Tuesday, November 25, 2008

I heart IVF

Fine people, if you have never allowed yourself to undergo IVF, hide the children, go straight to the closest RE's office, throw yourself across the threshold, drag yourself to the registration desk and cry "Please, for the love of God, l'm infertile and I must have IVF." (Please ensure right arm is helplessly crooked over weeping eyes, a la Blanche Dubois.) Seriously, IVF is a ton of fun, why miss out just because your ovaries and other procreating accoutrement work?

I kid, I kid.

Seriously, at least seriously for me, the process of IVF isn't so bad. Physically, that is. I continue to be amazed (what that it hasn't worked? That's another post.) how different it is cycle to cycle. This cycle, for example, I've already bruised from the subcutaneous shots. I never bruised my first cycle. Not really my second cycle. Maybe it's because I'm not paying attention like I used to. On Sunday, I gave myself a shot after inserting a meat thermometer in the leg of a free range chicken. Hmmm. And the menopur shot has never really stung like it has this time. Oh yea, I'm using three vials this time. Duh.

An interesting variation this time is that I'm not using estrogen in any form. My RE is holding off because of a recent study indicating that estrogen may inhibit growth of the endometrium. My lining has never exceeded 8.7, even with varying amounts of estrogen use. I'll be interested to see how or if this works. I will probably go to my first ultrasound tomorrow and find that not only has my lining not plumped up, it has folded into itself and *poof* disappeared, except for the faint outline of a middle finger, viewable only on ultrasound. Such is the luck of a three (four if you count the frozen) time IVF drop out. (It just felt right to inject some pity there.) My bet is that I end up back on the estrogen pill and shots.

So tomorrow we see what's the haps. I'm expecting my left ovary to remaining annoyingly recalcitrant, just like last time, and my right ovary to do its job, although less than adequately, see note about three time drop out above. Lining will be woefully inadequate, but I'm not going to get too worked up about that yet. If I'm on the mark about this, I'll be heading to the 7-11 for my powerball ticket. I'll come out a winner yet!

6 comments:

Mermaid said...

At least you can maintain your humor!

My IVFs were mega fun. Until IVF #3 - OHSS plus internal bleeding following ER - that was more than fun, that was a rip-roaring good time!

Lots of luck with this round of fun!

Phoebe said...

Yes, the physical parts of IVF aren't the hard part. It's the emotional stuff that will reduce you to a withering mass of protoplasm on the floor. I've got one ovary that's the overyachiever compared to the other one as well. To annoy you even more, I will wish you a "third time's a charm" wish!

Denise said...

Interesting theory on the estrogen since it is so widely accepted that it helps build lining. I'm very curious now. I can still hear my RE's words ringing in my ears about how some people just don't grow a thick lining. For the record, this cycle that worked started with a lining no thicker than 7.

Evil Stepmonster said...

Good luck with the lining theory, you just never know what our tricky little bodies can get up to when they think we're not paying attention.

Good luck for all systems go at tomorrows scan.

Pepper said...

My lining is always barely a seven. Eight sounds positively thick and lustrous!

BTW - I heard somewhere that Menopur stings less if you let if sit a little after you mix it. I was also on three vials and can't recall any stinging episodes. (I'm off to knock on wood now...)

Best of luck with the scan tomorow!

Nadine said...

WOW like the estrogen theory (or at least in my case no matter how much estorgen I through at the unmentionable organ it still doesn't behave)... hope the no estrogen works