IVF Protocol

After my balance treatment on Wednesday afternoon, I began the IVF protocol for acupuncture.  Basically, after the balance, I have to get in nine treatments that are designed to improve fertility.  Then, I do a treatment after the egg retrieval, one the night before the embryo transfer, and one the day of the embryo transfer.

The IVF protocol involves placing acupuncture needles on my back above my ovaries and kidneys and on my legs.  Then, they hook up electrodes and send an electrical pulse through the needles.  It is meant to improve blood flow to those areas.

I hated the first balance treatment, but it was mostly because I was very uncomfortable with the needles in my hands.  Maybe I'm just hypersensitive about what is happening to my hands.  This time, the rhythmic electrical pulse was actually soothing.  I was still unable to fall asleep, but maybe that will come with time.  When I first started yoga, I wasn't able to relax during final relaxation, but now I drift off to meditation land in the first few seconds.

I have now been given a tentative schedule for our IVF journey.  It's quite extensive.  Here it is:

July 13th @ 7:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 1)
July 16th @ 8:00 am - Hysteroscopy
July 16th @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 2)
July 18th @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 3)
July 23rd @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 4)
July 25th @ 9:00 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs with Lupron start
July 26th @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 5)
July 28th @9:00 pm - Take last birth control pill
July 30th @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 6)
July 31st @ 7:00 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs, Expect Period
August 1st @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 7)
August 2nd @ 4:00 pm - Stimulation Start (daily injections)
August 4th @ 8:00 am - Blood Labs
August 6th @ 8:00 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs
August 6th @ 4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 8)
August 8th @ 9:15 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs
August 8th @4:30 pm - Acupuncture (IVF Protocol 9)
August 10th @ 8:00 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs
August 11th @ 8:00 am - Ultrasound and Blood Labs
August 13th @ 7:00 am - Egg Retrieval
August 14th @ 4:30 pm - Post Retrieval Acupuncture
August 15th@2:00 pm - Massage to get blood flowing
August 16th @ 7:00 pm - Pre Embryo Transfer Acupuncture
August 17th @ TBD - Embryo Transfer and Post Embryo Transfer Acupuncture
August 18th-21st - Bed Rest
August 31st @ 8:00 am - Pregnancy Test

Is your head spinning?  I know mine is.