IVF 1.0 Cycle Review & IVF 2.0
I’ve taken a little Tumblr breather as far as posting goes, but I’ve been checking my dashboard. There are some other ladies currently undergoing IVF and gearing up to start new cycles, so I’ve been following closely and cheering you all on. I’m excited for everyone!
I had an ultrasound and also a cycle review to discuss our failed IVF cycle with our doctor a couple of days ago. After two weeks on the pill, he said everything looks good. No cysts and the lining looks pretty thin. All is quiet. I have to wait for a withdrawl bleed and then I go in on Monday to check my FSH & estrogen levels. If all is to my doctor’s liking, then I start up the pill again for 2-3 weeks.
After finding out that it was another chemical pregnancy, I was of course disappointed. But, my doctor thinks that our chances are still very, very good - as implantation did happen - which is a great sign for the future! Doc says that the embryos likely didn’t stick because they were not chromosomally healthy, so it’s a matter of getting lucky and transferring the ones that are gonna go the distance.
I was surprised to hear that my doctor is strongly leaning towards changing my protocol to the more traditional Long Lupron protocol. He warned that I will most likely have some degree of OHSS, as I even had some effects of it with the Lupron trigger protocol b/c of the small doses of hCG that went along with it. So using a higher dose of hCG to trigger will likely make the bloating, sore ovaries, & breathing difficulties even worse than last time, but he still thinks it’s the way to go if I can handle it.
As much as I’m dreading the physical discomforts, I’m willing to tolerate it. My biggest fear is actually having to do a freeze all cycle if severe OHSS symptoms arise. I would be so disappointed if that happened. He said that I will likely have to go in every day for bloodwork so they can fine-tune my FSH dose. And Dr. S said that “coasting” is always an option if my estrogen levels get too high. After my bloodwork results on Monday, a final decision will be made, but he’s about 90% sure it will be the Long Lupron. Should I be scared of the side effects from the Lupron?
With the antagonist protocol, I was over-suppressed. As soon as I started with the Ganirelix injections, my estrogen levels started to plateau instead of doubling every 48 hours. Because there were a couple of days where this happened, my overall stim time was cut short. And this resulted in a lot of immature eggs at the time of egg retrieval. Next time, we’re hoping for at least 9 days of FSH injections to give the eggs time to mature properly before egg collection.
I’m so eager to get started again. The waiting is so hard. It was tough to come to terms with the fact that we will not be bringing home a baby in 2012. I was really looking forward to having a baby by Christmas, but alas, it was not meant to me. So I’m hoping for an early 2013 baby(ies)! I hope more than anything that our 2nd round of IVF will get us our baby!! I’m praying for only 2 more weeks on the pill. If that’s the case, then the egg retrieval could be as early as the last week of May!! Here we go again on the IVF roller coaster!