I Gave In ...

... and peed on a stick.  Held 4 hours tonight, 10 dpo.  Used a purple dye test.  No EVIL blue dye tests allowed in my house.  And I got a ........

BFN! 

Oh well.  I told myself that at least I'd know before using the digital tomorrow.  I still plan on following up with the digital in the am and, if that one is negative, another digital about 14 dpo before stopping my progesterone.

My entire day tomorrow won't be ruined by a stupid BFN tomorrow, at least.

No News From Me ... 7dpo

Nothing new to report here.  Except that progesterone is currently kicking my ass.  I've now fallen into the "use caution if driving and avoid alcohol" category as described on the medication information sheet I got with my prescription.  So, that makes it:

• 2 days of feeling off to the point I munched on a lot of pretzels
• 2 days of no level of patience whatsoever
• 4 days and counting of fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion, etc.  

The good news is that my hormones definitely seem to be more stable this month.  I'm not getting weird pelvic pain like last cycle so I highly doubt I have a cyst this month.  This has been a concern, at least to me, in a few past cycles.  I think I can feel my corpus luteum acting up a little from time to time but haven't felt that for a couple days.  Oh, and FF did actually adjust my O date after entering my 4th high temp post-O.  I knew I was right.  ;-)

I gave up on temping after getting a really nice jump on Friday morning.  I did it out of curiosity this morning because I woke up at roughly the same time I would during the week even without the alarm.  I had a huge drop in temp but I'm not worrying about it at all since I'm on the supplements, I usually get weird temp drops and spikes post-O and because it is 7dpo ... I'm hoping this drop is actually a good sign. 

Now, to make it until the end of the week before I can test.  I'll be 12 dpo on Friday and would really like to test then because I'm off on another business trip in a week and I'll be gone Sunday afternoon through Thursday evening.  If I have to go in for betas I'm not going to be able to get proper doubling times so I'd like to be able to start out here on Friday with a follow up on Sunday.  But all of this is moot if AF shows so I'm not going to think about it beyond that.

You Want Me To Stick That Where?

Got ya' with that catchy title, did I?

I had my follow up with Dr. V. yesterday.  She recognized my concerns about early spotting in the luteal phase and said there was no harm in taking progesterone.  The timing was perfect as today I am one day post-IUI and they prescribe progestrone to be started 2 days post-IUI.  The clinic pharmacy was closed by the time I had my appointment so I couldn't get endometrin so I ended up with prometrium instead.  When I asked Dr. V. about the difference she said that patients find the endometrin less messy. 

But since prometrium is available at any pharmacy I am now armed with a Rx for 2 100 mg suppositories/day ... hence the entry title.  I took my first one today.  Or should I say 'inserted it'.  Went well this morning but it took me a while to figure out a strategy to get that sucker in there without it popping out of my fingers and rolling around on the floor.  I locked my cat out of the bathroom lest I drop it and she think it was a toy or a tasty treat.  Imagine trying to explain THAT disaster to my vet.  "Sorry, I know something is wrong with her but she ate my progesterone suppository."  I was also paranoid I would drop it and, with a cat, it would have been absolutely impossible for me to pick that up and use it.  Gagh!  The one tonight gave me a little trouble.  Got stuck at the start but I did get it in there. 

I use FF to chart and it and my CM were definitely at odds this month.  FF has placed ovulation Saturday while I still had full on EWCM on Sunday during my IUI.  The nurse even commented on it.  So, I think I'm actually only 2 days post-O, not 3.  If so, then FF's pregnancy predictor can take a hike.

Unfortunately for me I started feeling off today.  I am not feeling completely nauseous but definitely off.  I bought some pretzels and sugar-free gingerale to take to work to help as I've noticed nibbling helps to stave off the awful feeling.  And now tonight, my breasts are definitely sore.  If I do get sore breasts post-O they definitely don't hurt this early.  Ever.  So lucky me I get breast pain the first day I'm on progesterone.  Only 13 more days to go. 

You know who I did feel sorry for?  The guy at the pharmacy last night who seemed hell bent on getting his wife's prescription (I assume it was his wife since I don't think the woman's name was his) he tried to butt in line ahead of me.  I got my Rx first but he got stuck standing next to me as the pharmacist explained to "insert the progesterone into my vagina 2 times a day".  You don't want to hear that stuff then don't be so pushy.  Wait next time otherwise I might just get the pharmacist to say "vagina" over and over again just to embarrass you.  ;-)

I've Been Spermed

I got the call yesterday that I was surging and had my IUI shortly after 10 am this morning.  Beautiful drive over to the clinic today.  It was a quiet, calm morning with huge fluffy snowflakes that just floated down to the ground. 

They seemed to be running a bit behind today or at least maybe this one was on time and the 1st one was just running really early.  Who knows?  But things went so much better and faster this time.  Different nurse.  Told her that I needed a longer speculum so she pulled that out right away.  Huge difference!  No pun intended.  ;-)  The whole thing was done in 2 minutes.  Quick and easy.  In fact, the nurse said that I was the easiest patient she'd ever had.  We both broke out into laughter over that one.  We know full well she meant 'insertion of catheter through the cervical opening' but it just sounded totally ridiculous in the situation.  Sure ... okay, I guess I'm easy.  Don't tell anyone I went to high school with.  ROFL! 

I had absolutely no pain this time.  Didn't even feel the catheter at all.  And I've had no spotting whatsoever either.  The nurse commented on my great CM which I've continued with today.  That gives me some reassurance that the pain I felt last night was NOT O-pain, just some weird non-related lower abdominal pain. 

Dr. V. was on call this weekend so she popped in before I left.  I see her tomorrow for a follow up visit.  Yeah!  We'll see what she says tomorrow.  But today she left me with 2 pieces of good news:

• The sperm sample was very good.  Same numbers as last time.  That reassures me.
• The nurse did not make a mistake yesterday when she told me that my LH was at 76.89.  Yes, 76.89!  From 17.68 to 76.89 in 24 hours.  Dr. V. said they rarely see an LH level that high and hoped that meant good things for this cycle.  Me too.

I found a nifty little chart of LH levels over at the site we know as Wi.ki and my levels are literally almost off the charts.  I'm really crossing my fingers this means a good ovulation and a really good egg this time round.

Now?  To survive the 2ww.

CD 13 ... and the wait continues

Just got a call from the nurse.  Here are my levels today:

• E2 - 888 (slowly rising now)
• LH - 17.68 (keep going!  We need to hit 30.)
• P4 - 2

So, it looks like we're now aiming for a Sunday IUI.  The nurse I spoke to said it looks good and that I'll likely hit surge tomorrow.  I hope so because I don't want to also take Monday off work.

Oh, doorbell.  My furniture is here!

CD 12

Good news!  My E2 and LH levels keep rising.

• E2 - now close to 800
• LH - 11

The nurse thought I'd probably hit surge tomorrow.  I think so too if my CM is any indication.  ;-)

CD11 Bloodwork

First off, I'm feeling better today.  I felt better right off the bat in the morning.  But it still hasn't gone away.  At least I'm not feeling like I'm either going to burst into tears or tear someone's head off.  So that's an improvement.  But in my head I'm doing the whole psychological preparation to head off nastiness when I see my friends and their babies.  I don't even want to think about the arrival of my nephew in June.  Maybe I'll see what I can do to avoid traveling there for work while my sister is still pregnant so I don't have to see that on a regular basis.  I can do Winnipeg instead.

More LH bloodwork today and the nurse who called me with the update actually gave me my numbers:

• E2 - 467
• LH - 8.1 (must be >30 for surge)

The numbers are rising so I'm guessing I'll hit surge on Friday and have IUI #2 on Saturday.  My CM is starting to change but nowhere near where it should be for an IUI on Friday.  But overall not bad because I won't have to miss work.  I was crossing my fingers for Friday so that I could take a full sick day (thank you stupid cramps) and be home for my furniture delivery.  And I could stay home and watch The Vampire Diaries all day if I wanted to.  Yeah, I could do that on Saturday too but it doesn't have the same effect.  Somehow it just feels better to do that on a real day off, not a weekend day when you should be doing housework.  ;-)