5/20/2013

Post- Weekend Update

I'll start with my uneventful ttc update:  I am on day 11 or 12dpo... No signs except some breast soreness and stomach upset, which could be attributable to other things.  Post-ovulation, my temperature rose to the 97.9 range then up to the 98.2 range, then back down to 97.9 for the last three days.

My IUI phone consult is tomorrow at 4pm.  As mentioned, I'll take Femara again, and S and I will do an IUI for the first time.  This will be my 7th IUI, but all others were with frozen swimmers.  S feels uncharacteristically optimistic because of my having the polyps removed and because we found, and will now be bypassing, my "curleyque" cervix.  I will let you know if anything interesting happens in the consult tomorrow.

In other news...Over the weekend, S and I went to Sonoma, but not for wine tasting this time (we tasted some wine but not at the wineries!).  The Transition Town regional group for Northern California had a gathering, for which I was on the planning committee, with attendees from many Transition Initiatives throughout the region.

The getting to know you exercise I led in pairs went well, and people didn't want to stop talking when it was over - a sign they enjoyed it I hope.  They took turns answering two open-ended questions, which I now invite you to answer in comments:  "What are some of your favorite things about living on this earth?" and, "What are things you enjoy making and doing?" :)

We did two other planning and discussion activities and heard from a few people about successful Transition projects they had implemented, including "Bay Bucks," alternative currency.  After the gathering, we all went to a local woman's house and had a fabulous vegetarian dinner she had prepared for us, as we drank wine on the deck overlooking Sonoma's Valley of the Moon.  A feast for the senses...

We all got quite tipsy and shared personal stories; a big shift from our normally activist-focused time together.  An example of veering quite definitively out of "work" mode:  I offered to set up the Executive Director of Transition US on a date and was grilling her on her preferences in men.  hehe

Zoey came with us, too, and did very well as par usual.


5/10/2013

Fertility Appointment News

It's almost mid-May!  And here we are in the middle of another cycle.  I have to admit the last one really threw me for a loop.  I was pretty deflated and sad after that BFN... and mad too!  Not mad at anyone, just generally mad at getting jerked around by all those deceptive signs and symptoms.

In retrospect, it was totally the Vitex, and I totally ovulated on Cycle Day 19 - four days after S and last tried.  And we really thought we covered our bases, too, trying a couple of times after I thought I had ovulated.  Then, everything just *looked different* than a normal cycle, so it made me get more and more hopeful... just to crash back down to earth.  I guess I kind of hibernated after that for a while.

But I'm back in the driver's seat and feeling some hope again.  On Tuesday, S and I went to the fertility doc at PFC in San Francisco.  He obviously knew his stuff.  I had to sit through another "Your chances are so low, they are barely on the chart" speeches.  I know they have to give them, so there's no use fighting it.  Afterwards, it did feel good to see him get surprised and excited about the two fat follicles growing on my right ovary (remember how my last doc said I had an awesome right ovary?).  Apparently, I responded quite well to the higher dose of Femara I put myself on (7.5).  I have a smaller one on the left side that he didn't think would likely ovulate.  My total AFC remains similar at around eight.

My next steps are getting a couple blood tests (D and Prolactin) that they want done.  If this cycle doesn't work, then we decided to do one more on that dose of Femara, since the response was so good.  I will add in a trigger shot and an IUI, though.  The following cycle, should we get there, would be an injectable/Menopur cycle.  I just entered the two-week wait for this cycle, though, so I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the most significant findings:  His ultrasound machine was quite powerful, and he saw that my cervix is like a little obstacle course for S's swimmers.  The fibroid may be pulling/altering it, but basically it is shaped a bit like a corkscrew.  Okay, that just sounds odd and makes one picture a water park slide!  Anyway, that's the word he used, and he also said that there is a right angle to enter the uterus.  Though still possible to navigate, this could be contributing to difficulty in conceiving AND is bypassed by doing an IUI.  Yay to a tiny modicum of control!

I'm running out to do some errands, then S and I are going to our swing dance class tonight.  Tomorrow I have to work registering HS students at my community college - boo! - but only until 2pm.  We plan to take a bike ride in the evening.  I love that the days are getting so much longer!  Hope you all are well.  I've been reading along with those of you who have blogs and commenting when I can.