October Queer Conceptions - Ready to *FALL* in love w/ our future babes! - Page 8

[megincl]

cejae -- test again!

papa -- SO not fair that you started bleeding. Bah! hoping the clinic treats you well this time and you get what you need from this round of testing. ugh.

jj -- that's some major restraint you're showing with not testing. nice work!

afu -- they retrieved 26 eggs on saturday and 7 fertilized. astro -- hearing your numbers had us prepared for low fertilization numbers, so we weren't too bummed with 7. i'd love to have gotten 12 or something like that, but we're thinking that 7 is 6 more than we "need," so to speak, so hopefully that'll be enough for us. transfer is thursday.

and thanks, also, for all the dissertation congrats! it was the first submission, so there will still be revisions, but still, a momentous occasion, and particularly nice not to spend my weekend writing.

be well all,
megin

[osker]

Ugh. We tested. BFN on 12dpo, end of the day, after lots of water.... The only reason we tested was because Heather gagged and had to open a window while she was doing the dishes because the smell of old food was so gross to her. That, and while I was in the grocery store this evening she said that she wanted to just quickly throw up before I came back out to the car so that she would feel better... This never happens! She hates to throw up and never understands the idea that doing say could make her feel better...

Blech, this tww sucks.

[FtMPapa]

Osker - I pronounce that test invalid! That totally doesn't count.


Frustration land over here - I played phone tag with my fertility clinic all day. Finally, I found out that I am getting day 3 labs done on Thursday, but I am not supposed to meet with the RE to discuss my treatment plan, and I am thus not going to be able to get any meds this cycle, this is a "bloodwork only" cycle.

If I'm not wrong, virtually all fertility meds require starting on CD 3. In the past, I've had bloodwork on the early morning of CD 3 and then a phone conversation with a nurse in the PM to say "No meds" or "We'll call in a script for [whatever] if that doesn't sound reasonable, I can get the doc to call you in an hour or so..."

But this clinic says that they won't even get the CD 3 bloodwork back until Monday, which is CD 7 - at which point they'll call for me to book an appointment to talk about a treatment protocol. Which wouldn't start until next month.

(For those out of the fertility clinic high-intervention loop, CD 3 bloodwork is mostly about one number - your FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone, and low is good. Mine is always around 5, while 10 is the magic "Houston, we have a problem", number.)

Uh....does that sound to anyone else like "Hey, go cool your heels for a month while we do nothing..." or am I just paranoid?

I already had my go-away, come back next cycle appointment last cycle. Why are they doing this to me?

Why can't I get one lousy ulrasound follicle count and a trigger shot? Why?

[shadow22]

wow, i sure miss a lot when i got and wander about in the woods, wallowing in my af induced misery.
astropeep and megin - hope those beautiful embies grow and stick and grow and stick some more!
cejea - poor little fella. cool baths always worked well with my guy. oh and reruns of thomas the tank engine (which drove me to drink but that's another story).
afm - thanks for the progesterone advice. i'm losing faith in my bod at the moment - feel like it's not doing anything right and maybe I should just give up and move to plan b of getting my wifey knocked up instead. Sigh. I have an appointment with a tcm fertility specialist on tuesday and also meeting two new fertility docs in the next two weeks so i guess we'll hit decision time by the end of the month. in the mean time, we just called our adorable donor to say we'd be down for another round next week so I'm getting back on the horse - one more time.

So has anyone else had any luck with tcm?
oh, it's going to snow here this week - eek!

and papa - sometimes i think REs have a horrible god complex and have totally lost sight of the fact they are dealing with people, real live people with real live hopes and dreams and real lives who want to have real babies, not just statisitcs and hormones and things you can look at with ultrasounds. Perhaps we should all make tshirts that say 'there's a person attached to this uterus - just look up!" and wear them to our next clinic visits.

[spcd]

Papa- at that particular clinic I sometimes think it's about getting through the "guard dogs". Once you get to talk to a nurse (and some are better than others) or even the Dr., I tend to get what I need. I remember getting that put-off call. Sooooo frusterating.
In fact, we're waiting for the nurses to give us a call back to see if we will continue to work with them. Choices....monitored IUI's at the RE's or more self-control IUI with our midwife? I'm actually more comfortable at the RE's - but only because I know the routine. The midwife would be nice - relaxed, holistic, positive.

Fingers crossed for everyone else. I agree that pee test was totally invalid.

[FtMPapa]

Originally Posted by spcd

Papa- at that particular clinic I sometimes think it's about getting through the "guard dogs". Once you get to talk to a nurse (and some are better than others) or even the Dr., I tend to get what I need. I remember getting that put-off call. Sooooo frusterating.
In fact, we're waiting for the nurses to give us a call back to see if we will continue to work with them. Choices....monitored IUI's at the RE's or more self-control IUI with our midwife? I'm actually more comfortable at the RE's - but only because I know the routine. The midwife would be nice - relaxed, holistic, positive.

Fingers crossed for everyone else. I agree that pee test was totally invalid.

Thanks for the insight, SPCD. I did talk to a nurse, but it took like eighteen calls back and forth.

I like the idea of the fertility clinic, because I like the ultrasound monitoring and the 7 day a week availability...but do you know (I'm hazy on the details) but it sounds like they store the sperm somewhere else and you have to go get it the day of your IUI? How weird is that? (Somewhere else is probably not far, but still...I expected them to store it right there!)

Ok, if I see you there, you have to say hi! You'll know who I am - the lone guy with no wife.

[cejae]

Papa, You know the same thing happened to us at Kaiser and at our REs. It's just the awful medical model where they forget the we are human beings with our own schedules. It's like their sacred protocol takes over all else. I'm really sorry you are having to deal with this.

Osker, oh man, no late in the day pee!! Test again in the morning.

AFM, after my BFM I spotted tonight. The progesterone held off my period the entire 15 days last time and it didn't start until 24 hours after I started taking it. So given that today is 12 dpo I'm not sure why the spot. Sigh.

Oh, and duh Papa! I can't believe I've never thought to save the pee in the pee cup to double test. I always dump it right away. I swear to god the phd makes me dumber.

[FtMPapa]

Cejae, did your RE make you sit the entire cycle out?

A friend of mine says it's an insurance thing - they have to have your CD 3 labs to send in before they get preauthorization for anything.

And she got totally different information from what I got - at the same clinic, with a different doc.

So, uh, does anyone who had good CD 3 labs know what good labs look like? Last month my #s were: HCG negative, TSH 0.97, E2 79, LH 2.1, FSH 2.4. That sounds pretty good to me. Why won't they just use my #s from last month????


Ok, save your pee tomorrow! Did you miss my post about carrying pee around in my lunch box last month? That was funny, dudes.

[danjelle]

Hi ftmpapa, can you please add me to the 2ww list? I haven't technically stuck anything in me yet, but waiting for KD to finish work today, and by the time all you in America land wake up I guess I'll be ready full of man gunk and in company in the 2ww group

Beastie congrats! I dont know how to do fancy emoticons throwing hearts and flowers but I'm sending you all the positive thoughts I can from NZ. Heaps of sticky vibes too. Hope you stay healthy and happy for the months ahead. Well done!!

Jjnoho I am totally with you on the waiting til 14dpo to test - I can't hack doing it earlier! Then I sit there for 10 minutes staring at the line holding it every which way under the light trying to find the faintest line... and if there is nothing then I start to obsess about all my physical sensations... grasping at straws, berating myself for grasping at straws, convincing myself that grasping at straws isnt grasping at straws - it goes on. Much rather just wait!

This will be round 8 for me. Hopefully I can focus on the research proposal I have due and exams instead of obsessing. Bring on summer holidays!!!!

Good luck everyone, I have my fingers crossed for a whole heap of BFPs for us all

[jjnoho]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

Why can't I get one lousy ulrasound follicle count and a trigger shot? Why?

if what you want is ultrasound monitoring, i'm pretty sure the holyoke group can assist you and you won't have to deal with the re office! might be worth a call to them to find out??? they might be willing to use last month's labs - having them done again and waiting another cycle sounds ridiculous!

another boring update from me...13 dpo. really wanted to test today but dp and i have an agreement that testing is always done together and she needed to leave early for work. good excuse to make me wait until 14 dpo which was my goal.

my temp remains elevated but not a single feeling of nothing!?

[sunwillshine]

jjnoho - your chart looks fab!!!

I'm so glad to have you on this board to help me not test, too. It's helpful to see someone else holding off. Someone on the TTC board said something along the lines of "if I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant. If I'm not, I'm not. And POAS isn't going to make me pregnant." I'm trying to hard to think this way. But it's hard!

I'm also of the mindset that I shouldn't test w/out DP around, or at least in the same city (she leaves for work earlier than me). But it's going to be really hard not to test next week while I'm in Memphis, if AF doesn't show up. I guess I'll just have to try to be zen about the whole thing.

AFM - my temps are up and down this LP! But still well above CL, so I guess I shouldn't be concerned? With the weather getting so much cooler, I think I've just been sleeping at different temperatures (sometimes w/ an extra layer, sometimes not... sometimes waking up completely under the covers, sometimes not) so maybe that has something to do w/ it.

Oh, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of another "symptom" (besides my massive bbs... but I'm realizing this might just be a normal LP thing for me. Still, I'm up a cup size today, and it's crazy):

On 7dpo and 8dpo, I got this pain when I did one of two things: 1) got up from a seated position (was seated for 2+ hours), and 2) sneezed.

It was a pain in my groin area, so far as I can pinpoint, sort of off to the side (has happened to both sides). I almost double over for a second, but then it almost instantly subsides.

This is very weird, and I haven't ever really experienced it before. Does not feel like gas pain, AF cramps, or anything else I can quite put my finger on.

So, just wondering if any of you have experienced it? Thanks (in advance) for indulging me.

FX to all those still waiting!

ETA - Oh, and I had blood when I blew my nose yesterday, and bleeding gums brushing my teeth... I've heard both can be signs, so FX! (I may be a late tester, but I'm not a no-obsesser!) Lol!

[bttrflygypsy]

osker-I don't think that one counts!!

cejae-hope your little one is feeling better

jjnoho- wow, great job holding out, !

lyndzies- I am BIG time trying not to obsess, but I'm right there with ya!

afm- I'm 7dpo today and trying my best to hold out, but it's getting SO hard especially with the "signs" this month. I totally took a hpt out of the packaging yesterday and then yelled at myself, lol. I've had pretty significant nausea 5dpo-7dpo and some prominent cramping yesterday and a little today. Temps are good, but don't think I saw an implantation dip. The nausea is strange though, I'm never nauseous?!

[sunwillshine]

Originally Posted by bttrflygypsy

I totally took a hpt out of the packaging yesterday and then yelled at myself, lol.

OMG, this is hilarious.

..... I just totally got the urge to test, too. BAD!

I hope I don't cave.... but I just saw a clear + on a 9dpo FRER on FF. WTF? :P

[erthe_mama]

Originally Posted by Beastie

So I think I'm going to finally ask to be moved to the October BFP list, and I'll cautiously try joining the Queer and Pregnant list and my DDC.

WOOHOO!! Oh, and thanks for the good wishes on DP's allergies... we're still on the cleanse because she cheated and we had to restart. Twice. Argh.

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

I already had my go-away, come back next cycle appointment last cycle. Why are they doing this to me?
Why can't I get one lousy ulrasound follicle count and a trigger shot? Why?

How frustrating!!

Originally Posted by cejae

Oh, and duh Papa! I can't believe I've never thought to save the pee in the pee cup to double test. I always dump it right away. I swear to god the phd makes me dumber.

LOL! Cute.


AFM: Like I said, DP and I are still on her cleanse that Dr. Shi put her on. Through Thanksgiving weekend. Yeah. Well, at least there's a lifetime of yummy turkey days ahead of us in our lifetimes. Hopefully it will help her get healthier, and we'll have better chances ttc! We're also dropping the pounds like crazy. I've lost over ten pounds in the last couple months from all these restrictions. I'm into my jeans that I used to have baaaad "muffin top" in... hahaha

Also, we forgot to bring the effin thermometer with us out to her parents' place in the country, so we have no temps for the weekend. Oops! And it's been snowing on and off for a week here!! The kidlet loved it; he romped around making a snowman with the dogs hot on his heels. Soooo cute. We stayed inside and cuddled.

Question: Can we use one of those medicine plunger things for spermies? It seems like it would work well...

[sunwillshine]

Originally Posted by erthe_mama

Question: Can we use one of those medicine plunger things for spermies? It seems like it would work well...

I use a oral medicine syringe I get from the pharmacy counter at CVS, and it seems to do the job!

Fresh or frozen? I can't recall which you were using. Either way, they come in many sizes. I use 6cc, I think... Just make sure to get the kind w/ the plunger, and not the one with the bulb.

GL getting through the rest of your cleanse, and congrats on the weight loss!

[pleasantlyfurious]

shadow22 - everyone has different experiences with TCM and acupuncture - but my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I started with an acupuncturist and an herbal regimine in July and got pregnant during our August cycle (after two years of trying!! We'd tried IUIs, meds, etc - this cycle was a DIY home cycle). So that's pretty crazy, but could totally be just coincidence. Then when I was about 7-8 wks along I was having really awful morning sickness that was constant and making my life miserable. I went back to acupuncture and immediately during my treatment I felt better - which was such a relief after a couple weeks of agony. I felt GREAT for about 6 hours after treatment - like I could run a marathon and although the MS did creep back, it never was back to the level I had before treatment. So for me, twice now TCM has been like a magic bullet. Of course, it's not that way for everyone - but totally worth a shot! I have to warn you - the herbal "tea" that was prescribed to me was soooooooooooooooooooooo gross. I had to choke it down everynight - but it's been worth it!! Good luck!

[spcd]

Originally Posted by FtMPapa

Thanks for the insight, SPCD. I did talk to a nurse, but it took like eighteen calls back and forth.

I like the idea of the fertility clinic, because I like the ultrasound monitoring and the 7 day a week availability...but do you know (I'm hazy on the details) but it sounds like they store the sperm somewhere else and you have to go get it the day of your IUI? How weird is that? (Somewhere else is probably not far, but still...I expected them to store it right there!)

Ok, if I see you there, you have to say hi! You'll know who I am - the lone guy with no wife.

I would definitely say hello! In fact, maybe we should have a meet-up. Ya know, chat about our ovaries...heehee. They store the sperm at the lab in the Chestnut building, which is where the IVF suite is. On weekdays, they do the IUI's over there and a nurse does them. On weekends, you have to pick it up and bring it back to Main St. (we always put it in one of our bras). My god I wish I didn't know so much about the workings of the place - 7 IUI's, 1 IVF, 2 FET's - I guess I'm a regular. I can just see it - when they see me coming "What can I get for you today? Embryo's in your uterus - no problem."

[jjnoho]

well, i finally made it to 14 dpo and........BFP!!!

we are obviously thrilled. it feels somewhat surreal. still not a symptom to be found!? convinced i was waking up to af this morning and nearly didn't test. but my temp remained elevated so we went ahead with it.

good luck to everyone in the wait - may we all get great results this fall.

[cejae]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! SO EXCITING!!!

[megincl]

Congrats, JJ!!!!!

May this start a large flood of BFPs, please....