Chill'n with My Follies

First things first...

I want to apologize for being kinda a lame blogger as of late.  I've actually spent quite a lot of time thinking about posts I would like to write, but when it comes time to actually sit down and write them I just seem to lose focus.  I want to blame the fertility drugs, but I think maybe I'm just being lazy, and getting a little too used to chill'n on the couch with my cat and my happily growing follicles.

Next...

I want to put in a plug for the Fertility Focus Telesummit, starting next week, which will include a couple of my favorite bloggers: Elphaba from Yolk: A blog about eggs and sperm, and Katie over at from If to when.  If you haven't signed up already, do check out the schedule.  The whole event is free, so you just need to reserve your spot. 

And Finally...The Fertility Report

Things are just dandy, though I'm now fighting a sinus infection along with the Lurpon side effects...meh is all I have to say about that.  I'm overall still pretty calm, but I do have to admit to having a terrible, pre-first monitoring appointment dream last night, where I was having my ultrasound done in front of a room full of women (women I know from various times in my life).  This all seemed fairly normal, if uncomfortable, but then the nurse told me that my lining wasn't thickening, my follicles had stopped growing and I had been over-suppressed and we would have to cancel the whole thing.  I cried and screamed like a 2 year old throwing a very noisy tantrum, but was told there was nothing they could do.  It was a terrifying dream and I woke up feeling rather anxious and helpless and just wanting to get to the doctor as soon as possible to prove that the dream wasn't real. 

Thankfully, this morning's appointment was actually quick, happy and reasonably painless, and the technician was even kind enough to warn me not to expect too much since I've only been stimming for a few days now.  

The Results:

1) E2 = 162 (up from 28 at my baseline last week).  

 *I believe they want this number to be closer to 1500 by trigger, and I found this tidbit on their site: peak estradiol levels in IVF at the time of HCG are usually between 1000 and 4000 pg/ml.

2) Left ovary = 1 x 8mm follicle, 2 x 7mm follicles, and 12 small follicles

3) Right ovary = 4 x 7mm follicles and 16 small follicles

 * Ideally, there will be at least 8 follicles between 13-20 mm by retrieval, though I'm hoping for quite a bit more!

4) Lining only 3.1mm, but this is apparently fine this early on.

Also, there are some major med modifications today:

225 ius of Follistim - tomorrow lower to 100 ius in am and 75 ius in pm

4 units of Low Dose HCG (never expected to be starting this so early)

5 units of Lupron - same

1 Baby Aspirin - same

Next appointment is for Thursday!