Maybe we can start our IVF cycle this month after all! UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pettycrocker

We just left our IVF consult with a 10/22 Lupron start date! This is cutting it super close because it takes 7-10 days to get the approval from the ins company, then another few days to get the meds mailed to me, so please, please, please pray that we can swing this timeline! I just can't imagine having to go through all this shit with the injections (that I'm sure will make me nuts) retrieval and xfer DURING the holidays- which is exactly what will happen if we can't get the meds in time  

As long as everything goes accordingly, I'll be looking at a mid Nov transfer, so I'd be done before Thanksgiving (God willing)!! 

All that aside- OMG! IVF is so overwhelming! They have me doing 4 different injections - one is just the 1 time HCG shot, then 3 different oral medications (including antibiotics, steroids and some other shit?) and progesterone suppositories! Holy crap, I had no idea it was that much!?!? I knew there injections and medications involved, but sheesh! This is all not to mention the fact that there are a bagillion U/S and B/W appts that all have to be done before 8am!! I was getting dizzy just listening to everything that has to be done. I am just going to pray that we only have to go through this once, and it'll all be worth it in the end! 

I know we have a few girls currently going through this whole ordeal, so PLEASE share any details you feel comfortable sharing regarding the whole process!! 

*omg omg omg omg*!! I just got the calls that my insurance approved everything, ALREADY, and MY MEDS ARE ORDERED AND SHOULD BE HERE NO LATER THAN THURDAY!! I am so effing excited! I can't believe this happened so quickly, I want to scream and cry with happiness! Thank you all once again for all of your positive thoughts and support! Cycle 21 will be our first and hopefully only IVF cycle! 

+SouthernMomma+

Praying for your sanity and that all goes well for you darlin! FX for you!

freakyfast

YAY! It is overwhelming huh?! Well whatc'ha want to know love, I will be an open book for you. 

pettycrocker

freakyfast said:

YAY! It is overwhelming huh?! Well whatc'ha want to know love, I will be an open book for you. 

I want to know everything while it's fresh in your memory! Just go ahead and write it out as a novel and send it this way!  

freakyfast

Mrs Castillo said:

freakyfast said:

YAY! It is overwhelming huh?! Well whatc'ha want to know love, I will be an open book for you. 

I want to know everything while it's fresh in your memory! Just go ahead and write it out as a novel and send it this way!  

I will tell you what is super fresh... the shot in my ass last night.  LOL! 

What are the shot medicines that you got? I did not do Lupron.  I can jot everything down and send it over.  

gmc222

Hooray! I promise it isn't as overwhelming going through it as it seems at the beginning. Feel free to ask any questions you want!

pettycrocker

freakyfast said:

Mrs Castillo said:

freakyfast said:

YAY! It is overwhelming huh?! Well whatc'ha want to know love, I will be an open book for you. 

I want to know everything while it's fresh in your memory! Just go ahead and write it out as a novel and send it this way!  

I will tell you what is super fresh... the shot in my ass last night.  LOL! 

What are the shot medicines that you got? I did not do Lupron.  I can jot everything down and send it over.  

 Yea! The nurse warned me about the huge HCG ass shot LOL 

I am doing Lupron, maybe menopur (sp?) Follistim, HCG, and she said something about Gonal-F but I feel like that is another name for one of the meds I already listed (at least I hope that is the case) 

So the Lupron is the one I will start on the 22nd for something like 10 days, then I start stims. 

@gmc222 did you have to take the Lupron? 

What should I expect from all these crazy injections? Also do you all have any tips on how to do the injections painlessly as possible? What worked best for you ladies? TIA! 

Gator_Bride07

Praying you can get the ball rolling ASAP! That is a lot to take on! Maybe it'll help the time go by faster? I'd think I'd be booking a massage or at least a pedi to reward myself.

freakyfast

I did 300 (4 vials) of menopur in the morning, 300 Follistim at night.  And then for 5 days here at the end, I did Ganirelix to suppress ovulation.  Then I did Noveral for the HCG trigger shot.  They all go in your stomach except the trigger shot, it goes kinda above your butt to the side.  

And quite honestly... The shots in the stomach did not hurt like anyone in Google land said they did.  The Menopur burned a little bit, just don't shake the meds.  The Follistim, barely felt it, but I tasted it.  The Ganirelix was a little bit harder for DH to actually push in, he had to be a 'little' bit more forceful. And the Ganirelix ITCHED like a mofo, and turned red and raised a little bit. Nothing alarming AT ALL.  (I do have little holes from the needles, and tiny tiny bruises all mostly yellow now) 

The Trigger, well I heard of people using ice, but I didn't.  I didn't want anything to not work right.  So I just went for it.  And it is uncomfortable, and it burned and my ass was sore.  Still is to the touch.  I did lose some sleep last night because I was uncomfortable. BUT seriously in the big picture of it all.. Its nothing! I am done with shots right now, and I feel ok. Full, bloated and I can feel stuff going on inside but seriously, soooo much easier than any horror stories I read. 

As far as moods.  I had one breakdown a week into the shots. (This past Friday night) And I knew I was acting cray-cray, but I couldn't help it.  DH just said I know this isn't you being bitchy,  and I apologized later. 

YAY so excited for you! 

ETA: Words

pettycrocker

@freakyfast thank you so much for the play book! I am a little bit worried about how I am going to do (emotionally) on all these meds, because I am a full on pyscho on Clomid. The nurse kept saying "I feel sorry for your husband" and laughing, so I'm taking that as a warning. 

Now that I read your list, I remember I am supposed to be taking that Follistim 2x per day (am and pm) and then they said I might have to add the Menopur to that mix at some point, but that one is a still a maybe. I know the HCG is just a one time thing, there is one other med. I'm not sure about that I'll have to wait and see what comes in my Box O' Meds.

Freaky is your retrieval tomorrow? They told me the retrieval will be 36 hours after the trigger, and I flat out told the nurse I am already worried I will O before I get that far I hope I'm just being silly. 

gmc222

I did take Lupron, I started at 10iu and then went down to 5iu. I also took 225iu - 300iu Follistim (same med as Gonal-F so you won't take both; my insurance just covered Follistim). They both had a 1/2" needle that felt the same. Sometimes I wouldn't feel the shot at all, other times it stung a little bit and may have bled for a second. I just rotated sides of my tummy, squeezed the skin and inserted the needle sort of slowly. A few of the shots left a bruise.

With my IUI's DH had always given me the trigger shot and I closed my eyes. Doing the shots myself were SO MUCH easier! As for how I felt, I really had no noticable side effects, but I didn't with Clomid either. Either I'm lucky or just always a bitch and didn't notice a difference - ha!

For the trigger I used Novarel which I mixed in a large needle but ended up injecting with the same 1/2" needle in my belly.

Starting 2 days after ER I started using an estrogen patch (Vivelle) and progesterone suppository (Crinone 8%). Everything is going great so far, except wanting to eat us out of house and home. :-S

AlmostWright

That is great news. I hope you can get everything done in time and start!

freakyfast

@ Mrs Castillo No problem - I did get some pills also. I have Nexium, which I took last night with my trigger, and I will take another one tonight.  I also have an antibiotic that I took last night and have to take again tonight, skipping them tomorrow, and restarting them Wednesday.  I also have Tylenol 3 or with codeine. Whatever its called for the pain. 

YES! My retrieval is tomorrow at 9:15am.  Yes 36 hours after the trigger shot.  So I did mine last night at 9:15.  The Ganirelix shot is what I was prescribed to keep me from ovulating.  I told my DH when we were freaking out about doing the trigger shot in my backside, that we can't mess it up too bad or else they wouldn't let us do it on our own.  They have been doing it for awhile, so take faith in that, they will prescribe you and tell you when and what shots you need to be doing to keep you from O'ing.  Ya know? 

I was also given a different needles for my trigger shot.  Little sticker on it that said must use for Novarel. I couldn't use the little one because it has to go into your muscle.   

freakyfast

Mrs Castillo oh and for the meds causing me to be a crazy bitch... I seriously have been super chill. I had done birth control a long time ago and it made my bat shit crazy, so I was afraid this was going to do all of that to me.  But it didn't.  ONE night.  That was this past Friday, when I lost it because a family member was being stupid.  But I took it out on DH, I apologized and he was ok.  Other than that, I told myself that I was going to be this horrific monster, but I wasn't.  I told myself I would bloat and be uncomfortable and miserable, and I am bloated, I feel like i have a flat tire around me. DH says it must be on the inside because he doesn't see it. I weighed myself on Saturday and seriously gained 2 pounds.  

With this being said... I know we are all different and will react differently.  So maybe do what I did, expect the worse story you read WILL happen, and then you will end being fine like me.   

:bz 

pettycrocker

@freakyfast Is it weird that they didn't say anything about another suppression shot after that HCG shot. I'm taking the Lupron as the suppressor, and that is all prior to the stims and the HCG. Then again, maybe you have to do that extra suppressor shot because you didn't do the Lupron prior, right?? Hmmm this is all so confusing 

@gmc222 did you have a separate suppressor shot after your HCG trigger? 

P.S did your H's have to take antibiotics too? I thought that was kind of strange, but they said they wanted to make sure we didn't catch a bug and pass it back and forth. 

freakyfast

I was told that the only other shot I would need after the HCG trigger shot is if my blood work didn't come back with an HCG over 100.  I just got word that it was 147, so no more shots for me.  

I think there is different 'names' of meds that do some of the same thing, but they change it up based on what your DX is.  

No my DH didn't have to take anything. 

Jen071407

FX you get everything started and timed so you don't have to mess with the holidays! I haven't done IVF, but I've triggered (ovidrel) and done a booster of gonal-f and never had any issues. DH is a doctor so he's in charge of administering injections. His trick that I've found helpful is him counting to 3 and having me take a big breath in on 3 right when he pokes me - I don't feel a thing! Good luck!!

freakyfast

Jen071407 said:

FX you get everything started and timed so you don't have to mess with the holidays! I haven't done IVF, but I've triggered (ovidrel) and done a booster of gonal-f and never had any issues. DH is a doctor so he's in charge of administering injections. His trick that I've found helpful is him counting to 3 and having me take a big breath in on 3 right when he pokes me - I don't feel a thing! Good luck!!

I did the same thing... I said, DH you say '1, 2, 3' and then go! I think honestly the first 2-3 days are the easiest, but then things start to bruise and you become more aware of it, and by that time you are 'used' to it so it doesn't matter. 

whit0156

It sounds like we're on a very similar plan! I just started Lupron today, so I'm not too much help as in what to expect... (I'll be starting Follistim and Menopur in about 10 days). So far so good! I was (and am still) totally overwhelmed by the amount of drugs/hormones that will be going into my body this month. I couldn't believe the size of the box that it all came in and the number of syringes!

Best of luck to you! I hope you're able to start this month!

pettycrocker

@whit0156 you just reminded me! About how long did it take for you all to get your meds in the mail? I have no idea when to expect it, as long as it's here by the end of the day on the 22nd we should be good to go. 

 

I'm glad there are a few us just a couple weeks out from each other! Good luck with everything ladies! Thank you all so much for the advice and support!! 

:bz :bz :bz :bz :bz

freakyfast

Mrs Castillo  - oh yeah my meds shipped over night, because the follistim has to be refrigerated.  AND someone has to be home to sign for them. 

pettycrocker

@freakyfast Thank you SO much for the heads up! I was wondering whether or not someone would have to sign, and there's no doorbell here, I have to get one of those wireless ones and for some stupid ass reason, my neighbors keep pulling the wireless button off the door (I've bought 2 of them so far). Ugh. But that's the only way I'd know if someone was out there, since I can't hear the knocking from the other side of the house. So that is definitely GTK! Can't be missing my meds :P 

:bz

freakyfast

Mrs Castillo - no problem I'm here for ya! Just ask away. 

gmc222

@Mrs Castillo I took the Lupron up until the night of my trigger, and that night I took my Follistim at my usual time (8pm), no Lupron, and then the Novarel at exactly 11pm for my ER 36 hours later.

I use a special pharmacy (Village Fertility Pharmacy) which is located near me in MA. They always overnight the meds so I get them the next day. I didn't have to sign for it, they kept it well packed in ice.

After reading everyone's trigger shot stories I wonder why I only had to do it sub-q and not in my behind like you guys?

I'm so excited for all of us doing our first IVF's!

whit0156

@Mrs Castillo My meds were shipped overnight, too, and I did not have to sign. It must depend on the pharmacy and carrier...

Good luck to all of you!!

kndeckar

Great news!! Good luck! FX for you!