So we had our first IVF appointment today with Dr. Haas in Arlington and I would say it went well to pretty well. I can't tell you how awkward it is when your doctor draws what he is explaining to you. During our consultation, he drew a cup (when he was talking about Josh's "specimen"), he drew sperm and then he drew my eggs. Yes, we did keep his artwork because he gave it to us b/c it actually does list the stages we will go through over 6 weeks. But more than anything it is just funny to look at.
Yes you read that right, this process takes 6 weeks!!!! I had no idea it would take that long when we started looking into all this. I thought I would go in, pay him my gajillion dollars and then everything would take place within a week! Not so much.....
On my first day of menses (you like these technical terms I have learned?), I will start a month of blood work and sonograms. He said it is very similar to when I went through IUI. I have the hcg shot to release my eggs, trial transfer, yadda yadda yadda.
Then comes the day Josh is dreading more than anything else on the earth, I start injections on the next cycle. He did say we will be starting out with a pretty aggressive treatment to stimulate my follicles and I will more than likely experience the mood swings I had with Clomid. So please pray for us (especially Josh). If I snap at you, please remember, it isn't really me, it is the hormones. And more often than not, when I am on the hormones and I snap, I will feel bad after and automatically start crying.
Oh and it gets better, not just a few injections, not just one a day, I will have to give myself injections in my tummy TWICE a DAY!!!! AAHHH!! But I will go to a class with a nurse that tells me how to do it. I am not sure what he means by class. Probably just I go in and the nurse is like "here's how you do it". I am thinking about breaking down and having Josh give me the shots because I don't think I can shoot myself in the tummy even once, let alone twice a day for 2 weeks!! So during these two weeks, you will probably want to avoid me like the plague. If these meds are anything like Clomid, I will be a raging "B" by day 3. Then they will go in and put me under and get all my lovely eggs that the horrible mean medicine will help my body make. Come on big number!!!! They will then take Josh's lil duders and actually insert them into the eggs (this is called ICSI, which is more extensive than just IVF) Hopefully at least 2 of my eggs will mature and his duders will do their thing and grow big and strong so they can put them back in my belly. (I keep picturing Fat Bastard saying "Get in my belly!!" when I think about this part, hehehehehe) and then we wait 12 days and go back for blood work. If the blood work comes back pregnant, then I will go back in at least once more for a sonogram to ensure there is a heartbeat. Then if everything works out, they will release me to go to my OBGYN.
Whew, that was a lot. I am sure I am leaving tons out. I wish I had his drawings with me to spark my memory...but this is pretty much what is going to happen.....Maybe I will scan his time table and drawings in on Monday so you guys can see it too.
