AFC = 30!

We had a wonderful day yesterday at the clinic. We found out that my antral follicle count (AFC) was 30! The AFC I had done in June was 20, which is still a great number, but 30 is fan-friggin-tastic!

Because each fluid-filled follicle should contain an egg, an AFC test gives the doctors an idea of how well you could respond to the medication and is the potential number of eggs that could make it to maturity by egg retrieval time. However, sometimes there are more eggs retrieved and sometimes there are less but it's a good starting point to help understand what our chances are. Here is a great link that shows how promising this cycle looks for us: http://www.advancedfertility.com/antralfollicles.htm (see charts)

Since my doctor would like to retrieve between 20 and 30 mature eggs from me, we are right on track.

I could hardly believe it when after counting 13 follicles on my right ovary, the ultrasound technician just kept on counting with my left ovary until she got to 17! While an AFC of 30 does put me at a slightly higher risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, it is one of the reasons we have to travel to Atlanta every day for the next week and a half. Our doctor and nurses will be monitoring me very closely through ultrasounds and bloodwork to try and make this process as safe as possible while still successful.

Last night I began the FSH injections. FSH is follicle stimulating hormone. Our bodies (male and female) produce this naturally, but the additional amounts of hormone added are meant to allow as many potential follicles to grow as possible. Right now my dosage is 150IU at 7pm and 225IU at 7am daily. After tomorrow's bloodwork results come back, a nurse will call me and let me know if I need to change my dosages. For now, we'll just wait and grow the follicles until they tell us it's time to go get those eggs!