Update

Well what a whirlwind! It has been a very dramatic 24 hours. Let me start by saying that the egg retrieval was awesome and I am so happy that I went in the room with my sister and was a part of it. It was truly moving seeing the eggs being retrieved and I will remember it for a very long time. Initially I didn't want to go in because I didn't want to invade her privacy but it was so incredible to see everything go down that I am so happy the nurse encouraged me to go in. So the results of her egg retrieval are phenomenal. They were able to retrieve 16 eggs!!! As my sister says "not bad for a 38 year old". We were over the moon and my sister is very sore and exhausted. I had her kids for the day, sent her for a massage and then went to bed by 8pm. It was an absolutely incredible day!
The lab called today with our fertilization results and I am happy to say that 9 eggs fertilized. To be 100% honest it is less than I expected after we retrieved 16 eggs but still fabulous. Being an infertile I am really curious why the fertilization percentage is lower than anticipated but 9 is more than I could have hoped for or dreamed of.I am wondering if some of the eggs weren't mature or if hubby should have abstained longer than he did. Gosh, why do I torture myself. Anyways, now the wait is on to see how many of the eggs will divide and to determine if we will do a 3 day or 5 day transfer. I have to admit that my feelings have changed a bit at this point. I want the embies to make it so badly that I am nervous about waiting for 5 days. Please everyone send me your positive vibes for our 9 little embies!!!

Back on track!

My sister is much better today and is just resting and drinking lots of Gatorade. Things are still on track for tomorrow and my lining is looking good. We are set for a saturday or monday transfer and I am so happy it will be a fresh transfer.

In danger of over stimulating

Things can change so quickly. The doctors called today and told my sister to stop taking all of her meds because her estrogen is super high and she is at risk for hyper stimulation. They didn't seem too overly concerned but that doesn't reassure me because they never really let on to have serious a situation is. She has been feeling super tired, hot and a bit dizzy (although the weather here is super hot) and she said she kept feeling like she had something dripping down her thigh (she worried it was blood) but there was nothing there. I feel terrible for her but I guess she only has to put up with this shit for another 2 days. Please let these days past quickly!!

12 is my new favourite number!

They are now predicting that she will have 12 eggs so I am now hoping for atleast 8 embyos. I am over the moon!!! Retrieval is set Wednesday at 7am. Hopefully we can have a 5 day transfer. G just emailed me that we should try for 12-tuplets....haha. Gosh we would be happy with one healthy baby. I just can't believe it, something in this journey is going right!!! For the first time in our quest to conceive we might have some frosties!! I know this isn't as big as a BFP but I will take it. It just means that we are maximizing our chances to getting to our ultimate dream. Wow, wow, wow!!!!!

I knew 8 was my favourite number!!!!

From the beginning I have told hubby that I wanted 8 eggs from my sister and today the nurse predicted that there would 8 eggs for the retrieval. I don't want to get overly excited but it seems like things are finally falling into place. I am so excited for Wednesday (our retrieval day) that I can barely breath.
This cycle has obviously been very different from my previous cycles for many reasons but it is beginning to seem more real. On Wednesday the pressure shifts to me and I am nervous that my body will fail me once again. I am going to try to be positive (isn't that we all say) but I am scared shitless that I will be let down again.
Anyways, I am going to step away from the computer before I start looking up success rates....haha

Starting to get excited!!!

Okay, I don't know how this is possible but my sister now has 12 measureable follicles!!!! I don't get how so much can change in one night but I am going with it and praying that they didn't measure wrong today. They have said that they don't think all of the follicles will make it to retrieval but now they are predicting 9 instead of 5!!!! I am over the moon and in shock at the same time. How could so many grow so much in one night. My sister is annoyed that I ever doubted things but I know she will get over it. Tomorrow I am going with her so I can ask a million questions and figure out information for retrieval day. It sounds like we are going to be pushed back a day or two to give the new follies a chance to catch up. Apparently her estrogen is still strong (knock on wood) and we can afford to wait. Actually My hope is 8 eggs because 8 is my favourite number and hubby and I got married on 08-08-08. I guess I would settle for extra eggs and be happy with 8 embryos...haha! Now I am getting too demanding, I am just happy things have improved. There was a time that I was convinced we would end up with 2 eggs and now there is hope for as many as 9. So excited!!!

Confused but what's new!!!

Well I have been looking back at my old posts and my sister's cycle is going very similar to my first IVF cycle. Let's just hope the results are different. So my sister is now on Day 8 of stimming and she has 6 (ish) measureable follicles. The lead two follicles are 1.6, there is another one that measures 1.5, then close behind are two that are 1.4 and finally the last little straggler is a wee 1.1. They don't think the little one will make it to the retrieval so I am not sure why they even count it. My sister is over the moon but I can't say I feel the same way. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer but they just aren't the results that I wanted. I guess the thoughts going through my head are: Why would we pay $6000 for the retrieval with so few follicles/eggs? What if only a couple fertilize? What are the chances we will get high quality embryos? Will we even get any frosties? What if he follicles are empty like mine were? I am back where I was last Decemeber. Only now I am more jaded and have less money in the bank. I think I mentioned before that my sister offered to go through the stimming process again but I know if we go through with the retrieval I won't be able to ask her again. What would you ladies do? Would you continue to the retrieval? Would you save the money to pursue other options (adoption/egg donor)
Sorry for not commenting on anyones blogs, something is wrong with my blogger and it just kicks me out when I try!!

Bad News???

I think we had some bad news today but maybe I am just a skeptic. Today was my sister's 4th day of stimming and she only has one measurable follicle (1.1). I assume this is terrible news but I honestly can't be sure. These are the same results that I had when I stimmed and it always resulted in crappy retrievals or cancelled cycles but I hope this isn't the case. I am hoping someone else can tell me that they only had one measureable follicle at this point but went on to retrieve multiple eggs but I don't want to be overly optimistic. In total she is showing 12 follicles (6 on each ovary) but the rest are too small to measure. I hate false hope, I wish the clinic would give realistic predictions.
I feel terrible for my sister because she feels guilty and this is obviously not my intention. I didn't let her know that I was worried and reassured her that because her estrogen is high we have nothing to worry about. I just don't know if I believe it myself!!
Please keep your fingers crossed for us.

A therapist, a bleeding cerix, and lots of drugs

Although things have started to move forward it feels like time is moving at a snails pace. Every day feels like a week and every week feels like a month. Anyways, we have made progress. Today we had our therapy session required by law to proceed with this process. We (Hubby, sister, and sister's husband) met with the Psychiatrist at the Fertility clinic today and all went well. Although I resent having to pay an addition $650 for a government required appointment I actually enjoyed talking to someone about the process, not about the medical stuff but focusing on the emotional end of it. I wish hubby spoke more but I knew that wouldn't happen so I am just pleased that I got to let go of some feelings. The Dr. couldn't have been more of a typical Shrink pony tail and all.
Another move forward is that my sister starts taking her Superfact on Monday. It actually took me by surprise that they changed her back to the long protocol but I guess it makes sense because she has 14 follicles and not the 6 we thought, she has low FSH, and we figured out her estrogen is high because she is overweight and has diabetes. I have also started to get my uterus ready for the transfer(it seems early to me but I am going with it). I have had one shot of Lupron (seems weird because on some other blogs I have follow the women doing donor egg cycles seem to be taking more injections). I have also started taking estrogen pills two pills two times a day. The only side effects I have experienced is migranes but that could be because we have been dealing with terrible weather and rain always causes me to have headaches. From what the clinic has explained to me I only have to have the lupron shots when my uterus gets really thick and they fear that it might shed. Does that mean I am not going to have my period before the transfer? The potential transfer day (if my uterus is thick and juicy and doesn't shed) is July 1. It is only a month away but it might as well be a decade because time just moves too slowly!
Luckily I have a whirlwind week ahead to occupy my thoughts. I am off to Quebec with my class for 4 days and I anticipate it being exhauting and all consuming like last year.
One major concern for me is that my cervix is bleeding and nobody cares. It just doesn't make sense that the clinic acts like a bleeding cervix is no big deal. I can barely get through a pap smear because of my cervix pain, it bleeds when anyone looks at it, and this cycle it has been bleeding for 2 weeks. It isn't a heavy bleed but it still disturbs me. I know I am being an alarmist but seriously do I have cervical cancer? I have had the swab and nothing abnormal has been found but it just doesn't make sense that it bleeds. Plus I am worried that it will not allow me to carry a baby.