Thank you all for your responses to my last post. I simply can not believe how many of you have ovulation pain! What I guess I am still wondering though is do you suspect you have it b/c of endo or similar or do you accept it as normal? I realize what is "normal" in the IF population isn't necessarily normal in the typical population, but I figured I would ask :)
So the seminal fluid analysis fun begins already. My ob/gyn doesn't do the test, so they are sending me to the RE that so many non-Catholic friends I know use. My ob/gyn assured me they have the collection condom, but the receptionist didn't think so. Then she asked and, low and behold, they do! Guess it isn't that common. Lol. This makes scheduling easier because I don't have to wait for PPVI to ship it. The conversation with her was a bit awkward, not that I have any boundaries about this stuff because I do not. It just made me chuckle. First she told me we needed to be at least 2 days out from intercourse, but no more than 7 days. This was news to me. Since I just came off my fertile time and we are at the tweaking meds phase, we were avoiding. It has been more than 7 days. Now we "get" to have two instances of intimacy that are planned. If we were intimate tonight, the minimum of two days put us over the weekend. So there is some planning involved, but at least we have a window (and therefore some planned spontaneity, if there is such a word) for the first instance. Add children that wake and the fact that the specimen needs to arrive 20 min away, or more in morning traffic, within an hour...this is going to be interesting. I can only imagine the pressure on both of us to preform on command-sheesh! We will have a 6:30am appt with each other, door locked of course, children usually awake at 7:10 or later-but it has varied a lot lately so it could be as early at 6:30-so I might very well have to wake them and put them in the car with cheerios in cups or a waffle in hand to accompany me to take in the specimen. At least we are looking at a non work/daycare day or that would throw something else into the mix. This is all new to me folks, and I must say, the whole experience requires a sense of humor!
On a side note, yesterday was my first hcg shot in ages. I had to reread the instructions a few times since I am doing half the dose. I ran my math by dh (so I can either do half the concentration and give myself the full cc or do the full concentration and give myself a half cc) and then I was good to go. I must say, it didn't hurt at all (thanks to belly padding-hoping the hcg melts that away like previous....) and I feel good to go for as long as necessary.
I am on the journey we are all called to-to accept God's will and perfect love. Whether I am white knuckling it with my eyes shut tight or standing up with my arms outstretched enjoying the ride, I try always to let God be the driver and not bail out the side when there are bumps (like IF!). On good days, I trust He won't run me into a tree. :)
4.10.2012
It's as if I don't even need to chart anymore...
...to detect ovulation anyway, that is. Each month like clockwork, it starts with a twinge. I wake up and don't move. It's there. I know I will see fertile CM that day and I always do. And the discomfort builds. It usually last three days total, mostly in the morning. By the third day its all day long and hurts the most. Then either that day or the day that follows is my last day of fertileCM. Its been pretty consistent through three cycles. I've heard of ovulation pain before. I used to think I could feel my toenails grow, but I never noticed anything with ovulation in the past. This is new. In the back of my head I had one good thought-I am actually ovulating? But then just as quick came another-the ovary is adhered to something! I am curious, ladies, do you notice ovulation pain? Is it barely noticable or does it hurt/feel crampy? Those of you with endo or other related issues, is that the source of the feeling? Or can one feel true healthy ovulation?
I did my cycle review on CD 10 or so. Phone tag. So I am starting hcg alone this cycle, and clomid next. I have my hcg for the next two months already (and they agreed I could go back to half dose due to my reaction-its nice to have Dr. Hilgers back to stray from protocol as needed) and my clomid in hand as well. Dr. Hilgers recommended we update our SF analysis. I wasn't expecting this. We only did one back in NY in 2008 with no issues (not at all the Catholic way either-we were bunking on the friend of friend's fouton in the middle of their living room-can you imagine?! Um, good morning!). This time we will do it the right way though. I am sure it will be an...adventure. I didn't even call Dr. Hilgers office back to get the instructions. I assumed, and this is very unlike me, that doing it is the same everywhere and I can just send him a copy of the local results. I will contact the office if the local RE my ob/gyn sent me too doesn't have the proper "contraption." Sounds romantic, eh? I know many of you have experienced this. It will be a first for me, so random advice welcome.
Guess what else Dr. Hilgers said? I asked about the ovulation pain and the also mentioned period cramps have returned. I told him we may be switching insurances and so, if he thought it needed surgery, I wanted to address it asap. Even though I asked the question, I was surprised at the answer. "Yes. Lap. Definitely. It's been awhile." Yes. It has been awhile. I have had only one lap with Dr. Hilgers in April 2006 (and one in 2003 by a non napro doc). But I have also been pregnant four times, two of which were full term, and and did not cycle for 13 months each after delivering, totally 44 months of no cycles, not counting the miscarriages. Anyway, I am on the list for a call for surgery to be scheduled, but already considered "in line." (How different from the first time around, waiting for the call just to schedule it and driving poor Linda crazy with my calls. They sent the Women Healed book and I devoured it!) I expect an August appointment. I have questions (like, do we avoid until surgery or do we ttc and if we get pregnant, just cancel?), and concerns (are we jumping the gun on this?), excitement (will he see that my infection is gone?) and am already planning (it will be fun to go to the zoo with the boys the day or so prior to my surgery and take the boys in to the office to meet the nurses and Dr. H-I so wanted to go to the celebration they had!). If we end up changing insurances before this, then we will have to decide how important it is to see Dr. Hilgers. He will be out of network, maybe not even covered at all. My local ob/gyn is Napro trained (but not surgically yet, will confirm) and known to be very good, but it would be nice to go beyond lasering endo and repeat the hsg and biopsies, etc. And if anything else comes up, you don't get any better than Dr. H. I can't assume we know what we're dealing with just because we've been down this road before.
So that is where we stand. I have one question left directly for Dr. H and that is, can I go back on 10 days of antibiotics when we are actively ttc. The answer with the fellows/other docs is no, because I have no TEBB. But Dr. H let me with AJ just in case. Now, if I do have the biopsies first and they show nothing...then maybe I might think about going antibiotic free, but I would have to be pretty convinced since, in my point of view, the antibiotic benefit far outweights the risks.
So that's where we are. I had two miscarriages doing the exact same thing, two healthy pregnancies doing a new protocol that worked beautifully, and now...who knows where the path ahead leads. I am still at peace, knowing we are doing all we can and that God has a beautiful plan for us (not to be mistaken for a pain free plan, that would just be foolish!). I hope you all had a blessed Easter Sunday!
I did my cycle review on CD 10 or so. Phone tag. So I am starting hcg alone this cycle, and clomid next. I have my hcg for the next two months already (and they agreed I could go back to half dose due to my reaction-its nice to have Dr. Hilgers back to stray from protocol as needed) and my clomid in hand as well. Dr. Hilgers recommended we update our SF analysis. I wasn't expecting this. We only did one back in NY in 2008 with no issues (not at all the Catholic way either-we were bunking on the friend of friend's fouton in the middle of their living room-can you imagine?! Um, good morning!). This time we will do it the right way though. I am sure it will be an...adventure. I didn't even call Dr. Hilgers office back to get the instructions. I assumed, and this is very unlike me, that doing it is the same everywhere and I can just send him a copy of the local results. I will contact the office if the local RE my ob/gyn sent me too doesn't have the proper "contraption." Sounds romantic, eh? I know many of you have experienced this. It will be a first for me, so random advice welcome.
Guess what else Dr. Hilgers said? I asked about the ovulation pain and the also mentioned period cramps have returned. I told him we may be switching insurances and so, if he thought it needed surgery, I wanted to address it asap. Even though I asked the question, I was surprised at the answer. "Yes. Lap. Definitely. It's been awhile." Yes. It has been awhile. I have had only one lap with Dr. Hilgers in April 2006 (and one in 2003 by a non napro doc). But I have also been pregnant four times, two of which were full term, and and did not cycle for 13 months each after delivering, totally 44 months of no cycles, not counting the miscarriages. Anyway, I am on the list for a call for surgery to be scheduled, but already considered "in line." (How different from the first time around, waiting for the call just to schedule it and driving poor Linda crazy with my calls. They sent the Women Healed book and I devoured it!) I expect an August appointment. I have questions (like, do we avoid until surgery or do we ttc and if we get pregnant, just cancel?), and concerns (are we jumping the gun on this?), excitement (will he see that my infection is gone?) and am already planning (it will be fun to go to the zoo with the boys the day or so prior to my surgery and take the boys in to the office to meet the nurses and Dr. H-I so wanted to go to the celebration they had!). If we end up changing insurances before this, then we will have to decide how important it is to see Dr. Hilgers. He will be out of network, maybe not even covered at all. My local ob/gyn is Napro trained (but not surgically yet, will confirm) and known to be very good, but it would be nice to go beyond lasering endo and repeat the hsg and biopsies, etc. And if anything else comes up, you don't get any better than Dr. H. I can't assume we know what we're dealing with just because we've been down this road before.
So that is where we stand. I have one question left directly for Dr. H and that is, can I go back on 10 days of antibiotics when we are actively ttc. The answer with the fellows/other docs is no, because I have no TEBB. But Dr. H let me with AJ just in case. Now, if I do have the biopsies first and they show nothing...then maybe I might think about going antibiotic free, but I would have to be pretty convinced since, in my point of view, the antibiotic benefit far outweights the risks.
So that's where we are. I had two miscarriages doing the exact same thing, two healthy pregnancies doing a new protocol that worked beautifully, and now...who knows where the path ahead leads. I am still at peace, knowing we are doing all we can and that God has a beautiful plan for us (not to be mistaken for a pain free plan, that would just be foolish!). I hope you all had a blessed Easter Sunday!
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