i've done 2 days worth of shots. 3 shots yesterday, 3 shots the day before. i'll do 3 tonight after work. i felt kinda fatigued midday at work yesterday. no other reason i could think of but the menopur and follistim. so that might be a side effect.
the shots themselves werent that bad. the follistim pen is painless, and mine works this time, so i dont have to struggle with turning down the dial. i'll post some pictures tonight...
the menopur is the one that goes in my belly fat. its a lot of medication. .5 units with 75IU of medication. my calendar says to inject 75iu of menopur. it was confusing last time because i thought i was supposed to inject 7.5 U? or 75u?, the needle they give isn't big enough for that amount of liquid. but what they mean is ONE vial of medication mixed with .5 units of water. theres two vials and a 'q-cap' to get the water into the vial to activate the medication. .5 units is still a lot. its a relatively thin syringe, but its like injecting the liquid area of half a pixie stick into your belly.
the first day i felt a strange rush after injecting the medication. but it didn't happen the second day, so i'm gonna call that an adrenaline rush.
menopur kinda stings. its not the needle as much as the amount of medication you have to push around your body to fit. does that make sense? i remember last donation i experimented with things like putting an ice pack on my belly before the shot. i think that helps, but the stinging isn't so bad so i dont really care this time. the box says that the medication is best injected at room temperature for minimal discomfort. so i prepare that one first. i'll post a video tonight i guess of the injections. i dont have any pictures or anything yet this donation. my muscles feel a little sore. i might have slept wrong.
by contract i cant do any strenuous exercise now, so i'm going to walk to work instead of biking up those hills.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
lupron 12
i spoke too soon when i said there was no soreness yesterday. about an hour after last night's shot, that spot felt extremely sore. I wonder what happened that made that shot so different. I injected the lupron high up on my outer thigh, where i pinched a few inches of fat to inject. maybe i was wrong about the theory that the more fat you have, the more painless the injection.
also I dont think i released the pinch while i pushed down the plunger. that might have been a factor. maybe the skin was squeezed too densely to make room for a bubble of medication? or maybe the surface area being stronger might have made a difference. The needle itself didn't feel like anything going in, pushing the medication into the skin was difficult and a little painful. like there was a lot more resistance than usual. I think the key to an easy injection is to remember that after you pinch the skin and pierce it with the needle, you need to loosen your pinch grip in order to allow the skin to make room for the bubble of medication? thats a theory.
tonights shot was easy. i chose a spot about midway between the knee and hip on the outer thigh. it think thats a good spot. not too high or too low. i didnt poke the skin as fast as i wanted, but the needle still pierced quickly and painlessly. i slid my fingers up the syringe to the plunger without wiggling the needle. i think i'm getting better at that part. then tried a slow but steady pressure pushing the plunger down, forcing the lupron into my body. that part wasn't painful this time. i found that when i stopped pinching after beginning to push the plunger, it was easier. there was no blood.
the injection site itches a bit now.
side effects? dont think so. i feel normal. a little tired, but i got up at 7 and its 930. and the day before i went to bed really late. so i think its okay for me to feel tired. i've been eating a normal amount of food. my bowls have been normal. my energy level during the day felt average. so no side effects to report at this time.
also I dont think i released the pinch while i pushed down the plunger. that might have been a factor. maybe the skin was squeezed too densely to make room for a bubble of medication? or maybe the surface area being stronger might have made a difference. The needle itself didn't feel like anything going in, pushing the medication into the skin was difficult and a little painful. like there was a lot more resistance than usual. I think the key to an easy injection is to remember that after you pinch the skin and pierce it with the needle, you need to loosen your pinch grip in order to allow the skin to make room for the bubble of medication? thats a theory.
tonights shot was easy. i chose a spot about midway between the knee and hip on the outer thigh. it think thats a good spot. not too high or too low. i didnt poke the skin as fast as i wanted, but the needle still pierced quickly and painlessly. i slid my fingers up the syringe to the plunger without wiggling the needle. i think i'm getting better at that part. then tried a slow but steady pressure pushing the plunger down, forcing the lupron into my body. that part wasn't painful this time. i found that when i stopped pinching after beginning to push the plunger, it was easier. there was no blood.
the injection site itches a bit now.
side effects? dont think so. i feel normal. a little tired, but i got up at 7 and its 930. and the day before i went to bed really late. so i think its okay for me to feel tired. i've been eating a normal amount of food. my bowls have been normal. my energy level during the day felt average. so no side effects to report at this time.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
lupron 11
i got a call this morning (a little too early this morning) that my estradiol levels are now low enough to begin with the follicle stimulating hormones. I will begin those on saturday.
no side effects to report. i feel normal. a bit of spotting today.
today's shot (15 U) didn't hurt going in, but pushing in the medication hurt a little, and then when i took the needle out it bleed a bit. like a drop that hung a centimeter down. i put a bandage on it. i noticed that a few dime sized bruises have formed down my outer thighs from the previous injections. no noticeable soreness. I think the more fat you can pinch the better. like when i inject in a place that has 3 inches of fat when pinched, the needle goes in really easily. like cutting butter. easy and clean and painless. i think when you have less fat like around an inch pinched, the surface area of the skin isn't as tight, so the needle doesn't cut in as cleanly. or thats my theory anyway.
I requested an expenses reimbursement form from the agency. I bought the birth control pills and the first train ticket with my credit card. I saved the receipts for the bus tickets too. that stuff is all refundable as donor expenses. Last donation it was hard to keep track of. so this time i want to start early.
no side effects to report. i feel normal. a bit of spotting today.
today's shot (15 U) didn't hurt going in, but pushing in the medication hurt a little, and then when i took the needle out it bleed a bit. like a drop that hung a centimeter down. i put a bandage on it. i noticed that a few dime sized bruises have formed down my outer thighs from the previous injections. no noticeable soreness. I think the more fat you can pinch the better. like when i inject in a place that has 3 inches of fat when pinched, the needle goes in really easily. like cutting butter. easy and clean and painless. i think when you have less fat like around an inch pinched, the surface area of the skin isn't as tight, so the needle doesn't cut in as cleanly. or thats my theory anyway.
I requested an expenses reimbursement form from the agency. I bought the birth control pills and the first train ticket with my credit card. I saved the receipts for the bus tickets too. that stuff is all refundable as donor expenses. Last donation it was hard to keep track of. so this time i want to start early.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
estradiol level check / FDA bloodwork
todays appointment was quick. I arrived early, like an hour and a half early. i brought a book. took public transit, so i wasn't sure how much time to give myself. you never know...
I checked in, and sat down. the fertility doctor's office has free tea and i had just opened a tea bag and dropped it in my cup of hot water when my name was called. Went to the back. some nurse asked me if i had gotten my period, and then took out 6 test tubes for blood. I got my period, but it was so light, it was more like spotting. she said the Zovia is to blame for that. They would need to take the estradiol level check just to make sure that my estrogen levels were low enough to begin the follicle stimulating hormones.
she put the giant rubber band on my arm and tied the knot and cleaned my arm for the needle. i've got a really big vein there, so thats never a problem. then the phone rang, and she got up and left me there with the tourniquet and my forearm slowly swelling red as i stared at the 6 vials. that was just a little uncomfortable. when she came back, the blood drawing needle hurt more than any of my shots. usually i like to watch the needle go in - but i was pretty over it. so i didn't even look.
she took blood for the estradiol level check, then she filled the rest of the tubes for FDA blood work. By law, any tissue donors have to get hardcore disease and STD screened before the transfer of tissues. so i got an aids test and a bunch of other tests. the nurse was kind of rough with the needle removal. she pulled the knot for the tourniquet and set that down, then just kinda yanked out the needle while pressing the cotton pad. that hurt. I was kinda shocked. i hope i dont have a blood blister there tomorrow. i've had those before, where the nurse is too rough and cuts through the other side of the vein or whatever. OWW!
then they put me in a room and told me to take off my pants, and i sat there with the loud pink paper drape with my butt on the edge of the table staring at the ultrasound machine. they keep the lights down low in the pelvic exam rooms. its calming. i sat there for maybe 5 minutes, cause the doctor was doing a "transfer" then he knocked, came in with a nurse. opened me up, muttered a polite, "sorry" as he did so.
(Every time im there for a pelvic exam he says sorry before inserting a speculum or an ultrasound wand. he must say sorry a dozen times every day. its kinda funny. the way he apologizes for his job? and then i got to wonder how working with vaginas and ovaries all day every day might affect his love life in a negative way. might be hard to sexualize something as boring as the reproductive system, as a fertility specialist. that is, of corse, assuming he doesn't have a husband at home. or maybe he's not married at all. i dont know. but those thoughts ran through my head while my feet were in stirrups and my va-jay-jay was lit up under the pink paper cover and the pretty nurse holding the clipboard was checking her beautifully manicured nails and i stared up at the creepy wire mobile hanging from the ceiling. it did a good job of distracting me. swaying little metal ballerinas into circles beneath the air conditioning vent)
he took 2 long q-tips to do the chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, with accuracy and the gentle touch of a man who pokes cervical holes with q-tips all day long. that strange sensation, of something touching the inside of the cervix... sometimes it can be uncomfortable and crampy. i've had pap smears that hurt. today was just a strange awareness of a mild pressure. lasted a second. then he handed the long q-tip back to the nurse who put it into a tube with some sort of liquid. the whole process took about 15-20 seconds. and then i was alone in the dimly lit room again with my pants to put back on.
they said i was done, and they will call me with the results to see if i can begin the follistim and menopur as planned. by the time i got back to my tea, the temperature was perfect to drink, but it was a little bit too strong.
i hate walking around in public with the band aid and the cotton ball on my arm. everybody knows you got blood drawn or something gross and medical. i saw peoples eyes look at my arm the entire way home. they probably just assumed it was an AIDS test. I always assume that. lots of interesting and beautiful people on the bus. mostly the tired working class. sometimes babies under blankets. i was staring at babies all day today. thats what i'm giving this guy. a baby. crazy.
so the lupron shots are going to be the same until i start the follistim and menopur. then the amount of lupron will lessen. but tonights shot is the same. No side effects to report. i feel fine and dandy.
I checked in, and sat down. the fertility doctor's office has free tea and i had just opened a tea bag and dropped it in my cup of hot water when my name was called. Went to the back. some nurse asked me if i had gotten my period, and then took out 6 test tubes for blood. I got my period, but it was so light, it was more like spotting. she said the Zovia is to blame for that. They would need to take the estradiol level check just to make sure that my estrogen levels were low enough to begin the follicle stimulating hormones.
she put the giant rubber band on my arm and tied the knot and cleaned my arm for the needle. i've got a really big vein there, so thats never a problem. then the phone rang, and she got up and left me there with the tourniquet and my forearm slowly swelling red as i stared at the 6 vials. that was just a little uncomfortable. when she came back, the blood drawing needle hurt more than any of my shots. usually i like to watch the needle go in - but i was pretty over it. so i didn't even look.
she took blood for the estradiol level check, then she filled the rest of the tubes for FDA blood work. By law, any tissue donors have to get hardcore disease and STD screened before the transfer of tissues. so i got an aids test and a bunch of other tests. the nurse was kind of rough with the needle removal. she pulled the knot for the tourniquet and set that down, then just kinda yanked out the needle while pressing the cotton pad. that hurt. I was kinda shocked. i hope i dont have a blood blister there tomorrow. i've had those before, where the nurse is too rough and cuts through the other side of the vein or whatever. OWW!
then they put me in a room and told me to take off my pants, and i sat there with the loud pink paper drape with my butt on the edge of the table staring at the ultrasound machine. they keep the lights down low in the pelvic exam rooms. its calming. i sat there for maybe 5 minutes, cause the doctor was doing a "transfer" then he knocked, came in with a nurse. opened me up, muttered a polite, "sorry" as he did so.
(Every time im there for a pelvic exam he says sorry before inserting a speculum or an ultrasound wand. he must say sorry a dozen times every day. its kinda funny. the way he apologizes for his job? and then i got to wonder how working with vaginas and ovaries all day every day might affect his love life in a negative way. might be hard to sexualize something as boring as the reproductive system, as a fertility specialist. that is, of corse, assuming he doesn't have a husband at home. or maybe he's not married at all. i dont know. but those thoughts ran through my head while my feet were in stirrups and my va-jay-jay was lit up under the pink paper cover and the pretty nurse holding the clipboard was checking her beautifully manicured nails and i stared up at the creepy wire mobile hanging from the ceiling. it did a good job of distracting me. swaying little metal ballerinas into circles beneath the air conditioning vent)
he took 2 long q-tips to do the chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, with accuracy and the gentle touch of a man who pokes cervical holes with q-tips all day long. that strange sensation, of something touching the inside of the cervix... sometimes it can be uncomfortable and crampy. i've had pap smears that hurt. today was just a strange awareness of a mild pressure. lasted a second. then he handed the long q-tip back to the nurse who put it into a tube with some sort of liquid. the whole process took about 15-20 seconds. and then i was alone in the dimly lit room again with my pants to put back on.
they said i was done, and they will call me with the results to see if i can begin the follistim and menopur as planned. by the time i got back to my tea, the temperature was perfect to drink, but it was a little bit too strong.
i hate walking around in public with the band aid and the cotton ball on my arm. everybody knows you got blood drawn or something gross and medical. i saw peoples eyes look at my arm the entire way home. they probably just assumed it was an AIDS test. I always assume that. lots of interesting and beautiful people on the bus. mostly the tired working class. sometimes babies under blankets. i was staring at babies all day today. thats what i'm giving this guy. a baby. crazy.
so the lupron shots are going to be the same until i start the follistim and menopur. then the amount of lupron will lessen. but tonights shot is the same. No side effects to report. i feel fine and dandy.
Monday, June 22, 2009
"medication start" check
came in the mail yesterday. $750. the next check will be after the first ultrasound.
i was reading my last donation blog at this time in the donation, the shot locations were kinda turning red and bumping up funny like a mosquito bite. i haven't have that happen for this donation. probably because i'm better at giving myself the shots quickly and accurately for the least amount of irritation. like holding the needle still when its in the skin and not wiggling it around on accident while you re-adjust the way you hold the syringe to push the plunger. that movement, in between the poke and the push, can wiggle the needle around under the skin. and that can cause discomfort or irritation.
also at this time during the last egg donation, my breast had already swollen up and deflated and swollen up again. i'm not getting any breast change action this time around. The birth control they had me on last time was to blame. i kinda liked femcon fe better than zovia. this zovia stuff makes me crampy and then i dont bleed at all. i like to have a strong regular cycle. i feel healthier that way
this time also seems to be a lot easier. it feels like its happening quicker too. 'cause i know what to expect
i was reading my last donation blog at this time in the donation, the shot locations were kinda turning red and bumping up funny like a mosquito bite. i haven't have that happen for this donation. probably because i'm better at giving myself the shots quickly and accurately for the least amount of irritation. like holding the needle still when its in the skin and not wiggling it around on accident while you re-adjust the way you hold the syringe to push the plunger. that movement, in between the poke and the push, can wiggle the needle around under the skin. and that can cause discomfort or irritation.
also at this time during the last egg donation, my breast had already swollen up and deflated and swollen up again. i'm not getting any breast change action this time around. The birth control they had me on last time was to blame. i kinda liked femcon fe better than zovia. this zovia stuff makes me crampy and then i dont bleed at all. i like to have a strong regular cycle. i feel healthier that way
this time also seems to be a lot easier. it feels like its happening quicker too. 'cause i know what to expect
Lupron #8 today
update for the past week:
Day 3 on lupron felt really funny for me. I woke up and drank a bottle of kombucha (fermented probiotic tea) with breakfast went to work. and felt funny at work. not sure if the kombucha tea was to blame. but i decided to write down some words about how i felt: disassociated, detached, faint, unaware, physically tense, mentally relaxed, crampy, premenstrual, like i'm not breathing deep enough.
the eczema (dry skin) on my fingers bothered me that night. and my chest began to itch too. I think i was having some sort of reaction.
it wasn't alarming to me. and it went away after that day.
I dont remember that happening during last donation. maybe i had an intense testosterone surge then. or maybe it was the crazy fermented tea. or a general lupron reaction. probably the latter.
shots 4-8 went fine. and 5 days later, i feel fine and theres no sign of the eczema or freaky feelings.
i've been alternating from right outer thigh to left outer thigh for the shots. theres no soreness. it hasn't affected my social life too much. i went to a show and brought the lupron in a refrigerated lunchbox, and excused myself from a conversation at the party to give myself the injection in private. i find the shots sometimes make my skin itch a bit near the injection site just afterwards. i think its because i dont wait for the alcohol to dry completely.
I was having menstrual cramps earlier in the week. and i remembered that i would normally have been on my period then. but they delayed my period one week. i had my last birth control pill on the 19th. and began spotting yesterday. my period was expected today, and it started. I still have to do daily 15U of lupron until the end of the week, when it will lower to 10U and then i'll start the follicle stimulating hormones. my estradiol level appointment is in a couple days. i'll update again then.
Day 3 on lupron felt really funny for me. I woke up and drank a bottle of kombucha (fermented probiotic tea) with breakfast went to work. and felt funny at work. not sure if the kombucha tea was to blame. but i decided to write down some words about how i felt: disassociated, detached, faint, unaware, physically tense, mentally relaxed, crampy, premenstrual, like i'm not breathing deep enough.
the eczema (dry skin) on my fingers bothered me that night. and my chest began to itch too. I think i was having some sort of reaction.
it wasn't alarming to me. and it went away after that day.
I dont remember that happening during last donation. maybe i had an intense testosterone surge then. or maybe it was the crazy fermented tea. or a general lupron reaction. probably the latter.
shots 4-8 went fine. and 5 days later, i feel fine and theres no sign of the eczema or freaky feelings.
i've been alternating from right outer thigh to left outer thigh for the shots. theres no soreness. it hasn't affected my social life too much. i went to a show and brought the lupron in a refrigerated lunchbox, and excused myself from a conversation at the party to give myself the injection in private. i find the shots sometimes make my skin itch a bit near the injection site just afterwards. i think its because i dont wait for the alcohol to dry completely.
I was having menstrual cramps earlier in the week. and i remembered that i would normally have been on my period then. but they delayed my period one week. i had my last birth control pill on the 19th. and began spotting yesterday. my period was expected today, and it started. I still have to do daily 15U of lupron until the end of the week, when it will lower to 10U and then i'll start the follicle stimulating hormones. my estradiol level appointment is in a couple days. i'll update again then.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Lupron #2
so today has been kinda a weird day.
not sure what parts are side effects and what parts are just situational...
i got to go out to eat at my old favorite restaurant. had my favorite dish on the menu: a monster burrito with ranchero sauce and cole slaw and avocado. it was amazing. i used to go there all the time, but now its only once every few months if that. but it was really tasty and heavy. i couldn't finish it all.
came home. finished the leftovers. about an hour later i felt kinda nauseous and then had a terrible stomach ache that i just wanted to lay in bed until it went away. eventually i fell asleep and when i awoke from my nap the stomach ache was gone. so that sucked.
I was thinking about the Lupron side effects sheet and how it says things like: nausea, stomach cramps, ..., every possible ailment you could have apparently lupron causes it. but who knows why i had a stomach ache. could have been from all the acidity in my belly from the protein-rich lunch.
and then i noticed eczema on one of my fingers. i had eczema once, in 2003, went to the doctor they gave me a cream to keep it from itching. its a dry skin condition that can flare up when the immune system is weak, or when you dont eat enough fruit or when you're stressed out or whatever. It went away after 2003 and i haven't had it since. and this morning it came back.
its no big thing. you wouldn't be able to tell - you can barely see anything. but i know what it looks like and it felt a little itchy so i looked at it. on the lupron side effects sheet dry skin disorders was listed. along with crazy stuff like carcinoma of the skin/ear, and major fetal abnormalities.
then i managed to pick a fight with my husband, and i got emotional. then i thought about the testosterone surge i was expecting, and i wonder if that played a role? i dont think the testosterone surge would have even happened yet...
i'm going to go ahead and blame anything that happens to me for the next 2 weeks on Lupron
i also wonder how much my previous donation will affect any problems and side effects i might have with this donation. am i more likely to have problems? I think so... but i'm trying not to convince myself of that. i am a strong believer in the power of the mind to invent things physically that you expect to happen.
today's lupron shot itself was painless. it itched a little afterwards. i did the shot in my other thigh tonight. i'm going to switch back and forth in some sort of rotation. yesterday's shot location feels fine. took my zovia pill. the whole process of shot-giving and pill-popping took about 1 minute.
i'm keeping the lupron cold when i shoot it. i wonder how much this adds to the itchiness? i'm going to have to look up what i wrote about during last donation's shots (they're on this blog from last year). it has been a while and i haven't really learned from my mistakes.
not sure what parts are side effects and what parts are just situational...
i got to go out to eat at my old favorite restaurant. had my favorite dish on the menu: a monster burrito with ranchero sauce and cole slaw and avocado. it was amazing. i used to go there all the time, but now its only once every few months if that. but it was really tasty and heavy. i couldn't finish it all.
came home. finished the leftovers. about an hour later i felt kinda nauseous and then had a terrible stomach ache that i just wanted to lay in bed until it went away. eventually i fell asleep and when i awoke from my nap the stomach ache was gone. so that sucked.
I was thinking about the Lupron side effects sheet and how it says things like: nausea, stomach cramps, ..., every possible ailment you could have apparently lupron causes it. but who knows why i had a stomach ache. could have been from all the acidity in my belly from the protein-rich lunch.
and then i noticed eczema on one of my fingers. i had eczema once, in 2003, went to the doctor they gave me a cream to keep it from itching. its a dry skin condition that can flare up when the immune system is weak, or when you dont eat enough fruit or when you're stressed out or whatever. It went away after 2003 and i haven't had it since. and this morning it came back.
its no big thing. you wouldn't be able to tell - you can barely see anything. but i know what it looks like and it felt a little itchy so i looked at it. on the lupron side effects sheet dry skin disorders was listed. along with crazy stuff like carcinoma of the skin/ear, and major fetal abnormalities.
then i managed to pick a fight with my husband, and i got emotional. then i thought about the testosterone surge i was expecting, and i wonder if that played a role? i dont think the testosterone surge would have even happened yet...
i'm going to go ahead and blame anything that happens to me for the next 2 weeks on Lupron
i also wonder how much my previous donation will affect any problems and side effects i might have with this donation. am i more likely to have problems? I think so... but i'm trying not to convince myself of that. i am a strong believer in the power of the mind to invent things physically that you expect to happen.
today's lupron shot itself was painless. it itched a little afterwards. i did the shot in my other thigh tonight. i'm going to switch back and forth in some sort of rotation. yesterday's shot location feels fine. took my zovia pill. the whole process of shot-giving and pill-popping took about 1 minute.
i'm keeping the lupron cold when i shoot it. i wonder how much this adds to the itchiness? i'm going to have to look up what i wrote about during last donation's shots (they're on this blog from last year). it has been a while and i haven't really learned from my mistakes.
Monday, June 15, 2009
first lupron shot
i'm still on birth control pills. i think zovia causes mild cramps. those are the only side effects to report. mild cramping from the stupid birth control pills they've had me on for months. this is the 3rd pack of pills i'm working on. though they had me start a new pack of pills before i was even done with the other. probably to sync me up with the surrogate.
tonight was my first lupron shot: 15 U. the shot took a few minutes to prepare. just had to take the vial of lupron out of the fridge, get alcohol prep pads and the needle. pop the top of the lupron vial, wipe it with alcohol. wipe my outer thigh with alcohol. wait for them to dry. measure 15 U in the syringe, put the needle in the lupron vial, push in the plunger (putting 15 U of air in the lupron vial) then pulling out 15 U of lupron. making sure the vial is upright before pulling the needle out. then pinched the fat, stuck it with the tiny needle, pushed in the plunger slowly, then counted out a long 5 seconds. then slowly releasing the pinch, i pulled out the syringe. no blood at first. then half a minute later a tiny red dot.
easy.
my roommate almost passed out watching me. that was funny.
so this lupron stuff is crazy. it pulls increases calcium levels in the blood and reportedly creates 'bone pain'. i assume thats because it takes calcium from the osteoblasts in the bones more than they're used to? so i'm eating a lot of calcium. i got some calcium carbonate i've been mixing into everything i eat.
also i'm going to have a surge in testosterone for the first few days because of the lupron. i remember from my last donation feeling really energetic and happy, and i remember forgetting to eat. so i'm going to try to be mindful to eat a balanced diet even if im not hungry. cause thats just a side effect.
tonight was my first lupron shot: 15 U. the shot took a few minutes to prepare. just had to take the vial of lupron out of the fridge, get alcohol prep pads and the needle. pop the top of the lupron vial, wipe it with alcohol. wipe my outer thigh with alcohol. wait for them to dry. measure 15 U in the syringe, put the needle in the lupron vial, push in the plunger (putting 15 U of air in the lupron vial) then pulling out 15 U of lupron. making sure the vial is upright before pulling the needle out. then pinched the fat, stuck it with the tiny needle, pushed in the plunger slowly, then counted out a long 5 seconds. then slowly releasing the pinch, i pulled out the syringe. no blood at first. then half a minute later a tiny red dot.
easy.
my roommate almost passed out watching me. that was funny.
so this lupron stuff is crazy. it pulls increases calcium levels in the blood and reportedly creates 'bone pain'. i assume thats because it takes calcium from the osteoblasts in the bones more than they're used to? so i'm eating a lot of calcium. i got some calcium carbonate i've been mixing into everything i eat.
also i'm going to have a surge in testosterone for the first few days because of the lupron. i remember from my last donation feeling really energetic and happy, and i remember forgetting to eat. so i'm going to try to be mindful to eat a balanced diet even if im not hungry. cause thats just a side effect.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
calendars
So i'm still taking the birth control pills. i had my period and they started me on a new pack, then figured out a calendar - the plan, pretty much.
so i'm going to begin injecting lupron on the 15th of june. i take my last birth control pill on the 19th. on the 22nd i should expect a period. then i go in for my first lab appointment to do the FDA required tissue donation paperwork and check my estradiol levels. on the 27th, assuming everything looks normal, i'll begin injecting follistim and menopur as well as lupron. that goes for 5 days, then i have my first ultrasound on july 2nd. depending on how that looks, they may adjust my hormonal injections, and then i have another ultrasound on the 6th. and if the eggs look ripe and mature, my extraction date (depending on how the ultrasounds looks) will be on july 8th or 9th or 10th. so thats the official plan. my fertility doctor sent the prescription for the follicle stimulating hormones to the pharmacy and told me to call them. i called and left a message. last donation, they sent all the drugs in a refrigerated styrofoam box and scheduled a time for the delivery. i should try to call them again.
now the part i have to worry about, is making sure my workplace remembers to give me time off. last time it was really stressful for me to cover my shifts. somebody needs to go with me to the extraction surgery. so i need to make sure my husband can get time off work too. or somebody else.
I spoke with my family lawyer guy, he read the egg donor contract to me (and my husband) over speakerphone, and the next step is for me to mail the signed printed out copies of the contract back to his office. I'm still waiting for the final contract to get emailed to me.
at this point i only have 11 days until i begin starting injections. this is gonna sneak up on me fast. i've been really good about taking my vitamins and stuff. i gotta start calling my friends in L.A. now that i know what dates i'll be there. make some post appointment plans.
we are now entering the alcohol free and abstinence only phase. so i gotta transition my mind to straight-edge mentality and channel my sexual energy into more productive things.
i've been making long term plans about the money. this time around, the compensation is $10,000.00. last time it was $8,000.00 and i managed to blow it all on really fancy stuff, like this nice laptop and expensive digital design software and necessary dental work and car stuff and debt relief and a bunch of little things that, in retrospect, i think i would have been better off if i hadn't spent it so fast. 10,000 seems like a lot more money, but its not really. i could have saved that 8,000, and saved up a couple thousand on my own, and by now i'd have 20,000 with the 2 donations. I'm thinking about bigger things, like a down payment on a house. so for this donation, i'm cashing the check into my savings and just adding to it until i find a house i like enough to buy. mortgage payments are cheaper than rent. its almost tempting to donate eggs several more times just for the money for a house down payment. my case coordinator already told me that after this donation, i would likely get chosen again and again and again. but would i want to? i wanna have my own kids, and not quadruplets. i also worry about my own reproductive health, taking hormones and all. i'm not entirely convinced multiple donations are a healthy idea for my ovaries or cervix. another thing, i wonder if i'm going to go through menopause earlier in life, because of the overstimulation of my ovum? after the last donation i felt the sensation i was ovulating more than usual. could have just been the healing.
hmm.
so i'm going to begin injecting lupron on the 15th of june. i take my last birth control pill on the 19th. on the 22nd i should expect a period. then i go in for my first lab appointment to do the FDA required tissue donation paperwork and check my estradiol levels. on the 27th, assuming everything looks normal, i'll begin injecting follistim and menopur as well as lupron. that goes for 5 days, then i have my first ultrasound on july 2nd. depending on how that looks, they may adjust my hormonal injections, and then i have another ultrasound on the 6th. and if the eggs look ripe and mature, my extraction date (depending on how the ultrasounds looks) will be on july 8th or 9th or 10th. so thats the official plan. my fertility doctor sent the prescription for the follicle stimulating hormones to the pharmacy and told me to call them. i called and left a message. last donation, they sent all the drugs in a refrigerated styrofoam box and scheduled a time for the delivery. i should try to call them again.
now the part i have to worry about, is making sure my workplace remembers to give me time off. last time it was really stressful for me to cover my shifts. somebody needs to go with me to the extraction surgery. so i need to make sure my husband can get time off work too. or somebody else.
I spoke with my family lawyer guy, he read the egg donor contract to me (and my husband) over speakerphone, and the next step is for me to mail the signed printed out copies of the contract back to his office. I'm still waiting for the final contract to get emailed to me.
at this point i only have 11 days until i begin starting injections. this is gonna sneak up on me fast. i've been really good about taking my vitamins and stuff. i gotta start calling my friends in L.A. now that i know what dates i'll be there. make some post appointment plans.
we are now entering the alcohol free and abstinence only phase. so i gotta transition my mind to straight-edge mentality and channel my sexual energy into more productive things.
i've been making long term plans about the money. this time around, the compensation is $10,000.00. last time it was $8,000.00 and i managed to blow it all on really fancy stuff, like this nice laptop and expensive digital design software and necessary dental work and car stuff and debt relief and a bunch of little things that, in retrospect, i think i would have been better off if i hadn't spent it so fast. 10,000 seems like a lot more money, but its not really. i could have saved that 8,000, and saved up a couple thousand on my own, and by now i'd have 20,000 with the 2 donations. I'm thinking about bigger things, like a down payment on a house. so for this donation, i'm cashing the check into my savings and just adding to it until i find a house i like enough to buy. mortgage payments are cheaper than rent. its almost tempting to donate eggs several more times just for the money for a house down payment. my case coordinator already told me that after this donation, i would likely get chosen again and again and again. but would i want to? i wanna have my own kids, and not quadruplets. i also worry about my own reproductive health, taking hormones and all. i'm not entirely convinced multiple donations are a healthy idea for my ovaries or cervix. another thing, i wonder if i'm going to go through menopause earlier in life, because of the overstimulation of my ovum? after the last donation i felt the sensation i was ovulating more than usual. could have just been the healing.
hmm.
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