Mile 5 of Our First IVF Cycle

Day five was not too bad.  I was extremley exhausted and had the morning headache, but made it through the work day. I bought some shoes after work and got a pedicure.  I am getting a massage tomorrow morning before our flight to Florida. 

The injeciton this evening was the first time it hurt!  Not sure what I did, maybe the angle was off, but Ouchie!  The tears come and go for no reason and the irritability is here.  So far I have been able to keep it somewhat on the down low.  I am sad because I have to leave my pooch with grandma and grandpa while we are gone and I am sickly attached to him.

But, I am very thrilled to get away for a week with the love of my life.  Lets hope the sunshine, relaxation, ocean, and mickey mouse can help us get pregnant!

Mile 4 of Our First IVF Cycle

Some may wonder why I have been referring to this as a run.  Well, the first day after I took this medication, I felt like I had ran several miles and was going to fall over!  Today was another rough day.  I did make it through work, although I went in an hour and a half late.  It was very difficult.  I could barely keep my head up long enough to look at my computer.  Looking at the words on the screen make me dizzy.  Around 5 p.m. it seems to get better.  I wonder if this is because the meds are wearing off and it is closer to my injection time?

Whatever it is, I am thankful for the respite.  I have not been sleeping well.  I will fall asleep and wake up every couple of hours.  And then it is really hard to fall back asleep because my husband is a snorer.  I wanted to go back to the pool this evening, but I had a therapy client so I did not have time.  I will try to go tomorrow, although we do have packing and errands to run before we fly to Florida on Saturday.

I want to say a little prayer for a fellow blogger and IFV sister.  Hillary has just completed her first mini IVF cycle and tested this evening at home.  The test was negative and she goes in for her beta tomorrow.  I will be praying for her and her husband as I know how hard and hurtful this can be.  So please say a prayer for them.

Mid Mile 4

Lord help me, I am fading.  I made it to work at 11:30 am.  I can barely think.  My head is in a vice.  I am so spacey and feel like I am floating.  I can barely make it through typing a sentance before my mind wanders.  I think this is normal on lupron.  I have read similar stories.  This is hell.  I keep trying to think of that little pink baby holding my pinky to get through this.  I really just want to go home and go to bed.  The tears are continuing, for no reason. I just feel sick.

Mile 3 of Our First IVF Cycle

Holy train wreck batman!  I woke up this morning feeling is though I was the train wreck.  I could barely lift my head off of the pillow.  My eyes were swollen and I had a hard time lifting my lids.  My neck hurts, oh my head.  My poor poor head.  This is only day three!  I have read that some felt like this in the early days of Lupron and then it got better.  It needs to get better so I do not loose my job for killing someone or not being able to go in because I cannot keep my head up!

The injections are nothing.  Except for afterwards, your skin burns and itches for about ten minutes, then it goes away.  I do not even bleed.  It amazes me that such a little amount of liquid can cause so much trouble!  Two more days till Florida.  I just want to escape with my hubby and forget all of this.
I had dreams of babies last night.  I had a dream I was nursing my own baby.  It was a sweet moment and I woke up feeling strange.  Of course that could be from the Lupron hangover.  I also watched a baby story on TLC.  The couple was from Chicago, where I am.  They had their first round if IVF and ended up with triplets.  Three beautiful little girls.

I use to think that I would only want one at a time.  To give each child the love and time they deserve.  Now, after going through what he have, I will take three!  I wont be greedy and will be very happy with what we get, but if we were to have twins or triplets, we could be done and just enjoy our family.

Here's hoping!

Ugh.  I will keep you posted!

Mile 2 of Our First Run to IVF

I took my second lupron injection tonight.  It no longer bothers me to stick myself.  I started having headaches last night and off and on through out the day.  I also started getting some minor cramping that felt like my ovaries were being squeezed.  I have mild breast tenderness, but that happens to me frequently, being as I am big busted. 

All in all, not too bad.  I was a bit nervous today, thinking of all the side effects yet to come.  I am working on letting that go.  I have made the choice to do this, I have to deal with the consequences and I cannot control them.  I went for a long swim at the gym tonight and that helped.  Oh, and did I mention the exhaustion hit me at about 5 pm. 

Onto Mile 3!

The race has begun!

I took my first injection of Lupron this evening.  The first injection I have given myself.  Surprisingly, I barely felt it!  I am not worried about the injections, until we get to the PIO or progesterone in oil shots.  Ouch!  I was pretty calm today, even though I knew I would start the meds.  I am praying for minimal side effects.  Hoping God remembers what I went through on the Clomid, and gives me a break.  I hope to do some acupuncture during this.  My chiropractor has also prescribed me weekly massages, so they are covered my insurance!  That will help.

I am actually feeling excited.  I know there is no guarentee and this may not work, but we are finally doing something different.  Our sucess rate is so much higher than when we were doing just IUI's.  I will keep everyone posted as we go along. 

We are going to Florida on Saturday for ten days!  We will be staying in Cocoa Beach and will be spending a few days at Disney.  I never went as a kid, so this will be fun!  Expecially since hubby and I never got a honeymoon.  Vacation here we come!  Lupron evils, stay away so we can enjoy our trip! 

F to the O to the double L....

Follistem!

We had our IVF consult today.  Everything is almost set to go.   We were truly blessed today.  Our Dr. office gave us three boxes of follistem.  This is a three thousand dollar expense!  It should be all we need for this cycle.  We just have to wait for the other four meds to come and those are costing around $760. 

I start taking lupron on Monday.  I am very nervous about this, as I have read so many scary stories about the side effects.  My nurse did tell me today that because I am only on it for two weeks, I should not have too many problems.  She also confirmed with me that those who take lupron depot, the injection that lasts one month, are the ones who have the most issues.  Phew!  And with the encouragement of a fellow blogger and IVF'er  I am going to try accupuncture to help with the stres and side effects from this cyle in hopes of increasing our chanees.  Thanks Bella!

It was a very strange process.  My hubby and I had to sign over who would get the embryo's if one of us died, or if one if we got divorced.  I get them if we divorce, which will never happen.  I know everyone says that.  But anyway, if one of us dies, then the other gets the rigths to the embryo's.  It was very surreal to discuss this!

I am also concerned about OHSS.  Ovarian hyperstimulation synderome for all you non IFers.  Because I have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) I am at the highest risk for OHSS on the stims (stimulation drugs).  It is rare to have the life threatening reaction, but possible.  I know other women who have had this happen to them, on different levels of seriousness. 

A few more needle free days, then it is 6 weeks of daily, sometimes twice daily injections!

Thank you Dr. R. and Nurse R. for giving us that wonderully generous gift.  Because of this, we can freeze our extrta bambino-cysts.  Yes, I just made up that word! :)