Friday, July 8, 2011

FET process

As promised, I will now attempt to document the FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) process.  It's a bit different than the "fresh" cycle.

So we'll take a step back first.  AF came on June 25th, about 2 am.  She was quite mean, but I was relieved that she finally came and that meant I was on the road to recovery.  I figured she might be meaner than normal, but after all the other pain I had been having, her cramps weren't bad after the first day.  On the 27th, I emailed Holly and let her know that AF had flown in for her visit.  Holly emailed me back with my new protocol, which included starting birth control pills that day until July 5th.  So, organizational bee that I am, I went home and put the required pills in my little daily pill taker and stopped on July 4th.  Then, evening of July 5th, J and I were eating dinner and I realized that I still had one pill to take.  Almost messed the whole dang thing up.  For some reason, holiday weekends always throw me off!  Nice thing about these pills was that I didn't have to buy more because I already had some left over from the last cycle.  Saved me from spending a whopping $15!

Currently, am just back to taking my vitamins and folic acid.  However, this morning I had a bit of a surprise waiting for me in the bathroom.  AF showed up again!  Say what?! Are you surprised?  I sure was!  I came out to reveal to J my findings and he said, "wasn't she just here?!"  "Yup!" I replied.  Of course as soon as Dr. H's office opened I called Nurse Pamela to determine if this was expected and she assured me it was.  The uteran lining is again flushing out.  Anytime you go off birth control, AF is supposed to come, even though I only had about a week of pills.  It's funny because I thought to ask this and figured she wouldn't because it was such a short period of time.  Oh well, at least we know it's all good!  So once again, I'm an empty palate.  And after looking at the calendar again this morning and counting days, it all makes sense. Whew!  Sure woke me up this morning!

Starting tomorrow, I will begin taking my Estrogen pills.  Yes, estrogen pills and a lot of them!  And every day is different.  I either take 1, 2 or 3 pills every morning and every night.  However, the kicker is that the night pills don't go "down the hatch", but rather up!  Anybody catch what that means?  If you didn't, think REALLY hard. 

First doc appointment of this part of the cycle is on the 21st of July (Cycle day 14) to make sure that my estrogen levels are doing what they are supposed to and my uteran lining is getting thick.  Then, that day or the next (don't have my protocol in front of me) I start my Progesterone shots and more pills (again, Doxocycline for infection).  Progesterone shots go in the hip (like the HCG shot) and happen every night from the 22nd to about the 27th I think.  It's also at this appointment that we will have the discussion with Dr. H about putting 2 embryos in.  Fun, fun!

Coincidentally, I have a regular OB appointment schedule for July 14th.  Initially, it was scheduled for June 29th, but realizing that the day before I would have found out if I was pregnant or not, I didn't know how prepared I would be to go to the OB and relay the news.  So I moved the appointment to July.  But now that we didn't do the transfer in June, I considered moving the appointment to August.  Holly said to just leave it, get it done, fill in Dr. OB and maybe even lay the groundwork for how things will work once we are pregnant. 

On the 28th (Cycle day 21), J and I go to the doc's for Transfer.  Again, wearing comfy clothes, I am supposed to show up having drank a liter (yes, that said LITER) of water before the transfer and have taken some "happy pill" to squelch the pain.  If I haven't drunk enough water, they'll make me drink before I'm transferred.  You have to have a full bladder so that Dr. H can see the uterus and the embryos being released within.  Once they are in and I've laid on my back for 30 minutes, I'm free to empty my bladder and go home.  Still need to relax for the rest of the day, partly due to the happy pill.  The following 2 days, there should be no strenous activity, but also not necessarily bed rest.  I can still work from home, and do things, just no marathon running (darn!). 

What have you noticed here?  Every Thursday, starting next week this week (acupuncture last night) through the end of the month, I have a doctor appointment somewhere.  And the Saturday after the first Dr. H appointment (July 23st), I have a session with Trainer.  Should be interesting to try and figure out the workout with all this going on as well!! 

I'll be back at work and I believe light workouts Monday and Tuesday, and then Wednesday we'll head up to Pinetop with MBM, her hubby and their 2 boys for a little vacation.  A couple days later, her Mom and Dad and her hubby's Mom and Dad will join us I think, staying at a different cabin, for lots of family fun.  We'll have some time away from the heat in T-town and good distractions, to come back to the blood-test on Monday.  (Please remember, don't ask me, I'll tell you when I'm ready the results!).  It will be good because J has also taken Monday off so we'll be together when we hear the news, good or bad, hopefully good.  Then, if when it is good, we'll be back at the doc's every couple days to have blood work done again and confirm that the numbers are doing what they should be.  And at some point we'll have an ultrasound and then be handed off to my regular OB.  And then....well, we'll get there when we get there.

Wow, that's a lot to take in huh?!  Guess I'll release you from there...hopefully the next post will be binder stuff!  T-minus 19 days and counting!

2 comments:

  1. I wish you all the best of luck! This time around your body will be ready and waiting for those little embryos!

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks for the in-depth process. now we know! Good luck with all the drugs and injections - hope you survive. I guess it is all worth it.

    ReplyDelete

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