Math

I got an email yesterday with a report on our donor's first monitoring appointment.

They're tracking 18 follicles between 9-11mm.

I've never had more than 10 to track, and I've never had more than 2-3 within a 2 mm range.

So it feels like a great number.

I just know how the math goes... How many have mature eggs, how many fertilize, how many get to Day 3, how many get to Day 5, how many are genetically normal...

But it's great news at this point, and all I can do is take it one day at a time.

P.S. I had a big blood draw this morning to check my hormone levels and my immunology activity. Hormone results will be back today, immunology later in the week - that will determine if I need an Intralipid infusion before next week's transfer.

And we're off...!

I visited my clinic this morning for bloodwork (and to drop off another full biohazard container...) My donor visited a local clinic for her blooddraw. Both our estradiols came back satisfying low (mine was 7), so she starts her meds tomorrow and will fly up here to the clinic on Sunday for the beginning of her monitoring!

I start my daily dexamethasone tomorrow, start a 5 day course of cipro, and start twice weekly estradiol valerate injections. Then I go back in next Monday for more bloodwork, including immunology this time to see if I need an Intralipid prior to transfer. Starting next Sunday I'll get regular updates on how our donor is doing.

Happy to finally be at the starting gates!

In other strange musings, I was looking at our (somewhat bedraggled) tomato plants this week and thinking about donor eggs. Some people grow their tomato plants from seeds, but we buy seedlings from a great organic farm. I do a good job prepping the soil, and making sure they have a good environment to grow. And we've had great success this year with our tomatoes. (Giving up on large tomatoes helped - we get coastal air that keeps it cool in the mornings and evenings. :)

Donor eggs is kinda like that - we're getting a seedling, but the growing and nurturing of it are our responsibility, and the health and success of the plant is our doing.

Like I said, strange musings...

Living the Lupron Life

So I started my Lupron injections on Sunday. Three days in, and the irritability hasn't hit yet (my husband is thankful!) I'm sleepier in the mornings, which I'm pretty sure is related. My last birth control pill will be Thursday morning, and then I have bloodwork next Monday.

The donor is also having bloodwork on Monday and if it shows that everything is quiet, she'll start stims on Tuesday. Really looking forward to getting updates on her progress.

I've been sluggish. Not feeling productive, even though I've taken on a few volunteer projects. Including volunteering for the first time as a clinic escort for Planned Parenthood! I'm looking forward to doing that once a week.

The puppy is much better behaved - she knows how to signal she needs to go outside, which was an enormous breakthrough. Even though she's fine on her own for a few hours, I do feel she's cramping my style - there are things I'd be doing if I didn't feel tied to home because of her. But I do get a lot more exercise walking her, and she's cute and generally fun to be around.

The #truthabouttrying tweets today were great, but reflecting on my summary: 6 IUIs, 5 IVFs, in progress DEIVF, I mostly feel tired. Nothing to show after more than four years... Here's hoping this round does the trick.

Scattered post, I know. I'm looking forward to having meatier updates soon!

Calendar!

Our donor is finally cleared medically, and so I now have a calendar for our cycle!

It's pushed back a week from what our clinic initially proposed, due to the donor's schedule, but I guess that's par for the course when you're coordinating 3 schedules, not 2.

I take Humira today and two weeks from today (side rant: my husband's company's insurance sucks - I have to pay for the Humira out of pocket = $2000), and start Lupron on October 16th (ugh!) Estradiol valerate injections start October 24, and I have a monitoring appointment on November 5. Retrieval is likely between November 3-6, making transfer between November 8-11.

So ready to get this show on the road!

In answer to a few of the questions on my last post:

@Lindsey: we're working with our local RE - there's no advantage for us working with Dr Sher for a donor cycle, as my local RE has successfully managed my immunology issues in the past.
@Roccie: we have no agreements in place, but can contact her through the agency. She's open to the possibility of contact with children, but doesn't want to stay in touch with us in the meantime.
@Amanda: we had to meet her because she was born abroad, which means the FDA requires the donation be an open donation (in case of weird diseases, etc.) Most donations are anonymous. :)