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

3 comments:

Mandy said...

I don't have any advice about the injections, but it sounds like your free class had oddities just like mine did. I'm excited to see you finally taking this step of your journey and I feel REALLY positive about God using this cycle to bring about your answer to prayer. I know that we can't know that for sure, and that He's still sovereign no matter what, but my heart's desire is that this is true. I wish you the best.

Hillary said...

Yay for the rite of passage!! And that instructor sounds horrible -- I'm glad you already know what you're doing!

Cady said...

My instructor was horrible too! She told one woman you don't have to draw back on the IM shots because muscles don't have blood. My mom and brother who are nurses thought that was hilarious. I got an extra bag of needles too, and to this day I don't know what they were for.

About the PIO, I used heat before and after. Before was to kind of numb the area and after was to reduce the chances of lumps. I ended up not using the heating pad as much as I should have, though, and did get some lumps because of that.