I, Pincushion

It seems like just yesterday I was writing to tell you I was back at the college. Things are winding down and if everything goes as my boss planned, I'll be done on Friday. As one never knows, I'll double check with her and might find out I'm staying longer. Which would make my anemic bank account leap into the air and shout, "Whoo-hoo!"

This month's fourth cycle has been horrendous. I'm on an additional med this time, one that holds off ovulation. It comes from the pharmacist in a tiny 250IU syringe which I must poke into my belly, exactly opposite the site of the shot I give myself five minutes before using my Puregon pen. Although I'm losing weight, I still have a goodly amount of pudge to pinch so I don't feel the poke of cold steel. However the Orgalutran syringe is at least double the size of the pen needle, so it hurts no matter what. The Boy silently cringes as I hop about the livingroom shouting curses to no one in particular. I still laugh when I think back to our Orientation when our caseworker suggested that my partner administer the shots each day. There's no way he would be able to manage that task, and I'm quite honestly happier doing it myself. I swab with alcohol, aim the needle, close my eyes and plunge. Ugh.

Because I'm holding off on ovulation so the one (one!) little follicle has time to grow, they keep close tabs on him/her with multiple ultrasounds. Not the ultrasound you think of, either. It's more.....invasive. So six times in the past week I've gotten up at 5 a.m., gone to give blood (my arms look to the untrained eye like the arms of a drug addict), back home to get ready for work, then off to the hospital for a 9:15 appointment that is always, always at least 45 minutes late. Parking costs a mint, too, so I've drained my poor piggy bank dry of loonies and toonies for the meter. This process is draining in more ways than one, for sure.

I don't think they can hold off on my ovulation for too much longer, so I'll be required to use my vial of HcG soon. That jumpstarts ovulation and is another bloody great self-administered needle. *sigh*

Let's all hope this one works. Is the fourth time the charm?

p.s. Congratulations to blau on her newest journal incarnation!