16 - Shot practice (June 18th, 2008)

The next appointment was meeting with a nurse. She handed us a very large binder, with a ton of info (we haven't been through the whole thing yet). She mainly explained the drugs and the medical aspects of the ivf process in detail. A large part of this time was spent going through the motions with practice drugs (just saline)...including giving yourself (or having your partner give you) a shot. Basically, the shots prior to egg retrieval are relatively painless. They can be given in your stomach or upper thigh (the nurse said you should probably rotate them to avoid getting sore). The needle is not much longer than a 1/2 inch. This practice session really put my mind at ease.

The night prior to retrieval, you do have to get a larger, inter muscular shot in the rear...less fun. You can either give yourself this shot, have your partner give you this shot, or, if neither of those options sound appealing, you can call for a CCRM nurse to come to your hotel room to give you the shot. Option three, please....I mean, if it is available, I might as well take advantage of it.

I believe the horror stories about the ivf shots are a result of the second part of the ivf process - the progesterone shots. These are the inter muscular big shots in the rear that must be given every day for up to several weeks - starting just prior to retrieval. However, there is another option - vaginal suppositories of progesterone. This is the messier option and must be done three times a day. However, it is a nice alternative to those who have an adverse relationship with the needle. I haven't decided which one of these options I will do.