Protocol and Meds Are Here

This morning, I received my FET protocol from Katie, our nurse at NEDC.  This was a nice surprise as Katie had told me earlier that I wouldn't be getting my protocol until after the 15th.  Looks like I will start Lu.pron on 8/23 and will continue on BCPs until 8/27.   I'll be putting together a calender together to make sure I get all the medications and shots all in one place.  Maybe I'll share it later.

A couple of hours later, the UPS guy dropped off my medication.  I'm quite familiar with most of the medication, except for the progesterone in oil (PIO).  They include PIO, Lu.pron kit, Es.trace, Va.lium, a whole bunch of syringes and needles, and a sharps container.

Here's the progesterone in cottonseed oil.  There are actually 4 bottles of this.  This is a new one for me.  I'm a little nervous about the PIO, to be honest.  Heard it's a real pain in the butt.  Literally.

This is the first time I have used a Lu.pron KIT.  I was surprised to open the box to see the Lu.pron bottle, syringes and alcohol pads all included.  I love this kit.  Though I can't really say that I love "Loopy Lu.pron".  I'm pretty sure I will have side effects again from this.  We'll see.

Looks like I'm ready to go.  Just need to make the appointments at the local fertility clinic for when I need to get my ultrasounds and blood draws.

Also, if you haven't already, sign up for my 40th birthday giveaway.  Make sure to leave a positive comment about turning 40.

Moving Along

Our donor families approved us to adopt their embryos on Monday.  On Tuesday, we mailed a check for the Open Donation Agreement (ODA) fees to the National Fertility Support Center (NFS).  The ODA is a contract that both the donor and recipient families sign agreeing that we will maintain communication if a child is born from the embryos adopted.  It includes such things as:

• Information of the child born (name, sex, date of birth, etc.)
• Types of information to be communicated (medical info, development progress, etc)
• Frequency of the communication that will take place and for how long
• Method of communication - email, letters, phone calls, texts, etc.
• Medium of  communication - through NFS, licensed adoption agency, attorney, 3rd party or directly between families.
• Whether there will be direct contact in the future between families and genetic siblings.

NFS' roles is to help with our embryo adoption plan and education, preparing us for openness, negotiating of our ODA with the donor families, and to support us through the embryo adoption process.  We have an initial meeting over the phone with Debbie, the counselor at NFS scheduled for next Friday.  She will help us with the mediation process for the ODA.  After this, we will also have phone meetings with each of the donor families.

Today, I spoke with the Briova, the pharmacy that will be providing us with our medications for our September transfer.  NEDC works with Briova as they are supposed to be the cheapest ones around.  Unlike our previous IVF cycles, this time around our insurance company does not provide any fertility coverage at all.  The cost of the meds will be mostly be out of pocket, adding up to around $345.  Here is the approximate breakdown of the cost of the drugs:

• Lu.pron - $129
• Es.trace - $195 (for 60 tablets)
• Progesterone in oil (PIO) - $20 (for 4 vials)
• Va.lium - $0.42

Fortunately, because we are doing a FET (frozen embryo transfer), we will not need any drugs that stimulate follicles to produce more eggs.  These stims cost thousands of dollars!  I was quite surprised at how expensive Es.trace is.  This is most likely because NEDC requires that the brand name drug be used instead of the generic.  That's more than $3 per tablet, and I have to take 2 - 3 per day!  Not sure how long I will need continue taking it after the transfer though.

What has everyone else paid for meds?  

Box O' Meds, Part Deux

Guess what the UPS guy dropped off today?

My box of meds with my Meno.pur refill and meds for the 2nd part of my IVF cycle.

From left to right:

• Vi.velle (estrogen) patches
• Endome.trin (progesterone) suppositories
• Diaze.pam (Va.lium)
• Tetracy.cline (antibiotics)
• Refill of Meno.pur

Notice there are no PIO meds.  Yippee!!

I am hoping this is the last of the meds I will be needing until I get my BFP!

Today, my friend E and her 2 1/2 year old daughter went out for our monthly girls' lunch out.  We always go to this Sushi and Chinese buffet place.  It's a great place for $9.99 a person, and we also have a coupon for $5 off for 2 people.  But the kid eats free.  How can you beat that?

I pretty much stuffed myself silly.  Not such a good idea as I am already bloated from the stims.  Well, this was possibly the last time I could have sushi with raw fish for a very long time.  Nine months, and most probably longer.  I'm praying that this is the case, of course.  We'll probably still come here for lunch every month after my BFP, but I will just have to avoid the ones with raw fish.  But oh, I sure do love the ones with raw salmon!

Today was also fun because E and I were able to talk about baby and pregnancy stuff (She knows about my upcoming IVF).  Like how she would pass down some of her baby clothes to me (her youngest is almost 9 months), and how I may buy some of her baby stuff like the jungle gym play mat, breast pump, bouncer, etc.  All this contingent on me getting a BFP, of course.  But it was great to be able to actually talk about baby stuff, morning sickness, and maternity clothes, and know within the next month that it is a very real possibility that I could actually use all these stuff.

Today, I feel bloated.  My ovaries feel "heavy" and there are some small movements and twinges in there.  It feels like my ovaries are having a party down there, and I'm not invited.  I'm hoping that this means my follies are actually finally getting off their lazy butts, and starting to grow. We'll find out more tomorrow at my appointment with Mr. Wandy and Helga.

Lazy Follies

I had my date with Mr. Wandy (ultrasound) and Helga (blood work) today, day 6 of stims.

My lining was 5mm, which is good.  However, my follies are lazy.  I have 10 small follicles on each ovary. 10 small.  Small.  I would have thought by now my follicles would have been at a measurable size, especially since we double the dosage of Meno.pur.  Dang lazy follies!

I suppose the one good thing is I now have 10 follicles on each ovary instead of 8 since March 2nd.  So I grew 4 more follies in 8 days.  Yay!!  Grow follies, grow!

I will continue my regimen of 5 units of Lu.pron and 2 vials of Meno.pur in the morning, and 300IUs of Follis.tim in the evening until my next appointment on Friday.  They will decide if anymore adjustments will be needed then.

I asked Nurse Amy when she thinks my egg retrieval will be.  Most people have the HCG (trigger) shots after 9 to 12 days of stims.  At the rate of how my follicles are growing, the nurse estimates that I would need 12 days of stims.  HCG shot is 36 hours before retrieval, so I am estimating that my ER would possibly be March 18th.  We'll see.

Helga drew my blood again today.  I'm starting to think that she is the only one that will be doing all my blood draws.  Not so excited about that.  I decided to switch and have my blood drawn from my right arm instead today.  My left arm was still sore and bruised from the last couple of visits.

As soon as I told Helga I wanted my to use my right arm this time, I started to panic!  It just occurred to me that I have never used my right arm for blood draws before this, ever!  I have always been so proud of left arm as I have never had any problems with it.  I noticed that my right arm does not have a nice visible vein that pops out a little, like my left arm does.  Suddenly horror stories of people being poked multiple times in the veins unsuccessfully came to mind!  Images of black and blue arms flashed by!

Argh!!.... what was I thinking?  Of course I was too embarrassed to switch arms by then.  Fortunately, Helga had no problem with my right arm.  I noticed that it hurt more after though, since I use my right arm more.

After the appointment, I called the pharmacy to refill my Meno.pur, plus I filled the rest of my prescription needed for the rest of the cycle:  Tetracy.cline, Va.lium, Endome.trin and Vi.velle.  Total cost: $296.95.  Again, thank you insurance company!

A side note: I have been experiencing headaches in the afternoons for the last couple of days.  I think it's the double dosage of Meno.pur.

I'm praying that my follies will behave and keep growing.

Come on..... Grow follies, grow!!