Needle Phobic People Beware

Injection target area for PIO 

April 23, 2017

After that initial day of feeling off, I seem to be doing fine. Phew! It seems like it is a really long build-up this time. I don't remember being on the estradiol this long before starting the injections. It must have been the same protocol before but it sure feels like a long time until May 1 when I increase the frequency of the estradiol and a LONG time before I start the progesterone shots on May 5 or 6. Luckily, I'm not super anxious about that!








May 6, 2017

More needles!

I started my PIO (progesterone in oil) injections tonight. Back at it! The huge bag of needles
brought back the realization of how long I will be doing this again if it works (10 weeks!). I tried calculating out in my head how much of my life I have spent injecting a thick oil filled with hormones into a target on my butt (sorry, hip) and it comes out to about 5 months.

I feel less dread and emotion than I expected and it really wasn't painful like I remembered. But it did have that familiar strange and tight soreness that only injecting a mL of hormone impregnated oil can bring.

The medication is so thick it can be difficult to draw up.

The target areas are so different every time depending on which nurse you have.
I think these were the best so far... much less painful than any other cycle.

I can inject myself but I prefer the emotional support of having Abe do it for me.

I am on the estradiol pill TID (three times per day) now. You really should take all of the medications at the same time per day with a window of a few hours.  It can be hard to remember so I have to set my alarm, especially for my afternoon dose on days that I work. During the times I am in treatment it isn't uncommon for me to wake up night in a panic "realizing" I have forgotten to take a medication (usually for the entire cycle) and I must have lost the baby. Luckily, I haven't missed any doses yet in my conscious state.

I had my ultrasound appointment a couple of days ago. This is to observe the uterine lining and its response to the medications. It needs to be a certain thickness before proceeding with the actual transfer. They also checked my ovaries to make sure I haven't been shooting eggs out on my own (which could mean an unexpected multiple pregnancy if they transfer an embryo as well).

Fat chance of that, as who knows if I EVER ovulate. 

Things were looking good (my lining was thick and my ovaries were "quiet" as they say), so we are good to go ahead next week. I also met with the nurse who reminded me of the instructions (funny how it seems so fuzzy now).

I also turned in my "thaw consent." This has to be signed in the clinic with one of the staff acting as a witness, or it has to be previously notorized. I guess they have to take this eriously -- no creating offspring behind someone's back! This time was easy, "Thaw one embryo." No further instructions or decisions to make on that.

As for the hormones, I find myself very tired and unmotivated. And I am up about 5 lb --suspiciously similar to the amount of weight I gained last time! I look pretty bloated.  Maybe like I am pregnant already...?

Strangely, most of my IVF friends are pregnant now and another friend is doing her last few attempts at IUI (intrauterine insemination). Most of them conceived well before me in our journeys, so I am hoping we can all be pregnant together this time.


*I made some videos of the injections if anyone would like to see them. I have had some friends who feel pretty intimidated with how to draw up the medications, etc, so please contact me if you need help. I guess if you have a morbid curiosity, that works too.