My what big follicles you have – all the better for inseminating with!

February 14, 20153 Comments

Today is Cycle Day 11 and I attended the first ultrasound for my first ever Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). The clinic were very efficient today, I was in and out within 15 minutes. I sat waiting in the examination room for the doctor to arrive, and there on the wall was a poster explaining the differences between fraternal twins and identical twins – A handy guide or perhaps more of a handy reminder of the increased risk for multiples with IUI. Today, the doctor had a student shadowing her, I had no problem with this, but I think he looked a bit awkward throughout – bless his cotton socks.

The doctor showed the student my good uterine lining – apparently three lines is good. This is all new to me, so I appreciated her explaining everything. I had two follicles in the right ovary (as I had predicted) one 20mm and the other 28mm. I also had a teeny tiny one in the left ovary, only 6mm, but she said it might be nothing. So I am ready to go. They don’t open on a Sunday, so my appointment is on Monday 16th Feb. As a romantic Valentines day gift, I get an injection of Ovidrel at 1130pm. Not looking forward to this given my phobia of needles. I am undecided yet whether I will do it myself or get Chris to poke me in the abdomen.

This is all assuming my medication arrives tomorrow as freedom fertility pharmacy have promised me. Today I called them to check the status of my order with regard to my insurance approval. They had the approval for the Ovidrel, but not yet negotiated the progesterone. I don’t understand how this system works in the background, but from what I understand, it is crazy. So I said I would go ahead and pay full price for them rather than wait for the insurance company to do its thing. If it is covered, then I can just try to claim it back later….but I needed my meds ASAP!

The progesterone was $49 and the Ovidrel was $123 full price, with the insurance agreeing to pay up, my 10% copay made it only $12.30. Not too bad.

Cost of this IUI cycle, full price:

Meds inc. letrozole, ovidrel & progesterone: $311
Ultrasound: $225
Sperm Wash:$140
Insemination:$225

Total: $901

Expensive stuff!! Chances of success? Our doctor told us our chances were about 20%. Advanced Fertility.com breaks down the success rates even further depending on age, sperm mobility and treatment options. Apparently there is a 7.6% chance of success with one follicle, and an increase chance to 26% with two follicles. Wooohooo! But those numbers are still pretty small. there is almost a 4 in 5 chance that we won’t conceive. Putting it like brings you back down to earth.

Fingers crossed for a Valentines baby (Just like Chris is!). Happy Valentine’s day everyone!

Wonky Boobs – a side effect?

February 12, 20152 Comments

If I could post a picture of my wonky boob I would, but I don’t think the internet needs anymore pictures of wonky boobs, I’m guessing it’s a pretty saturated market out there.

Yesterday I woke up and looked in the mirror to discover my right boob had grown overnight, it also felt overly soft compared to normal. Chris thought I was exaggerating. So I didn’t think much else of it. But this morning it was still like that, so rather than poo pooing my crazy claim, Chris examined it a bit closer. Upon closer inspection, he concurred that my right boob had indeed grown in size, whilst also laughing in amazement when he came to this conclusion. Luckily I shared his humour on this one. I am guessing this is a side effect of the Letrozole (well I can’t think of any other explanation for it!). I am due to ovulate from the right side, so is it coincidence that it was my right boob that grew?

Will my boob return to normal size and match the other one??? I hope so! Or perhaps next cycle the other one will catch up – may be I won’t need a boob job after all! (Just kidding, I don’t really want a boob job, and never have, luckily I like my boobs as they are).

Letrozole all gone – waiting for the Ultrasound CD11

February 10, 2015February 10, 2015Leave a comment

I took my last two Letrozole tablets today. I haven’t had tiredness today like I had last week, but I do have some abdominal pains so I am sat here with a hot water bottle. Maybe its a psychological thing, but I think the hot water bottle helps. I don’t really know if it is my Irritable Bowel Syndrome or a side effect of the Letrozole that is causing it. Either way, it sucks and wish it would go away.

The abdominal pains started today after lunch, just as I was about to lead a workshop for the afternoon. I thought about all the possible excuses I could come up with as people arrived. I looked around the room filled with men all over the age of forty five I decided that I would only end up embarrassing one of them with the truth. So I stuck it out. But as soon as I got into the workshop I forgot about the pain. It was only when I stopped thinking and took a breather for a minute that I realised the pain was still there.

I’ll start my ovulation predictor tests tomorrow, a couple of days sooner than when the nurse suggested. But I have paranoia that I will have a short cycle this month and miss out on IUI! I’m not sure the nurse was aware that I sometimes have short cycles of 22 days. It was only after I got home and read the information pack I thought perhaps I should start the tests a bit sooner. Yey! Holding my pee in the mornings to pee in a cup time. Trying to do it in the dark can be fun when I don’t want to wake Chris up too early.

Chris took this photo yesterday – It says so much more about him than a blog post possibly could

I asked Chris to guest blog for me this week. He wants to, he is just not sure what to write. He is a good writer. He has a published book already and has been writing a novel in his spare time over the last few years, so he knows how to write well. Unlike me! He has some ideas what to write about, but is nervous sharing his thoughts. I said he should read some of the blogs from other men, perhaps it will help him see from a different perspective how blogging can be a bit of therapy for the mind. I hope he does write something, but I am not going to pressure him or make him feel bad. Blogging is not everyone’s cup of tea and I am certainly still learning – so far it tastes pretty good and I can see it fitting into my daily routine. Let’s see how addictive it can get 🙂

Soooo sleepy but still managed to dodge a few balls

February 6, 2015February 8, 2015Leave a comment

Today I started the letrozole. 2 teeny 2.5mg tablets a day for five days. This small prescription should result in ‘super ovulation’; hopefully this should stimulate development of multiple follicles and eggs being released, therefore increasing the chances of pregnancy. The nurse provided me with an info sheet and described some of the side effects. The only strange feeling I had today was sudden extreme tiredness, when I was driving!! That was very bizarre, so much so I almost skipped dodgeball this evening. I checked the pharmacists long list of side effects, tiredness was on there. But so was almost every other side effect known to man! Has anyone had this with letrozole too?

Although I was glad I got out the house, I wish I had skipped dodgeball. whilst playing I pulled a tendon in my thigh. It kills! Being on letrozole means that I can only really take Tylenol as a pain killer (which I have none of in the house! Doh!). So it’s going to be an uncomfortable nights sleep. Why can’t I be sleepy now???!!!

I wasn’t sure how much my prescription was going to cost, but the nurse showed me a good website www.goodrx.com that gives you coupons for prescriptions. She told me I should pay no more than $10 for the letrozole. So I printed the coupon and discovered my insurance covers it, and I payed just 0.26c for it. I’m so happy!!!

These ten pills can cost over $150 :-s but if you find a coupon they can be about $15

IUI beginnings & Chocolate Pudding

February 4, 2015February 4, 2015Leave a comment

Last night my period started, a day earlier than expected. I cried with Chris. He is so good at helping me see the brighter side of life. But this only really meant one thing for us – we are going to start IUI. Everything I have read about is now becoming real. I had already picked up the Letrozole last week. It didn’t seem real then because there was still a chance I wouldn’t need to take it. Now it is real. I start the Letrozole on Thursday for five days. I have scheduled in my first ultrasound for Friday 13th. Talk about an ominous date. I guess the rest will happen as it happens…

In the mean time, I’m going to chill out here with my chocolate pudding and try to forget about all of this. Well until Thursday at least.