A Shot in the Tush!

Today is 5dp5dt... or for you normal people out there who don't speak "IVF", it is five days post five day transfer.   I've been crampy on and off since Thursday... could mean good things, could just be side effects of the medication... who knows?!  I've been getting VERY tired after doing just a few errands or being up and about too long, so I have been spending my fair share of time on the couch.

Today, I decided I wanted to do SOMETHING productive, so I cooked.  I baked an apple crisp for Amy & Co. to return in her dish from the delicious zucchini quiche she brought me on the day of the transfer (bad juju to return a dish empty!) and one for us to eat in celebration of our friend Paul's anniversary of birth (he doesn't believe in birthdays - and doesn't like cake!).  Then I decided to tackle a Rachel Ray mushroom and spinach lasagna recipe that Mom and I saw on TV the other day.  Thankfully, Jonathan helped me, otherwise I would not have had enough energy to finish it!  It's in the oven now and smells delicious!!

While we were waiting for the oven to pre-heat, we realized that it was time for my PIO injection.  Mom did a very good job of giving me these injections while Jonathan was out of town... she and I were both nervous about it, but she was great!  Anyway, Jonathan and I did the injection in the kitchen while finishing up cooking - kinda made me laugh since it was such a big deal just a week ago, and now we just fit it into our normal routine - didn't even stop cooking to get it done!

I had promised a rundown of how we do the PIO, so here it is, in all it's photographic glory!

Here's the set-up: syringe, vial of progesterone in ethyl oleate, a cotton ball, and an alcohol swab

I clean the top of the vial with the alcohol swab, then pull 1cc of liquid into the syringe

Jonathan holds the syringe to warm the PIO - so it goes it easier.

While Jonathan warms the medication, I am heating my injection site with a hot water bottle, then massaging it to get it ready.  Once it's ready, Jonathan wipes the injection site with the alcohol swab, pulls the skin tight, then gives the injection.  I honestly barely even feel the needle!  Even though it's the long, scary one, I can feel it break the skin and that's it!  These are less painful than the ones I did in my abdomen, believe it or not!  However, I couldn't do these without my trusty sidekick, the water bottle:

I love my water bottle.

After the injection, Jonathan massages the area and then I put heat back on it for at least 10 minutes.  I'm really glad that these injections aren't a big deal.  I was very worried about them - they really were my biggest fear in this whole process.  I guess the good thing is that even if this cycle doesn't result in a pregnancy, now I know how the process works, so I will be better prepared for the next time.

Now I'm just gonna sit here and wait for my lasagna to be done! Yum!