Wednesday, October 26, 2011

IUI Successful... On to the 2WW.

At 7PM yesterday I got a positive OPK and another one at 10PM, so we took the swimmers into the RE's office first thing this morning for washing and preparation. Devoted Daddy and I returned at 9am for an ultrasound and IUI.

The ultrasound showed that my endometrium was PERFECT! 11.6mm on CD14. YAY! It also revealed 3 BEAUTIFUL FOLLIES! The follicles measured 25, 26, & 29 mm with two on my right ovary and one on my left. Dr. Awesome said they should rupture within hours.

The IUI itself wasn't a walk in the park... these things are suppose to be easy but due to the scarring on my cervix (cervical stenosis) from previous surgeries, my cervix wasn't open and Dr. Awesome had to dilate and push through the scar tissue. Needless to say, that was a very painful experience. My biggest fear was that the scar tissue would be too significant and Dr. Awesome would say we had to move on to IVF... which I don't think we could ever afford.

We had 27 million MOTILE swimmers placed at the top of my uterus near the fallopian tubes to lie in weight for those eggs. Devoted Daddy says he's blaming me if we get triplets. :-)

I'm home now... with normal activity level, but I do have spotting and cramping. Dr. Awesome said I could expect to feel like AF was coming but that it won't.

On to phase 3... progesterone draw in 7 days. Dr. Awesome said that with three rupturing follicles I can expect a higher level of progesterone this month.

Then, 14 days from today I can POAS. If the test is a BFP, I'll go in for Beta Blood to assess HCG levels. If it's BFN, I'll wait for AF and go in for an ultrasound to make sure my ovaries have recovered enough to start clomid again. If it's BFN but AF doesn't show... we will do a blood test.

I have no clue what the chances of being pregnant this cycle are... but I'm praying for at least one sticky baby out of this! In the meantime, I'll keep charting and see how my temperature reacts to all that progesterone.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Having a Plan

I've felt better since we attended our Fertility Center appointment and met extensively with the wonderful staff there. I like having a plan... blame it on my OCD tendencies if you like.

I wasn't distraught when AF showed up after 37 days because I already knew I wasn't pregnant... I had a corpus luteum cyst that continued to produce progesterone (and some nasty symptoms). Since I was armed with knowledge, I was eager for AF so I could start on The PLAN.

I completed phase one of the plan on CD7 (Oct. 19th) with the completion of five days of 150mg clomid. I didn't experience any crazy side effects... just a few hot flashes (okay, more than a few) and I was a bit more fatigued (it was harder to get up in the mornings, but when isn't it?).

Today I am on CD12. I started using Clear Blue Easy OPK sticks on Saturday. No line to speak of yet but I am feeling more Pre-O like.

So now I'm testing and waiting... when I get the go (a test line that is almost as dark as the reference line but not quite positive), I'll call the clinic and get scheduled for first thing the following morning.

Other than the fact that I hate waiting (I'm an instant gratification person)... this is a good plan. It feels nice to have a plan.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Fertility Center Appointment and What's Next

This morning was our first appointment with the fertility center... I feel like things went well and instead of being sad (as I usually am when I discover I'm not pregnant), I feel empowered. Now, we finally have a plan of action (and I'm an action girl).

So... I am on day 36 of this cycle. That's 18dpo since I ovulated on CD18. By all signs, that should mean I am pregnant. But I'm not... I took FIVE HPT (3 different brands). At my appointment this morning, we did a blood draw for pregnancy as well (they are also checking for rubella immunity and progesterone levels). When the results come back this afternoon, we will know that's its okay to proceed with our "plan".

It looks like I have a fabulous corpus luteum cyst. That means I ovulated like I should have... the corpus luteum produced progesterone like it should have... but instead of going away after my LP, it hung around still producing progesterone. Awesome. The progesterone level will confirm this.

Now we will down regulate for two weeks (which will squash the cyst and get menses started), then start clomid on CD3-7. I will begin using OVUKIT (Clear Plan Easy) to detect the very beginning of my LH surge. When I see that first faint line, I will call the clinic and prepare to come in bright and early the next morning for IUI, swimmers in hand. :-)

In other news... when I got home from the RE, I noticed a tinsy bit of spotting has started... this could mean that AF will show up on her own, likely tomorrow. If that's the case we will shave two weeks off for the down-regulating.

Dr. agrees that a laparoscopy may be needed, given my past and increasing pain issues... BUT that those issues may not be affecting my ability to conceive. We know that I have a damaged cervix that is not producing happy cervical fluids which combined with slightly slow swimmers is our main issue. If we aren't pregnant after 3-4 medicated IUI cycles then we will dig a little deeper.