It is day 1 of my new cycle. I am back from vacation and ready to start trying again. It seems like a good time to figure out what all of my new medication does, right? Sure!
To recap: I need to be on three different medications: Clomid, Ovidrel, and Prometrium. These medications are all taken at different, specific times during my cycle.
Let’s break this down.
Clomid
I will take Clomid orally on days 3 through 7 of my cycle. Clomid is used to stimulate the production of follicles in my ovaries so I produce more eggs. Egg production is not exactly my problem, but my doctor wants to use this to speed things along since my last three pregnancy attempts were all busts.
I am on the lowest dose possible (25mg) to give my system a boost, while minimizing my chances of having multiples. This is a huge concern. More Clomid equals more follicle stimulation, which equals more eggs, which equals more chances of more babies. Terrifying.
This super low dose equates to half a pill. Yes, half. I already purchased a pill splitter, which I now know exists, so that I can split the world’s smallest pill in half. That should be fun.
Ovidrel
Ovidrel is also known as the “trigger shot”. It is literally an injection. With a needle. And a sharps disposal bin. Because needle.
I will stab myself with this needle – I mean, give myself this injection – when my doctor determines that my follicles are big enough for me to start ovulating. This medication literally stimulates the ovulation and makes sure it happens (hence the name “trigger shot”). This will probably happen close to day 10, but my doctor will be monitoring me and lets me know when to officially take this one.
Prometrium
Prometrium (also called progesterone) is used to regulate my cycle after I have the IUI. I need to take this one twice a day vaginally.
Wait a second…. Vaginally? Are you f—-ing kidding me?! Oh h— no!! I know I swore about this in my last post… still swearing!
I even asked my nurse about this. I am supposed to insert these giant gel pills inside my vagina as far as I can get them.
And then what? They dissolve? They swim up my uterus? They sit there and block traffic? My nurse said that they won’t fall out, but seriously, how does she know? She hasn’t met my vagina. (Really, she hasn’t. She’s an email-only nurse.)
So… yeah. Vagina, meet pills. Pills, meet vagina. I hope they like each other.
Tagged: conception