Round 1

Protocol

You can read here about different approaches to IVF.

Medicine

1 Menopur each morning and each night

225 of Folistim 900 each morning and each night

Add Ganorelix

HCG Trigger

First Injections

The first night of administration after laying out all our vials and needles and swabs and gauzes it takes us an hour before we actually give the first injection! In the weeks leading up to this point we had watched videos about injections. I *love* the series on youtube by Nurse Linda of the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine (SIRM). The drug manufacturer offers videos as well however they begin by detailed explanations of side effects which is not how I want to start this process!

I am not "good with needles." I was the one that would cradle my babied arm for a week after getting a shot. I would lie in bed awake the night before a physical worrying about the blood draw process. Like, as an adult. Getting several shots for world travel helped a bit but really it was mentally and emotionally preparing myself for IVF like, "Lady, if you're gonna pussy out over a few shots you have no business giving birth." And thus while it may seem harsh I don't have sympathy for women who complain about shots. Or frankly complain about anything in this process. Lots of blood draws, countless needles, bruising, pain, burning, endless appointments, vaginal ultrasounds-all without question bearable. Everyone is fully aware what this process entails when they begin.

(Steps off soapbox.)

So, back to the needles. A cinch (: Really and truly! I choose the belly. Chris is more nervous than I and it is adorable. After each needle he touches an alcohol pad gently to the injection site and looks up at me to make sure I'm ok. It's so sweet I can't take it <3

The first night we do not mix the Menoupur and Follistim as the nurse said give them a few times on their own to get used to it. We started mixing the next day. It looks like Gargamel's lab (: But it is a simple process and one the clinic laid out nicely for us. Why give myself an additional/unnecessary injection?

Here is how I set myself up each time. Wash hands. Two paper towels. One on the left is clean, one on the right becomes the dirty (trash at top, recycle at bottom) and I keep my sharps container right there in the corner of the dirty.

I use a new alcohol swab each to clean the top of each bottle and the tip of the Follistim pen (twice if I need to add a new cartridge). I mix the Follistim with the Menopur with the mixing needle, draw up the solution, change needle tips, remove air bubbles (I can't flick them out like Chris and the pros can it hurts my finger tips so I make my pointer finger flat and use the inside to smack it), and rest the syringe on the needle tip lid. I prepare any other medications (this photo is actually from round two which required additional meds) and similarly set them up then summon Chris. At first I used to have him next to me to cuckoo check my work as I mixed but eventually I begin to trust myself and mix alone.

Follow-ups

We go back to the clinic roughly every other day. We make our appointments as early as possible and can generally get to work without having to provide much explanation. (He has shared with his work, I have not shared with mine.) Each afternoon after the morning follow-up the clinic calls and based on the day's ultrasound and blood results says whether to adjust medication. My calls were always, "Keep on keepin on." I don't pour over the online forums but I did see some nurses will ask, when they look at the ultrasound "are you sure you are administering the shots properly?" Hahahaha so at least we didn't get that comment! 

Acupuncture

Chris points out an acupuncture brochure in the waiting room and...I make an appointment. You'd think my concern would be "does it hurt" but really I'm like hmm what should I wear? Sane and reasonable people I know swear by it and legit actual sciencey studies show it increases IVF success. Who knew!?!? They also offer on-site sessions immediately before and after transfer. Love that. I'll feel like a v.i.p. ha. If I can ever make it to that stage.

Last Follow-Up Appointment Stats
Lining:7.3 trilaminar (this means 3 layers, that is good)
Right: 8, 5
Left: 6, 14, 11, 4, maybe another 10

Trigger Shot

March 8. Based on this morning's ultrasound and bloodwork the clinic calls me gives me the news-trigger shot tonight! I am at work. I don't have any papers with me and I write down every word the nurse says. First and foremost I am to get home and administer my final set of stim shots. I am overcome by emotion when I hang up the phone and feel a combination of excitement and anxiety and I have to fight back tears. When I arrive home I facetime my mom who is my moral support for giving mySELF my last round of shots! Afterwards I feel if I can do that I can do anything!

Tonight at 10:00 pm we are to administer trigger shot. So this is the long scary no-joke needle compared to the dinky things we've been dealing with until now. Despite the clear directions from the clinic on where to inject we spend a solid 30 minutes discussing. I have everything laid out nice and organized. We pull up atomic clock on the ipad and watch the last few minutes count down. Me, waistband pulled down, leaning over the counter. Chris, needle in hand, looking, well, basically terrified.

Ok final 10 seconds. Things are growing tense ha. He is so much more worried than I and I feel badly for him! "I just don't want to hurt you," he keeps saying.

3! 2! 1! Injection!

I smell panic. I hear his hands frantically grabbing at things and little packets being ripped open. I look over my shoulder to the counter and see this haha:

Retrieval

March 10. My friend surprises me at the clinic with a bag of perfectly on-point goodies! I am beyond touched. Love you EGS sista!

Dr retrieves 7 eggs.

Day 1 Update

Five are mature and ICSI. Two fertilize.

Day 3 Update
Both are "thriving" on day 3; we have a 6-cell and an 8-cell.

Day 5 Update
Neither is viable for biopsy day 5; one is "compacting" so has not reached blastocyst stage and the other is still at the cellular stage and did not move much since day 3.

I am ok. I shed a couple of tears just because damn! I felt so good about it! God has different plans I guess.

I tell them: Let's move right into Round 2.

Waiting for my period.