Ultrasound #2 & HCG Shot

Went to see Dr. Z by myself today as J was in Arizona working. He'll be back tomorrow morning and definitely in time for the egg retrieval. I was a bit worried about being a single woman in the waiting room, but there weren't many people there today. I didn't stand out as a woman, alone, trying to get knocked up without the support of my "partner".

They took more blood for E2/Prolactin tests as well as a new NK test to see if my levels are stable. If they are not, I'll be doing an IVIg infusion this week. Test results for the NK will be in on Thursday...tomorrow...same day as my egg retrieval. TOday I start my BLue Cross PPO insuance covered by J, so I am thrilled. It will cover my IVIg at 60%. Thank god. Otherwise it would have been $2015 CASH.

Then they put me into the U/S room. I was pretty tender from all the huge follicles. 2 on the left side were at 18mm and all four on the right side were as well. So 6/12 were big enough to go. He didn't bother to look at the others, or to reverify my uterine thickness. My uterine thickness was just under 9 on Sunday so it would surely be fine today. They upped my steroid to 16mg a day, cut me off of the FSH and lupron, and told me to take my HCG shot at precisely 10:30pm tonight.

One of the nurses said that prolactin is a stress hormone and they want to see the number under 30. Mine was at 17 when they took it last Sunday so that is a good sign.

Went to RWS after the appointment and bought a stove, then to Ikea to look at draperies to warm this ice box of a house, and then to acupuncture. I pleaded with them to not make me lay on my front as my ovaries ached too much. They complied. When I got out there was a phone message from Nurse J saying that I was to do my HCG shot at precisely 10:30pm tonight. Oh, and that my E2 levels had gone up to 1886! Holy shit. If they only wanted 100 per follicle, I'm definitely in excess of that. I wonder if there are more folicles lurking about that Dr. Z did not view on the U/S today? Hmmm.... Or maybe it's just that my follicles are just productive as hell in terms of E2? Well we'll know for sure tomorrow.

So at 10:30am tonight I took my HCG shot. Very nerve wracking to have this all end in a tiny shot. I was panicked. Was it the right day? The right time? Did I use the right vial? I overwhelmed myself with doubt. But my sidekick JS was here and she photodocumented the entire momentous event. We double checked everything. We triple checked everything. It all went off without a hitch and I even sold our old washer and dryer between my heparin and HCG shots. What an evening. Glad JS was here to hold my hand like the doting buddy she is.