Haisla's Adventures in Endoland

So, AF arrived on Monday. I dutifully rang Nurse Nelly; couldn't get hold of her so left a message expecting her to ring back and tell me when I was to go and see her again (for the first injection? a scan? some blood tests and maybe a cup of tea?).

She rang me back on Tuesday afternoon at work and told me she would book me a scan for Monday 18th, but that I should come in and pick up the needles before 5pm, since I would need to have the first injection that night or we mightn't be able to fit this cycle in before the Bank Holiday Monday when the clinic is shut (Whooaatt?!!).

How I manage to remain calm in these situations is still a little beyond me. So, despite the fact that M. had been to see her the week before (and had begged her to give him the needles) here she was now, asking me to come in and pick them up as a matter of urgency before 5pm or the cycle would be cancelled. I was finishing work at 5.30pm and the journey to the hospital is one hour at minimum - no chance.

So, cue in a panicky phone call to M. asking him whether he could get to the hospital by 5pm. He wasn't best pleased (understandably), but checked with his boss and was given permission to leave a little early. Situation saved.

But seriously, I am not sure how much more unimpressed I could get.

I don't think Nurse Nelly does this on purpose or out of meanness at all. She is just a little.. dozy.  She seems to live in her own little NHS bubble, and therefore forgets that patients 'may' have a life outside of the NHS, as well as other commitments that 'may' need to be taken into consideration.. The trouble is that her sweet demeanour and sort of bumbling personality means that no-one probably ever has the heart to have a go at her, so she just carries on bumbling along.. She is mostly harmless, but by golly does she at times send me reeling.

Anyway, I digress.

M. got the needles and the somewhat confusing injection instructions from Nelly (no videos, no DVDs, just verbal instructions. Welcome to the Easyjet of ART). By 11pm we were still unsure whether we were meant to be doing subcutaneous or intramuscular injections (i.e. into the belly fat or into the bottom muscle). As Nelly had many times repeated "just like the last time" referring to the HCG shot, we decided on the bum (I checked with N. the following day and she confirmed that this had been correct).

The first one was virtually pain-free. I think the nerves beforehand were far worse than the actual event. The following two (every second morning) haven't been quite so smooth, but still quite bearable. Vigorous rubbing of the injection site afterwards seems to quell the ache and the mild burning sensation.

I am still eternally grateful that M. has no needle phobia, so I can just lay on my belly and think of England while he mixes the junk and then does the actual stabbing. I am so, so very pleased.

Strangely, I think I prefer the injections to Clomid (I am on Menopur 150iu, which I believe, is the same stuff that is sometime used in IVF cycles, too(?), so I feel like it's sort of a step up and a good practice round as we slowly move towards IVF). I haven't really had many side effects; maybe some mild mood swings (e.g. a deep sense of poignancy, but no crying spells yet and a bout of rage relating to discarded bin bags at work, which I managed to nip in the bud). I have also been incredibly tired, but in a pleasant sort of sleepy way, which I don't mind at all.

So that's this cycle so far. It does feel a bit like some kind of a crazy hurdles race, where obstacles are constantly thrown our way and we need to somehow try to stumble over them towards the finishing line, which equally is continually being moved further away. But at least we're still in the race, eh?!

First scan on Monday and then presumably another one again on Wednesday and I would imagine that the actual 'procedure' will take place either Thurs or Fri. I think that has been one of the most frustrating parts of this whole ART experience- not knowing exactly when things will actually be happening and then having to rearrange things at work accordingly, and at times letting people down at a very short notice.

I am mildly excited, though. It's kind of nice knowing that medical science has taken over our reproductive lives again and that the pressure is off.

Now I just need to try to be assertive when I see the RE on Monday. I need to ask her how my lining is doing and if it's not doing well, what she is going to do about it. And whether I could, pretty please, have some progesterone to stop the pesky spotting this cycle around.

So upwards and onwards we go.