IVF Calendar and information

This is sort of a repost, sort of an update.

Here is my calendar for the next few weeks:

• I will continue birth control pills until 8/22
  
• Start Lupron injections 8/18 (tonight) in the thigh 10 units. Lupron will suppress my system, so I don't ovulate (put me into menopause). Continue 10 units every night until 8/29. Then 5 units in the thigh until trigger shot.


• 8/29 Start stimulation medications Menopur shot in the tummy in the morning Follistim and Lupron in the evening.


• Blood draws E2 (estridoil levels) and sonograms to monitor follicle development 8/31, 9/2, 9/4 possibly 9/5, 9/6 9/7.
  
• I should trigger give myself a shot of HCG somewhere between 9/6-9/9. HCG will get the egg to release from the wall of the follicle.
  
• Egg retrieval 36 hours after trigger shot. It is a very minor surgical procedure under sedation.
  
• Start progesterone supplements twice per day every day for 10 weeks or until a negative pregnancy test (beta)
  
• Embryo transfer on day 3 or day 5. Day 3 if the embryos are not progressing very well in the incubator, day 5 if they are big and strong! They will transfer 3 on day 3 or 2 on day 5.
  Beta test (blood pregnancy test) 14 DPT


• Ultrasound 3-4 weeks past transfer to see how many implanted.

They are able to visualize the mature follicles in the ovary by ultrasound, they want them to grow to be 16-18 mm or greater minimum. Smaller follicles can still contain viable eggs, and larger follicles can still be empty, we just wait to see. The E2 level (estridiol blood level) should be 200-600pg/ml per 18mm follicle. That is why I will be watched carefully with bloodwork and ultrasound.The eggs are retrieved using an ultrasound guided needle through the internal vaginal wall. They poke into the follicle and suck out the egg. They are able to tell immediately how many eggs they were able to retrieve. They are taken to an incubator to fertilize with Matt's ehm... DNA. We are praying we get at least 12 eggs. They expect about 8 to fertilize and most of the time they end up with 2 or 3 embryos on day 5. They grade them according to how many cells it has. We want at least 8 celled embryos on day 5. An embryologist checks them everyday and will call me with updates. After that they transfer them into my uterus using a catheter and we pray that they snuggle in and implant into my uterine lining. So that is it in a nut shell.