The Magic Number

First things first . . .

BREAKING NEWS: Prince William & Kate Middleton are engaged to be married!

Jeez, enough already :-) I've been working from home today and ALL the news channels have gone mental. I've just watched their first exclusive interview on the BBC, they seem like ordinary people, nice rock too. The interviewer asked they if they were planning on having a big family or just seeing how it goes (what kind of question is that?!), they handled it well though and said they'd like a family but one step at a time, they just got engaged, give 'em chance.

Anyway, back to real life, had my third monitoring scan today, boy was it busy in the waiting room today, so much so that they did everything back to front, I had my blood test before my scan this time (not that I'm a fusspot (much!) but I'd rather get the dildo-cam out of the way as soon as, it's not like saving the best for last). The lady who took my blood was the loveliest lady I've seen so far, very caring. She said I looked tired (check) and very nervous (check), yup, that's me.  We went through my results from the last scan and she reassured me I was doing well (again obviously well versed in making you feel calm as we all know I could be responding better - c'mon righty!) and she seemed generally pleased. Apparently the magic number they are looking for is about 18mm and she hoped I would have some at that stage already by now. She took some blood and Spy Moon checked out the paperwork, my estradiol level last time was 4912 pg/ml. Now between the last visit and this one I have been using Dr Google and so I asked the lady if she thought it was too high, she just said it was high, but it's good and it's ok as I only have a few follicles, I left it at that.

I had my scan with a different lady and me and my OH sat there and watched the blobs move over the screen . . . no idea how they keep track when they're measuring them, I'm sure she measured one of them twice :-) they just look like bubbles to me.

Left Ovary

9 follicles (err one missing! a couple of these are at 18mm (magic), some about 14mm)

One small cyst (apparently it hasn't grown since last time, about 24mm)

Right Ovary

5 follicles (1 at 11mm (go righty), the rest are teeny tiny).

So my lefty is doing me proud.  They'd like me to take my Gonal F tonight (Day 12 of stimms) so they can give some of my smaller follies a chance to catch up. I've no idea how many eggs this could yield though (another worry for another day). My HCG trigger injection is likely to be tomorrow with egg collection on Friday.

Interestingly both the ladies today said I look terrified, the thought of the egg collection procedure is filling me with dread. They talked me through some of what will happen . . . it will be under a local anaesthetic, I will be given a muscle relaxant injection, pethidine (doesn't that make you feel drunk and usually given for women in labour?!) and an anti sickness injection, both injections in my rear :-( and wait for it, a suppository for pain relief that I can administer myself (gee thanks). What is it with the rear?  I've not had a suppository before . . . after all this they wonder why I look terrified. Apparently I can have gas and air too and there will be 5 people in theatre (surgeon, anaesthetist, two nurses and an assistant). My OH will be giving his sample that morning too, I'm not sure he can hold me hand in theatre though, boo :-( I'll just have to be even more brave.

So we wait . . . the clinic will call tomorrow to confirm if I am to have my trigger injection and what time to take it.

Yours scared, Moon x

Wakey Wakey

Another hurdle passed . . . had my first monitoring visit today at Bourn Hall, woo hoo.

I was nervous beforehand but the staff at the clinic are so lovely that they make you feel at ease straight away. I had a blood test and my first transvaginal ultrasound (rolls of the tongue doesn't it), or as I have learnt recently, it is also know as 'dildo-cam', nice!  It wasn't that bad after all, much easier than my smear text experiences so that was a relief. The very nice lady carefully explained everything that she was doing and we were able to watch it on the screen, very bizarre.

So (drum roll please) the results are in:

Left Ovary

3 follicles at 13mm, 12mm, 12mm, and 2 smaller ones. 

One small cyst (she didn't seem concerned at this, hope she is right)

Right Ovary

Looks quite small, not much happening there which makes me feel sad :-((

Lining

Thickening up well

Estradiol

3241 (not sure of the units, but she seemed pleased with this)

Needless to say, I'm a little anxious about my right ovary, wakey wakey right ovary, rise and shine! The nice lady didn't seem overly concerned (but I'm sure she is well practised in this art form) and she said that often one ovary progresses quicker than the other and maybe it just doesn't want to play ball, boo.

The clinic called this afternoon to confirm my next monitoring visit will be on Saturday morning, wakey wakey right ovary, please wake up in time.  I also asked the clinic for my estradiol result (3241) but d'oh, forgot to ask about the units (I'm guessing pg/ml), she seemed pleased with that, sounds a bit high to me but I'm no expert so will have to wait and see.
Right, must focus on the positives and go celebrate my left ovary, go ovary go :-)