CD1 - first IVF+ICSI cycle

Finally! After a 36 day cycle I woke up early this morning to some cramping and sure enough, when I got up it was CD1. I had a busy morning and didn't get to call the clinic after I got back home from dropping the husband at a friends house in the Hinterland, about a 30 min drive away.

The receptionist said to keep my day clear as I might have to come in to pick up my medication but the nurse would call me back to confirm. (It's Saturday and they're not open on Sundays). I'd made plans to go out to lunch with friends so instead of catching a lift with them, I drove my car at met them at the restaurant. I'd just ordered lunch when the nurse called me back.

It was a nurse I haven't spoken to before. Nurse R, but she said she'd reviewed my file and the protocol my FS had ordered and that I didn't have to come in to pick anything up today, it was fine to wait until CD3. She's booked me in for my baseline blood work and scan nice and early Monday morning. I'll pick up my medication then, do my first shot as soon as the blood work is back and everything checks out. And of course, pay the deposit of $2500 when I pick up my meds.

I'm glad that the friends I was with are ones that already know that my husband and I are going through fertility treatments. It made things a bit easier. They asked a few questions once I got back from taking the phone call. I don't mind answering questions, infertility and fertility treatments are a foreign concept to healthy fertile people and with close friends I'm quite happy to answer any question. Even the more tmi or personal questions, like "so how does a SA work? They retrieve the eggs how? They do an internal scan on CD2 or CD3?!?"

But I did get my first "Why don't you just adopt? My cousins-stepsisters-best friend did IVF and it didn't work so they adopted" comment. Sigh. I know it wasn't said with malice, but it did make me want to roll my eyes. I've also had the "Would you consider using a surrogate?" question from another well meaning friend. I know they mean well, but we're not at that stage yet! Those options haven't even crossed our mind. We're still so far away from taking that journey, especially when we haven't even done one IVF cycle.

I'm going to stay positive this time around. Staying positive and thinking positive!