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!

Seeing Dr. B Tomorrow!

So tomorrow is my post operation appointment!  I must say that my scar looks great!  Like in the middle of it, it doesn't even look like I've had surgery!!!

I hope tomorrow Dr. B will do a vaginal ultrasound (weird that I actually want it this time lol) just so I can FINALLY see my right ovary... In all her wonderful, beautiful, magnificent glory =).  This is what IF does people.  I never thought I'd be excited for a Dr to examine my va-jay-jay.  We're also hoping that he will start me on Provera asap so we can get this party started! 

On another note... This will be my first attempt at posting a picture on here.  Hopefully I do it right... Here is a picture of Northern Starr's sisters son.  He's going to be such a heart breaker!!!  16 months old and full of Handsome!!!

Yay I did it!!!  Okay have a great rest of the week yall!  I'll post next week about our appointment with Dr. B and if slash when we will be able to start up treatments.  My FIL got a job in South Carolina, so Northern Starr and I are driving him there and helping him get unpacked and situated this weekend.  Post-Op tomorrow (Thursday), leave for SC Friday, unpack everything Saturday, and then drive back to VA Sunday and it's back to the work week grind. 

Side Note:  Don't worry, I'm still not allowed to carry anything heavy, so I won't be moving any boxes, that's for the boys to do.  I'll be inside unpacking those boxes and putting things away.  =]

Late Post... My Bad

A million thoughts have been running through my head since Dr. S called me back with the results of my ultrasound.  I was nervous as hell for my MRI.

The MRI wasn’t all that bad.  But that’s all thanks to the nurse that did it.  She was so sweet and funny, I just wanted to be her friend.  She gave me a washcloth to put over my eyes so I wouldn’t be able to see the machine around me and become claustrophobic.  Even though I know I’m not claustrophobic, it really helped to have my eyes covered.  The only uncomfortable part was that it’s hot as fuck in that machine!  But to my surprise, I fell asleep in there… TWICE!  Sure the machine was loud but the noises it made was a constant noise; and that’s how I can fall asleep.  I can’t sleep in dead silence.  Even if our house is cold, I have to have a fan on.  Just because of the constant noise it makes.

MRI was on Wednesday the 15^th.  Friday the 17^th Dr. S called me and explained that the MRI results show that it is in fact a dermoid cyst, the size of an orange!  WTF!?!?  Since it’s so big she said that I’ve had it for over 5 years.  And now since it’s bigger than what they thought, I can’t have the “simple” outpatient surgery we were already planning on having.  I have to have basically a c-section.  A c-section without a baby.  FML!  Oh and the cyst is IN my right ovary!!!  So there might be a chance that I'll lose it.

My pre-operation meeting with the Dr was this past Tuesday the 21^st.  SURGERY IS TOMORROW!!! Friday the 24^th.  Nervous has hell!  Dr. B (my original RE) is going to be doing my surgery.  Dr. B said that his main goal is to remove the cyst and not take my ovary.  He said he will slice my ovary, peel it back, and make a hole in the cyst and suck the fluid from it so it'll shrink down and make minimal damage to my ovary so he can repair it and I can keep it.  I have to spend at least one night in the hospital.  Plus side is that Northern Starr can stay with me in my hospital room.  That they have a pull out bed for husbands to sleep on, so the wives are more comfortable and at ease knowing someone they love is there with them.

Wish me luck for tomorrow.  I’ll keep yall posted.

Bad News...

My ultrasound was yesterday.  We left feeling confident.  The tech said that she thinks she caught my right ovary on camera; she just needs the radiologist to confirm.  My Dr should have the results Tuesday or Wednesday.

Dr. S called me this morning.  The results are in.  I have (what they think is) a dermoid cyst either in front of, or ON my right ovary and this is the reason why no doctor has ever seen it.  The next step is to have an MRI, which is scheduled for August 15^th.  The MRI will confirm what type of cyst it is.  Dr. S said that dermoid cyst are benign, and that I will need to have surgery to remove it since they can’t “go away” on its own, and since it’s pretty big.

I’m scared.  I’m heartbroken too.  Dr. S said that this cycle is out of the question now.  I can still take the Provera to shed all the lining I still have.  But I cannot take the Clomid.  I’ve never spent the night in the hospital before.  I mean, I have for other people, but never for myself.  I’ve heard different stories though.  The surgery could be a simple outpatient procedure, or I might have to spend the night there.  I guess we’ll learn more about this as we go.

I’m trying to remember… But I think an ex-coworkers daughter had a dermoid cyst.  And once she had it removed, she and her husband had a baby… NATURALLY!  Let’s hope this is the case for us too!

So we’re OUT.  Literally. L

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