Upbeat

Monday was my second follicle check of this cycle (on CD14), and I left my clinic feeling awesome - that almost never happens.  Everything has come back so much stronger than the same point of precious cycles, and that, my friends, is finally some forward progress.  I give credit to my new BFF.

I ended up surviving the Follistim injections, and it really was not as bad as I had imagined it would be - I really didn't even feel the needle, and after the first couple, it didn't even phase me anymore.  Anyway, all of those injections paid off, and the prize so far ... was another injection.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Last Thursday was follicle check number 1 (CD10).  I had a leftover 23mm monster cyst (it was 13mm on CD1), but otherwise things looked decent.  The first thing I noticed when I walked into the ultrasound exam room was that they had a new exam chair, which was beyond exciting for me - definitely a sign that I spend too much time there.  I visited the vampires in the lab so they could test my estradiol (the stupid hormone that always fucks everything up), and my RE called with the results that night - 210, the highest I've ever shown.  Booyah!

Saturday, I had another trip to the lab to have my estradiol tested.  Unfortunately, the lab didn't get my results entered as quickly as they were supposed to, so I got a call Saturday night letting me know that I would get the results on Sunday, and I was told to take another dose of Follistim that night.  I didn't do that though, because we didn't get home until late - we were celebrating the first birthday of my friend's adorable baby girl and enjoying a mini college reunion.  It was so nice to catch up with my friends - much needed.

Sunday morning, the results phone call wasn't as great as I had hoped - my estradiol was only up to 216, so I had to keep my appointment that was set for Monday afternoon, and wait to trigger until I was given the okay.  I also ended up giving myself that last Follistim shot.

On Monday, I was supposed to start in the lab to get my estradiol tested again, but I wasn't able to get there early enough and the lab was a zoo, so I decided I'd just finish up there instead.  Like I mentioned in the opening, my second follicle check was really good - triple layer utey lining, the monster cyst was gone, and I had 2 follicles, 19mm and 15mm.  My RE's outlook was very positive, and she said that we would determine when I should trigger after my estradiol results came back the next day.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, I was just finishing up our "morning meeting" at work when I felt my phone ring (yes, I answered my personal phone at work, which is totally against policy.  And I don't care, because it was an important phone call).  My estradiol came back at 264, so I was told to give myself the trigger injection (my prize!) later on Tuesday, have some scheduled intimate time with my hubster (scheduled sex is such a turn on ... not), and then go in next Wednesday for a progesterone test.  After that, it's the long wait until we find out if we caught the egg.

So that gets us updated to today ... I'm feeling cautiously hopeful - I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's hard not to when things seem to be going so well.  I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks if all of this worked out.

Tried It

I can officially cross two more items off the "tried it" list.  Two things that don't appear to be on the fun little list below ...

Earlier today, I had my HSG.  Holy eff, it was "uncomfortable" (if uncomfortable means ohshit this frakkin' hurts!!).  Before the procedure, I asked the radiology nurse if there would be a physical picture printed so I could get a copy for my scrapbook - unfortunately, there was not.  The procedure itself was pretty quick, and I've been crampy and uncomfortable all night, but I'm surviving.  Oh, and they saw the "fill and spill" of everything being clear and my ute is the correct shape, so things are good.

The second thing I can check off the list is giving myself a Follistim injection.  I put it off for a while, then B helped pump me up to do the damn thing.  I got everything ready, I cried for a minute, then said fuck it, stabbed the needle in, pressed the button, and it was done.  I have 3 more doses in the pen, 2 of which I am definitely expecting to take.  Hopefully I won't have to refill any time soon, because it's so expensive, and we're super broke.  I'll maybe have an idea tomorrow during my ultrasound appointment, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to make another follicle check appointment for Saturday.

Crossing fingers and toes for good news ...

Overwhelmed

I apologize in advance if this post makes no sense - my brain is all kinds of jumbled right now.  Also, be warned that this post is pretty much all about AF, so if you want to avoid a TMI-fest, move on now.

Last weekend, I noticed that I had started spotting, which was absolutely amazing to me - it's been so long since I've started AF without the help of Provera.  On Monday night, the spotting was a little heavier, and by mid-day Tuesday, I was certain that AF had finally arrived - it definitely seemed like a full flow.  I called the clinic, and because of a long workday on Wednesday and the holiday on Thursday (which would be CD3, when I typically have the baseline), it was decided that I would come in for the last appointment on Tuesday (on CD1) for my baseline ultrasound.  My ultrasound came back normal, I talked with a nurse about setting up an appointment for my HSG, and my RE gave me a lot of information about injectables, because I'm starting those this cycle (holy shit).  It was a lot of information to take in, and I'm surprised I didn't completely break down when we got to the car.  Instead of turning into a sobbing mess, I turned to my BFF the Internet for support from my friends who have gone through or are currently going through infertility treatments, and to research the least expensive supplier of injectables.  (Spoiler Alert:  injectables are expensive everywhere.  The best choice I found was Walgreen's Specialty - after enrolling in the Design Rx program, the cost will come to $254.  My second choice was Freedom Fertility, at $256.)

On Wednesday, I got a call from one of the nurses letting me know when my HSG had been scheduled (next Wednesday at 10:45), and I used that opportunity to ask about my cycle being wonky.  I explained that I was only spotting again, that I only briefly had full flow, and that I was confused about what was happening.  She told me that sometimes it's normal for AF to start, then stop, then start again, so I should just wait it out, and if there was no increase by Friday, give them a call again to figure out what's next.

Because I am clearly cursed, there was no change over the last couple of days.  Still just spotting, and barely that.  I called this morning to talk to a nurse, and she said just go ahead with things as planned (although now the medications will all be pushed back a day).  So that was the plan ... until I got a phone call from my clinic this afternoon.  She said that my RE has requested a blood pregnancy test to make sure that all of our bases are covered (even though the odds of that being the cause of this stupid, semi-non-existent AF are slim to none).  Unless I hitchhike, that's going to have to wait until tomorrow.

When we started with treatments over a year ago, I knew that things weren't going to be easy.  What I didn't expect was that things would become so damn complicated.  I'm ready for everything to fall into place ... any day now would be perfect.