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Countown for ovulation

So I took the Clomid for 5 days, last one Saturday. It did make me a little moody but I’m better now. I’ve been doing the ovulation predictor tests each afternoon for the past few days. There’s something very bittersweet about seeing the faint positive on the ovulation test. The test looks exactly like the pregnancy test from the same brand and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stared at that test hoping and wishing for even just a faint positive.

This afternoon the faint positive was much less faint than before…almost but not quite as dark as the control line. To be positive, the test has to be as dark or darker than the control line. But even though it’s not totally positive, we’re going to do the IUI tomorrow morning. This is good, because if we had to do it Saturday, I would have to cancel crewing for the Avon Walk which starts tomorrow night. I really didn’t want to have to have that conversation with my Crew leader “blah blah advanced maternal age blah blah ovulating….”

We’ll go in tomorrow at 7:30am. My husband will “give up” a “sample” and it will take them one hour to “prepare” it. Then they will do the “transfer” and we’re done. I’m a little concerned about how this will feel…I almost passed out when I had the HSG done and it’s kind of the same idea…passing a catheter through the cervix. But I guess at this stage of my cycle, my cervix will be more open or something so maybe it won’t be as bad. I’m afraid to look online for suggestions because comments always range anywhere from “I didn’t feel a thing you’re all wimps” to “complications caused me to have a hysterectomy.” Googling this stuff never ends well.

My husband really needs to be at work early tomorrow but we both decided it’s important for him to be there during the “transfer.” At least we can pretend we’re doing it the normal way.

Wish us luck.

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Starting IUI

So today was the first appointment with USC Fertility to get the whole IUI process going. Exam, blood test, ultrasound, the whole nine yards. Everyone is very impressed with how I keep my medical records…everything is in a binder all tabbed and indexed. I guess that’s unusual.

We talked about clomid and injectables. Clomid is a pill that makes more than the usual one egg “drop” which increases the chances of pregnancy from about 6% to about 25%. Injectables are for people who just haven’t gotten pregnant and it REALLY increases your chances of pregnancy, and of multiple pregnancies. I had 17 folicles in my right ovary and 8 in my left. If I did the injectables I could end up Octomom, which is not ideal. So we decided to go with the Clomid…I take 2 tabs each night for 5 days. Then on cycle day 10 I start testing in the afternoon with the ovulation predictor kits. Once it’s positive we go in the next day for the “transfer.”

They tested my FSH which was 7.5. They get worried that the eggs are all dried up if the number is over 10, so this is good news for me. That plus the “above average” number of folicles gives me some better than average odds for my advanced maternal age.

Other than that, my legs have really been bothering me. They feel like they’re hooked up to an electrical outlet, especially if I walk any distance longer than 10 feet. Something to talk to the lyme doc about at my next appt. That and the fact that my belly is all big again from the antibiotics. Gotta lay off the sugar.

GOOD NEWS: My new insurance, Cigna Open Access, not only pre-approved another 6 months supply of Lovenox, they have already shipped me a 3 months supply and it only cost $40. Suck it Blue Shield.