Hubby's First Jab

Today is happy day... it's Hubby's birthday. It's also sis & bro-in-law's wedding anniversary. Then it's also Mid Autumn Festival! What an occasion.

So today, I let hubby try out something new - by giving me my afternoon jab! Well, I let him try it because it's the smallest needles among the 3 that I have to jab daily. I didn't look so that I won't scream at him to stop or go slow. I let him do it "freestyle." Well, it turns out to be much better than I expected. I didn't feel any prick when the needle was poked! Not bad for a first-timer huh :) I'm glad hubby gave it a go! I lurve u darling!

Understanding the hormones in me

I have been giving myself with 3 jabs a day, and these jabs are basically hormones: Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Both FSH & LH increase the number of growing follicles and subsequently stimulating their development.

With FSH, it increases the production of oestrogen and under the influence of hormone the largest follicle continues to grow and develop. And when the oestrogen increases, it triggers a surge of LH, which results in final maturation and the release of the egg from the ovary.

I hope I got the understanding right... during my next visit, I shall verify my writing with Dr F :)

Another painful outing...

Today is routine check up after administering N number of jabs. During the scan, Dr F found 3 tiny follicles growing on the right, and nothing on the left yet. And the best news is, the cyst is gone! Yaye!!

So I am now on new dosage of same meds for jab: 2x a day for Buserelin (0.02), Gonal-F (375IU) & Menopur (150IU). This new dosage is for the next 2 days and I will return for another scan on Friday to see if more follicles are growing. And with the slow growing rate, Dr F said the pick up date might be slightly delayed- which is fine, as long as the follicles are growing at the good rate and healthy.

And today is blood test day~ Arh... How dreadful each time I was told that there will be a blood test. This is a test call E2 - which I have no idea what is it.. HAHA... Anyway, nurse tried to draw blood from my left wrist but the needle just couldn't penetrate the vein. Sigh~ It was still bearable. Then the nurse and I decided that I should just myself to the Gribbles lab opposite. So far their success rate has been perfect - Ace at first serve. But this time... the technician couldn't find the vein at all!!! So she had to draw from my right hand, right above my index finger. NNNNNOOOOOOOOOO~~~~ What happen to perfect score!!!! Sigh~ She did warn me it's gonna be painful... She gave me 2 seconds to breath in, and POKE and OOOOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHH!!! As she pulled the plunger, the blood slowly filled up the container. But after like 2 seconds, the flow stopped! OH NO!!! She had to "move" the needle (SUPER OUCH!) so the blood can continue to flow. Sigh~~ PAIN~~~ and she pulled out the needle, another BIG OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank goodness I am not afraid of needle, otherwise I would have screamed so loud that the whole plaza can hear me!!

Dating my Gonal-F

Gonal-F is very expensive and I have to use one whole pen each time. During my IUI, I only need to administer 75IU, but now I have to use up the whole pen of 300IU! And so far, I have used more than 10! Yes, IVF is expensive.

Since it is expensive, I was told by Dr F that there are always "leftover" in the Gonal-F pen. I never realise it until then. So, whenever I finished one pen, I had to keep the pen and bring whatever I have with me to the clinic during my next visit. So the nurse can extract and collect the leftovers from the pen, and put it into a syringe. The other time, the nurse extracted 3 leftover pens which equivalent to ONE new Gonal-F!

I have 8 with me now, and will be going to see the doctor in a short while!

Oh and also, I keep track on the date I've used them. I wouldn't want to use back a pen that is dated like a year ago! So I always stick a sticker to the plunger and "date" my Gonal-F.

Keeping up with the jabs

I have been very discipline with all my jab time, morning at 8.40am, afternoon at 3.40pm. Well, the morning jabs are ok since that's about the time I get up in the morning. But afternoon... I thought very hard as to what is the best time to have my jab. I could have done it in the evening say 8pm, but the movie-bug reminded me that if I do 8pm means I don't get to go for movie for a long-long time.... Then if I do it at night say 11pm means it's more than 12 hours. So... why 3.40pm? On my first day, I decided, ok 6 hours after morning jab which is 2.30pm.... but I reached home an hour late, so from then on 3.40pm everyday.

I also have a journal of my jabs, and it looks like this:
16/9 8.40am - Buserelin (R)
16/9 3.40pm - Buserelin (L)

17/9 8.40am - Buserelin (R), Gonal-F (L), Menopur (R)
17/9 3.40pm - Buserelin (L)

18/9 8.40am - Buserelin (R), Gonal-F (R), Menopur (L)
18/9 3.40pm - Buserelin (L)

You see.. since I have to jab so many jabs left right left right... so to even them out, I've got to remember which goes where on what date!

All my jabs...

I store all my medicine to jabs in a mid-size Tupperware to be kept in the fridge - making sure it's fresh! HAHA! The main reason I kept it in the Tupperware is to make sure all my meds are in one place and easy storage purpose.

The pen-like thingie, is my Gonal-F. The one (not visible) in the box is my busereline. And the vials are my Menopur.

Every morning, I'll take my meds out from the fridge, let it "thaw" a bit. Dr F said sometimes I feel the pain when I inject is because the "cold solution" being injected. The censor below the skin can only feel pain, and not cold. So anything else is PAIN. Pretty interesting fact!

This is how many jabs I had to administer myself:










This is the mess after:

Here we go again...

This is Round 2. Round 1 had to be "abandon" after discovery (well, or the lack of it) of only 2 follicles. I was on Microgynon for 18 days and on day 22 (16 Sept), I started Burseline jab again. This time one for the morning, one for the afternoon.

Then today onwards until next Tue, besides having the 2 Buserelin, I have my Gonal-F & Menopur. So, all in all is 4 needles in a day.

How do I feel? Hmmm... I am still not afraid of the needles (yet)! I will normally take a few deep breath before the jab to calm myself, say a short prayer "God, grant me the strength." And easy breezy~ I don't know if it's side-effect of the jab, but I am feeling tired for most part of the day. Probably because I had to conjure all the energy that is left in me to go through the jab, I don't know... Anyway, I feel fine and I WILL PREVAIL!!!!