I messed up on my meds. (Insert just about every swear word I have ever learned here).
The testosterone patches are supposed to be put on at 9pm and removed at 9am.
Today when I removed my patch something different happened. A little silver foil circle remained stuck to my body. Before this I never even noticed the foil circle part.
Cue freak out.
It seems there are two layers of the patch that need to be removed. First the plastic backing. Then the little foil part to expose the reservoir of medication (which is also under a thin plastic coating).
I rummaged through the garbage to see if the other patches I took off looked like this one - was the foil attached to the plastic backing or did it remain on the patch, blocking all of the medicine from being absorbed?
Yesterday was garbage day so I really didn't have much to go on. I found only one patch. It had the foil part removed.
I went back to read the directions, asking myself "How the F did I miss this?!!!!" The directions mention the foil part. Then I went back to read my directions from CCRM. And to add insult to injury I read that it needs to be applied to the upper arm. I had been following the package insert directions and applying it to my abdomen and upper thigh, rotating it around each night because the adhesive irritates my skin.
I immediately put on another patch for today because I know I definitely didn't get my dose last night. This time, the foil center came off with the plastic backing. So now I really have no idea of how much testosterone I was actually getting. Was yesterday just a fluke? I honestly can't remember seeing the foil backing stuck on like that before - but I totally wasn't looking for that or paying attention either. I wish that we had not put our garbage out. I would go through every bag to get to the bottom of this. Gross but necessary.
Maybe this is why I haven't had many side effects from the testosterone!
I called the nurses to tell them what has happened, and I'm waiting for their return call. I have blood work tomorrow. I think the nurses will tell me to see what the blood work shows and go from there.
I am so freaking mad at myself. How was I not more careful?!!! This is a big deal.
If they delay us a month I'll be pissed at myself. If they don't delay us I'll question whether this cycle was compromised.
Update - I just found two more patches in the garbage. They had the foil part removed. That means that two of the last three days were ok.
Hopefully, it was just a one time fluke and the foil part comes off with the plastic each time. Sorry you're having to deal with this. Keeping track of all the meds and when and how to take them can get to be daunting at times. We are all bound to screw up at some point. I don't think it should mess up your cycle.
ReplyDeleteWe repeatedly tried to screw up the IVF cycle that resulted in my son -- spilled the trigger shot, ended up doing it several hours late in the parking lot of a sketchy Walgreens. But we've got a beautiful boy as a result!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that it was just a fluke. Don't beat yourself up!
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was just a fluke, but the blood draw tomorrow should set your mind at ease. Good luck, and try not to beat yourself up!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it was just a fluke, try not to worry too much... tomorrow you will know for sure! JenS is right, we have to keep track of so much. Drugs before, during and after transfer. I even sometimes forget to take my bcp!!
ReplyDeleteI like to think they work a certain amount of user-error into out cycles, seeing as how we're not medical professionals. I was convinced that I screwed up my cetrotide shot, since we couldn't get everything dissolved when mixing and then there were huge bubbles we couldn't get out of the syringe, so we put it all back in the vial and tried to suck it up again. It ended up working out fine...hope the same for you.
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