Shootin' Up

For the last 20 days, our place has been affectionately dubbed ‘The Apothecary.’ If you are at all confused by this moniker, the photos below should explain.

This is a small glimpse of what IVF looks like . . .

. . . needles and medications galore.

I have self-administered a total of 37 shots and counting, morning and night, to prepare my body for the retrieval. Additionally, there was daily blood work and periodic ultrasounds to monitor the entire process.

And, in the end, we arrive here—at the dreaded trigger shot. I have heard horror story after horror story about this shot, and rightfully so. After all, the 1 1/2 inch needle has to be completely inserted intramuscularly and at a very precise time (exactly 36 hours before retrieval), leaving absolutely no room for error.

Our good friends, Lela and Sean joined in on the fun and helped us document the affair. Parker administered the injection like a champ—smooth as butter and without a moment of hesitation. When all was said and done, my anticipated fear was the worst part of the whole lot.

Fingers crossed for a good batch!