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Back to the doctor yesterday for a second IUI. This time 10 million were inserted. Grand total - 29 million sperm. My second egg had released, as seen on the ultrasound - the follicles had shrunken and there were white dots around the black follicles, blood cells that had entered the ruptured follicle. It seems impossible that one of his 29 million sperm would not hit one of my two eggs!
My boobs are super sore. So sore that I had to switch to my exercise bra, thus giving myself uni-boob. On the plus side, they are so swollen that even when I lay flat they stay perky instead of sagging down to my sides as they started doing around the time I turned 29.
I go back to the doctor on Wednesday to have blood drawn. I have one more Pregnyl (hcg) injection left and the doctor said he will more than likely have me take it on Wednesday. More on those results as I get them.....
In the meantime, we have been staying positive and sending out baby-thoughts to the universe. Today we made some sperm/egg art!
Oh, go sperm, go!
19 million. One of those has got to hit one of the two eggs I'm releasing, right? 19 million!
We did the IUI at 7:45 this morning. First we did an ultrasound to look at the follicles. The left one didn't look like it had released but the right one looked like it did. It took about 45 minutes for the doctor to prepare the sperm. He inserted the speculum and then put in the catheter and released some of the sperm into my left tube, some into the right. I stared at a calendar that had a picture of a pissed-off looking cat with a milk mustache. I couldn't even feel the catheter.
Afterwards, I relaxed there for 20 minutes. During the sperm preparation (sperm washing), the prostaglandins in the ejaculate are removed. These can cause cramping and severe pain in the cervix and may even cause the uterus to collapse! I didn't have any cramping, just continued discomfort from the Pregnyl injections. Sperm washing can also remove dead sperm and those with poor motility, leaving the strongest ones. It works best with guys who have a count of 20 to 30 million. My husband has a count of around 20 to 25 million.
After the IUI, I got my blood drawn for, like, the 100th time this month. They called later on and said because of those results, we are going to do another IUI tomorrow. I believe what the doctor is looking at is my progesterone level, which should reach a certain number after the follicles release the egg. Mine were lower than that and so we send in more troops tomorrow to try to hit that second target.
He didn't say that I had to relax afterwards but when I left the office I took the bus straight home. I took a nap, snuggling my hot water bottle against my abdomen. I have to go to work tomorrow after the appointment and after work we are going to a quinceanera.
Oh, I hope we make a baby! One baby!
Ganirelix is evil. It feels like a gerbil gently gnawing my flesh at the injection site. I confirmed with a friend who also had to take Ganirelix that this is common. Well, that you have pain at the injection site. She didn't necessarily agree that it felt like a rodent chewing your ass.
My friend also said that the gonal-f injection made her super sleepy. She was on a much higher dose than I am and said she got sleepy immediately. I've been having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and thought that might be it.
I haven't been feeling totally positive about our upcoming IUI. I think that is partly because it seems impossible that we will finally become pregnant, partly because I don't want to get myself worked up, only to be let down. But.....I think I need to get pumped up about it! We will get pregnant and have a baby 9 months from the begining of April!
Oh, positive thinking!
I'd chicken out before I could get the needle in. Last week when I had blood drawn I watched her put the needle in my vein.
Today, I watched as my nurse, Maria, tied the rubber band around my arm and wiped the front of my elbow with an alcohol pad. I squeezed the foam ball she gave me and saw my vein pop up, thick and blue. Then she aimed the needle towards it and I looked away. I wanted to make a scared, squeaking noise but Maria is the type of woman you could describe as a "tough old broad" and I don't want her to think I'm a pussy.
I turned back to watch the blood leave my arm and fill the two vials she had waiting. I should be getting a call with the numbers from these test results in about an hour. On Wednesday, I will bring in a sample from my husband and on Friday we will have those results plus my blood work. I spoke with my doctor briefly today and he said on Friday we will map out our plan! Seems that by mid-March, we will be trying either IUI or IVF, depending on these test results!
