Medications (and Legal)

Today I was able to pick up all of my meds. Perfect timing too, since I begin birth control in less than a week and still need to go in for the meds consult so I know how to stick myself in the ass. Luckily, I have a huge team of birth workers who have agreed to help me with the injections, so I feel grateful for that. Though I am still crapping my pants over the PIO injections, no matter who is jabbing me. 

I know I shared this last time, but I am incredibly anxious about the injections. While looking at me you might not think this, but I am pretty terrified of needles. As worth it as it is, I am not looking forward to it. Nor am I thrilled about the vaginal creams! But, I love this family and I want nothing more than for them to be complete, so I will pull up my big girl pants (throw on a pad) and truck on. 

Also, I am a bit shocked at how many meds I had to pick up. Nine. Nine total. I mean, I read the meds schedule that the clinic gave me; I guess I was just hyper-focused on the injections, while also only hearing "birth control and estrogen", so I just skimmed right over the five. Luckily, I only have to endure the meds for three months. I have been told that I would experience some major hormonal shifts and have a very sore ass for the duration of my progesterone injections. One third of the pregnancy is manageable... right....

Another thing I was told, and fully anticipated, was legal being a bit of a nightmare. I don't have anything to compare this part of the journey to, and I don't know if going through an agency for surrogacy is better than going the private route, and I'm sure it depends on the lawyer you hire, but oh my gosh. I wouldn't quite categorize it as "nightmareish", but it has been very slow to start and very slow to end; really, it's just all around been slow. As I'm sure you know, legal has to be finalized before meds start. I start meds in six days. Right now, the final revisions have been sent off and we are currently waiting for the IP's lawyer to draw up the approved contract. Then we have to go to the notary and sign, I have to take another part of the contract to two separate "uninterested" witnesses to sign, then scan everything back to our respective lawyers - you can imagine our need for urgency. Two weeks behind the intended schedule of having the contract finalized and six days before I start meds, I guess it could be worse. I don't think I can say this enough: I cannot wait for this "transactional" part of this journey to be over so we can get to the next phase (and that phase somehow blows right past me). 

So far, we are still slated to do the embryo transfer in January, a week after the IM and I travel down to San Diego to pick up the embryo in a cryotank. No doubt that will be an adventure and something I never thought I would do in my entire life!