Information overload

Well, we had our final IVF appointment today and we finally have the information we've been waiting for. I honestly think today's appointment was the longest and most informative doctor appointment I've ever had. Joe and I both had a chance to voice our concerns and ask questions and I think we both left the appointment feeling confident and well informed.

I'm staring at my "cheat sheet" wondering how in the world I'm going to pass all the info to you all in blog form. The protocol we are going to follow is the "Hyperstimulation Protocol". My doctor chose this protocol because of my polycystic ovaries. People with polycystic ovaries tend to respond very well to follicle stimulating medications. Since I already have (and almost always have) lots of little follicles in my ovaries the medication helps to mature those causing me to have a ton of mature follicles which could lead to Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. In rare extreme cases, OHSS could cause so much fluid to build up in your abdomen that you have to be hospitalized and have the fluid aspirated. So, obviously, my doctor is trying to avoid that.

Anyway, here is the plan:

Currently- continue taking birth control pills until 2/25
2/21- start 0.1 ml Lupron injections to put my ovaries into hibernation. Take Lupron every morning between 6-8 am for ten days.
3/2- office visit for blood draw to check estrogen levels.
3/4- if estrogen levels were appropriate at 3/2 appointment, being Follistim injections. Take Follistim every morning between 6-8 am AND every evening between 6-8 pm. Also continue Lupron injections but now at 0.5 ml. Also, Joe and I both begin taking antibiotics.
3/6- office visit for blood draw and ultrasound to check for follicles. Continue Lupron and Follistim.
3/7-3/12 (appx)- Continue Lupron and Follistim injections, visit office every other day for blood work and ultrasound to check estrogen levels and follicles on ovaries.
3/12 (appx)- Ovidrel injection to prepare follicles for egg retrieval within 36 hours.
3/13- Pre-op appointment
3/14- Egg retrieval. Under IV sedation, my doctor will insert a needle through my vaginal wall, into my ovaries and aspirate the follicles and remove the eggs. The eggs will be placed in prepared petrie dishes and Joe's sperm will be introduced. I will begin taking progesterone the day of the retrieval to prepare my body for the transfer.
3/14-3/17- Eggs will be watched by the embryologist to determine if they have fertilized. Fertilized embryos will be watched for cell division and growth.
3/17- Possible 3-day embryo transfer. Depending on the quality and number of embryos, we could be offered a 3-day transfer or a 5-day transfer. Usually, if you have several high quality embryos by day 3, you'll usually be pushed to a 5-day transfer.
3/19- Possible 5-day transfer. At this stage, the embryos have reached Blastocyst stage and the embryologist is able to better asses which embryos are "the best of the best" and will discuss how many to transfer. The transfer is done by inserting a catheter (looks like a hollow spaghetti noodle) into my cervix and injecting the embryos directly into my uterus.
3/31- Blood pregnancy test. And, hopefully, a gestational scan will follow 3 weeks after. That would put me at approximately 6-7 weeks pregnant.

There you have it. The next month of my life in a nut shell. Joe and I are really excited and just REALLY want this to work. Our doctor really prefers to only transfer one embryo back for someone of my age and medical history but Joe and I are almost positive that we will transfer two back. Since we're out of pocket we're trying to maximize our chances of success. And, we'd really prefer NOT to have to do this ever again. Plus, we would really be ok with twins. I asked the doctor the likelihood of the embryos splitting and us ending up with three or four and, while he did say it is possible, he said it is unlikely. He didn't give us specific statistics on pregnancy but he did say that we have a 98% chance of having at least one embryo. The national success rate for a live birth for women under 30 is 30% - 40% after one IVF cycle.

Once I get going, I will try to keep you all up to date on everything that is going on with me. I'm sure I will be experiencing a lot of changes in my body. I am also thinking of adding a little video to the blog once I get to my injections so that you can fully experience that with me too. It is a long journey but at least we're finally getting started. Hopefully it'll all pay off in the end!