Posts tagged ‘iui’
Laprascopy Follow Up Appointment Postponed
I was supposed to have my post-op appointment yesterday but the doctor had to reschedule. I’m still a couple of weeks away from getting my period and being ready to start a new cycle so I guess it doesn’t really matter. It will give me a couple more days to think of any more questions. Here’s my list so far:
- Should we do another IUI cycle now that the endometriosis has been cleaned out? or jump right to IVF? I’ve read different views on this. Some say it’s best to jump right into IVF while your chances are the best and you feel strong.
- With all 4 IUI cycles I’ve done I end up with just one follicle. I start with multiple follicles but one becomes dominant and the others don’t grow to maturity. So far I’ve tried Clomid and Bravelle. Does this mean 1 follicle is likely to happen with other medications? And what does that mean if we decide to try IVF?
- If we want to do IVF how does that work? Do we start on day 3 like IUI cycles? How long is process on average from start to finish (I need to know what I’m in for!)
- Thoughts on acupuncture. I’m becoming more and more interested in looking at alternative healthcare and integrating it into my reproductive efforts.
- How much endometriosis was removed. I don’t have any sense of this at all. The doc told my hubby they removed 4 spots but I’d like to know if they were large, small, and whether size impacts odds of conceiving.
Infertility Chapstick
Ironic that just yesterday I wrote a post offering up a promotional idea for fertility clinics. Yes, it was a little tongue-in-cheek but at least it’s a lot more practical than the promotional item we received from our clinic!
I ran out of Metformin and my hubby, dear that he is, said he’d run up to the clinic for me. Unfortunately the clinic didn’t have any so they had to phone it in to my local pharmacy. I guess they didn’t want my hubby to go home empty-handed so they gave him a chapstick with the name of the clinic on it.
I work in marketing and I’m all for promotional items and getting your name out there. But seriously, chapstick for a fertility clinic? Here’s all the reasons I think this is wrong:
– We’re not looking to advertise the fact we’re seeing a fertility specialist in our TTC efforts. In fact we don’t even really advertise that we’re TTC, although lots of close friends now and I’m sure others suspect. Chapstick is the kind of thing I’ll likely carry in my purse and pull out everywhere. Uh, no thanks.
– No tie-in between the promotional item (chapstick) and the services offered by the clinic. After 2 weeks of progesterone supplements post IUI I have dry lips, but they ain’t the ones on my face!
– We’ve spent close to $10,000 so far. And we realize it’s likely we’ll spend thousands more. I expect chapstick from my hair salon, dry cleaners, video store…somewhere that I’m spending less than 4 digits a year.
So what would be a good customer appreciation promotion?
– How about a gift certificate for a local coffee house (that serves decaf and tea of course!). Next time I’m doing an IUI and waiting for the sperm wash to be done I could relax and enjoy a hot beverage.
– How about bagels and fruit in the clinic every Monday? Getting to the clinic for 7am on a Monday morning just plain sucks. Breakfast would mean one less thing to worry about.
– How about bath salts to help me relax, especially after a negative result when I’m a bundle of angry stress.
Any other ideas?
Apologizing to my blog and status update
Wow, I’m feeling terrible for not posting in so long. Life was crazy busy the last couple of months and I didn’t have any time to write. I hate it when I’m connecting someone through their blog and they seemingly drop off the face of the earth with no explanation. And yet I just did it. 😦
A lot has happened fertility wise since I last posted and yet I’m no further ahead. Here’s the rundown:
The pregnancy test in December was negative. I really felt like it might have happened in that cycle so it took me a good few days to recover. Of course the holidays kept me around family which at times was tough, but also a good reminder that I’m lucky to have family to celebrate with.
We started a new cycle at the end of December. Instead of Clomid I took Bravelle which required daily shots in my bum. Hubby stepped up wonderfully and took charge of mixing the medication and giving me the shot. He also whisked me away for a surprise cruise to Bahamas but that’s another story.
I started having multiple follicles grow but in the end only one was really the right size and I guess it prevented the others from growing. We had the IUI but alas…another negative pregnancy test.
Our next step is for me to have a laprascopy so my doc can have a closer look at what’s going on inside me. It’s scheduled for the end of February so I’m basically having an ‘off’ cycle. No meds, no shots, no clinic, no crazy hormone swings. To be honest the break is doing me good. I’m at the gym regularly, eating well, and feeling healthier than I have in awhile. But still sad I’m dealing with infertility.
The reason I was so busy was because of work. I had 2 very large projects happening in January and at the end of the day I just couldn’t face any more time in front of the computer. But hopefully things are back to normal now and I’ll be posting regularly. I also have to catch up on the blogs I read. It’s been ages since I’ve checked in with my online friends!
Describing the full IUI experience
Earlier this week my blogging friend, preconceived notions, asked for “blow by blow details” of what an IUI entails. I’m sure it’s different for everyone but now that I’m on my third IUI I figure I must know a little about it…at least from a patient perspective.
The first IUI we did was ‘natural’, ie. no drugs. I went to the clinic for daily monitoring and they timed the insemination for when they predicted I would ovulate. Daily monitoring is bloodwork to check hormone levels and an ultrasound to measure the follicles that will grow and produce the egg. I start daily monitoring on day 3 of my cycle and then return on day 7, at which point I go in every morning until ovulation.
On insemination day my hubby and I arrive at the clinic for 7am. He goes into the room with the leather chair, sink, and DVDs of all the basic porn genres and…well…does his thing. I get poked with a needle (more bloodwork) and probed with the ultrasound wand. So unfair!
At this point hubby goes off to work or joins me for breakfast. We have to wait about 1.5 hours for the sperm to be rinsed, spun, and prepared.
When we return to the clinic there is usually more waiting. When it’s our turn I get back into the stirrups and the doc shines a very bright light up my business. She opens a little window that goes into the sperm area and orders up my sperm. I tried making a ‘could you super size that’ joke but I think they’ve heard it a few too many times. Once she has the vial I have to check the label and approve it. (A safety measure to make sure they use the correct sperm!). I haven’t seen exactly how she hooks it all up but basically the vial is attached to a catheter which is inserted into my cervix and I guess there’s some sort of plunger so she can push the sperm out of the vial and through the catheter.
Sometimes I barely feel a thing, somtimes a little discomfort, and sometimes I get pretty crampy when the catheter goes in. After the insemination I lay back on the table for 10-15 minutes and think relaxing thoughts.
For IUI #2 and #3 I took Clomid for days 3-8 of my cycle. The Clomid helps the ovaries produce more and sometimes better eggs. In this last cycle I was on a double dose of Clomid. And I also had the HSG shot in these cycles. The shot goes in your hip/butt and it triggers ovulation. It doesn’t hurt getting the shot but for the next couple of days my butt feels kinda bruised.
After the insemination I insert progesterone suppositories twice a day into my business. And then 2 weeks later return to the clinic for a pregnancy test.
And that is how my IUIs have been done! Of course this is a rather clinical description and doesn’t reflect how the hormones affect me. But I’ve written about that before and I’m sure I’ll write about it again if I need to go through another cycle.
IUI #3 – Day 2
Today was the second insemination of the IUI we’re doing this cycle. DH was able to stay with me again today instead of rushing off to work after producing his sample – nice treat. The doc came in and said ‘nice sample’ which I thought was really cute. I get so caught up in the hormones and daily monitoring that I forget our infertility is affecting my hubby as well. Well I don’t really forget but it seems secondary to all the hormones and procedures I have to go through. That isn’t fair but it’s honest. Anyway, I thought it was sweet of her to acknowledge his part in this whole thing.
I had a fair bit of cramping yesterday and it got worse in the night. The doc said that is normal. It was sort of like premenstrual cramps but not quite as acute. I envisioned the pain as being my big fat follicles releasing a nice healthy egg.
The actual procedure was a little more uncomfortable today, I could feel the catheter in my cervix and it cramped a little. But the doc successfully deposited the ‘nice sample’ into my cervix and I rested for 15 minutes while the little guys hopefully swum to their destination. We’re going back on the 23rd for a pregnancy test. We usually have to wait 2 full weeks before the pregnancy bloodwork but I think she wanted to avoid having us come in over the holidays.
She prescribed some ‘sex for fun’ tonight before I put in my first progesterone supplement. Hubby had been joking that we get busy on the doctor’s table while we were waiting for her to come in so I giggled at her prescribing bedroom relations.
Side effects of Clomid
The doc put me on a double dose of Clomid for this cycle. I’ve taken Clomid twice before but this is the first time I’ve experienced some really nasty side effects. It started with a slight nauseous feeling on Friday and got worse over the weekend. I had an out of town friend visiting but thankfully she’s really easy going and didn’t mind a pretty low key weekend.
The general nausea stayed with me for about 3 days but generally subsided when I sat down. I also had hot flashes and a few bouts of tears. I was out for a walk on Sunday with my friend and suddenly had to slow down to a crawl as my legs went all weak and I was sweating profusely. Later that night, after she had left for the airport I was decorating the Christmas tree and just couldn’t help having a good cry. I hated the fact I was so teary and couldn’t seem to control it. But I did feel better after I let it out.
I saw the doc this morning and thankfully she said these side effects should subside now. I burst into tears on the drive home but the rest of the day has been OK so I guess the extra hormone is working its way out of my system. I had the HSG shot today so I expect I’ll still feel a little rough for a few days. I don’t find the needle hurts when you get it but I definitely have a dull pain in my hip/butt for a few days afterwards.
All this in preparation for an IUI tomorrow. I didn’t think we were doing an IUI this cycle but I guess the timing worked out and I have 2 follicles growing nicely. One is 20mm and the other is 22mm.
Coffee and Anaprox: Breakfast of Champions
So that’s it. This cycle is officially over. I woke up with raging period cramps and my flow started a couple of hours later. Ever since I started having a period I’ve had incredibly painful cramps. Not to get too graphic but I keep a paper bag in the bathroom as the pain is often so intense I start hyperventilating. Which is really lovely when you’re in the midst of throwing up. Anyway…enough of that nastiness…
My current doc doubled my dosage of Anaprox and the cramps are a LOT more manageable as long as I’m sufficiently medicated.
When we started TTC I cut way back on my caffeine and alcohol intake. After a year when we started seeing a specialist and visiting the clinic I made more changes to my diet (keeping it very PCOS-friendly).
There seems to be a lot of different opinions about how much of a pregnancy diet you need to follow when TTC. My family doc told me the cord between mom and baby wasn’t developed for the first 2 weeks so there’s a very low risk to the fetus if you eat/drink something inappropriate before knowing you’re pregnant. That seemed fine at first but once we started going in for IUIs and putting a lot of time and money into getting pregnant I decided to avoid things like soft cheese and sushi after ovulation. Probably because it made me feel like I was doing all I could.
I also had an appointment with a nutritionist who knows a lot about PCOS. I’m pretty good at sticking to the PCOS diet most of the month. Again, I want to do everything I can within my control to maximize our chances.
The thing I miss most is coffee. Strong, black, bitter coffee. So once a month, on the first day of my period, I indulge. I try to drown the disappointment that comes with getting my period…yet again…in a nice strong brew. Today was that day.
So I’m highly caffeinated, achy with cramps, and bitterly disappointed. A real treat for all those around me.
Bringing the FUN back into the bedroom
A few days ago my body was clear of the hormones from last cycle (IUI) and had finished with its monthly period. As disappointed as I am not to be pregnant, I was happy to be feeling healthy again. Of course I would have traded that in a millisecond to be preggers. But it really sucks to not be pregnant AND to feel awful!
Our sex life really suffers when we’re going through an IUI cycle. The hormones make me emotional and sensitive. And my ovaries are swollen so love making must be slow and careful, otherwise it just kinda hurts. So with my body back on track and my emotions under control, DH and I got together for one of those magical nights that remind me of when we first got together and it was all so heart fluttering and exciting. This last month has been stressful on us so timing was perfect! I’d write more details but then I’d have to add an 18+ warning…hehe…
Suffice to say that every now and then I think it’s important for me to leave the egg whites in the fridge, remove the cushions from under my butt, and just have sex. Go with what feels good and just enjoy sharing the intimacy with DH without worrying about making it easy for his boys to swim. After all the odds of it working 4 days after AF are so remote…and putting fertility aside did wonders for strengthening our bond as a couple.
My (in)fertility blog 