Blowing my (free) load

So to bring the world back up to speed... very negative for the weekend, some light blood (ovulation bleeding?) on Sunday, and not one, but two not quite positives on Monday to match Friday, Tuesday another very negative.  I had called the doctor's office on Monday and debated my options.

Note that if I sent the specimen back next month my ovulation is again near a weekend, but this time with a Monday that is a holiday.  June is vacation.  So I would have been paying for storage for 3 months.  Given that and the oddities this weekend the Midwife said let's do it.  Either way I feel the 'free' specimen was a loss - and it still cost around $500 between the price difference, shipping, and the actual IUI.

So, on Tuesday I was in the office once again for IUI.  I have zero hopes of it producing any results, but who knows, right?  Heaven knows my timing hasn't been right thus far.

Today was different

My positive OV test this morning was almost a surprise. I really didn't expect it until tomorrow. Then I immediately thought, watch, the specimen won't arrive until too late in the day for me to make my 1:45 appointment, but even that worry was dashed when I saw it was delivered at 9:13.

Sure, I was nervous and anxious the first time I went and with the second and third there was a sense of anticipation, but today, my fourth round of trying felt very different. I was anxious like I don't recall even being the first time. The Midwife said the specimen looked good, so that too was a relief, since I reverted to the first donor again for this try. I also left with very little bleeding today. There was still a bit of pain, but it was on the lesser end. I do have to wonder if it is because my cervix was in a better 'state'.

So, thus begins the waiting period once again. Hmm. Wing night on Thursday and no booze. Boo.

Try three, part B

Guess what... still no positive ovulation test this morning, but since the tank was only good to today I went ahead and did what we needed to do. The appointment was not with my normal doctor as she is in surgery on Mondays, instead with a midwife (one that several friends spoke quite highly of). I'll give her this, I did feel comfortable with her to converse immediately, and it hurt a hell of a lot less than the attempt last week and hasn't resulted in anywhere near as much blood. Then again, it could be timing related too.

She did give me some hope however in offering three days as still being the viability of frozen sperm. It gives me some hope - providing of course I ovulate this week, which if my second period in May hadn't come early, is when I would have been suppose to ovulate. So now I'll keep an eye for ovulation by Wednesday morning before I give up hope on this attempt.

Try three, part A

I used the first specimen from 4102 today. Right before leaving for my appointment I was pleasantly surprised by a call from Fairfax stating they were refunding me for the last specimen. Considering I was expecting nothing this is great news.

The ovulation test didn't come out positive this morning, so I ended up with the doctor talking to me like I'm an idiot ("you need to ovulate for this to work you know" - repeated several times). Yes, yes, but I should be ovulating at this point and here I was with two specimens and a weekend looming. I can't win with my body, that's a fact.

After this time, which took way longer than the previous two and had several bouts of pain, I was bleeding quite a bit. IUI is not pleasant at all.

Attempt 2, one day early

I was keeping an eye on the tracking information and my fingers crossed this morning. Imagine my delight when I saw at 9:51am that the specimen was delivered! I called and was able to get shifted to a 11am appointment this morning.

In my reading I've found various answers on timing. Most of what I saw says about 24-48 hours after the LH surge, which concurs with what my doctor's office says, but that's just the release of the egg. From there I've read you've got 12-24 hours before it is lost. Now given that my first check, on Tuesday evening read positive, as did my test Wednesday afternoon, I'd THINK that means 11am today was about the 48 hour mark or a little over. You'd think that would be the perfect time frame. I guess we'll see if/when my period comes - which I suspect will be early again this month.

Now, all sounded well, but - to my surprise - my doctor was actually there and available this morning! Around noon I'm actually in there and she comes in saying "we need to talk". She then proceeded to say she had some in a slide and there isn't much moving in there. Then she asks where I got the samples from.

Yes, all of my specimens were saying 35%-ish for motility and around 10mil counts. 35% clearly, the most rudimentary of math, isn't all of them swimming like crazy... but is that that bad as to have the doctor say that? I don't what to think exactly, but it is disheartening. I guess it only takes one.

Try #1

I was happy to see the two little lines again this morning, so I didn't feel like I was "too late"... but my doctor was. My appointment this morning was set for 9am. I called (and got through) around 8:30, giving them plenty of time to prep the specimen, and I was there at 8:45. So why was I in the room at 9:10 hearing the nurse call around trying to local my doctor? That's a good question. Nevermind that at 9 the nurse was showing me the unfrozen spermies in the little container.

Shortly there after they came in to note that my doctor was in surgery and to ask if another doctor was okay. Ok, fine, just make sure it's a woman. So, I ended up with a midwife. In goes the speculum (no lube you know, just to make sure we don't cause issues for the spermies), shortly there after she says that my cervix is "getting away from her". Of course, I can't see down there, so I'm not sure what they employed the use of, but it must then came the owie. Wow some pressure for sure and some almost instantaneous cramping type feelings as she tried to feed the catheter in. She noted that my cervix was a bit hard and I could tell she had to struggle with it. Not pleasant.

After finishing up I got to lay and chill for a few minutes before I headed out and grabbed my new retainer bottom and then off to work. It's been a long day. I think I'll try to get to bed early tonight.