14 Days In ... IUI

Ironic eh?!? In a typical cycle, ovulation occurs on cd 14 ... and today on cd 14 I had my IUI with the anticipation that ovulation woud occur today.

The IUI went without a hitch. I showed up at 9 am and they prepared the sample. 61 million pre-wash and 31 million post wash with a motility of 31% ... this is the best IUI sample we have ever seen so that is exciting.

I start the PIO shots tomorrow .. that's the big 1 1/2 inch intramuscular needle ... yucky ... but I'll do anything to increase our chances.

Then in two weeks ... on the 7th ... I go back in for my beta test ... praying it's positive!!!

13 Days In Part 2

So ... here's a twist ... it's kind of best case scenario (hopefully) ... but with an alternate ending.

I'm apparently surging already ... which means the IUI earlier rather then later. 9 am tomorrow morning in fact. It's on a Friday which we were hoping to avoid ... but 9 am is totally doable ... compared to 11 am when we were to have school conferences and 2 pm when we have little man's birthday party.

I'm slightly concerned about the surging. We would be predicting things well if we had the hcg ... now we are guestimating ... but I guess you work with what you are given. I always thought we would sit the cycle out if it came to this ... but we have already invested alot of money into this cycle ... what with the appointments every day instead of every other or every third day.

She originally wanted me to go ahead and take the hcg this evening. I asked the nurse why I shouldn't just take it now since I was already surging. She asked the doctor then called me back and said to go ahead and take it now.

So plan of action ...

3/22 ... HCG
3/23 ... IUI
3/24 ... 1st PIO injection
3/27 ... 2nd HCG injection
4/7ish ... Beta

13 Days In

Looking good this morning.

Right Side ... 1 @ 18.5, 1 @ 17.5 and 1 @ 11*
Left Side ... 1 @ 14.5
Lining ... 10.0 Triple

* The 11 is shrinking as it was a 13 yesterday so it is not a contender. No biggee ... I still have 2 1/2. I say 2 1/2 because the 14.5 doesn't have much hope of actually ovulating ... but there is a possibility.

So ... when I asked about the possibilities she is thinking trigger tonight or tomorrow night based on blood levels ... but wouldn't give me a definitive thought.

12 Days In Part 2

I heard back from the Doc's office ... it's best case scenario. Continue with the same meds and go back in tomorrow for bloodwork and u/s.

My estradiol was up to 319. I asked today about the estradiol ... they want to see 100 per mature follie.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

12 Days In

I had my doctor's appointment today. I checked on the Estradiol from two days ago ... it was 147 not 179 ... 140 something ... I think it was 147. Today's Estradiol was 182.

Right side: 1 @ 16.5, 1 @ 15.5 and 1 @ 13
Left side: 1 @ 13.5
Lining: 8.something Triple

With regards to the lining I asked if it was possible for it to get too big and the NP said no it wasn't going to get too thick and that mine was looking really good. So I forgot to look at the exact number as she was doing it because I was so relieved that it couldn't get too thick.

I had Patty double check my numbers before I left because I wanted to make sure I had the size of the follies right ... I did ... but then she went and said that I should be expecting to trigger soon because my LH is creeping up. Now that's got me a tad bit worried. Waiting to hear back from the docor's office with my new set of instructions.

I'm thinking one of three things ...

1) my lh surged and I can expect to go in for the IUI tomorrow. This is not good because a) my follies aren't at 18 yet and b) because I have to to take Dawn to the airport tomorrow morning and Jason is in training all day. It would be absolutely miserable taking 4 kids ... especially kids this young to the IUI with me. They would think I'm crazy ... and wonder why I'm going through infertility treatments.

2) they think I'm ready to trigger tonight which would put the IUI on Friday. This is not good because a) the kids have conferences at 11:00 and 11:20 on Friday and b) Thomas birthday party is on Friday at 2 pm. Which means the only time we could do the IUI is at noon ... or after 4 pm on Friday.

3) go back in tomorrow for another u/s and bloodwork. This is the best case scenario even if it does cost me another $75. Then we can likely wait until at least Saturday before having the IUI. A Saturday IUI would be the bestest ... I would spend $75 to have the IUI on a Saturday.

11 Days In

I was up all night thinking about this appointment that I had scheduled this morning. If my largest follicle was at 12.5 yesterday and follicles don't normally grow more then 1 mm a day and they want the follicle to grow to 18 before triggering ... why would they bring me in?!?

Still makes no sense ... when I asked the NP about it today ... she said it's hard to know what the doctor was thinking. He must have been wanting to keep an eye on something or had an idea about something. Hmmmm ... hoogly googly if you ask me. I think they just wanted my extra $75 that today's appointment was going to cost me.

Anyhow ... estradiol from yesterday was 179 or 1 something ... I can't remember the exact number but I think it was 179.

Right side ... 2 @ 14 and 1 @ 12
Left side ... 1 @ 11
Lining ... 7.8 triple striped

So ... now I sit and wait for the next phone call. There is nooo way that I will be triggering tonight with an IUI on Thursday ... so I guess that's good ... gets me past Thursday with taking Dawn to the airport and Jason being in training. Phewww.

Now it's a sit and wait game to find out what happens next. Unfortately, I will likely miss their call tonight because I will be picking Dawn up from the airport and if they leave me any controversial instructions I won't catch them until after they close ... hopefully it will be same ole same ole ...

Awwwwwwww

Well, I got the call this afternoon. Same meds ... 3 Gonal F, 1 Repronex and the estrace and going back in tomorrow for another sono and bloodwork.

So I sent him the following email ...

In other news ... I have to take 3 gonal F, 1 repronex, and an estrace and go back to the doctor tomorrow ... by myself with two kids. Which also means we will probably trigger tomorrow night and have the IUI on Thursday ... by myself with two kids ... oh crap ... maybe 4 kids ... just lovely ..

and I get the following response ...

We figure something out! I won’t leave you hanging…we are doing this together!

He gets it!!! He really gets it!!!




ps ... Dawn is bringing her kidlets tomorrow for me to watch for the three weeks while she is TDY and while Brian is deployed. Her two plus my two equals possibly four kids in the room with me doing the IUI. That's not a sight you see very often in a fertility joint.

10 Days In

Wow ... today has a few firsts. The first first ... daddy is back in town and graciously agreed to stay home with the kidlets so that mommy can strip down in privacy. The second first was that when mommy got home the first thing daddy said was ... how did it go? I wonder if he has caught on to the fact that we are trying to get pregnant?!?

About the appointment ... before I forget ... estradiol was at 49 at my last visit.

Lining: When he measured it, it said 6.8 but when he relayed this to the nurse he said Triple 7 ... I think that's a good thing.
Right side: 1 @ 13.5 and 1 @ 12 with a bunch of smallers
Left side: 1 @ 10 with some smallers

Now this surprised me ... I have been having some major twinges on my left side ... I thought for sure my left side had kicked in ... guess not. I guess the right side is indeed the active side this go round.

I'll be back later to update after the phone call giving me my next set of instructions.

EWCM

I'm thinking that my Estradiol level has increased over the last few days as I seem to have some EWCM today ... it wasn't here yesterday ... that's for sure. Of course ... Jason came home from New Mexico yesterday so that 'might' have something to do with it. But I'm seriously thinking it is the EWCM.

Also ... I felt ovary pain last night ... my left side which according to Dr. Drosch is dormant this cycle ... but we'll see the results of that tomorrow morning now won't we ...


Hmmm ... I'm wondering now if my left side is just an overachiever and my right side is slow and mellow. And when we get lots from my left side we trigger quickly ... but when my right side has to step up to the plate we trigger later rather then sooner?!? Just a theory ...

Contemplation

It seems my body has this weird cycle thing going on.

My first Injectable/IUI cycle in Iowa I triggered quickly. My second Injectable/IUI cycle in Iowa I was expecting to trigger quickly ... but alas ... we kept going and going and going. I think it took about 4 additional days that time.

My first IVF I triggered quickly. My second IVF I was expecting to trigger quickly ... but alas ... we kept going and going and going. I think it took an additional 4 days that time as well.

My first Injectable/IUI cycle with LIIVF I triggered quickly. My second Injectable/IUI cycle with LIIVF ... well I don't know the results yet ... but we are in line to keep going and going and going.

At least there is a recognizable pattern here.

7 Days In

I had another appointment this morning. Jason is still in New Mexico so it was me and the kiddlets again. I had the pap smear this morning so that's over with. Littlest one kept trying to peep out the curtain ... he wasn't trying to look at me ... he was trying to look at the other people in the room.

It wasn't the bestest of appointments ... but it could have been worse ... I guess. She started off with the lining and it was only 4.9. Even I know it should have been thicker then that. Then she went to the right and found a few 7's and I think a 9 or a 10 ... I'll have to check next time I'm in. That was fine because we had more on the left side the last visit anyhow ... unfortunately ... they were gone. She went over the left and there was nothing there. She kept looking ... then went back to look at the notes. She thinks one of the 10's might have been a blood vessel. She finally found the other 10 ... but thinks it might be the shrinking cyst from last cycle. So now she is thinking that the right side is the active side this cycle.

I don't know what my Estradiol was ... but it must have been low because my call back has me continuing on the same meds and coming back in next Monday as compared to Sunday.

4 Days In

I had an appointment this morning. Did I mention that Jason is in New Mexico going through training and I'm doing this solo. In fact, when I mention "I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow" he says "why?". I wonder if he even knows we are doing this. If I get pregnant he might be really surprised!!!

Updated 3/18/06 ... I literally just told him I wrote this ... and he wasn't listening ... so he still doesn't know that we are trying to get pregnant. Ironic ... I have ALWAYS wanted a surprise pregnancy ... but I wanted to be the one that was surprised.

Results of the U/S

Lining: 4
Right Side: 1 @ 7 and a few smaller ones
Left Side: 2 @ 10
Estradiol: <35

CD 2 ... Baseline Report

Whooohooo ... we got the go ahead. I did have a cyst on my left ovary ... but it was only about a 17 ... and it was the side I ovulated on this last cycle. The blood tests confirmed that it wasn't an acting follicle ... so we are on!!!

3 Gonal F
1 Repronex
1 Estrace
Come back on Tuesday for bloodwork and sono

That's what I'm supposed to be taking. But I pulled my meds out of the garage and I realized that they had been stored at subfreezing temps. The box indicates that they should be stored between 36 and 77 degrees F. Luckily I had two boxes of Follistim and 1 box of repronex left over in the fridge so I will be using these.

CD 1

Ironic ... I think I actually had a 13 day luteal phase ... unmedicated ... wow!!! This is based on CM ... I think I ovulated on either the 23rd, 24th or 25th of February.