One more hoop to jump through that gets us a little closer to our goal

12/13/16 - Cycle Day 4

Taking medications for an STD you know you don't have seems a little odd, but that is just another step of IVF that we have to do. One more hoop to jump through that gets us a little closer to our goal.
Today I filled Z-packs for both Cam and myself. The purpose is to treat chlamydia  - you know, just in case you are lying and the infectious disease labs didn't detect it.

I also picked up my birth control pills, which I will begin taking in the morning. I am supposed to only take the active pills, so I put an 'x' on all the blisters that I am not to take. I finally found out exactly what they are intended for in the IVF process:

• Helps to shut down the ovaries so that they are not stimulating prior to your IVF cycle. They are usually started on Day 3 of your menses and last for 2 to 6 weeks. Birth control pills also help us with the flexibility in scheduling your cycle.

• Lupron protocol: you will start BCP’s on day 3 of your menses and continue on them for several days after you start Lupron.

• Ganirelix & Micro Lupron protocol: you will start BCP’s on day 3 of menses and stop them on the day prior to starting stimulation medications. 

I'm not sure yet which protocol I will be on, but I was on the Ganirelix protocol last time.

Today I also received a message from our IVF coordinator with our consent forms, check lists, a sample timeline (which is actually pretty close to what I came up with in the last post) and patient education information. 

We still have to pay for our IVF cycle and the medications before the end of December, and attend the online education they offer on the IVF cycle, but other than that, we are all set! 

I am getting more excited every minute. The anxiety I have had is still there, lurking in the background, but I must say, having something productive to do, a checklist to work off of and complete has made today much better.

Also helping me to cope with my anxiety is my knitting, I said before that I have been teaching myself to make socks. I am almost through with my first one! I have no idea if it will fit, but... it has helped me pass the time. I had to watch a lot of YouTube videos in order to understand the pattern, so I think I am going to write a post about it - just in case any of my friends decide to give it a try. (It is quite relaxing) 

**UPDATE**
I didn't feel this warranted a post on its own. 
I HATE BCP PILLS!! 

I really hate them. I feel bloated and like I could toss my tacos at any minute. I also have a weird, almost dizzy headache that won't go away. I just keep telling myself that it is worth it and it will not last long. I've only taken three pills and I would really like to just be able to skip this part. (Of course, I won't as silly as it seems, it really is a vital part of the process.) 

"It is worth it, it is worth it, it is worth it, it better be worth it, I hope it's worth it, it WILL be worth it..."