Saturday, September 9, 2017

IVF update #1

Today marks day 4 of stims and my first estradiol, which is estrogen, level check. The results will give the doctor an idea of how my body is reacting. On my first day (CD3) of stims my estradiol level was at 53.3 pg/ml. A good baseline number. This afternoon my levels were at 504.3 pg/ml. The nurse stated that I was responding well. My Gonal-F measurment was dropped to 75 iu. Below is a chart that displays how estrogen levels increase through an IVF cycle.


I will do this for the next two days. On Sunday, or stim day 6, I go in for more blood work and an ultrasound. Here’s a nice picture of what our nightly ritual consists of:



That yellow-labeled package? Well, that is a fun little addition to this protocol: blood thinner. Since several doctors and I concluded that the birth control pills were the (most likely) culprit for my blood clots, I shouldn’t introduce estrogen into my body without taking blood thinners. Why is it so much fun? Lovenox burns for about a minute after injection. Intensity can vary depending on….magical medication gnomes. Honestly, I don’t know. Some days, it’s not so bad. Other times, it’s as if lava was inserted under you skin. See? Fun. J2 seems intent on keeping me alive. He did just drop a fortune for me to carry his love child.


Symptoms: slight bloating feel, twinges probably from growing follicles expanding, exhaustion, and nausea.  

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