Egg Hunt

Well what can I say, I love sedation, especially after my egg collection experience in my last cycle :-)

The numbers are in, 13 eggs . . . hopefully 13 is lucky for us.

It's hard not to compare cycles but I guess natural to do so . . . this cycle has been easier overall, I'm a dab hand at injecting, the side effects much less and I responded quicker. Last time I had 15 eggs, 13 of these were mature, and of those 8 became embryos. So my number of eggs is slightly less than last time but I'm going for quality not quantity this time.  In other good news, the embryologist gave us a run down of OH's sample stats, and it's much improved, we both breathed a big sigh of relief.

All the staff at the clinic were so lovely to us throughout and very calming, especially Tina (OH calls her Nurse Sparrow). We also saw the consultant too which was nice and he gave me a little pat on the shoulder, bless. Oh and then we met Mr Smooth, the anaesthetist, omg he was super smoooooth! The only thing that hurt this time around was putting the cannula in and so I told Mr Smooth off about this, as you do! :-) before I knew it I was asleep and then back in the waiting area.

Fingers crossed my little eggies are getting down and dirty in the petri dish, lol.

Cluck Cluck

So I survived! Egg collection, done.

I worked my self up so much in the last couple of days with nerves so I'm really pleased we've passed another hurdle. Luckily for me, we were assigned the super nice fertility nurse from the other day, she is so caring and understanding that she really makes you feel at ease.

On arrival we were shown to my bed for the morning and I was give a window view, bonus (the clinic is in a beautiful setting, in the the middle of nowhere). The nurse went through the drugs I would be taking and I also had a chance to have a minute with the doctor who would be performing my egg collection. She offered that I could switch to a general anaesthetic if I wanted to but as she reassured me that it should be fine I stuck with the local anaesthetic option. My OH was given his instructions for his "specimen" and he went off to the deed, sounds like it was a bit of a military operation with specific instructions to be followed to ensure the sterility of the sample. My vital signs were taken and I was given the pain killer suppository to take (my first ever one, an odd experience!) . . . not long after I was given the two injections in my rear (pethidine and an anti-sickness jab), by 'eck they stung!  I'm sure to have a lovely bruise waiting for me there.

It wasn't that long before the drugs took effect and I felt much more relaxed, a welcome feeling for a change. I was expecting to only wait another half an hour before it was my turn but the lady before me was in theatre for much longer than expected. I'm not sure exactly what her complications were but from our eavesdropping (had to be done!) it seems that she didn't have her light breakfast and so her BP dropped in theatre, she came back eventually and sounded fine.

Finally, it was my turn and off I went into theatre. I was so scared but the staff were very friendly making polite chit-chat conversation. They put the cannula in and hooked me up to the monitoring machines. The first part of the procedure was by far the worst, felt like the speculum they used was some super sized one so they could put the local anaesthetic in. They offered me gas and air as all the machines were bleeping like mad as I found it pretty painful, but when they said it would make me feel dizzy I declined, another minute or so later she removed the speculum and I breathed a great sigh of relief. The next part was not as bad (hard to beat the first part) as they just used the usual ultrasound wand which I'm quite used to now to guide them and I could watch on the screen which was bizarre! The doctor explained everything she was doing, she drained each follicle and placed liquid into test tubes (really is like test tube babies!), it was a little uncomfortable but this part was over in about 15 minutes. During all this, they gave me several antibiotics through the cannula and once the follicles were drained she put the flaming speculum back to check everything over and a antibiotic suppository for good measure, but thankfully that was it!

So, the numbers are in:

 

Left Ovary

11 follicles gave 11 eggs (the cyst ended up being a follicle I think)

Right Ovary

4 follicles gave 4 eggs (the rest were too teeny)

15 eggs in total, woo hoo! I hadn't expected this many as my right ovary had not been responding very well so I'm pleased and hope most of them survive (grow embies grow).
After a cuppa and and a biccie I was discharged . . . I'm to call tomorrow afternoon for an update on how our embies are doing, hopefully there is a party going on in a petri dish.

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

Grow Follies Grow

I've been on my Gonal F stimulation injections for 9 days now if you count tonight, go Moon, lol :-)

These past couple of days though I have been feeling a bit on the bloated side, not a good look I can tell ya. It's usually been happening in the evenings in the safety of my own home, but yesterday my tummy decided to spontaneously bloat out during a meeting with some of my new work colleagues, brilliant! I was wearing smart trousers and a fitted cardigan, nowhere to hide other than behind my pashmina, thought my trouser button was going to pop off (ha!). My boobs are on the up too (.)(.) and are a bit tender but I'm still not complaining about this one. Other things I've noticed is that I am starving ALL the time, either the drugs are doing their magic and working hard or I've turned into a greedy monster, I like to think the former.

So I had my second monitoring visit at the clinic early this morning to see how I'm doing on stimms, I was feeling so anxious about it that I sat bolt upright at 7am before my alarm went off and woke up my OH, oops. I was worried again about my little right ovary not responding and what this could mean and whether there is something wrong with it that we didn't know before. I'm not sure I spoke much on our 45 minute journey to the clinic, lost in my thoughts whirring around my head and of course, fearing the worst. These drugs definitely make you feel up one minute and then you come crashing down the next.

My scan was bit more uncomfortable this time compared to last time but it was worth it as there was some progress thank goodness.

Left Ovary

10 follicles (3 or 4 of these are below 10mm). Go lefty!

One small cyst (still there, but apparently they will aspirate this at egg collection)

Right Ovary

Woo hoo, some activity, only a little, but it's some. 2 teeny tiny follicles.

I didn't manage to get the follie measurements this time but I think some were at the 14mm stage, what size do follicles ideally need to be to release mature eggs?

I asked about my right ovary (again) and I was reassured that I shouldn't worry, it doesn't mean anything is wrong, it could respond on another cycle and that it's just disappointing it isn't responding this time. I'm pleased there is some activity now, might only be two teeny ones, but at least it's woken up, I doubt it will catch up in time but nevermind. I feel quite protective over my right ovary now, poor thing!

I had some more blood taken and collected some more Gonal F, seems I'm sticking to the same dose of 225IU and they'd like to see me again on Tuesday. They didn't call me in the afternoon like last time so I didn't get chance to ask about my estradiol level, guess it's back to the on a need to know basis so no over analysing opportunities :-) probably a good thing.

As we were up so early we tried to make the most of the day, we headed over to a shopping centre for retail therapy (much appreciated) and make a start on our christmas shopping (has to start some day). I was craving my favourite from Starbucks, but went for the decaf option, try saying this, hilarious - tall decaf skinny caramel macchiato with sugar-free vanilla syrup! In the evening my OH took me out for dinner for my favourite, Laksa, yum yum yum, if you haven't had this before, it's a spicy noodle soup with tofu and chicken, tastes divine and is so addictive. 

Bloated stomach + spicy soup = one round Moon.

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 :-)