Small Speed Bump

  Well, yesterday I went to the clinic for an ultrasound and a lab draw (estrogen level).  The results show that I am not responding very well to the medications.  My estrogen level this time was only 82, it went up but not to the point we were hoping.  It is possible that the Lupron is suppressing my ovaries too much and not allowing them to respond to the Follistim (the stimulating egg making med).  Therefore, my doctor decreased the Lupron dose to 5mg instead of 10mg.  I have continued taking the 450 units of Follistim.  I will return to the clinic tomorrow morning to see if this helped anything.  So I will have another ultrasound and estrogen level checked.  If it is still really low, then we will most likely cancel this IVF cycle and regroup from the info gathered during this cycle.  My doctor said he knew he needed to suppress my ovaries less than he would for most girls my age but he had no idea I would need even less suppression than he had planned.  But that is all part of it, trial by error is sometimes the best way to figure things out.  We have finally gone from the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" to now "low ovarian reserve" also known as "dysfunctional ovaries".  After looking at my FSH, AMH, and my resting ultrasounds they all paint the picture of low ovarian reserve.  Darn ovaries!  No, it is good to know what we are dealing with here.  Plus, it isn't the lowest they have seen, they are still functioning, and I read on the all-knowing internet (ha,ha) that yoga can increase the ovarian function by increasing blood flow to the area.  It only works in people like me with the low function, not in failed ovaries however.  So I am gonna jump on that for sure, it cannot hurt.  Give me some Yoga, bring it!!!!  Also, I read that wheat germ helps, sounds nasty but I will give that a try too, what the heck!  If I can stab my self daily I think I can take some foul tasting wheat germ, at this point :)  I also wanted to update you on my understanding of Lupron.  I have learned that Lupron is given in the early phase of the IVF cycle to suppress the ovaries so that they don't make follicles the way they do during a normal cycle, the hope is that they will hush up until the Follistim says "OK GO", ok this is what we/I already knew.  The next 2 things are the other functions of Lupron as it is continued thru the cycle: to make the ovaries not ovulate because it would be really bad if on retrieval day the doctor went in to try to get the eggs but they were already gone(it is impossible to exactly predict ovulation), and also Lupron is used to help mature the follicles in a healthy way.  When I addressed my concern to the doctor about thinking I was on too high a dose of Lupron he agreed but wanted to be sure I knew the need for it.  Now I see that it is needed however I am really glad we cut it back some, even though he said at this point it probably won't make a difference since it might be too late (but who knows).  He said IVF is like driving down the freeway with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.  The foot on the gas being the Follistim saying make eggs, make tons of eggs, and the other foot on the brake being the initial birth control pills and the Lupron.  He said with me he knew he didn't need to suppress me as much and that is why he didn't have me do the birth control pills.  Lupron comes in ultra low, low, medium low, medium, and high, and I was placed on the medium dose initially.  My doc says he will have to get more creative with the doses if we end up having to cancel and start over on another cycle.  The thing that really is lame is that the Follistim that I give myself is way expensive and I need more than the average girl so that doesn't help.