*Devil Lupron*

Thank you for the love and support during National Infertility Awareness Week (#NIAW).  It was a great week!

Returning to our regularly scheduled programming…

So, after we found out on February 25 that we had one remaining embryo that was chromosomally normal, we waited patiently for our regroup with Dr. Schoolcraft on March 17!  Talk about torture. 

March 17 finally arrived, Dr. Schoolcraft called, and Todd and I were physically in the same place to take the call.  (Remember last time when we mixed up the time zones?  I swear we are educated people.)  During the call, Dr. Schoolcraft informed us that he thought we had about a 50% chance of this cycle working with our little embaby on ice.  We chose not to let that get us down.  After all, we know our God can work miracles.  Then, he confirmed that I would need to take Depot Lupron for two months before we started the frozen embryo transfer (FET) stimulation (stim) meds.  We couldn’t help but to let that get us down.

Flash back to 2012.  I took Depot Lupron for 4 months after my laparoscopy/hysteroscopy to allow my uterus to heal more quickly.  If you’re thinking, “Oh, I’ve taken Lupron to suppress my ovaries before a cycle,” you are thinking of the wrong Lupron.  This is the Lupron that Todd so cleverly coined *Devil Lupron.*  I don’t take offense because it’s true.  This Lupron rocked our world that winter.  It sends you into a state of menopause.  Hot flashes, night sweats, joint pain, mood swings…the whole gamut.

We were not quite prepared for the mood swings in 2012.  I would like to say we were better prepared for them in 2016.  However, recently I said that prometrium was my least favorite drug of all of the drugs in the world.  I’m starting to think I should retract that statement.  Maybe.  It’s amazing what you can forget over time.  I had a few bouts of unexplainable cries during this most recent two month stint, and one of them brought me to my knees in our closet searching for comfort from God.  Honestly, I can’t really think of a better place to be.

Anyhow, the hot flashes were worse this time.  They made me angry.  Looking back, it’s pretty funny, but at the time, I thought I might stab someone…preferably Dr. Schoolcraft.

Actually getting the Devil Lupron in our hands was a chore.  We priced it at two different pharmacies.  When our favorite, Walgreens Specialty, said they would have to ship it directly to the doctor for them to administer, we chose Accredo.  At first, we were told these two shots would cost a total of $2,000.  That is not a typo.  Luckily, Dr. Schoolcraft redeemed himself (from the decision to make me take this drug) by coding this as medically necessary to treat my endometriosis.  Score one for CCRM.  We were able to purchase both shots for a total of $150.  <Speechless>

The first shot came.  It was intimidating, to say the least.  Todd administered it into my rear flawlessly.  His years of practice giving me progesterone shots had paid off.  All of the symptoms began.  We survived.

See?  Intimidating.

The second shot arrived.  Todd had to give it to me while we were “Spring Breaking” in Copper Mountain with our girls.  Still a flawless administration.  The symptoms got worse.  He didn’t kill me.  Life moved on.  Simple as that.

We did run into two minor kinks after the fact.

1. I called Accredo to pay for the second shot.  The man that answered informed me I didn’t owe the full $75.  Without questioning and getting it raised, I paid and moved on.  When I called later to pay for a drug they shipped me without my prior authorization (it was easier to keep and use than to return it), I was informed I owed $75 for the second Lupron shot.  After many, many, many calls, I realized that although my credit card statement showed a payment to Accredo for the amount he said, they had zero, nada, zilch record of me making the payment.  Shockingly, no one at Accredo wanted me to send them a copy of my statement.  I’m still bumfuzzled as to how that happened!
2. Walgreens Specialty never canceled the order for the shot.  Now, remember that they said they wouldn’t ship it to us.  Well, when we ordered the remaining FET meds from them, we told them not to send the Lupron shot, too.  They didn’t listen.  They shipped it.  To our house.  Again, bumfuzzled. 

It has taken us three weeks to get both of these ironed out.  I’m not even sure why I’m documenting these problems except to prove that pharmacies are human.  In case you thought they were perfect, they are not.  This is proof that you should check your meds when they arrive and make sure you know what you have and the dosages.

Next time on Making Baby Provence, the downhill slope to the FET!