First, I'll start with how the meds are going...I started with 20 IU of Lupron on Friday, May 7th..and other than being really nauseas and having terrible headaches...I was fine. I went in for blood work and sonogram on Friday, May 14th and I was told everything was perfect and we could start the stims! I was beyond excited. We went to Tim's softball game and then when we got home we sat down to figure it all out and we both looked at one another and we're like, wait what do we do..(mind you, we were conscious when we took the Injection Class)...but somehow at 11pm at night after a long day, our brains weren't working...imagine that. But thankfully our clinic gives lots of lovely handouts and educational videos on their website, so we eventually figured it all out. There are 2 shots to be given each night. 150 IU of Gonl-F (which isn't bad at all) and 75 IU of Menopur (which is so PAINFUL, it brings tears to my eyes). So by now, we have a routine and it works great expect the last part when Tim gives me the bigger Menopur shot...I just cringe, it hurts so badly. I think because it's such a large amount of fluid going into my muscle..ugh, no fun! Icing before does help a little and heat and massaging it in after helps a lot. I still am taking 5 IU on Lupron each morning, so it's a total of 3 shots per day, along with all the oral meds. With adding the other two shots, I haven't had any side effects other than headaches and some weird twinges in my ovaries, oh and peeing A LOT..because I guess my ovaries are growing, like they should be!! I got really mad the other day when I posted that I wasn't feeling well on Facebook (I know, ugh, hate Facebook) and someone (pregnant with the same disease I have and knows were doing IVF) said "maybe it's all the crap the doctors put you on"...I literally screamed some choice words and felt like crying. People can be so RUDE and INCONSIDERATE! To call the miracle drugs that will be the only way I will be able to be a mom, crap, ugh, I was ready to punch a wall. I prayed about it and Tim and I talked and I felt much better. I just can't stand people sometimes. Ok, enough of that.
These are my night-time shots.
This is my morning shot.
I went in on Monday for blood work and ultrasound and I have 5 follies growing on one side and 7 on the other. Dr. Not mine, but still Nice, said "it's all about quality not quantity"...yeah, yeah, ok and I thought, "it's my wallet, not yours". I go back tomorrow to be checked again. As of right now, it looks like we will continue the stims and then most likely "trigger" on Sunday night to have the retrieval on Tuesday morning. WOW!
We have a very busy weekend ahead. My Master's Degree graduation from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work is Friday! I am still in denial that I am actually finished and they are really going to give me a Master's Degree!?? Freaks me out still. I don't think it will hit me until the fall, when after 19 years, I will not be going to school. I love it though, my new found freedom is so nice! On Saturday, we have our 5TH ROW concert tickets to see Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and someone else (ugh, the name slips my mind right now). I LOVE Brad Paisley and he was so amazing last year so this years show I'm sure will be great too! And then Sunday is our one year anniversary. WOW! I cannot believe it has been one year already, it still seems just like yesterday! "Trigger" will be that night and then the whole next week we will be consumed with the retrieval, recovery and the transfer (which looks like the 30th).
1. SIL, Megan and her boyfriend, Julian were in town for 8 days from New Mexico. We miss them so much, so we had some fun times while they were here. We got to spend Mother's Day at PB Dye Golf Course for brunch and then go to Liganore Winery, which was nice. Also, Tuesday evening we had crabs at our house and with my MIL, it was such a fun time!! I took some photos and then they some how got erased...so I don't know what happened there!
2. Tim has officially started back to softball (ok..three weeks ago was the first game) and his team is off to a better start then normal. They haven't one a game yet but let's be serious...the have won ONE game in 3 YEARS. But the game they did win last year, knocked the highest ranked team out of the playoffs...so it was AWESOME! This year they are really scoring a lot of runs so I bet they will win one this yea too! It's still so fun regardless of who wins! All the guys on the team are so nice and I love hanging out with all the wives late into the night on Fridays! We both really enjoy our time! Of course this year, many people came up to me asking why I wasn't pregnant or that they expected me to be wobbling over to the bleachers this year...blah, blah, I know...I said at the last game last year that I would be pregnant when I came back this year so it was kinda a bittersweet day of the first game. I'm over it now.
3. Last night, I had my RESOLVE support group. I LOVE RESOLVE and the women who are in my group. For those of you who don't know what RESOLVE is; it's a support group for women struggling with infertility and it's a blessing in every way! I have blogged about it a few times. We meet once a month and give updates on our cycles, bitch about doctors, infertility, clinics, meds, shots, ignorant people, pregnant 15 yr old...you name it, we complain about it, but it's so nice to get things off your chest. As a social worker, I am a big believer in support groups and therapy so I love it. However, each month I attend, I say this is the LAST month I am going to be able to attend, but somehow, I am always back again, along with everyone else. If it wasn't for RESOLVE, I and/or my sister wouldn't be here. My mom stumbled across a RESOLVE article back in the early 1980's and she contacted them and they got her in touch with Dr. Stillman, who performed many surgeries on my mom and finally after 13 years my parents were able to have me! My mom was the 4th person in the US to receive IVF, but got pregnant the month before they were to start, but Dr. Stillman had been her doctor for about 6 years before me. So having Dr. Stillman as my doctor is so amazing to me! I love him and am so blessed to have him hopefully help us conceive too. It will be a great story to tell our children that without him, none of us would be here!
4. A side note...a few of my friends, some real and some online/blog-related found out they are pregnant. :) Some IVF, some not, but I am HAPPY FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!!
5. We went strawberry picking on Saturday and had a lot of fun. I have been picking strwberries since I could walk I think, so it's normal that we go every year a few times. This year Tim was eager to come too....don't ask me how that happened, but he came along and we had fun. I just ate them and Tim picked. It was fun though!
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| He picks....I eat. |
Ok, well enough for now..I'm going to go take a nap but I promise I'm going to be keeping up with my blog each day!
Glad the stims are going well. And yes Menopur was the hardest one for me as well. It just hurt so bad! And how rude about what your friend said on facebook. Ugh. :( My fingers are crossed for you!
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