The trigger and more!

I had originally planned on posting every day during the IVF stimming process in order to have a record of how things have gone, but that so did not happen.  I just have not felt up to it.   So, today is a wee bit of a catch up day.

My second follicle check was uneventful.   I was worried when I went in that morning, because when I had awoken, all my symptoms had miraculously disappeared.  Apparently, it's normal to have good days and bad days, and everything looked fine.  The symptoms came back with a vengeance that afternoon.  The clinic does not like to provide information as far as the size and number of follicles, so I walked away with nothing but the comment that I was "responding great".   I avoided a blood draw, which made me very happy!  I started drinking 32 ounces of Gatorade to help with staying hydrated and minimizing risks of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome, I also spent most of the day on the couch watching netflix.  We also discovered that letting the menopur sit for a few minutes after mixing it causes the drug to burn less when injected.  

My third follicle check was a bit of a jumble.  As I was driving to my appointment that I thought was at noon, I received a phone call from the clinic asking why I was over an hour late.   I don't know how the wires got crossed, but it all worked out in the end.   The scan seemed to go well in that again there were many verbal reassurances that I was "responding well".     We were told to order one more dose of ganirelix and blood was drawn for the E2.  The side sffects kicked up a notch, with me feeling very bloated, lower back pain, and urination being extremely painful.    I drank more Gatorade, hung out on the couch, and downed water like it was going out of style.  During the evening injections we discovered that my stomach had turned black and blue form all the needle sticks.

Yesterday was the fourth follicle check and the last!  We were not given an official follicle count but we saw one labeled "follicle 17, 15mm" on the computer screen.  We were told that there were two follicles over 18mm, which technically qualified us for triggering.  So, it was up to my estrogen levels as to whether I would trigger or not.  Blood was drawn and I was sent on my way with trigger instructions.   We were also given HCG by the clinic because they had ordered a lupron trigger for me, but decided HCG would be better.   A couple hours later we received the call that we would be triggering at midnight!   We ended up being late triggering by ten minutes because the alarm that we had set did not go off, but the clinic says that it is not a big deal!  We didn't end up using the dose of ganirelix the clinic had us order.   Again, I spent most of the day with bad T.V., Gatorade, and worsening side effects.

Which finally brings us to today!   Which will be a great day simply because I do not get stuck with a needle today!  I took a pregnancy test this morning to make sure the HCG was working in my body, which it was, and I then called to confirm that with the clinic.  I have to say that there is something cruel about taking a pregnancy test and getting a positive result under those circumstances!  Mark took his antibiotic this morning, and we signed the final documents.   We now wait.   I have a few more things on my preprocedure checklist, but other than that I just need to report to the clinic at 11:30 tomorrow morning for egg retrieval.   I am excited, scared and slightly dreading going under anesthesia again.  I had a really hard time sleeping last night due to not being able to get comfortable, and my stomach is very distended, especially on the left side, where I have more follicles.   I can no longer wear my regular jeans, and have to wear things with an elastic waist, both because I am so distended and because the waistband on jeans sits right against my bruised pincushion of a stomach, which hurts!  The clinic has reiterated several times between last night and this morning that I need to be drinking LOTS of water and Gatorade, so that is the plan for today as well as more chilling out on the couch.   Walking hurts, standing hurts, sitting hurts and laying on my left side is excruciating.  Urinating is the most painful experience that I have ever had, except for maybe the HSG last spring.

I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that we are nearing the end of this process!