I started my Lupron injections on Sunday. Again, Lupron is used to quiet things down and prevent ovulation. With IVF it's all about control and exact timing. I'm also on birth control pills until Sunday, then I'll stop them and have my period. I start estrogen pills in a week, then progesterone injections three weeks.
I think repeated injections weaken the tissue because I bruise more each time! The Lupron shots didn't cause any bruising the first time (although the FSH injections definitely did-along with quite a bit of irritation). Last time I bruised occasionally with the Lupron shots, more frequently towards the end of them. I still have some slight discoloration on the right side of my stomach (where I bruised more) that hasn't gone away since our first try in February.
This time I already have a bruise (small, but dark purple) from yesterday and it was only my 3rd shot...it's going to be a long month! As for the progesterone injections that I will start in a couple of weeks, I found last time that if I put a hot washcloth on the area and rub it for a few minutes right after Ryan gives me the shot, the pain, bruising, lumps and numb spots are not nearly as bad (although even now I do still have some spots that are numb to the touch, but hurt when I push on them). I'm not dreading those as much as I was last time.
Yesterday morning we went to the clinic and I had to have an endometrial biopsy (womb scratching) again. I've been dreading it since I found out I would have to go through it again-it is so painful! In case you missed it last time, you can read about my experience here. It really only hurts while it's happening, but while that plastic tube is being swiped around inside me, my uterus screams!
After the doctor had me all prepped and ready, just before he started the scratching part, the nurse told Ryan that he should come hold my hand and be ready for intense squeezing! I didn't hurt him...I tend to hold still and stiffen-more straighten my fingers-rather than squeezing or clenching my fists in intense situations. Of course Ryan might remember it differently!
It was over so fast and I was again left with terrible cramps. They were pretty bad with sharp twinges all the way home, but by the time I had lunch and took a 2 hour nap they had gotten a little better. For the rest of the night they felt like regular menstrual cramps. I felt good enough to go to a movie last night and small claims court to mediate this morning. I still have a little cramping now and then, but nothing too bad.
Going through IVF is such a strange experience. I am doing all this stuff to get pregnant, but at the same time I am able to do everything I would normally do. Besides having to take pills or give myself shots in random places (for example, this morning I gave myself my Lupron shot in the parking lot of the Utah County Court House) life feels pretty normal. Between now and our embryo transfer we are going to a concert, attending a birthday party, going camping, and seeing Wicked-I even have a dentist appointment-all in the next three weeks. I have alarms set on my phone to remind me to take my pills or give my shots at the same times every day and I carry what I need to in my purse.
The only side effects of the hormones I have to take for a frozen transfer are slight headaches (nothing that an ibuprofen won't take care of) and weight gain (which I feel like I can keep under control with Zumba, Yoga and walking). After the transfer I am on limited activity for two weeks, but up until then I can exercise normally. Everyone keeps asking how I feel and how things are going, but everything is pretty good. Now that I am back on hormones I feel like our break is over, and I'm back on this strict medication schedule. The hardest part is the waiting. I know my emotions will get a little more complicated as our transfer date (August 11) gets closer, but right now I'm just trying to take everything day by day, week by week.
Going through IVF is such a strange experience. I am doing all this stuff to get pregnant, but at the same time I am able to do everything I would normally do. Besides having to take pills or give myself shots in random places (for example, this morning I gave myself my Lupron shot in the parking lot of the Utah County Court House) life feels pretty normal. Between now and our embryo transfer we are going to a concert, attending a birthday party, going camping, and seeing Wicked-I even have a dentist appointment-all in the next three weeks. I have alarms set on my phone to remind me to take my pills or give my shots at the same times every day and I carry what I need to in my purse.
The only side effects of the hormones I have to take for a frozen transfer are slight headaches (nothing that an ibuprofen won't take care of) and weight gain (which I feel like I can keep under control with Zumba, Yoga and walking). After the transfer I am on limited activity for two weeks, but up until then I can exercise normally. Everyone keeps asking how I feel and how things are going, but everything is pretty good. Now that I am back on hormones I feel like our break is over, and I'm back on this strict medication schedule. The hardest part is the waiting. I know my emotions will get a little more complicated as our transfer date (August 11) gets closer, but right now I'm just trying to take everything day by day, week by week.
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