The Details of My Follicles

I am so sure everyone is just dying to know all about my follicles. ;-)

Well, things are plugging along… I expected to be ready for the IUI by now (today is cd15) but my follicles aren’t quite big enough yet. Here’s the scoop:

I had an appointment with RE yesterday, Sept. 13. My estrogen level had dropped, he said, because of the decreased gonal.f dosage (to try and keep too many follicles from becoming mature so I don’t release 8 eggs) and the ganireli.x, and he was a little concerned that it may have had an adverse effect on follicle development. He said that sometimes happens, and then the cycle is a bust (argh! I don’t want to hear that!) Anyway, the follicle growth had slowed, but not to the point of a ‘cycle bust.’ In fact, what we hoped would happen was happening – four of the ‘Big 8’ backed off and four continued to get larger. So, the ‘Big 4’ sizes were:

Right: 15, 15
Left: 16, 15

Alright!! But, he said to come back in for another check up the next day (which was today) because I wasn’t quite ready for the hcg trigger yet. Oh well - I had hoped the IUI could have been Saturday, but no big deal I guess.

Later on, I received a call from the nurse at the RE’s office. After reviewing my bloodwork, he wanted me to take 225 of the gonal.f in the evening! The biggest dose I ever had was 150. I guess he wanted to start moving those follies along now that some had backed off. So, I took my two shots and went back this morning for another follie look-see.

The follicle sizes didn’t change a whole lot, except one more started catching up a bit. I did not write down the sizes this time, but RE said there were 4, and now possibly 5 that would were about ready, but not quite yet….. and could I come back in tomorrow? (Sat.) He apologized for ‘micro managing’ this cycle, but said that things were ‘so close’ to being optimal that he didn’t want to trigger too early, or wind up with too many follicles and have to cancel, etc. Hey, I don’t mind - who wouldn’t want a RE who is this attentive?! Based on the sizes of everything this month compared to last, I am even more positive than ever that I triggered too early last month.

Sooo…. The nurse from the office just called and I am supposed to take 125 of the gonal.f tonight (which is actually 112.5 – the pen doesn’t have a 125 setting) and of course the ‘you better not ovulate on your own!’ ganireli.x shot. My appointment is at 8am tomorrow and my IUI is now probably going to be Monday or Tuesday.

I’ll close this entry with a little embarrassing ultrasound moment. Yesterday, I kind of had to go to the bathroom, but not terribly, while at my appointment. I went to go and then they called me in, and since it was no where near an emergency, I didn’t bother to go. So I’m laying there in the ‘position’, here comes the wand… and then RE says ‘So, your bladder is a little full….’

Uhhh… yeah. I feel my face turning red. I say I don’t have to go that badly… and uh, he can tell? Oh yeah, he said, there are no secrets with this thing. I then got to see the dark area on the ultrasound monitor that represented my wonderful bladder. Apparently it was full enough to be pressing on my uterus and was in the way a little. (I really didn’t have to go that bad! Honest!) I don’t know why I was so thoroughly embarrassed – obviously this is miniscule compared to the things he’s seen. For some reason though, I felt like such a doofus!! Like a little kid who was afraid to use the toilet or something.

I made sure to go the bathroom just moments before today’s appointment!