It's hard to believe that we are playing this conception game over again...hopeful this cycle will end with our second child, alive. Our little Rainbow baby. :-) So how did the appointment with the RE go, you ask? Well, different then I imagined, but still hopeful.
Here's the plan:
When I became pregnant with Zoe during our second round with Follistim injections, I hyper-stimulated like a crazy woman. Looking back, it was a little insane we proceeded with the cycle. I had five eggs, yes five! Plus a few more follicles that could have done the trick. My right ovary grew to the size of 18 cm!!!!! My left was around 14cm! ( just in case you don't know, the normal ovary should be around 3-5cm.)
Zoelle was our 1 miracle baby. NO ONE could believe we concieved only one!! Seriously. The down side of being pregnant after you hyperstim, is you only get worse. I had a moderate amount of ascites (fluid leaking into your abdomen), but not enough where it needed drained. Like I said, my ovaries where colossal. I was in the worst pain of my life for about 10 weeks. (Your ovaries remain large and painful until the placenta is big enough to "take over" the hormones). That happens around week 10, huge sigh of relief! I was on bed rest which wiped out my maternity leave. I was at the doctor every 2 days. My abdomen was so full my ovaries, my growing baby and fluid it was hard to walk around without becoming short of breath. I looked 6 months pregnant for a long time! This is what happened to me on the LOW dose of follisim! Nuts, right? Women with PCOS are the people who end up with multiple babies for this very reason. Kate Gossilen had the same thing happen to her, expect they used an IUI and we actually chose timed intercourse. I read her story on TLC and she ovulated the same amount as I did...but a few extra follicles jumped on board after her HCG injection. They were actually pregnant with 7, but lost one early on. The doctor wanted her desperately to reduce, something I can completely understand her not wanting to do. Treatments are a fine line for those of us with PCOS.
So needless to say, we were all a little hesitant of jumping back on the follistim band wagon.
Dr. Gloom and Doom wants me to try Lotrezole, a pill for woman who did not respond to clomid (I being one of those women). Why not right? There have been promising outcomes and it is SOOO much safer then gonadotropins for PCOS'ers. We know follistim works, but the dangers that come along with it are frightening at the least.
Anyway...so I am going to take Lotrezole for 5 days then I will return on day 12 for an ultrasound to see if my ovaries did any then worthwhile. (Please ovaries, please! Help a girl out!) If my follicle/s look big enough, then I will take my HCG injection and ovulate the next 2 days. So June 10th is the big day!!! The chance of twins is around 20%. Still higher then normal, but much lower then ovulating enough for a small country! So if anyone has had luck with this medication, please feel free to share. I would love to hear some positive feedback.
I am so glad he is being cautious. I am thankful he is taking myself and my baby/babies health into consideration. I really like this doctor. I call him gloom and doom, but at the end of the day he's got my back (and my money! haha).
Here's the plan:
When I became pregnant with Zoe during our second round with Follistim injections, I hyper-stimulated like a crazy woman. Looking back, it was a little insane we proceeded with the cycle. I had five eggs, yes five! Plus a few more follicles that could have done the trick. My right ovary grew to the size of 18 cm!!!!! My left was around 14cm! ( just in case you don't know, the normal ovary should be around 3-5cm.)
Zoelle was our 1 miracle baby. NO ONE could believe we concieved only one!! Seriously. The down side of being pregnant after you hyperstim, is you only get worse. I had a moderate amount of ascites (fluid leaking into your abdomen), but not enough where it needed drained. Like I said, my ovaries where colossal. I was in the worst pain of my life for about 10 weeks. (Your ovaries remain large and painful until the placenta is big enough to "take over" the hormones). That happens around week 10, huge sigh of relief! I was on bed rest which wiped out my maternity leave. I was at the doctor every 2 days. My abdomen was so full my ovaries, my growing baby and fluid it was hard to walk around without becoming short of breath. I looked 6 months pregnant for a long time! This is what happened to me on the LOW dose of follisim! Nuts, right? Women with PCOS are the people who end up with multiple babies for this very reason. Kate Gossilen had the same thing happen to her, expect they used an IUI and we actually chose timed intercourse. I read her story on TLC and she ovulated the same amount as I did...but a few extra follicles jumped on board after her HCG injection. They were actually pregnant with 7, but lost one early on. The doctor wanted her desperately to reduce, something I can completely understand her not wanting to do. Treatments are a fine line for those of us with PCOS.
So needless to say, we were all a little hesitant of jumping back on the follistim band wagon.
Dr. Gloom and Doom wants me to try Lotrezole, a pill for woman who did not respond to clomid (I being one of those women). Why not right? There have been promising outcomes and it is SOOO much safer then gonadotropins for PCOS'ers. We know follistim works, but the dangers that come along with it are frightening at the least.
Anyway...so I am going to take Lotrezole for 5 days then I will return on day 12 for an ultrasound to see if my ovaries did any then worthwhile. (Please ovaries, please! Help a girl out!) If my follicle/s look big enough, then I will take my HCG injection and ovulate the next 2 days. So June 10th is the big day!!! The chance of twins is around 20%. Still higher then normal, but much lower then ovulating enough for a small country! So if anyone has had luck with this medication, please feel free to share. I would love to hear some positive feedback.
I am so glad he is being cautious. I am thankful he is taking myself and my baby/babies health into consideration. I really like this doctor. I call him gloom and doom, but at the end of the day he's got my back (and my money! haha).
Oh hon I am so glad that you have an awesome medical team. There is nothing more reassuring then that when going through fertility treatments.
ReplyDeleteMany hugs
Yay! Sounds like a good plan. I'm so excited for you.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe all you went through with your pregnancy with Zoe. Its so unfair that you didn't even get to bring her home after all of that. I just don't get how the world works.
Thanks for the Jon & Kate update. I love that show, by the way. :)
Sending you a hug!!!
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about you, and I will be praying that all goes well with this cycle and that it is succesful!
Hopefully letrazole will work-at least it is worth a try. I did one cycle of letrazole but I only have good things to say since it worked for us! They say that it has fewer side effects than clomid and I would agree with that. I hope all goes well and you have some nice big follicles on June 10th!
I've never heard of Letrazole--interesting! I love learning new things. I so hope that it turns out to be the magic pill for you, my dear. :) xxoo (and hugs to Sawyer...)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are being more cautious. It would be really unfair to put you at more risk for a loss or complications. I hope this cycle brings you your rainbow baby!
ReplyDelete