Hurry Up and Wait

Today, the nurse called back and left a message to say she called in my script. She started listing the meds...

• Ganerelix
• Gonal F (Only 1 box to start because I have some already! YAY!)
• Low Dose HCG
• HCG (Trigger shot, probably)
• Medrol (Which I've googled and have found is a steroid.)
• Progesterone in oil (more to come on that)
• Doxycycline (she mentions for the Assisted Hatching)
• + tons of needles and syringes and other drug paraphernalia.

I had to call her back because I freaked out about the Assisted Hatching and the Progesterone in oil.


I thought maybe I'd have to rob another bank, but she assures me that Assisted Hatching is paid for with my IVF package deal. She said that they think it helps with implantation.


Well, ok. If' it's free. If it will help. Why not.


Also interesting, is that the last two fresh cycles I had, I could choose PIO or suppositories, and apparently they have gone to a "just PIO" policy. If I get pregnant, I can switch. So, two weeks. I can deal for two weeks, I think. We talked about maybe having her draw the bull's eye, because we think Mr. PJ maybe shot too low.


He, of course, was completely offended when I told him this evening--which I find slightly amusing!


And with the addition of the Medrol steroid, it looks like they are trying some new things, and that's good. I think.


And THEN.... this afternoon I...


Rushed out of work leaving my desk hideously in disarray...


Rushed over the river and through the woods... behind a very slow schoolbus to the hematologist's office (which coincidentally is also a Cancer Center).


Where I waited. And waited. And waited some more... in a tiny room with a guy who was obviously not feeling great. And got to witness a nurse draw his blood.


And then I got a lesson on how to do the Lovenox shots. I learned that apparently I have been giving my subQ's WRONG! I've been doing them about an inch or two from the belly button, and apparently that is too CLOSE to the belly button!


Then the hematologist needed bloodwork, and we all know that I have to go to Ghetto Lab to get my blood drawn, so I did that...


But not before making ANOTHER appointment with the hematologist for Friday. I could have made it for Thursday, but I already have an appointment with the regular Endocrinologist to check my Thyroid. This is also for IVF. (Yes folks, another fun week!)


I then drove across town to Ghetto Lab, where I was stuck twice because she couldn't get a vein. She contemplated sticking me in the hand, but quickly changed her mind when I pulled out my gun.


I came home and called the pharmacy and doled out about a grand for aforementioned box-o-fun.


Now I'm just waiting for Aunt Flo to come. I'm thinking sometime this weekend. And so begins the whole, hurry up and wait routine that is IVF.

I don't know how to feel about this. Definitely part of me is excited because SOME hope is a hell of a lot better than NO hope. But there is also definitely part of me that wonders how many times can one get hit by a bus and still survive?

The Big O

I don't really have much of a post to post. I want to make sure that I document that I got a positive OPK on September 17th. Seems like that's usually the case, somewhere around day 17. That'll put my period around the 1st. Works out nicely on the calendar. :) A June/July delivery-works extremely well with my schedule. Maybe? (Slaps self for thinking that far ahead!!! Do not Jinx self!)

I start Estrace next Saturday.

I've gotta call the Hematologist to set up an appointment for them to teach me how to do the Levonex shots.


I've gotta do yet another meds/needles inventory so that the nurse can call in my new script.

Almost done with Cipro and Metrogel. Thank. Goodness.


Gearing up!

FSH comes from menopausal Italian nuns?

I don't know if you read Dr. Licciardi's Blog, but if you love the whole science of ART treatments, you'll find this post interesting. He also has a fascinating archive.

It's Cycle Day 13. I think my protocol is called something like Antagonist, with Estrogen Priming.

On the agenda:

1. Get Cipro and Metrogel. Take them.

2. Ovulate, any day now. I started the OPK's last Wednesday and am still waiting for a positive. Buying my 2nd kit tomorrow. Yay, me.

3. Once I get that positive, start taking Estrace. I think that's called Estrogen Priming. Also order drugs (after bankjob, of course).

4. Day 1 or 2, messy ultrasound. Love that part. (detect sarcasm)

5. Day 4? Start stims...

I'm trying to mentally gear up.

Double Violation

Two visits with the stirrups today. I kid you not! It just worked out that way.

I had a saline infused sonogram with the R.E. The nurses and desk people were all, "heyyyyy, how's it goin' PJ? Good to see ya!" High fives ensued, invitations for dinner, weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc...

Am a permanent fixture--like task lighting.

Got a call from said desk person later that was all like, "by the way, I'm pretty sure your supercrappy insurance won't cover that, and it was around $450. I said, submit it anyway and I will be robbing a bank, thank you". She thinks once I start treatments, that diagnostic stuff isn't covered anymore. Total crap insurance. Anthem. Healthkeepers. Just so ya know. :)

And then I had my annual pap, conveniently located waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy across town. Intern watching and all. Listening to my sob story. Naive GYN is still optimistic. Bless her heart. :)

It wasn't much of a big deal, except that I am pissed about the insurance thing. But you knew I'd have to post about two lady business violations in one day! That's just something an IF blogger is obligated to do.

I got the consent forms for the IVF. The nurse called in the scripts for Cipro and metrogel (GOO). Ball is rolling...

I started to read this article in the Resolve magazine at the RE about "knowing when enough is enough" and I simply couldn't finish it. It dug deep. So did the stuff about adoption. I'm not ready to quit. I just can't accept that.

Pain in the Buttocks

Will my buttocks ever be the same, I ask you?

Possibly not.

One of the plethora of crappy things about miscarriage after IVF/FET is that you end up taking the PIO shots for longer than normal.

And if your blessed husband hits a vein, which I totally suspect mine repeatedly did, well... it's a bad thing.

Sometimes my bum is numb. Sometimes it's itchy. Both in the same general PIO shot giving area.

Am thinking of ditching the shot this time and doing the dreadful suppositories.

Seriously though, has anyone ever been through this????? Have you heard any stories? Please tell me it goes away.

I keep hoping it'll go away.

____________________

Meanwhile back at the ranch...

My To Do List:

1. Rob bank
2. Take Cipro (gag, puke, hurl)
3. GYN Yearly Appointment (which I'd rescheduled from June) Totally dreading explaining the sob story of the events in my uterus of the past year.
4. Saline Sonogram.
5. Insert Metrogel Goo in lady business

At my center if you camp out there and take freakingforever to get knockeded up, you have to go through the antibiotics/uterine abnormalities check again.


BTW, this is my 200th post!

Well, Hello Blog

Cycle Day One. Freakin' again.

Contemplating cycling again in about a month. Probably will, if that bank robbery goes as planned. You know, if Mr. PJ cooperates with the getaway car and all.

The pace of my life can at times be compared to the Tazmanian Devil on Red Bull and speed, and at other times, the tortoise (from The Tortoise and the Hare), on Milk and Vicoden. Right now, it's like the Taz. Good time to cycle, right?

I've seriously considered waiting until January, but the whole aging ovaries thing makes me think that is maybe not such a good idea. I'll be 37 by then. Gasp. The ultrasound will start showing cobwebs.

I'm not really looking forward to cycling. If you've read my blog, you'll get that. I mean, here is this thing that is painful, it hurts, and I'm gonna voluntarily go and do it again. Um... Yay? But, what are you gonna do, really? Keep on, keepin' on, I guess.