Since I last posted, I'm almost finished with round-one of ICSI/IVF. For much of this period I have felt slightly exhausted and only now beginning to feel a little more like me again. However, it has also been an amazing process - I feel very blessed to have learned more about this awe-inspiring treatment and to have met some of the wonderful team that work at the EFREC Centre in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
So where to begin. I don't want to bore you, but want to share some experiences, learnings and insights that may help others going through the same. For this post I will discuss the down-regulating Buserelin treatment:
The injections really weren't that tough to do in the end. When I began I started recording my experiences:
Day One
I charted my injection experience in the last blog. Afterwards there was a little reddening of the skin around injection site, but it settled as the day went on - the nurse told me to expect this.
I watched Andy Murray play the Wimbledon final and wept like a baby at the end - though you'd need a skin of steel not to be touched by his own emotion. He did us all very proud.
Straight away I noticed I was exhausted in the evening - not sure if this was due to the hormones or simply because I hadn't slept so well the night before worrying that I wouldn't be able to do them (I had absolutely nothing to worry about too!). I turned my light off to go to sleep at 9pm.
I experienced very vivid dreams and night sweats through the night.
Day two
Fumbled a bit with the needles this morning. Felt very clumsy. Somehow struggled to keep needle on syringe. However, manage to do the injection with even less discomfort than day one (and that wasn't much at all either). There was a little scratchiness and nipping as the Buserelin obviously moved into my system, but again using @chelenic's tip of pressing down on injection site after removing the needle relieved discomfort. There's a little reddening of the skin around injection site, but just the same as yesterday.
Day three
Put needle fully in bottle, but liquid getting lower, so initially got lots of air bubbles (should have listened again to the video above). Put liquid back in - moved needle out a bit so top tip was clearly in the liquid and had another go. Second time lucky. Hands were slightly shaky this morning, but didn't cause any more discomfort. Definitely feeling lower in physical energy than before, but mentally OK. Very tired by about 4pm.
My tolerance levels for petty office niggles were low - not necessarily bad for me as sometimes told I'm too tolerant in these situations and try to hard to please others. Now for bad ass me - well at least a version of me that just ignores and walks away.
Developing slightly redder spots on chin than normal, but imagining that this is all the hormones coming out. Slightly achy.
Trying to be careful with what I eat because I know that metabolism is a bit slower on Buserelin! But, must, must go swimming again soon...
Day four onwards
I stopped recording my experiences after day four, as they were very much the same. It got easier and easier. I only had very little bruises by the time I went in to see if I was ready to begin the stimulating drugs. It didn't make me feel very tired, but other than that I didn't get too many side-effects. It worked within the timeline expected and I was ready for part 2...Follicle stimulation and Menopur...
