Ahhh! Needles!

I have been having more and more anxiety about this whole process. I feel like I was doing well and not stressing too much until that nurse hurt my arm on Monday, and now I am having some serious needle anxiety. I had to return to the office for more blood work and another ultrasound today, to check on the progress of my follicles and check my blood levels (the other day my estrogen was rising too fast which is why they lowered my dose) and when I got to the office, I started feeling really panicky thinking about getting the same nurse for blood work again. I originally didn't want to start any drama and be "that girl" at the doctor's office, but seeing my arm this morning (still sore and stiff and now seriously bruised), I just could not have that woman again, so I whispered to the receptionist to make sure I didn't get Nurse Butcher today.

The bruising on my arm this morning (2 days later)

I was so happy to see my usual nurse come around the corner, and when I showed her my arm, her response was "Whoa! you don't usually bruise!". I told her what had happened and the pain that shot up my arm and how sore and stiff it has been since then, so she took a look and felt it and said there is even a lump under my skin where blood probably built up.  She thinks the other nurse hit one of the tendons in my arm and that is why it was so painful and bruised. So much for being discreet about my IVF when my arm looks like a heroin addict's arm and it's the middle of summer so I am certainly not wearing cardigans!
So the results from today: My follicles had grown since Monday, but are still small and need more time (tonight will be my 6th dose of Follistim) and apparently my estrogen levels were up as well because they lowered my dose of Follistim AGAIN. So lower dose of Follistim now and go back for more blood work and another ultrasound on Friday. I am a little disappointed that my follicles are still small, even though the doctor didn't seem concerned. He said we will probably be looking at egg retrieval for late next week. Slow and steady wins the race hopefully!

 

I also started going to a new acupuncturist today, since I have been reading about how there are studies that say it can increase the chances of pregnancy with IVF when acupuncture is done the day of embryo transfer. I have gone to acupuncture before all of this, but I decided to change doctors for IVF since I knew my doctor worked with this new one. The acupuncturist I met with today seemed nice and seemed to know what she was doing with regards to IVF and said they have worked with a lot of patients from my RE's office which is good to hear. I was still anxious even thought I have never had a problem with acupuncture before because of all the pain and needles I have had lately, and when I got on the bed, she stuck a needle in my leg and I nearly shot threw the roof! She must have hit a nerve or something because my leg started throbbing and pulsing and I actually had to call her back into the room to remove it when she was done with the other needles. After that, I just couldn't relax and was just anxiously sweating and counting the seconds till I was done. So not what I am used to with acupuncture, but everything is hyper sensitive right now and I am hyper emotional and hormonal on top of it! UGH. Now going to acupuncture is going to stress me out...yet another thing to make me anxious! Can someone just wake me up when this is all over and I am knocked up?