July 2012 Infertility One Thread -- Let the Fireworks Ignite! - Page 8

[SKJ2011]

MIlk - have you checked out peeonastick.com? She has some info on OPKs that might be helpful. Here's what she has to say:

4. What if my OPK is positive for several days in a row? It is possible, in a normal ovulation, to have a positive OPK for several days in a row. This is because LH peaks (surges) about 12-36 hours before ovulation occurs, and then dissipates. So, you could theoretically detect this high level of LH with positive OPK's from the time it begins to the time it dissipates-- over 36 hours.

It is also possible that your body is "gearing up" to ovulate, and you have an LH surge-- and then, for some reason (such as stress, illness, travel, or random fluke), your body fails to release an egg . . . then tries, tries again ASAP with another, or overlapping, surge. If you see a positive OPK for longer than 3 consecutive days, your egg is probably just having a little trouble getting out of the starting gate. If this happens to you occasionally, it's no big deal. If it happens a lot, talk to your doctor. (I just play one on the Internet )

6. What if my OPK is positive almost all the time? The most common cause of constant positive or almost-positive OPK's is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS.) This disorder is usually characterized by elevated LH (hence the positive OPK's), and is common in women with very long and/or anovulatory cycles.

Don't self-diagnose, though! If you're worried (or just plain obsessed with your pee-sticks call your doct-- okay, okay, you know the drill

SSB - Sorry things are confusing. That does seem strange that the RE would keep you on the same dose, but I really don't know much. I'm hoping that things will get moving soon.

AFM - Quick question for those of you doing fertility yoga, specifically Restoring Fertility. Do you do the ovulatory phase practice on the day of IUI or do you skip that day? I dont' want to screw anything up and I'm not sure.

[deborahbgkelly]

Ooh. I need to look into Fertility Yoga. Acupuncture went a lot better this week, so I'll stick with this same guy for a while. I'm calling the RE on Monday to get an idea of what a cycle might look like and possibly scheduling an appointment for when we get home from vacation. We leave in 10 days!

[deborahbgkelly]

Ooh. I need to look into Fertility Yoga. Acupuncture went a lot better this week, so I'll stick with this same guy for a while. I'm calling the RE on Monday to get an idea of what a cycle might look like and possibly scheduling an appointment for when we get home from vacation. We leave in 10 days!

[toothfairy2be]

I've been reading everyday but fresh out of educated advice :-/

Another of my real life IF Support group friends emailed yestersay her first IUI worked. I'm happy for the success of someone struggling obviously but for real, wheres my baby. There are 2 of us left now, guess it is easier to plan get togethers now!

Theres so much going on here I wouldn't even know where to start. Sending my support anyhow!

Gotta wake up DH from his afternoon siesta to go explore Kansas City!

[Sourire]

Beagle - Welcome! Glad to see another Canadian around! Are you charting your cycles? You might find it helpful to chart your cycles while on Clomid to find out if you are ovulating, and when. There is so much less uncertainty when you have that info, and it will also help your doctor determine whether your dose of Clomid needs to be increased or not.

shesaidboom - wow that is so tough to have a friend going through that. Just being able to remain friends with that person must take an incredible amount of strength. Life is so unfair! Luckily I didn't mind the Puregon side effects too much... I was pretty tired, nauseated and had some headaches, but it didn't bother me too much... maybe because I'm used to Crinone which totally ruins my life so everything else seems mild in comparison :P I'm glad the Gonal-F is working out better for you. You know CD6 is pretty early to have follicles above 10. Since they didn't give you any measurements between CD3 and CD6, maybe they are growing anyways? Like maybe on CD3 they were all 3mm and CD 6 they could have been 8-9mm... if that is the case it would make sense that the Dr kept you on the same dose. I've never had an ultrasound that early so I don't really know...

SKJ - from what I've heard, most people don't have side effects as bad as I do with Crinone. I hope it's easier for you. Hope your IUI went well! I was doing that Yoga DVD for a while but I kind of lost my motivation... I don't think there's any harm to doing it the day of the IUI.

Milk - I am also glad your friend is not pregnant! You're not a bad friend at all... we need to keep our sanity after all! Pretty crazy about the positive OPK's... do you have a link to your chart that the rest of us could stalk for the fun of it?

toothfairy - oh man that feeling of being left behind in a TTC group is the worst. That is why I left the One Thread last summer.... it's even worse to get left behind in a group of infertiles! I confess that a few weeks back I was reflecting on the number of ladies who have graduated from this group versus the number who still remained from when I first joined and I found it extremely depressing... when will it be our turn????

AFM - BFN on a FRER this morning. Sucks. At least I get to stop the Crinone now! I won't be taking any meds next cycle because I'm traveling so I can't do an IUI. After my break cycle I'm doing one more IUI then it's on to IVF!!! My fertility clinic just posted an amazing announcement on their website: they have no more wait list for IVF! So I will definitely do an IVF before the end of this year. That cheers me up!

[BucketOfRain]

Wow, go away for vacation and you sure do miss a lot around here:)
 

There is no way to fully catch up but I will try...

Sila: I am so sorry that last month turned out the way it did. I hope taking some time off meds helps you regain your center.

Shesaidboom: This may seem outdated but I just had to respond to your post about the adoption comments. It is so unbelievable and I am sorry that you had to endure that. Adoption is not an easy option for a lot of reasons and I don't know why some people see it that way.  That is crazy about your friend, I hope you can find a way to balance being there both for her and for yourself.

Milk: Congratulations on all your exciting engagement news! Its nice to have other positive things to be thankful for and to focus on because infertility sure can consume you. I have no idea what all those +opks could mean but I hope its a sign of something good!

SKJ: I was so glad to read a happy post from you about your CD3 bw...it's funny how one piece of news can make us feel some hope! I Od early on clomid as well, my lining was super thin though so that was not a good thing for me. Its a good thing you monitored. Fingers crossed first round works for you! I cannot believe your friend. I have had a really difficult year with one of my best friends as well. I had been TTC to just shy of a year when she got pregnant, she did not tell me right away and in fact had conversations as if she was still TTC as well. When she finally did tell me I was shocked as she had waited so long and apparently my response was lacking some enthusiasm. I was happy for them of course but very hurt as well. I hope that you and your friend can find a way to discuss what is going on and move forward because I am just beginning to build bridges with my friend and it is hard to say the least.

Rochelle: Yay for good RE appointments!

Sourie: That sounds like a bbq nightmare...good job on making it 2 hours, I may have just walked out. I am really sorry about your bfn, I love how you are looking on the bright side. I have been doing a lot of meditating/inner searching lately and am trying to do the same whenever I get down. Even if it sometimes feels false or artificial just thinking positive thoughts instead of negative ones can actually help. 

Jeez, it's hard to catch up on what everyone is going through when you have been away, hi to everyone I missed!

AFM: I am back from a really, really wonderful trip. We spent lots of time at the beach, swimming etc. I am not doing any meds this month because of the timing of my trip so I have little hope for a bfp. We did bd a good amount while we were away and I should have o'd at some point but I did not bring opks with me and I don't temp so I don't really know, which is actually a nice break. Since I had little hope for this cycle I decided to start running again. I stopped because I read somewhere to limit vigorous activity but obviously that has not helped. So, anyway I have been trying to go running here and there plus I have kicked my yoga practice back up. It is the first time in a long time that I am making my body work the way I want it to with the focus not being on my fertility and it really feels great. I have felt so let down by myself throughout this journey and it is nice to be reminded that although some things may not be going the way I want them to my body is not a total let down, I can still go out and run for miles and do headstands:) Trying to stay positive and grateful this month!

[Milk8shake]

Had a friend stop by yesterday to kick me in the guts.... Ooops I mean, announce that she is pregnant.

[SimplyRochelle]

Ouch milkshake. That's always a cupcake kind of day for me. 

[Milk8shake]

Hahah Rochelle - if only I wasn't trying to lose weight!  

I honestly don't think I handled it very well actually.  

She was like "oh, I'm twelve weeks now, so it's safe".  You and I both know that's not the case, hey?  I really, really wanted to point that out to here, but I restrained myself.  

OPKs are finally negative - WTF, right?  I took a HPT this morning (can you say obsessed?).  I guess I will just randomly take them, seeing as I don't know if or when I O'ed.  

Great news about your IVF Sourire!  That's really positive.  Something to look forward to.  

No, I don't have a chart at the moment, I've just been tracking on my phone.  However - I ordered a proper BBT from eBay, and more O sticks (because I used them all!).  So, next cycle I will be all charted up fo' sure.  

Bucket - glad you had a lovely trip - welcome back.  Can't wait til I can run for miles!  

Cait & Deborah - thinking of you both! 

SKJ - Thanks for the info.  I'm a nerd, and had already stalked that site, but thanks for thinking of me! 

AFM: I got a bit of a promotion... 

[deborahbgkelly]

Milk- That sucks. I am trying to lose weight too but still have a cupcake here and there. I did that last year and lost 13 lbs. within almost exactly a year. AFM- All my Endo Sisters on here- I highly approve of Lysteda! I went from a very heavy, clotty period to almost non-existent period in a day and a half. My usual one-week period looks like it will be more like 4 days. Do not take Period Ease or anything with Dang Gui- It is a powerful phyto-estrogen which means the body assimilates it like Estrogen and Endo goes feeding. I will be making my acupuncturist aware of this. I tried the Period Ease before going to the Lysteda and it was worse than usual. In other news, calling the clinic this afternoon sometime. I will probably call between lunch with the hubby and picking up my glasses. Tomorrow it will be only a week until we leave for Nova Scotia! I need to start thinking about packing.

[Sourire]

Bucket - sounds like your trip was a nice break! I also have to skip meds this cycle because of a trip. I doubt I could quit temping/OPKing though... if I don't know when I O'ed, I won't know when to expect AF, and I will go nuts.

Milk - congrats on the promotion! You have so much excitement going on with promotions and engagements... now all you need is a baby right?

deborah - I looked up Lysteda and it looks like it is more for reducing blood flow. Does it help with the pain? Have fun in Nova Scotia! I have only been there once on a business trip, I didn't get to visit much.

AFM - CD 1 today. Sunday after my BFN I went to a wedding which had an open bar... guess what happened? I got totally drunk and didn't show up to work Monday morning haha... my boss was very annoyed! Oh and we basically didn't know anyone at the wedding other than the bride and groom. So we sit at our assigned table and the girl next to us asked for sparkling water instead of wine and my pregdar immediately went into high alert... next she started arguing with the waiter about whether the "lobster tartar" on the menu contained raw fish because she didn't want to eat raw fish... that sealed the deal! She wasn't showing at all, and her and her husband were telling us they had been married for less than a year...grrrr... DH leans over to me and whispers "how do we always get stuck next to the preggos?????"... haha apparently DH has developed a pregdar as well. He kept looking at me expecting me to burst into tears but I was fine... the next afternoon at work with my terrible hangover was another story though!!!!

[deborahbgkelly]

Sourire- It does help with the pain. I still have some, but I'm not debilitated anymore. AFM- I scheduled my appointment with the RE for August 16. I started crying right afterward. We weren't supposed to need one right now.

[Milk8shake]

Originally Posted by Sourire 

So we sit at our assigned table and the girl next to us asked for sparkling water instead of wine and my pregdar immediately went into high alert.

DH leans over to me and whispers "how do we always get stuck next to the preggos?????"... haha apparently DH has developed a pregdar as well.

Oh, Sourire.  Getting drunk was absolutely the right thing to do!  I totally would have too.  

We are having a big party next month for DP's 30th, and I am totally doing a secret pregnant head count.  I will most likely write myself off for that occasion.  

Deborah - good news about the new meds.  Glad that they are keeping the pain at bay.  Sorry about your RE appt making you sad though, I completely understand.  I hope you feel a bit more positive about it by the time it comes around.

AFM: BFN three days running.  I'm not expecting much, what with a fortnight of positive OPKs.  I figured I didn't know if/when I ovulated, so I might as well just start testing.  

[deborahbgkelly]

Thanks Milk8Shake.

[Milk8shake]

 The witch has arrived.  Another whopping 27 day cycle... 

Oh well, I have a shiny new BBT, a VIP FF membership, and more OPKs on the way.  Surely I should be able to learn something this cycle.  

I might need some help though!  http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/Milk8shake (there's nothing to see there, yet!)

We're thinking about not actually trying this month, because I am nervous about DP's birthday (Sept 8th).  We're having a huge party, and I kinda don't want to risk being 5 or 6 weeks pregnant at that time.  Aside from the fact that I would be a basketcase, I don't want every single person asking why I'm not drinking, and having to explain it away.  So it might just be a "practice" cycle.  

[shesaidboom]

Cait - it's always rough isn't it? I hope your baby is next!

Sourire - It's true, it's not fair, but we've been friends since we were 4.
You're right that CD6 is pretty early. I was looking at my last cycle and not realizing I O'd on CD 11, which is very early. Thanks!
I'm so sorry about the BFN. That's exciting that there is no more wait list! Hopefully you will get that BFP before then though.
"Pregdar" is a good word for it! I have definitely fine tuned mine as well.

BucketOfRain - I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation! Sometimes a break is much needed. Your positivity is so refreshing! Good for you for taking charge of your body again.

Milk8shake - I'm so sorry about your friend. I mean, happy for her, but it is so hard to go through that.
Ugh to AF.

deborah - I'm so sorry about your appointment. I really wish you didn't need one.

AFM, on CD 11 and the follies are finally growing..a little. On Monday I had two above 1 cm at 1.1 and 1.2, today they measured 1.0 and 1.2. I guess differences between techs. DH and I saw our RE again today and finally got those results from my AMH levels. Still crazy low! On the chart it shows I am 48+ years old in terms of egg stores. That's 20 years older than I am. We made our IVF plan so if this cycle doesn't work, we're ready to get going. Since we made our IVF plan OHIP (our provincial health care) will no longer cover appointments/monitoring like they do with IUI, so we had to pay $250 for a 20 minute appointment. I couldn't believe it! We decided to do ICSI because of DH's sperm 'drilly tips' measuring very low. It's better to be safe than sorry I guess, even though it is more expensive. Our RE talked about some studies showing that irritating the uterine lining the cycle before IVF creates a stickier lining and a better chance of an embryo attaching. Ever hear of this? I'm going to look into it more, but our RE suggested doing a uterine biopsy the cycle I'm on the BCP. I got my weight to the right number, so we're good to go! I am so nervous.

I gave myself my injection for the first time tonight. I figured I'm going to have to do a lot more with IVF so it was about time I suck it up and stop relying on poor DH to do them. He's happy to be relieved of his duties as needle giver. Hopefully my follies will be growing quicker and this cycle can get over with soon. I'm hoping it'll work so we don't have to do IVF, but I am anxious to get started so we can get that BFP. I know it's not a guarantee, but it's a much better chance.

[SKJ2011]

SSB - Come on body! Grow follies grow. Sorry about the low AMH. Mine is way low too. Actually, the friend of mine who kept her pregnancy to herself had an AMH of 0.2. So, my personal opinion is that it doesn't mean much. I mean, it does, but you can (and will) get preggers despite it.

Awesome on the weight loss! That's amazing. And, good for you for giving yourself the shots. My DH is not able to give me injections, so I'm on my own. Such a wuss. Sorry about the money side of things. Ugh. That's the worst part of all of this I think. We shouldn't have to pay to get poked and prodded. I hope that this is your cycle and IVF won't be necessary. But, it's great that all the issues have been ironed out just in case.

I haven't heard about the irritating the lining thing. Interesting.

Milk - Sorry AF showed. What an evil lady. Awesome that you've got your arsenal all lined up for next cycle. I understand why you'd take the cycle off. My latest mantra that some RE said is "take the path of least regret". I think that's a good way to get through this torturous process.

Congrats on the promotion! So much good stuff going on for you!

Sourire - Sorry about AF. WTH!??! Why are you a preggers magnet. Not cool universe! Yay that IVF is going to be an option this year. That's wonderful news!

Bucket - Glad you had a nice vacation! That helps so much. Thanks for understanding about my friend. She hasn't replied to my emails. Thinking it's gonna be a long road back to friendship. Sorry you've been through something similar. It sucks b/c I would have been nothing but happy for her if she hadn't acted like it didn't work.

Awesome on the renewed attention to working out. I'm on the fence about that - see below. Hoping you get your free vacation baby!!!

Toothfairy, Sila - Thinking about you ladies

[SKJ2011]

AFM - Not much to report. I'm currently trying to figure out if exercise is good or bad. I've sort of ditched the Fertility yoga dvd. Just wasn't feeling it. I may try to do it again tonight. So, what's the consensus on exercise during the TWW? I was thinking of doing a prenatal video. Am I gonna hurt my chances? I'm starting to feel really flabby and I don't want to "let myself go" for nothing. But, I don't want to screw up my chances. Please, oh wise ones, guide me

[deborahbgkelly]

SKJ- I would say light exercise is probably fine. Maybe just a short walk around the block or something. Did you have a procedure done? I can't remember.

[SKJ2011]

Thanks Deborah. I had an IUI on Saturday.