Disappointed

CD 13 mid-cycle check was not good. I had lots and lots of follies but none big enough. Dr. S said that they were going to give me a shot in their office that day and then I’d have to have another shot (all of Bravelle) the next evening. And to come back on Thursday (Thanksgiving) to get checked again.

We did the shots. Went back on Thursday. My 2 follies with the most potential, they measured 10mm on CD 13, actually shrunk! Now one was 8mm and the other 9mm. IUI#4 is now officially canceled.

Dr. S prescribed me Provera 10mg for 7 days so I can shed all of my lining. Apparently my ovaries don’t like the Clomid and Bravelle combo. They’re high maintenance and can only have one or the other, not both at the same time.

New Game Plan:
Take Provera 10mg for 7 days. AF comes 2-4 days after last pill. Start injects on CD3-7. CD 8 have bloodwork and ovary check and we’ll go on from there. Bravelle is costing us an arm and a leg, even with my insurances help. But we can only do a couple more rounds of Clomid because of the lifetime max, IF we decide to go back to Clomid because we know it works and my ovaries LOVE it.

Ugh! I’m disappointed to say the least. Northern Starr has been really sympathetic. He knows there’s nothing he could do to help me with it. I’m more disappointed now because of canceling the IUI than I was when I found out IUI#3 didn’t work. All that medicine and time, wasted. Come on uterus, get pregnant!

IUI #4 - Game Plan

So my check up with Dr. S yesterday… I have an ovulatory cyst that she says is small and is nothing to worry about, but they’ll keep a close eye on it. And we came up with a new game plan. Dr. B’s nurse Glenna was there and I love her. She had paperwork filled out for us because she just knew we wanted to be more aggressive now. Glenna came and got us from the waiting room and took us to examination room and said, “What am I going to do with you? I was so sure it was going to work this time! Everything was lining up!”

“Me too, Glenna… Me too”

And then Dr. S comes in once I got undressed and even she was telling us that she thought IUI #3 was it for us. We didn’t tell all of our friends and family that we were doing treatments again, but for the few that did know, even they were shocked it didn’t work out.

GAME PLAN:
150mg Clomid CD 3-7. Ovidrel (forgot the mgs) on CD 9. Mid cycle check on CD 13. IUI on either CD 15 or 16.

Side note, this is the worse boobs and back ache from AF that I’ve ever had!!

IUI #3 :: 11dpo

I am now 11dpo. 7dpo I started to have sore nipples. 9dpo it spread out a little, so my whole breast isn’t tender, just my nipples and some of the area around it.

I do not want to get my hopes up but this has never happened to me before. I told Northern Starr about what was happening and he keeps asking, “Well do you think you feel this way because you ‘know’ you’re supposed to feel this way, if you’re pregnant?” I’m not lying. I can’t fake sore boobs. I haven’t had any implantation bleeding, and I feel like I would have already had that by now. There’s been some cramping though, but not sure if it was just gas or an upset tummy. Ugh, the 2WW.

By this time next week, we will know if IUI #3 is Yay or Nay.

IUI #3 and Progesterone Levels

IUI #3 was set for the 25th (CD 17)

At out mid-cycle check we were given the trigger shot to take home, for it to be injected that night between 10-10:30PM. I’m a wuss when it comes to needles. As much as I’ve been probed and picked at throughout our almost 3 years TTC, with needles and ultrasound wands, I have gotten better. Now I watch when they put the needle in me, and I watch them draw my blood. But I cannot make myself give me the trigger shot. Northern Starr does it. And he doesn’t have a problem doing it… again, he is a certified EMT! So IUI #3 was on the 25th. I’m so proud of Northern Starr’s swimmers!!! 94 million!!! That is more than double, almost triple, the swimmers in IUI 1 and 2 combined!!! I have to say, I’m being very optimistic about this cycle! Please keep Northern Starr and I in your thoughts and prayers. As of right now we are in the 2WW.

Yesterday I had to go to the REs yesterday to do an ultrasound to check my progesterone levels. I’ve never had that checked before. Dr. W checked me this time (he also did IUI #3) and he showed us that both of my ovaries are empty, so I did respond great to the medicines and ovulated. And he measured my lining and said that looked perfect as well. I’m not sure if I heard him or understood him right but we think he took a picture of my two mature follicles, but I didn’t think that you’d be able to see that. ??? If any of you ladies reading have had something like this, please help me confirm.

One week left until we find out. I’m trying not to get my hopes up but as Dr. W’s nurse said at yesterday’s appointment, “it looks like the stars are aligning!” Everything looks and sounds as if it is all going to work out. Please let it work out!

Mid-Cycle Check, IUI #3

Northern Starr and I were soooo excited to be able to see my right ovary that we got to our REs 45mins before our appointment lol! But without further a do... Ladies and gents... my right ovary

She has some follies in their too. But none were mature enough to be a contender. On my left side however.... were 2 really good candidates!!! Here they are.

My follicles measured 19x20 and 21x25 We are a go, mission control for IUI#3!!!

Back at the REs

So we had our first RE appointment of this year!!!  Good news and bad news.  I’d like to end this post on a good note, so I’ll start with the bad news first.

*Note:  Our REs office has 3 different doctors.  And they all see each others patients if the clients primary doctor isn’t available.  There’s Dr. S (the only female in the practice), Dr. W, and Dr. B (our RE).*

BAD NEWS:  I asked Dr. S at our visit if we could talk about doing injectables or a combination of clomid and injectables, and if there’s a possibility of doings 2 IUI procedures in the same cycle.  She “checked me” (so uncomfortable, I had to practice my deep breathing to help me from not tensing up).  She still wasn’t able to see my right ovary.  None of the doctors in the practice can see my right ovary.  All possibilities of me doing any medicated cycle with injectables goes out the window.  Our doctors would prefer us to not have anything more than twins.  My left ovary was full!  50+ follicles!!  Oh Mylanta!  So even more so Dr. S doesn’t want to take the chance of giving me injectables L.  She did recommend that I make an appointment with Radiology to have an ultrasound to make sure my right ovary is okay.  Just because no one has ever seen it.  But even if Radiology can see it, if my REs can’t see it, we can’t do injectables.

GOOD NEWS:  My 50+ follicles!  Of course they weren’t mature, but I have A LOT of possible babies in there!  Hooray!  AND Dr. S prescribed me Provera because she saw a lot of lining in my uterus that needs to be shed. Greaaaat…. Can’t you just hear all that sarcasm in my tone?  And then I start the Clomid.  I’ll get monitored on CD14, where they’ll see if my follicles are mature enough and how many of them there are.  Looks like we’re going to have to just go off of what is seen in my left ovary.  If IUI is a go, they’ll give me the trigger shot to take home and take whenever they tell me, and then go in to do my IUI.  We’ve decided that we’re not going to do the 2 IUIs back to back this cycle.  Because Northern Star doesn’t need to do another SA, we want to see what his count will be this time around.  And if it doesn’t look good we’ll do the 2 back to back in the next round.

So happy we’re starting up again.  But we are keeping things to ourselves.  Our parents don’t even know!  A few close friends of ours are the only ones who know.  And of course all of you lovely people.

Lots of love!

Sabrina Starr

I Did It!

I called our REs office and scheduled an appointment. 

Northern Starr was supposed to call and make the appointment because I was just too nervous to do it.  But I did.  Yesterday was my birthday.  And I bet you all know what I wished for when I blew out those candles.  I have to be more productive if we really want a baby.  And we REALLY want a baby!!!

The appointment is scheduled for next Monday.  It's a freakin week away!!!  And Dr B isn't going to be doing my exam because he's working this weekend to do any procedures (IVF, IUI, monitoring).  So I'll be getting "checked" by another doctor, a lady doctor.  The receptionist said that because it's been over a year since we were last there, we will have to do some test.  Just give me the provera and inject ables and lets get this party started!! :-)