Medication Day 15

My lower abdomen area feels heavy. 

My silhouette gives shape to a trimester two pregnancy belly. 

My stomach feels bloated. 

The morning Cetrotide shot hurt more today. 

The sting of the needle in my skin. 

It must be the bruising. My stomach area has been poked too many times this IVF cycle and it appears to be rebelling. 

This will most likely be the last shot I give myself in my abdomen. 

I waddle up the stairs as I feel the pressure inside. 

I remember this feeling from the first IVF round and in some weird way, I’m embracing it. 

The swollen, bloating, heavy feeling means there are follicles in there. 

Big follicles. 

That’s what we want- more big follicles filled with fluid and hopefully eggs. 

The monitoring appointment revealed 12 follicles over the size of 15mm!! Yippee, this is what we want to hear. 

There are two more on the brink of 15mm so they could grow to maturity over the next two days. 

Follicles: 26.7, 25.6, 22.4, 21, 19.3, 19.3, 19, 17.8, 17.5, 16.9, 16, 15.7, 14.7, 14.9, 12.9

We wait to hear the next steps.

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Cetrotide .25mg

Tonight- trigger shot!

This will be my final shot that I put in my abdomen. 

In the past two IVF retrievals, I have done a dual-trigger and this protocol is different. I am a little hesitant to change what seem to have worked, and although I inquired about it, I want to trust the professionals. 

A very tender feeling comes over me as we have experienced just over six years of fertility treatments and this very well might be the last shot I put into my stomach. 

If we are graced with a healthy embryo, I will continue shots in my intermuscular areas such as my bottom, but for tonight, I can applaud my stomach and all the pokes and injections it has endured. 

Thank you, abdomen, for embracing these medications.

Tomorrow night- azithromycin (2 tablets)

The following morning- eggs will be retrieved from my body!