Nugget's Story - Shots, Shots and More Shots

On July 11, we were notified that we did not get a third couple for our cycle and we were set to go ahead with just the one other couple.  The next day, our nurse sent me my medication protocol and called in all my meds.  I feel pretty positive that I took a picture of the giant pile of medicine I picked up from the specialty pharmacy, but now I can't find it.  Trust me that it was a ton and you never want to be handed that many syringes and sharps containers at once.

At this point I've been on birth control pills for months.  When you are doing a donor egg IVF cycle, you do not want your body doing anything on it's own and as a part of a shared cycle the donor and the recipients have to have their cycles in sync.  So, one more month of birth control for me, so that all three of us can get on the same cycle.

My Protocol:

7/3 -8/6  stay on birth control pills for 35 days, all active pills

8/4 - begin Lupron shots daily, 20 units each morning.  This is a subcutaneous shot that goes in your belly fat.  Lupron is used to treat prostate cancer, endometriosis and premature puberty in children.  Therefore, my insurance covered it and I only paid $75 for a 14-day kit, rather than $216.

8/6 - stop birth control pills, but keep doing the Lupron shots.

8/10 - this day I had to go in for an ultrasound and blood work in order to make sure that my ovaries weren't doing anything.  After a call back that afternoon, I stopped the Lupron shots and started Del Estrogen shots.

8/10 - begin .20cc Del Estrogen shots every three days.  These shots are intramuscular shots to the butt.  I can't reach my own hip and see what I am doing, so Jim had to do these shots (and all the IM shots) for me.  Del Estrogen is used to treat the symptoms of menopause and is not covered by insurance.  It was $86.59.

On 8/19, the donor started her medication to stimulate egg production.  On 8/23, I had an appointment for blood work and ultrasound to check the lining of my uterus.

On 8/29 - begin progesterone in oil shots daily.  This is also an IM shot and is by far the worst of the medicines.  The oil is thick and it has to go in slowly.  It makes a knot and if you are extra lucky like me, after awhile, it make you itch.  It is also not covered by insurance (but some progesterone is) and cost $114 for three vials.  If the IVF works, I'll be getting these shots until I am 8 weeks pregnant, so I will need a refill of this script.  Then they will be replaced with a progesterone suppository for 2 or 3 more weeks.

8/30 - Egg retrieval day!  This is also the day that Jim has to drop off his sample for wash and fertilization.


Part VI:  Egg Retrieval, Fertilization and Transfer