Traveling Time

GO SPERM, GO! It is out of our hands and there is nothing our NP can do from here. Now we just need our swimmers to work hard and make the baby!

In the mean time, we are happy to have our first weekend home with no plans since May 4th! So far we think we might go for a bikeride, kayak, go to the farmers market, play with the dog, look for a new job for me, and shop a little! OR we might not do any of that, it is totally up to us!

Have a great weekend. GO SWIMMERS!

14dpo: No Flow No Show

So here is what we have…. nothing.

There is no AF and no positive line. The BBT has been back up the last two days. We will test again tomorrow. If there is still no positive then S will stop the progesterone and hopefully AF will just show up so we can get on with this.

12dpo: hope...what hope?

Well the BBT dropped a bit today. Not enough to show that AF was coming but definitely enough to mar the hopes. We didn't even POAS today.

AF just get here so we can put ourselves through this again.

On a more positive note, we feel like the injectables really did work. We are pretty confident at this point that this month was our best look at getting pregnant. That means 3-6 months we should be there! See I have some hope left!

Oh, and thank you all for your supportive comments. We know it may be early yet but the signs just don't look all that good. We are so grateful to all those that read us and send comments of support. Ya'll rock!

9dpo: over anlayzing

So last night was the third night in a row that S didn’t feel so great about an hour after dinner. She describes it as being heady. I have been working off a cold for about 1.5 weeks now so it could be her fighting off my cold. OR it could be that she is pregnant. She is on progesterone right now and has never been on that. We aren’t sure if that could be making her feel strange or not. Her (this may be too much info for our non-IF readers) breasts have more pronounced veins (potential sign or indication that her progesterone level is higher). So, we are currently overanalyzing everything, as the TWW tends to force us to do. We did a HPT this morning to see if S still had HCG in her system (that is the shot I gave to make her ovulate and also the hormone HPT detects for pregnancy). It was negative so we are pretty sure if we see any lines on Monday it most likely is not a false positive.

Anywho, this whole IF thing needs a little rant from me. So all early pregnancy and pregnancy signs are the same as AF signs OR are caused by the drugs. For example, the veiny boobs could be pregnancy OR progesterone. It is impossible to know what is really happening to your body or if it is all the prescriptions you have pumped into it. GRRRRR…

As promised, today’s photo isn’t as pretty as the other days but is a bit more real! Carolyn, I didn’t even have to use crayons this time…presenting...an implanted blast!

8dpo: and 5 inches of snow

That is right folks, 5 inches of snow yesterday on April 11th! Thank goodness I didn't pack the shovel too far back in the garage a few weeks ago. Is the arguement about no global warming based on days like yesterday with snow in April? I'm pretty sure the world is going wacky and it isn't because beings from Mars are messing with us! I am pretty sure we are messing with us!

8dpo pic of the day! Here are the stages of the endometrium during a cycle. We are somewhere right about the end there. Hopefully with the embryo nice and tucked into the endo. Enjoy! Tomorrow's may not be as pretty!

TWW

Finally - we are in the TWW!! IUI #2 down, and our NP was reasonably sure that I ovulated since yesterday, so that's good. I kind of thought I was ovulating this morning, but either way... the timing is good.

My biggest concern is that the next two weeks are going to be gruelingly slow, AND I'm going to interpret absolutely everything as a possible sign. Luckily, E's dad will be in town this weekend - that will be a good time, and good to take our mind off of things too.

Green Light

WE GOT THE GREEN LIGHT TODAY! S's SOs decided to show their little faces and their follicles! There are two follies, one at 18mm in the left ovary and one on the right at 20mm. Her E2 came back at 460!!! This means that there is at least one follicle that is mature and producing the right amount of estrogen to be viable. Our NP looks for 300 E2 for each follicle over 18mm but we have heard some say that 200 is the number their doctors look for. Needless to say we are excited that they both might be mature and ready to go but are pleased with one!

I got a quick tutorial on how to give an intramuscular shot while at the doctor's office. We have decided to do the hCG at home this time versus at the doctor's office. This will allow us the opportunity to have a better-timed insemination than before. We go in tomorrow morning at 10 am for the first insemination so I will likely be shooting S up tonight around 9 or 10 pm (probably 10 because I have a conference call tonight that will likely go until around 10). We will also pick up one of the ICI sperm vials tomorrow at the doctor’s office around 5 pm and do an at home insemination (we have them anyway). On Wed. we will do another in office insemination at 9 am.

Here is the breakdown:

4/2: 10 pm hCG shot to force ovulation (should happen within 24 hours of the shot).
4/3: 10 am in office IUI insemination
- 12 hours after the hCG
4/3: 5 pm at home ICI insemination
- 18 hours after the hCG
4/4: 9 am in office IUI insemination
- 35 hours after the hCG

How does this regimen look to you all? We think this covers a pretty good amount of our window. Input?

On another note, Gladys woke me up at 3 am (very strange for her) needing to go outside. Since it was strange I walked out with her. She immediately did #2 with no doggy magic poop dance, then #1, then puked. I came back in as she was still wandering the backyard to find two piles of puke (food and sticks) in the dining room. I cleaned it up and G came back in. Acting a bit strange but ok. She got up a few minutes later and puked in the dining room again. This time we decided to let the clean up wait till the morning. Well, the little lady left us 6 piles of bloody puke on our brand new carpet. She is doing better now but has to be closely watched. Looks like she probably ruptured blood vessels in her stomach from puking, sounds like a long night of drinking is the same as a long day of eating sticks!

Well, we are really really excited about the coming days and then looking for the TTW to go fast. My dad will be here for the Easter weekend so that should help some of the time go by quickly.


Come on swimmers, Easter is the time for egg hunts!!!!!!!

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Edited at 3:46 by Erin

S just called me and swears she have movement on the left side. We are going to add an ICI to the schedule for tonight. Why not throw everything we have in our arsenal at this one? The rest of our protocol is staying the same.

(In)Fertility Glossary

One of my dear friends back in MI has suggested a glossary for those of you not mired in fertility lingo every day of your lives - fair enough! I'm going to start it here, and we will add to it when we think of other things. Those of you who are familiar w/ the jive, feel free to comment and add more. (We don't know what lots of it means either!) Good idea, Kay!

• AF = Aunt Flo, which of course means getting your period.
• ART = Assisted Reproductive Therapy
• BFN = Big F***ing Negative
• BFP = Big F***ing Positive
• CD1 = Cycle Day 1
• Follicles = Eggs not yet released from ovary
• Follies = Lingo for 'follicles'
• FSH = Follicle Stimulating Hormone. This is the hormone responsible for growing the follicles during the follicular phase of a cycle.
• IF = Infertile or Infertility
• IVF = InvitroFertilization
• IUI = inter uterine insemination, a catheter is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to deposit sperm. Supposedly this increases chances of conception - because the sperm has a much shorter journey.
• Progesterone = hormone that spikes during luteal phase, or second half of a cycle (TWW). This hormone is responsible for all kinds of things, including sustaining an early pregnancy
• TTC = Trying to Conceive
• TWW = Two week wait, specifically the time between ovulation and waiting for the results.

Getting Creative in the Creation

Well, today did not go as we had hoped. Turns out we have one follicle that is 13 and a few that are much smaller. Our NP didn't seem too discouraged by the news but we were. As S says, "it just seems like more bad news every time."

NP suggested coming back on Thursday for another ultrasound. She seems to think by then the follicle will have grown to around 19 and S can get the hCG shot. However, this is where the kink is thrown into the plan. I have to leave at noon for board meetings in Chicago all weekend. If in fact S's follicle has grown to larger than 19 the insemination dates will be Friday and Saturday.

This poses two problems. One, I will not be able to be in Madison during those days as I have about 12 hours each day of meetings. Two, S will have to be in Madison alone while trying to get pregnant. Neither of these options work very well with our co-dependant neurotic desperate lesbian selves.

Soooooooooo, what is a co-dependant desperate lesbian couple to do......well, we can't let a month pass with out trying to make sperm meet ovum.....on to plan #6,000.....

1. We ordered two ICI (this is used for at home insemination) of Bernard for delivery tomorrow.
2. We scheduled the ultrasound for Thursday
3. Pack the sperm and liquid nitrogen container in the car with two of my co-workers, S, myself, and suitcases and drive to Chicago.
4. S will pack the sperm and liquid nitrogen container and take the train to Grand Rapids (GR) to see her family.
5. S will inseminate in GR by herself (stay away Betsey and Katie!)
6. S will pack the sperm and liquid nitrogen container on the train again on Sat. and return to Chicago
7. We will inseminate in Chicago on Saturday.
8. We will then drive the liquid nitrogen container back to Madison to ship it back to Virginia.
9. We will start the dreaded two week wait (tww).


Here is the approximate size of the liquid nitrogen container....not really all that easy to move around with! (This picture is from 1.5 years ago when we thought we were introducing Leah and her cousin! Time does fly.) S is on her knees in this picture but the tank is not a small item!

This is all if the Thursday ultrasound gives good answers. If not.....who knows what we will do with the Bernard's ICI sperm.....I guess we'll just have to get creative.

All this and board meetings has left me drained....but I'm still going to work till about 10 pm tonight.