First, I'd like to share a picture from our weekend in Crivitz. We climbed to the top of Thunder Mountain with the dogs and Rob's parents. Here we are at the top! Such a happy bunch!
Today I had my first b/w appointment after 2 days of stims. I didn't do my shots (perhaps I should say injections since we all know I no longer do "shots") this morning before my appointment because my appointment was at 6am and injections are to be given between 6-10am. The b/w was to check to see how my Estradiol levels were doing. My b/w results get sent off to RMIA in MN and then they report back to my nurse in Appleton on what to have me do with my meds: increase, decrease, or stay the same. My nurse always gets back to me around 4pm the day of my morning monitoring appointments to tell me what my next step is. She called today at 4pm and told me they were increasing my dosage. Silly me didn't ask any questions, I just said "OK," and wrote down what she told me. Tonight I was to give myself 2 more Bravelle, and then tomorrow I will do 2 Menapur and 3 Bravelle, and same thing on Wednesday before my u/s appointment.
I hung up with my nurse and immediately had to call the Walgreens Specialty pharmacy to have more Bravelle shipped to me since I won't have enough to get me past Tuesday. They will ship more and it will arrive tomorrow so I'll be fine in time for Wednesday.
I never even asked what this all meant. The cool thing is that my friend who went through this prior to me had kept a blog, which I've referenced a gazillion times, and I remember she had to increase her dosage as well. I think because I had this knowledge, that it has happened to someone else, that it just seemend normal. My nurse had told me that after each appointment they will adjust things if necessary, so I think it's just what they do. That is why we are paying my doctor the big bucks, to decide what is the right protocol for me depending on how my body is reacting to things. I read in my "survival guide" that I should not read too much into anything. Everyone's body and cycle is different and the doctors know what to do to give you the best possible outcome. My theory is this: They started me at what they thought would be a good level for someone like me who would have a good chance of hyperstimulating because of my PCOS....they probably started conservatively, and then they see now that I'm not reacting as quickly as they thought, so they're going to "pump me up" with more meds for a few days and see how it shakes out. In all honesty, I'm not worried. Everything is out of my control and I'm just at the mercy of what the doctors tell me. Two more Bravelle tonight? Ok, will do!
So, my husband finally tore himself away from his ridiculously crazy work schedule to come home and mix my meds for me...plus he had to take his antibiotic and eat something. He's so good to come home and help - some husbands might have said "well, you're on your own, I'm working late!" Not mine! This should all turn out great as long as he doesn't die from a stress heart attack in the meantime. God I worry about that guy. :(
So here is a picture of what I'm currently putting into my body on a daily basis:
If it seems like a lot - that's because it is! :) But, I'm handling it just fine. The only thing I'm really noticing at this point is a constant headache, which is starting to get old pretty fast. However, I also quit caffeine too (not a good time to give up that vice probably, but it was a habit I needed to kick) so the headache could be somewhat attributed to that as well. I'm also having some difficulty sleeping. I'm pretty sure that's med related, but it's also a bit of excitement for what the next day will bring. So aside from a wicked head pounding and sheer exhaustion, I'm doing quite well!
Tonight to assist in some relaxation and to reduce stress, Jacci and I treated ourselves to Pedicures. Remember my friend's blog which I alluded to earlier in this post? Well, I copied her idea. I hope she realizes that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! When she went through this she had a pedi and had her toes painted green. Why green? Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Green has healing power. It is the most restful color to the human eye. Green suggests stability and endurance. A perfect choice for this stimulation phase which I currently find myself immersed in. Check it out!
I figure since my friend was so successful with her try at IVF, it can't hurt to follow what she did. "Going Green" has to be a benefit, after all, it is all the rage these days!
The pedi itself and the time spent kicked-back conversing with Jacci while a strange guy buffed skin cells off my heels was some medicine I really needed. Tonight it will be early to bed and then pray that my extra stims start doing the trick and that I have a successful outcome with my b/w and u/s on Wednesday. One day at a time!
Thanks for reading everyone - goodnight!
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