Injections here we come!

Wow...so I think I'm finally getting caught up!  So now that the cyst is gone I am free and clear to begin another medicated cycle!  This time we had decided that the best thing to try would be specific hormone injections and IUI.  The medicine I'm taking is called Follistim.  It's an FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)  This medicine mimics (but more strongly) the natural FSH that is going through my body each month.  PCOS causes problems with the ratio of FSH and LH (lutenizing hormone) causing my FSH levels to be too low, preventing follicles from growing to maturity and ovulating on their own.  The medicine I'm taking each night is stimulating the follicles and causing them to grow. 

Our goal is to have 2-4 mature follicles.   A mature follicle is 17mm or larger in diameter.  Too many mature follicles and the cycle has to be canceled due to a much higher risk for higher order multiples.  More than one baby puts the mother and babies at risk, but the risk greatly increases with three or more.  The chance of needing bed rest and babies being born prematurely dramatically increases with more than two, so one MAYBE two fertilized eggs is the goal.

The medicine is measured in international units (IUs).  The vial of medicine came pre-filled with 900iu.  My dosage for now is 50iu every night.  I give myself the injection in the stomach each evening for 5 nights.  Thankfully Follistim is a very easy injection to give.  The medicine comes premixed in a small vial that gets installed in a pen.  Once the medicine is in the pen it stays there, and I put a new needle on the end each night.  The pen has a dial, and I turn it to the 50iu mark, uncap the needle, pinch my skin, stick and push on the end of the pen.  The right amount comes out, and I'm done for another night!  The injections have to be done at the same time every night to make the meds the most effective.  Follistim has to be refrigerated, so at 7:30 I set it out and let it warm to room temp and give the injection at 8:00 each night.

Tonight I gave myself shot #3, so only 2 more to go until my first follicle check on Wednesday.  Hopefully we see some good progress!

This is a picture of my injection kit.  The little white things with pink tops are the needles.  They screw on to the end of the injector pen.  The blue and yellow pen has the medicine loaded into it, so it's all ready for me each evening.  It came with this lovely little storage case.  How nice huh?  It better come with a nice little case, considering how much it would cost without my insurance!