IVF #1 or maybe not

Well, now that you know the procedures I will fill you in on how our first IVF went. My monthly cycle began in time for us to be in the February 2008 cycle. I was very excited and I found it extremely weird to be back on BCP's! Weren't we trying to get pregnant and not prevent it:)

So here we went-jumped in head first with our eyes wide open, or so we thought. I began the suppression medicine (Lupron) and the steroid (Dexamethasone). I really didn't seem to notice anything different. Some people get hot-flashes from the Lupron and insomnia from the dex, but I was cruising along just fine. Back during my first cycle, you went in for blood work and an ultrasound (now they just do the blood work). On my ultrasound they found a cyst on my ovary-it was pretty large. The doctor waited for my Estradiol (E2) Levels to come back (what they test for in the blood work). If it was high, then it meant that my body perceived the cyst as an egg and it would need to be aspirated. Well, low and behold it was high, so I went in to have it aspirated.

My mom went with me to the appointment. I wasn't sure she really needed to come back with me while they did it, but the surgical tech said that I might want her there. I remember I was on the table, the doctor looking at the cyst on ultrasound and then unsheathing an enormously long needle (seriously I thought it was a sword!!) that he would use to aspirate it. I closed my eyes at that point. It didn't really hurt as much as I thought it would once I saw the "sword." They drained several cc's of fluid from the cyst. I was told to go home and rest. I had to go back on Monday to have my E2 level tested again. If it had gone down enough, then I would be good to go. So I went in on Monday to have my blood drawn again. They called me with the results right away because I was supposed to start the "big" FSH medicine that night. Unfortunately my levels were still too high. I remember getting the call at work and just being crushed! I cried, one of my co-workers came over and put her arm on my back and told me it would all work out.

I did get a glimmer of hope that the cycle could be saved later that afternoon. I had never "started" which is also an indication that my ovary had a cyst. The nurse had told me that if I did start later that afternoon to call and we could check my levels again. So, lo and behold I did start. So I called the office and went running over there for another blood draw. Of course, my numbers were still too high, so I was officially cancelled! It really sucked too! The next cycle dates weren't until April (they do a cycle about every 6-8 weeks). So I was told to wean off the Lupron and Dex. I was put back on BCP's a few days later and was told to just stay on the active pills until the next cycle. Hopefully this would prevent a cyst from forming.

So onward we moved, just a little behind where we thought we would be.