IUI Done, 2 WW To Go!

Go eggs, GO!!!

I had my third IUI today. My RE wasn't in office so his partner did the procedure. I didn't feel a thing! But about an hour after the procedure I started getting twinges and cramps. I've still got them. I'm hoping they are related to ovulation.

Remember? I had two dominant follicles. Yay! DH's total sperm after wash was 25 million. The RE said anything above 10 million is normal and good. We were surprised though. DH's total sperm after wash is usually around 45 million. We're still hopeful. I think this has been our best cycle yet.

My nurse said "Third times a charm!" She pointed out on my consent form that today is 3 - 31 - 09. I also noticed the time right after the procedure: 12:33 PM. I'm not really into numbers but we'll see...omg, what if we get pregnant with triplets? Ha!

My 2WW begins tomorrow. It's neat how each date in April will correspond with my dpIUI. For example, tomorrow is April 1st and 1dpIUI.

Prometrium begins Thursday...ugh!

Ok, so guess what I saw while we were waiting?!?!

There was an u/s machine in our room. The probe thing was covered with a paper towel. I was curious. Wouldn't you be? It's never covered with a paper towel. DH told me not to look but I couldn't resist. There was nothing else to do while we waited for the RE. So omg, the probe was covered with a condom (which is nothing new) but there was a metal thing on top of that. It had a hole at the end. I thought it had to be for aspiration, egg retrievals, etc. I asked the nurse after the RE left. She said it was for aspirating eggs. She said they put a long needle through that hole. I about died. I can't imagine experiencing that while being awake. Ouch!

After the nurse left I saw the long needle on the table. It was covered too but I just had to peek. I really feel sorry the girl that's going to have that procedure done. I'm telling you what, I always thought we would go ahead with IVF but I'm not so sure. I think adoption might be a better option.

Oh and I saw a lady that could hardly walk in the waiting room without her husband's support. She was talking up a storm but completely out of it. She said she lost her first baby. She said her ER was on Saturday and her transfer was today. Her hubby said she was under the influence of Valium. Poor thing!

Follistim Shot

I've been meaning to record this for awhile now. I finally did it. I'm hoping it's the last Follistim shot I ever have to give myself. I want to share it with the girls out there that are getting ready to use the Follistim Pen. It's so simple and easy. But no one could have told me that before my first injection. I was terrified. I hope this video brings peace to your minds. It's really not bad at all.

I keep the needle in for a good 10 seconds after the medicine goes in. I want to make sure the medicine doesn't come out. During my one of my first injections I pulled the needle out too fast and some of the medicine came out. It totally freaked me out so now I make sure it stays in past the recommended 5 seconds.

Oh and I'm watching The Notebook right now. Isn't it just the best movie? It melts my heart each time I watch it. A couple of my favorite quotes are below.

"It's not going to be easy, It's going to be really hard. We're going to have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, everyday."

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That's what I hope to give you forever."

Update:

My trigger shot was at 12:30 AM. It went very well. This was the third trigger shot DH has given me. He did the best job. I really didn't feel much of anything. I'm serious!

Two Dominant Follicles

Our alarms went off at 5 AM. We threw on some clothes and headed out the door. Two hours later I woke up in the parking lot of Sout.heast.ern Feri.lity Center. I had slept the entire way!

I had my blood work first. I was dreading this because both of my arms have nasty bruises. I'd already been poked three times this week. Well today's needle just bruised my right arm even more. It really looks bad. It hurts me to look at it.

My fourth u/s of the week was next. DH and I went in one of their many u/s rooms, I dropped my bottoms and we waited for our RE. We were expecting bad news but we were pleasantly surprised! My RE said my E2 level was at 468 yesterday. He wanted to do another u/s because my u/s results in Savannah weren't matching up with my E2 level. He said my follicles should have been bigger yesterday. He said the u/s machine in Savannah is older and not always as accurate as the "Cadillac" he was getting ready to use. So the results: 7.2 lining, 2 dominant follicles - one on the left at 17 and one on the right at 17. He said we will continue with 87 IU of Follistim tonight (in hopes of a little more growth) and trigger Sunday night at 12:30 AM. I'll have my IUI on Tuesday at 11:30 AM.

We're hoping for the best. This is my first IUI cycle with more than one dominantfollicle. It's also my first IUI cycle with a dominant follicle on my left ovary. Lefty doesn't usually participate.

It's pouring rain outside. DH and I are going to Target to buy an OPK. My blood work said I wasn't surging this morning but I have to test tomorrow morning to make sure I'm still not surging.

Still Confused

I'm on CD 13. I went to Savannah for my third u/s. My lining was at 8. That's good news! My right ovary had one large follicle at 14 or 15 (didn't grow much in 2 days). My left ovary had one large follicle at 13 or 14 (didn't grow much either). My E2 levels went up (not sure about the number). I'm still confused. Why aren't my follicles growing at the normal 1 - 2 mm a day?

My nurse called this afternoon. She said to continue the same dose of Follistim and come to Charleston for our fourth u/s tomorrow morning. She said my RE wants to measure the follicles himself. Interesting!

I'll keep you updated.

CD 11 - Ultrasound Results

My day was like this roller coaster ride.

Morning Highs and Lows:

I was pumped about my u/s this morning. I couldn't wait to see how many dominant follicles were in my little ovaries! Q went with me because DH had to work. The nurse practitioner gave Q a note pad to write down the numbers. She reminded us that follicles usually grow 1-2 mm a day. She said I could have 17s or so. Well the u/s began but the np wasn't calling out any 17s. I think I heard 10, 11, 6, 12 x 13 and I can't remember the rest. Actually I do remember my lining: 6. I was in shock. Q and I just looked at each other. I was trying not to cry. The np said "I'm sorry honey." I asked her if we would be cancelling this cycle. She said "I'm not sure what your RE will want to do." BTW, I wasn't at my RE's office. I was in Savannah. So I responded with "Q! We are going to Starbucks right away. This cycle's a bust! Screw my 'no caffeine' IUI cycle!" We went to the lab for my b/w and then we drove straight to Starbucks. Q treated me to a VENTE skinny latte! It was heaven. We shared a few tears, talked about what's next: more IUIs, IVF or adoption. Q told me about our dentist and his wife. They had unexplained infertility. They tried countless IUIs and IVF and didn't have any success. They adopted two little girls and then got pregnant on their own with a little boy. Now they are pregnant again. So it was an interesting morning! I went from having lots of hope to having no hope.

Afternoon Highs and Lows:

My nurse coordinator called and said everything looked fantastic. She said "Honey, you're only on CD 11." She said to continue Follistim at the same dose and go back on Friday for another u/s. I was confused! I thought things weren't looking fantastic. I called her back and told her I thought my follicles hadn't grown much. She said "Yes, they have grown since Sunday. We think you are going to have 3 or 4 dominant follicles. Your E2 went from 120 on Sunday to 215 today." I continued to tell her some of the other comments the np made to me. She said "Hold on a minute!" And omg, my RE got on the phone. He talked my head off for 10 minutes straight. He explained everything and said I was perfectly on track. So it was an interesting afternoon. I went from having no hope to having lots of hope.

What do you think? Is anyone surprised my follicles didn't grow much? Does anyone know anything about E2 levels?

I guess I just need to trust my RE. DH and I are going back on Friday morning for another u/s.

Blow Fish

I feel like a blow fish. My stomach is bloated like never before.

I'm losing patience this time around. I'm so ready to know the results of my u/s on Wednesday. I'm so ready to know if this IUI is going to work. This round's 2WW is going to be torture. I think I'm just ready to move on with something more successful. But hey, let's hope this IUI is successful!

DH and I watched Fireproof last night. I heard it was a good movie a few months ago. I knew it had something to do with marriage but I wasn't exactly sure what it was about. As soon as we started watching it we both said "This has got to be a Lifetime or Hallmark movie!" We enjoyed it. It reminded us of how precious our marriage is and how much we love each other. I would recommend it even though it is a little cheesy at times.

www.fireproofmymarriage.com

CD 8 - Ultrasound Results

I wish I had more exciting news to share. The u/s went well because I have several follicles. It's still a little early to tell which will be dominant. Lefty, as usual, isn't really participating. She only had one growing follicle at 11. My right ovary, as usual, had several growing follicles at 12, 11, and a couple 9s and 10s. My lining was at 5.5. I was expecting to be further along so I was a little disappointed with the news. I asked the RE what he thought (not my RE - I went to Savannah to avoid the Charleston drive). He said my lining was in line with the growth of my follicles. He said it was "nice and multi-layered," what does that mean? Ha! If he had to guess he would say I will have about 3 dominant follicles. I had an E2? blood test done afterwards. My nurse in Charleston called me a few minutes ago. We are moving my Follistim up "one click" past 75 IU. That doesn't seem like much but I'll be following my RE's orders. I'm going back for another u/s on Wednesday (CD 11).

Skinny Latte, Please!

I really wanted a skinny latte from Starbucks on Friday morning. It's one of my usual Friday morning treats. It perks me up and helps me get through the last day of the school week. I resisted. I really wanted to order Diet Coke at dinner last night. I resisted. I really wanted a cup of DH's coffee this morning. I love a cup of coffee on Saturday morning. I resisted. I'm trying to be strong! I'm going through caffeine withdraws. It sucks. But it's the one thing I'm trying to do differently for this IUI cycle: no caffeine, only water. Help!

My u/s (CD 8) is tomorrow at 8:30 AM. It's going to reveal how my body handles a higher dose of Follistim from CD 3 on. Here's what we could possibly find out: 1 dominant follicle (good news), 2-4 dominant follicles (awesome news), 5+ dominant follicles (bad news). I'll post the results tomorrow.

Hour of Bliss

(not me..ha!)

I've been craving a massage lately. DH tries but just doesn't compare to a real masseuse. I gave in and made an appointment for a "Stress Relieving Massage." It was this afternoon. I enjoyed every second of it. I'm willing to dish out money for ONE more before my IUI next week. DH doesn't know this yet.

The masseuse that I used does acupuncture too. I asked her about it this afternoon. It's $100 for the first session and then $85 for following sessions. I wish we had the money. All of our extra money goes straight to Sou.theas.tern Ferti.lity Center. By the way, I asked the receptionist for a list of everything after my u/s on Tuesday. Since the end of November 2008 we've paid around $1,100 and our insurance company has paid around $2,000. It shocked me. That's only with an initial consultation, an HSG and two IUI cycles with numerous office visits, blood tests and ultrasounds. Oh and that total doesn't include the meds we've purchased.

Like I said we were shocked. DH was even a little disgusted. But we are NOT complaining. If we are blessed with a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby EVERY penny will be worth it.

Infertility Bump

Don't you just love people that know your trying and constantly stare at your stomach during a conversation? I know what they are thinking "Ummm, is that a baby bump?" Yesterday I wore a cute little dress that's a size too big. I bought it thinking "Oh, I can wear this when I'm pregnant." That was a year ago and damn it I'm still not pregnant. Anyway, someone at school just kept staring. I wanted to scream out "No! That's not a baby bump! Please just STOP cutting your eyes down at my stomach every other second."

Laughing at myself...

...because DH had just walked in and asked "Why are you taking a picture of yourself?" I had to explain it was for a blog post. He admitted there was a little bit of a bump effect. I think it's just due to the style and size of the dress.

CD 3 - All Clear!

My day 3 u/s went very well this morning. I have 13 little follicles on my right ovary and 10 little follicles on my left ovary. My lining looks great. Oh and the best news of all -- the cyst is gone!

When the u/s tech started she went straight to my left ovary to check for the cyst. Right away I saw a big black circle. I thought "Shit! There's that cyst!" but I said "Oooh, is that the cyst?" She said "No, that's your left ovary." I laughed at myself. But how was I suppose to know? Last month my cyst was so big it looked like an ovary on the screen.

My next u/s is on Sunday (CD 8). I'm hoping for the best.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

CD 1

It's CD 1. AF arrived this morning. I'm SO ready for a successful IUI cycle. My day 3 u/s will be on Tuesday morning. Let's hope the cyst has disappeared! If so, I'll start my Follistim shots on Tuesday night. My RE didn't prescribe Letrazole/Femara for this cycle, which I usually take on CD 3 through CD 7 -- then I start Follistim. Instead he prescribed a higher dose of Follistim (75 IU) starting on CD 3. I'm not nervous or stressed about the shots anymore. I know they aren't painful or difficult to administer. I'm actually really excited about the shots. They will bring me closer to a possible pregnancy. Hopefully this relaxed attitude will help the process.

St. Patrick's Celebration on River Street

Last night was a wild and crazy party in downtown Savannah. We went to check it out for a couple hours.

Costocho...what?

My doctor's appointment went well this morning. After describing my weird chest pains she pressed on the spot they were coming from. She asked "Is that painful or sore?" I couldn't get "YES!" out fast enough. She said "You have Costochondritis!" I said "What is that?" Here's what she told me, which I just copied from mayoclinic.com:

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). It causes sharp pain in the costosternal joint — where your ribs and breastbone are joined by rubbery cartilage. Pain caused by costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart conditions.

Most cases of costochondritis have no apparent cause. In these cases, treatment focuses on easing your pain while you wait for costochondritis to resolve on its own.

She said to take 3 ibuprofen 2 times a day for 7 - 10 days. I've started it this morning since I know I'm not pregnant. I started spotting again today.

I'm just glad I'm not getting ready to have a heart attack or anything. I can rest in peace now.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Still Waiting

I'm on CD 31 and still waiting on AF. I stopped spotting two days ago. I took a test tonight to make sure I wasn't pregnant. I'm not because it was negative!

Oh, and Pre Conceive Plus obviously doesn't work. Save that extra $20 for something else.

I'm going to my family doctor tomorrow. I've been having this sharp pain under my left boob. It happens at random times and usually at night when I'm relaxed. It starts when I take a deep breath in. It's gets worse if I keep breathing in and out. So I have to take short, shallow breaths to make it go away. It goes away in a minute or so. This has always happened to me but very rarely. Now it's happening like once or twice a week. I'm going to get it checked out. I wonder if it is stress related.

My pink BellaBand arrived today. DH wanted me to try it on but I refused. I quickly tossed it in my upstairs closet.

Here We Go Again

sore bbs

light cramps and twinges

lower back pain

Why did I actually think those were early pregnancy symptoms? I noticed some light spotting this morning. I'm pretty sure AF is on her way. Now what? Do I try to lose weight so I can fit into my spring and summer clothes? Or do we move forward with another IUI? I think we'll be moving forward with another IUI. I'll regret it if we don't -- the wait would be excruciating. But weight from another round of meds? Ahhh! Why me?

Jack Again

Knocked out in DH's arms!

Annual

My annual was on Thursday afternoon. My ob/gyn had a big smile on her face when she saw me. I knew what she was thinking. Sadly I had to break the news, "We're still not pregnant!"

I have a problem of smiling all of the time. Everyone thinks I'm always so happy. For the most part I am happy but not always. I'm sure my smiling made her think I was pregnant. Over the last year several people at work have said "You're glowing! You must be pregnant!" I cringe when I hear those words because I may be glowing but I'm not freakin' pregnant. After I tell the truth, they ask "Are you sure?" I just smile, say yes and go on my way.

My ob/gyn delivered six babies the night before. I was amazed that she was still functioning. She said the mothers and their babies were healthy so it wasn't a stressful night, just a long night. I told her about the cyst on my left ovary. She tried to find it but didn't have any luck. I was excited but she warned me it could still be there. She said when I get pregnant I could come in at 5 or 6 weeks to see the sac even though I'll still be under my RE's care. I won't forget this offer!

BellaBand

Why did I just purchase this cute, pink BellaBand from figure8 Maternity? Well, here's my justification: I feel like I might be pregnant (but I'm probably not...lol) and if I'm not pregnant then it's okay. I will tuck it away in my secret closet. I just couldn't resist. I see BellaBands all day long at work. I want my own! I'm so ready to be pregnant.

CD 26 - sore BBs and cramps...ummm?

La De Da

I'm on CD 24. If AF comes, she'll be here in about 8 - 10 days. I've had cramps the last couple of days and my bbs (actually just nipples) are sensitive. I wonder if I'm magically pregnant. Probably not. My body has tricked me too many times before.

I've got my annual today. I haven't seen my ob/gyn since my Clomid days. I'm overdue on my annual by months! I've been putting it off in hopes of a pregnancy. My insurance is weird. It covers 70% of infertility but doesn't cover an annual exam. What? I don't get it!

TGI almost F!

Peek at Jack

Just a little peek at Jack this morning!

His tongue makes us laugh every day. It's always sticking out.

DH and I went to Carrabas last night. We had good intentions of enjoying healthy salads. The chef tempted us with a Chicken Marsala appetizer. OMG! It was wonderful. It had the best flavor. We had to change our orders.

Hallelujah! I made it to the gym this afternoon. Unfortunately my nano died as soon as I got started. I persevered without my favorite "working out" play list. I am so proud of myself. I feel so much better. I'm going to start going again. Hopefully a daily basis.

I saw the cutest pregnant belly while grocery shopping today. She was glowing. Why can't I have that?

In baby making news, I'm on CD...ummm, let me see...20! We had fun trying before and after my smiley face. We did all that we could. Now it's in His hands. I hope the next 12 - 14 days go by quickly. I'm ready to find out if a miracle is growing inside of me.

Is it really March? Bathing suit season is coming up. That bothers me.

Okay, enough of my randomness.

I hope you have a wonderful week.