Day 9 ultrasound revealed only 7 follicles only however all of them were greater than 1 cm. There is one particular follicle that was running way ahead of the group at 1.93 cm. Dr. Lee said that this bigger one may have to be forsaken as it may be too old at the time of OPU and we need to harvest the other 6 that are growing at the same pace. He gave instructions on the medications to inject for the next few days. There is a change in the medications this time. Below are the details:
Day 9 - 75 IU Gonal-F, 2 vials of 75 IU Menopur and 1 vial of 0.25 mg Ganirelix
Day 10 - 2 vials of 75 IU Menopur and 1 vial of 0.25 mg Ganirelix
Day 11 - Ultrasound and tentative trigger shot at 10:00 pm (1 vial of Ovidrel)
Dr. Lee set the tentative Ovum Pick Up (OPU) to Day 13 at 8:00 am. This largely depends on the results of my Day 11 ultrasound. He has not yet ordered any E2 blood test. As Ganirelix need to be administered before 12 pm everyday and we decided to have both Ganirelix and Menopur administered by the nurse at the injection room at Mackay Memorial Hospital.
The bill for this visit is NT$9,729 which is approximately US$326 or CA$354. This amount is all inclusive as indicated in my older posts. We paid the bill and picked up the medications from the injection counter. We then followed the blue line on the floor which led us straight to the injection room. We then drew a number from the machine and waited for our turn. When my turn came, I handed the medications to the nurse. She injected Ganirelix first which was easy breezy then came the Menopur injection. Woahh...!! Menopur SUCKS BIG TIME.......!!! It BURNS...!!! My hats off to all the ladies out there that are taking the Menopur shot everyday for their IVF cycle! I am super dreading the Menopur shot tomorrow! :(
I am also getting anxious that only 7 follicles after 8 days of stims and my mind was starting to fill with all negative thoughts. My hubby and MIL comforted me that I only need one. I feel better that they are so positive and supportive. It is interesting to note that Dr. Lee still thinks we are on track. I am hoping for the best and expecting the worst at this point.
Bring on the Menopur tomorrow...!!!
Showing posts with label Gonal-F. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gonal-F. Show all posts
Monday, September 01, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Day 6 - Ultrasound and consultation with Dr. Robert Kuo-Kuang Lee
I had to wait around 30 minutes for the ultrasound. Once done, the technician completed the follicle monitoring sheet and returned it to me. I then took the sheet to Dr. Lee's clinic which is on the same floor as the ultrasound lab. Within minutes I was called and after around 5 minutes in the waiting area, it was my turn. Dr. Lee looked at the form and started prescribing the doses of the stims for the next couple days. He prescribed the below doses:
Day 6 - 150 iu Gonal-F
Day 7 - 225 iu Gonal-F
Day 8 - 225 iu Gonal-F & 0.5 ml Orgalutran/Ganirelix
I am to return to the hospital to do another ultrasound on day 9 and follow up consult. Actually I was rather disappointed to see the current ultrasound result as it showed only 5 follicles. I asked Dr. Lee if this number was a little too low, he said this number is good. Ahh well...as long as he thinks so!
After that, I was passed to Lisa, the doctor's assistant. She drew the remaining Gonal-F from the 2 used pens for the previous stims into a traditional syringe and gave it to me as day 6 stim. The nice thing about doing ivf here is that they do not like to waste any medication and don't want the patient to incur any additional expense than necessary. I asked her if it is possible to just use the pen to inject instead of drawing the meds into a single syringe. She said that's also possible but that would mean the patient will have to inject twice (75 iu remaining per pen). I was pretty touched that they care enough to ensure that the patient's anxiety and discomfort is minimized!
After I came out of the clinic, I visited Annie at the international medical services center and had a nice chat with her. Then on my way out of the hospital, I picked up the medications from the pharmacy injections pick up counter and went home. I spent only around 2 hours and was all set for the weekend.
The cost of this visit was NT$8,288 which is approximately US$277 or CA$302. This includes the fee for registration, consultation, ultrasound, pharmacy and medications for day 7 & 8 (Gonal-F & Ganirelix). Note that the medications accounts for the major portion of the cost (meds cost was NT$7,580).
In the evening, my mother-in-law helped me inject the 150 iu of Gonal-F as it was in a traditional syringe and I am lucky that my mom-in-law used to be a nurse. With her administration, I did not even shed one drop of blood whereas, I always bleed when I administer the injection myself. I also requested her to help administer the Ganirelix injection for me on day 8. Phew! I feel less anxious now. Praying that I grow more eggs!!
Day 6 - 150 iu Gonal-F
Day 7 - 225 iu Gonal-F
Day 8 - 225 iu Gonal-F & 0.5 ml Orgalutran/Ganirelix
I am to return to the hospital to do another ultrasound on day 9 and follow up consult. Actually I was rather disappointed to see the current ultrasound result as it showed only 5 follicles. I asked Dr. Lee if this number was a little too low, he said this number is good. Ahh well...as long as he thinks so!
After that, I was passed to Lisa, the doctor's assistant. She drew the remaining Gonal-F from the 2 used pens for the previous stims into a traditional syringe and gave it to me as day 6 stim. The nice thing about doing ivf here is that they do not like to waste any medication and don't want the patient to incur any additional expense than necessary. I asked her if it is possible to just use the pen to inject instead of drawing the meds into a single syringe. She said that's also possible but that would mean the patient will have to inject twice (75 iu remaining per pen). I was pretty touched that they care enough to ensure that the patient's anxiety and discomfort is minimized!
After I came out of the clinic, I visited Annie at the international medical services center and had a nice chat with her. Then on my way out of the hospital, I picked up the medications from the pharmacy injections pick up counter and went home. I spent only around 2 hours and was all set for the weekend.
The cost of this visit was NT$8,288 which is approximately US$277 or CA$302. This includes the fee for registration, consultation, ultrasound, pharmacy and medications for day 7 & 8 (Gonal-F & Ganirelix). Note that the medications accounts for the major portion of the cost (meds cost was NT$7,580).
In the evening, my mother-in-law helped me inject the 150 iu of Gonal-F as it was in a traditional syringe and I am lucky that my mom-in-law used to be a nurse. With her administration, I did not even shed one drop of blood whereas, I always bleed when I administer the injection myself. I also requested her to help administer the Ganirelix injection for me on day 8. Phew! I feel less anxious now. Praying that I grow more eggs!!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Day 3 to Day 5 - Gonal-F stims 225 iu
It was still a terrifying experience giving myself an injection at home on day 3. Hubby guided me through the process and it helped with him there. On day 4, hubby wasn't home so I had to try solo. It didn't hurt as much as day 3, may be I am slowly getting used to it? I usually stim every night at 9:30 p.m. I am yet to stim today. Tomorrow morning (day 6), I have to be at the hospital at 8:30 am for the ultrasound and the consult with Dr. Robert KK Lee to follow. Based on the ultrasound report (follicle growth), Dr. Lee is going to adjust the dosage of the stims. I hope my ovaries are responding. At this point, I don't feel bloated or have any symptoms of side effects. I have been drinking lots of water though and eating more protein than I usually do. Hopefully, this will help with follicle growth. =)
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Day 2 - Consultation with Dr. Robert KK Lee at Mackay Memorial Hospital
On our way to Mackay Memorial Hospital, we boarded the wrong bus and ended up a little late for the appointment. The appointment was at 9:00 am, we reached at 9:15 am and I saw my registered/appointment number "2" displayed outside clinic room 2. This is the room Dr. Robert KK Lee occupies for his practice. The exact location in the hospital is 2F Peace Building, Department of Ob/Gyn, Clinic Room 2.
As I approached the door to knock, the nurse happened to come out of the door and asked me my registered/appointment number. After I let her know she asked me to wait and went to the room next door. The display outside then changed to number "3" and a lady went in. After about 5 minutes the nurse returned to clinic room 2 and after about 10 minutes she came out of the room and called me in (without displaying number "2" outside) to the waiting area inside the room while the lady for appointment #3 was consulting Dr. Lee. As I was waiting, I overheard Dr. Lee congratulate the lady and her husband on their successful IVF. He told them "Congratulations, you are pregnant!". I couldn't help but feel happy for them!! At least it gives me some hope that may be I too will be pregnant soon! =)
When the lady left, I was called and I asked if my husband could come in. They gave me permission and I called my husband in. He asked me details pertaining to my cycle and pulled out my chart/history on his computer. He asked me when the first day of the last and current cycle was and the date I took the last birth control pill. He then gave me a follicle monitoring sheet (誘導排卵監測單) and instructed me to do a baseline ultrasound immediately at the ultrasound lab down the hall and bring the results back to the nurse once done.
Once outside the ultrasound lab, I had to knock and go in to get a number as well as give the follicle monitoring sheet to the service desk. We had to wait 40 minutes for my turn. I went in as soon as my number was displayed outside the lab. Once inside, I had to wait for about 3 minutes before the technician showed up and asked me my name to confirm she has the right patient's follicle monitoring sheet. The ultrasound itself was pretty fast. The process was with minimal discomfort. I went in expecting it to be another uncomfortable process as per prior experience but came out relieved and very impressed. Was it the technician or the equipment that made the difference? I think it was both. The technician was very skilled in my opinion. The equipment looked new and did not make any noise. This was a stark contrast to my experiences in Toronto at different labs for trans-vaginal ultrasounds and with Dr. Woo at IVF Canada for my IUI follicle monitoring. I figured at Mackay Memorial Hospital, they utilize the latest technology and equipment available. Trust me, I am extremely impressed.
After the ultrasound, the nurse gave me back the follicle monitoring sheet and I took it to the nurse at Dr. Lee's clinic. My name was called after around 15 minutes. Once inside, I had to wait at the waiting area again. Just thought it worth mentioning here that the waiting area and the doctor's desk is separated by a curtain. When I initially consulted Dr. Lee in November 2013, I felt odd because I think after having lived in North America for more than a decade, I am so used to being "private". I mentioned it to my husband but he shrugged it off saying this is what makes the system so efficient. True, I observed that in just a matter of 3 hours that day, the doctor saw more than 30 patients. Everything is operationally efficient and orderly. There is no wasting of either the patient's time or the doctor's. Back in Toronto, I have to wait at least 2.5-3 hours before I can see my family doctor, which is a real pain. In order to see a specialist, the patient has to first get a referral from the family doctor. The family doctor's office then contacts the specialist's office, who then gets back to the family doctor with the date and time. Once the family doctor's office get the appointment date and time, the patient will be advised. Sometimes it can take months to get an appointment with a specialist. My father had to wait for than a month to consult an eye specialist for his cataract surgery. In Taiwan, there is no such issue. Anyone can see any specialist any time by booking an appointment. All appointments across the country goes by the number system. Public Healthcare in Canada is awesome and free for all Canadians but it sucks at wait times for crucial health issues.
When it was finally my turn, Dr. Lee advised that he is prescribing 225 iu of Gonal-F for day 2 to day 5 (total 4 days of stims) and I am to go back to see him on day 6. I was instructed to do another ultrasound to check follicle growth before the appointment on day 6 and to always have the follicle monitoring sheet at hand so that it is more convenient for both parties and less time-consuming vs. if they have to pull out their records all the time. I am following protocol 4 for this workup.
I was instructed to pay the bill and pick up the injections first and return to the clinic for the doctor's assistant who will show us how to administer the Gonal-F shot. After we paid the bill and picked up the injections from the pharmacy on the ground floor, I went back to the clinic and sought Dr. Lee's assistant who provided us with two forms to sign, date and return to her on day 6 (Aug 29). The first form was patient's basic information. The 2nd form was the agreement to undergo ART procedure at Mackay Memorial Hospital under the care of Dr. Robert KK Lee. We also gave her a copy of our marriage certificate, passports and driver's license along with HIV and Syphilis test records. She showed me how to prime the Gonal-F pen and administer the shot myself. I must say it was pretty difficult to give myself the shot the first time! Just the sight of the needle made me feel a bit dizzy! It wasn't so bad after the needle inserted into the skin, like a slight pinch.
That concluded our day 2 visit. The total cost of this visit was NT$15,308 which is approximately US$512 or CA$558. This includes the fee for registration, consultation, ultrasound, pharmacist and Gonal-F injections for 4 days. So far so good, fingers still crossed. Baby dust to all! =)
As I approached the door to knock, the nurse happened to come out of the door and asked me my registered/appointment number. After I let her know she asked me to wait and went to the room next door. The display outside then changed to number "3" and a lady went in. After about 5 minutes the nurse returned to clinic room 2 and after about 10 minutes she came out of the room and called me in (without displaying number "2" outside) to the waiting area inside the room while the lady for appointment #3 was consulting Dr. Lee. As I was waiting, I overheard Dr. Lee congratulate the lady and her husband on their successful IVF. He told them "Congratulations, you are pregnant!". I couldn't help but feel happy for them!! At least it gives me some hope that may be I too will be pregnant soon! =)
When the lady left, I was called and I asked if my husband could come in. They gave me permission and I called my husband in. He asked me details pertaining to my cycle and pulled out my chart/history on his computer. He asked me when the first day of the last and current cycle was and the date I took the last birth control pill. He then gave me a follicle monitoring sheet (誘導排卵監測單) and instructed me to do a baseline ultrasound immediately at the ultrasound lab down the hall and bring the results back to the nurse once done.
Once outside the ultrasound lab, I had to knock and go in to get a number as well as give the follicle monitoring sheet to the service desk. We had to wait 40 minutes for my turn. I went in as soon as my number was displayed outside the lab. Once inside, I had to wait for about 3 minutes before the technician showed up and asked me my name to confirm she has the right patient's follicle monitoring sheet. The ultrasound itself was pretty fast. The process was with minimal discomfort. I went in expecting it to be another uncomfortable process as per prior experience but came out relieved and very impressed. Was it the technician or the equipment that made the difference? I think it was both. The technician was very skilled in my opinion. The equipment looked new and did not make any noise. This was a stark contrast to my experiences in Toronto at different labs for trans-vaginal ultrasounds and with Dr. Woo at IVF Canada for my IUI follicle monitoring. I figured at Mackay Memorial Hospital, they utilize the latest technology and equipment available. Trust me, I am extremely impressed.
After the ultrasound, the nurse gave me back the follicle monitoring sheet and I took it to the nurse at Dr. Lee's clinic. My name was called after around 15 minutes. Once inside, I had to wait at the waiting area again. Just thought it worth mentioning here that the waiting area and the doctor's desk is separated by a curtain. When I initially consulted Dr. Lee in November 2013, I felt odd because I think after having lived in North America for more than a decade, I am so used to being "private". I mentioned it to my husband but he shrugged it off saying this is what makes the system so efficient. True, I observed that in just a matter of 3 hours that day, the doctor saw more than 30 patients. Everything is operationally efficient and orderly. There is no wasting of either the patient's time or the doctor's. Back in Toronto, I have to wait at least 2.5-3 hours before I can see my family doctor, which is a real pain. In order to see a specialist, the patient has to first get a referral from the family doctor. The family doctor's office then contacts the specialist's office, who then gets back to the family doctor with the date and time. Once the family doctor's office get the appointment date and time, the patient will be advised. Sometimes it can take months to get an appointment with a specialist. My father had to wait for than a month to consult an eye specialist for his cataract surgery. In Taiwan, there is no such issue. Anyone can see any specialist any time by booking an appointment. All appointments across the country goes by the number system. Public Healthcare in Canada is awesome and free for all Canadians but it sucks at wait times for crucial health issues.
When it was finally my turn, Dr. Lee advised that he is prescribing 225 iu of Gonal-F for day 2 to day 5 (total 4 days of stims) and I am to go back to see him on day 6. I was instructed to do another ultrasound to check follicle growth before the appointment on day 6 and to always have the follicle monitoring sheet at hand so that it is more convenient for both parties and less time-consuming vs. if they have to pull out their records all the time. I am following protocol 4 for this workup.
I was instructed to pay the bill and pick up the injections first and return to the clinic for the doctor's assistant who will show us how to administer the Gonal-F shot. After we paid the bill and picked up the injections from the pharmacy on the ground floor, I went back to the clinic and sought Dr. Lee's assistant who provided us with two forms to sign, date and return to her on day 6 (Aug 29). The first form was patient's basic information. The 2nd form was the agreement to undergo ART procedure at Mackay Memorial Hospital under the care of Dr. Robert KK Lee. We also gave her a copy of our marriage certificate, passports and driver's license along with HIV and Syphilis test records. She showed me how to prime the Gonal-F pen and administer the shot myself. I must say it was pretty difficult to give myself the shot the first time! Just the sight of the needle made me feel a bit dizzy! It wasn't so bad after the needle inserted into the skin, like a slight pinch.
That concluded our day 2 visit. The total cost of this visit was NT$15,308 which is approximately US$512 or CA$558. This includes the fee for registration, consultation, ultrasound, pharmacist and Gonal-F injections for 4 days. So far so good, fingers still crossed. Baby dust to all! =)
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