I have done 2 nights now of the "stimulant" shots - there are 2 shots each night that are intended to get my insides going as much as possible so they can extract as many mature eggs as they can in one surgery. The medicines now are called "FSH" or "Follicle Stimulating Hormones" - Gonal F and Menopur. My friend Beth had the pleasure of getting the Injection 101 class last night and watched the injections. I tried to keep my brave face as much as possible but the Menopur stings so bad! The worst part about Gonal F - it's a self contained medicine that is in a pen-like dispenser. NOT and easy syringe to depress at all - you have to push really hard and hence leave a bruise. Menopur takes a little self-mixing but at leas uses a normal syringe set up so the medicine is injected with simple pressure - although it stings so bad!
Anticipated side effects of medicines are severe bloating and fatigue. The doctor explained this part of the process to us like this: normal ovaries are the size of a walnut. We're trying to make both of mine the size of oranges...so it's not going to be comfortable, it is most definitely going to be noticeable, and will be uncomfortable. Looks like I'll be wearing dresses and elastic band skirts because my pants already don't fit from the weight I've already gained.
But the most "real" part of this IVF adventure has just started...I officially have to be alcohol free and limit caffeine consumption! For those of you that are familiar with "Kelly The Tank" or my regular 3pm Diet Coke breaks- this is a major milestone. I tried to ween off of alcohol since our Halloween party so it wouldn't be such a shocker - but it's for real now. And I was an idiot and bought 4 12-packs of delicious soda at publix the other day on a great sale with coupons so now I just have to sit and look at it longingly. On the bright side, I'm officially off of litter-box duty so that's not such a bad thing!!
I go in for lab work/sonograms every 3 days for the next week to check on the progress of these new medicines. If everything stays on track, we should be having the extract surgery the first week of December.
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