Starting this “transfer protocol” is such a huge relief. The fact that all of us were able to get all
the required preparations done in about a months’ time is astonishing! All
four of us are extremely excited but we’re also guarded, because we’re told this
upcoming embryo transfer has only a 50/50 chance of working. So while we are staying positive (especially
me), we know that it might not work. Actually
B positive is my blood type, so I also started using it as my motto.
First, I have to wait for my next cycle to start. Not something I usually look forward to. Tick-tock, tick-tock, and finally it happened!
Then I was able to start taking my birth
control pills. Yes, birth control. It seems like the last thing you’d want to do
when trying to become pregnant is to take birth control pills, but it is the
first step in the fertility doctor’s process of taking complete control of what
my reproductive organs do. Oh fun!
Meanwhile, as the birth control kicks in, I’ve been having
serious thoughts about quitting my job. I started working at a new company back in
October. It’s in a cleanroom
environment, which means wearing a full bunny suit for a 12 hour shift (with breaks
of course). They hired me as a temp
(along with 15 others) and I’m having concerns about the stress of this job
affecting my “very important project”.
Tom and I decided that this “project” is much more important than my “temp”
job. So I’ve decided to give my 2-week notice,
leaving open the possibility of returning at a future date. In my mind, this is a small sacrifice. I also
didn’t want to worry Holly about it, so I told her I took a leave of absence (he
he). A little white lie to help ease
someone else’s concern was okay in my mind.
As I begin the early stages of the protocol, I start
thinking about everything that goes into my body. I want to give these two embryos the best
chance of “attaching”. Even though in
the back of my mind I am quite confident I will become pregnant. I stopped consuming caffeine, which wasn’t
as difficult as I thought it would be. I
just switched to decaffeinated coffee. Easy! I don’t drink carbonated drinks anyway, so
easy-peasy! I stop eating anything with
artificial sweeteners. Now, anyone close
to me knows I usually eat everything “diet”, but this wasn’t as hard as I
thought either. Yay for me! These two embryos have been frozen for 9
months, so I will do everything in my power to give them the best start
possible. Again, to me it’s a small
sacrifice.
At day 14 of my birth control, I get to start injecting
Lupron into my belly fat. Yep, I said
belly fat, and I said inject! Lupron is
a drug that shuts down all ovary production.
Essentially, I’m putting my body into the first stages of
menopause! It’s all part of the process
to make sure my own biology does not interfere with the embryo transfer and
attachment. I was a little apprehensive
the first couple of times, but I was using a “diabetic” size syringe, so I
hardly felt it. Then an idea occurred to
me. In a few weeks I will have to start
using a much larger needle, and it has to be stuck in my BUTT! Obviously, that will be a little difficult
for me to do on my own. I think to
myself, TOM! Now Tom has known about
these “bigger” needles and the need for someone to give these daily shots. He has been trying to find anyone but him to
do them. So I think maybe if he starts
doing the Lupron shots, he’ll be more comfortable doing the big-needle PIO
(Progesterone In Oil) shots. Reluctantly,
he starts giving me the Lupron. Go
Tom!
Holly told me about a few old conception wives tales out
there in the world of Google. So I
happily research some more, because why not?!
I came across many, but only tried a couple that I thought wouldn’t be
too bad. Pineapple core: It is said that it makes your inner uterus
nice and sticky! I like pineapple, so
again, why not?! Raw Brazil nuts: It is said to thicken the uterine lining. Well, I’m having my lining measured 1 week
before transfer, so why not?! Plus, I
like Brazil nuts (salted of course).
We are only a week away from transfer now, and my next
appointment is for an ultrasound to make sure my lining is at the correct
thickness. If the thickness isn’t
acceptable, then it’s back to step one -- which is to take birth control again
after I have another period. Ugh. Let’s B positive about my upcoming
measurement!
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