The Goods

The huge injectables box was delivered yesterday, and inside was a small VIP package (Very Important Pokers). In a cooler with ice-packs, nonetheless. This s*** is serious!

I love how the booklet cover lady is smiling innocently into the sun- as if to say "Infertility is FUN! And SUNNY! And even more beautiful in a couture custom lace top!" You'll also note the red bio-hazard waste container for discarded needles. Like I said, s*** is serious.  The injectables are supposed to stay refrigerated, so I designated our veggie drawer as their new home. Sorry to any future house guests- we won't' have any broccoli or spinach available, but we WILL have plentiful tubes of Gonal-F and Ovidril! Yum.

When I had my baseline exam with Dr. Vaughn yesterday I hadn't yet started my period. Nope, she waited until I had JUST sat down with Babycakes for a date night dinner at Clay Pit. She has tact, that one. And I was soooo glad, in a last minute fashion frenzy, I had opted to wear black, and opted for full undies vs a thong. Hey, it's the little things .

At the time of my exam, Dr. Vaughn expressed concern that we might be cutting timing too close with our New Orleans trip, and that, depending on when AF came, maybe we should take the month off and just have fun in NOLA. And then, bless his heart, he said something along the lines of "you know, if you usually have maybe 1/2 a glass of wine a week, on vacation you might have 3-4 glasses- so maybe it is best to take this month off." Little does he know on vacation I may have 3-4 cocktails per NIGHT. And that in my "regular life" I am a glass of wine/day kinda girl. Sweet Dr. Vaughn- who also calls magazines "booklets." Love him.

I just called into his office to let them know I did indeed start AF yesterday, so we will be here though day 14 of my cycle this round. Even though I am typically a late ovulater (day 21 since the lap) the injectables cycle overrides that, and apparently the trigger shot happens anywhere between days 9-12. So I am leaving this month's fate in the doc's hands- either no needle poking and FULL on in New Orleans, or full speed ahead with injectables. Isn't infertility FUN? And SUNNY? Oh, the excitement of it all!

Poked

Today marks our 4th IUI procedure (a natural one- no meds). Babycakes just texted me that "The Eagle has Landed!"- meaning his troops have been safely dropped off and are now being spun & washed to become their most charming & beautiful selves. I will follow later this afternoon to get those troops inserted & started on their monumental Olympic swim toward the finish line.

It is very likely we are going to try what is called an injectable cycle next month (should we not conceive this round). This is kind of the middle ground intervention between Clomid IUI's and the big guns of IVF. Instead of taking daily pills to stimulate ovulation, I'll be getting poked daily with self induced hormone shots (Gonadatrophin). Then I'll get poked to give blood every 3 days, along with routine ultrasounds to monitor follicular development. Then I'll get poked with a shot to induce ovulation. I'll also continue to get poked 2x/week by an acupuncturist specializing in fertility treatments.

I had my "Injectables" class yesterday to show me how the needles work, what is involved with the cycle, etc. Ideally they want you to have 2-3 good follicles that develop from the meds (any more than that and they may cancel the cycle due to a concern with multiples). They monitor you every 3 days, and when you have a couple good follies, you give yourself ANOTHER shot (Ovidril) to stimulate ovulation, then go in for 2 back-to-back IUI's. The nurse said Chlomid/IUI cycles have about an 8% success rate, an injectable cycle about 25%. Of all pregnancies conceived on injectable cycles, 30% are multiples- so those odds definitely go up. We'd be down with twins- hey, it's an INSTA-FAMILY! But I wouldn't want to risk any more than that.

Phew. Suddenly Clomid's hot flashes aren't looking so shabby after typing all that out!

Dear Clomid:

 I'm so sorry I ever bad-mouthed you. You are a sweet, gentle, unassuming charmer compared to what this Injectables Army has up its sleeve. I will remember you fondly once all this poking begins.

Love, Me