So I decided to do a second post to give you all my update, otherwise the first one would have been too long!
I got a call about 10 days ago from my RE's office that my FSH was 10.5 which is considered elevated. As a result, they changed my protocol from long lupron to short lupron. Basically, they don't want to risk totally shutting my body down with the lupron because they are afraid it will have trouble starting back up because of my elevated FSH. So instead, they use a microdose of lupron at the beginning of my cycle to try to augment my body's natural hormones. As a result, they have less control over the follicles which means that there is risk of one becoming a "lead follicle" and suppressing the others' growth, which means they would get fewer eggs at retrieval. But the flip side is if they shut my body down with lupron and it can't start itself up, they won't get ANY eggs. So I guess microdose it is. (If you understand better than I do, feel free to correct anything I wrote above!)
Well, this just devastated me, as my FSH level in December was 5.9! ASo it's gone up more than 4 points in 5 months. They said it has to be under 13 to do IVF. So basically this time, my chances are still pretty good, but I'm concerned that in a few years if I want to get pregnant again my levels will be too high for a fresh cycle and I'll have to rely on whatever we are able to freeze this time. I was pretty upset and anxious, and I just needed a break from bnb, so that is why I've been gone for so long.
Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better now, and I'm trying to just have a positive outlook on everything. Part of the good news is that I don't have to take lupron for two weeks and deal with all of those side effects! So for now the plan is that i stay on bcp until June 7, and then I will get af, and I'll go in for baseline tests on the 12th. Hopefully I will also start lupron, follistim, menopur, etc all on that day as well (I think?!?). Then egg retrieval will be 8 or so days after that.
It's been really fun to read about all of you who are a bit further along in the process than I am. I'm thinking about all of you!