I didn't realise trying for a baby was like asking for the moon on a stick. Infertility and all that jazz.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Awww you guys...

via Etsy


You are just the best. I felt like I had you all on my shoulder whispering advice and support all the way through my appointment. I just love the wealth of experience and care I can draw on here and I love that you are all out there wishing me well. I am feeling all warm and fuzzy.

So anyway Luna, stop waffling and tell these fine ladies how it all went.

Firstly, as I suspected it was mostly an appointment about okaying my treatment plan and in the end it was pretty broad. We didn't get into the nitty gritty but I have stored up all of your great questions for when I go to the clinic to be signed up with them and when I meet the treatment team.

It looks like if we pay for two IUI's and both fail we will be able to use our NHS funding for one round of IVF. I don't have that in writing but it is likely. I hope I never need to find out.

We will be doing an IUI and it will be using Menopur with an Ovidrel trigger. They will monitor with ultrasounds and it will be at the clinic near us that I really like. That is all I know currently. Our consultant now writes to the clinic with his instructions for our treatment and they will call me to make an appointment to sort out all the legal and technical stuff like learning to inject myself (aaaaaggghhh). I am hoping Remus will be able to do that though. Because of the time these things will take we may miss the February cycle but that is ok, March will be here before we know it and we certainly should be up and running by then. The consultant suggested we do two rounds of IUI and if they fail move right on with IVF which is scary, but proactive which I like. Because of the funding issues it makes the most sense.

The trust I have in this clinic and this man is great, I feel like I am in totally safe hands. With all of your wonderful advice I felt like I went in forearmed for anything and I am glad I have such a comprehensive list of questions for the clinic when I go there in a week or two. Yipeeeee, we may actually be moving in a forward type direction.

I can't wait for Remus to get home so I can give him a massive hug. This was the first time he could not make an appointment with me and even though it was a nice one I really missed him being there and being part of what was going on.

So, what do I need to know about Menopur and Ovidrel?

I love being part of the sisterhood, thank you for having me. You all rock so flipping much. Hugs my friends.
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37 comments:

  1. KayBee8 January 2013 at 17:03

    I have zero experience with the drugs... But I'm wishing you the best!

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  2. Jenny8 January 2013 at 17:15

    Yay for a good appointment!

    I have no experience with Menopur, but I've been shot up with hCG many times (not sure if it was the Ovidrel name or not, but I imagine it's all the same). It didn't really hurt and was fairly easy to do. My husband had it figured out in no time. Because it's a pregnancy hormone, you can expect to feel nauseous and have sore boobs from it. Fun stuff! :)

    Very excited for you and Remus. I can't wait for you to get started!

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:24

      So excited. I don't know how I am going to get through the next few weeks! Eeek.

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  3. KelBel8 January 2013 at 17:35

    So glad the appointment went well for you!!

    I iced the area for about 15 minutes before the Meno.put injection - same for Ovi.drel. The Ovi.drel was not as bad as I had expected it to be. Meno.pur stung for me, but icing the area really helped.

    Sending you lots of hugs!

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:24

      Ice ice baby. Thanks for the advice chica.

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  4. JenS8 January 2013 at 17:47

    So glad things are moving forward for you!
    Menopur stings a bit going in but now I ice the area first and can't feel it. The needles are pretty small and not painful generally (though I still don't have the guts to do the injections myself).

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:23

      I am glad it is not just me who will be relying on my gorgeous hubby.

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  5. JustMe8 January 2013 at 18:47

    I have no personal experience with this...but a funny side story - when my friend went through her first round, she took pictures of all her bruises from injections, just to show us all how tough she is. She also took pictures of her husband preparing the injections. The intense, serious, caring look on his face is priceless.

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:22

      Up until now I have been looking at this as not doing much more than other couples other than suffering. Now I really feel like I am working seriously hard for this baby and I agree, I feel like I want to start documenting the process more. Those photos are great ideas.

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  6. Amanda8 January 2013 at 19:04

    I was given different commercial brands (Gonal-F, follitotropin) and Pregnyl (Humangonadocorionic hormone). But from what I read, the Menopur acts like FSH, so it would be equivalent to the Gonal. And Pregnyl and Ovidrel are both HCG.

    So, the Gonal F comes in a very handy pre-loaded "pen" (if you have been at a lab the mechanism is similar to automatic pipettes). You just turn a "knob" at the top to adjust your dose and inject subcutaneously, normally on the belly but can also be done in the legs. To make this whole process personal, the husband injects me. (I am able to inject all kinds of animals, but not myself, I'm a scaredy cat, go figure). He says it's like darting. It is not painful at all. The needle is very small and thin like an insulin needle. You feel it going in (like a mosquito bite), but that's about it.

    The Pregnyl (Ovidrel) is always done for me at the hospital (though it is also subcutaneous). This one requires a longer needle and 1 time out of 3 left me with a bruise, but the other two was OK. It is slightly more painful. This is HcG (The hormone pregnancy tests look for). This means you really have to wait at least 14 days (depending on your initial dose and the life time of the hormone in your body ) before you test, otherwise if you test too early it could be positive but you would be measuring the "trigger" shot. As they probably explained once your follicles are "big" enough (18-22 mm) you will get the injection and 30 hrs. later you will ovulate,and get the IUI.

    I have had a different response to the Follitotropin stimulation every month: 1st month I had 1 big follicle, 1 medium. 2nd cycle I had 2 big follicles 1 medium and 1 small. 3rd cycle I had 1 really big follicle.

    As for the side effects I had read all kinds of nightmarish stories: sore breasts, bloatedness, migraines, nausea, impossibility to think. I was crazy scared.

    None of that happened to me, I have not felt side effects. I just go on with normal life, like nothing. If anything maybe a little bloatedness, but I am not even sure that's it or something else (to compare, nothing to do with the kind of bloatedness I get during my period).

    As for how to inject there are several videos on youtube, and they will explain everything very patiently to you, but I found this video specially useful, and cute too:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCGDTFfMaGs

    I am crossing my fingers for you. I really hope this will work fast for you guys.

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:20

      You are amazing my dear. I am so grateful for all of your support and advice this week. Thank you.

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  7. Tutti8 January 2013 at 19:34

    I've used Gonal-F and Follistim and loved that they both came in the preloaded "pens". VERY easy to understand and use with almost zero discomfort. My husband injected me the first few times and despite my overwhelming fear of needles, I actually found it easier and less painful to inject myself. It varies from person to person though.

    I'm very organized, but there a few times I took my injections late (not recommended) because I forgot. Setting an alarm on my cell phone allowed me to keep on a strict schedule. It really helped.

    The trigger is essentially just as easy as the injectables. About 24 hours after, I always became acutely aware of my ovaries. I could just... feel them. Bloated, a bit sore in the abdominal area, but again- nothing too terrible. I always shocked me though.

    Also, the more follicles you have, the greater your symptoms. One time I had 3 big follicles and my breasts were SO sore, I was SO bloated, and just... crabby. Again, it varies from person to person, but it was something I wasn't alerted to until *after* the fact. Symptoms should be less with 1 follicle though.

    I am hoping for a one shot-IUI-deal for you. That, would make my 2013.

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:20

      I am so hopeful that this one shot will do it too, but I also know if it doesn't I have the best support network to pick me up again.

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  8. Anonymous8 January 2013 at 21:06

    Yay!! moving and shaking now you are! big love x

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:19

      Shake it shake it. Won't be long until you are shaking it right there with me x x x

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  9. Anonymous8 January 2013 at 23:51

    I've had the trigger both subcutaneously and intramuscular. The subcutaneous resulted in a reaction that was super irritating and quite painful. My doc thought it might be a reaction to the preservative. I didn't have any problems with a shot in the bum. If given a choice, choose the bum!!

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  10. WTW9 January 2013 at 01:19

    I used Menopur for my IVF and agree with the other ladies who say that it stings. I wish I had thought to ice the area first so definitely do that! The tricky part with Menopur is the mixing. Make sure you take notes or even video the demo that you are given and don't leave the room until you are confident to do it on your own. The Ovidrel was much simpler, no mixing and no stinging! I was never able to inject myself (despite being a nurse who gives immunizations all day!) so relied on my husband for that part. THIS IS IT! Can't wait to cheer you on during your cycle.

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:17

      Hum, ice it is. And Remus is coming to learn how to do it. He is better at that sort of stuff than me anyway.

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  11. Cristy9 January 2013 at 01:39

    All great advice above. I will go one step further and refer you to Stirrup Queens website, which has "how-to" videos for injections.

    Very exciting Luna!! And well done!

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:14

      Eeep, I will head off and watch those and try not to scare myself too much....

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  12. SLES759 January 2013 at 02:38

    SO exciting for you!! I've been told Menopur can burn, but I didn't have that problem when I used it for my IVF. Ovidrel is nice because it is subcutaneous. I didn't have any bruises from it.

    I hope you never have to go forward with IVF, and get lucky with your first IUI cycle!! Fingers crossed as you move forward...and March was my lucky month...

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:13

      March is a scary one, it is both Remus and my birthday month so it kinda feels lucky. I feel that bitch hope knocking at my door. Eeeek.

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  13. Anonymous9 January 2013 at 04:03

    Exciting to have a plan! Shots in the tummy (fat) did not bother me one bit! You will be tough and get through it!! Good luck!

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  14. Anonymous9 January 2013 at 09:50

    if I can inject myself, anyone can. Not only am I blind, but the clumsiest person on Planet Earth and I have the attention span of ooooh there's a pretty butterfly... anyway, I did it A-OK. As a bonus I got to be super-grumpy and just blamed it on the hormones. Oh yeah.

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 12:11

      You inspire me m'lady. Seriously though, if I had to inject myself eight times a day for a year to hear someone call me mummy I would do it and love it.

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  15. Cassie Dash9 January 2013 at 16:24

    Look like we'll be boarding the injectables train together. So glad to hear that you feel like you're in good hands. When you trust your medical team, it makes everything just a little bit easier. So happy that you can now move forward, darling!

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    1. Luna9 January 2013 at 16:44

      Oh goody, I am glad to have a pincushion buddy.

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  16. Janet Off Kilter9 January 2013 at 17:22

    I used Menopur for both my IVF cycles and yes, it does sting but it'll be nothing you can't handle! I happy that you have a plan and that you are moving forward.

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  17. Stupid Stork9 January 2013 at 20:10

    Yaaaaay!

    I thiiiink I was very strange with the Menopur - everyone said that was the one that stung but for some reason that one didn't bother me, it was the one that wasn't supposed to bother me that stung. Soooo I would just ice it, do it, and plan to sit around and making moaning noises for a few minutes after it goes in. ;)

    Yaaaay! All exciting.

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  18. YeahScience!10 January 2013 at 17:08

    Haven't used Menopur, but Ovidrel is a piece of cake -- comes pre-loaded, all you have to do is stick it in there and press. You seriously don't need ice or anything, you'll barely feel it.

    March seems so far away, though! I want you to start NOW! :)

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  19. Alicia11 January 2013 at 04:05

    Hi! Thanks for stopping by today! Good luck with your IUI! Can your hubby do the injecting? That might make it easier....

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  20. Alicia11 January 2013 at 04:06

    Oh and ice packs FOR SURE. They did wonders for me!

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  21. Daryl12 January 2013 at 17:17

    Yay! So happy you're moving forward, and with a great team! The Menopur stings, but it doesn't last long. You'll do great!

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