Mock Cycle

May 26, 2011:

Journal entry:

"I met with Joy from ORM this morning before work. We went over the mock cycle that I will be starting soon. Basically, it is a test run for the embryo transfer. It includes some injections of a medicine called Delestrogen, lots of blood tests and a test called a hysterosalpingogram or (HSG). She wanted to show me how to inject the medication and how to correctly use the syringes, etc. Thank goodness I have Traci to help! No way am I going to be shooting myself with a needle!"


My friend's mom, and actually an old co-worker of mine Traci is a nurse and lives about 3 minutes away from me. Thankfully! She agreed to help give me the injections so I didn't have to do it myself. I would start taking the Delestrogen twice a week the day after my next menstrual cycle. Based on my birth control pill packet, that should be coming up in a week or so!

June 4, 2011:

Journal entry:

"I officially started my period today, so that means I start injections tomorrow! I received a package from FedEx today with all that I will need for the mock cycle: syringes, needles, medication, alcohol swabs, bandaids, and sharps containers. I opened the package on my bed and I seriously look like a drug addict. Sent a picture to mom and she said "yikes!" I have to take the Delestrogen at night so tomorrow Peyton and I are having dinner over at Traci's then she'll give me the shot before we go home. Hope it doesn't hurt too bad." 


Literally opening the FedEx package I was in shock how much went into just the mock cycle, a test-run and much SHORTER amount of medication than I would be taking once we started the actual calendar leading up to the real embryo transfer. My goodness! What had I gotten myself into? Again I say, thank goodness for having nurse friends that live close! By the looks of the needles in the package, there was no way I was getting ANYWHERE near them myself. I'd leave that to the professionals.

June 5, 2011:

Journal entry:

"The first shot was a success! And a piece of cake! I could barely feel it, but it was a very SLOW shot. By slow, I mean the medication itself is a very THICK liquid so Traci had to slowly inject it. I haven't noticed any side effects, just kind of sore around the injection site. I am supposed to massage the area after the shot for a minute or so just to help the flow of the medicine and keep it from staying in that one area."


It really wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, especially since I had seen the needle itself and how thick the Delestrogen is. The mock cycle has the Delestrogen dose slowly increase each time, so hopefully the shots stayed nice and easy, and painless.

June 8, 2011:

Journal entry:

"Second shot was a success as well! This thing is pretty easy so far. Tomorrow I have my HSG procedure in the morning at Siker Medical center in Portland, then I will head to work afterward. The nurse I spoke to at Siker said that likely I will have a little bit of cramping afterward, but it shouldn't last for more than 10-15 minutes and I will be good to go! Basically, from what I understand, the procedure is to make sure that there isn't any blockage in my uterus or ovaries that may cause a problem with the embryo transfer. I have to take an antibiotic pill before I go in, and then one tomorrow night as well just to prevent infection from the procedure."


It feels so good to be into the mock cycle and having tests done specifically regarding the embryo transfer itself. I was so excited because it meant we were that much closer to the actual transfer, and hoping that this HSG thing went smoothly.

June 9, 2011:

Journal entry:

"Worst. Pain. Ever. So much for 10-15 minutes of cramping and I will be good to go, thanks a lot nurse. Not only was the procedure itself painful (the Dr. blames it on my slightly tilted uterus) but I literally have been in pain non-stop since I left the office. I went to work briefly, took tylenol to help with the pain and took a nap upstairs during my lunch break, but I couldn't stay. There was absolutely no way I could function, and I can barely function right now. That was the worst thing I have gone through."


I posted on Facebook about how painful this procedure was, and how horribly disgusting I felt and surprisingly a couple of friends of mine had went through the procedure before as well. Both of them, though, said it was a little crampy but that was it. So what am I? Just the odd ball out, one of very few people who get this much pain? Yay me!

June 10, 2011:

Journal entry:

"Had a quick blood draw today at ORM to check my estradiol levels and get the amount of mL for my next Delestrogen shots. I will have another blood draw on the 17th along with an ultrasound."


June 17, 2011:

"I had my 'mock transfer' today! A lot less painful, and a lot less complicated than I thought it would be. Basically, I had to show up with a full bladder (so I started drinking water an hour before the appointment) and they did an ultrasound to check the lining of my uterus and how it was responding to the injections. My REALLY hot doctor, no joke, told me that everything looked great with the lining and then performed the 'mock transfer'. Basically they use this little tiny catheter to implant the embryos. Since it was just a 'mock' transfer and not with the actual embryos, they put some dye up there and watched it on the ultrasound to see where it would flow to. Took a matter of a minute for the transfer itself. Crazy how quick it will be when they do the actual one.


Joy, the original rep from ORM I had been working with up until now is no longer going to be at the practice. She is "retiring" to stay home with her kids. So everything is now going to be through someone named Carrie, who I met today.


She called me after the appointment to let me know that my estradiol levels looked great, so I have to start taking this pill called Provera for 7 days, which is supposed to bring on a period. I JUST had a period... ugh. This should be fun!"


I remember thinking that the mock transfer, and the embryo transfer itself were going to be absolutely painful and also both extremely lengthy in time. Who knew that it only took a matter of 60 seconds to impregnate someone, hypothetically of course. I would take my last injection of Delestrogen in just a couple days, and wait for the period brought on by Provera and then call Carrie to let her know the first day of my cycle. As far as I knew we were right on track for the actual transfer next month.