Monitoring Appointment #1

CD6, four nights of stims behind me, 800iu of Follistim, 8 vials of Menopur, and 40iu of Tev Tropin.

Endometrium Lining: 5.0
Left Follicles: 8, 9, 10, 9, 4
Right Follicles: 10, 9, 9, 9, 7
Estradiol: 280
LH: 1

Tonight, I'll continue with the same doses from the past four nights (200iu Follistim + 2 vials Menopur and 40iu Tev Tropin). Tomorrow night, I'll increase the Follistim to 275iu and add a dose of Cetrotide (275iu Follistim + 2 vials Menopur, 40iu Tev Tropin, Cetrotide = three shots!). I return to the lab for more monitoring on Sunday morning.

I feel good about all of this! I can't believe the feelings of fullness are already ramping up. And my ultrasound this morning HURT when she was measuring my left side. My left side is usually very quiet, so this is the most action it has ever seen. Maybe that's where all the good eggs have been hiding :D

Merrily We Stim Along

Today is CD4, and I am in full swing with the meds. Tonight will be the third night of the following mixture:

• 200iu Follistim
• 2 vials Menopur
• 1/2cc Saline

Tomorrow night, which is Thanksgiving, I will do another dose of the above and add another shot: 40iu Tev Tropin (human growth hormone). It should be interesting bringing my little "science lab" along with me to my sister's house for Thanksgiving. I was able to discretely explain what was going on, and she has graciously saved me some fridge space :)

This part right now is the easy part. Mixing up the meds and jabbing myself with needles is feeling surprisingly routine and normal. I've been making it as fun as possible. Each night when I lay out my meds, I also pick out a fun bandaid (I got a pack of The Muppets... the two old guys are currently heckling my belly button, lol), I take out my chocolate (Dove's Dark Chocolate!), and I get a bead to add to my shots bracelet. When it's time to start mixing, I turn on my special playlist and rock out to the music:

1. Roar by Katy Perry
2. The Climb by Miley Cyrus (don't judge)
3. I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons
4. Firework by Katy Perry
5. Home by Phil Phillips

I am truly enjoying this stage of the process. Like I said, this is the easy part. The part that I am dreading most is waiting for phone calls (or lack thereof) from the embryologist... but I've been doing my Circle + Bloom every day, and I really think it is helping to keep me focused and calm. 

Baseline Appointment

I woke up this morning feeling excited, hopeful, and genuinely positive about this cycle. I've been listening to the Circle + Bloom IVF program every day, and it has really been helping me to focus my otherwise chatty mind.

The appointment itself was a little more stressful than I had anticipated. They had to take my height, weight and blood pressure... routine stuff that ordinarily doesn't bother me. But lately, I've been feeling self conscious about my weight and body image. One of the many perks of being a marathon runner is that you burn lots of calories. At the rate I used to burn it up, I would be able to indulge in lots of guilt-free ice cream and goodies without thinking about it. Now that I'm not running like that, I try to be more mindful of my nutrition. But things are definitely not as strong and tight as they used to be. I kept justifying it as bloat from the meds, but it has been very upsetting to me that I don't fit in most of the pants in my closet anymore. Well, getting on the scale today was not very fun... I have gained almost 10 pounds since March. I joked with the nurse that I was wearing heavy boots and a big sweater...

Then I sat down to have my blood pressure taken. My BP has always been well within the normal range. I was so surprised when the nurse said that she was going to take it again because the second number was a little borderline. They like to see it under 90, but the first reading was 86. The second reading came in at 91!! I laughed it off and said it must have been because I didn't like my weight today.

Then I had my blood drawn. Ouch!! I mean, it wasn't that bad, but it definitely pinched a lot more than usual today. I went across the hall for my ultrasound. The doctor said everything looked good and we are ready to start with stims tonight :)

I sat down with Nurse C to go over my schedule and learn how to mix the new medication (Tev Tropin... human growth hormone). Wowee! Doc is starting those doses higher, just like he said he would! I'm starting with 2 vials of Menopur and 200iu of Follistim for four nights. On the fourth night, which happens to be Thanksgiving, I will add 40iu of Tev Tropin. Then I'll return to the office on Friday for monitoring.

HERE WE GO!!!

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UPDATED: The first shot is done! Is it weird that I actually had fun mixing it? The shot wasn't too bad either.

On the menu for tonight: 200iu Follistim + 2 vials Menopur + 1/2cc Saline

I know the bandaid is a little overkill, but, hey, I'm trying to have fun with it :)

My OCD took over this morning and I made my own calendar :)

Sound the Trumpet!

CD1 is here!!!

I am so, completely excited right now :D I'll go in for my baseline tomorrow (blood work and ultrasound) and start injections tomorrow night!

Please, please, PLEASE let this be the start of the cycle when I become pregnant. Please, please, pleasepleaseplease.

A Letter to AF

Dear Aunt Flo,

I have already made it abundantly clear from a young age that I do not like you. You're messy and painful. And your schedule of arrival is always inconvenient. It was rather mean of you to show up first thing in the morning of my fifth year wedding anniversary. And the cramps that you come with that literally reduce me to the fetal position on the floor? Yeah, I don't like those.

I am expecting your arrival any minute now. Even though I have prayed that you wouldn't come on this  particular day, I am sure you will be along any moment just to spite me. Thanks in advance for the massive inconvenience of having to deal with a whining husband. He's going to be a real joy when I wake him up bright and early tomorrow morning so we can leave the hotel and drive two hours to get to my baseline appointment.

Now hear this: after your visit this month, you are no longer welcome for a long, long time. Go on vacation. Go bother somebody else. But you had better leave me and my uterus alone. Enjoy your stay while it lasts. After this, I'm kicking you to the curb. Peace the eff out, bitch.

Sincerely,
Cici

Just Waiting (as usual!)

CD30, 10 or 11dpo (I think 11 because of O pains, but FF says 10. Whatever!)...

I'm still on the Estrace which is producing quite a lovely little headache at times. Fortunately, it's not so bad and it went away after being awake for a few hours this morning.

I'm just waiting for my period... I have been hoping that it wouldn't come on Saturday. That would result in a lot of whining on the part of DH ::eye roll:: We are going to a wedding on Saturday and staying at the hotel. If AF shows up on Saturday, then we'll have to leave the hotel at butt o'clock in the morning to make it to my CD2 baseline appointment.

My PMS cramps have picked up, and I'm thinking that AF will be here either late tonight or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow just because I'm sure the universe wants to bring my headache back with DH's whining ;)

It's crazy to think that in a few days, I'll be jabbing myself with needles again. Honestly, that's the easy part. And is it a little messed up that I'm strangely looking forward to playing with the needles? I'm sure it is! Haha!

Harry is Here!!

PROUD AUNT ALERT!! 

Harrison Dominic was born into the world on Wednesday, November 20th at 8:18am. He weighs 9lb and 8oz and is 22-1/4 inches long.

John & I went to visit my brother & SIL in the hospital, and I enjoyed every second of snuggling my cutie-pie nephew. Hospital pictures taken on a cell phone do no justice to the beauty of a newborn baby. He is so cute... and soft... and squishy... and delicious!! I wish I could go back and see him right now, but alas, there is this thing called work.

I am in love with my brand new nephew!

Harry is here! And he's a big baby! 9lb 8oz and 22-1/4 inches long!

Uncle Johnny will make an excellent father someday (hopefully soon!)