IVF/ICSI Treatment - Part Two: Follicle Stimulation and Menopur

Apologies, I haven't blogged for so long. I typed the post below ages ago then went into my own little bubble, which led to ultimately a very positive life affirming experience...

I will start to update the blog stage by stage as I remember it, so that it provides support and hope to others...Fast forward and you will find ICSI round two was a success. I'm now 19 weeks pregnant....However let's rewind to the continuation of ICSI round one and the follicle stimulation process...

So the next stage was to grow some strong follicles. Given my low AMH, we couldn't hold out for too many, but we just had to hope that those that did grow were strong enough!

After scan to see if Buserelin had worked, the nurse took me into another room to do the first stimulation injection.

I was given the Menopur pack, which had little viles of a powdery substance and lots of little ampules of water. For each injection I had to mix three powders with one water.

The nurse demonstrated how to do the injection:

• first she flicked the ampule to make sure all the water was in the base and then snapped off the top off (placing finger at blue dot). 
• She said sometimes it is difficult to take the top of the ampule without breaking it into little pieces of glass - but she said if this happens, there are plenty of ampules, so just use another.  
• She used the needle to pull up the water. She then put the needle in the first powder and told me to make sure that you see all the powder is dissolved.  
• She then pulled up the new liquid and explained that there can be a bit of a vacuum in the little jars which can make it tough to pull the liquid. 
• She did the same again with jar two, saying "try and get all the liquid up" (which later I found you don't need to worry too much about). 
• She left me to do the third, and though a bit of a challenge. Somehow I managed it. 
• Then the process of injection, was very much the same as the Buserelin...make sure no large air bubbles and squeeze liquid up so a tiny little drop appears on top of needle, then place in belly and inject...Easy?!

Warning, do not follow the next para as an example of how it should be done (that comes later): Well the next day I got up 30 minutes earlier than normal to give myself the injection. I thought that would be plenty of time...but I then found the process very stressful and started to panic as I knew a friend was coming to pick me up to take me to work. Firstly, I struggled to break off the top of the ampule. I manage to get some very small cuts (smaller than paper cuts) between my finger and thumb. I then tried to use paper towel in between and was of course shaking. Then I put needle in the first powder (still shaking)...and "wow, I didn't remember the vacuum being this tough yesterday". Struggled through powders one and two. Gulp. Took several deep breaths and tried to put needle in third jar. Vacuum kicked in before needle was fully in and the liquid went everywhere but in the jar! Arrrgghhh! Had to do it all over again - nerves shattered and clock ticking. I did it, but felt like I'd still lost some of the liquid - but had to get to work.

And then I did the thing I should have done all along, I Tweeted and a lovely Tweep came to my rescue: @earnestsmummy - she gave me Top Tip Number 1:

A simple way to reduce strength of vacuum:

• Follow process of pulling liquid from ampule into syringe
• Place liquid in water
• Pull empty needle out
• Pull air into syringe
• Put needle back in jar and insert air into jar
• With finger still pressed so no air sooked back into syringe, pull out
• I repeated this process two or three times and discovered that the vacuum was next to none, so was much easier to pull the liquid out.

After doing this for the first time, it was like a completely different process. However it still felt like I didn't sook all the liquid up.  I thought nurse had said I should really make sure I get it all, so I called the clinic. As they have been so many times before and since, they were really lovely and helpful - they reassured me that it was difficult to get all liquid and not to worry if it was only very little - phew!

So after this it became easier and easier.

After the Stims process in round one, I had 4 visible follicles, so egg collection went ahead...