Happy Dance!!

I would like to announce that I will be stopping all meds this evening.  I have two shots left tonight, one of progesterone and one of estrogen.  Then I am DONE!!!

My behind is beyond painful right now.  I have numbness, knots the size of pickles (yes in that length), new and old bruises and soreness.  I am hoping that by the 3rd trimester my back side will be back to it's normal self and not the beat up that it looks now.  I would share pictures but I will spare you all that awfulness. ha  Yeah for the final day of shots!!!

Yes I am a bit excited about this moment!  I never thought I would hate shots so much in my life but after giving myself roughly 75 shots I am done.  I don't want to see these shots for a while for sure!

Side Effects

Since being on delestrogen shots I have had a few side effects that I wasn't expecting and was texting or calling a friend freaking thinking something was wrong.  Only to discover that it is just one of the many side effects of the hormone they have me on.  If it wasn't for friends who have been on these meds I would think I was going to die.

All my shots are done at night and so these effects don't hit me until the following day if I'm lucky.  One of the first things to hit me and hit me hard was the worst and I mean WORST headache I've ever had.  I spread from my neck clear to my eyes and then rotated back and forth.  No amount of fluids and rest would make that beast go away.  I am anti taking medicine so I just waited it out and hoped for the best.  Having an awesome headache right now and it just plain sucks!

I went for a run the day after the shot and although it had been a while since I had ran I was having what felt like a panic attack, completely drenched in sweat, super red faced and it wasn't like I sprinted by any means.  I couldn't figure out what was going on until when I was doing nothing in the cool air conditioned apartment and a rush went over me and then I knew I was having a hot flash.  Welcome to hormone induced menopause!  I completely get it now mom, I still don't feel like it needs to be 50 degrees in the house at all times of the day and year round. :)

Emotional roller coaster was almost left out and then I got the sweetest text from Mrs. California and I was practically in tears.  I don't usually cry, like ever unless something is really just amazing!  I just feel so blessed to be helping such an amazing family and count them as my forever friends and apart of my life!  The mountains the Lord has moved for us to be apart of this journey together is simply amazing and a miracle!

I have had bouts of nausea and tiredness as well which are just preparing me for the awesomeness known to the first trimester!

As much as the side effects aren't very fun I would do it all over again to help this family or any family.  I know the outcome is going to be amazing!

Shot #2

Shot #2 I really thought I would have the courage to just stick myself but it just didn't happen.  I was so nervous and called my babysitter/cousin if she would give me the shot.  I got over there when I went to pick up my daughter and her husband was there and used to be an EMT so he was showing her how to do it and was ready to give it to me.  I brought all of my supplies for it!  This shot stung more but I think it was because it was lower then the other one was.  It got done though and my daughter was there holding my hand to comfort me.  She has been so sweet about mommy getting all these shots!  If she could she would probably fix me dinner and baby me!

First shot

I started my shots on Friday evening and was going to attempt to do it myself and quickly chickened out.  I called a friend to see if she could help me and she said her mom was home and would do it for me.  I drove the 20 minutes, yes I was too scared to do it myself and didn't want to explain to a neighbor (haven't told too many people) what it was for when I just wanted the shot and then to go home and to bed.

We got there and I had no idea what or how to do this and the directions weren't that great.  We ended up having to wait for my friend to get off of work to help me out.  She got there and found out we were putting the meds in the wrong syringe which could have been really bad.  I put the 18 Gauge needle on the syringe and put .2 in and then switch the needle out to the 25 gauge.  My clinic didn't want to spend the extra 50 cents per needle I guess and had originally sent me 22 gauge needles.  Not bad but unless they are going to have to attempt at some point to stick this in your behind, no thanks!  My friend gave me her extras which I greatly appreciate!!  What my instructions didn't really explain to me very well is that once I stick myself with the needle I need to pull back on the syringe to make sure I don't get any blood in the back flow.  Making sure I didn't accidentally hit a blood vessel, which wouldn't be a good thing to insert the meds into my blood.

My friends mom drew circles where I needed to put the needle and I really was going to attempt to do it myself and then felt better her helping guide my hand.  That helped and it really wasn't that bad but boy was a shaky and nervous about screwing it up.  She checked the back flow and then we inserted very, very slowly the medicine.  The medicine is super thick and so it took a little while for it to go completely in but it was good for a first time.  I think next time I will attempt to do it myself and just lay on my side like I've heard some other girls do.

Birth Control

So I have been on the pill for a while now, long before I started this journey to being a gestational carrier.  I liked the pill I was on before I started this journey and it made me feel okay.  The pill they have put me on makes me feel absolutely crazy.  I feel all over the place emotion wise and I don't like it.  I can happily say I took my last pill this weekend and will hopefully be off of them for the next 10 months!! :)

Meds

Those who don't know when you are a gestational carrier you do IVF just as if it were your own embryos only you are using the couples.  We need to ensure that everything is just so and that my body doesn't discard or attack the embryos when they are transferred, hence the billion meds I will be taking.

I will be taking delestrogen every Friday and Monday til we transfer and possibly longer, haven't heard about it being longer yet.  I'll also be taking an antibiotic the first week of shots which is fine by me.  A week prior to transfer date I will start the Progesterone in Oil shots every single day.  I am probably the most nervous about these shots only because I've heard horror stories about them.  Everyone has described the PIO shot as thick peanut butter going in, so a little uncomfortable.  They have ordered crinone suppositories which is to substitute the PIO shots once we get a positive beta but I am not sure how I feel about the suppository.  I might request to just stay on the shots instead of doing the suppository.  We will see how badly my rear needs a break from shots.

I seriously did the happy dance and jumping up and down over getting this package, it was like Christmas Day only in July!