Humor first. Then numbers.

Earlier this week I was at work and on the phone with my doctor's office discussing how I was getting ready to hand over nearly $13,000* to them the following day. Not a fun conversation, for sure. While we were working out the details, S. had already made it home for the evening and ran into a little problem:

When the first text came through, I laughed to myself and thought "Thank GOD I am not home or else I'd be the one dealing with this."

When the second text came through, I couldn't help letting out an audible laugh. He was panicking. I could tell.

And then when the photo came, I lost it. Tears were streaming down my face. I couldn't stop laughing.  For the first time, ever, I was so happy to be the one dealing with medical nonsense and NOT the one dealing with "poop butt."

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IVF Update

• Today is Cycle Day 5
• So far I have taken three shots of Ganirelix and Estrace 2xs a day during the final days of my previous luteal phase and into the first few days of this cycle.
• Cycle Day 4 I went in for baselines. Antral Follicle Count = 7 (roughly, there may have been more). Progesterone came back perfectly low at 0.something and E2 was elevated (we knew it would be, due to Estrogen Priming) at 62. I was given the all clear to move forward with this cycle.
• Today I started Microdose Lupron. I will administer that 2xs a day up until Egg Retrieval.
• Tonight I start Dexamethasone and will take that nightly through Egg Retrieval.
• Sunday I will begin Gonal-F and Menopur in addition to the Lupron. I will take this through Egg Retrieval. 
• I am anticipating, due to my DOR situation, I will be a "slow responder" and will likely stim anywhere from 13 to 15 days.
• It's quite possible that by the time this is all done, I will have given myself over 60 shots in the stomach.
• I have two major hurdles to cross due to my diagnoses.
• First, because of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR, due to Endometriosis) I have an uphill battle when it comes to getting enough good eggs to make good quality embryos (hence the complicated protocol). I don't even know how many embryos to hope for. Any would be nice.
• Second, because of Endometriosis, I am opting to freeze whatever embryos I do get so I can do a two month treatment of Depot Lupron (medicated menopause here I come) to shrink the Endo, reduce inflammation that results from Endo, and to take care of any possible missing or reduced beta 3 integrin issues (all of which can effect implantation and/or lead to miscarriage). There are studies that show a drastic increase in pregnancy rates for women with Endometriosis after doing a course of Depot Lupron. Most women with Endo go on Lupron after a failed IVF. I'm trying to avoid failing in the first place since I already know I won't have a huge stockpile of embryos to return to. 
• Current worries: Will my follicles respond to medication? And if they do, how many eggs will there be? And, most importantly, will those eggs fertilize? And make it to day 5 blastocysts? 
• Remember that time when we just had sex and got pregnant? Ha. That was fun.

* Don't be fooled. $13,000 is not the total sum of all these treatments.