News from hormone hell...

Well folks...I'm exhausted. I'm smack in the middle of this IVF thing, and I'll be honest...it is one of the hardest experiences of my life. The drugs are wearing me out (4 injections a day...I know, right?? Crazy...), I'm grumpy, tired and trying to move on as normally as possible...which is only sporadically successful. I won't lie - it is highly painful (literally and figuratively).

So...our status:

1. Started the hormone protocol on Sunday, 11/29. That started out with 2 shots and 1 pill per day. Not too bad.


2. Went in for bloodwork and an ultrasound on Thursday, 12/3...added another injection. We were up to 3 shots a day at that point. Still only the one pill. Well...the one pill on top of the 4 pills of seizure meds, 4 pills of folic acid, and the one prenatal vitamin per day. That's math that I just don't want to do.


3. Went in for more bloodwork and ultrasound on Saturday, 12/5...they added another injection, so we are up to 4 per day. And did I say that these ultrasounds are the really invasive kind? Yeah...that's a load of fun.


4. Another round of bloodwork and ultrasound on Tuesday 12/8. Same meds - no change. Darn it. However they did give me the good news that I would be in the office every day now. Fan-freakin-tastic. They are guessing at this point that I'll have my retrieval on Friday.


5. More bloodwork, and of course the fun ultrasound this morning, Wednesday 12/9. Probably no change in meds, but now the guess is that the retrieval will take place on Saturday. My eggs are growing - but not as fast as they would like. grrrr...

So...more bloodwork and another ultrasound in the morning. Great...just great.

I will say, that regardless of how hard this is...it is still totally worth it if it all works. Of course, if it fails I'm going to be raging pissed off. Just warning you all. :-)

Retrieval of the eggs will happen some point soon. Then 5 days later they'll put them back. I'm on bed rest for two days after the implantation - but the wife is staying home with me and waiting on me. If I am not going stir crazy from being in the bed, I may just enjoy that.

Then...we wait. Somewhere in the waiting period will be when I am using the two other vials of meds, and that large bag of needles. I'm totally not looking forward to that.

Thanks for hanging in with us folks! More pain and suffering...coming soon!!