The Countdown Begins!

It has now been a full week of taking my Lupron injections and they are getting much easier. I don't feel like I have experienced any side effects of the medication as sometimes people can show signs of  constipation; dizziness; general body pain; headache; hot flashes; loss of appetite; nausea or vomiting; stuffy nose; trouble sleeping; weakness; bruising. Glad to say I have none of these but after discontinuing the birth control pills I started my period (as I was supposed to 1-5 days after) at day 4 which of course had to be the day of our First Baseline Appointment this past Thursday, September 20th. On top of that, the UTI I had a few weeks ago came back the same morning. Oh Great! I usually drive while we are going into Chicago so here I am; super early in the morning, burning urethra, cramps from hell itself with the worst lower back pain and my ovaries feeling like they were being squeezed out of me. Ugh! I am not 100% but I believe that this will be my last period so that deserves a huge celebration in itself! I loved being pregnant and not having a period for a year.

Photo of my medication throughout the cycle.

Nice and Neat!

Our first baseline appointment as I mentioned was this past Thursday. This was our first appointment after starting the fertility medications so we were anxious to see how things were done from here on out. We left early in the morning for the 3 hour drive which wasn't bad considering we are becoming used to the routine and the crazy traffic. I forgot to mention earlier that I not only drive on the way into Chicago but I drive out of the city as well and then Ben usually takes over from there. We have learned that I am the better city driver and don't get as stressed out  so it works for us all around. You didn't want to be there the first couples times with Ben driving into the city, roar! lol

Getting back on track, we arrived on time without getting lost and made our way to checking in. We only sat a few minutes are were immediately called back. Very prompt clinic! We went into another waiting area for ultrasound, less than a minute went by, I went in to have the ultrasound done to check the lining of my uterus and the follicles on my ovaries. At this point the thinner the lining of my uterus and the fewer follicles I have the better because that shows them the medications are working with my body and starting me at phase 1 before becoming pregnant. After the 2 minute ultrasound I went to get my blood drawn and we were done. Literally it was a 5 minute appointment for a 6 hour round trip. Yikes! Not going to lie that it was a little surprising that it didn't take long and Ben and I both may have thrown out a "Seriously?!" afterward.

On the way out of Chicago we desperately needed to stop for gas and I didn't realize how hard it would be to find a single gas station in that huge city. Crazy I know! As we drove out we decided to take a random exit to see if we could find something on the main strip quickly. Boy were we in for a surprise! As we are driving there is nothing but over a mile of boarded/caged up old abandoned businesses. It is shocking seeing some of those things when you are way out of your element. Not only was it sad but it was scary. We found a gas station which was a little nerve racking considering the area we were in so we made it short and sweet visit. I hate to say it but the thought of being shot ran across my mind more than once. Jeez O Petes was I glad to leave. The trip back always seems to go faster than the trip in which is good because I'm always ready to be home with Ava.

I updated E and A that I felt the appointment went well but I wouldn't know any results until later that day. I just sent her a little friendly reminder e-mail that the transfer was in less than a month! It is so exciting for all of us that it is getting so close. She sent me an e-mail this morning "3 weeks!!!!!!" I'm not sure when this experience will feel more real but right now, even with taking the shots, I don't feel like it is actually happening. I always wondered when I was pregnant with Ava when it would finally set in that I was going to be a mommy and the first time she ever kicked inside me was when it did. Of course nothing comes close to matching seeing her for the first time and I think this experience will be about the same. It will be so rewarding when I see E and A hold their beautiful baby for the first time after everything we will go through.

I got the call from Nurse C at the clinic who will now be our main contact throughout our cycle. She said everything came back exactly how it was supposed to and we were able to continue with our current cycle calendar for medications. It is so relieving to know that my body is reacting well with the start of the meds! The blood work they took tells them the level of the hormone Estradiol (E2): As the follicles (containing the eggs) mature, the eggs secrete the Estradiol hormone. Therefore measuring the level of this hormone in the blood often gives us a good idea as to how the ovaries are responding to the drugs.

Tomorrow I will start on new medications and continue to take my Lupron injections:

Aspirin. 81-83mg of low-dosage aspirin assists with cycle stimulation and impending embryonic implantation. Administration will continue through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Vivelle patches. Vivelle patches dispense the hormone estrogen which helps maintain an early pregnancy. The patch is applied to the skin on the abdomen and the estrogen is absorbed through the skin. Possible side effects include skin redness, irritation or rash, nausea, and fluid retention. I will place 2 patches every other day until right before the transfer and then it will go up to 4 patches per day.

As if I were not on enough medications I am having to take AZO to stop the frequency and burning of urination and twice daily antibiotics to treat my current UTI.

Our next appointment is Monday October 1st. It is another baseline appt for ultrasound and blood work so we expect it to be quick and easy. 3 weeks until our embryo transfer!!!!!!!

:)