As I hear more about others' experiences, I am becoming increasingly grateful for my doctor and our clinic. We have had very few problems. Dr. Johnson personally monitors me each morning with an ultrasound to measure the number and size of each follicle growing. I have over 40 follicles at this point but not all will be usable. He brings the results of my blood draw each day to a team consult at lunch where they review my hormone levels and then a nurse leaves me a message after 4pm with new instructions for which medicine to take. Since I responded very well to the medication which makes the follicles grow, he has reduced the dosage of the Follistim each day. I started a low dose HCG on Tuesday which provides a more natural stimulation of the ovaries. I started Ganirellix on Wednesday which tells the brain to stop sending signals to the ovary so that my doctors can completely control my body's response through medication. They do not want my body to go on autopilot and ovulate on it's own.
I will trigger ovulation with Lupron Sunday night and then have the retrieval on Tuesday, Feb 8th (Happy birthday, Lucas!) That day they will fertilize all the eggs in a petri dish, take the best two blastocysts and implant them on Sunday, Feb 13th. Dr. Johnson did a practice run called a SonaMOCK before we started the protocol where he mapped out my uterus and showed me how the transfer is completed. It's so exciting. I can't believe the technology they have!
The first few days of beginning the shots last Saturday were the hardest. My anxiety was high, I was easily distracted and irritable. I was not fun to be around. But Tuesday Geoff and I went the temple and the peace came. I am so grateful for a holy place that has been consecrated to the Lord where we can be reminded of why we are here on earth and that there is a grand eternal plan. I have been filled with joy since then. I have been able to focus my family and truly enjoy them. I have been enjoying good books and truly been able to laugh. It doesn't matter that my estrogen levels have jumped from below 20 to over 650 in 4 days... I have been feeling good.
Granted, I'm now wearing my yoga pants, as Genet keenly advised, on a daily basis and I'm only going to get more uncomfortable from the bloating, but it will be over soon enough. I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I'm feeling optimistic. Thank you for all your support. We will have results by Feb 22... !!!
