Day 20: Lupron Time

It's been about a week since my last blog post. I'm still here, just been busy entertaining family. My parents and my 32-week pregnant sister were in town for a visit. The main purpose of the visit was to help get my sister ready for the baby so I knew going into the visit, it was going to be hard on me. And it was. I could see the excitement in both my parents and my sister, and I couldn't help but fight back tears and repeat to myself over and over again: my turn will come...

With 20 days gone by since we started our IVF cycle, I am so happy that the first phase is almost behind me. Just 4 more days of birth control!! Saturday marked another milestone for our cycle, the start of the Lupron injections. I now have 35 days straight of shots to look forward to...now the real fun begins.

Lupron is used in conjunction with the birth control pills to suppress my reproductive system, basically propelling my body into premature menopause. Fun times. DRs use it in IVF to suppress the pituitary gland and prevent premature ovulation. I am on 0.20 cc or 20 units per day given between 6-8 am along with the birth control and the baby aspirin. The shot is given in the belly about 2 inches away from the belly button. The husband has been playing DR and taking care of all of the details. I just need to stand there and look away and he takes care of the rest:

- Step 1: Wash hands thoroughly
- Step 2: Open up a clean needle/syringe
- Step 3: Open an alcohol wipe and clean the top of the Lupron bottle
- Step 4: Draw back syringe to appropriate dose level
- Step 5: Stick needle into Lupron bottle and push out air into bottle
- Step 6: Turn bottle/needle upside down
- Step 7: Draw back the liquid medicine to appropriate dose level
- Step 8: Remove needle, check for air bubbles
- Step 9: Prepare injection site by cleaning with alcohol wipe
- Step 10: Insert needle, push in medicine, watch wife cringe

The needle used for Lupron is slightly longer than the ones we've used for other medications in the past and for some reason it is a bit 'sticky' meaning it doesn't go in as smoothly as the others. That said, the pain only lasts for a few seconds and we both know that those few uncomfortable seconds (for both of us) is worth the lifetime of happiness we are working toward...