All aboard the hormonal crazy train!
For those just beginning the infertility or IVF journey, buckle up and brace yourselves. I'll fill you in on my protocol and personal experiences thus far with fertility medications and hormones. Mind you, everyone has different experiences. Perhaps yours will not be the same as mine.
My protocol as prescribed by my RE was intimidating and daunting for an IVF first timer, but I'm dealing with it as well as can be expected. On day 3 of my cycle I went in for my baseline and began my birth control that evening once I got the call from my nurse. Yes, birth control! You would think that this is counter productive, but what they're trying to do is stop your bodies natural cycle and ovulation process.
This is where the Lupron injections come in. I began Lupron injections a week after taking the pill. Lupron in conjunction with birth control suppresses your body's natural ovulation. I use Freedom Fertility Pharmacy (they're amazing!!) for my prescriptions, so depending on where yours are filled you may receive your medications differently.
The Lupron I received came in a single vial. I also received all of the syringes, alcohol swabs, gauze pads, and sharps container that I will need for this cycle. In the package I received all of my other medications, yes plural as well, but I'll come back to that. The Lupron was pre-mixed which was great, but I have to draw the dose into the syringe and then administer it each night. It was scary at first, but it's really not that bad now.
I'm two and half weeks into my pill pack and almost a week into my Lupron injections. I finish up my pill pack Friday and have my suppression check on Monday. Fingers crossed that it's good news and we can move on to the stims (a.k.a. ovary stimulating hormones) soon. I will need to continue the Lupron, it's just the dosing that will vary depending on my hormone levels.
As for the rest of my protocol I was prescribed birth control and Lurpron as previously mentioned, but also Menopur, Gonal-f, Novarel trigger shot, Etrace patches, and Crinone gel suppository. Yes, it's a lot and yes it's a bit intimidating.
The Menopur is a powder that I need to add the solvent to and mix before drawing into the syringe. during this process I need to switch needles before administering the medication. It shall be interesting for sure. Worst case I call on a friend of mine that's a nurse to walk me through the process at least the first time.
I've used the Gonal-f pre-loaded pen before. That was a piece of cake and a breeze. The instructions are easy to follow and the pens are easy to use. The only set back is that there's only a certain amount of medication in each pen. Depending on the prescribed dosage, you may need to use multiple pens to get your full dose, especially towards the end of the time that you're using the stimulants.
I've only ever used Ovidrel before, so Novarel will be different. Again I have to mix this medication before drawing into the syringe and then injecting it. I'm a bit nervous about this process if I'm being completely honest.
The Etrace patch I've never used before, so we shall see how that goes. I've also used the Crinone gel suppository in a previous IUI cycle. Again, simple and easy. Sure it's a little messy, but I'll take a mess over intra-muscle injections any day.
Now for my side effects because let's face it there are always side effects. The title of this blog entry should pretty much explain it all. The whole process is a hormonal crazy train, yes in the background I've got Ozzy's "Crazy Train" playing. Every cycle without fail I've had cysts that caused the delay of the next round of treatment. They eventually went away on their own, but it was... uncomfortable. Then there's the mood swings. Good Lord, they're terrible. My poor husband has been a champ through all of this. However, he has said and I quote, "I guess I need to invest in a helmet for the next step." We've had our ups and downs through this whole process. It's not easy, but we make a fantastic team. He's been amazing, especially this past year.
Let's see what else? I've had some pretty awful head aches and nausea as well as occasional dizziness. Then there's the mother-load... hot-flashes. Why, oh why did no one warn me about them? I've had them even with the Lupron. I will never laugh at my mother standing out on the deck in a tank top in the middle of a January blizzard again. They're terrible. I tried to play it off at work yesterday like it was fine. I went into the bathroom and ran my hands under ice cold water. All that served to do was make my hands numb, but I was still roasting.
It comes on pretty quickly. It starts as a subtle warm feeling, and then it's full blown hair plastered to your head, clothes sticking to your body, and profuse sweating and discomfort. You can only ride it out and try not to draw attention to yourself if you work in a busy office like myself.
Other symptoms I've experienced are sore and tender breast as well as breakthrough bleeding or spotting. All of the symptoms are normal and can happen. You can and will feel like you're going through an out of body experience. You know rationally you're really not mad about whatever it is that so and so did, but you snap. You know that commercial on TV isn't really sad, but burst into tears anyways. It's okay, it will be okay. Trust me.
If you're new to this, you are not alone. If you're a veteran of the craziness that is infertility treatments, keep on keeping on my friends. You will never know what strength you have until you push your body to the absolute limit. We've been on our journey for 3 years now. We've been receiving treatments for 2 years and had no pregnancies. We've survived numerous friends and family getting pregnant and having babies in that time frame. You can and will get through this.
No one said that this would be easy, just that it would be worth it. Nothing worth it in life is easy. It's the things that you have to fight for that make it all worth while. I have faith and hope that this will work for us. Maybe not this cycle or even this year. But someday we will have a family.
My advice I would give people beginning this journey is reach out to your close family and friends. I know that's a hard and scary step. However, you need a solid group of people to lean on through this process. If you don't feel that you can contact them look into support groups online or in your area. Your clinic or doctor should be able to give you the name(s) of group(s) in your area.
I want to thank those that have helped me through my own journey. It has been a learning process for all of us, but we're getting there. It has been their love and support that has helped us get through the ups and downs of this whole process and I know that I couldn't have done it without them.
Faith, hope, and love my friends. Three words that have carried me through when I thought that I couldn't go on anymore. Never lose sight of the big picture. You'll get through this, we all will.
I'll post with further updates the further I get into this cycle. Fingers crossed, positive vibes, thoughts, and prayers please! Here's to hoping for baby #1 in 2016.
Jen
