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.

A Well Worn Path

We are wearing quite a path to the RE clinic these days.  The Nurse Practitioner was on duty this weekend and when she came in the room she said, "Dr B warned me about you!"  She was referring to the hyper stimulation concern.

I have followed several TTC blogs in IVF and it seems like most people get measurements for each follicle.  I don't know if my clinic just does it differently or if they just handle me differently, but they only measure 6 or 7 follicles in each ovary and calculate an average size, which is 16.5mm today.  Then they try to count how many follicles are growing and today was 25 in each ovary - total 50.  The NP told us she didn't see any "free fluid," which is a good thing.  That is another indicator of hyper stim.  Since my follicles aren't quite big enough for the trigger tonight we will see Dr B tomorrow morning.

When the nurse called with my blood results Friday she said they don't like to see estrodiol levels over 5,000.  That is when you are at risk for hyperstim, but it doesn't mean you absolutely will.  On Friday I was at about 3,500 so they cut the follistim to 25 Friday night and none on Saturday.  Today my estrodiol is 7,054 so I will not take any follistim tonight.

I'm feeling pretty good, drinking my gatorade and eating my protein.  P reminded me, though, that the risk for hyper stim continues after retrieval and increases with the transfer, because your estrogen goes up with pregnancy.  So, we continue to wait and monitor.  I feel my stress/worry rising the longer this uncertainty of whether I'll hyper stimulate goes on.  I continue to practice my IVF meditation daily, which is helpful and makes me optimistic about getting pregnant when we do get to do a transfer.

Fortunate

Earlier this week P got a fortune cookie with her lunch and the fortune read, "Your greatest wish will come true this month."  Wow! We are are feeling the love from the universe!  

We decided to get out of town one last time before the RE appointment craziness begins.  Fortunately we live in a beautiful area and didn't have to travel far.  We stayed in a bed and breakfast Friday night and spent the day hiking and exploring Mt Rainier National Park.  It was a gorgeous day and I love taking pictures so here is one to share with all of you.

We are also feeling fortunate that everything looked good and the blood tests came back normal at my supression check Thursday.  Hearing all of that gave us a sigh of relief, even though it didn't really feel like we had a been holding our breath.  I think the meditation is really helping me stay relaxed with each step.  Yesterday I started the stimulation meds, boy does that menopur sting!  Our first U/S is tomorrow morning and hopefully we'll see those follicles beginning to grow.

Mixin it Up

We attended IVF class #2 tonight.  This was a much smaller class (6 couples incl us), in which we learned how to prepare and administer our medications.  They had samples of everything so we could practice mixing the meds that need mixing, as well as practicing the injections.  We also learned a little about the side effects of each drug and how to schedule them all into our day.  I found out confirmed lupron can cause headaches.

Now I am listening to the baseball game (being a Mariners fan is a great test of optimism!) and thinking about an "IVF Mix" to take with me to the retrieval and transfer.  I am starting with my meditation session and then looking for relaxing music and inspiring lyrics.  I'm thinking 'New Flowers' by Catie Curtis, 'Shepard Moons' by Enya, 'Return to Pooh Corner' by Kenny Loggins, and "May I Suggest' by Red Molly so far.  Have any of you done this?  Do you have any suggestions?  I also sorted my music library by song title and some of the titles are great: A Baby Just LIke You, Everything Waiting to Grow, I Feel Lucky, Little By Little, No Stoppin' Us Now, A Whole Lot of Hope, This Baby, Breathe, and Something Worth Fighting For to name a few.  I'll have to listen to those and see if they fit the relaxing bill, but the names sure are fun.

Meditation & Mystery

The other day I was telling P I was thinking of getting the Circle Bloom Meditation for IVF but it is $59.99.  That's a lot and what if I don't use it?  Her reaction was, we're spending so much money on this process $60 is a relatively small amount for something that might make both of our lives easier along the way.  So, yesterday (CD1) I bought the download version.  It turns out there are 3 pre-cycle sessions as well.  Since I had some catching up to do I listened to one before dinner and 2 before bed, and I got the greatest night of sleep!  I'm curious about the rest of the sessions and hope I continue to make time each day to listen to them.

So I mentioned that yesterday was CD1, right?  Well here's how it went.  Due to my irregular cycle they put me on BCPs last month and I started spotting mid-cycle.  That continued until yesterday morning, when I had a regular flow so I called the clinic to report CD1.  Since it was noon on a Sunday when I called, I just left a message.  By yesterday evening I was back to light spotting.  Oh the mystery!  When the nurse called today to confirm my message and schedule my supression check, I told her I wasn't sure yesterday was CD1 after all and explained.  She said some people don't get AF at all when on BCPs so we'll count yesterday as CD1 and move on.  So, the mystery is solved and here we go, are you ready for the ride?