Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Hey, what's going on in there?

I'm getting antsy and nervous to find out what is going on with lefty and righty. So far I have messed up two of my shots and discovered that I shouldn't be preloading my syringes (oops). Fortunately I only preloaded twice and always with my smaller dose of one vial. So at least it's not the majority of my meds, but still. I'm hoping that I didn't screw this up but I know that if I'm not appearing to respond on Thursday they can up my dose. I just don't want to find out that I might have blown this cycle because I'm a total klutz at mixing my meds and following directions. My abdomen is getting a bit tender which is sort of a good sign that things are brewing but there is just no way to know what's going on yet. I still have four more doses to go before my u/s and I hope that if I'm behind I will start to catch up quickly. I'm crossing all my fingers and toes and fervently praying for good signs this Thursday.

I also had another cool thing happen today. I was originally scheduled to go to an out of town training on the 14th of July for work. I wasn't sure if I would be able to with my IVF cycle but the only thing I could do was wait until I knew our retrieval/transfer dates and go from there. Oh and of course pray that God would make things work out. Today I found out that my training day is being rescheduled for a later date!

I'll update on my u/s on Thursday - only six days to go until my estimated egg retrival day!!!!!!

Current Meds: Lupron 5 units, Bravelle 1 vial AM + 2 vials PM
Side Effects: burning and redness at injection site (Lupron only), moderate agitation, hot flashes, FATIGUE, headache
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Shots and Signs

I have been having a horrible time with my Bravelle shots. I don't generally curse but I've labeled this my Bravelle-hell. It's not taking the shots - they don't hurt. It's mixing the shots! I have to mix saline vials to reconstitute the Bravelle, change out the needle and then stick myself. The kicker is that on weekends I still have to get up to take the shot like I would on a week day. Monday-Friday I am normally up by 5 am and out the door at 6:30-6:45. So my plan was to wake up at 6:30 on the weekend to take my shot and head back to bed. The problem is I'm still groggy and totally sleep-stupid. Saturday I didn't get all of the mixed Bravelle out of the vial and had to go back with a second needle and restick myself - ouch! So I thought I'd come up with a plan - mix my shot and preload my 5 units of Lupron for Sunday morning so that I would just get up and only have to stick myself. Even that didn't go well. I ended up some how pulling out the Lupron needle before injecting the meds and had to stick myself twice to get it in there all while bleeding from the first injection site. Then when I went to do the Bravelle I somehow loosened up the needle so that it wasn't on tight. When I went to inject the meds it started seeping out through the reservoir instead of through the needle and into my tummy. I had to keep the needle in my stomach while I tightened it back on to the body of the needle to be able to inject the remaining med. I think I lost a LOT on the floor. Hopefully tomorrow will be better because I will be taking these shots after having already been up for an hour and a half. Sigh.

It's totally all worth it but I now have SO much more respect for my dad and cousins who have type I diabetes. I don't know how they do it.

The cool thing was that Hammer and I were driving back from church this morning and I was thinking about the next few days and all I had to do for IVF and getting to my appointments etc. We were passing an SUV and on the bumper was a sticker that said, "Expect Miracles" I have NEVER seen that bumper sticker before ever - what are the odds of that?

Current Meds: Lupron 5 units, Bravelle 1 vial AM + 2 vials PM
Side Effects: burning and redness at injection site (Lupron only), moderate agitation, hot flashes, FATIGUE
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Stims Away!

I took my first Bravelle shot this morning. I also learned that it's going to take a while to get the hang of how to mix the medication. My plan is actually to premix my morning shot the night before, otherwise it will take me an extra half hour and I already get up a 5am. I do NOT want to see 4:30 roll around just because of an extra needle. So far so good. The needle gauge is 27 and since I change out the needle to a fresh one prior to injection its nice and sharp = less pain.

I've purchased some Kash.i Go L.ean, which I like to call Kash.i Go Now, to add some extra fiber to my diet. And I am totally rocking my knitting project. I hate to toot my own horn but I am pretty good at this.

Today I'm taking my mom out for a do over Mother's Day and Birthday. My uncle passed away on her birthday and then my dad was in the ICU over Mother's Day. She has been so devoted to caring for him and helping my Aunt pick up the pieces that it's time she gets taken care of. Off to have some girly time!

P.S. Only one week and two days left till retrieval!!

Current Meds: Lupron 5 units, Bravelle 1 vial AM + 2 vials PM
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, moderate agitation, many HOT flashes, FATIGUE
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Sound Off!

Well I totally made more of the sounding than I should have but I've learned that Drs. also do soundings in different ways. And I also learned just how much more I LIKE my Dr! His many years of experience make for fabulous technique = very little pain. Thank you for the prayers!!! I was worried I wouldn't even get my own Dr. since they do rotation but today I was blessed with Dr. F's presence. That in and of its self made me feel more calm about the procedure. Plus my mom was able to come with me to to hold my hand. That part was neat because we were able to bring my parents into the IVF experience a little. The sounding was nothing more than a catheter that went into my cerv.ix and then all the way up to the top of my uterus. This measured the depth of my uterus and let them know the best place to transfer the embryos. There was no saline or anything like that involved. I had some cramping which made me feel a little nauseated but I had my mom there holding my had and a very gentle Doc operating the catheter. It was all good and I'm back to work without any lingering side effects. Yea!

I am worried about getting to the clinic on the day of the retrieval/transfer because they have shut down almost every entrance ramp in the area where we live to the freeway system that runs past our clinic. Today a 15 minute drive took me over 30 minutes because of all the traffic from people who had to find different ways to commute to work. As I was in my car trying to make it to my blood draw on time I started praying for help. I didn't know what I needed exactly, just that I needed help. Help to figure out how to make this work so that we will not have additional stress on some very important days. And then as I was talking to my mom after the appointment it hit me, we can stay at my parent's house the night before. They live off of the same freeway system further north and all their entrances and exits that we would need are free and clear AND the clinic is super close to their house! It's so awesome all these little things that He does behind the scenes for us.

And the best news today is that I am totally suppressed!!! And I have all sorts of little eggies just waiting to be stimulated. Our plan will continue as scheduled. On Saturday I will drop my morning shot of Lupron from 10 units down to 5 units. I will also add in one vial of Bravelle to my morning routine. Then at night I will give myself two more vials of Bravelle. We'll keep up this routine until next Thursday July 2nd when I have another u/s to see how many eggs I'm making. I will continue gentle yoga and chiropractic appointments (because we paid for them and they MIGHT actually be helping a bit). I have stocked up on Pow.eraid to help with the swelling but does anyone else have any other tips out there?

Current Meds: Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, moderate agitation, many HOT flashes, FATIGUE
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Cue Anxiety

Alright, I WAS doing really well. This weekend was a great distraction because we were so busy. Hammer and I attended a wedding on Saturday which was a blast. The groom was from Kenya and his bride was from the US but they incorporated Kenyan traditions into the ceremony which was really neat. While he did not "pay" for his bride with a flock of goats (as is Kenyan tradition) we did eat goat at the reception dinner. Let me rephrase that, we had the option of eating goat. Hammer ordered goat and I played it safe with a vegetarian tortellini. But I did taste the goat; it tastes like goat. I think Hammer summed it up best when he stated, "It's like I have a petting zoo in my mouth." Nice.

Father's day was awesome...because my father was ALIVE. It really was a day of counting our blessings. Plus his birthday was also Saturday so we really had a feast on Sunday to celebrate it all.

I've been keeping busy with my distractions - I'm loving falling to sleep while reading my book each night. I've also started my knitting project. I REALLY wanted to make this thing called a Pom-Pom Papoose which is for a b-a-b-y but Hammer was worried that it would be to hard on me if things don't go the way we hope they do. And while I want to believe he's wrong, he's right. (darn it!) So I'll hold off of the papoose and instead have started something for our dog, he he he. Hammer doesn't like that either but I told him, "Doggie cloths or baby cloths, pick your poison," and he caved on doggie cloths. So I'm making a pooch pouch which goes around your dog so that they can carry treats, po.op bags, etc. Not that I think our dog is a pack mule but it's a good starter project and Moses would tolerate this quite well. Here is a sample photo





So these distractions have made me realize, TODAY, that I only have FOUR DAYS OF LUPRON at 10 units!!!! When did that happen?? And our egg retrieval is less than 2 weeks away. All of this I'm totally excited for, except one thing...The sounding. The v-a-g-i-n-a-l sounding. I'm really worried because I did horribly bad with my HSG. So bad that I nearly vomited and blacked out on the table and then I bled for days after the procedure. Hammer was supposed to go with me but his work schedule got changed and now he can't. Should I really be this worried? Is this unnecessary anxiety? I was thinking of asking my mom to come with me just in case. Any input would be MOST appreciated!!!

Current Meds: Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, moderate agitation, hot flashes, FATIGUE
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Friday, June 19, 2009

She Just Couldn't Stay Away

So the one thing I was looking forward too with IVF was the strong possibility that AF would not come or her stay would be uneventful and brief. Instead she gave it all she's got. Bummer. But on the bright side this could be the last time I see her for a while... So instead I'll think of it as a goodbye visit. I sure hope that's the last I see of her for quite some time.

On a funny note, Hammer said something over the weekend that cracked me up. We were riding on the ferry back to the upper peninsula just above Mac.kinac city. There were two families with infants who were cooing and giggling at each other. Hammer was observing this scene, turns to me and says, "You know, babies are like dogs, they bark at each other." I busted up laughing and then thought, should I be worried that my husband thinks babies are just dogs with less hair?

Finally, today we had our IVF counseling session. We passed with flying colors. I know it's not a test or a game on how to dupe the social worker. But apparently we are not crazy, having panic attacks, unable to handle the pressure etc. I think we're pretty well balanced and have a good perspective on the whole thing. We aren't do-or-die riding with our whole mental happiness on this cycle and are prepared that this may or may not work. Don't get me wrong, I WANT this to work, I WANT to be pregnant and experience all the joys AND discomforts (seriously). But I still know none of this is in my hands. No matter how well we time things, or the number of drugs we take, or eggs we fertilize, or embryos we implant; God has the last word. He always has and He always will. It will not make it hurt less if it doesn't work but at least I will know that it wasn't something I did or didn't do or that I was being punished (because it doesn't work that way). But it will help me get up, dust my self off and keep moving forward until His plan is fully revealed to us. I just hope that it's sooner than later! After this weekend we will be in the two week count down to egg retrieval. This really does move fast.

Current Meds: Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, moderate agitation, FATIGUE
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

While We're Waiting...

Ok so I can't believe my ticker says 2 weeks and 5 days till egg retrieval!! So exciting. I have a mini ticker on the side to keep my spirits up about my lupron shots and count down those days till I start stims. This will be a long two weeks. The big IVF event for this week is that AF is scheduled to arrive - sort of. It just depends if she shows but if not IVF proceeds as planned.

I have my "good book" in tow which I started on our weekend getaway. And I checked out a couple of books on knitting to get my 'craft on.' I'm hoping my IRL friends who knit can point me in the right direction of a good project. I did check out a book on knitting baby cloths and I figured if things didn't work out I can return it, no worries.

As far as lupron side effects go: I'm cranky pants every day around 2pm which is a pattern I've been picking up on. This made for some interesting road rage when it was my turn to drive this past weekend. This is how we discovered the pattern and Hammer took over driving (thank God those MI drivers are crazy going 15+ over the speed limit of 70 mi/hr! [no offense])

I'm also incredibly tired, not a bad side effect out of all the ones I could possible get. And I still have my saltine crackers at hand every morning. Other than that I'm good. My headache today seems to be more related to fatigue and weather changes but we'll see.

Current Meds: Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, sore bbs, moderate agitation, fatigue
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Weekend Update

We had a fabulous weekend in Mac.kinac Island!

The weather could not have been more perfect. We took our bikes and spent the whole day exploring the island and burning off our fudge and food calories.






Our hotel was fabulous with a balcony view of the island (it was crazy expensive to actually stay ON the island). And our room even had a heart shaped jacuzzi tube - that was a first for us. I really felt very refreshed even in such a short time. And yes, we bought fudge!


It's now close to $20/lb with the current recession so we certainly were not buying boxes for our friends and family (sorry guys!). But at least we had a fun time visiting each shop to see what their deals were and taste their wears. Saturday night we had dinner at a great little place right next to the water. I actually had a beer! It's been years since I had a beer but it tasted wonderful. Sadly, I got tipsy after just a few sips so I have no tolerance anymore. We were both so tired from biking all day that after our belly's were full and we each had our beer we were completely ready to head back to the hotel and pass out. Party animals, I tell ya.

Monday, June 15, 2009

One more...

The last birth control pill...



DONE.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Welcomed Distractions

I've realized that if I think about how I feel right now I would tell you that I feel: off, out of sorts, not quite myself, a slight bit cranky...I think you get my drift.  So I've tried to come up with things that will be distracting for me and also help the time to pass by.  For starters, on Monday I declared to Hammer that I wanted to get sushi some time soon before I can't have it anymore.  Some people buy baby items, I gorge on not-for-pregos food - we all have our thing apparently.  I guess I got him so excited for sushi that on Tuesday he came home and said, "Let's not wait, we should go tonight."  And I looked up at him from my sleeve of saltine crackers and told him that it wasn't a good sushi day. So not a good day at all.  But yesterday I felt tons better and called him so we could take advantage of a no-pukey day.  Oh sweet sushi, how I will miss you - actually I better be able to miss you!  I made Hammer promise that if this IVF cycle failed he would by me three of my favorite sushi rolls and let me eat them all by myself (and they are humongous).
 
I think this weekend will also prove to be a fabulous distraction.  What with boat rides, fudge, horse drawn carriages, fudge, bike rides, fudge, lilac flowers in bloom, FUDGE!  We are taking our bikes up to the island so that we don't have to pay for rental and I can finally get my new bike out on the road for the first time this year!!!  It will make taking shots at 6am so much less of chore.
 
So as of today I only have 5 more BCP left to take.  And I figured out that I have 15 more days of Lupron at 10 units before the weekend where I go down to 5 units and start stimming.  So by next Tuesday I will be in the final week before starting my stims where you sit around and see if AF will make one last appearance (hopefully for the next 9 months!).  I need to think of some distractions to make the time go by fast that week, any ideas?
 
Current Meds: BCP (week 3), Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: intermittent nausea, burning and redness at injection site, sore bbs, moderate agitation
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transferred: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

 


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I think they meant 'saline' not 'salmon'

So sometimes it's fun to see how people find my blog. I see search items for IVF, fertile-aid etc. nothing unusual. But this one caught my attention. And I almost peeded myself from laughing so hard. Then I realized that some people don't have a medical background and it's not their fault not knowing the correct words. It's just that I never thought salmon would be swimming up that 'stream' if you know what I mean...

"why a uterus will not open when salmon is injected for an internal ultrasound"

There is probably a very good reason why her uterus won't open up. I don't think mine would appreciate a salmon knocking on my V-door either. I hope they found what they were looking for. All I know is the salmon aren't biting in my stream. Maybe she'll have better luck fishing somewhere else.

Monday, June 8, 2009

"L DAY" IS HERE!

Otherwise known as Lupron day! I really only half felt like we were starting IVF when I downed the first BCP but administering my first injection feels very official. I'm not excited about the side effects but I am certainly thrilled to be one step closer. So how did my first shot go? Not too bad. I used to teach kids who were just diagnosed with diabetes how to give their shots and the Lupron needles are the same exact needle. I have no issue with sticking myself because I did that nearly every day with saline to prove to the kiddos that it didn't hurt. Although saline does not leave a red burning mark that looks like a mosquito bite?!?!? But this part I can manage, what I get nervous about are the IM needles and that's mainly because I can't give them myself. With the HCG shots I always kept hitting blood vessels in my legs so they have to go in my back end. I hope Hammer remembers what little we learned at the injection class when the time comes! I don't want a repeat of our last performance.

Current Meds: BCP (week 2), Lupron 10 units
Side Effects: nausea in the morning, burning at injection site
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transfered: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Six Unimportant Things that Make Me Happy

I've been tagged by Allison (who is about to have a Bouncing Baby Buckeye) to list six unimportant things that make me happy. I tried to join her in listing out things I'm thankful for each day but totally slacked when life got busy with work travel, funerals, hospitals and IVF planning. Excuses, excuses but seriously it was nuts! So here are my six little things that make me smile.


  1. My puppy - love coming home and he is aways happy to see me, tail wagging and jumping with joy to see me. How could you not smile.
  2. Organic dark chocolate - one bite makes the corners of my mouth instantly curve upward.
  3. Packages in the mail - I totally order stuff online simply because I love getting mail (I'm with you Alison!!)
  4. Exercising - it gets my endorphins going and I always feel better afterwards
  5. Snuggling - I have a spot I like to lay my head on Hammer's chest when we snuggle and I love it there.
  6. Fresh sheets - I love getting into a bed that is freshly made, the sheets are cool on the skin and still tucked in tightly

Again, not to leave anyone out so if you comment on my blog you are tagged! Comment to let me know you are participating.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Honest Scrap Award



It's taken me some time to get this award post together but I'm happy to say it's done! Thanks to Astrid from Babymaking 101 for giving me this award. Stop by and give her some love as she and her DH are struggling with the yucky side affects of a type of molar pregnancy.

The Rules:


  • Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

  • Show the 7 winners’ names on your blog and leave a comment informing them that they have been awarded Honest Scrap.

  • List at least 10 honest things about yourself.
10 Honest Things About Me:



  1. I'm completely addicted to NPR pod casts. Hammer started downloading them onto my ipod and it's become icrack to me. I anxiously await the next This American Life, Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed In History Class and any other nerdy educational podcast I can get my downloads on.

  2. We don't have cable t.v. (and no we are not Amish - I guess that should already be obvious since I blog i.e. use electricity) but we just cannot stomach spending a hundred dollars a month on t.v. we're only home a few hours to watch.

  3. I love watching episodes online (since we don't have cable) ABC.com and Fox.com are awesome and allow me to catch up on programs and not have to pay for TiVo, cause I'm cheap, if you haven't figured that out yet yourselves.

  4. My biggest weakness is that I worry people don't like me so I am a total people pleaser. I wish I could not care what people think about me but I've tried and I can't seem to get past that stumbling block.

  5. I'm a total diet coke addict and can't seem to get off the stuff. I really want to stop prior to IVF but caffeine free just is not the same taste. Is there a self help book out there for this or a rehab center nearby?

  6. I love gardening and I love my garden! I get excited every spring because that means I can go out and get down into the dirt and grow things. It's just the thrill of planting a seed and seeing the outcome of that effort. I really want to have an edible garden where it's a mixture of flowers, bushes, fruits and veggies that are not only yummy but also ornamental. This year we expanded our vegetable garden (tomatoes, zucchini) to include green peppers. And if that works, next year I want to grow lettuce and eggplant. I plan on expanding our landscaping this year as well. Oh and we got a blueberry bush, can't wait!

  7. I would love to go back to school to become a pediatric nurse practitioner and I think being a registered dietitian would be a great combination with an NP degree. This was put on hold with the whole infertile thing. I'm not saying I wouldn't go back but I just want to make a decision once I know what my family will be looking like in the future. I realize that I would always regret not having a family but would only semi regret not going back to school.

  8. I'm scared to get my hopes up too much about this IVF and I am amazed by people who can buy baby cloths and books (you are so much stronger than I am!!) I'm just terrified of having to run across those things in my home if it were not to work out. I bought a book called, "The Pregnancy Journal," where you learn about how your baby is growing and can write in how you are feeling and what was going on in your life and heart at that stage in your pregnancy. It's now hidden in a drawer in our bedroom and it's incredibly painful to forget it's in there and open the drawer. If I can't look at a book how could I look at baby cloths.

  9. I knew that we would have trouble TTC months before we even began to TTC. After six months of trying and no baby I really wanted to start getting tested, especially since Hammer has a history of MFI in his family. But he refused and said that it was all in my head. I've always struggled a little bit with that part of our journey. I think that if the devil could use anything as a stumbling block in our journey and marriage that would be it. So I pray against it all the time. We are in this together and nothing we can do will delay us from God's plan. In order for this to work we both had to be ready for each step at the same time before we could move forward.

  10. I really do not struggle day to day when I hear the word, "pregnant," and I think that is because I work for WIC and it has become just another word to me. Pregnant, expecting, breastfeeding, babies, etc. are said everyday in my world multiple times. What I really struggle with is when friends of mine get pregnant and then give me sad faces. Stop with the faces people! I'm not going to freak out on you or run into a corner and cry. Actually if you give me a sad face, THEN I'd probably cry. Just smile and enjoy it because you should and don't pity me. I'm going to be ok and one way or another God is going to make me a mother. I may cry some days and not on others but in the end it will be amazing what God's plan for our lives will reveal and what it will bring out in the two of us.

And now, in no particular order, the honest scrap award goes to....


Anyone who comments on my blog!!!


I don't want to leave anyone out and I want everyone to feel loved because you all deserve it. So if you've read my blog and have left a comment at any point consider yourself tagged.


The only catch is that you have to leave a comment to let me know you are participating in some Honest Scrap!!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Rite of Passage

Ever since we started down the road of infertility I have read blogs of other couples as they start out on their IVF journey. And with each journey there is always the token posting of the medication. The piles of boxes filled with expensive drugs, bags of syringes and stacks of alcohol swabs posted for everyone to see what all it takes these days to make a baby. And even though it's over done and posting my own photo would just make me another IVF lemming, it's become a right of passage. And secretly I've been waiting with great anticipation for my time to come. So, without further ado here is my IVF right of passage:



* A two week starter pack of Lupron and 1/2" needles (to supress my ovaries)

* 36 doses of Bravelle (1 vial am and 2 vials pm), 3mL syringes, and more 1/2" needles (to simulate my follicles)

* 1 dose Novarel (HCG) and 1 1/2" needle (to get my eggs ready to launch the day before retrieval)

*1 dose of sedative for my egg retrieval procedure (to knock me out cold)

*1 doses of steroids (to make sure I don't get an infection post retrieval)

*2 doses of anti nausea medication (I don't get to swallow these pills...if you know what I mean)

*8 weeks worth of Progesterone in Sesam.e Oil and more 1 1/2" needles (to help sustain a pregnancy until the baby can take over)

*1 sharps container (to dispose of all my needles)

Speaking of needles I have an entire bag of extra 1/2" insulin needles and I can't figure out what those are for? Any ideas?

Hammer and I went to an Injection training class to learn about how to take all these drugs. The class was mainly for Hammer because he will be injecting these expensive drugs into my priceless back end so he better take the "free" class to make sure he does it right. It was...interesting, to say the least. We were told show up on time, in fact early, as the class supposedly started right on time. And that we didn't need to bring anything with us. Well we showed up 10 minutes early but our instructor apparently didn't get the same instructions as we did. She showed up 30 minutes late and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Did everyone bring their list of medications with them?" There were three other couples in the class and none of us had our list of meds. Apparently because we followed directions so well. She then proceeded to teach the most awkward class. Having grown up in a home with a Type I diabetic dad and a mom who is a critical care nurse, I grew up around needles and know how to do injections. And I have to say that she was a horrible instructor. She didn't have hand outs and what she had came out of an old holiday gift bag that you would wrap a present in. She was scattered and flighty and it was really frustrating all of us. At one point she was picking a fight with one of the women over air bubbles in the syringe. Everyone was completely uncomfortable during the incident. Toward the end of the class I asked about tips on preventing lumps from the progesterone in oil and it was then that she finally revealed that she does not actually work for my RE's office, doesn't really know the fertility drugs all that well, and is just here to teach about giving shots. I wish I would have known that sooner because it explained a ton and would have reduced my earlier frustration. Oh, except that she really couldn't teach about injections in the first place. So then I didn't feel so bad when in the last 10 minutes I showed the couples how to self administer the 1/2" SQ needles into the back of the arm and a few other tips on drawing up their medication. Hey, we're all in this together. I'm going to mention this to my RN because whether she works there or not she represents the clinic and I'd be embarrassed to know a class like that was taught to my paying customers. We'll look back on this disaster of an evening and laugh someday. Hopefully when we're rejoicing over a positive HPT!

But while I have your attention, can anyone answer my progesterone in oil question? What tips do you have to reduce the lumps? I heard about heat but can't remember if it was heat before or heat after. Any help would be appreciated.

Current Meds: BCP (week 2)
Side Effects: nausea in the morning
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transfered: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

How Quickly I Forget...


Birth control pills hate me. I haven't taken them in over 3 1/2 years because of how sick they make me feel. My body likes my brand of hormones just fine but the synthetic ones and I go head to head. I knew this might be an issue with IVF treatments but I did pretty good with the Clomid. Probably because all it does is tell my brain I don't have enough estrogen and makes my body produce more of my own estrogen (key point here). Last night I tried to eat dinner which consisted of leftovers from a very delicious meal I made on BCP 4. But on BCP day 7 I had to pass off my barely touched plate to Hammer and pull out the crackers. I know, it was a very nutritious dinner. Don't worry I took my vitamins! I keep telling myself that this is all worth it in the end, because it is. I have always said that I would endure morning sickness for the whole pregnancy if it ended up in us having a child of our own. I guess I just get to start early with some pre-pregnancy drug induced morning sickness. It's worth it. So pass me the saltines please.
Current Meds: BCP (week 2)
Side Effects: nausea in the morning
Days Post Transfer: 0
# Eggs Transfered: 0
# Eggs Frozen: 0