Egg Retrieval Postponed

Well, it looks like my egg retrieval will not be on Thursday. After today's sonogram and blood work, Dr. Weckstein is thinking Friday will be the day, but he's even possibly considering Saturday at this point!

Today's sonogram revealed two more follicles. Of those few follicles that were too small to measure yesterday, a couple of them grew overnight. Yay!

I still have 12 follicles on my winning (right) side, with a few having already reached 18mm, 19mm and even 20mm, but with most being 16mm or below.

I now have 11 follicles (up from 9 at yesterday's sonogram) on my left side. I have one follicle that was mature, but most measured as immature, with some even being as small as 8mm to 10mm. This is, by far, my less impressive ovary.

Because I only have a handful of follicles that are mature today, Dr. Weckstein thinks I need another day (at least) of injections. Yesterday he said he'd likely have to tinker with the dosages because of my estrogen level, but I guess he's not too concerned anymore because he prescribed me the same dosage for tonight's shots.

My estrogen level jumped from 1,787 yesterday to 2,789 today!!! That's a huge (and good) increase. It shows that my body is really responding to the stimulation injections and that my ovaries are hard at work.

The blood estradiol measurement is a reflection of the amount and size of the follicles, so obviously my stimulated ovaries are very, very busy! Generally, an estradiol level anywhere between 1,000 and 5,000 is good at the time of the egg retrieval, and it varies for each woman's body and her follicular growth.

To give you perspective, if you remember my baseline sonogram / E2 blood test before I started my stimulation injections, Lupron had suppressed my ovaries and dropped my estradiol level to 32. So yeah, 2,789 is a very big increase, to say the least.

Lots of crazy transformations going on in my body right now, and I'm just along for the ride. :)

On another note, Dr. Weckstein rocks! Why, you might ask, other than the fact that he's going to give me a baby? Well, let me share with you. :)

I am completely out of Menopur! Last night was day 10 of injections, and only 10 days' worth of injections was ordered for me. Luckily, the Follistim vials all had extra, and after the nurse combined it all into one vial, I have 625 IU leftover. More than enough!

But, I am fresh out of Menopur. Not a single speck of powder is left. When Dr. Weckstein asked me during yesterday's phone conversation if I had enough for an extra night and when I told him I didn't, he offered an extra night's supply to me FOR FREE! That saves us at least $70! Isn't that the nicest gesture? Now, if he makes me pregnant, I seriously think I'll love him. Like, the real thing. Hopefully Aaron won't mind sharing my heart with another man. (Just kidding, honey, you're my one and only!). :)

So, if you have a calendar in front of you, you will be able to see that two weeks from Friday is Christmas Eve. Which then means, two weeks from Saturday is Christmas Day. Now, I'm not telling you this to bring to your attention that the clock is ticking and there are only a couple more weeks to get all your shopping done. I'm telling you this because it means that my blood test...you know, the blood test to determine if I'm pregnant...will either be done on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day!

This could be amazing timing, all a part of God's beautiful plan for Him revealing to us that we're pregnant. Or, it could be absolutely awful timing, also a part of God's beautiful plan, because He knows how badly I would need His comforting embrace during that time.

Of course, I'm praying with all my heart for the former situation to play out. God hears my prayers. He knows my heart. I just have to confidently allow Him to control what is His. My future child(ren)'s lives are in His hands.