FET #5 CD 13-3DPO

CD 13 Continued: The IVF coordinator from Birmingham called me and let me know that my estrogen was 184, progesterone was .3 and that I could go ahead and trigger tonight.  For those that don't know, a "trigger shot" is (in this case for me) 10,000 units of hcg that goes deep into my backside muscle.  It is supposed to help me ovulate around 36 hours after injection.  It's used for timing purposes.  I used numbing cream but....DH didn't exactly put the needle in the numbing cream area. So much for that!

I had 12 needle pokes today. 12. That's more than I prefer. Ten were from acupuncture (six in my stomach, with one bringing tears to my eyes it hurt so much, and four in my legs.) plus a blood draw and the trigger shot.  I feel like a pin cushion!

CD 14: First Lovenox injection complete! I was pretty nervous but it didn't hurt as much as I was anticipating (and hurt less than my Ganarelix shots) but I'm sure it'll get much worse as I do them everyday.  I'm going to order myself a medical alert bracelet as it does kind of freak me out that since I'll be on two blood thinners, that if I was to get in an accident that I could bleed to death.  So...I think a bracelet is appropriate.  I start baby (low dose) aspirin and 40mg of Prednisone today too.

I took a home pregnancy test this morning just to see if the trigger shot (hcg) was in my system.  The pink test shows that yes, I do have hcg in my body.  The bottom blue tests are ovulation predictor kits showing negative and then finally positive.

Front of my medical bracelet

Back

CD 15 (Ovulation Day): Lovenox hurt a lot more this morning but the bruising is minimal.  PIO (Progesterone in oil-sesame oil this time) which I started tonight, will be the death of me.  My pharmacy sent 23g needles for injecting and while I appreciate the smallness of them, it takes FOREVER to get all the oil in me.  DH actually had indentation marks on his hand from pushing so hard on the syringe. I'm going to try and warm it up a bit more tomorrow so maybe it'll be a little easier. (side note: for those that don't know, PIO is my worst enemy in all of this. I typically react horribly to it.  I get big itchy welts (like the size of a 50 cent piece!) all over my bum.  Not only does it go deep into a muscle, so I get muscle pain all the next day, the welts are down right miserable too.  I don't usually get the welts until about a week into it so at least I'm ok for now.

CD 16, 1 DPO (Days Past Ovulation): I did fasting blood work this morning.  Blah.  Only three vials but it's still not my favorite thing to do.  Favorite comment of the day: "Dang, your blood sure is cooperating today!" Yeah, that's because I'm on blood thinners! Doesn't take much to make me bleed these days haha.

I go back and forth between, "This could actually work!" to "What were we thinking?! Why are we doing this just to end up with nothing?"

Random thoughts:

*I miss caffeine.
*I don't think I have any side effects with the Prednisone yet.
*My transfer is now moved to Monday (2/11)! And I'm anxious.
*Something interesting is that I don't have tender breasts this time around.  Typically, as soon as I start PIO (or even trigger), I get wicked tender breasts...to the point that I can't even sleep on my stomach.  I haven't encountered that yet.  It does make me wonder if my progesterone levels aren't high enough.

3DPO: PIO SUCKED tonight.  Hardcore sucked. The itchiness is starting and my bruising is quarter sized already.  I took two Benadryl's tonight to try and fend it off. I'm currently sitting on a heating pad.

If you are praying for us, here are some specifics: Will you pray that I will be calm for Monday, transfer day? And that our sweet baby embryo will thaw properly? Pray for the doctor doing the procedure (I'm not sure what doc I will have), and that he/she will have steady hands.  Pray my uterus will not cramp or twitch after the catheter is placed.

It has been a very long road to get to this point. Pray my body is ready to receive this child and that my heart can take whatever it is God has for us. May God's will be done, whatever the outcome.