The Meds are here-- Ovulation--not so much.

THE MEDS HAVE ARRIVED!

After waiting going on three months since the last ectopic I can finally begin again!

Here's the inventory and some general information on the meds I am taking for the upcoming FET cycle:

Lupron or "Luprolide Acetate" is a Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonist (GnRH agonist).

Overstimulates the pituitary gland (which controls ovaries) causing LH and FSH to stop being produced--delaying ovulation until time for the FET/IVF or another ART procedure. It controls the time of ovulation so that the FET may be done at a precise time using the HcG trigger.

This is the first drug I will begin 8 days after ovulation--if it ever comes. I will take 10 units subcutaneous every night. (Along with the good 'ol Baby Aspirin). I will take this everyday until right before the FET. This stuff tends to give most people the horrible "Lupron headaches", mood-swings, and general crabbiness.

Estrogen. "Estradiol" Three 0.1mg Patches every three days or pills 2mg. (I haven't decided yet).

Stored at room temperature.

Other than the female parts, Estrogen controls the growth of follicles and uterine lining.

I begin taking the estrogen after the next period's day 3 test results.

I hate the damn patches. But after reading so much about how dangerous the pills can be after an extended period of time I am afraid to take those too. I'm pretty sure I am allergic (or at least very sensitive) to the adhesive on the patches, but a rash may be better than heart disease.

Side effects of the patches: Stickiness.

Progesterone in oil. (Sesame Oil, Cotton seed oil, etc.) "PIO".

Usually produced by the ovaries after ovulation, also produced by the placenta once pregnant.

4-6 days prior to the FET I begin to take PIO-- although I'm not sure how much yet. What I know is that these needles are much bigger than the tiny Lupron needles; stuck right into my ass once a day.

Tetracycline. 250 mg pills. 1 pill 4x/day.

Taken about the same time as PIO, right before the FET.

Antibiotic used to treat any infection before transfer, stopped a day or two before. Commonly used for many infections including acne--in my past. No biggie.

Medrol or "Methylprednisolone" 16 mg pill. 1x/ day before bed.

Begin about the same time as PIO, right before the FET. Last pill is taken the night of the FET.

Said to help with pre-embryo implantation.

HcG or "Pregnyl". 10,000 units. One time.

Does not need to be refrigerated, until opened.

Used to "trigger" ovulation as I would if I needed to use the eggs. It makes the body "release" and simulate the same hormones at a specific time. Not everyone does this for FET's but my RE thinks it is best. It also helps increase the lining of the ute. For FET I take this at the same time I give the first PIO shot. Yes, MANY things begin with the start of PIO. It's a long day of poking.

Prometrium. 200mg capsule.

Progesterone product, used to help relax the uterus before the transfer.

Inserted vaginally--yes, you heard it right. The morning of the FET the capsule is inserted high into the vagina. After insertion lay flat for at least 1/2 an hour.

***********************

Phew!

I hope that was somewhat informative-- and after all of that I am still learning myself.

However, until I ovulate I can't begin ANY of these medications. Good lord.

I really hope that the lap has not effected my ovaries. I am on CD 14 today and still nothing. This is unusual for me. I usually ovulate on days 11-13. On Thursday-- I will begin to panic. Until then, I will try to breathe and relax.

TTFN!

I've triggered!

11:15pm tonight, I triggered with 10,000 units of HcG!

I'm tired and sickly-- so going to bed! I'll tell you about today, tomorrow. . .

The ultrasound results.

Yesterday was another long-awaited moment. Although it was just the ultrasound, I was dying to see if my clomid had worked!

Well, it looks like it did enough so far.

I have one really good lookin' follicle on the right side (again). Apparently, the left side hates me. Either way, I have the green light for my very first IUI tomorrow.

I've heard many differing opinions on whether IUI is actually a form of ART or Assisted Reproductive Technology. Some say, yes, others say, no. All I know is there is definitely some assistance going on here that is out of the "norm".

So what does that all mean?

Read here to get all the technical jargon, but my version (dumbed down version) is this:

Yesterday, we had the ultrasound and found one really good follicle on my right side (see picture above).
The well developed follicle gave us the "go" for taking my second HcG shot last night around 11pm. DH did another great job of administering the shot. I always forget how painless the tiny needle is in my giant rear end. This shot tells the follicle to "RELEASE THAT EGG!!!" So hopefully if all goes as planned, Ovulation happens 36 hours later= 11am Friday.

Therefore, Friday morning, the man and I have called in to work (YES!) and will be making a trip to the OBGYN. My hubby will make a "deposit" at the doc around 10:15. Then they supposedly spin the Hell out of those suckers to remove any extra fluids and then load up the catheter--to prepare for me. I think they tell us how good his swimmers are at that point. (This news will possibly give me info that would allow me to change his eating and drinking habits :) Then, about 11am, I will have the IUI procedure (see gross looking photo below).

I hope and pray this works. Perhaps I have hostile cervical mucus and this is all we need to do to become pregnant. I love that phrase, "Hostile mucus".

In additional to all of this, next week Tuesday, I have my first appointment with my schnazzy RE. So yes, this IS the last appointment I will have with my OBGYN until I am pregnant. I'm ready for the big dogs if this does not work. BUT IT WILL WORK.

I am trying to be as confident as I can at each step. But this IS a big one. So wish me luck and toss a bucket of baby dust in my direction. I head to my FIRST IUI in the morning!!!! I am very excited.

UPDATE: I was out of town.

Yes, I was on vacation and although I thought I would have time to post updates during my trip--Not so much the case.

Just the whole shot ordeal was somethin'. Allow me to drop some knowledge on you:

Thursday, April 8th, I went into the doctor for the ultrasound of my follicles. We were hoping that they were at least 20mm. After waiting WAYYYY too long for the nurse practitioner to get her ass in there (Apparently, she was taking a phone call for over 25 minutes. . . .HELLO!!! I AM IN HERE. You know THE BUILDING! With my pants off and feet in the stirrups, thank you. Tell THAT person to make an appointment and drive all the way here!) Anyways, after she finally got in there, she lubed up this plastic, uh hem, phallic looking object with a condom on it. Yes, a condom. It was very S&M.

Once I could see it on the monitor, I saw these odd black blobs. Kind of like the side of a dalmatian. She moved the "probe" around, causing a lot of pressure. I had three good ones on the right side. (Left was kinda vacant since we ladies release one side at a time). I think the biggest (pictured above) was ALMOST 20mm. This meant I had to wait until the next day to get the HcG shit, I mean, shot. The nurse said the follies grow about 2mm per day, so by the next morning, I'd be good to go. "Give the shot around 9am", she says.

One problem. One BIG problem. We were flying to the East coast at 6:05am. Then, the inlaws were picking us up at the airport. We're trying to keep this whole ordeal a secret from just about everybody (Yes, I know I am posting this all online, but only people in the know, know about this site). So to make a long story short, we planned to do the shot the only way we could think of, after we landed, in the family restroom. Turns out all the restrooms were locked, and when we got to an open one, some old janitor walks in. While we are waiting, my mother in-law busts in the door.

SHIT.

We had to give it then, because we were headed out for family stuff until we finally got to the hotel in the late afternoon!

My DH decided to tell her we needed to use the restrooms, which we did, and we'd be out in a second. Well, the second turned into about 20 minutes by the time the janitor was out of the restroom and we were done with the shot. (Side note: No biggy. I thought it would hurt like HELL, but my DH did an amazing job, and the nurse had drawn a target on my ass the day before. Seriously, she did.)

So we walk out and now his Dad is inside looking for us. Good Lord people. PATIENCE. My husband decided to make up a story that he had massive bowel issues. Love him for things like that :)

We went on with our trip. The day was fine, and I felt no real side-effects. The next day, we walked all over the place and I was definitely tired. But somehow, we had to sneak back in and have baby-making sex sometime around the 36-hour mark after the shot. Well, that would've been 9pm.....IN THE MIDDLE OF DINNER planned with the entire family. We figured 4:15pm was a close as we could get before we left with my in-laws. And if you haven't noticed, they like to be "on-time". They called us twice and stopped by the room before we were supposed to meet them at 4:45. (Oh yeah, and we had just seen them on the way TO the room). Needless to say it was a scheduling nightmare.


I'm not sure if ANYTHING we did over the weekend was good enough to make a baby. But we gave it our best shot. I believe somewhere around the 24th I can test. Good grief, the 2 week wait strikes again!!!!!

Tomorrow' another BIG DAY.

Yep. It's here.

Tomorrow, I go into the doc's office and get an ultrasound of my follicles, hope they're 20mm, and get a shot of HcG in my ass.

Seems different than what I have previously reported as the next step, no?

Well, when I went in last Thursday, Dr. threw me a curve ball. She kind of jumped ahead 3 months without really making much recognition of it. But hey, I was getting extremely impatient with the speed we were at. I was actually going to ask her that day if we could push things a head a bit. But then she comes right at me with--now were going to do clomid, intrauterine ultrasounds, HcG, and IUI.

What the?

Seriously. Already . . . Okay. Works for me. . . . oh crap! I'm heading out of town Friday. Can't do the IUI. . . .next time IUI. This time all the above except IUI (See: "Regular sex"). Got that? I know, confusing.

Basically, over the last week, my life has hit the fast forward 3 months to this stage. Last Friday I began 50mg of Clomiphene. Monday, my DH and I went into the doc's office for an extremely pointless video on infertility. They apparently show it to all the NEW patients. However, they "forgot" to show it, (and the price list for services), to us until after we've already done all the services in the first 4/5 of the video. DULLS-VILLE. But afterwards, my husband learned how to make me lean into the wall, stick my butt out at him, and bend over. Seriously. That way he can line the HcG shot up with the "meaty" part of my ass. That's the point where he can jam this GIANT hypodermic needle in. Capitol, F-U-N.

So that day went "well". Tomorrow though we check my follicles, as I mentioned earlier. They need to be 20mm in order for them to be "toasty and ready". Then, I can get the $115.00 single shot of HcG. The HcG shot causes Ovulation to occur. This apparently means 36 hours later that egg is ready for some swimmers!!! Yes, I have to time the horizontal mambo 36 hours after I get the shot. This will be interesting since I am leaving for a trip with my in-laws the next day. "Oh, sorry all. I know we're in the middle of dinner, but I gotta go "do" your son." Perhaps, I should phrase it, "Make you some Grandbabies?"

That is the story IF I have some toasty follicles that are 20mm+. If I don't, I have to wait to get the shot. We will have to estimate how big the follicles will be the next day, the one after that and so on based on what we see tomorrow. Then, the day we think they should be at 20mm, DH gives me the shot 'o fun.

So, basically, tomorrow IS A BIG DAY. It could lower my stress level considerably if I have some 20mm follies by 9:30am.

Pray for me people.

I hope this month is the month more than ever. It will be our last go at it in a semi-"natural" way. After this month, we would turn to IUI and then-- God forbid, IVF.

Updates come tomorrow night! :) Night all--GROW FOLLIES GROOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!