Today is day 4 of stim shots. I was reading about some people who do them for 10 days. That's at least 20 little holes in your abdomen! Lucky me, I only have 8 so far. It's gotten harder as the days go on. I am trying to rotate which sides the Menopur and Ganirelix go on to reduce the tenderness, but there is less and less 'good skin' that hasn't already been poked in the last couple nights. I had a lot of trouble with the Ganirelix tonight- had to start, stop, and then try another spot after icing it for a few more minutes.
My abdomen is also feeling really tender from the growth of all the follicles. I feel bloated and can feel ovarian 'twinges' throughout the day. I know I don't have it as bad as someone on a full IVF cycle, but the discomfort is growing noticeably. More ice tonight and yoga pants. And chocolate chip cookies, even though I'm trying to cut back on refined sugar.
I got a surprise call from a nurse this morning. I was on my way out the door to belly dance. She was like, "You need to come in." So I panicked, called my husband, and we drove up there together. We got a message from the doctor en route that my estrogen levels had dropped. He was worried that I had already ovulated despite the Ganirelix and wanted to check.
So I had yet another trans-vaginal ultrasound (really the LEAST painful part of this whole process) and another needle stick in my right arm to check the estrogen levels. The nurse really wasn't sure about where my ovaries were...that made me a little nervous, although she took lots of pictures to show the doctor.
Then we went out for a drive and a walk. Being outside always makes me feel more stable and peaceful. I got a call later today saying that my estrogen was still pretty low, so crank up the Menopur by a dose. Luckily this just means adding another vial to the water and not another separate shot. I'm going to get checked tomorrow morning. Praying so hard for good estrogen levels so that I can get my trigger shot.
If I do get the okay, it looks like Tuesday will be retrieval day. I'm excited and nervous. I know this upcoming week is just going to be a blur. I'm just holding on for the ride!
Showing posts with label shots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shots. Show all posts
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Stim meds, day 2
Can I just say that I'm glad I'm on a mini-IVF cycle? I only have to do 2 injections a night, and that is plenty for me. I can't imagine how many shots women on regular IVF cycles have to have, or how much more sore they must be.
The Menopur has been no trouble- that one is just mix and inject, doesn't hurt or sting for me. The Ganirelix is the one I've had trouble with. It really burns and stings. I had to ice the site a lot last night and it's still twingy today. But I did both shots by myself. DH watched the first one, just to make sure I was okay. I think it kind of freaked him out that I was so casually able to stick myself with the needle. I'm rather surprised I can do it without freaking out, myself!
The other thing I've noticed is how tired I am on these meds. I mean, usually DH has to wake me up anyhow because I like to sleep, but it's been like waking up from molasses the last two mornings. Not sure which one is causing the fatigue, but I do keep wondering if this is how it will be (if) I get pregnant this round. Guess I'll just have to nap more frequently and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Today is scan #2 to see how many follicles, how big, and what my estrogen levels are. I'm hoping that they'll be able to tell me today when the retrieval will be next week. That way, I can plan out what I need to get ready for my substitute at school. I want to get that done this weekend so I don't have to worry about it. I know my students are curious about why I've been out so much, but they can just keep on wondering. I'm not saying a word!!
I'll update later with my stats (if I have time- it's sure to be a busy day).
The Menopur has been no trouble- that one is just mix and inject, doesn't hurt or sting for me. The Ganirelix is the one I've had trouble with. It really burns and stings. I had to ice the site a lot last night and it's still twingy today. But I did both shots by myself. DH watched the first one, just to make sure I was okay. I think it kind of freaked him out that I was so casually able to stick myself with the needle. I'm rather surprised I can do it without freaking out, myself!
The other thing I've noticed is how tired I am on these meds. I mean, usually DH has to wake me up anyhow because I like to sleep, but it's been like waking up from molasses the last two mornings. Not sure which one is causing the fatigue, but I do keep wondering if this is how it will be (if) I get pregnant this round. Guess I'll just have to nap more frequently and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Today is scan #2 to see how many follicles, how big, and what my estrogen levels are. I'm hoping that they'll be able to tell me today when the retrieval will be next week. That way, I can plan out what I need to get ready for my substitute at school. I want to get that done this weekend so I don't have to worry about it. I know my students are curious about why I've been out so much, but they can just keep on wondering. I'm not saying a word!!
I'll update later with my stats (if I have time- it's sure to be a busy day).
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Shots shots shots shots....not the fun kind....
I had my first IVF appointment today. Consequently, this meant I got almost no sleep last night as I was up trying to prepare my lesson plan for the class I was getting observed in today. I had weird dreams about being at a Boy Scout camp. Huh.
Driving to the appointment was probably the most stressful- that I-75/24 split can be pretty hairy even at the best of times. There was a bit of a slowdown, but not much. I arrived at 8:00, just as the office opened. I waited until I saw someone else go in and then grabbed my stuff and hightailed it in. Good thing, too, because the office got pretty crowded after that.
The ultrasound looked good- he said about 6 follicles. That's more than I expected, although I predict the number will drop some as they get close to maturation. I had blood drawn to look at my estrogen. They said I might have to start my shots, so I got some clarification from the nurses about how to mix the Menopur (two vials of dry, 10 cc's water).
Then I went to teach. I had to tell my students that I "donated blood" because a lot of them were curious about my purple arm band (that matched my shirt, thanks lady!). I tried not to think about the results. Got a call later that I could go ahead and start the Menopur and Ganirellex tonight.
Went out for dinner with DH and a friend. That was a good and needed break. We talked about how frustrating students can be sometimes. DH had some work to do, so he went back to the office and I went home. I fell asleep on the couch almost instantly until it was time to take my shots.
I am a type-A personality, so I had to get everything set up on the counter just the right way with the directions read like a million times before I started. I started with the Menopur. Mixing wasn't hard (if you can cook following a recipe, you can give yourself these shots no problem). I iced my abdomen before I did it- that really helped it go more smoothly. I just thought, "Push!" when I needed to get the needle in. Funny, if everything is successful, I'll be thinking the same thing about 9 months from now... Anyway, it was fine. The Ganirellex was already pre-loaded. I had a little more trouble on that one because I forgot to tap out the bubbles. I had to withdraw it and try again. That side is a little more irritated than the other. Oh well. I will rotate sides tomorrow. I iced it and hopefully that will help it be less irritated tonight.
I'm glad I could do it myself. The needles were pretty short, like the ones I usually have for my allergy shots, so that wasn't a problem. Now I just wonder about the side effects....hopefully I won't be a blubbering mess tomorrow or the rest of the week. One can only hope!
Next appointment is on Friday. Here's to hoping and praying all continues to go well! Go follicles go!
Namaste.
Driving to the appointment was probably the most stressful- that I-75/24 split can be pretty hairy even at the best of times. There was a bit of a slowdown, but not much. I arrived at 8:00, just as the office opened. I waited until I saw someone else go in and then grabbed my stuff and hightailed it in. Good thing, too, because the office got pretty crowded after that.
The ultrasound looked good- he said about 6 follicles. That's more than I expected, although I predict the number will drop some as they get close to maturation. I had blood drawn to look at my estrogen. They said I might have to start my shots, so I got some clarification from the nurses about how to mix the Menopur (two vials of dry, 10 cc's water).
Then I went to teach. I had to tell my students that I "donated blood" because a lot of them were curious about my purple arm band (that matched my shirt, thanks lady!). I tried not to think about the results. Got a call later that I could go ahead and start the Menopur and Ganirellex tonight.
Went out for dinner with DH and a friend. That was a good and needed break. We talked about how frustrating students can be sometimes. DH had some work to do, so he went back to the office and I went home. I fell asleep on the couch almost instantly until it was time to take my shots.
I am a type-A personality, so I had to get everything set up on the counter just the right way with the directions read like a million times before I started. I started with the Menopur. Mixing wasn't hard (if you can cook following a recipe, you can give yourself these shots no problem). I iced my abdomen before I did it- that really helped it go more smoothly. I just thought, "Push!" when I needed to get the needle in. Funny, if everything is successful, I'll be thinking the same thing about 9 months from now... Anyway, it was fine. The Ganirellex was already pre-loaded. I had a little more trouble on that one because I forgot to tap out the bubbles. I had to withdraw it and try again. That side is a little more irritated than the other. Oh well. I will rotate sides tomorrow. I iced it and hopefully that will help it be less irritated tonight.
I'm glad I could do it myself. The needles were pretty short, like the ones I usually have for my allergy shots, so that wasn't a problem. Now I just wonder about the side effects....hopefully I won't be a blubbering mess tomorrow or the rest of the week. One can only hope!
Next appointment is on Friday. Here's to hoping and praying all continues to go well! Go follicles go!
Namaste.
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