DAY ONE & DAY TWO of my IVF cycle

PERIOD IS HERE & THINGS ARE FINALLY UNDERWAY…

OK, so my period arrived yesterday which marks it as DAY ONE and this is the one time you are actually truly happy to get your period! (cue in shrugging shoulders)

So it all begins tonight at 7PM sharp when I shall begin the self-injecting myself part.

Oh the joy! 

Actually, to be honest (again), I don’t mind the injections anymore. Of course in the beginning, I was nervous as hell, never having to inject myself before for any reason whatsoever and always looking online and in the booklet that the IVF nurse gives you to see that I was ‘stabbing’ myself per se, in the right spot. Now, I’m an old pro. I will admit (and I am extremely proud of this fact, haha!) but I am so freaking anal about time wise. I set my phone alarm to when the injections are scheduled for however I do set it for two minutes earlier (i.e. 6.58 PM).

Reason being?? Well, I give myself two minutes to get off of the couch (or wherever I may be in the house) to get to the kitchen, open the fridge door, grab the injection(s), alcohol swipe my belly and then stab. So by all calculations that all should take me two minutes and I am bang! right on time.    (cue in the awkward silence from my reader) Haha!

Yes I know, I know that sounds very Monica Gellar (i.e. Friends character) of my behavior. But hey! That’s just me. 😉

This time round because I am with a new brand new clinic (hopefully third time lucky, hey?), they have added a lot more drugs and different procedures to my protocol (hence my analness – is that an actual word?? – will hit an all-time record high!).

What I am having done this time round is called an “Anatagonist Cycle”. What that means is that this treatment uses injectable drugs called antagonists to prevent premature ovulation. It’s the most commonly used treatment protocol because the shorter cycle makes it more convenient for us patients and (supposedly) reduces the risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation (which I have previously had in the past at my last clinic).

I rang my IVF nurse first thing this morning to let her know that my period arrived yesterday and she went over one more time with my schedule for the coming 7 – 8 days: what drugs I will be injecting, what time they have to be done (between 6pm – 11pm) and what day/time my first blood test and when internal vaginal ultrasound is done. This is to check that my estrogen levels haven’t started to rise.

The E2 blood test is required in most patients who have in the past had OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) from the drugs, which I have had previously on one occasion. Its just to monitor you and sometimes they may need to lower the dosage just to control any sign of ovarian hyper stimulation. In the worst case scenario they may need to cancel the cycle if that happens to be the case. That is only done because you can become extremely sick if you have OHSS after your eggs are collected.

 → Remember each clinic has their own protocol, and what my clinic may do, it may not happen with your own clinic. However I do strongly suggest in bringing up any  additional information you might discover through my own blog or through a forum and bring it up with your own fertility specialist. Not all doctors will always think straight off the top of their heads about trying other different procedures or drugs that they could ‘experiment’ with you. Remember, they see so many patients per day and it practically becomes an automated system behaviour that many patients in the same clinic tend to do the exact same sort of protocol cycle.

So tonight at 7Pm I will be starting with the following drugs:

Puregon 300iui

The awesome thing about this drug is that it come’s in a pen like cartridge (even has its own little case). There is no having to mix up the drugs. Yay! Each vial has 900iui of follitropin (follicle stimulating hormones), and with this cycle I will be injecting 300iui each night, so the vial will give me three days worth. This has to be kept in the fridge.

Menopur 150iui

This drug contains follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormones, which apparently helps with the quality of your eggs during the next 8 or so days. The annoying thing about this drug is that you have to mix it yourself. There are  two little bottles: one vial has powder in it and the other has like a water based solvent. There is one needle that is a tad big (do NOT use this one to inject! Massive OUCH if you do!!). Attach the bigger needle to the syringe to withdraw the entire liquid into the powder vial. The powder will quickly dissolve. Gently swivel (don’t shake) it around to mix it. The attach another smaller, much finer needle to the syringe and again, withdraw the liquid to match your dosage.

It’s such a pain (pun intended) and hassle this drug. Oh well. Also, this drug is to be kept in the fridge.

SciTropin 2.5mg

SciTropin (human growth hormone) drug apparently can make me develop a deeper voice and facial 5 o’clock shadow growth (please Lord no!!!) but supposedly is meant to help with the improving of the quality of the eggs over the 7 – 8 days. I’m all for the sexy husky deeper voice but not the facial hair!!

I wonder how hormonal (more than my natural normal self, haha!) I’m going to be with all these extra drugs and different doses injected into body?

I would like to apologise ahead of time to my husband, my mum, my friends and my co-workers for any pissed off verbal outburst, emotional break downs or any WTF?! strange like behavior I may display over the coming days.

Please try to remember that I am a walking pin cushion injected with obscene very high doses of crazy mass produced hormones twice a day and I am not in control of what come’s out of my mouth and any irrational displays of behavior I may express. So in all sight, I really should get a hall pass for the craziness. Haha! Oh! and please try not to stress me out too (that’s for you darling husband and mum).

This mother-to-be needs to be cool, calm and chill relaxed.

Check back next Monday for a run down on how tonight’s and tomorrows injections went and if I had any reactions that may have cropped up (hopefully not).  I will write up posts every Monday on my IVF journey as I don’t want to overwhelm and bombard you all with so much on IVF. Fingers crossed that this is THE cycle that it all happens. I have such a good feeling about it (mixed in with abundant nervousness too).

OK… I’m off to do some IVF meditation (yes that is an actual thing. I will be talking about what is IVF meditation in an upcoming post to help explain what it is, what you do and how it helps).

Chat soon my lovelies! x

COMING UP ON THE NEXT EPISODE: ‘hormones & tears’