Saturday 23 July 2011

Triple Stripe

I went in for another ultrasound and blood test yesterday. According to the nurse I've got thick "triple stripe" lining. I don't know exactly what triple stripe lining is but apparently it's good. It's what they want you to have before embryo transfer so I'm over the moon. I'm sure I could look it all up and figure out why it's good but I try not to get caught up in all the medical talk because it gets confusing.

In my mind it's like when you make the bed up for house guests. I've got to make the bed look really comfy, cushy, and soft so that the house guests (in this case embryos) want to nestle in and stay for a while. Actually it's the opposite of having house guests. You only want house guests to stay for a short while so you don't want the bed to be too comfy. Anyone who has had an extended visit from the in-laws will know what I'm talking about. I've gone slightly off topic haven't I?

In this case I want the embryo we implant to get so comfy that he or she stays and grows into a cuddly squishy baby. So I'm making the ultimate guest bed with lots of pillows and a soft fluffy duvet to snuggle in. The kind of bed that you want to lie in all day and not get out. A triple stripe guest bed.

I got another update on our egg donor and she's got lots of follicles so that's good news too. The nurse is happy with how we are both progressing. 

In the meantime I am continuing my del Estrogen shots until instructed to start my progesterone shots. The nurse says I will start doing the new jabs right around egg retrieval. From all I've heard, these are the not so fun ones. They sting and can leave welts if you don't massage after the injection. So I'm not looking forward to that part!

The hormones are continuing to make me very emotional. The hubby keeps making jokes about needing to schedule some more business trips. Ha ha, he is such a comedian!

I am still trying my best to not get snappy with him and I thought I was doing a really good job. That was until he asked me how much longer I was going to be doing the shots. At which point I got all teary and paranoid that I'm being a total bitch. I'm thinking that was not the answer he was looking for. You gotta love hormones, right?

22 comments:

  1. The progestrone shots can be terrible but what I did with my last cycle was use the del estrogen skinny long needs for the progestrone. This way it didn't hurt as much. Downside is it took longer to give the shot.

    I love all the good news!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great news about your triple stripe lining! Sounds like the embies will be very comfortable and I'm sure will want to stick around...wishing you lots of luck for the next stages xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!!

    Jo

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have become pros at the PIO shots. Here's what we do. DH draws up the PIO in an 18 gauge then swamps it for the smaller 22. Then he sticks it between a heating pad on medium setting for 5 mins. Meanwhile we pick out a spot.

    Have your nurse draw two circles with a Sharpie, one on each side so it's crystal clear where you can shoot (hint: it's higher than you think) and you'll run out of real estate soon if you need to inject everyday.

    Ice your selected spot between 2-3 minutes (I experimented with various lengths of time over the past 60 days) and that seems to be the sweet spot. Clean it off and then inject very slowly. We go for 45 seconds. The slower the better. The faster you go the more you will bruise. After the shot go immediately to your heating pad and heat the area for at least 10 mins so the oil doesn't knot up.

    We've been doing this for awhile now and we started out with a lot of stinging, bruising and knots. Now it's no big deal. Since we're prego with twins, I'm starting to wean off of it. Can't wait. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great news about your lining, and I'm keeping all my crossables crossed for you. xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Haha love your comfy bed comparison and I hate that you still have to do injections.The love that you have for this baby to come is so clear. Glad you have such great lining!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The progesterone was the one I was talking about. Carry the vial in your bra for 20 minutes because the warmer the oil the faster it flows. And then use your outer upper butt. Seriously. I had bruises but it really didn't hurt much. My leg was a week of pain after one sorry attempt. Thinking of you!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I warmed the prog. in my bra like I'm so Fancy. I had to have depot Lu.pron done which was in a HUGE needle, and I learned a couple of tricks from the nurse who gave them to me. I learned to avoid pain and bruising by standing up to receive the shot and leaning all my weight on the opposite leg than the side you're getting the shot in. The arm of a couch or armchair works perfectly. You'll want the person giving you the shot to go in quickly and straight. Rub the area vigorously for several seconds afterwords. Do NOT ice, as this slows the prog from moving around your muscle tissue, causing lumps and pain later. Take a walk. The more you walk the better you will feel. I'm currently undergoing my 7th IVF cycle, and after I learned this technique I haven't had any pain or lumps from the prog shots since. (warming with a heating helps if you can't walk, but walking is best).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for all the progesterone injection advice. Unfortunately I'll be doing them all myself so I'm stuck doing them in the leg. Hubby travels all the time and even when he's here he's a needle-phobe. Unless I become super flexible I don't think I can inject myself in the butt. But I will definitely warm up the medicine first and try heating pad and walking around to reduce the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for visiting my blog. I wish you all the best with your cycle, glad everything is looking good so far. I look forward to following your story. ICLW #117

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm a west coast expat too! Sorry your hormones are making you so emotional, such a pain isn't it?
    I've never had to do PIO shots, but I hope the tips everyone has shared with you help (I'll be keeping them in mind in case I do need them some day).
    (ICLW)

    ReplyDelete
  12. i am so sorry about the loss of your sweet baby. praying you get a bfp this cycle!

    happy iclw!
    #101

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never injected in my thigh, but I have done lots and lots of injections in my butt by myself. It is doable, but I always had to lie on the bed for it.

    Masaging the area afterward helps if you don't use a heating pad.

    Wishing you the best for this cycle!

    Here via ICLW.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So sorry you are going through all of this. May this be successful for you!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Triple stripe is absolutely perfect...yay!
    And sorry about all the emotions. I've just gone through that...it totally sucks. Are you on Lupron right now? My unscientific opinion is that Lupron is what made me crazy...once I got off that, I started feeling a lot better.
    Hugs...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, I've never been in your situation before (I've never even been pregnant before!) but I hope things get better for you. Hang in there, you've clearly got a lot of people who care about you! Oh and great blog, I'm a new follower!

    http://marleeindebt.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Pregnancy = Baby seems so simple, until it's not.

    I wish you all the best, and a healthy, sticky baby! x

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congrats on your Triple Stripe! I hope the transfer goes well.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hello! Your story touched my heart in such a deep way; I have my own miracle baby and know that each day with her is a gift. (There are only a few other women in the world with my disease who have been able to have children and two of them passed on.)

    I'm crossing my fingers for you and please know miracles still do happen, even after tremendous heartache and tragedy. My little family is living proof of that.

    xo.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I look forward to following your journey and am keeping my fingers crossed for this cycle!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yeah they hurt but I saw it as an opportunity to lay flowers at The Altar of Pain in honor of the Take Home Baby. Sick, isnt it? All those tips are supposed to help, but damn, I never took the time. Ice and heat - law, give me my shot and let me to go bed.

    Triple stripe is where it is at. Well done uterus, well done.

    ReplyDelete