Getting up to speed .........

The Lutrepatch, what is it you say? Well , basically its a device to give you a hormone that stimulates your hypothalamus to stimulate your anterior pituitary to make LH and FSH. This is placed into your system via a small electrical current. The control unit is about the size of a pack of gum and it attaches to a patch that sticks to your skin. The patch is changed out twice a day and the control device just once every 7 days, for a total of 21.
This is different than injectables because the electric current is more how your body sends the hormones through your system so there is much less of a chance of over stimulation of the ovaries.
The patch is used in this study in correlation with the drug Clomid.

I found out about this by suggestion of my OB/GYN. I have PCOS and my cycle pattern, or lack there of, fit the profile for the study and I have been trying to conceive. ( I do have a one child, my daughter, surprizingly conceived the ol' fashion way, nothing added or deleted, 4 years ago )

During May before the study I had to have my fallopian tubes checked, my hormone levels analyzed, and my husbands lil' swimmers evaluated. Well, the tubes are open, hormones a flowin' and the lil' swimmers are swimming well so I got the green light to proceed. Wahoo !!

My appointment for the first patch application was on June 5.They do a trans vaginal ultrasound ( tvu ) every time and measure your parts and count those blasted follicles. In my case of poly cystic ovaries, there's like a million or something, ok not that many but the doc did say they were too many to count. I also have a left ovary that likes to play hide and seek so while the good doc is searching out the little fella with his twisted magic "wand" (those who have had TVU know what I mean) it can be pretty painful, so I don't like this part much.
The patch itself seems not bad at all at first, tho the first sting of the pulses takes getting used to but we women can put up with a lot more than that for a little bundle of joy. It was later that evening that I would see what an intruder and hassle this little thing would be for the next 21 days.

DAY 1
I work in restaurant and always have an evening shift. My first day of work with this thing on I find out it beeps , continually, when your patch change window time comes, and that is a little embarrassing talking to people about why you are beeping. Terrified I wouldn't get the first patch change right I spent 15 minutes in the ladies room with my shirt half off. I later found out that I didn't have to be so exact in my timing, just some time before that next pulse starts so I have a 90 minute window.
Day 3
You're supposed to take the bag they give you everywhere because if there is a problem, you need all the backup supplies. Well, on day 3 I went to the movies with my hubby and because of timing I had to somehow change my patch during the movie and wouldn't ya know it but the one time I did not have everything with me, the control unit failed when I tried to change the patch so I had to wait two hours till I got home and then my timing was all weird, I was soooooo stressed out that I would be in trouble, but my study coordinator said I did the right thing. Pheww !