Day 8 scan and a bonus intralipid! UPDATE

Yesterday it kind of came to my mind that this cycle there was no mention of the intralipid infusion. I decided to call the clinic because according to my schedule if it's going to happen it should be on day 8! And sure enough...I was told that yes I had to have it done, millions apologies for the oversight and please come in early so that I can get out in time for my first lecture.

The great thing is that now the intralipid it's done at the clinic. You may remember my ordeal with the intralipid at the prvious cycle, so I definitely was not looking forward to it.

This morning I went in prepared with patches everywhere with the anesthetic gel, but first things first.

The scan was very good, confirmed 14 follicles, 8 on the left and 6 on the right between 17 and 10, we hope that the smallest ones will pick up. My E2 on day 6 was very good, in fact better than the last time at 2,560 and my lining is now at 8.5 mm which is also a little better than the last time. I am pleased with the fact that this time, on the same dose of Puregon (150U per day) I'm actually doing better number-wise. Again, as of today things should go ahead as scheduled with ER next wednesday.

I was then brought down to the theatre for the intralipid. My Favourite Doctor came down to put the cannula in. I warned her that I'm not a great veins holder, but she took a look at my harm, she asked the nurse for a smaller needle (they do exist!!) and I felt absolutely nothing. She was in within seconds, took the blood for the E2 check and there I was with the drip going.

What a dream. Honestly. I am so grateful i can do it there, a part from the fact that it's two minutes from home, they actually know what they are doing!

I have to go ahead with the injections as I've done so far, same dose. I have already stopped the aspirin and hopefully I'll trigger on Monday!! Woohooo! I'm very happy.

On a sad note, I overheard one of the doctors talking to one of the embryologists saying something like "The patient from yesterday, the one who only had two eggs and none fertilised, must be called by a doctor not the lab..." Gosh...whoever she is...I am thinking of her.

--------------------------------------------------

Update:

Ullallahh I got a call from the Favourite Doctor, I have to reduce the Puregon from 150U to 100U as my E2 is increasing steadily and has reached 5000! She said it's perfectly safe but they don't want me to hyperstymulate. She said she can practically confirmed that ER will be on wednesday. On monday they will recheck E2, but I should be on the safe side of the upper limit. Let's hope so, as I don't want to trigger with decapeptyl!!

Day six scan

Wow, I'm already on day six! I've been so busy with work that I didn't post much at all in the last couple of days, but I'll catch up today for sure.

I love you my friends, thanks for stopping by, your support is worth gold at this stage.

So this morning I went in for my second scan. Things look good I'm told. I've about 6-7 follicles per ovary varying in size from 14mm to 8mm. They are checking my E2 also, but if I don't hear anything I'll be staying on my current Puregon dose of 150uL and I have started the antagonist today too. So whatever I have done with that injection on day 2 didn't matter too much! Thank you for reassuring me nonetheless! Next appointment is for Friday, the nurse said I am on schedule and ER should be on the 3rd of February. Lining also look good at 7.2 mm and already trilaminar! Go lining go!

Also I reminded her about the possibility of doing the transfer with a smaller volume (I have read that ectopic pregnancies with IVF could correlate with the volume of medium used to transfer the embryos). Well, I got a call from the chief embryologist, lovely Scottish guy, always very helpful and understanding. He said he was going to make sure no more than the minimum volume was going to be used for my transfer. Let's get there first!

Overall I feel well, a bit tired, but that's normal, I'm really working hard these days. I'm going to yoga again this evening and I can't wait! Meditation should start soon too!!

Day two and new friends

Thanks for your comments, I do feel much better and I think it was definitely a headache due to stress!

My second day of injections didn't go too well, I do think I got confused with the dose...damn, it never happened to me before, but this time I had to switch the vial in the Puregon pen and there was still so much left...yet I should have basically finished it with my partial injection...anyway, let's hope whatever I have injected was not too little! I'm doing very well with drinking fluids this time and I've also exercised at home on the Wii like I said I was doing and I'll do a bit more tomorrow, pat pat on my shoulder!

On this ICLW week I am determined to find more blogs to follow. I have divided now the pregnant blogs from the ttc ones and I also have removed from the list on the main page those that have stopped blogging. I will still follow them in the hope that they'll come back to the blog-sphere and I may re-evaluate in a few months.

I hope I will get new friends to follow my journey too! I love followers, they are addictive!

Day one

My first day of drugs started quite badly with a strong headache. I'm sure it was mostly stress about my student and the day ahead, but it improved with a bit of paracetamol.

The great news of today is that it was both the beginning of the stim phase, as well as the end of the journey for my first student in our group. She was outstanding and I could hardly bring back the tears of pride. I'm sure I won't be so good when she'll thank me in person and eventually will say goodbye to move on to her post doc in Manchester. It was a great day.

I did all my injections a bit late tonight as I brought the examiner out for dinner but I'll be a bit more organised from tomorrow onwards. I'm so tired and in bed (it's nearly midnight Irish time!) but I did have to update on the day. I will catch up on all my ICLW tomorrow!

ICLW and baseline scan

Welcome my friends, I'd love for you to stay a bit longer, this ICLW week coincides with the beginning of my third fresh ICSI cycle! Let's celebrate!! I was lucky to get pregnant on my other fresh cycles, but not lucky enough to have the embryo sticking to the right place. First it was the left tube. Then the right one. Come on little embryo you can do it this time!! You can read a bit of my story on my profile, but here's the link to the last ICLW intro for a recap up to that point.
So I don't think I ever had an ICLW at the beginning of a cycle, it was mostly during the 2ww I'd say.I do need all the support I can get this time around, I'm dreading another blow. But...let's stay postive.
This morning I had my baseline scan, I stopped the pill on saturday after only 20 days and I'm ready to go. Very thin lining, quiet ovaries and guess...still HIV negative! I'm tested for HIV and other STDs like a high risk person! It's the new EU regulation apparently, you have to have it done at the beginning of each cycle. Just in case. Ah well.My Favourite Doctor wasn't there, she was at a conference, back tomorrow I think. So I had another nurse doing the scan, but she was lovely too. I'm on the same protocol as the last time (short with antagonists) and on the same dose of Puregon. It will all start tomorrow, I will have my breakfast with Prednisolone, high strength folic acid and vitamin B complex, dinner with Puregon and Luveris and a bit of Clexane for dessert. I will finish my day with low strength aspirine. Nice diet, uh? I'm adamant I will drink a lot of water. My next scan will be on day 6, so I'll manage an update within this ICLW week!
Last night I went to my first Yoga lesson in the new place. I loved the teacher which is great and it's walking distance from home! I told her about our IVF and that I will have to stop the classes in the 2ww but if possible I will switch to meditation and she had no problem with it. I'm delighted with myself for sticking to the new year resolutions. I'll be on the Wii fit this evening too!
Now, tomorrow is the big day for my student E. She'll defend her PhD thesis and will move on to bigger and better things...I'm so emotional about it, it's unreal! I will let you know how it all goes of course.

Tuesday

Thank you all for your kind comments, I do feel a bit better and of course you are right, although what happened to my friend is beyond devastating, we all have to make the most of life and goals while we have the chance to do so.

Anyway, this week was off to a bad start and I'm not sure it has improved yet.
My good cyber-friend Michele sent me her Fertility Buddaha. I have no words to thank her properly for her kindness. When I offered to pay for the postage she just said to make a donation to our local loss group. How amazing can she be? And the Buddha arrived yesterday. A little piece was chipped off probably during the travelling...it can certainly be fixed with a bit of glue but I was just so upset (and on top of the bad news of yesterday morning it didn't take much to upset me). I will fix it today, I'm sure it won't really be noticeable, but still...

Today I had two hours lecturing just over lunch so I didn't really eat properly, but then, my New Toy arrived! Can you imagine? After two months in the repair centre it's finally here! They have extended my guarantee for 3 more months (upon my request!) and basically changed any piece of harware you can think of. Anyway, with the laptop it came a note that stated that after changing all the parts, they had tested it for 80 hours and the BSOD never happened. Well...would you believe it...as soon as I started uploading a programme....TAC!! Blue screen...I looked around...there must be a camera hidden somewhere...this cannot be happening AGAIN!! I was on the phone within a second, spoke with the millionth person who, after all my ranting and rageing, said "Well, I suggest you reinstall the operative system" What?? It just came back!! Anyway, it's "standard procedure" so I went through the commands and things I had to do and...while I was still on the phone...blue screen! He was speechless. He just said for me to send him an email so that he could escalate the issue. To be honest, I'm not sure how more this can be escalated, I think I'm at the top of the ladder!
Anyway, I've since restarted it and so far it seems ok. I definitely think there's something wrong though. We'll see what they say in the email.

I also think AF is on her way! So hopefully by the time thursday come things will have improved a good bit on all fronts!

Monday

I heard on the radio that statistically, today, is the most depressing day of the year. Something to do with the third monday of January. I'm not sure if this is valid only for Ireland (I can't believe there would be many depressed people in New Zeland in the middle of the summer!) but certainly it was not an easy/good day for me.

I gave my first lecture at 9 which was no problem at all. I actually was in way ahead of time as I didn't want to take any chances with the traffic. I had a nice plan for my working day ahead and it was even sunny outside.

And then I checked my emails.

A friend of mine, from my home-town university, lost her husband over the weekend. She is only 3 years older than me and so was he. I cannot even imagine the despair and pain she must be in.
They got together in school and eventually got married probably less than ten years ago. He had suffered from leukemia when he was a teenager but overcame it with no reoccurance. She married him knowing that they will never have children and she just loved him so. Unfortunately, a part from infertility, one of the rare side effects of the drugs was to cause lung damage and he fell within that ridiculous statistic. I didn't know anything about this until I met my friend when I went to Italy in November. She told me that unfortunately her DH wasn't well and was now constantly walking around with a bottle of oxygen and in the National waiting list for a lung transplant. As his condition deteriorated before the Summer, he was bumped up the list and they were constantly waiting for the phone to ring. She was very positive and optimistic, I told her about my MIL and her kidney transplant over 20 years ago and how that did save her life and she is still doing well. I wished her all the very best and although we do not email eachother much we know we are in each other's thoughts for one reason or another (work, common friends etc.). I saw her again at Christmas, no news but still very positive and looking forward to the future.
So when I got the email from one of my colleagues in Italy my heart just sunk. Apparently he contracted pneumonia and with such a weak body there was nothing they could do.
The funeral was today. I cannot think of anything else. I wrote her a card which I'll put in the post tomorrow, but what can you say when someone's life just crashes to the ground in a million pieces?

And suddenly all that I'm doing to have a baby seems just so unnecessary.