I'm A Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine

Wait, that's not right.

It's more like, I'm a not-so-lean, but very mean, follicle-growing machine! Yeah, that's more like it. I'm an uncomfortably bloated, incredibly irrational, overly emotional, baby driven machine solely running on hope.

My sonogram and blood work went well today! I'm thankful Aaron got to make the drive with me because it was raining, and if you remember my tense driving conditions, it's a good thing he drove me there. :)

I'm also glad he was able to go because he was able to catch a glimpse into this baby-making process. This will be the only sonogram he'll be able to make it to. The first (and only) peek of my growing follicles, but hey, now he knows that when I say I'm feeling bloated and crampy, I mean it!

I also can't tell you how reassuring it is to see the injections are working. Even though we're overly cautious when measuring the dosages and strategically alternating where to stab me, we can't help but wonder if we're doing it right. We aren't nurses, and we surely aren't doctors!

Luckily, we are doing the injections correctly and my body is responding wonderfully to the medicine! Woo hoo!!!

And now, I have 4 more follicles to show for it...18 in all! :)

I have 11 follicles on my right side (up from 8 at my last sonogram), with the leading one being sized at 13mm. And, I have 7 follicles on my left side (up from 6). Most follicles are ranging from 9 to 12mm.

When watching the ultrasound tech carefully measure each follicle, talking to me about what she sees, my mind can't help but wander. I start thinking that one or two of those now bigger black M&Ms (they are now peanut sized, instead of regular chocolate!) are the follicles that hold the egg(s) that will soon be retrieved that will fertilize with one or two of Aaron's 1% of normal shaped, healthy sperm that will create the embryo(s) that will become our family.

When I look at the sonogram screen, my mind can't help but wander to the fact that I'm witnessing the beginning of a miracle. I'm observing the first steps of our growing family, steps that are never usually seen that happen naturally in women's bodies everyday, but steps that I get the privilege of watching progress with each appointment.

As for my next sonogram, it is scheduled for Monday morning. Because my estrodial level is increasing in my blood (I didn't get the actual number from the nurse, but she says it's spot on) and my follicles are getting bigger, I have to be more closely monitored.

Dr. Weckstein believes we will see that my 13mm follicle will reach maturity by Monday's sonogram. In order to reach maturity, the follicle has to be at least 16mm in size. However, we are going to have to wait for the rest of the gang to catch up, so even though that one would be ready for retrieval, the rest of my follies need to grow a little bit more.

The nurse also explained that I will be having my pre-op appointment on Monday for the egg retrieval. Yikes! She said there is a good chance that I will see the last of my stimulation injections Monday night. Can I get a HALLELUJAH!?!? Then, Tuesday night, Aaron would give me the trigger shot to prepare my body for the egg retrieval, which would then be scheduled first thing Thursday morning.

Of course, there is a chance that I will need one more night of stimulation injections, postponing everything by a day. Either way, we will be retrieving the eggs this coming week and those eggs will be fertilized, through ICSI, with Aaron's sperm and we will be that much closer to being pregnant. :)

So, needless to say, my body is absorbing the medicine just as it should, which is why Dr. Weckstein wants me to remain on the same dosage of 75 IU Menopur and 150 IU Follistim. Here's to adding to my already bruised lower abdomen! :)