The Side Effects of IVF....

Disclaimer: today I’m leaving the physical side effects behind and talking more about the emotional side effects!

Self-medicating, that’s what has been going on these past 11 days in the Rowh’s world! Things that I used to do for pleasure and relaxation (working out and drinking wine) have been tabled due to IVF treatments, so we’re left to deal with stress and worry in more creative ways.  Hence, this little blog you’ve been following. I thought it might be good to divulge my habits, in hopes of curbing the more expensive things we’ve been doing.

1.       Prayer- thankfully our faith has grown even deeper as we turn to God inwardly and outwardly as a couple to guide us through this journey. We have committed to a deeper understanding and trust of him and with this have spent more time in his word and in conversation with him. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to “go deeper.”

2.       Eating- the not so good of self-medicating! Eating out to be specific! Usually it is our rule of thumb to only eat out on the weekends and cook on the weekdays. The exhaustion from the hormones coupled with two busy work schedules have resulted in many more week night grab and go’s! Thankfully our waistlines and wallets haven’t felt it too much! We’ve managed to keep the eating out to 2-3x per week (in comparison to our usual 1-2x per week) and now that I’m getting to the end of this particularly journey, I’m resolving to begin cooking more.

3.       Shopping- thanks to RueLala and Target, I’ve been getting (on average) 1 package delivered a week. For those of you who know me, you know I love a good sale, and the need to “cheer myself up” has resulted in many good RueLala deals. To date, I’ve only purchased things that I need (i.e. a one piece bathing suit for an upcoming trip we’re taking and espadrilles for the trip) but I’m finding the need to put myself in check!

The biggest side effect that I’ve experienced is my lack of sociability! I love a good party and love to be around people. Since starting the latest hormone regimen this has not been the case. It’s mostly because I’m just too darn tired, but I want my chipper self back, now!

The Next Step

The next step involves no more:

Needles

Bruises & Swelling

Carrying 15 golfball size follicles in my tummy

Happy Trigger Day! The Hubs delivered the trigger shot at 8pm this evening and other than feeling like I did one too many squats afterward, it was pretty pain free; kudos to Dr. Hubs for easing my fears as he delivered the needle below into my right buttock.

 Our weekend and upcoming week includes:

9am Bloodwork tomorrow

6am pre-surgery prep on Sunday and 8am egg retrieval surgery

A fertilization and egg report Monday & Tuesday and implantation sometime Wednesday-Friday, followed by 2 days of bed rest.

And then the longest 2 week wait of our life begins, but we’re so excited to begin waiting. I’m taking suggestions on good books to read during this 2 week wait, suggest away!

Day #4

 I’m on day #4 of hormone injections and until now I’ve felt like a champ! I’ve had minimal physical and emotional side effects and have had to scold myself when thinking “I don’t understand what the big deal is!” Then, day #4 began!

I woke up early this morning for a 7:30am ultrasound and bloodwork appointment at one of the few fertility office locations open on the weekends, 1-hour from my house. A little groggy, I began to notice that things felt heavier, achy and uncomfortable. At my appointment, the Dr. said that everything looked great this morning and that “things” were progressing nicely, but also warned me that my ovaries were growing and that I would soon began to feel the discomfort of this. Boy was he right!

I can’t say that I’ve ever been in pain throughout this process; however, I spent most of the day feeling like I was carrying a softball in my stomach and that my skin was being stretched to uncomfortable limits. It’s made for difficulties sitting and standing for too long. Finally, this evening, I’ve started to notice my stomach becoming a bit harder than normal and protruding slightly. While I did enjoy a very good dessert last evening, I don’t think that my metabolism is punishing me!

So, day #4 brings about 6-8 more days of hormone therapy- I can do this! While I’m uncomfortable, I’m keeping my eye on the prize and relishing in the hubs, who has stepped up his game with cleaning, laundry, etc. to keep me off of my feet!