Chapter 24: IVF Updates

When I said that it was busy around here, little did I know that it was about to get so much more busier.

After I had my baseline bloodwork and ultrasound done on Mon, Aug 24, I came home, had the first day of school online (does anyone else miss teaching in-person as much as I do?), and packed up my things to go stay at my Mom's to help her post spinal surgery. My next appointment wasn't going to be until Sunday, and my meds were going to be delivered Thurs, so my husband brought them with him when he got to my Mom's house.

We did our gonal-f 225 IU and menopur 75 IU shots for Friday night at my Mom's house. It seemed feasible enough then. My younger brother and I had been switching off every other night or so to stay up to make sure my Mom didn't need anything as she slept. On Saturday, my husband had to leave early to go see his Mom. Seeing as I've never done any of these shots on my own (I can whirl and tip and mix like a pro, but I hand it off to the hubs to inject), I had to take the night's dosing with me and go back home because he'd meet me there afterwards. I'm glad I had brought two days worth of medication with me because when we went for my appointment Sunday morning, the nurse called me later to let me know that my menopur dosage needed to be increased.

I hadn't brought all my meds with me because my plan had been to stay at least a full two weeks with my Mom. But this was the week that I was going to have monitoring appointments every other morning, so we decided that it was best that I didn't keep doing the hour or so drive back and forth. My sweet brother said not to worry about it, and he drove over with all my meds and school items that I had setup in my parents' dining room.

My menopur was increased to 112 IU for Sunday and Monday night. My gonal-f stayed the same. When I went in again this past Tuesday for the next follow-up, my menopur was increased again; this time, to 150 IU. I had another follow-up this morning, Thursday 9/3, and the sonographer said that the follicles are all growing at an equal rate which is a good sign and my numbers look good. But when my nurse called later in the day, she said I'd be increasing my menopur again tonight, to 3 vials or 225 IU.

For those that don't know or are curious how it feels, menopur is hell in a tiny syringe. It burns like the sting of a bee. The burn goes in slowly, feeling like the worst diarrhea + acid reflux pain. Oh man, do I hate it. I've been icing it 30 minutes prior to and post injection. When I had to take the first increased dosage of it, hot tears slid down my cheeks, failing me as I tried to stay strong and fight the burn. I just got one of those really wide gel ice packs but in hindsight, I probably should have gotten one with a strap so I could just keep it on without worrying about holding it.

Along with the menopur and gonal-f, I also have to add the cetrotide today, which is the medicine that stops ovulation. I've never taken this one before so I looked up what it should feel like. Apparently I can expect raised bumps, redness, and itching. FAB. Starting tomorrow, I have to take it in the morning between 6 - 9 AM but for tonight, I get to take the magic cocktail all together. How swell.

I also was unsure if my continuous change in menopur dosage would result in the retrieval date being pushed back. But when I asked at my appointment this morning, they seemed confident that we'd still be able to retrieve these eggs on or around 9/9. So let's see how the next follow-up on Sat 9/5 goes.

Since I'm going to be taking shots twice a day now for at least the next 6 days or so, I won't be getting to spend Labor Day weekend at my Mom's like I was hoping. Maybe I'll go tomorrow and spend the day since we're off from school and then go again on Sunday. Unsure but would really love to go see her again.

Amidst all this, we've also had some huge health incidents going on in my extended family. So for anyone reading, if you could keep my family's health and wellness in your prayers, I would be extremely grateful. Thanks for following along with my mundane updates, y'all, even if I haven't been the greatest at keeping up with them.