The one where I add Menopur

I wish my shots were this fun!

So far, injections haven’t been too bad.  The Gonal-F is really easy.  I have the redi-ject pen, so you just take the cap off, twist the needle on (after sterilizing of course), twist the end until you get to your dose, then stick in and push the plunger.  The needle is thin and fairly short and the meds don’t really sting or anything, so it’s been no big deal.  I haven’t had any side effects from it either.  On Sunday, I had a sore throat and I thought it was from the Gonal-F [the side effects that have to do with the injection site (redness, swelling, itching) or the abdominal bloating or cramping, or ones that go with messing with hormones (breast tenderness, etc) all make sense to me.  But I don’t understand why one of the side effects is a sore throat].  But by Sunday night I was starting to feel achy all over and I figured I was actually coming down with a cold.

Monday morning I had an appointment for blood work.  As soon as I woke up, I knew I wanted to call in sick to work.  But I figured I had to get up to go to the blood work, so I showered and got ready as if I was going to work.  I thought maybe once I got moving, I’d feel good enough to go.  I threw up while I was getting ready, so I figured I was just kidding myself, but I tried.  I went to the blood work and came right back home and called my boss to let her know I was taking a sick day.  I watched a couple shows, then slept through a chick flick.  DH woke me up when he came home for lunch and then I put the movie on again, but I slept through it again.  Guess I needed the extra rest.  I feel like I’ve read a few other bloggers who have caught a cold right at the beginning of an IVF cycle.  I’m wondering if it’s a coincidence or if the meds mess with our systems in a way that makes us susceptible to a cold.

In any case, I got the instructions from the clinic to continue on the same dose of Gonal-F for last night and tonight, to add Menopur, and come back for blood work and an US on Wednesday morning.  I googled Menopur and found that a lot of people think it stings like a b*tch.  So I read some tips on how to make it better.  Until now, we’ve taken the Gonal-F out of the fridge at 8pm, and except for the first night (when I was a scaredy-cat), I’ve given myself the shot at 8:30.  It takes all of 20 seconds.  Last night was a little different.  Of course, I was watching the video on how to mix it while I was doing it, so it took even longer.  At 8, I took the Gonal-F out of the fridge.  At 8:15, I mixed the Menopur and left the syringe on the table to sit (this took me almost until 8:30 since I was being so careful since it was the first time, tonight will be quicker).  I read that letting the mixed drug sit for a 10-15 minutes really helped it to not sting so bad.  At 8:30, I gave myself the Gonal-F.  Then I laid down on the couch with an ice pack to numb where the Menopur would go.  I read that numbing made a big difference for people.  The needle is small and thin, so I guess the numbing helps with the stinging as well-I always thought the point of numbing is so you wouldn’t feel the needle, but that’s not really a concern here.  I was still nervous to actually do it, so DH did it for me.  He sticks the needle in quickly (90 degree angle-I read that people thought it hurt more if it was slanted in), but then presses the plunger slowly.  I stayed laying down because a lot of women said it made them woozy (I didn’t feel woozy, but maybe that’s because I stayed laying down for awhile-we were watching The Blacklist).  He also got me my little rice heating pad and I put that on after the shot.  I don’t know if there’s anything scientific to back it up, but in my mind, if my stomach tissue is all cold, it’ll be firmer and the medicine can’t spread.  If I put the heating pad on, the tissue warms up and spreads the medicine more easily.  Sounds dumb I guess, but it helped me picture the medicine moving instead of staying in a blob in my stomach.  Towards the end of getting the shot, I could feel it.  It stung a little.  With the Gonal-F, I really can’t feel a thing.  But it was really nothing compared to what I was imagining.  I think the tips I followed made a huge difference and made it so that it wasn’t unpleasant.

I did get a headache soon after (and have had it most of the day today) that I’m attributing to the Menopur.  It feels different from my normal headaches, and it feels different than the headache I had all day yesterday that I know was part of my cold.  It’s not terrible, it’s just a weird little headache.  Luckily (really? luckily?), I’m used to headaches (never thought I’d say that).

I feel like it’s too early, maybe it’s my imaginiation since I know it’s happening.  But I feel like I can feel that my ovaries are larger than normal.  Nothing hurts or anything, it’s more just an awareness that something’s there, when usually, I don’t feel anything.

I’m expecting to be told to add Cetrotide (this is the one that stops your body from ovulatating on its own all these eggs I’m trying to grow) soon, but I’m thinking that it won’t be added after tomorrow’s appointment.  I feel like we’re still early in the process.  We’ll see.