On Monday I had my third ultrasound in four days. Dr Earnest Resident and Dr Big Shot became concerned about the thickness of my uterine lining. They have been measuring it regularly, and it looked thinner than it had on Sunday. Ruh roh.
Then Dr Big Shot leans in closer to the ultrasound screen.
"Oh, you see this indentation in the uterus?"
Err, yes (uh oh uh oh uh oh).
"That's a cramp! Your uterus is cramping and we can see the muscle contraction causing an indentation! It's also distorting the lining to look thinner."
That certainly explains the sensation.
On the bright side, how many women can claim to have seen their own uterus cramp? (Don't all raise your hands if this is something you get to watch during late pregnancy too; I'd like to focus on feeling special for a little while.)
If anyone cares, although uterine cramping feels unlocalized achey, on the ultrasound it looked more as though a rubber band was being tightened around one section of the uterus. Who knew?
Due to my strong reaction to the medications, the doctors have cut way back and I hardly had to inject anything at all this week, for fear of overstimulating the girls. Yesterday Dr Hyde gave me the "trigger" shot of human chorionic gonadotropin, which will drive the follicles to ripen. The shot is timed 35 hours prior to egg retrieval, because at 36 hours after the shot, the eggs will start being released from their little fluid prisons.
In other words, the nice thing about this doctor's appointment is that there is literally no way they'll keep me waiting.
One disappointing piece of news--I had hoped Dr Hyde could blog the retrieval, as I will be under general anesthesia. But it turns out that they won't let him in the room. Perhaps he will just blog about the waiting room magazines (which, bizarrely, include Parenting) instead.
15 years ago
8 comments:
Perhaps he will just blog about the waiting room magazines (which, bizarrely, include Parenting) instead.
Isn't he gonna need some magazines that are a little more stimulating? He does have to provide gametes, too.
Dr Hyde takes offense at your suggestion that he does not get hot looking at soccer moms decorating cupcakes.
I had to inject xenopus with human chorionic gonadotropin once, when I learned how to make their egg lysate. I was so freaked out the wiggly, squiggly frogs were going to make me accidentally inject myself in the hand! Then I would have ovulated all over the place!
That's pretty cool (the uterine intendation I mean). I've never seen it, so you just go ahead and feel super special!
How cool is that (the visualization of cramping)?! Glad it was only that making the lining look thin. Good luck for the retrieval!
Dr. J- Good luck with the egg retrieval. Will be thinking of you!
Fingers crossed. Best of luck with this part.
Yay, ripe eggs!
I fervently hope that all is running smoothly. You impress me as someone who would make an excellent mother, and I wish you all the best.
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