And so it begins....

Enough of all the emotional stuff...on to the IVF process!

First step - pay for it! Eeeek! :) 

And go to an IVF training class to learn about the process and how to inject the medicine.

Second - Order the meds and have them shipped overnight to my work.

Here they are in all of their glory! Each box as 5 vials of medicine and each bag is full of needles! And don't forget my medical waste bin like in a doctor's office!

Next step - get my calendar of events so I know what and when things will be happening.  This is all based off of my results at my ultrasounds so things can vary.

Monday, February 18th I went in for my first appointment which was blood work and an internal ultrasound.  Everything looked good and they told me to start my shots that night! 

Not too excited to become a pin cushion for the next few weeks :) But at the same time super excited to finally be starting the process!! I wasn't too scared for the shots since I have given them to myself for my IUI's, but it had been since last April so I had to build up the courage again.

The next day, February 19th, I got the most amazing surprise delivery at work...

Flowers from my little sis, Katie! 

It seriously made me sooo happy (and made me cry!)  I was just truly, genuinely so happy and shocked.  The flowers are sooo beautiful and they make me so happy seeing them every day. Its amazing what something like this can do for your soul. What a perfect way to start off this process and help to have a positive attitude. THANKS sister - YOU.ARE.THE.BEST!! 

Here is my nightly process - well for right now at least.  

I get out my instructions, one vial of Low Dose HCG which is the liquid I use, 

and then 2-3 vials of Bravelle powder, also knows as FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone).  

I draw up the HCG liquid in the first syringe, put that into the first Bravelle powder.  Then switch to the syringe with the long needle (yikes! - don't worry, I don't stick that in me, it's just for mixing purposes, phew!), draw up all that liquid and pour into the next powder, continue that process until I have all of the powder I need and then switch to that third tiny needle, grab some fat on my belly and stick in the needle - easy as that! The shot doesn't scare me (anymore), it's the mixing of all the powders and liquids that gives me anxiety!

So this week I had my first appointment on Monday, the 18th and started 3 Bravelle powders, then I went in for blood work on Wednesday, the 20th and based off of those results I went down to 2 Bravelle powders for Wednesday night and Thursday night.  I went in today for an internal ultrasound and blood work and based off of that I am doing 2 Bravelle's again tonight but tomorrow I go back to 3 Bravelle and add in another shot for the next 4 days called Cetrotide which will help to keep my body from ovulating on its own - they need me to wait to ovulate until all my eggs are good and ready, at that time I will give myself another shot which will force ovulation 36 hours later and that is when I will go in for my egg retrieval - yay!! 

Here is a basic rundown of the IVF process...

So right now I go in every other day for an ultrasound and blood work and give myself one shot at night to help grow lots of follicles (eggs). At each appointment they will me if I need to change doses of my meds, etc. They will also be monitoring the progress of all the follicles that I am growing.

When the eggs are all mature and ready I take a "trigger" shot, mentioned above, and then 36 hours later I go in for the Egg Retrieval Procedure. They put me under for this procedure and go in and take out all my newly created eggs.  Then they fertilize the eggs that same day through a process called ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

Then they watch the eggs grow for 3 to 5 days and put two of the best ones back in me.  If we have extras we can freeze them for the future!

THEN we wait two weeks to see if it works! Think happy baby thoughts! :)