A Shot in the Dark
I've been trying to tell myself that IVF is more than a shot in the dark with God on our side. That's not to say that it WILL work, but that is to say that if God wills it to work, it WILL work. And that's comforting. I also just had to have a title with the word "shot" in it, because tomorrow morning, Lord-willing, I begin taking the first of many shots. I received a call from the IVF nurse this past Monday, informing me of our tentative IVF schedule.
Keep in mind, this is TENTATIVE, with almost anything subject to change.
Feb 10 Stop taking yucky birth control pill. Start Lupron shots (in upper leg) every morning for 7 days. I will be giving myself these shots, and really these are not that bad. The worst part is the moment just before the needle goes in--it's heart-pounding!
Feb 17 Continue Lupron shots every morning, and begin applying estrogen patches (read: stickers). I am to start with one, then 2 days later take that one off and apply 2, then 2 days later take those off and apply 2 more, and so on, increasing the number gradually until I reach four patches every other day. The most challenging thing I foresee with this is finding acceptable places to put the patches. The instructions tell you where you can put them, followed by a longer list of where you can't put them, so really you aren't left with many options if you consider that you have to rotate locations each time. It could get interesting!
Feb 25 Should be my last Lupron injection! (If we stick to this schedule, I will have had 15 of these shots). Continue with the estrogen patches.
Feb 28 Office appointment for an ultrasound to evaluate my uterine lining and a blood draw for my hormone levels.
Then it's time to pull out the big guns...
At this point I should start the Progesterone shots, whose needles are easily twice as long as the Lupron ones, and are that much harder to administer because of injection site, which I will leave anonymous. Bring on the sweaty palms.
Feb 29 Estimated egg retrieval
March 2 or 3 Estimated embryo transfer. Depending on how the embryos are doing, they decide when and how many to transfer.
And then I lie around on my face for a day of bed rest. No, literally, on my face. (My doctor informed me when we did IVF in 2006, that my uterus tips forward. So while resting, they wanted me on my face, on a downward incline. I'm sure it was hysterical.)
And two weeks later (give or take) I Find Out If This Worked.
Sound like a plan?
Please, please, please, keep me and my IVF cycle in your prayers. God is in control of all of this, and I know He CAN do this! I see living proof of that fact walking around every day in the form of Noah. Thank you from the bottom of my heart if you do decide to pray for us. I'll keep you posted.
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