Today I could have had chemo, a full week early, if it weren’t for the fact that I need to give my ovaries time to shut down.

Chemo attacks quickly dividing cells and chemo happens to loves ovaries. There’s even the phrase ‘Chemopause’ that happens when you start as chemo will force you into Menopause. Sometimes temporary if you’re younger and if not then more permanent.

So this morning I went to my GP and she injected into my stomach something called Zolardex. For those of you who have paid attention the first time around you can skip this part! Zolardex is an implant the size of a grain of rice that’s injected into my stomach once a month. I’ve since learned to put numbing cream on it and an ice pack 20 minutes before injection time. It still hurts but not excruciatingly so.

So apparently in 4 days my ovaries will be asleep. I know the point is so that maybe one day we might be able to have children again, to use the 5 embryos stored in deep freeze. I keep reminding myself that this did work, I was able to get pregnant again because Zolardex protected my ovaries. And for people I’ve spoken to who have gone through Menopause it’s not a sudden process, it’s something that takes awhile right? This implant makes it happen in 4 days. Engine shut down…and it’s tough. Last time it was night sweats, aches, cold and stiff joints, I did not feel myself until my system came back online. I am hoping it’s easier this time around….