I did it!

Stimulation Day 5:

Today I conquered one of my biggest fears! Giving myself an injection! I know it was a weak injection because it was with the injection pen, but it was huge for me. For four days Tyler has been injecting 200 IU of Follistim (follitropin beta injection) in my thigh. He has done awesome. Each day, the injection was a little different on the pain scale. One day we accidentally forgot to line up an arrow in the right place on the pen and so nothing came out when injected so i had to get two that day. I only bruised a little bit on one of the days. So Follistim is helping my follicles (which hold the eggs) grow.
Today I started receiving two injections per day. I held off on the follistim this morning and started on Ganirelix Acetate. (This next part is boring, but I'm putting it in for me to remember at a later date) It is an antagonist (or blocker) of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone). GnRH stimulates LH (Leutinizing hormone) and FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) and so Ganirelix Acetate will stop these hormones which will prevent me from ovulating too soon.

I did not like today's Ganirelix injection. The syringes are pre-measured, no pen, just a syringe with a needle. I think the needle is more thick or blunt or something because it hurt just a little more than the Follistim injection. Immediately afterward, the area stung and 3 inch diameter red circle developed around the injection site with a one inch lump in the middle. We didn't know what happened, but the doctor said these injection site reactions can happen more in the leg because there is more muscle than the fatty stomach (but there's no way I'm injecting in my stomach pooch so I'll just have to get used to the lump :) ).

I had an ultrasound today. They typically don't include this ultrasound, but I get an extra one because I'm at a higher risk for over stimulation of my ovaries (which can be life threatening). They drew my blood. Took a look around and found I have nice looking/sized follicles. They want between 10-20 follicles in each ovary and I have 20 on the left and 15 on the right, so they want those little guys to stop. So I am decreasing my Follistim dose to 150 IU today and then 125 IU tomorrow.

So my doctor said I could bring back my follistim pen and they could give me the injection since tyler is already at work. He called me a baby and said they have some babies who can't do the injection themselves (he was being sarcastic, it was all good humor). So I went home thinking, thinking, thinking. Do I call my mother-in-law and ask if she'll do it? or take the pen back to the office or do it myself? I was scared because there is only supposed to be 100 IU left in the carpule and I need 150 IU so I probably would have to do it twice, and what if I jumped? So after a while of me talking myself into it, I told myself that I needed to be brave and I really don't ever turn down a challenge that is reasonable so I was going to do it. It was scary, and I pinched my skin really hard so I would feel the pinch of my fat more than the needle and it worked! And I only neeeded one! And so now I am feeling pretty good about myself today :) I think I will have a frozen yogurt later to celebrate.

Thanks for all of the nice comments! I didn't think anyone would see this for a while, but I forgot how people have tabs on the most recent blog post. I only told a couple people I was blogging about this and most people I know here in AZ don't even know I have a blog. Thanks for everyone who fasted for us or have been praying for us! We have felt your prayers.