Goodness, where did the summer go!? Just one, final week before school begins! Why is it that 10 weeks during the school year drags on, while 10 weeks of summer sails by in the blink of an eye? Guess it's true; time flies when you're having fun! And yes, it's been a fun summer!
Sadly, I didn't get to travel internationally, as I have the last three years, and that's ok because there was much to do at home! I'm thankful my girls and I were able to visit my family in Hawaii (the first time in four years), go on an amazing road trip to Canada with Nips, visit my Dad in Oregon, and reconnect with a special someone from the past.
Of course, there has been work amongst all this play! On August 2nd, a week into my road trip with Julie, I started the dreaded hormone injections, preparing myself to get pregnant, for the eighth time. Since the vials of hormones needed to be refrigerated, I packed the meds in a cooler, alongside our snacks of salami and cheese while on the road, and requested that the front desk of each motel or hostel we stayed at take good care of my medication during our visit.
So, the evening of the 2nd, in the common room of our Portland hostel, Jules and I sat across from each other at a table, with the vial of Lupron, an alcohol pad and a syringe in between us (I'm sure we must have looked rather suspicious). I am still thanking my lucky stars for having Jules with me during my first few days of injections. Though I had practiced administering the shot in a class, over a month ago, I was nervous, doubtful and hesitant. Jule's nursing skills came in very handy and I felt more confident having her around. Honestly, even if Jules didn't have the skills of a nurse, I would still feel more comfortable with her there.
After reviewing the packet of information I was given at the injection class, Julie showed me how to draw up the liquid from the vial into the syringe, and inspect and get rid of any air bubbles. When the syringe was ready to go, I stood up, pulled up my shirt, got a good grip of chub from my belly and aimed the syringe at my belly like a dart. Remembering that it was less painless if I inserted the syringe quickly, I pressed the needle firmly into my flesh and released the 10 units of Lupron into my body. Done! Nothing more than a pinch, yay! After the deed was done, I wrapped the meds safely back into our portable cooler, and stored it in the frig in the common room. For the next few days on our trip, Jules looked over me less and less until I was confident enough to do everything on my own.
As expected, three days after starting the injections, on the drive home, I started my period. And boy, did I! After three months of birth control pills to prepare my body for the hormone treatment and skipping my period for three months, my uterine lining was overflowing! In fact, I had been spotting every day for the last month! Good grief, my body released like I was a 11 years old having my first period! And of course, my body decided to let go three months of menstrual bleeding high in the Cascade mountains, on a road with the most twists and turns I've ever driven, miles from the closest gas station or Starbucks! Let's just say I'm super thrilled I decided to purchase the leather package on my vehicle!
As directed, I called the nurse at Kaiser to make an appointment for an ultrasound. That Sunday morning I found myself in a familiar corner room of Kaiser SF, housing a clunky sonogram machine, awaiting my doctor half naked with a blue, plastic drape over the lower half of my body. After whirling into the room, slapping on a pair of latex gloves and inserting the probe, my doc spent a whole two minutes examining my insides before declaring my uterus healthy and ready to go. After dressing and meeting him in his office briefly, he sent me down to the pharmacy to pick up the next batch of hormones.
2 minute ultrasound & 5 minute doc visit = $127
10 vials of hormones = $288.50
healthy uterus = priceless
That evening, with twice the amount of drugs and twice the number of needles resting on my kitchen counter top and no Julie to guide me, I had a mini panic attack...to be continued!
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