☀️THE IN-PROGRESS DEVELOPMENT☀️

More Injections, More Motivation 💉

In the previous blog, we talked about how IVF process started for us. We went to our fertility doctor for blood work and ultrasound so that our fertility doctor could properly tailor the IVF procedure and any other fertility treatments to our needs.

The results showed that we would need to

1. Increase Gonal F dosage from 325 to 375 unit (night time only),

2. Increase Low Dose HCG from 20 to 25 unit (night time only),

3. And add Cetrotide injection (morning only).

This is where the fun begins! Cetrotide prevents the release of the eggs so that the mature eggs can be harvested directly from the ovaries. It requires the mixing of the pre-filled syringe with sterile water and a vial of powder. Luckily, our nurse included a link that contains detailed instruction on how to deal with Cetrotide.

Moni was scared to do it and thought she was going to mess it up. So, Michael has been the one waking up 15 minutes before 7 a.m. to prepare/mix Cetrotide for Moni. ❤ What a wonderful hubby!

At this point, we are still taking Antibiotics and Aspirin (just for Moni).

Ordering more meds...💊

After learning about the increase in dosage and an additional injection, we consulted with the nurse and doctor on the amount of meds we need to refill to ensure we can get by for the next few days. We learn that we also needed to be proactive with always knowing the exact dosage we have left. Again, ProgynyRX made it so simple and easy for us during this meds ordering process.

We continued our meds until the next appointment...To add up, we have been at it for almost 11 days 🎉

Side Effects Are Real...

Michael has been feeling the same because the only thing he has been taking is the antibiotics. Moni, otherwise, is developing daily acid reflux (not common for Moni), nausea, headache, soreness at the injection sites, and some abdominal discomfort. Sometimes, feeling exhausted and aching around the abdomen caused her to just have to lay down in bed. These symptoms are different for everyone. We made sure to mention all of these symptoms to our nurse and doctor.

Michael has been extra attentive of asking how Moni feels throughout the day, too! Michael is also making Moni eat healthy food, basically cutting down on sugar to hopefully reduce acid reflux and nausea - "hopefully"

Oh! We cannot forget to mention this. Mona Vie has also been very helpful, making sure we take antibiotics with icy water 😂👨‍👩‍👧 after each meal.

Exciting News ❤️

So you are probably wondering what the next step is...US TOO! 😂

Today is Monday (October 11th). We went to our fertility office again for ultrasound and blood work -- same thing same place BUT exciting development.

Based on the ultrasound, Moni's follicles have matured into the size that could be ready for trigger shots today (Monday 10/12) or tomorrow (Tuesday 10/13)

The size of a follicle usually determines how developed an egg is during ovulation. When follicles reach a certain size, it’s more likely for an egg to be fully matured and ideal for the IVF process. Generally speaking, a follicle size of around 15mm-22mm (millimeters) is likely to produce an ideal egg for the IVF process.

Note that ultrasound alone cannot be used to determined what's next. We also need blood work results to help us understand how ready Moni's body is to begin trigger shots.

Yay🎉 It's almost Egg Retrieval Day...😬

As we are blogging, the nurse just called and informed us that October 14th is our egg retrieval date! Well, that's very exciting for us and also nerve-wrecking.

Moni will begin injecting the first trigger shots, Lupron and HCG, on Tuesday night and followed by the second shot on Wednesday morning. Lupron injection is used as part of an ovarian stimulation regimen. This helps to control your ovulatory cycle and prevent premature ovulation, so that the doctor can have predictable access to Moni's eggs for IVF.

As for tonight, we will still continue to inject Gonal F and Low Dose HCG...and the last Cetrotide for this phase tomorrow morning.

Reminding ourselves that it's OK to be nervous and it's healthy to talk about it. 😉

Stay tuned for our next blog. If all goes well, we will definitely have a lot more to share about the egg retrieval process. 🤞🏼

------ To be continued ------