Day 18: Ouch!

These shots are really getting to me this morning. I feel like somebody kicked me in the leg where I got one of the shots last night. If I laid on it during the night it would wake me up because it hurt so bad. The shots are also making me really tired, like I could sleep all day and be okay. I'm trying to work right now but fighting to keep my eyes open. I just wish I could go back to bed. Yawn. I'm also feeling a bit nauseated this morning. My stomach is starting to feel more bloated, but still not too bad. I'm sure it will get worse with each passing day. Well, back to work. Hopefully I can stay focused today.

Needle count: 21
Acupuncture: 35

Day 16: 3-A-Day

Today was the first day of my 3-a-day shots. I think it took me about 10 minutes just to draw them all up. I got one in each leg and one in my left arm. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I found these alcohol pads at Walgreen's the other day that are magical! They have benzocaine in them so it definitely helps with the sting of the shot and also the itchy rash afterwards. This is a picture of what I get to do every single night for the next 8 days or so. Doesn't it just look like heaven? I go to the doctor on Monday for an ultrasound and blood work to see if my ovaries are ready for their big moment of egg retrieval. Hopefully all goes well. I swear I can already feel my ovaries enlarging by the minute as I sit here and type this.

We also had the privilege of hauling our lunchpack with Lupron in tow to a friend party last night. It's always a fun time to go to a party and sneak into the bathroom with your husband only to walk out and find your friends looking at you and wondering what in the world was going on in the bathroom. Mr. Lupron sure has done his fair share of traveling over the last week. Thank goodness he has survived all of his rides in the lunchpack.

Needle Count: 18

Acupuncture: 26

Q and A

Q: I don't completely understand the acupunture... are you supposed to do that in conjunction with the shots? Or do you just want to in order to help the odds of things developing faster or just dealing with the pain. Maybe you already answered that, but i couldn't immediately find it and heaven forbid I look for it. Have you had acupuncture 26 times or was that just a couple times totally 26 needles?

A: I have been doing acupuncture for about a year and half. I do it twice a week for various reasons. At my appointments we discuss what has been bothering me whether its sleep related, headaches, digestion, pain, etc. Acupuncture can be used for pretty much whatever you need it to be used for. Sang (acupuncturist) then uses a "pattern" to treat my symptoms. Acupuncture is basically putting needles into channels in your body that are "blocked" and it also puts energy back into your body. It sounds weird, I know. It's actually very interesting. Does it work? I figure Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years so there has to be something to it.

There is a complete treatment course in acupuncture for fertility. That's originally why I started doing acupuncture. Each visit I have about 4-9 needles placed at least (depending on if we are doing Chinese or Korean acupuncture). I have had up to 80 needles placed in one visit. The needles go about 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep and they stay in for about 20 minutes to an hour. It just depends on how much time I have and how I have been feeling. So, when I say acupuncture: 26, that means I have had 26 acupuncture needles up to this point just during our in vitro process. I believe that was a total of 3 acupuncture visits to reach 26 needles.

Hopefully that answers your question.

Day 15: Two weeks

I cannot believe it has been 2 weeks since we started injections! The time has flown. Christmas was just beautiful this year. We were so blessed and thank everybody around us for all of their love and support. We could not do this without each and every one of you! The holiday was filled with family, which included me daring people to give me my shot. Tina was brave enough to do it when we were with my family. I wish I had a picture of it. It was quite a show. The entire family gathered around while Tina gave me my shot. She did an excellent job. When we were with Ryan's family, it was Kacy's turn to give me the shot. I didn't know if she would dare to do it, but she stepped up to the plate and did amazing! Thanks to 2 very beautiful sister-in-laws who have been extremely good sports through all of this.

Tomorrow we start with 3 shots a day. We start the FSH which will stimulate my eggs to mature. I have been warned my ovaries might feel like they are going to blow up. Yikes. Also, this means we are getting closer and closer to egg retrieval! I cannot believe we are already at this point.

Needle count: 14
Acupuncture: 26

Day 10: Update

I did it. I gave myself a shot. I'm not going to lie, it was very traumatic. I don't mind the shots, I just don't want to give them to myself. I live with a nurse, why should I give them to myself? He knows way more than I do about giving shots. Anyway, I completed the task successfully after hyperventilating and calling Ryan in complete hysterics. I rewarded myself with Wendy's for dinner. What a pathetic and totally unhealthy reward but it tasted delicious!

Do you have a burning question to ask us? Feel free to ask anything you are wondering about or curious about. I'm open to answer all questions. Just leave a comment and I will make a post will all the questions and answers.

Needle count: 10
Acupuncture: 26

Day 10: Dear Santa

All I want for Christmas is:

2 Gonal-F pens (not pictured due to living in the fridge) with accompanying needles

10 vials of Repronex

1 vial of HCG

2 vials of progesterone

31 syringes in varying sizes

31 separate needles in varying sizes

1 sharps container (not pictured)

You just forgot 1 thing: The alcohol wipes.

I cannot believe Mr. FedEx delivered my medications in less than 24 hours after they were ordered. I am amazed! I'm not even going to tell you how much the above pictured amount of medications and syringes cost us. Let's just say, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Needle count: Pending

Acupuncture: Pending

Day9: P.S.

Guess what? No more birth control!!!! I am loving that I am no longer tied to that stupid little packet of pills. Little white evil pills, I will not miss you. Good bye!

Update:
Needle count: 9
Acupuncture: 17

Day 9: More doctors, nurses, and needles

Today Ryan and I woke up bright and early, jumped in the car, and headed up to the grand ole SLC for a doctor's appointment. We arrived early, as we always do, and they took us right back. I couldn't believe it! I de-robed myself and covered up with the all too stylish "sheet of shame." Then the doctor came in, did an ultrasound, I saw my tiny strawberries (ovaries), he measured this and that, and then he was done. I threw down the "sheet of shame" and off I went to meet with the nurse. Oh, I did put my clothes back on of course. We sat with the nurse for a while. She explained how to use our new medications, which we start on Monday. We discussed prices and I wanted to die. No injection should ever be $80 for ONE injection and we have to buy a lot of them! Oh well, it's all in the name of love, right? She also told us, "it looks like your ovaries are pretty happy about what's going on." Apparently I had 9 follicles on one side and 15 on the other (that's really good at this point).

After this was all over, Ryan got to go do his thing just in case we need a back up when it comes time to fertilize. Poor guy. There's nothing like doing that in a doctor's office. Woweee! Again, poor guy.

After our appointment we got in a fight with the insurance company and a pharmacy. We quickly ran back into the doctor's office and told them to order our meds through a different pharmacy since our insurance was now refusing to pay for anything even after they had told us a month ago they would pay for some of it. What a pain this is, I'll tell you what. I had a minor freak out in the hallway. What's new? I think I'm always having a minor freak out about something.

Things our good now. I've had my nap so I'm not nearly as ornery or freakish-outy as I was earlier. I'm looking forward to more shots. Haha. Yeah right. Is it wrong that I told Ryan today in my most bratty voice, "you don't get to be ornery with me unless I get to stab you every night with a needle." Is that wrong?

Needle count: 8
Acupuncture: 17

Day 6: Needles, needles, needles

I'm now getting to the point where if a needle gets close to me, I start to panic just a little. I had acupuncture again yesterday (day 6). It's always nice to just lay back and relax, even if I do have a bunch of needles coming out of my arms and legs. Shots are going great. I'm starting to feel my ovaries aching. I just have to keep thinking that it's going to get worse so enjoy everything now before it gets really hurty.

Needle count: 6
Acupuncture: 17

Day 5: We have a bleeder!

In went the shot, out came the blood. It was a first, but I'm not not last, experience of puncturing a little vessel and having blood pool on my leg. Oops. Nothing a little pressure can't fix.

Needle count: 5
Acupuncture: 9

Day 4: Traveling Lupron

We figured out that even when we want to hang out with friends and have dinner, my bottle of Lupron has to tag along. We went to our good friend's house, Jacob and Amber, to have dinner with them last night. Along came a syringe, alcohol wipes, and Lupron. After I had my shot I told Ryan to just put the syringe in my purse (since it has to be placed in the "sharps container" that was at home). I kept thinking how awful it would be if we got pulled over and they found a used syringe in my bag. What a druggy.

My rashes from the injections are getting bigger, redder and itchier with each injection. It's just fun. I've also noticed I can cry at the drop of a hat and I'm turning back into a teenager with acne face. How embarrassing. Ryan also told me that I say things that piss him off. I started to cry but tried to hide it from him. I can't help it. It's the drugs. They mess with my brain. Sorry Ryan.

Needle count: 4
Acupuncture: 9

Day 3: AcuFUNcture

Today Ryan gave me my shot while I was laughing at him. Probably not such a good idea. It hurt 10 times worse while laughing.

Also, today was filled with lots of needles from acupuncture. Sang (Sang is my friend who does acupuncture) came over, taped my feet and did a simple acupuncture pattern to help regulate my digestion and also to help my headaches. I don't understand Chinese medicine all that much, but man does it work. I can always tell when I'm not doing it because I start to feel like crap.

I did get a tiny rash from my injection today. It was weird because it didn't start itching for a long time. I even asked Ryan if he had given me my shot because I couldn't feel it itch like usual. Then it came at me with a vengence.

Needle count: 3
Acupuncture: 9

Day 2: Dear Lupron

Dear Lupron,

So far, you and I have a great relationship. You haven't given me headaches or hardly any side effects yet. Thanks for that! Just want to let you know that you need to keep it up. I'm taking good care of you. I have hidden you behind the butter in the fridge. I figure if you are there, you will never get too cold and freeze on me. This would be a tragedy for us both.

Let's keep our relationship great, okay?

Loves,

Ashes

Needle count: 2

Day 1: Ready? 3, 2..... WAIT!

Well, we have officially started the shots today. I don't mind shots, ever, but for some reason I always get really nervous when Ryan gives them to me. Anyway, here's a little how it went:

Ryan: Ready?

Me: (Bearing my belly for the world to see) Yeah. Wait! Not in my tummy. Okay, just do it below the belly button. Wait! Wait! Not in my tummy. (I think I was actually kicking my legs and throwing a little tantrum)

Ryan: (With needle in hand and a most annoyed look on his face like "can't we just do this already?") Really? You're not even going to feel it.

Me: Yeah, I don't want it in my belly (screaming at this point and almost in tears).

I quickly pulled down my pants and wiped my leg with alcohol and told him it would be better in my thigh. 1, 2, 3. It's over. So much for being brave. Maybe tomorrow will be better?

Please stop pounding

The birth control I am on is starting to give me horrendous headaches. They are just complete evil. Nothing makes them go away. I feel like I need to lay in bed all day covered by 10 blankets and take Lortab and Tylenol just to be somewhat comfortable. Hopefully this passes once I'm not taking these stupid little evil pills. I'm sure there will be a full bag of new symptoms with these other meds, but let's just pray the headaches go away. I can't even focus when I have them. I just want to cry because they don't leave me alone. It's going to be over soon. It's going to be over soon.

On a more exciting note, my Lupron is supposed to be coming today! We'll see if and when it gets delivered. The delivery system around here is so unpredictable. Sometimes the UPS man comes at like 7 or later. I feel bad for that guy. What a long day. I start my Lupron shots on the 13th! It's finally starting to feel like we're really doing this.