Quite a year...

After the nightmare of dealing with side effects from a month of birth control pills, I finally got to the official start of this IUI cycle right on schedule. This past Monday, I went in for my baseline ultrasound and lab work...each of which was normal. Tuesday, I started injections of micro lupron twice a day and yesterday, added Gonal-F injections once a day. We go back to the RE on Monday morning to see how things are coming along. I REALLY hope that I am responding to the medications this time. I will be devastated if I don't get positive results with cycle. We have tried so many things that haven't worked to get to this point and this is essentially a last resort for us. Prior to this, there were always several other protocols we could try, but this is our last option before IVF and we just can't afford an IVF cycle (or another IUI cycle for that matter). So, RE said we were pulling out all the stops. My medication doses are higher and I'm using more potent meds to give my ovaries every possible push to do their thing, then if we make it to IUI, will do everything possible to try to make it work (and stick).

This past Saturday was our 6th wedding anniversary. It also marked 1 year that we had been working with our RE, and day 1 of my current cycle. Looking back, it has been quite a roller coaster, but I'm hopeful that this is the time it will pay off for us. Even though it has only been a year since we started treatments for infertility with our RE, we have been trying to expand our family for years. To have this milestone be "the one" would be such an awesome blessing for us!

An additional support I have had lately is a new friend at work who went through the same thing before getting pregnant with her son. Her doctor was even in the same office as mine (though, they are no longer in practice together). She brought me a bottle of wine yesterday and said that she and her husband got drunk just before their IVF and wound up pregnant, so she encouraged me to have a glass or two to relax this weekend before our follicle scan. She truly gets how stressful it can be, when everybody else in my office can get pregnant without a problem (and there has been at least one pregnant person constantly for that past 3 years...at least). Although I don't plan to get drunk, I may raise a glass in the hope that this time, it will work for us!

Phone calls to the RE

Of course, my body doesn't do anything according to "my schedule." I had this stuff all planned out, so I would have a month of birth control, which wouldn't interfere with any happenings this month, then we'd move right into our next IUI cycle on schedule. I had this thing planned to the day! However, on CD13, I made a semi-frantic phone call to my RE because I was bleeding! I was assured that this is normal and that it isn't really AF, so not to worry. However, it has never really stopped. I am still aware that this happens, but it has sort of ruined my carefully laid out plans. I'm making another call to my RE later today to run this all by her, just to make sure we are still on schedule (according to my agenda).

The issue is that this is my last week of birth control...Friday is my last pill. Friday is also the day we go on vacation for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We NEVER go anywhere on our anniversary and vowed that this year would be different. Well, needless to say, the timing is no longer awesome, but we'll just have to deal with it. I should have known (and had a feeling) this would happen.

Anyway, I'm just really hoping that all this stress and discomfort is worth it this time around. Money is getting tight, so we may have to take a more extended break in treatment if it doesn't work this time. That would be a huge disappointment!!! So, I am keeping my head up, hoping my RE can give me peace-of-mind (as usual), and praying for a successful cycle, despite the bumps in the road. AND...I will have a wonderful anniversary weekend in spite of my body's failure to cooperate with my plans.