Stims-O-Rama

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.  I have been feeling too lazy to write, been mostly lurking and reading blogs over the weekend.

I started my stims (stimulation injections) on Friday.  In the mornings I do 5 units of Lu.pron (reduced from 20 units), and one 75 IU vial of Meno.pur.  In the evenings I do 300 IUs of Follis.tim.  So 2 shots in the morning, and one in the evening.  I'm beginning to look and feel like a human pin cushion.  Luckily not too much bruising, yet.  Maybe I will take a picture of my tummy one of these days.

Lup.ron is simple, you draw out the 5 units, and then you inject it into your tummy.

Morning: Lu.pron with insulin needle

Meno.pur is little more "fun" as there are a few more steps to do.  There are 2 vials, the diluent (liquid) used for mixing, and the actual Meno.pur powdered medication.  Using a special cap called a Q-cap, the Meno.pur medication is mixed with the diluent before it can be injected.  There are a few more steps and switching back and forth between vials.  Injecting Meno.pur took a little more time than I originally expected, but I am getting better and faster at this.  It helps to take all the medication, syringes, alcohol swabs and cotton gauze out and lay them out in an orderly fashion the night before so everything is organized and ready.  I also found that Meno.pur tends to sting more, which the nurse at the injection class actually warned us about.

Morning: Diluent, Meno.pur powder, Q-cap and 27 gauge needle

Diluent and Meno.pur powder

I have taken Follis.tim before during my IUIs and previous IVF cycle, so I am quite familiar with it.  Follis.tim uses a special pen where you "dial up" the required dosage before injecting.  A nifty injection tool.

Evening: Follis.tim Pen and cartridge

So far, no real side effects worth mentioning.

If you are really interested in how these and other medication is done, check out the videos from Free.dom Pharmacy (if you get to a page asking for email, etc try copying and pasting this link to a new window instead: http://www.freedommedteach.com/player/Videos.aspx)

Today, I had my blood work done at the clinic, no ultrasound though.  That's for Wednesday and Friday.  I got a call this afternoon from nurse Jill.  They want me to increase my dosage of Meno.pur from 1 to 2 vials (150 IU) tomorrow and Wednesday.  My estrogen level is only at 68.  What does that mean, I ask.  I guess at day 4 of stims, they like to see the level close to 100.  If it is less than 100, then then increase the  meds.  If it's more than a 100, then decrease the meds.

I'm not sure how to feel about this.  Is it bad news, or just normal adjustments they make?  68 sounds kinda low to me.  I know in the past, I have had to continue stims for one or two more days than expected, so maybe it just means my body is not responding as well.  Still, it would be great if my body would be a super star and respond really well, or at least respond normally.  It just makes me nervous.

So the game plan for now is to increase my Meno.pur dosage to 2 vials tomorrow and Wednesday, and the Lu.pron and Follis.tim dosages stay the same.  I have another ultrasound and blood work on Wednesday and Friday.  They will be able to tell more then how my body is responding and if any more adjustments are needed.  It does sound like I will be needing a refill on my Meno.pur, which mean I will need to pay for another copay.

On another note, my MIL's birthday was a success.  It as a low key dinner at a local family restaurant and then we all headed to our house for cake.  Thankfully my Babe had Friday off, so he did an awesome helping pick up his crap stuff from the family room and did the vacuuming.  The house was clean (for the most part, minus the junk room, bedroom and office, which was off limits!) which was a good thing because Babe's 90-year Grandma joined us for dinner too.  She may be 90, but her vision is sharp and doesn't miss much.

We also talked about making a trip to Indiana for Babe's nephew's first communion and birthday, and his niece's baptism the fourth weekend of April.  I'm hoping that I WILL be pregnant by then!  It will make an interesting trip, depending on if I am truly since I WILL be pregnant, and if I have to deal with morning sickness, and hiding the news until the second trimester.  We don't plan on telling the in-laws until the second trimester.

p/s I updated the last part of my post to a more positive tone!  I have to believe I WILL be pregnant at the end of this cycle!