# Newbie - panicking re IVF injections ~



## Mother Hen (May 22, 2007)

Well, I've finally succumbed to posting after reading more of these sites than I care to mention - and it's sheer panic that's tipped me over the edge. Not sure if my profile bit will show up so there's a quick potted history below (pls let me off if abbreviations not quite right!):-

Me 39, DH 38. TTC 2.5 yrs - all tests up until last month inconclusive, so the dreaded unexplained infertility.

V bad experience at Liverpool Women's Hospital (including 2 failed IUI treatments Nov/Dec 06) led to us changing clinic to CARE Manchester. Initial consultation scan revealed some mild endo behind left ovary (picked up within 5 mins despite 18m of tests elsewhere!). All scans for IUI etc have revealed follies both sides, but all decent sized ones have been on left - so endo may be our cause...who knows!

Just started first cycle of IVF (short protocol) and am on Day 2 of injections. Day 1 was a pretty hairy experience and this morning even worse, so I'm now a gibbering wreck.

Went to my drugs teach Friday and all seemed pretty straightforward - lovely nurse let me try to inject saline into my leg, which was fine and she demonstrated mixing solutions etc - therein lies the problem. At the moment, I've only got as far as the Menopur - 300 IUI, which means mixing 4 pots of powder with one lot of solution.

Now, I'm not the nervy type at all (& the actual injecting gives me no probs at all)...but I'm really struggling drawing up all the solution from each different pot. Had to abandon one pot yesterday and start again but managed it in the end. 

Today, was the same tale but worse, - sliced my finger when snapping the top off the solvent stuff, then had massive reflux of solution when drawing up from 3rd pot and lost most of it so had to start again and took about 25 mins of tears and tribulations to get to the end. Even then, I'm sure I didn't get every last drop out of the pots so am now panicking I'm compromising the treatment.  

Can't get through to clinic on phone despite trying for nearly 2 hours so feel at end of my tether - especially as hubbie will be away in the morning so I'm on my own. He's been great last 2 days at helping me through things and calming me down. Also not sure now if I've got enough stuff to do all the injections I'll need as I've wasted some.

Any advice from experienced folks would be much appreciated.


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## JulietH (Apr 21, 2007)

Hi Mother Hen and welcome to FF  

I'm currently in the 2WW of a FET cycle but back in February I was taking Menopur and I can understand your frustration!!  The first time I did it, I sliced my finger on the top of the solution bottle and had a right temper tantrum whilst surrounded by tiny shreds of glass!  

After that I got DH to open the solution for me but I do know that there is a particular 'weak spot' on the bottle where it needs to be opened. As for drawing the solution up, unfortunately it really is a case of practice makes perfect - at the beginning it took me a while but I soon became an expert  I found that once I put the needle in, it begins to suck the liquid up itself and then you've just got to be quick to remove the needle before it begans to leak it all out again.  

So I don't know about being experienced but I hope that helps a bit!!  

Maybe your clinic needs to take you through it again and if you've wasted some of your meds, then I'm sure you can get some more 

All the best of luck and lots of   and   to you

J x


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## minttuw (Jan 22, 2007)

Mother Hen said:


> Today, was the same tale but worse, - sliced my finger when snapping the top off the solvent stuff, then had massive reflux of solution when drawing up from 3rd pot and lost most of it so had to start again and took about 25 mins of tears and tribulations to get to the end. Even then, I'm sure I didn't get every last drop out of the pots so am now panicking I'm compromising the treatment.


Hi Mother Hen,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your injections. I used Purgeon pen most of the time during stimming and it's really easy to use, but once I was asked to have Merional which means mixing several powders with some water. I really hate mixing the drug and usually struggle a bit but managed to do it ok (my DH was not home, otherwise he would have done it). My clinic porvided us with loads of plastic vial top "snappers", small piece of plastic tube that goes over the top of the vial and helps you to break the top off easily and safely. Didn't you get these from your clinic? I would suggest you ask for them or buy some from the chemist. If you can't get them then wear gloves or use a towel wrapped around the vial before you snap the top off.

Not sure how you were told to draw the solution from the vial into the syringe but I think the trick with Merional is to invert the vial and then draw it to the syringe which is also upside down in order to avoid leakage of the solution back to the vial.

Hope this helps. With experience you'll soon have no problems with this. I am sure your clinic will help if you still have a problem, so just ask them.

Good luck!! 
minttuw


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## sharon** (Mar 16, 2005)

hi im also new to this site and i was reading yours and im just at the start of my ivf cycle, i had my downregulation jab "gonapeptyl" nearly 2weeks ago, and i have the clinc to go to on thursday morning for a "scan" and "bloods" , also for the nurse to show me how to jab myself, which im not looking forward to, my husband works away from home so for the first few weeks im having to do this all on my own, im also going to on menopur, then ovitrele, also the crinone gel. so i think quite a few weeks of jabbing etc, my husband,s home next week so i will have him home for the last week of my injections, which im sure he will delight in administering if i allow him to..... ever hopefull


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## Mother Hen (May 22, 2007)

Thanks one and all for your advice. Feeling much better now  . It really helped to get things off my chest this morning on the site and I have now managed to get through to my clinic and I'm going in tomorrow to do my injection there - hopefully, they'll let me know where I'm going wrong. Am sure I'll get the hang of it eventually!!

I have to say that I'm finding this infertility thing hard -  the transition from capable professional woman to gibbering wreck   at the slightest thing can be a bit hard for me to handle, never mind my DH!

Will let you know how I get on tomorrow and thanks again you lot.


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## DizziSquirrel (Feb 15, 2005)

& Welcome to FF Mother Hen

You've had some great replies already I hope your now feeling more confident about the mixing, 
I confess I hate breaking vials & got DH to do the lions share of them,
then I found a plastic vial cutter from our first IVF and so I was able to do them all myself on our last go! - fantastic

I am going to leave you some Links for areas on FF  that you may find beneficial, please feel free to post all over FF but be sure to post here and let us know how you get on 
*
For Cycle buddies ~*
CLICK HERE

*Endo ~* 
CLICK HERE

*IVF General~*
CLICK HERE

*G&B  Community board*
CLICK HERE

To make the site easier to navigate click on the index tab at the top of any page - pink hearts mean there is something new within the board you have not read/looked at and if you scroll right down you will see the last ten posts from all over FF all are clickable  if you refresh this page (f5) it will update the last ten posts as well as the boards/threads and who's online!!!
take some time to look at the help tab too 
Check out the Locations boards for your home town & a site search for specific's 

Wishing you Friendship  &    

If you need any help just ask!
~Dizzi~


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## Kamac80 (Nov 24, 2005)

Hi mother hen and welcome to the site 

You have come to a fantastic place full of advice and support and you have been left some great links to try out.

I wish you loads of luck with everything.

Kate xx​


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