The geek in me was thrilled

Some developments came about today. Nothing huge, but when you are incredibly tired of waiting, anything is a development.

We got the bill for Cam's blood work today! This is exciting for me as I have been watching the mail for it. I have been tracking everything meticulously on a spreadsheet, and I had missing data for that line item. The geek in me was thrilled to be able to fill in those cells.

In the original quote for our IVF, I was told that this blood work can be up to $800 each. Planning for the worst, that is what I had put as the cost. The bill I received said that his blood work was less than $60 and the cost to us was $12! That is a heck of a lot better than $800.

Essentially, we just got another $800 knocked off of the cost of our IVF. This is incredible!

The other far lesser development is that I had to refill my birth control prescription today. On one hand I was sad because that means more pills, but on the other hand, I was encouraged to know that there are only seven pills left to take!

I made a countdown calendar out of my pills and blacked out all the pills left over that I don't have to take. (I will be saving these for later in the off-chance that I have to use them again, but I'm praying I never have to use them.) When I take that last pill that means I'm so much closer to my goal. The last pill I take means I have one day until my baseline ultrasound and blood work appointment.

Around the time of your expected period, (which is controlled by BCP in this case and scheduled by the RE) a transvaginal ultrasound scan will be performed to examine your ovaries. This procedure is used to ensure your ovaries are not producing eggs at the moment (are suppressed - the reason BCP is taken) . It also measures your serum estradiol level.  In some cases, women may develop cysts.  If a cyst is detected, therapy may not continue until your cysts resolve on their own (usually in about a week). If your baseline ultrasound is normal, you will begin stimulatory medication.

In case you are wondering about the procedures for IVF, this is a great resource I have found that has them all neatly lined up, including where we are now (suppression, waiting on baseline) and what we have left to do. 

Basically, they will look at my uterine lining as well as do what is called an antral follicle count. (it looks at all the tiny follies that may respond to treatment.) This gives the RE an idea if I will respond to treatment well. They also look for any large cysts on my ovaries which can cause problems.

As with the day 2 ultrasound (ok, it was day 4 for me this time) It doesn't hurt and it's pretty quick. I also have to wrap my mind around having another ultrasound while potentially bleeding. Of course, at this point, it doesn't really bother me. By this point I have been through so much, it is just one more thing checked off of my list. 

For a first-timer, don't worry about the bleeding. Generally they put a sheet over your legs and dim the lights and do everything by feel under the sheet - they care about what is on the ultrasound monitor, not what's going on between your legs. 

The one thing I am really not looking forward to is the blood work. This appointment starts the long line of appointments in which there are a couple of vials drawn each time. This isn't as bad as it once seemed, but is not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination.

If this appointment goes well, I will begin stims a  day or two after. I will be on those for 9-12 days, during which I will have appointments and blood draws every other day. As soon as my tests show that I am where I need to be, I will be told to trigger (a shot that triggers ovulation.)

So, you can see that the baseline appointment really is a huge milestone in the IVF process. Once you reach this point, the bulk of the waiting is over and a couple of weeks of craziness ensues.

In an effort to try to take my mind off of the *SLOWLY* passing time, I have decided to go see my parents for a few days. Relaxing at my childhood home and watching my son play with his cousins is a great distraction for me. If you are going through this process, I would recommend you also find a place you can go to relax and unwind during this time. A simple, low key weekend away before the craziness of IVF starts is wonderful.