Sunday

Sorry I haven't written in a week. We have been having some problems with our computer, so I haven't been able to log on. Well, I am done with this months Clomid-thank god! This time wasn't as bad as the last time, but in no way was it enjoyable either. I am still on estridol. Tuesday is my first u/s. We will hopefully find out when we will have our next IUI. some good news, we got a statement from our insurance company and they picked up the first u/s. I don't know if it is just a fluke or if more will be covered, but I will take it. At this point every dollar counts.

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! Enjoy spending time with your families! And say a extra prayer for us...

day by day

Well, it came back negitive. So this month, we did not get pregnant. So we start meds all over again as soon as AF comes. Another three wonderful weeks of feeling like shit!! I can't wait!! Other than that I don't have a lot to say. I am beating myself up pretty bad, I don't know what woman wouldn't.

one week down

I have to say that this waiting period sucks. It is not like you can just go on with your day to day functions and pretend like you didn't just have a procedure done. You think about it all the time. You can't cheat, because with all the drugs that I took I will show a false positive if I took a HPT. So I just get to wait. Yikes!! Other than that, I have been feeling pretty well. Actually, better than the last month. I think the drugs are finally starting to get out of my system. I know I could feel some of the side affects of the clomid for up to 6-8 weeks after I stop taking them, but honestly I haven't noticed any lately. The only thing that I really notice is my appetite. I want things I never really had to have before. Like anything crunchy, yeah it sound weird! Chips, lettuce, and vegetables. And I can't get enough of anything slushy-like smoothies or Slurpee's! But once again this is all because of the drugs. Other than that no news.

It's a waiting game! And it SUCKS!

Work

I found out some good news about my job. I applied a couple of months ago for a position as a trainer. Our company is rolling out a new register program, and I have been chosen to train stores. So, I fly out to New York City on June 8th for a week. There I will learn the program, how to set up the temp training sites, and all the other functions of the job. Then I fly home for the weekend and back out to Kansas City for a month. After that, I will be in ST. Paul, MN for a month. I can fly home on the weekends, or do longer stretches so I am home for 5 days. Needless to say it will be Monday through Friday, something I have never had the luxury of doing. I will train 3 days a week. Also lots of frequent flyer miles!! So hopefully we are pregnant by then so I don't have to take those 3 months off treatment!

IUI #1

For those of you that are easily offended, please don't read this. I am very honest about what is going on, and truely don't want to offend anyone, but it's my story.

Well yesterday we had our first IUI. It was kind of weird, I guess just not what I was expecting.

Justin had to go in 2 hrs before me, so met him at WFI later in the morning. We both got escorted to a ultrasound room. First they went through our test results which were awesome! Sperm is graded on 3 things: motility, quantity, and another thing that I can't remember the name of. But basically if they swim in the right direction. Motility is more or less are they a good swimmer?-1 is poor, 2 is okay, 3 is good, and 4 is excellent. It has to be at least a 2, but ideally they want it to be a 3, Justin was a 4! Next is quantity, the average is about 20-25 million, and Justin was 53.4 million. I had no idea I had married such a stud!! When the doctor came in, he looked at the test results and went WOW! And went over to Justin to shake his hand and said "good job!"-awkward moment!

After that I had to undress from the waist down, and lay on a table. The doctor came in to explain what was going to happen: basically he put a speculum, and then washed my cervix. Then, he inserted a catheter into my cervix. The catheter is fairly small. He then attaches a syringe filled with baby juice and slowly pushes the juice in. I had to wait 1 minute from the time they were finished for them to take it out. Over all it was pretty simple. When they insert the catheter it's kind of painful. It feels like really bad cramps, but worse than I have ever had. And You have that pain the whole time the catheter is in you-so about 2 minutes. After that you have to lay on the table for 10 minutes, get dressed and leave. It was so.....routine. When we left, my other doctor came out and congratulated us........awkward moment again. And told me no exercise, swimming or bathing, but I think she meant actually taking baths. Now it is a waiting game. 3 weeks I can take a HPT, if BFP I call my normal ob and schedule a appointment, if BFN we start over. Please pray for us and Wish us luck!!! We want this so bad.

Success!

I actually wrote this Tuesday, March 4
I updated Justin's post to give a little more info.

On the ultrasound Monday morning there were 2 follicles measuring 20mm and 25 mm, which is considered large. And 1 smaller, measuring 15 mm. The Eggs have to be between 15-20 for them to do the ovidril. So that's what we are doing. According to things I have read, the best chances to get pregnant is when 3 eggs are used. Luckily, that is exactly how many we are working with. A couple more good things have come out of this. I know my body is responding to the clomid, which the side effects suck when I am taking it. But we also don't have to switch drugs either, which is nice on the pocket book, because the rest of the stuff wasn't cheap. so anyway, I gave myself a ovidril shot last night in my stomach. I never thought I could give myself a shot, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Now tomorrow morning we go back for the IUI. Justin has to go 2 hrs before me, to do his business, make his donation, what ever you want to call it. Then I go in 2hrs later for the actual procedure. From my understanding they are going to insert a catheter into my cervix and uterus and inject baby juice. I will have to lay there for about 15 minutes, then we are done, and we go on like a normal day. How that is possible I don't know. And then it is a waiting game..........

History

So here is a run down of what has transpired in the last year or so. Justin (DH) and I got married last March and started trying to have a baby right away. In April I went in for my yearly check up and had some blood work done. Everything came back great, but due to a previous medical condition-endometreosis, she wanted me to see a doctor that is high risk and specialized in fertility. I couldn't get into her until August.

When I finally got to see her, we went through my medical records and she wanted to wait until December before we started using drugs due to the increased chance of having multiple births. The rates are as high as 40% before trying for a year. Needless to say, I agreed, it just wasn't worth the risk. But, she put me on provera to enduce periods. I take that for 10 days, and get my period, then 20 days later start it again. This will put me on a 30 cycle. So we tried, and tried, and tried..........and nothing.

I went back in December for my next visit and had more blood work done. I was diagnosed with PCOS, otherwise known as Poly cystic ovarian syndrome. To make a long story short, my body doesn't know when or how to ovulate. This syndrome is normally found in woman who are over grossly weight. I don't really fit the stereotype. Treatment is normally drugs and weight loss. I don't have weight to lose, but get to take the drugs. So I was put on Metformin, which is a drug that diabetics take to level there insulin levels. PCOS sufferers have insulin levels that are very high, which gives them a 40% chance of miscarriage. Taking metformin lowers my chances to what a normal person would be. And then 100 mg of clomid, a drug that makes you produce 2 eggs instead of one. I also needed to come back and have some blood work done on certain days of my cycle.

I went and had my blood work and the next day had a weird message left on my answering machine saying that I need to call the doctor. I called and go the results of my tests which were not good, actually they were a major blow! My progesterone levels were at a 1.1 and needed to be at 15, which meant that I did not ovulate. My doctor told me I needed to see a RE (see definitions) So I made an appointment to see a doctor at the Wisconsin fertility institute. We also found out that neither one of our insurance covers any fertility. So everything is out of pocket!!! And it is expensive!!

When we went to the appointment the doctor was very optimistic. She started me on 200 mg of clomid, metformin, and estrogen to induce periods. I took the clomid and went back for a ultrasound-no eggs. So she decided to try 250 mg of clomid which is the highest dose allowed by federal regulations. In fact, when I went to fill the prescription 2 pharmacists had to talk to me. I went back for another ultrasound, lots of eggs, but all to small except 2 that measured 10 mm. That is the smallest they can be, so I go back this week to see if they grew. If they did we are doing a IUI this week. If they didn't grow we are switching to femara, another oral drug. It is our last option before injectables.

new blogger

So I have been reading other peoples blogs for about 6 months, and think this might be a beneficial thing for me. I seem to have a lot of emotions in dealing with this whole ordeal. And once I decide to start telling people about it, others can get updates on here instead of me having to talk to them. No Offense, but sometimes I just don't want to talk about it.