The last ovulation induction update left with an impending internal ultrasound and follow up bloods after an estrogen surge. So this update will pick up right where that one left off. I’ll tell you all about how that ultrasound went, along with the results from the blood test. As you can tell from the title, I have ovulated, and am now doing what I can to make it through the dreaded two-week wait (tww).
After my last post, I promptly shaved. I’m the kind of gal who likes to do my self-grooming in the lounge room. My reasoning is two fold:
- I can watch tv or listen to music, and
- It saves water.
Because I don’t shave on a regular basis, it takes a decent amount of time to complete the task. I like to use that time to its fullest, and that involves YouTube or music. That is easier to incorporate from the lounge room over the bathroom. In addition, if I keep the water running in the shower for that long, not only does the hot water run out but I waste a lot. Enough about my shaving routine and on to the details of the OI cycle.
I arrived at Compass Fertility at about 7:30am for my 8am appointment for my ultrasound. Being school holidays here, traffic was a lot swifter than anticipated. Better early than late though and after relaxing in the car for 15 minutes, I went in to wait in the clinic.
To my surprise, I was able to get in early for my ultrasound. There was no one else in the clinic. I assume this is because only three fertility specialists refer patients to Compass. So the traffic is lower than what I am familiar with at Genea. It was a good experience not just from the speed of it all. They have a screen that allows you to view the procedure. Genea does not offer this. It was great to be able to actually look at what was going on for myself.
The ultrasound showed a juicy 19x19mm follicle on my left ovary! I could not have asked for much more than that from an ovulation induction cycle. There were a few other smaller follicles but nothing worth measuring. I was also able to see my unicornuate uterus. I could definitely see the shape of it. How was it not seen before the HyCoSy?
After my internal ultrasound, I went down the hall and had my blood drawn. This was my first time doing it at Compass. Somewhat grateful for this after my experience the day before. Speaking of, my arm is almost completely bruise free a week on. Typically it did get worse before it got better.
That afternoon my results came through, and I was told that it was time to trigger. On Wednesday April 24th, I administered two 250iu Ovidrel injections and like that, game on!
I started progesterone the following evening. 1600mgs of progesterone a day. 800mgs in the morning, and 800mgs in the evening. One troche and one pessary for each dose. While it has been nice to be off the Gonal F, I kind of miss it.
Pessaries are messy. So very messy.
Every cycle I forget this little fact about them. It was in my mind with this cycle, but I had hoped that it would be different with a different type of pessary. In the past I’ve been on Endometrin, but these ones are compounded by the pharmacy and are like little bullets.
The problem with the vagina bullets (as I affectionately named them) is that they dissolve with the assistance of your body heat. What is left is a combination of thick, chalky residue and straight up free-flowing fluid. In past cycles, I’ve thought the sensation of the free-flowing fluid leaving my body was a lack of bladder control. This cycle though I’ve come to learn otherwise.
Despite lying down for the advised 30 minutes – if not longer – post insertion, I find that I am constantly leaking dissolved pessary all day long. As a result, pantyliners have become my new best friends! Sorry Kiona and Silvia, you just don’t provide me with the protection I truly need these days.
I never wear pantyliners under normal circumstances. Up until pessaries came into my life I never had a need for them. Now, I cannot go anywhere without them. Even with them, pessary juice still finds a way to leak out unto my underwear and on some occasions through my pants too. I am not complaining. I will take these little buggers as often as I have to if I get the results I want, but they just suck.
There have been no significant side effects from my high dose of progesterone. It’s been quite pleasant minus the discharge. I have been tired, but that’s fairly standard these days.
I had a follow-up blood test on Monday morning to ensure I have ovulated and make sure my progesterone is at a good level. To my utter surprise, it is up over 100! Typically, irrespective of how much progesterone I am on, it never gets all that high. In fact on the cycle I did have a pregnancy with, I was on 800mgs of progesterone, (my highest dose prior to this cycle) and my blood level only just made it over 30. This cycle with my new FS, she wants it to be over 80, which it definitely is.
Now I just wait. I keep taking my progesterone pessaries and troches twice a day, then go in for my pregnancy test on Wednesday next week. I hope this cycle results in a pregnancy, but it is hard to fathom that anything other than IVF could get me pregnant. While my body is in a good hormonal state for pregnancy, there are still so many variables.
First, there needed to be an ovum in that follicle on my left ovary. It needs to have been fertilized. From there is needs to implant and hang in there for 38 weeks. That’s a lot of pressure on one little follicle. It is also a lot for my body to achieve. If it hasn’t done it yet, why will it do it now?
Why wouldn’t it do it now? Could this be the cycle that brings us our rainbow? It was this cycle last year that I miscarriage our only ever frozen embryo. The only embryo that ever implanted. It feels like a lot of pressure. I also keep asking myself why a year has passed without a rainbow. It is what it is, but it makes me feel odd knowing in just over a week, this cycle could be over.
If this cycle is unsuccessful, we will start another round of ovulation induction and keep with it until we sort out the money for another IVF stims cycle. Speaking of, go check out my merch shop and get yourself something from my collection. I know what will happen if this doesn’t work and that takes off some of the pressure. Whatever will be will be.
This will probably be the last update I make for this cycle until my results come through. Until then, I plan to keep myself busy with distractions. I had my best friend’s bachelorette party this weekend just gone. I also have some wonderful things for the ttc community to get involved with including a card exchange and a giveaway! Make sure to pop over to my Instagram and see how you can get involved in these activities. Maybe they will help keep your mind occupied if you’re going through something stressful.
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