The next step of my IVF journey happened today when I went back to the clinic for my first post stimulation scan. This scan is to see how my ovaries have responded to the drugs. I started injecting Menopur last Tuesday, I did 150ml for 3 days and then reduced my dosage to 112ml. My dosage needs to be reduced because of my high AMH (egg reserve), as I have so many eggs I am at risk of developing ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) so they have to go slow and cautious with the drugs. On Saturday I also started to inject a drug called Cetrotide which stops me from ovulating naturally. This drug and my skin don’t get on very well and I seem to be getting a hot, blotchy red patch that REALLY itches when I inject – the world of Twitter has reassured me this is normal though.
I was brave again and went along on my own, they were running late so the waiting made me anxious but I did ok without my sister again. The nurse said that was being so brave and the fact I could endure the scans on my own now showed great strength and how far I’d come. The scan hurt a fair amount today, it’s when they push the probe in and then pull it out that I get the most pain 🙁
My scans showed that my uterus lining is looking tip top! It was measuring around 8mm which is where it should be, throughout both my IUI cycles I had a perfect lining. I am trying to think about this and how it is a good thing, I keep thinking that maybe the egg and sperm didn’t meet those times and if they had my lining was ready for implantation, so this time with an embryo going in the chances of success are higher.
I have 3 eggs measuring 10mm, 11mm and 12mm, I also have half a dozen measuring between 8mm and 10mm, then a selection of smaller ones that could still all participate in the race! The follicles (what holds the eggs) need to measure over 18mm and they should be growing at a rate of 2mm per day now. The nurse said I was on track but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. I don’t know what I was expecting but I think I thought I’d have more bigger follicles already.
It is all such a minefield of emotions. I’m excited and I am weirdly enjoying the injecting and the feeling of actively seeking my dream…but I am so terrified, there is no way of knowing how I will respond, whether it will be good enough and my anxious mind automatically takes me to worse case scenario – what if they don’t get enough eggs, what if none of them fertilise? With every new cycle the stakes are higher and the disappointment will be even more crushing.
Please pray for the success of this cycle for me. xx