Beta #2 - 16dp3dt

OK...so now I'm a little nervous. Beta #2 came back at 221. My second beta with Lexi was well over 1000. My current doubling time is 76.88 hours. Lexi's doubling time was 32.46 hours. I know I shouldn't compare, but I can't help it. Is a 76 hour doubling time good?

11dp3dt - 1 day till beta

I POAS again this morning with FMU. The line is darker. I'm happy it's darker. I've had some brown discharge yesterday and today. Nothing that freaked me out...but enough that I noticed. It looks like this cycle actually worked...but until I see that hearbeat(s?) I'm staying cautiously optimistic. Beta is tomorrow.

Monitoring

Just for my records...my E2 on Saturday was 104...today was 302. Continuing dosages as indicated:

Follistim - 225IU
Menopur - 75IU in 1ml
Lupron - 5IU

Next appt is Wednesday, 9/22 at 7:30am.

Monitoring & Hives

I've had 2 monitoring appointments for this cycle. Neither one was anything to shout from the rooftops about. Just your typical wanding and needle stick. I have a bunch of small follicles on both sides...the largest being 10mm this morning. Not too bad considering I've only been stimming for 5 days. I usually run about 12 days.

Why does no one tell IF patients that the 900IU Follistim cartridge that you pay $720 for actually contains roughly 1025IUs? I remember learning this last cycle 2 years ago...but at that point insurance was paying for the drugs...now that it's coming out of MY pocket, I'm all about shouting it from the rooftops that THERE IS EXTRA IN THE CARTRIDGE! USE IT ALL!!! I'm taking 225IU per night...so after 4 nights I would have used the 900IU cartridge. Well I managed to get a little more than 125IU out of that "empty" cartridge last night!

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Lexi has hives. She woke up Saturday morning with these ugly red splotches on the backs of her legs and butt that looked like mosquito bites, but had red "rims" throughout. A quick trip to the pedi found that they were hives. We have no idea what is causing them...her diet hasn't changed, she hasn't gotten any new foods...pedi said it could be a virus that she is fighting that is causing them as well. Most likely this is the culprit as I was sick with a respiratory bug last Wed - Fri. Gave her some Benadryl and they cleared up...but they keep coming back. Anyone else's kid get hives from a virus? How long did they keep coming back for?

Baseline #2

I went this morning again for another round of bloodwork and an ultrasound. U/S showed that my cyst shrunk from 31mm to 12mm. So I'm hoping that it's not wrecking havoc with my hormones anymore and we can start stims tonight.

I'm still bleeding. Today is day 12 of AF...totally normal from what I'm told. Just annoying.

I'm also coming down with a cold or something. My throat is scratchy and I have a post nasal drip (not fun). Just what I need. Must be the sudden change in the weather. Really...we went from 90s and humid one week to 70s and cool the next.

In other news, Lexi ate HALF A HOT DOG on Monday night. This, from a child who refused ALL meats. I was SO HAPPY. Well, I was until I went upstairs and saw that my youngest dog chewed a hole in my down comforter and there were feathers everywhere! Do you know how hard it is to clean up down? At 10 at night? Without waking the toddler next door? Yeah...not fun.

Damn cyst

My estrogen levels are 244...my RE likes them below 60 before starting stims. So I'll be suppressing for the next week with more Lupron. I'm to increase to 20 units as opposed to the 10 I was doing. My next appointment is next Wednesday at 7am.

UUGGHHH!

IVF#3 is underway

Holy cow have things moved fast...I went today for my saline ultrasound. All looked good in my ute. Hubby and I signed all the consent forms and he had his infectious disease bloodwork done. As we were waiting, our nurse, Shannon, says to me that since tomorrow is my last bcp she will no my baseline today and I'm to start Lupron TONIGHT! OMG! Really??

Picking up the drug from the pharmacy was a surreal experience. I was sad to be doing it in the sense of needing IVF to have a baby...but also for my daughter. Is 2 years enough time to spend with her and her alone? Will she resent a new baby? Will she resent me when she's older for not spending more time with just her? I don't know. I'm still struggling with how will I love another child as much as I love Lexi? I already feel like my heart is bursting with love...I'm not sure how much more can fit, if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong. I'm excited as anything to be starting this cycle and having a chance to add to our family. I just don't feel 100% ready...but don't think I ever really would feel 100% ready. I just know that I want another child. I want a sibling for Lexi to grow and play with. I want that experience for her. So tonight, as I shoot myself up with Lupron, I'll be thinking of the child to come...and my baby that's here.