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Thursday, August 29, 2013

A Day in the Life of a Wananbee SMC: The Girl Scout with Achy Ovaries Slaps on a Patch.

As of tonight, I still have two doses of Femara left (I take 5mg for 7 days).  So far this cycle, I haven't had too many symptoms.  I can feel my ovaries aching, "talking to me," as I like to put it.  I'm really feeling it on the left this month, which also happened last month.  I suppose the whole alternating sides every month doesn't apply when drugs are involved.  I have been emotional, but that is understandable, given what I have been going through with my family and the Ironman these past couple of weeks.  I can only imagine what I would be like if I had "the Clomid crazies" on top of all this; another reason for me to NOT take that drug, you narrow-minded, self-important fruitcake who calls the U of M RMC your place of operation.... on that note, I have been trying to breathe, eat well, remember my supplements, and get a good night's sleep as often as I can-haha.  Joking aside, I am a firm believer in practicing good self-care, even if I have to force myself to do it.

The Girl Scout in me is already thinking ahead to the next cycle if I need it, just as I did the last time.  I met with the Good Doctor today.  He was very factual with me: "With annovulation, your odds are zero.  With oral meds and fresh sperm, you have about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each cycle.  With frozen sperm, that goes down to 15%.  You grew a follicle, with possibly one to spare.  I can give you a chance; which is more than I can give every patient I see.  But that is what it is: only a chance." 

He has a point.  So, I asked him what happens if this cycle doesn't work.  I was recently blessed with a month's worth of donated Gonal-F.  I have no idea what good deed I did to deserve this; it's a favor that I can never re-pay.  All the research I have done indicates that, if oral meds don't work after a cycle or to and male factor infertility isn't an issue (this guy's boys seem to be in decent shape all things considered), a woman my age would probably do well with Gonadotropins.  Better eggs, more likely to work, but also a higher risk of multiples (up to 30%), ovarian cancer, and a possibly fatal complication called ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome.  Google that one; it's nasty.  The choices we must make, am I right?   

Anyways, the doctor is ok with me using Gonal-F next cycle IF I need it.  Start with 150iu a day, then increase/decrease as needed, obviously being ever conscious of the possibility of OHSS.

I am still trying to stay positive for this cycle.  I am really wanting it to work; I want this so badly with every fiber of my being.  Even with all the confidence I put in the folks at Diamond, one thing kind of bothered me.  I had to ask the doctor if there was anything else he could think of that would prevent implantation, since everything else looked good.  He opened up his laptop again, saying, "Well, let's see."  Turns out my progesterone level was only at 2 at 14 dpo/dpiui, on 50mg of vaginal progesterone twice a day.  That's pretty friggin' low.  I wish someone would have told me that last week.  This could have explained a lot.  I'm so certain I felt implantaion cramping 6 days out last time.  If my progesterone level is that low, I would think there was very little chance of my little embie burrowing in.  He explained that it's hard to know if this is the case or not, since it can also drop dramatically after pregnancy is not achieved.  The only thing we can do at this point is to check it 7dpo and see where it's at with the supplementation.  At this point, more progesterone or a different kind of progesterone could be added, but the cycle could also already be a wash.  So, why was this not explored last time?  I'm a little irked by this, but there is very little I can do.  I think I will ask my resident stork stalker for advice on this...perhaps get them to up my dose, just in case?

In other news, I have slapped on another estradiol patch.  Since my endometrium was at 6mm on CD 11 last time, I am starting on CD 8 this time.  Might as well give it as much time to grow as I can.

  
 Cool pharmaceutical companies give out samples.  Cool doctors share them.  (Love Jami's little love notes?)
        

2 comments:

  1. You were on 50mg of progesterone total per day? For my first five IUIs, I took the 200mg capsules of Prometrium (they look like little yellow footballs), and one the sixth -- the one that worked -- I switched to using those same capsules as suppositories (one at night). I think it was Jamie that prescribed the progesterone, not my doctor, and both nurses were a bit, 'Well, if you WANT to do suppositories, that's your choice...'

    If I had to start from the beginning again, I'd go in whole hog right from the start. Especially with something like progesterone, where it's not likely to give you any trouble even if you don't need it. Good luck!

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    1. It was 50mg twice a day, so 100mg total. Seriously, I am so dedicated to being all in, that I am willing to start PIO if I need to. Lumpy booty be dammed! :) I guess I'm a little frustrated, although I trust Dr. W and Jami very much. I wish this would have come up last cycle. I feel like a science experiment already, and I can only afford to be one so many times, you know?

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