IVF Update: Stims Day 7 through Trigger

Happy Tuesday loves!
I wanted to update this blog with our protocol for the second half of the stim injections through today!

If you missed the first half, you can read about the beginning of stims through Day 6 HERE.

After the first six days of a larger dose of stimulation meds, my nurse requested we reduce the dosage of Follistim from 450 units to 300. I already had a decent amount of larger follicles.

Menopur stayed the same at 2 powders mixed with the diluent.
The AM Ganirelix started on the morning of Day 5 and continued through Monday.

I was lucky, or so I thought, that even though I was going through daily injections, I never really bruised at all....until Saturday evening.

At my clinic, if you are required to come in for monitoring over the weekend, the local facilities are closed, so the only two options are Highland Park and River North in Chicago.

Obviously we chose Highland Park.
I was asked to arrive anytime between 7-8:30am both Saturday and Sunday.

The staff there was great. Very friendly and enthusiastic.
The only bump in the road was the blood draw Saturday morning.

I couldn't tell if the lady was newer or a bit nervous....but it seemed to take forever for her to find my vein (even though there was clearly a dot from a recent draw) and she ended up blowing out the vein, so I bruised from it.

Fun.

The shots that evening were rough as well.

Again, every day is different with these shots. Even though we were told to drop down the dosage of both Follistim (to 100) and Menopur (1 powder instead of 2)....they hurt like Hell.

I immediately started crying because both needles stung quite a bit and the liquid hurt going in.
I did end up bruising a very tiny bit from the Menopur shot.

But then Sunday? We switched sides and it was a total cake walk.
Both shots went in easy and didn't sting at all.

My gut told me we would be triggering Sunday or Monday, although after the phone call follow-up with the nurse, they indicated my retrieval could go as late as Friday.

I had another early monitoring appointment Monday morning, and finally got the call that we would start our trigger that evening.

With each phone call we get the size and quantity of follicles along with my hormone levels.

The nurse indicated that my estrogen was a tad high (normal is 3,000 or under and I was at 3,690). Because of this, they told me to do a 2 part trigger with one shot of Lupron at 8pm and another shot the following morning (today) at 8am.

The Lupron needle is identical to an insulin needle.
We simply drew up 80 units of the Lupron liquid into the syringe and injected the whole thing.

I reached out to my TTC tribe to ask if I should anticipate anything, but both shots were pain free with zero side effects!

I have to say, Mark has been absolutely amazing this entire time.

I was worried he wouldn't be able to administer my final injection.
My appointment was scheduled for 7:45am and I had to do the shot at 8am.

I kept saying I would just ask a nurse at the facility to do it....no big deal.

But internally, I was nervous.

What if I missed the time? What if it hurt from them doing it?

Mark is so good at giving me these shots.

I think I would have been able to do it myself...but what if I passed out?

This morning, as I was getting ready to go for my final blood draw, I stepped out of the shower to find a single pink tulip picked from our yard in a heart shaped champagne glass.

Mark came in and said he rearranged his schedule and would meet me at the Dr. to do my final shot.

So. Awesome.

I was instantly relieved and left for the appointment.

But as we all know....plans can change or be adjusted.
I got to to the building at 7:40 and was done with my draw by 7:45.

Mark was stuck in traffic.

He was supposed to meet me at 8am, but now he wasn't sure.

We chatted and decided to meet at a combo gas station/McDonald's up the road, closer to where he was stuck in traffic.

Shooting up at a gas station....totally normal. :)

I pulled into a spot where you would pay to vacuum out your car and waited.

Next to me was a guy whose car had broken down and he was blankly staring under the hood....throwing his arms in the air and talking rapidly to someone on phone.
Behind me there is a line of cars waiting to hit the drive-thru.

Minutes later a couple larger landscaping rigs and a friggin' semi nearly block me in.

Still no Mark.

While I waited, I prepped my last shot, while listening to the country station.

Life is so weird sometimes.

Mark finally pulls up and washes off his hands with rubbing alcohol he ever-so-conveniently has tucked away in his truck, and I swab myself down with an alcohol pad.

1....2.....3...stab.
In it goes and we are done!
Finally done with these damn shots! (for now)

We are set for a retrieval tomorrow morning in Highland Park at 7am.
Wish us luck post-recovery.
Hopefully I have very minimal pain and bloating and get back to a normal lifestyle sooner than later.

I will be updating on IG (@tgendooza) along the way!
Thank you for reading and sending positive vibes!! XO