Ow, my ass.

So this morning I was a lunatic. Scared about my IM injection.

Mark woke me up this morning to take my shot and I was highly anxious. And by highly anxious I mean marriage-damaging with my fright, raving like a lunatic, shaking - I was terrified about my shot.

(this is after 10 tattoos and a natural birth.)

Mark was patient, gentle and ready to take aim. (a little TOO ready if you ask me)

To make a very long story short (like seriously 45 minutes of raving/ranting/worrying) finally I was in position, ready for the inch and a half needle to plummet into the depths of my poor muscle. I felt like a cow. I wondered if my butt was a sirloin or a nice filet. I hope a filet so the muscle would be tender. :-)

BOOM. Needle in. Oh damn, that's not so bad, oh wait, OW, ok, almost done, OW, ok ready to pull it out, ok DONE. Needle is out. WHEW. IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!!!

right???

Mark looks at me. And looks at the needle.

"Oh no, there's still medication in the needle. Royal fuck up. I'm so sorry."

"Oh my god. We have to do this AGAIN?"

"Like I said, royal fuck up. Totally my bad."

I had to laugh. The look on his face and the hilarity of the entire morning was laughable and fit for a cartoon.

BOOM, in goes the second one. Done, for real this time.

Until tonight. And two times tomorrow and twice daily for the following five days. :-)

My butt is certainly sore, almost down to the kneepcap but it just feels like my brother punched/kneed me hard in thigh like he did that one Christmas. (grumble, grumble)

I feel much better about the process now and am not as fearful as before. I'm sure I'll get anxious before each injection but at least I know what I'm in for, and at least I have one hell of a nurse.

Thanks, honey. :-)

T - 5.5 days (Transfer Date Confirmed!!)

Wow. Less than a week.

I went into my ultrasound and blood work appointment today. As I was walking into the hospital, I saw the doctor who was about to give me the u/s crossing the parking lot. How odd I thought, this man crossing the parking lot is about to have a wand in my vag in less than 10 minutes. Yes, these thoughts do permeate my head, and yes you do get the pleasure of reading them. :-)

My estrogen came back as 967!!! From 285??? Holla!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. O said my uterine lining already passed the thickness they require (8-12 MM) and I'm at 13.5. He said it's time to pull the trigger and get this embryo home.

The nurse called and confirmed my embryo transfer is on...........

Wednesday September 29, 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so it is. My next steps are as follows:

• Stop the fucking Lupron. (Ok, so she didn't say that verbatim but you get it.)
• Continue putting 4 patches of estrogen on my stomach every 48 hours
• Begin taking Medrol
• Continue vaginal pills of Estrace
• START THE HORRIBLE ASS INTRAMUSCULAR SHOTS IN MY ASS

I dread these injections in my butt and to think of a toddler running around whilst Mark trying to give me one makes me sick to my stomach. I think we may put him in the empty bathtub with some toys and run out and do the injection. The one time Mark 'wiggled' the needle while it was inside my muscle I almost fell out of the bed writhing in pain. I felt impaled. I was sure he took a sword to my ass. He did not. He 'wiggled'.

• Transfer booked
• Nanny booked
• Acupuncture before and after the transfer booked

It's close. I can feel it.

T- 7.5 days

Holy nausea. Yikes. So familiar with first trimester sickness, the past 5 days or so has gotten more and more nauseous . Like a boat, really. I'm hanging in there but woah, bed spins without the fun part before.

So, thanks for that four Vivelle patches. I look forward to meeting your other four brothers tomorrow. :-)

Thursday is my last estrogen check and they will call me later that afternoon to confirm my transfer day for sure. This is also the dreaded day I start the IM injections. See here.

My butt is quivering already.

T- 10 days

It's always so validating when the doctor sticks in the vaginal ultrasound wand and goes "Great, great!" with a big smile on her face. Ding! Where before I would ponder over every shadow and stripe, I saw what looked to me like a sparkling shiny uterus and I was happy, ready to go now!

She said my uterine lining looked "wonderful!"

Just got the call from the clinic staff, my estrogen went from 155 to 285!!! Nicely done uterus. Like open arms you have, welcoming our little one into your cozy great room.

My next steps instructions:

-Begin vaginal pill of additional estrogen tonight (Estrace)

-Continue Lupron injections

-Add 4 estrogen patches

-LAST Appointment (OMFG!!) - 9/23