living life abundantly in spite of PCOS
The IUI Stats:
On Wednesday, 11/25, I had my first ever IUI. There have been a few moments in my infertility journey where I got close to doing IUI, and then something would happen and we’d have to cancel. If it wasn’t Clomid eating my lining, it was Follistim failing. To finally reach IUI day… it felt like a huge milestone in my journey.
Drive-by update:
Okay, so let me start off by saying PRAISE GOD IN THE HIGHEST! It is only through Him that any of this fertility treatment is working, and only through Him will Psalm 139:13 come into play. God is so good and has been so faithful through this process, even though I was too blinded to see it just a couple of weeks ago. He has taught me a lot about trusting Him and just letting. it. go.
You don’t have to be a math genius to see what has happened within a 3-day period. From Friday 11/20 to Monday 11/23, my uterine lining grew from 5mm to 10mm. My three 13mm follicles grew to 18, 19, and 20mm. That is crazy good growth! 125 IU of Follistim is the magic bean!
Drive-by recap and update:
If you missed the E2 update on the blog’s Facebook page last Friday, my E2 level had tanked from 481 to 136 and I was sad, to say the least. The doctors didn’t seem too bothered by that though, since this is an IUI cycle and not IVF. I, on the other hand, spent too much time on Dr. Google upsetting myself and reading stories of canceled cycles and broken hearts. I thought the E2 was so important, but I guess in the grand scheme of things, it only tells us half of the story, and it’s important to remember that. In this case, it wasn’t anything to worry about apparently, so I slept better at night knowing that.
And now, on to today’s update!
Drive-by recap and update:
> started 75 IU Follistim
> increased to 100 IU Follistim > decreased to 75 IU Follistim > continued 75 IU Follistim
This morning, I had another E2 draw (still waiting on those results) and another follicle ultrasound to see if anything had changed between Tuesday and today. I was pretty upset when the ultrasound tech told me she didn’t see any change. I can’t even explain how I felt in that moment. I couldn’t decide if I should burst into tears then or wait until she left the room. I waited. And then let it all out.
Drive-by recap and update:
> started 75 IU Follistim > increased to 100 IU Follistim > decreased to 75 IU Follistim > continued 75 IU FollistimOh my goodness, what a whirlwind it has been since my post on CD13. Here is the DL:
Drive-by recap and update:
First thing’s first, the cycle update if you missed it on Facebook & Instagram:
Now down to business:
Today on Fertility Authority, I am sharing a glimpse into a PCOS’s patient journey to the first Follistim cycle. This post was really hard for me to write. I’m not sure why I struggled so much, but I eventually got it out of me and I am pleased with the final result.
Please go check it out and share it on social media. As previously disclosed, my posts for Fertility Authority are paid opportunities for me. I get paid based on the number of views each article receives within a 30-day period. All funds are going towards our cycle. The first pay I received covered my first ultrasound last week that I had to pay cash out of pocket for. The second pay I received will cover my next ultrasound. Every little bit helps.
Today is CD 6 of my first Follistim + IUI cycle, and this morning is my second estrogen check to see how I’m responding to the Follistim. Today’s results will determine whether we need to increase my dosage, maintain, decrease, or do an ultrasound to check on things. In the meantime, while Follistim does its work on my ovaries, I’m taking some natural approaches to thicken the uterine lining and prepare my womb to welcome new life in its midst.
Let me also say that I realize my efforts may be in vain. I could do all of this and still be barren, or miscarry, and it’s not because of anything I did or didn’t do. Only God knows each life before it is conceived, and only He can knit a baby together in my womb {Psalm 139:13}. If we conceive, it’s all His glory, not mine, not a superfood’s, not a regimen, not anyone’s. I just want to make that perfectly clear.
So, all that said, I am doing what I can to honor the body He gave me, and to prepare it for welcoming His creation. Here’s how.
The time is finally here! We’re back into fertility treatment and I couldn’t be more excited! I also feel very hopeful, which is a really big deal. I’ve allowed myself to envision what it will be like as a family of 4, how it will be with a newborn again, and it feels good. Really good.
But there is also the reality that this may not work. I’m choosing to believe it will. I’m also choosing to accept that this first Follistim cycle might not be the one that helps us conceive, but that we definitely will at some point on Follistim. Since this first cycle is the trial and error cycle, I’m just holding on for dear life and praying for a miracle. I’m remaining hopeful, but cautiously optimistic. If that makes sense…
Today, I’m going to give you an update on where I stand and what got me here.
Today is my 31st birthday! To be perfectly honest, I have been more excited about my upcoming trip to Disney World than my birthday lately, and it’s not because I’m upset about turning 31… I really don’t even care. Turning 31 just means I’m officially “in my 30s” and that’s perfectly okay with me! I’m still a spring chicken and have plenty of inner youth to enjoy. Every day is a gift from God – and honestly, aside from the “boring adult things” we all have to do, I enjoy being an adult and making a life for myself.
That said, I felt like today would be a great day to share the specifics of my upcoming Follistim + IUI cycle!
I’m brand new to the world of injectibles and I am so excited to get started! I never thought I’d be so thrilled to inject myself in the stomach every day, but I am ready to just push through and do this. If you’re new to the world of injectibles and IUI, I wanted to share with you exactly what this cycle will look like for me and for my husband!
