No Frosties

The last little embryo didn't make it. I expected that. But I didn't realize how upset I would be to get the call. Part of me thought if #4 made it, then that would be a good sign that the 3 they put back would make it as well. I know it just takes one and that there's still hope, but I'm sad.

2dp3dt - symptoms

Progesterone is really a tricky bitch (or is it the estrogen)? Clearly I can't have any pregnancy symptoms this early (if I'm lucky, those bad boys are just floating around in there, dividing on their merry way).

• Transfer day I was sleeepy. But I blamed everything on the Xanax. I napped and napped and napped. That night I was a little sweaty, but not too bad.
• 1dp3dt I could not keep my eyes open. I wasn't hungry until dinner time and took a 3 hour nap. Unheard of for me! I was kind of hot and clammy all day. Also, commence the heavy duty night sweats (so gross).
• 2dp3dt I'm still tired, but not as bad as yesterday. However, I've been nauseous on and off all day. Around 10:30 I had a crazy bout of low blood sugar (I'm not diabetic, but I do get grumpy if you don't feed me!) and I'm still kind of warm and clammy

Estrogen has a history of making me nauseous. I typically throw up the first night or two after starting bcp. And progesterone notoriously makes me burp! I have all the other standard symptoms of IVF meds, huge sore bo.obs, lower back ache. But those were present prior to transfer. 

All of this to say, the meds are giving my body crazy pregnancy symptoms, which I guess is good, but it's playing tricks on my head!

PUPO

Pregnant until proven otherwise...with triplets! Of our 8 fertilized eggs, we had 4 arrest by day 3. Of the 4 remaining fighters, we had 1 8-cell grade 2 (the little guy in the upper left), 2 more fragmented embryos (no grade given), and one slow grower (no further details given). The embryologist and RE recommended we put the 3 "best looking" embies back. #4 is growing in the lab and if he makes it, will be frozen on day 5. We were both so nervous that we don't remember much else that the embryologist said. She's supposed to call on Monday with news on #4 (our little insurance policy). I hope to ask her some questions then. I supposed the details don't technically matter (these embies are goring to grow and stick or not, despite their percent fragmentation or overall grade). But I want to know.

It's weird to get this far. The most pregnant I've ever been. I feel pretty good. My ovaries are a little sore and my ass is killing me from the progesterone, but nothing compared to the yuck of all the pills and stims of the last 3-4 months. I feel almost normal. I haven't felt almost normal since that myomectomy back in November 2012. I feel *happy*. I'm a little obsessed with every twinge and back ache. I know nothing is going on in there yet. But I think about those little embies constantly. Please let one of them grow and stick and be our take home baby.

Eight is Enough

Our awesome RE texted me this morning. 11 of our eggs were mature (vs 4 out of 7 last time) and 8 have fertilized! 8 little embryos doing their thing in the lab across town. Grow embies, grow!

One Dozen

 

Retrieval is complete. My RE, who is so wonderful, found 12 eggs in there! I was so relieved when I woke up and she told us. Last time we had 7 eggs, 4 mature, 3 fertilized, and 0 made it to transfer. I'm hoping there is at least one fighter in the bunch. Fertilization report is tomorrow. My RE said she'd keep an eye on things and text me if she had any news (I told you she is wonderful, right?). She knows we are nervous about a repeat of events. Fingers crossed that time and all of those supplements and meds can keep the fragmentation at bay.

IVF #2: Stim days 9 and 10 (and trigger!)

Work is just kicking my butt lately. Don't they know I'm busy growing follicles? Actually, they don't. I've kept it quite. A few of my co-workers know I'm doing IVF-ish things (I had to tell them due to travel conflicts, etc), but I've been able to keep the details of this cycle off their radar.

Saturday I went in for my stim day 9 scan. Estrogen came in at 1060 and progesterone was 0.7. I don't remember the follicle counts, but they ranged from 10 mm to 16 mm on both sides.

Sunday I was hoping for the news that it was time to trigger. No such luck. Follicles had grown (ranging from 11 mm to 19 mm, I think), with E at 1528 and P at 1.2. Slow and stead. Slow and steady.

Monday was my first encounter with Dr. Asshat. This is the guy that that acted like I was a hysterical hypochondriac when I came into the office after my myomectomy (my doctor was on vacation). He was so condescending and when I asked if the excruciating pain might be a blood clot he told me it was highly unlikely and to just go home. Of course, I then spent 6 days in the hospital for PE and DVT. I have seen my chart since then and he later wrote that he told me to go the ER immediately. So not true! Anyway, lead follicles were up in the 20s and he said it was time to trigger. I never did get an E and P report for that day.

By Monday afternoon I had a headache. It just kept getting worse and worse. I took some Tylenol, but it barely touched it. The sad news was, I had to stay up until 10:30 pm to trigger. The minutes finally passed and I went right to sleep, with my now raging headache. It progressively got worse until I was throwing up in the middle of the night. I have no idea what time it was as it hurt too much to look at the clock. A few more Tylenols and I willed myself to go back to sleep. Luckily my headache was gone this morning, but I've felt off all day. Kind of hot, sweaty, nauseous, and out of it. I don't know if it's the drugs or the anxiety or bad luck (or all of the above).

I am so excited and scared for retrieval (and I am so glad my regular doctor, whom we both love, is on for retrievals tomorrow). I'm guessing that there are about 10 follicles in there (if you don't count the minis that have been hovering at 10 mm). Not sure how many will have eggs, but we'll know tomorrow! I feel like we're scratching off our last IVF lottery ticket. 

IVF #2: Stim day 8

Things are moving along. Follicles are growing about 1 mm per day. Righty came in with one 13, two 12s, and a few 10s. Lefty had one 13, 5ish 12s, and a few 10s. Honestly, I never remember the numbers correctly. The nurse/tech/doctor (I still have no clue who that lady is) gets busy with the wand and calls 'em as she sees 'em while the nurse at the computer logs everything into my chart. I frantically try to keep up in my head and then promptly forget everything a second later. She (nurse/tech/doctor) said she likes the way lefty looks, but we might just get one or two eggs out of righty and, "that one could be your baby,". It was everything I could do not to cry when she said that. 

Last night was my first growth hormone injection. There was a bit of a mix up with the dosing seeing as the vial comes as 8.8 mg, the instructions say to add 2-3 mL of water, and my nurse said to take 8 units. When I asked for clarification, she said, "oh, I think it's 1 mL". Well, I eventually found out that there are 26.4 units in a vial, but then I temporarily forgot how to math and accidentally overdosed myself. But not by very much. Maybe it will give me a baby *and* make me taller (says the girl who lies about her height every time she says she's 5'3 - I am. In heels).

I'm feeling pretty uncomfortable these days. Not as terrible as I remember from IVF #1. More sore, crampy, and bloaty. I have officially switched to my fat pants...and only button them if I'm going out in public.

Nurse just called. My estrogen came back at 602 and my progesterone at 0.7. That seems low to me (the estrogen). Last time, on stim day 7, I was already up to 743/0.5. They want me back in the office tomorrow. I was feeling kind of happy about my follicle results but now I'm going to have to google the heck out of my estrogen results.