March 6, 2013

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!

9 comments:

  1. Your medicine is so organized! Mine was in a bag in the closet lol. Do you do it all without the numbing cream? If so, you are a champ!! Good luck on retrieval day! I did one on my birthday :).

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    1. Yes, I have done every shot without the numbing cream. My nurse advised against using it for the trigger shot, which completely freaked me out, so I ended up just icing the area for a couple minutes beforehand. How fun to have your retrieval on your birthday!

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  2. Ummmmmm, you WOULD have the most adorable set up for your meds and needles!! That photo makes me want to rush and organize something :) The trigger shot was awesome! You and P are the best :) So glad we get be part of this journey with you! More prayers being sent up now!!! Good luck today!!! LOVE!

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    1. Thanks, Lela! And thanks to you and Sean for being our paparazzi for the big shot. I tried adding the video to this post, but couldn't get it to load. I'd still like to add it. Any advice?

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  3. fingers crossed and prayers that soon Parker will be cutting that umbilical cord....

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  4. Prayers to you two on this journey. You should do a Project Life book on this whole process. (by Becky Higgins) They are amazing books to have. I miss you and hope you two the best.

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    1. Thanks, Roxanne! So good to hear from you. Your little ones are so adorable! I'll definitely look into Project Life. Thanks for the advice.

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  5. My least favorite part about this whole process. I always feel so bad giving her the shots.

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