IVF treatment. Part 1 - Buserelin Injections

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...

First Buserelin injection - what was I worried about!

So that's me just done my first Buserelin injection. Although the nurse had been great about showing me what to do and saying "you can't really go wrong." I still was worried about inserting that little needle into my skin for the first time... If you've not done it before, it is true what they say - you don't need to worry.

So I will talk you through the process I went through....

• 8am Got up. Looked out all the kit, plus cotton wool balls and an ice pack.
• 8am to about 8.15am. Double, triple and quadruple checked I had everything and had read the handy crib sheet provided to me by NHS Lothian.
• 8.15am to 8.30am. Started questioning if I could remember everything the nurse told me to do at the last appointment, then decided to have a look on YouTube to find a video of someone who could provide insight for the point of view of being the patient. Found this great video from @chelenic 

Then I just got on with it:

• Used icepack to numb tummy (in hindsight, don't think this was really required)
• Took the Buserelin, removed the cap, swabbed top with antiseptic wipe
• Also swabbed area for injection on tummy with antiseptic wipe
• Opened packs with cute little syringe and, not so cute larger needle (with yellow cap). 
• Also half-opened slightly less scary looking small needle (with green cap)
• Slotted large needle on top of syringe (without touching needle, so keeping it half in the pack)
• Turned Buserelin bottle upside down.
• Placed large needle in and slowly pulled down approx 1ml/1.5ml of Buserelin (top tip from nurse to take in more than full dose initially).
• With the needle still in the upturned bottle - Spotted one wee air bubble, so tapped...tapped again...and again...and again...and again...mildly panicked that I couldn't get air bubble out...then stopped being a woose and tapped a little harder a few more times and it eventually moved.
• Then (still with upturned bottle) put excess liquid back into Buserelin vile (only needed 0.5ml).
• Removed needle from bottle, which was still upturned (it has a rubber seal, which is very tight so you don't need to worry about liquid coming out).
• Removed yellow needle and replaced with small green capped needle (again being careful not to touch the needle)
• Rubbed tummy again with antiseptic wipe (am I sounding a little OCD?)
• Pinched skin...paused...pinched skin again...paused...questioned "am I doing it right?" said back to myself "Just get on with it!" (going ever so slightly mad).
• Placed needle to skin and gently pushed...It was in before I knew it or could really feel it.
• Started to slowly inject Buserelin...nipped only very slightly (less than a slight pinch of the skin), however the nipping eased if I slowed a little
• Gently removed the needle and that was it!
• Lastly followed @chelenic's fab tip of pressing down on the injection site afterwards to stop any last irritations.

And now my journey has moved onto the next stage...Will aim to keep more of a log here as and if things develop (I gather I could be experiencing a mini menopause over the next couple of weeks). 

Due to have the Buserelin injections up to 26 July, when I will go in for them to check if I'm ready to start the process of kick starting follicle production.

Here's to being another step closer! (though obviously toasting with a soft drink, not least because it is morning, but of course to also maximise my chances of the ICSI treatment working!)