CD10 - Triggering Tonight

So here we are at my 4th attempt on IVF cycle #4. And it looks like it's all systems go.

It's been a white knuckle ride and, as I've been out of town for most of it (let's hear it for remote monitoring in Las Vegas!), I haven't had a chance to write about it at all.

So here's what we're injecting this time 'round:

CD1: AF showed up on 9/27. Two AFs in one month? Holy crap.
CD2 thru CD5: 450iu Gonal-F & 2 vials Menopur in evening
CD6: U/S in Vegas shows six follicles: 2 on right, 4 on left. Add in Lovenox per DS
CD7: Add in Ganirelix, 1 shot at night. We're up to 4 needles a night now folks.
CD9: 2nd U/S in Vegas shows that the two follicles on the right have disappeared since we added in the Ganirelex to my protocol. Same thing happened when I cycled with the clinic back on the west coast (IVF #3). Grrrr!
CD10: Here we are today.

Took my last cocktail of Gonal-F/Medrol/Ganirelex this morning and will trigger tonight at 8:30PM EST. Retrieval of my four measley follicles (worst cycle ever) is 7:00AM EST at the clinic in the Big Apple. The doctors feel that egg quality on this protocol should be good, but I'm not hugely hopeful.

The Las Vegas RE doctor that did my remote monitoring while we were on vacation said that I have massive endometriomas on my ovaries that, she feels, are keeping me from doing a great cycle and the remaining endometriosis might be causing beta integrin issues that can only be resolved with surgery and/or 3 months of lupron depot. Ugh. I hate lupron. It makes me evil beyond all measure.

But I love this doctor. She supports the use of HGH in older patients and uses Dr. M's (Los Angeles) protocol of making a solution of 5mg/ml HGH and taking 0.5ml a day starting on CD6. I missed being able to do this by 2 days as I was pretty much ready to retrieve on her table yesterday. NEXT TIME DAMMIT! Even I have to fly to Mexico to buy the stuff. Actually, now that I'm established with her I'm sure I could get a script so no worries.

My beta will be on 10/24 or 10/25 and, as I am pessimistic about my 4 follicles, I am already anticipating a BFN and am booking endo surgery with the famous Dr. N in Palo Alto for the end of this month.

I am wasting no time.

I turn 45 next month.