The Protocol

Ah, the long awaited Protocol.  I felt like time slowed down so much once we actually found the "One".  This whole process is extremely intricate and it just seemed like it was taking forever!  Once all the legal work was done and the donor finished with all her screenings, etc., we just had to wait for the protocol.  I was so anxious.  Every day that went by that I didn't have it drove me up a wall.  I just wanted to get started.  The doctor had both the donor and I on birth control pills in order to begin to regulate and sync our cycles.  We would both go in for ultrasounds weekly.  For the donor she would check her ovaries, for me she would check the lining of my uterus and checking on the cysts on my ovaries making sure they were not going to cause any problems.

We finally got it!  Start Date: October 21, 2014.  

Protocol 

Oct 21:   Start Lupron injections at 20 mark once daily
               Continue with birth control pills daily
Oct 27:   Ultrasound
               Take last birth control pill
               You will start your period
Nov 3:    Ultrasound
               Start Estrace (estrogen) 3 pills twice a day
               Start  Minivelle patches.  Wear 2 at all times and change every other day
               Start Doxycycline 1 pill twice a day for 1 week only (Both my and hubby)
               Start Dexamethasone 1 pill daily at bedtime
               Start baby aspirin 1 pill daily
               Decrease Lupron to the 10 mark
Nov 11:  Ultrasound
Nov 12:  Increase Estrace to 3 pills THREE times per day
               Stop Lurpon
               Continue all other medications
Nov 19:  Start Progesterone injections 1 cc IM twice daily
               Decrease Estrace to 3 pills twice daily
               Continue all other medications
Nov 20:  Egg Retrieval
Nov 23:  Last Dexamethasone pill
Nov 24:  Start Medrol 2 pills twice daily for 4 days only
               Start Doxycycline 1 pill twice daily for 4 days only
Nov 25:  Embryo transfer

Strict bed rest the day of the transfer and 3 additional days.  Two days of house arrest.
Rules:  No intercourse, exercise, sushi, hair color, baths, alcohol, tonic water.

Nov 27:  Last Medrol and Doxycycline
Dec 5:    Pregnancy Test!

Holy Cow!  That's a lot.  God please don't let me screw this up!  I made myself a schedule of what I needed to take each day and when.  I put it on the fridge and crossed them off as I took them.  I also got myself a couple Sunday-Saturday pill boxes (one for the morning and one for the evening) and put all my pills in there.  I could take them all at one time and it made it so much easier.  Luckily I was only on the Lupron for 2 weeks this time around and didn't experience as much of the side effects - or maybe I was just so excited I didn't notice them as much.  I did begin to get forgetful.  Thankfully hubby was always there to ask me if I took my meds and remind me.

We were on our way.  In six weeks we would know if we were pregnant and could not have been more excited!