It's been a very long week. This is the first chance I have had (and felt like) to leisurely sit at the computer.
We had a little bit of a roller coaster ride this week...
Thursday I went back for blood work and the ultrasound. My blood work has continued to look good. We could definitely see my ovary on Thursday! We even saw the "remnant" ovary on my left side! The left ovary had one small follicle (WHOA! IT WORKS!) and the right ovary had 2 follicles. (follicles are what they look for to determine how many eggs you have). Typically they average 8 to 10 eggs a cycle. So this was the discouraging news. So we were pretty much ready to cancel this cycle and start over next month, until... my blood work came back and Dr. Dunaway really felt like my ovary had to have more happening than we could see. Being that the ovary is crammed between my kidney and liver, this didn't surprise him that we might not be seeing everything. So... we did one more night of injections and went back Friday. We were very ready, once again to cancel, but we saw 2 more follicles for a total of 5. This is not a bad number, but being that we are having a surgical retrieval (not typical and $5000 out of pocket in addition to standard IVF cost) - we aren't pleased with that number. So... we went one more day to just make sure that no other follicles were hiding from the ultrasound. We had to drive to Metairie (New Orleans office) yesterday morning for monitoring. They saw the same thing as Friday and that decided it for us... we canceled the cycle.
Even though we have 5 eggs, that doesn't mean all 5 would make it. He was very pleased with my blood work and the quality & size of the follicles that he could see. He was very encouraging to us! Financially this sets us back a little, but I'm so glad we didn't get any further into the process for it to not work. Basically, we will owe the cost of monitoring and will have to pay for meds again - and thankfully we have some left over! It's still a hit, but I really feel like it could have been a lot worse.
My dad reminded me that this isn't a procedure, this is a process. (banker turned doctor??? nah!) I appreciate his wisdom. It's a learning experience and we are all definitely learning. No two cases are ever alike. Dr. Dunaway will change my recipe of meds to help ensure that I produce a lot more follicles next time. We are encouraged because for a few reasons: 1. they saw my ovary! how sick would we have been if he had only gone on blood work and only gotten 5 when he did the surgery??? 2. I am responding to the medicines 3. The quality of my endometrium and follicles look really good as well as my blood work.
So that's where we are... My tummy gets a break from shots, the hormones can LEAVE for all I care!!! (it is truly an experience), and we will regroup.
We are thankful for Dr. Dunaway and his wisdom. We are most thankful for the opportunity that God is giving us. Our prayer is that He be glorified in everything.
In His grace & at His mercy,
We had a little bit of a roller coaster ride this week...
Thursday I went back for blood work and the ultrasound. My blood work has continued to look good. We could definitely see my ovary on Thursday! We even saw the "remnant" ovary on my left side! The left ovary had one small follicle (WHOA! IT WORKS!) and the right ovary had 2 follicles. (follicles are what they look for to determine how many eggs you have). Typically they average 8 to 10 eggs a cycle. So this was the discouraging news. So we were pretty much ready to cancel this cycle and start over next month, until... my blood work came back and Dr. Dunaway really felt like my ovary had to have more happening than we could see. Being that the ovary is crammed between my kidney and liver, this didn't surprise him that we might not be seeing everything. So... we did one more night of injections and went back Friday. We were very ready, once again to cancel, but we saw 2 more follicles for a total of 5. This is not a bad number, but being that we are having a surgical retrieval (not typical and $5000 out of pocket in addition to standard IVF cost) - we aren't pleased with that number. So... we went one more day to just make sure that no other follicles were hiding from the ultrasound. We had to drive to Metairie (New Orleans office) yesterday morning for monitoring. They saw the same thing as Friday and that decided it for us... we canceled the cycle.
Even though we have 5 eggs, that doesn't mean all 5 would make it. He was very pleased with my blood work and the quality & size of the follicles that he could see. He was very encouraging to us! Financially this sets us back a little, but I'm so glad we didn't get any further into the process for it to not work. Basically, we will owe the cost of monitoring and will have to pay for meds again - and thankfully we have some left over! It's still a hit, but I really feel like it could have been a lot worse.
My dad reminded me that this isn't a procedure, this is a process. (banker turned doctor??? nah!) I appreciate his wisdom. It's a learning experience and we are all definitely learning. No two cases are ever alike. Dr. Dunaway will change my recipe of meds to help ensure that I produce a lot more follicles next time. We are encouraged because for a few reasons: 1. they saw my ovary! how sick would we have been if he had only gone on blood work and only gotten 5 when he did the surgery??? 2. I am responding to the medicines 3. The quality of my endometrium and follicles look really good as well as my blood work.
So that's where we are... My tummy gets a break from shots, the hormones can LEAVE for all I care!!! (it is truly an experience), and we will regroup.
We are thankful for Dr. Dunaway and his wisdom. We are most thankful for the opportunity that God is giving us. Our prayer is that He be glorified in everything.
"For this I will praise you,
O LORD, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
Great salvation he brings[j] to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever."
2 Samuel 22:50,51
In His grace & at His mercy,
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