What an eventful past few weeks it’s been! Our loan for treatment has been secured and payment has already been delivered to the clinic. Allllllllll my meds were ordered, arrived, and somewhat organized. I purchased an IVF planner from a Fertility Coach based in the UK. I guess we’re as ready as we’re going to be for our first round of IVF. Whew!

I’m not going to lie, when I first opened the box of meds, I was extremely overwhelmed. Wait, back up: PAYING for that box of meds made me anxious. Opening the box once it arrived made me overwhelmed. It’s no secret that fertility treatment is expensive, but it’s not until you see the total due to really put things into perspective. When we first met with Dr. Huber, he explained that treatment meds alone would run anywhere between $4,000 - $8,000. I’m thankful to say that our first month was only $4,200. (Ha. “Only” $4,200). I’ve never been a huge fan of discussing finances, but it’s because of our tribe (that’s YOU!) that we’re even able to make this journey work. You’ve given us your hard earned money, so it’s only fair that I show you where it’s going. Almost all of it went to Schraft’s Pharmacy in New Jersey. 😉

I want to brag on Schraft’s for a minute. They are the pharmacy of choice for the clinic, and I can totally see why. Everyone I have dealt with since January has been extremely helpful. They talk TO me and not AT me. They break down each medication to make sure that I understand not only what it being sent to me, but also how to administer each one. They offer an “Open the Box” service where I will have a Zoom call with a pharmacist to go over each and every item that was in my latest shipment. I mean, how cool is that?! 5 Gold Stars & high fives for Schraft’s!

Meds will officially start in about a week. I’ll be on Estradiol, which is an oral med, for about 2 weeks, then Dexamethasone & Clomid for a few days after that. Then I’ll start on my stims (stimulation meds = shotssssss). Although I’m trying not to be, I’m totally nervous. I know this isn’t easy for Kirk either, so I’m hoping that I can have a better grip on all my mood swings this go-round. You know I’ve researched each of these meds as soon as they came in.

Here’s what I, err… WE, have to look forward to:

- Estradiol: upset stomach, nausea, bloating, sore boobies, headache, weight gain
- Dexamethasone: upset stomach, vomiting, headache, dizziness, restlessness, anxiety
- Clomid: upset stomach, bloating, hot flashes, sore boobies, headache, dizziness
- Ganirelix: redness at the injection site, nausea, tiredness
- Follistim: headache, stomach pain, bloating, sore boobies
- Menopur: headache, stomach pain, bloating, sore boobies, dizziness
- Leuprolide: common cold symptoms, tiredness, nausea, hot flashes, headache, dizziness
- Novarel: headache, depression, restlessness, sore boobies, bloating

Oof.... Y’all. I’m going to be a real peach in the coming weeks. Oy vey! What I really need to do is get back into running. Since Hurricane Ida, I just haven’t felt like going for a run. I’m sure Remy wishes I would pick it back up, too. Ha! Hopefully, the weather starts to cool off and I’ll find my joy in it again.

I made a video of everything that came in my box from Schraft’s. It’s been added to my VIDEO page. Also, a quick house keeping note: once I start stims, most of my videos will be posted to Instagram only, so be sure you’re following along there, too. As I start these meds, things are going to happen faster and tweaks are constantly going to be made. Don’t worry – my blog isn’t going anywhere; I’ll just have more updates on Insta. 😊