Friday, October 19th brought our appointment at the fertility clinic. I refused to cancel, even though I had started. I was determined to see the doctor, regardless of the day of my cycle. For anyone who hasn’t experienced fertility issues, that’s how the world revolves; every day of a woman’s cycle has a number and special meaning. There are tests and procedures that must be performed on a specific day of the cycle. So, for me to go to the doctor on this cycle day was almost rebellion!
We arrived for our 9:30 appointment at 8:45. We sat in the waiting area until 10:30 and were led back into an ultrasound room where we waited for the doctor until 11:00. This is pretty much a standard procedure at a fertility clinic. Appointments are merely guides to estimate how many patients can be seen in a given day. Remember “the cycle” and not everyone is regular! While waiting, I started thinking about the cycles, the treatments, and the disappointments. I glanced over at Rich, sitting in a chair, and reading a People magazine completely unaware of all the thoughts racing through my mind, and the tears started to flow.
The doctor bounded through the door and asked why I was there on that cycle day. After hearing my explanation, he told me to prepare for the ultrasound anyway, and he gave me a moment to undress and get on the ultrasound table. In the last room down the corridor in the northwest corner of the hospital, we began our final attempt to get pregnant.
The doctor said that everything looked good and gave us instructions to start injectable medication. We would start that very evening. The first injections we took were an ovarian stimulant, which would increase the number of eggs that I produced. I would clean the injection site while Rich would mix and draw the medication, then inject it into my abdomen. We learned the fine art of injection by trial and error: how to pinch up the fatty tissue, how to let go and count to five before pulling out the needle. We did the injections for about 7 days, and then started the antagonist, which stopped the eggs from releasing. Every two days, we went infor an ultrasound to make sure the ovaries were not growing cysts but were developing eggs appropriately. We continued the stimulant with the antagonist for another five days, then went in for a final ultrasound.
We were then given instructions for the injections that would release the eggs and times to try to get pregnant. At that time, the doctor told us that if I hadn’t started my cycle in 15 days, to take a home pregnancy test and if it came back positive, to schedule a blood test at the clinic for confirmation. We followed the doctor’s instructions to a “t” and waited for the disappointment and heart break we had come to expect.
Momma Rich's 