Today is the 4th day of my IVF stimulation protocol, and I am already beginning to feel the symptoms. They actually started yesterday, on the third day. After dinner, consisting of spinach, kale, quinoa, avocado, and falafel tossed with balsamic vinaigrette with a side of kimchi and leftover white bean and kale stew, I felt a little bloated and started passing a lot of gas. I had trouble falling asleep because of how uncomfortable I was.
I woke up this morning still feeling bloated and gassy. I feel pressure on both ovaries, and lying on my stomach feels uncomfortable. I feel pressure on the lower abdomen when seated. I woke up feeling really parched as well. I have had an increased thirst since I started the injections, which is nice since that forces me to drink a lot of water. I have also had a weird taste in my mouth. Yesterday, it tasted like this strange taste I always have in my mouth after getting an IV. I may be exaggerating, but I also think I already have brain fog. Yesterday, while washing the dishes, I kept dropping them and knocking things over. I was having a conversation with my flatmate and had a tough time formulating my thoughts, but it could have been because I was multitasking (washing the dishes simultaneously).
I go for long walks daily. I have consistently been hitting 10,000 steps since the start of the cycle, but I am worried it is not enough exercise since I ran a lot and did yoga before starting. I’m only eating two meals a day. I was doing one meal a day (OMAD) for months and even had a longer three-day fast a week before the start of this cycle. I eat breakfast (chia pudding made with oat milk, blueberries, and peanut butter) and a late lunch/early dinner. I am not counting calories, but I feel like I am getting enough to eat. I eat a vegan diet full of vegetables, legumes, and grains. I was anti-carbs for the longest but learned that may have been less beneficial, and besides, with a vegan diet and not eating meat, it’s hard to stick to a low-carb diet. I rotate mostly between black (forbidden) rice, white rice, polenta, quinoa, Fonio, millet, and buckwheat for grains.
I dropped .3 kg from CD1. I am not actively trying to lose weight since that’s not recommended during Sims, but I do not have much appetite.
My first ultrasound to count my follicles is in 3 days, and I can’t wait to hear if I am doing things right. I get really nervous doing the injections, worrying I am not mixing the medicine well enough, or I am leaving too much of it in the vial or losing some when I inject it and think that somehow not getting the correct dose will impact my success, so getting that first check-up will put my mind at ease. I also put the Meriofert injection in the fridge because that’s what I remember the nurse telling me. I did not ask the pharmacist the first time I picked up the first order, but yesterday I went for the refills, and the pharmacist told me to keep them at room temperature, so of course, I am freaking out, thinking I messed things up by refrigerating the shots.
I am sure everything will go well. I am less worried about the retrieval than I am about the transfer. I am concerned about being unable to do a fresh transfer this cycle because my uterus lining will not be thick enough. I am also worried that even if my uterus lining is thick enough and we proceed with the transfer, that implantation will fail since there is a chance that I still have a submucous fibroid in the uterus cavity. The gynecologist suggested as such during the CD11 ultrasound last cycle (even though she noted in my notes that i could also be free liquid) and because of the painful period that I had this cycle, two months after the Hysteroscopy.
But maybe my preparation for a failed implantation is a Premeditatio Malorum, negative visualization to help me better deal with an eventual loss.
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