Knock Me Up, Doc!

Final thought...

2012-01-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

I'm just stopping back by the old blog to close it out in case anyone was wondering where I am.

My second IVF was successful and Megan Isabel was born on August 1. She s such a delight! I am over-the-moon with this child.

Also, Penn State is basically my backyard and I've started a new blog about the sex abuse scandal and Joe Paterno's legacy. It can be found at StateCollegeMom.

Thanks for everyone's support through my fertility treatments. I'm thrilled to see so many of you have babies now too.

BFN on Friday

2010-08-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

Period started today.

But I have a really clean bathroom.

Not sure what's coming up next. I have a follow-up appt next Friday for blood work and to make sure everything is returning to normal.

Results tomorrow but big plans regardless

2010-08-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have my blood work first thing tomorrow morning and will get a call sometime in the afternoon with the results. I'm hopeful, but realistic. I haven't had any bleeding but I've been having cramps for several days. I keep expecting to see my period and feel like I'm playing peek-a-boo with my underwear every time I go to the bathroom.

But to head off any upsetting news, I have a plan that will at least ease some of the disappointment.

I mentioned on a previous post my GAP-BAG idea. Since IVF is the big time now, I'm treating myself to a few things, even though they'll seem silly to most people.

First, my bathroom is gross. My house was built in 1841 and I don't know when the bathroom was added, but it's been a few decades since it's been updated. Since we're not in a position to do major upgrades, I'm going to scrub the bathroom from top to bottom using some kind of cleaner that I'd avoid if pregnant. Sound fun? I'm actually looking forward to it.

Second, similar story with the windows. I've been wanting to clean them, inside and out, for a while but didn't want to tax myself. But with the dead bugs that are collecting outside the screens and the cat paw prints on the glass, it's time.

Third, I'm getting more highlights put in my hair. The cut, which was drastically short a year ago, is finally growing out to a length that's almost cute and I really like the blonde that's in it now. I've heard different opinions on whether you should avoid highlighting while pregnant, so if I'm pregnant, my roots will show. If not, I'm going dirty blonde.

Fourth, brown riding boots. Completely impractical since the only horse I've come close to in the past 15 years are on merry-go-rounds, but I really like them. I admit this decision may be Star Wars influenced. Everyone's wearing riding boots in the original trilogy, which I spent way too much time watching with Ryan this summer. There's just something about those boots.

No real news but doubtful

2010-08-18T06:02:00.001-07:00

I've gotten some lovely email and phone calls from dear friends asking if I know anything. I go in for my blood test on Friday but I'm just not really feeling it. I've had a lot of cramps over the past few days and am feeling bummed and somewhat bitter about the whole process, especially the fact that I didn't get any frosties so I'll need to repeat the whole thing if this cycle is a bust.

I just hope the blood test on Friday is pretty obvious. I'd rather have a complete negative than a low positive that could just be residual from my HCG shots. I don't want to spend another week not really knowing and going for blood draws to compare numbers.

In a more positive note, my husband has turned out to be an excellent PIO shot-giver. I'm starting to get sore all over my butt from the shots, but the actual needle only hurts a little bit thanks to Kirk's steady hands and overall awesomeness.

So technically, I'm pregnant

2010-08-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today I had my embryo transfer. The whole thing was kind of fun and the doctors were are in playful moods. They showed us the embryos in their little plastic house under a microscope. It was really neat to see them and it put everything in perspective.

They grade their embies on a scale of 1-4, 1 being crappy and 4 being lovely. I have a 3.5, a 3, and a 2.5. The last one had a hard shell and probably won't implant, but it made it an easier decision to put all three in. If all three were perfect 4s, we might have gone with 2 transferred, but the chances of all three taking are so slim, especially how all of my numbers dropped quickly during this whole process (16 follies, 8 eggs, 5 fertilized, 3 good ones).

My estradiol was 1972. They like it to be over 2000 so I'll be taking another HCG shot on Sunday afternoon. I was close enough to 2000 that the doc wasn't going push the extra shot on me, but he recommended it and said it would be my decision. It can only help, so we'll do it.

So for right now, I have three embryos in my uterus, meaning that I'm pregnant. Hooray! I'm also on bed rest for a day which is a double hooray. Now I have to keep my fingers, and my legs, crossed that Jack, Chloe, and Nina (24 fans understand) find a nice piece of uterus to settle in to.

Egg retrieval

2010-08-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, first of all...wow. That really hurt. I don't know if they didn't give me enough meds or what, but I was wide awake the whole time and felt everything. Thirty-six hours later, it still hurts to laugh or sneeze.

The good news was that I had 16 follies. Bad news is that only eight had fully developed eggs. Of those eight, they were able to do ICSI on five, four fertilized, and three made it to 2pns. The fourth had 3pns so that guy doesn't count.

I only have three embies, which is better than none but still disappointed. I wanted to have some left over for frosties but that's not going to happen. If this round doesn't work, I'd have to stim all over again.

Transfer will be on Friday morning. I'm going to ask them to put all three in hoping that at least one will make it. There's no point in freezing just one since I wouldn't bother doing an IVF cycle with just one anyway.

Egg Retrieval Tuesday

2010-08-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

My doctor appointment on Sunday showed a whole bunch o' eggs! I had a 24, two 22s, one 21, three 17s, and at least four other smaller ones. I triggered last night and will go in tomorrow for my retrieval. I expected to have retrieval later in the week and I've never stim'ed so well. My docs must be doing something right.

It's an early day, we have to be at the clinic by 7:30am so we'll need to leave around 5:30 just to be safe. Fingers crossed.

Back on track

2010-08-01T03:53:00.001-07:00

So it turns out that my ultrasound tech last Wednesday was being generous with my measurements. I had my follow-up on Friday, this time with my fertility specialist, and my follicles look great! I have an 18, 2 17s, 2 15s, 2 14s, and a bunch of smaller ones. There's no need to scrub the cycle, in fact, I'm stimulating as I should be, just a day or two earlier than they expected.

This is what happens when people take 1.7 and round it up to 2.0 without realizing the significance of doing so.

Anyway, I'm off to fertility headquarters for another ultra and blood work.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My cycle could be in the crapper

2010-07-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

My estradiol level on Monday, day 3 of stims, was 186, which is normal range. Today level was 548, which is very good. The problem is, I have two follicles that went off the grid and swelled up to 2 cm. 2 cm! Each! That's the size they like when it's time to retrieve. Having them reach that size ten days before retrieval could be a problem because 1) they could ovulate on their own, trashing the whole cycle 2) the other follicles may not catch up in time.

Tonight I did an injection of ganirelix, which should stop an LH surge from happening so I won't ovulate. I'm still take 300 of HMG and will do this with the ganirelix tomorrow night as well. Another doctor appt, this time at the mothership 90 minutes away, on Friday for blood work and an ultrasound and what may turn out to be "the talk" about cancelling this cycle is my other follicles don't step it up.

How mad am I going to be if I have to cancel this cycle, go back on the pill, and buy more meds?!@

IVF cycle underway

2010-07-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

I started my IVF meds on Friday night and had my first blood test this morning, waiting to hear the results. If everything goes as planned, I'll have my egg retrieval on August 6 with embryo transfer a few days later.

The injections have been a challenge. Because I buy my meds from England, they come in these little glass vials, which I've complained about before. For IUI cycles, I was using one vial of medicine and one of purified water. Now, I'm using four vials of meds and two of water. It's nerve wracking mixing it all and dealing with all of those little bottles. By the time I got finished with it on Friday and Saturday, I was so frazzled that my husband had to give me the shots. Yesterday, I found some larger syringes, which made it much easier to mix. It still took me a while, but I was much more relaxed and was able to give myself the shot. But, it's still better than paying a couple extra thousand for the meds.

Warning: Cheesy Metaphor Ahead

2010-06-21T08:28:00.001-07:00

I've been swimming laps a lot lately. It's great exercise and, more importantly, it's quiet time to myself. There is something so fun about floating around in the water. Plus, I hate the repetition of lifting weights and I hate, hate, hate sweating.

You know when you're about to dive into a pool, you have that moment where you suck in a last breath? That's what I feel like now getting ready to do IVF. There's so much that will happen quickly in the next few weeks but I'm at the point where I'm just waiting for it all to start.

I got my period yesterday and will have a FSH blood test tomorrow morning. Then I go back to the main office on the 12th for scans, blood work, and paper work. Assuming everything looks good, I'll start the Lupron around July 23. I'm disappointed because I thought I'd start the meds in the next week or so. I didn't realize they still had more blood tests to do. If I had known, I would have tried to get that all taken care of last cycle but I guess you can only plan so far ahead.

Changed my mind

2010-05-26T21:06:00.001-07:00

I'm a flip flopper this week. After deciding on Friday that I couldn't go through with IVF due to finances, I went back to my original thought of "screw it. It's only money."

So, thanks to a generous supporter, we know have an interest free loan to cover the IVF. I will be going to my clinic tomorrow for the IVF teaching class and lots of blood work.

I'm hoping the procedure will be in late June or July.

Debating

2010-05-21T20:07:00.001-07:00

(Hello ICLWers. In short, I'm a 35-year-old with PCOS, endo, and male factor infertility. After two rounds of natural IUI, four of Clomid, and two injectables, I'm trying to figure out how to pay for IVF)

I haven't posted in a few weeks because I've been busy thinking. First, I thought I would just use the last two vials of sperm with IUI and shots. Then I thought "screw it. It's only money that's stopping me from the IVF so just do it."

Had I written this post a few days ago, I would have told you about my appt next Thursday with my clinic for the teaching session. But I would need to go to that appt with a check for $9k and it's not going to happen.

We moved last summer and have been unable to sell our old house. We're paying for the old house and our new place and losing about $1k a month. Until the house sells, I can't put out the money for IVF. It's ridiculous. I just hope the house sells fast so I can do IVF soon since my eggs aren't getting any younger. Who ever thought the housing market would prevent a girl from getting knocked up?

In the meantime, my body is still recovering from the last two rounds of meds. Period is now three days late and I've had cramps that could kill a cow. And I'm bloated and suspect that I look a little pregnant in my mid-section. The first person to ask when I'm due will lose a finger.

GAP-BAG

2010-04-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of how disappointed we all are when we get our periods. No one knows more than me how upsetting it is. As my husband can tell you, I'm not a "look on the bright side" kind of person. But I have it idea that might help the negative pregnancy test sting just a little less.

I'm calling it GAP-BAG. It stands for Get A Period-Buy A Gift.

Last month, I decided that if I got my period, I was going to buy myself this necklace I've had my eye on for at least a year. It's not a break-the-bank kind of necklace, but I don't like to spend money on things like this for myself when we have bills and plenty of other places to put our money.

But damnit, I (we) deserve something for the hell I've (we've) gone through these last two months. Since I decided on the necklace before this cycle began, I started watching for a sale. Not only will it go on sale this Wednesday, I have a $10 off coupon. Gotta love Kohls. So here is a photo of the necklace I'll be buying myself as a consolation prize:

What about my IF sisters? What will you do to lift your own spirits if the bad kind of spotting starts? It doesn't have to be expensive, maybe a book or even a double mocha latte since you've been avoiding coffee during the 2ww.

Mother Nature Part 2

2010-04-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it...mother nature reads my blog. About an hour after yesterday's post, I got my period. I felt so much rumbling in my lower abdomen over the past few days I thought SOMETHING must be going on. I guess I was right, but in the wrong way.

Female anatomy is really a poor design. The one area of the body that a women is going to focus on is surrounded by bowels, bladder, and other stuff that goes bump in the night. It's hard to tell what's an egg implanting and what's a gas bubble popping.

I suppose someone with an elbow problem who was focused on that elbow might notice strange clicks and cracks that could send them over the edge. But it just seems like the uterus is such a mysterious empty space that gives off false signals all the time. My uterus is the boy who cried wolf.

Dear Mother Nature

2010-04-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

(or whomever handles fertility)...

Let's just get this over with. I've had cramps on and off for three days now. My period is due on Friday and I'd rather not drag this out any longer.

I'm 90 percent sure that I'm not pregnant but I don't need the false hope over the next few days. I'd prefer to know for sure instead of anxiously watching pregnancy tests and playing peek-a-boo with my toilet paper looking for spotting. I can't take the stress and the hormone shots have made me emotional anyway.

Just please make it an obvious period instead of starting with a few hours of spotting, which I'll misinterpret as implantation.

Oh and by the way, if I'm wrong and am pregnant, please disregard.

Big boobs, no waist

2010-04-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

I guess the hormone shots are determined to turn me into a voluptuous lady (I use that term instead of other less pleasant ones like bulky or top heavy).

I've always had nice sized boomas, as my son calls them, ranging somewhere between a C and D. But now, my D cups runneth over. And they hurt, a lot.

At the same time, without noticing, my waist disappeared. Poof! Nothing! I tried to balance a laundry basket on my hip and nothing to wedge it into...my waist has moved out to meet my hips and they seem happy to see one another.

My IUI went well last week. Same deal as before--they used an ultrasound to guide and we could see the sperm going in and hanging around. They seemed to be just sitting there, slowing spreading outward. I would have liked a little more action, you know, a bunch heads to the right, some others to the left, then a strong middle to make sure an egg couldn't make a break for it. Am I thinking about the inside of my uterus again???

-- Post From My iPhone

I got eggs!

2010-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Remember that commercial a few years ago about eating eggs where they sang "I got eggs, from my head down to my legs". That's what I feel like singing since my ultrasound yesterday-- I have four follies ready to go. The biggest is 23 and I also have a 15 and two 12s. My estrogen is still low but my progesterone was up, showing that I'm getting ready to ovulate. So my RE told me to take the HCG trigger as soon as I got home yesterday and I'm now back at the clinic waiting for my sperm to thaw for today's IUI.

Today is day 13, which I like because I've always been inseminated on day 14 or later depending on when my surge was. I've always thought it was a better idea to do it right before so the sperm is there first ready to greet the egg/eggs when they come out. I've personified the whole process a bit too much but I like to imagine a little party going on in my uterus as the sperm and egg meet up and come together. Like a frat social without all the booze and arm punches.

-- Post From My iPhone

The case of the missing hormones

2010-04-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Alternately titled "Where's my f-ing estrogen?"

Even on the fertility shots, my estradiol level is in the crapper. My blood test on Friday showed a level of 23 on day 6 using 150ml of HMG. So my RE upped me to 225ml per shot, which I was initially happy with since I'd like to produce more than one egg this month. I'm not looking for multiples, but I'd like the chances of at least fertilizing one to increase.

But even with the increase, my level on day 9 was only 160. So we increased my dose again, this time to 300ml, which is four vials per shot.

Since I only had enough medicine for two full cycles, this brought me down to seven vials when I had twelve more doses. Typical pharmacies don't have fertility meds in stock, so after my wonderful fertility nurse made about a dozen phone calls, she found a mail-order pharmacy that is shipping out five vials by this afternoon.

The downside is, always, the cost. Those five vials came to $340. If I had ordered them from my London pharmacy, they would have only been $75. Lesson learned—-order more meds than you expect to need. But not buying the extra vials would have meant wasting the whole cycle and the $300 I already spent on the first 20 vials.

Another blood test and ultrasound tomorrow morning with IUI this weekend, assuming there is something there to aim at.

Wrong BFP

2010-03-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd be taking a pregnancy test today and really thought it would be positive. I felt pregnant, including an upset stomach and bloating. My appetite kept swinging back and forth. But Sunday morning, two days early, I started spotting. I thought (hoped) it was implantation or just early pregnancy spotting and took a test. If I looked at the test in just the right light and squinted, it looked like there was a line.

But by Sunday night it was obvious this was a BFP of a different kind--my period.

I've already been back to the doctor for a blood test and ultrasound and will start my next round of shots tonight, just waiting for the call to see what to dose to use. How frustrating.

Two Whole Weeks? WTF?

2010-03-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

It seems ridiculous that we can send satellites into orbit without incident, can clone cells in a lab, and can communicate with someone around the world in real time, yet we can't figure out a way to detect pregnancy in the first few days.

I mean really, peeing on a stick the day our period is due is the best we've been able to come up with? How can there not be a hi-tech ultrasound that can pick up a clump of several millions cell? Making a woman wait TWO WEEKS to find out if she's pregnant or not is just cruel. I bet if researchers put some effort into it, they could figure out some other chemical or combination of chemicals that elevate a day after conception occurs. Can someone get on that?

And isn't getting your period really one of the worst ways to receive bad news? Nope, not pregnant, but you do get to bleed and have cramps for the next few days.

I'm sick (but not the good kind of sick)

2010-03-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

The dreaded two-week-wait period is usually spent googling "early pregnancy symptoms" and watching our bodies closely for any potential sign that we're pregnant. On Friday night into Saturday, I thought I had a few small signs: my back hurt and my lower abdomen hurt and tight. It could have been related to the IUI procedure and all the medicine I've been injected with over the past few weeks, but still, it was something.

Sunday morning was another story. I woke up with a sore throat that was followed by a fever, head congestion, and ear aches. I got in to see my family doctor Monday morning and she confirmed my suspicions--strep throat. I got a prescription for amoxicillin and was sent on my way. But, I did get to answer "yes" when the nurse asked me if there was a chance I was pregnant. That's the first time in several years that a doctor appt has happened in the two-week-wait and I was able to say yes. It was a little exciting.

They offered to do a pregnancy test then but I explained that the HCG shot would throw off the results anyway, but it's officially in my medical records that I might be pregnant. :)

And they're off (or in depending on your POV)

2010-03-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

The IUI was yesterday and I have to say that, for an insemination, it was pretty cool. Dr. O used an abdominal ultrasound to see exactly where the catheter was. Once it was passed the cervix, he pushed it further until it was 7 (centimeters? millimeters? I don't know) something beyond the cervix. Then we actually watched them inject the sperm on the monitor so we know they're all in their. Unlike my previous clinic where I was not encouraged to linger, they had me lay on the bed for 15 minutes before leaving. To be extra extra sure nothing fell out, even though I know the cervix closes and the sperm isn't supposed to leak, my husband brought the car around so I didn't have to walk far. I rode the hour home with my feet up on the dash, my seat reclined, and a green McShake in my hand.

My 7th try fell on St Pattys day. Good luck, right?

The hormones have been catching up with
me--hot flashes, lack of patience and moody, and huge, swollen boobs. If only the shots could trim my thighs and flatten my belly...

I start progesterone suppositories tonight. I'm supposed to take one in the a.m. and p.m. but I have a lot of driving to do tomorrow and heard it can make some people tired and dizzy. It's less likely to happen with the suppository than the oral pill, but I'll play it safe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

No rest for the infertile

2010-03-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

Since I knew my insemination would happen sometime this week, I planned to go to bed early every night so I was well rested. Around noon today, I bought a relaxing candle and a great book and expected to be in bed at 9 and asleep at 10:30. I've always had insomnia, so 10:30 is a big step for me.

Then I got a call from my REs office saying that the IUI would be on Wednesday and I should take the HcG trigger shot tonight at 11pm. There goes that plan.

My ridiculously painful ultrasound today showed one awesome follie on the left side and two smaller ones on the right that may also release. My estradiol level is now around 260, not great but a lot better than it was.

Tomorrow I rest. No shots, no IUI. Then Wednesday morning I have an ultrasound at the official fertility clinic followed by the IUI. I'll be trying to conceive a leprechaun since the procedure is on St Pattys Day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It Hurts More When You're Not Paid For It

2010-03-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of ultrasounds in the past few years. In fact, I had a weekend job as a pelvic ultrasound model for a medical school so students could practice doing transvaginal ultrasounds on a real person. It paid well and was really no big deal, because they were nervous students and were very careful, and they didn't really have anything to look at.

The ultrasounds for my ovary checks are killers. The Friday test lasted 30 minutes of poking and prodding and pushing on my belly following by more jabbing. This time, the right ovary was up high and was difficult to look it. Keep in mind that my ovaries are swollen and sore from the fertility shots. I left the appointment feeling like I'd spent the morning riding a horse.

But, they found a great follicle on my left ovary measuring at 12mm. Since follicles continue to develop 1-2mm per day until ovulation occurs, this could be a 19er by Wednesday, which is when I suspect my HCG trigger shot will occur. There are also several smaller ones, which may look bigger by tomorrow's ultrasound. I've had doubts as to whether or not one follicle is worth inseminating for. I'm not aiming for twins or anything, but having more eggs waiting around means a better chance of someone hitting it off with the sperm.

Anyway, below is a photo of my nightly set-up. Here's what I do:

Break open the bottom vial with the red printing. Using the large syringe, I suck up all of the water from the bottle.
After breaking open the vial with the medicine, I squirt the water into the vial and shake it gently until it dissolves. Then I suck it all back up into the syringe.
Snapping open the next medicine vial, I squirt everything from the syringe into the vial and mix it up again.
Next, I remove the big needle from the syringe and replace it with the smaller one at the top of the picture.
Then I inject it. Most of the time, it's not big deal. In fact, I let my son do it last night and he thought it was awesome.

Once in a while, a drop of liquid comes back out from the needle hole or a small bit blood. For the next several hours and sometimes into the next day, the area stays red and itchy and swells a bit. But again, it's no big deal. I can do it.

Good news and less-than-good news

2010-03-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

My ultrasound on Tuesday was fantastic from a results standpoint. Apparently, I have a very tilted uterus, which makes it difficult to get clear images. My left ovary was hiding, as it has in the past, and the only way to see it clearly was by jamming the wand back and forth while I pressed on my stomach. I felt like I'd delivered a very small child by the end of it, but it paid off: I have five follicles developing on the left and three on the right. Only a few of these will continue to mature, but eight is a good number to start with in the hopes of having 2-3 by the time I ovulate.

In less-than-pleasant news, my blood test wasn't great. My estradiol level was only 26 when it should be around 200. This may be due to the medicine screw up. It doesn't rule out this month, but it's a concern. I have another ultrasound and blood work tomorrow, which will hopefully show a higher estradiol level since I've now been taking the right dose of HMG since Monday.

We screwed up

2010-03-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

Since all the focus has been on not breaking those vials, we just realized yesterday that we've been mixing up the WRONG dose of HMG. I was supposed to be injecting 150 units but instead have been doing 75.

The dilutent should be mixed into one vial of HMG, then added to the other until all of it dissolves completely. From Thursday through Sunday, we only mixed up one vial. My husband and I both now remember the nurse saying two vials, but we forgot.

So I fixed the dose last night and took the full HMG. It hurt a lot more going in and left a quarter-sized red welt around the injection site. It also seems like I have to press a lot harder to get it in.

I have to come clean with my doctor tomorrow and let him now I messed up. Maybe I'll blame it on my husband.

I also a blood test and ultrasound to look for follicles so they decide if my medicine needs to be changed for the next week.

Glass bottles from hell

2010-03-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

So below, you can see one of the glass vials that the medicine comes in. For each shot, we have to open two of these vials by snapping them at the neck, right where that white line is. But because the vials are so small, it's hard to get just the right amount of pressure to make them snap easily. Most of the time, we end up breaking at least one of the vials and get little shards of glass in the vial and on the table. We haven't lost any medicine since the break happens above the wide space, but it's pretty nerve wracking all the same.

I'm very thankful for the medicine and how inexpensive it was from London, but come on, Brits, get in the game. Move up to the 20th century and start putting medicine in plastic vials with rubber tops. This glass-breaking nonsense is for the birds.

Shots 2 and 3

2010-03-06T20:56:00.001-08:00

The shots are easier everytime I do them. It's become a family affair as we gather at the kitchen table. My husband opens the vials and mixes it, my son holds the needles (sealed of course), and I do the injection.

I'm sure it would hurt less and be a better experience if I just plunged the needle in quickly and injected the meds in one fast motion, but I can't help doing it slowly. It's like taking off a band-aid--it's less painful to just rip it off in one tug, but I'm the type to do it slowly.

No side effects that I've noticed so far, though I've warned everyone to be on the lookout for emotional outbursts and mood changes. I'll be a mood-shape-shifter any day now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fertility Shots Day 1

2010-03-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Buying my fertility meds from London saved me a ton of money (about $3K) but it also means that the medication packaging is a bit old school. If you've had a shot in the past ten years or so, you've seen the nurse put the needle in a small vial with a rubber top. The needle goes through the rubber and draws out the medication.

The Brits do it different apparently. They sent me small glass ampoules, two used for each shot, that I have to break open at the neck, increasing the likelihood that I will cut myself or spill the medication.

My husband was helping, but he'll be gone a few nights next week so I'll need to do them solo or I'll have my six-year-old standing by to hold things. So for the shot, we open the vial of purified water, suck it up in the syringe, then empty it into the vial of HMG. Not unlike a slower, smaller version of the hokey pokey, we shook it all around until the HMG dissolved, then sucked it back into the syringe.

My clinic gave me two needles: a big one for mixing everything together and a smaller one for injections. We switched them too soon and still needed the bigger needle to draw up the mixed medicine. So we had to toss a needle and use another big one. Live and learn.

The injection needle is beautifully tiny and slips right in with any poking. I put it in, pushed the plunger, then waited for three seconds to make sure everything was in. When I pulled the needle out, a drop of the medicine came back out through the injection spot. Next time I'll know to stop squeezing my skin before pulling out the syringe

Then we noticed a bit of medicine left in the syringe so I did it again. Two shots, first night. No big woop, really, though I was pretty nervous leading up to it.

Period? Period.

2010-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a period since December 23 and have been on BCP continuously to prevent my endometriosis from getting worse and to keep my cycle regular. I took my last pill on Sunday, expecting to get a period on Monday. Instead, I just got a lot of cramps and some light spotting. It seemed like my uterus was angry for being shut down for so long and it had some things to say.
Tuesday was the same thing, no real flow but cramps. I went to my doctor today and finally could say that this is day one. Good stuff is going on, if you can look at it like that.
I'll update more on the teaching visit later, I'm still taking it all in. But I'm excited about the overall process and can't believe that I could be pregnant by the end of the month, if I'm very very lucky/

Big Box of Meds from Londom

2010-02-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

My shipment of fertility drugs made it to my doorstep yesterday. The trip from London took longer than I expected and I was starting to get concerned. USPS tracking showed the box had arrived at New York on February 16 but it was just sitting there. Finally, it got cleared from customs and made it.

I wasn't sure how it would arrive and with all the snow we've had, I hate to think that my package could have just been sitting out in the snow.

But instead, the nice mail lady brought it right to my door and I had to sign for it.

So now I have a few dozen glass ampules of Repronex and four boxes of HCG. I get to drag it all to my fertility clinic sometime this week once my period starts and they'll give me a teaching lesson on how to do all of this.