Calculator Help, Please

Let's start with what I know, my numbers continue to increase and look good!

What I can't seem to figure out, and would like your help with, is whether I'm most likely looking at a single pregnancy or a twin pregnancy.  Here are the facts and figures:

Nov 17: 5 day transfer
Nov 25: Beta 149.7
Nov 28: Beta 623.9

Also, what day should I use as a marker when the charts are based on DPO?  My first beta had me thinking one embryo implanted, my second beta has me wondering if both implanted.  For those of you who "get" all of this calculation stuff, what do you think?

Thanks!

Crocodile Tears

...of pure JOY!

I had my blood test this morning and then dropped P off at work.  The plan was to have lunch together and listen to the message from the IVF Nurse.  Well, the call came at 9:45 so I called P and asked if we could have a snack break.  The minute the nurse started to talk I could her from the tone in her voice she had good news, and she did!

P and I hugged and I started sobbing.  Crocodile tears and big, heaving breaths.  I was such a relief to hear what I so badly wanted to believe.  I think I have been holding my breath since the transfer and could I finally let it out!

My beta is 149.7, which they said is, "a good, strong number."  Estrodiol is 552 and progesterone is 50.5, those were described as, "Good levels for you."

Our IVF nurse happened to be the one on today and poked her head in while I was having my blood drawn.  P told her about my discomfort with the IM injections (tenderness, a lump on each hip, and itching).  She didn't like the sound of itching, so she talked with the Dr on call this weekend and they are having us make a slight decrease to my dose starting tomorrow, as well as trying a shorter needle.

Life is good!

Welcome Home

I couldn't be happier with the way things went today. I had a relaxing massage, then lunch with my sweetie before heading to the clinic. The nurses got me ready and gave me blankets from the warmer. Then my acupuncturist did my points and I listened to relaxing music for 25 minutes. The nurses used U/S to looka t my bladder and determined it was too full. So, my big challenge of the day was to pee 3/4 cup and no more. I did my best. Dr B came in and talked with us about the procedure and gave me a dose of valium. The embryologist gave us the report that they only thawed 2 embryos and they had started to expand (I can't remember the technical word for that), which means we have 13 more frostiness should we need them in the future. After that I got my hat and booties on and P got the same plus a jump suit and I was wheeled in to the surgical suite. The transfer itself was pretty quick everyone complimented me on my level of relaxation. When I was wheeled back to my room T did more acupuncture and P held her hand over my uterus welcoming the embryos and encouraging them to make themselves at home! We both feel like it is working, everything just seems right this time. I don't know how to explain it except to say I feel confident rather than just hopeful.

Paying Attention?

I have been gearing up for a relaxed and confident TWW 8 day wait.

The last few days I've been paying particularly close attention to the activity within my body so that I can decipher what is different or has changed when I am pregnant.  Well let me tell you, ladies, if you are anything like me you have twinges and gurgles and pangs all of the time.  During my past waits I thought all of those things might be "signs" of pregnancy.  Now I know better, and instead of wondering about every bit of movment or sound in my body I know they are normal.  And I am left to just wonder believe my embryos are implanting and growing.

And I'll leave you with a request: please pray, hope, wish, cross your fingers, send up positive enegery, etc for P and I about 1pm PST tomorrow, when I am reunited with 2 wonderful embryos!

Two Weeks, 3 Days Pregnant

I interrupt your daily activities to share my optimistic thought.  I find all it so odd that they calculate pregnancy starting 2 weeks prior to conception, but since they do I believe I am 2w3d today, with a FET coming up on Thursday.  My IVF calendar says "Day 0" on last Saturday, which would have been retrieval day for a fresh transfer and conception day for a hetero girl.  Since I'm going with the whole, "Pregnant unless proven otherwise" attitude, that means today I am two weeks 3 days pregnant.  How is that for optimisitc?!!

Counting Down and Building Up

One week from today is my FET!

I know it helps to be as relaxed and optimistic as possible, but those things are really hard to control.  I mean, in my head I know I have fabulous embryos, my hormone levels are in the ideal range, of course this is going to work, but in my gut it doesn't feel like a slam dunk.  Thankfully, this morning I woke up realizing one week from today I'll be reunited with two frosties and it put a spring in my step and a grin on my face.  That means the countdown is in full swing and the excitement is growing!  Phew!

Here is how next Thursday will go.  I'll sleep in a little take my time getting up and do my IVF meditation.  Then I'll make my way to a day spa near the RE clinic for a steam and relaxing massage.  Next I'll have an early lunch at a great, little cafe.  Then I'll walk over to the clinic and check-in at 12:15, where I will meet up with P (she is working a half day) and my acupuncturist (T).  The nurse will get me ready and T will do some acupuncture points before Dr B does the transfer.  Afterwards T will do more acupuncture points.  Eventually  will get to pee and we'll head home for a few days of watching movies and reading books.  What's not to be excited about?!

It also occurred to me today that my TWW is really only 8 days!  My pregnancy test confirmation is Friday, Nov 25, the day after Thanksgiving.

Time to Be Quiet

We had an appointment with Dr B this morning to make sure everything looked okay, and we got the green light to start the suppression meds for our FET.  I woke up feeling a little stressed, afraid of hearing my body isn't be ready after the OHSS and we would have to wait another month, but thankfully all is well!

So, tonight I start lupron and baby aspirin (do your docs have you take that?).  It is the same as the start of the IVF cycle, making us old pros!

Don't Twist an Ovary

I'd be jumping for joy if I wasn't still at risk for twisting an ovary.  (I am under strict instructions, "no jumping.")

AF arrived in full force this morning.  I called the clinic as instructed and expected them to schedule an appointment to discuss a calendar.  Instead, the receptionist said our nurse, G, was with a patient but wants to talk with me directly and will call back.  She called and explained that due to our travel dates and Dr B's travel dates if we go with the calendar she is proposing I need to start BCP's tomorrow.  Given the short turnaround G emailed me a calendar to review/approve, rather than scheduling an appointment.

The virtual jumping for joy is because this calendar leads us to a FET on Nov 11 and pregnancy blood test Nov 25!  Previous conversations and speculations had us thinking the transfer would not be until early December.  I'm just so tired of waiting and am thrilled ecstatic to learn it will happen a whole month sooner than I was expecting.  AND, being a girl who loves numbers, a transfer on 11-11-11 is fabulous!  AND, confirming we are pregnant (remember, I will be getting pregnant this cycle) Thanksgiving weekend is the ultimate gift to be thankful for!

Now, how am I supposed to focus and get any work done today?  I'm SO excited by this news I can't possibly concentrate on anything but how perfect this is.

Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News

I got a bad case of, "I want to knows!"

I had a follow-up visit with Dr B yesterday for the OHSS concerns.  Wednesday morning I took a slight but noticeable turn for the better, but on Monday she said unless I feel a "million, thousand percent better," keep the appointment, so we did.  I am able to take deep breaths and yawn without the sharp pain I had been having, which made me think the swelling in my ovaries was decreasing.  The U/S showed that, yes, the swelling is slowly starting to decrease, but the free fluid has slightly increased.  I wanted to know, when I am going to feel normal again and the answer is, "In a week you should feel 50% better than you do now, and in a month you should be back to normal."  Wow, that's a long haul, maybe I didn't want to know...

On to my next question, Dr B.  We have these 15 excellent embryos; when we're ready for a FET how many do we have to thaw at a time to make sure we get 2 to transfer?  She explained that they are all graded and frozen individually so in preparation for a transfer they will thaw the two best of the best.  If one of them doesn't look good, they'll thaw the 3rd best, and so on until they have 2 that thawed well.  I like this answer, because having 15 embryos to work with means I will never have to go through another retrieval!

Frozen in Time

The report from the Embryologist is good news!  We have 15 frozen embryos, 8 on day 5 and 7 on day 6.  They all look, "Very, very good," just a couple are grade AB and all of the others are the highest grade of AA.  Hallelujah!

Freeze it, Sister

It's offical, there will not be a fresh transfer.

Dr B called me during her lunch hour so she could talk to me directly and said she does not recommend doing a transfer, it is just too risky.  Today it just feels like a bummer, since we cried our eyes out about this when she talked to us a week ago.  P and I want to do a transfer and have a baby, but we know we should be safe about it and wait. So we'll freeze all of the embryos that make it to blastocysts by Tuesday.

I will be stopping all meds as of today and AF should show up in a week and a half.  Dr B said flow will be heavier than usual and probably more cramps than usual.  We'll call the clinic with day 1 of AF and make an appointment to discuss a FET calendar.

I still feel quite uncomfortable in my abdomen, which Dr B said is normal and will probably continue through Monday.  Walking around seems to be too much "bouncing" so P and I are going to lay low watching movies and reading books this weekend.  I'll keep drining my gatorade and protein drinks to help keep OHSS at bay.  Cheers!