge better. Today, I'm on the downhill slide. I am able to sit up in a chair without pain, tolerate food, and take care of my personal hygiene. Tuesday was Ian's first day back at work and we both worried how I would do, but I promised not to overdo and we are both pleasantly surprised that I was able to take care of myself for the first time in weeks.
No final report on the embryos, but I will post as soon as we get the magic number. Even with the OHSS, we are a go for implantation in about six weeks. I am thinking sometime in July. I am so glad to be feeling better and hope to get back to my normal work and exercise routine in the next couple weeks. Thanks to everyone who offered their help and words of comfort! I have great friends and family and really couldn't do it without you all!
When we got home last week, I felt like I was walking into some stranger's house. I was only gone for 2 1/2 weeks, but it still felt weird to be back. It really took crawling into my own bed, with my own sheets and soft pillow for me to realize I was home! Nights have been rough since the retrieval, so it didn't surprise me that I was uncomfortable and wasn't able to get a restful nights sleep. I shook it off and blamed the fact I couldn't lay in my natural sleep position but rather had to be propped up on my back with the pillows arranged in a recliner position. My breathing was more labored and painful than it had been, but again, I staved off worry by attributing it to the altitude and my large, fluid filled abdomen. By late that night, I was so short of breath I couldn't talk on the phone and couldn't move without a shooting pain in my chest. A sixth sense (my mother-in-law) told me that this was in fact NOT an improvement and I should let my doctor know. The thought in the back of my mind that this would pass was repressed further and I left a message on the Nurse Triage line.
First thing in the morning the next day, the clinic called and told me to get my Butt to the Emergency Department. Noooo!!! Please, I am getting better! Except for the fact that Ian has been my personal nurse, attending to my every need, from bathing and dressing to eating and vomiting, and the fact that I can't move without a sharp pain running through my chest, I THINK I'm getting better... Seriously, straight pipe dream.
Ian brought me in and they ran a slew of tests: chest x-ray, abdominal/vaginal ultrasound, lab work, EKG, and a chest CT. With OHSS, they were thinking fluid on the lung and heart, free fluid in the abdominal space and/or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). Yikes! It didn't take long for them to discover a large pleural effusion (fluid in the sac that protects the lung) on the right and a small one developing on the left. This was compounded by the fact that I had free fluid in my abdomen and large ovaries topped off with a boggy uterus, all pressing on my diaphragm - classic signs of hyper stimulation. Thank God it isn't a pulmonary embolism was my first thought! I couldn't bear the thought of being inpatient in a hospital that I work at, on a heparin drip that requires every six hour lab draws- dodged a bullet there! My problem was extremely high levels of hormones causing fluid to shift from where it is supposed to be (in my vessels) to where it shouldn't be (any open space). Because there is no treatment for the high hormone levels, they don't recommend taking the fluid off, because it ends up back in the same spot, ultimately prolonging the recovery process. They also don't give diuretics because it will just further dehydrate me, extending my discomfort. So, they sent me out the door on a high protein/ high salt diet and zofran and phenergan to help keep the food down.
The next day was rock bottom, but with everyone shoving some sort of protein in my face and MAKING (how dare they) me get out of bed, I started to feel a tinge better. Today, I'm on the downhill slide. I am able to sit up in a chair without pain, tolerate food, and take care of my personal hygiene. Tuesday was Ian's first day back at work and we both worried how I would do, but I promised not to overdo and we are both pleasantly surprised that I was able to take care of myself for the first time in weeks.
No final report on the embryos, but I will post as soon as we get the magic number. Even with the OHSS, we are a go for implantation in about six weeks. I am thinking sometime in July. I am so glad to be feeling better and hope to get back to my normal work and exercise routine in the next couple weeks. Thanks to everyone who offered their help and words of comfort! I have great friends and family and really couldn't do it without you all!
5.16.2012
Homeward Bound
You would not believe what can happen in a few short days, but believe it or not, I have lots of news to share. Starting with the most important, and also the most fun, our embryo count. This isn't the final report but we have 6-7 high quality embryos that are already in the cryogenic freezer and another 4-5 trailing behind those that are scheduled for freezing today! Really, it was the best news we've had since we started this process and we feel a huge weight lifted knowing we have healthy embryos in storage :) They keep saying that "no news is good news" so we probably won't hear anything on the final report for another 7-10 days, but we do know that this family is about to get a little bigger!
Since I posted last, my ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome went from mild to moderate and the flu-like symptoms I was telling you about were the signs of it's progression. I ended up back at the clinic for an ultrasound to check for fluid on my abdomen and sure enough, it was there in force. My originally walnut sized ovaries had ballooned to the size of grapefruits (fluid and blood filling all 22 follicles) and fluid had accumulated in the spaces in my abdomen. It explained my feeling of indigestion, nausea and shortness of breath, which really was my stomach being pushed up into my diaphragm and causing an increase in pressure in my lung cavity. My left ovary had a cup of fluid and the right, about three-quarter cup. I was so uncomfortable! I was literally flat on my back for two days! I couldn't sit up due to the pressure and couldn't lie on either side because I could feel my respective ovary sitting on my hip bone. The clinic thankfully brought me back to life with some IV fluids and IV anti nausea meds and I went from functioning at 30% to a strong 75%. Currently, Tylenol has been taking care of my discomfort and oral zofran my nausea, so I feel I'm at about 85% functionality and improving. My abdomen is still round with fluid but the clinic has me on a high sodium diet to help pull some of the fluid into the digestive tract. I've been induldging on Doritos, pickles, tomato soup, Gatorade, and French fries. By the end of this, it may be hard to decipher fluid from lard :)
This may be an obvious statement, but they did NOT put any embryos in my highly toxic uterus. They prepped us for implantation; we even went as far as checking into preop, signing consents and dressing in surgical garb. I was scheduled for transfer at 12:15 and it wasn't until 12:30 that my doc came back and told us we had options to freeze since the embryos looked beautiful! Huge relief (especially since I was still feeling like I escaped death)! Fun fact- growing embryos change every 20 minutes!
For now, I'm off the injections and expect a period in the next week or so and then it's back on birth control for a full cycle to allow my ovaries to recuperate. After that, we can decide when implantation works into our schedule (so funny how they can do that) and they will re-start the protocol on the appropriate date. While I was disappointed when they told me they would not implant if the embryos looked good, I feel it really is a blessing! I'll have a chance to get my body back in order and I won't be starting at the bottom of a long hill, rater at a high crest. Thanks for all the encouraging words. I read them in the dark of the night, when I couldn't muster a happy thought and it really did help me get through the rough patch.
Since I posted last, my ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome went from mild to moderate and the flu-like symptoms I was telling you about were the signs of it's progression. I ended up back at the clinic for an ultrasound to check for fluid on my abdomen and sure enough, it was there in force. My originally walnut sized ovaries had ballooned to the size of grapefruits (fluid and blood filling all 22 follicles) and fluid had accumulated in the spaces in my abdomen. It explained my feeling of indigestion, nausea and shortness of breath, which really was my stomach being pushed up into my diaphragm and causing an increase in pressure in my lung cavity. My left ovary had a cup of fluid and the right, about three-quarter cup. I was so uncomfortable! I was literally flat on my back for two days! I couldn't sit up due to the pressure and couldn't lie on either side because I could feel my respective ovary sitting on my hip bone. The clinic thankfully brought me back to life with some IV fluids and IV anti nausea meds and I went from functioning at 30% to a strong 75%. Currently, Tylenol has been taking care of my discomfort and oral zofran my nausea, so I feel I'm at about 85% functionality and improving. My abdomen is still round with fluid but the clinic has me on a high sodium diet to help pull some of the fluid into the digestive tract. I've been induldging on Doritos, pickles, tomato soup, Gatorade, and French fries. By the end of this, it may be hard to decipher fluid from lard :)
This may be an obvious statement, but they did NOT put any embryos in my highly toxic uterus. They prepped us for implantation; we even went as far as checking into preop, signing consents and dressing in surgical garb. I was scheduled for transfer at 12:15 and it wasn't until 12:30 that my doc came back and told us we had options to freeze since the embryos looked beautiful! Huge relief (especially since I was still feeling like I escaped death)! Fun fact- growing embryos change every 20 minutes!
For now, I'm off the injections and expect a period in the next week or so and then it's back on birth control for a full cycle to allow my ovaries to recuperate. After that, we can decide when implantation works into our schedule (so funny how they can do that) and they will re-start the protocol on the appropriate date. While I was disappointed when they told me they would not implant if the embryos looked good, I feel it really is a blessing! I'll have a chance to get my body back in order and I won't be starting at the bottom of a long hill, rater at a high crest. Thanks for all the encouraging words. I read them in the dark of the night, when I couldn't muster a happy thought and it really did help me get through the rough patch.
5.14.2012
There's always a but...
Hi everyone! I have been thinking about this post for many days now and have been unable to even attempt normal hygiene routines let alone sit up or think straight enough to post anything! But I know everyone is sitting at the edge of their seats just waiting to hear, so I will lie flat and attempt to get something down between bathroom vomiting sessions! They retrieved 22 eggs and of those 22, they were able to fertilize 18 with Ian's sperm! We are so happy, relieved, blessed, excited.. Really any good emotion, you can add to this list. But, it was a process so I will start from the beginning.
Ian took me to the FTC Surgical Center on Friday morning at 8:15. A really awesome nurse did the preliminary paperwork and started my IV and some fluids to keep me hydrated. Then we were seen by an anesthesiologist (who I would let put me under any day) and he explained how the procedure would go, pretty straight forward. Lastly, we saw our doctor and she answered our last questions before sending Ian to the waiting room and me to the surgical room.
In the surgical room, they had set up a tiny half-bed with ginormous stirrups (at this point I felt vulnerable knowing I would be under fentanyl (an analgesic) and propofol (an anesthetic) and my naked legs and body would be suspended in mid air), but the anesthesiologist shot me up with a dose of fentanyl and I didn't have a care in the world :) Then I saw him hook a white liquid, which was the propofol, into my IV and the next thing I remember is being on a gurney in the recovery area! It seemed like an instant!
Ian was able to come back to the recovery area and he told me she captured 22 eggs!! That seemed like a huge number and soon we found out I was an overachiever when it came to egg production. The down side to this phenomenon is that I developed a mild case of Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome caused from excessive levels of estrogen due to each follicle emitting it's own dose since its inception. So, while I had many eggs develop, they were slow and steady to mature and ultimately caused toxic estrogen levels for tiny, fragile embryos.
This leads me to the but..... If the embryos are of high quality (utmost importance), our doctor will elect to wait 6 weeks (an entire cycle plus) to allow my body to return to its prior healthy state of homeostasis (my family makes fun of me for using that word). Therefore, increasing our chances for a healthy pregnancy. What do you say to that? No way, I want them to be dropped into a toxic waste land where they don't have a chance! So once again, Ian and I have to change our thought process and I can't tell myself "you can do this, just remember, you will be pregnant when you leave here.." But, we both agree, that waiting really isn't such a bad thing. Especially when you consider we've been at this for a year and a half, so what's six more weeks? Nothing really; we want the best result, bottom line.
At this point, they are prepping us for implantation just in case the embryos don't look like they could survive a 6 week freeze, so Ian is stabbing my buttocks with an 1 1/2 needle (which he enjoys and most importantly, is good at) and I'm covered in creams and patches to trick my body into thinking it's pregnant. This will all stop on Tuesday if the embryos are "high quality" and restart sometime over the next 6 weeks. And just to add to the fun (since there's not enough already), I'm either experiencing a bad side effect from one of the medications/hormones, have food poisoning, or just the plain old stomach flu! Seriously, living the dream!
I must send out a huge thank you to Ian for taking such good care of me, holding my hair and rubbing my back as I hug the toilet and keeping me comfortable so I can sleep! I feel so lucky to have him. Also, a huge hug and thanks to my in-laws who are taking care of my fur children with a smile. And also to my Dad and Sheri for letting me take over their house the last two and a half weeks. And finally to everyone who sent encouraging words and kept us in their thoughts and prayers! Your support and friendship is invaluable!
Ian took me to the FTC Surgical Center on Friday morning at 8:15. A really awesome nurse did the preliminary paperwork and started my IV and some fluids to keep me hydrated. Then we were seen by an anesthesiologist (who I would let put me under any day) and he explained how the procedure would go, pretty straight forward. Lastly, we saw our doctor and she answered our last questions before sending Ian to the waiting room and me to the surgical room.
In the surgical room, they had set up a tiny half-bed with ginormous stirrups (at this point I felt vulnerable knowing I would be under fentanyl (an analgesic) and propofol (an anesthetic) and my naked legs and body would be suspended in mid air), but the anesthesiologist shot me up with a dose of fentanyl and I didn't have a care in the world :) Then I saw him hook a white liquid, which was the propofol, into my IV and the next thing I remember is being on a gurney in the recovery area! It seemed like an instant!
Ian was able to come back to the recovery area and he told me she captured 22 eggs!! That seemed like a huge number and soon we found out I was an overachiever when it came to egg production. The down side to this phenomenon is that I developed a mild case of Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome caused from excessive levels of estrogen due to each follicle emitting it's own dose since its inception. So, while I had many eggs develop, they were slow and steady to mature and ultimately caused toxic estrogen levels for tiny, fragile embryos.
This leads me to the but..... If the embryos are of high quality (utmost importance), our doctor will elect to wait 6 weeks (an entire cycle plus) to allow my body to return to its prior healthy state of homeostasis (my family makes fun of me for using that word). Therefore, increasing our chances for a healthy pregnancy. What do you say to that? No way, I want them to be dropped into a toxic waste land where they don't have a chance! So once again, Ian and I have to change our thought process and I can't tell myself "you can do this, just remember, you will be pregnant when you leave here.." But, we both agree, that waiting really isn't such a bad thing. Especially when you consider we've been at this for a year and a half, so what's six more weeks? Nothing really; we want the best result, bottom line.
At this point, they are prepping us for implantation just in case the embryos don't look like they could survive a 6 week freeze, so Ian is stabbing my buttocks with an 1 1/2 needle (which he enjoys and most importantly, is good at) and I'm covered in creams and patches to trick my body into thinking it's pregnant. This will all stop on Tuesday if the embryos are "high quality" and restart sometime over the next 6 weeks. And just to add to the fun (since there's not enough already), I'm either experiencing a bad side effect from one of the medications/hormones, have food poisoning, or just the plain old stomach flu! Seriously, living the dream!
I must send out a huge thank you to Ian for taking such good care of me, holding my hair and rubbing my back as I hug the toilet and keeping me comfortable so I can sleep! I feel so lucky to have him. Also, a huge hug and thanks to my in-laws who are taking care of my fur children with a smile. And also to my Dad and Sheri for letting me take over their house the last two and a half weeks. And finally to everyone who sent encouraging words and kept us in their thoughts and prayers! Your support and friendship is invaluable!
5.11.2012
Retrieval Day!
Good Morning! I wasn't able to post this yesterday because the Trigger shot I gave myself on Wednesday made me feel nauseous! Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know that today is the day! I go in at 8:15 and should be done by 10:00 am. I will probably feel pretty groggy after I wake up from sedation, so I probably wont post anything tonight. We will know how many eggs they were able to capture by today and how many fertilized by tomorrow.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
5.08.2012
Slow and Steady
I should know better than to try to plan anything in my life because when I do, it usually doesn't pan out accordingly. I even had a five day cushion and 50% medication budget leeway and that still wasn't enough!
My follicles are growing nicely (for which I am most grateful and realize, above all, to be MOST important), but at a rate that wasn't according to plan.... My medication doses are more than triple the original outlined doses so you can probably do the math for the costs. This alone could have driven me into a stressed out tailspin, but I realize this is a fragile process that takes time and precision, and patience is my best virtue at this point (and could probably use some tuning up for impending parenthood). It is a refresher course on what a miracle it is to make a life. If I remember, for the rest of my life, that it is a privilege to be a parent, then I may live knowing that I learned one of life's great lessons.
We're up for another ultrasound tomorrow, and I have no plans for anything at this point :o). See, I'm learning! Check back for an update!
My follicles are growing nicely (for which I am most grateful and realize, above all, to be MOST important), but at a rate that wasn't according to plan.... My medication doses are more than triple the original outlined doses so you can probably do the math for the costs. This alone could have driven me into a stressed out tailspin, but I realize this is a fragile process that takes time and precision, and patience is my best virtue at this point (and could probably use some tuning up for impending parenthood). It is a refresher course on what a miracle it is to make a life. If I remember, for the rest of my life, that it is a privilege to be a parent, then I may live knowing that I learned one of life's great lessons.
We're up for another ultrasound tomorrow, and I have no plans for anything at this point :o). See, I'm learning! Check back for an update!
5.05.2012
Incubation
Hello again! Things have been greatly uneventful over the last couple days. Aside from stabbing myself a few times each night (and the subsequent bruising), I feel well. I have been able to catch up on some reading and sleep. I find that I am able to enjoy the downtime more than I thought I would, and that I am happiest if my mind is busy (preventing any worrisome thoughts).
My quickies with Mr. Ultrasound's wand show the follicles are growing nicely in little bunches (how else, since they are all x-chromosones, we girls stick together). The "lead follicle" is on the right and is measuring at 18mm; the others are trailing behind at a close 12-13mm each. On the left, the largest follicle is about 15.5mm with the others measuring about 12mm. The gals at the clinic continue to be vague about when exactly they think retrieval might be, not even willing to take a guess, so I took it upon myself to do some (more) research.
I found a website from a hospital based out of Illinois that described the IVF protocol for their program, and, after further investigation, I noted that it was very similar to my clinics outlined protocols. The Illinois based program states that they look for three things when determining time frame for egg retrieval: (1) Two follicles (one on each ovary) measuring at 18mm or larger, (2) all other follicles measuring at 15mm or larger and (3) an estrogen level between 500-1500. Now, I don't know my exact estrogen level, but I can tell you that sappy commercials are bringing me to tears; this is not my baseline. And- I do know that my follicles are looking pretty good for retrieval within the next few days IF they keep growing at their current rate (I'm placing my money on Wednesday). That would mean that my "trigger" shot would be scheduled for Monday night.... Any other speculators in the crowd? Let me know what you think.
Ian will be back down from Flag tomorrow, I am excited to have my chaperon and commandant back. I have another ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow morning, so if anything changes you will find it here! Have a great day!
My quickies with Mr. Ultrasound's wand show the follicles are growing nicely in little bunches (how else, since they are all x-chromosones, we girls stick together). The "lead follicle" is on the right and is measuring at 18mm; the others are trailing behind at a close 12-13mm each. On the left, the largest follicle is about 15.5mm with the others measuring about 12mm. The gals at the clinic continue to be vague about when exactly they think retrieval might be, not even willing to take a guess, so I took it upon myself to do some (more) research.
I found a website from a hospital based out of Illinois that described the IVF protocol for their program, and, after further investigation, I noted that it was very similar to my clinics outlined protocols. The Illinois based program states that they look for three things when determining time frame for egg retrieval: (1) Two follicles (one on each ovary) measuring at 18mm or larger, (2) all other follicles measuring at 15mm or larger and (3) an estrogen level between 500-1500. Now, I don't know my exact estrogen level, but I can tell you that sappy commercials are bringing me to tears; this is not my baseline. And- I do know that my follicles are looking pretty good for retrieval within the next few days IF they keep growing at their current rate (I'm placing my money on Wednesday). That would mean that my "trigger" shot would be scheduled for Monday night.... Any other speculators in the crowd? Let me know what you think.
Ian will be back down from Flag tomorrow, I am excited to have my chaperon and commandant back. I have another ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow morning, so if anything changes you will find it here! Have a great day!
5.03.2012
Keep 'em comin'
I am happy to report we have MORE eggs. They counted 10 follicles on the right ovary and 12 follicles on the left ovary at this mornings ultrasound. Yeah!! It is really amazing to see them on the monitor; it is tangible evidence that there are little eggs just waiting their turn for a chance at making a miracle! It is hard to believe we can fool our bodies so easily with synthetic hormones....
After my ultrasound, the clinic scheduled me for a follow up visit on Saturday, which has been the routine over the past week (seeing me every other day). Then, they called this evening to give me my dose changes (which has also been routine), but asked me to come back tomorrow morning for another ultrasound. Of course, we speak and I write down the times and dose changes and I hang up and think, huh, I wounder why?? I couldn't have possibly asked this question while we were on the phone! "Hey, what is she thinking, why do they want me in tomorrow??" Nooo, that would have just been logical! For heaven sakes, I am a nurse; I get on the phone with a healthcare provider and I don't ask a single question?!? What is my deal?
Anyway, I am only speculating here, but I'm thinking the follicles may have been more mature than the ultrasound tech thought. We may be getting close to retrieval...... but, again, only speculation. Check back tomorrow!!
After my ultrasound, the clinic scheduled me for a follow up visit on Saturday, which has been the routine over the past week (seeing me every other day). Then, they called this evening to give me my dose changes (which has also been routine), but asked me to come back tomorrow morning for another ultrasound. Of course, we speak and I write down the times and dose changes and I hang up and think, huh, I wounder why?? I couldn't have possibly asked this question while we were on the phone! "Hey, what is she thinking, why do they want me in tomorrow??" Nooo, that would have just been logical! For heaven sakes, I am a nurse; I get on the phone with a healthcare provider and I don't ask a single question?!? What is my deal?
Anyway, I am only speculating here, but I'm thinking the follicles may have been more mature than the ultrasound tech thought. We may be getting close to retrieval...... but, again, only speculation. Check back tomorrow!!
5.01.2012
Hen House
We have eggs!! About 14 total to be exact. My ovaries are in overdrive putting their store of fragile eggs into fluid filled follicles so they will be ready for their big date with Mr. Sperm. I am smiling from ear-to-ear; it feels so good to share GOOD news. The shots continue and I will have another ultrasound on Thursday to evaluate my progress.
All-in-all, I feel really good. My abdomen is a little tender from all the shots (about $350 worth each night, it may as well be liquid gold at that cost!), and I cant tell if I'm swollen from the hormones or just plain chubby. I got on the scale at the clinic today, at my own volition, and wished I hadn't when I saw the number. The nurse practitioner was so sweet, she said "Don't you know not to do that when you're on all these hormones." She was right.... it was a good thing I got to see the ultrasound after, or there might have been tears :) Needless to say, I will NOT be doing that again.
Ian and I are enjoying our uninterrupted time together. We spent yesterday morning/afternoon by the pool and the evening eating good food and working on a puzzle that my mother-in-law sent me with (thanks Marsha!). Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather! Talk to you soon!
All-in-all, I feel really good. My abdomen is a little tender from all the shots (about $350 worth each night, it may as well be liquid gold at that cost!), and I cant tell if I'm swollen from the hormones or just plain chubby. I got on the scale at the clinic today, at my own volition, and wished I hadn't when I saw the number. The nurse practitioner was so sweet, she said "Don't you know not to do that when you're on all these hormones." She was right.... it was a good thing I got to see the ultrasound after, or there might have been tears :) Needless to say, I will NOT be doing that again.
Ian and I are enjoying our uninterrupted time together. We spent yesterday morning/afternoon by the pool and the evening eating good food and working on a puzzle that my mother-in-law sent me with (thanks Marsha!). Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather! Talk to you soon!
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