Nips: WTF uterus?  I’ve been waiting 31 years to fulfill my destiny and FINALLY I start getting the signals I’ve been waiting for and now you go and start spotting like it’s nothing? 

Uterus: Oh, oops, my bad, not pregnant, was just testing you, ha ha!  Good job on the piercing needle sensation though.

Brain: Ok you two, break it up.  Let’s just take a few moments to review. Uterus, you started sending signals and nips, you responded just like you should.  Good job team!  Sorry we didn’t win it this time, but hey, next round is coming up and we need to be on our game, ok?  Now, hit the showers, drinks are on me.

Post-Script by Strawberry’s Brain and Taste Buds: Dude, homemade buttercream frosting is an awesome comfort food.

“Worked from home” Friday afternoon after my clients left the building.  Which means I got to go to the local SSA office and change my name with them.  Compared to the multi-trip DMV stuff it was a piece of cake.

Weekend was lovely and relaxing.  Tylenol does NOTHING for a sinus headache. I’m 9DPO and aside from my left nipple feeling like someone has stuck hot needles thru it I feel completely normal.  In all likelihood I’ll test on Friday, if I haven’t started my period yet.

Single stick blood draw was Friday 6/13.  This picture is from Monday evening.  My mother, a nurse, is HORRIFIED.  A week later it still looks disgusting and is still sensitive.

6DPO, still feel normal.

Ok, so I did a bad thing during my first 2WW. I opened the Brill book. Even though I’d read the thing cover to cover already. I flipped back to the section on charting and BBT. And what I found has FREAKED ME OUT.

“We rarely see conception occur in people who have a BBT lower than 97.3.” p 236

I have always had a lower than average body temperature. I almost never pass 99 when I’m sick. In the months that I have been charting my BBT, prior to O is usually in the 96’s After O it has never gone above 98.3. Coverline is typically 97.1. Brill seems to suggest that this indicates a thyroid problem. The paper charts at the back of the Weschler book don’t even go below 97. I actually had a PCP mention a concern about my thyroid about 7 years ago and at that time I had all the blood tests done and everything checked out normal. But still, it’s FREAKING ME OUT.

So, a question for all of you that track your BBT. What is usually your lowest, highest, and coverline temp? If you do not temp orally, please indicate that as well.

Oh, and for those following along at home, I am 5DPO and could not feel more normal.

2 years ago today…

I can’t ever imagine loving someone more, or feeling as loved as I do.

Well, I’m all spermed up.  Temp was still low this morning and OPK went from positive to faint thru the day yesterday, so our 10am IUI this morning was perfectly timed.

After some quality couple time this morning, Strawberry and I headed to the city office of our RE.  The waiting room was full, but as I signed in I heard someone behind the counter say my name and I spoke up to announce my presence.  Right away I was called back and ushered into the first exam room.  My sample was all ready to go and Dr B, who we’d never met, introduced himself and put us totally at ease.  With a gentle manner and a very reassuring tone, I was put in the stirrups and talked thru the IUI.  I was advised against emptying my bladder, as the IUI would be easier with it slightly full if I have an anterior uterus, as the majority of women do.

The speculum went in with some pressure, but was no more uncomfortable than usual.  And it turns out, I have a VERY anterior uterus, so that’s good to know.  Next thing we knew, there was a faint squelching sound as our swimmers were launched.  I remarked on the sound, and we all had a chuckle.  All done, the speculum was removed and we were left alone to rest.

5 minutes later there was a knock on the door.  I thought they were kicking us out already and was a bit surprised, but it turned out to be our RE, Dr. A.  She’d been expecting us but had been with another patient when we arrived.  By the time she finished and came to collect our sample, Dr. B was all done!  She stayed to answer a few of our questions and assured us that the sample was excellent.  She wished us luck and said that if needed, we should call when I begin my next cycle.  I experienced no pain or cramping and we stayed in the room another 15 minutes before heading out to pay up and leave.

Overall, it was a much simpler and more pleasant experience than everything else we’ve dealt with this week, and I am feeling hopeful and relieved.  Oh, and it cost about $50 less than they had quoted me, which was nice.

So now, Eagle Scout, it’s time to earn that merit badge!  Swim, swim, swim!

Poor Nutella. I joined her today for her blood draw. One of the annoying issues that happened prior to the draw was that the order was for some tests that she didn’t need because they had been done before (like the CMV test for one). Nutella nearly cried when they said they’d need 5 vials of blood. After she spoke with the nurse at the fertility clinic, she was able to talk them down to 3. I did my best to convince her it would be alright…that 3 vials could still be done fairly quickly.

Nutella was smart to lie down this time and I was going to stand next to her and hold her hand. Well, the phlebotomist said, ‘The last time I had two girls in this room when I drew blood, the one who wasn’t getting it drawn fainted.” I laughed and nodded. But then she told me to sit down in the chair opposite Nutella. I said, “Oh, I’m fine with seeing blood, I don’t need to sit.” She wasn’t having it. I said, “Really, you could splatter blood on me and I’d still be fine…I’ve watched this before.” Then there was another technician standing by the door who basically said I had to sit or leave. Now, I understand why…fine, it’s a liability I guess. But it sucked and I felt really bad that I couldn’t hold Nutella’s hand. So I had to wait there and talk to her while the blood was coming out…1, 2, 3 vials. And as soon as they pulled the needle out, I shouted “It’s out! They’re done! All done!”, having learned my lesson last time when I said “It’s coming out” (meaning the needle), and Nutella told me to shut it, thinking I was talking about the blood, and thought they had left the needle in her for another 3-5 minutes after it was over

Anyway, needless to say I did not faint and as soon as that needle was out, I jumped up and held her and administered the chocolate. And on my way out, I said to the phlebotomist, “I hope this helps convince you that not everyone who watches is going to faint.” Nyeh.

Now I’m worrying and apparently having little panic attacks over what the IUI will be like for Nutella. She assures me nothing could be as bad as needles though. I hope not.

- Strawberry

Well, I survived the blood draw with minimal tears, hyperventilation, and chocolate.  Encountered a few rather annoying issues prior to the actual draw though.  Oh, and I returned to work to find I had 1,093 new emails.  Turns out that when our email account changed my name it marked every email in my inbox and folders as “new”.  Good times.

-Nutella

Hi everyone, thanks for your kind words and wishes on my ordeal yesterday.  I shared with you the series of events, but not my feelings on the matter.  I’ll sum it up in one word.

Livid.

I am angry beyond belief that I am being required to get these tests done, and that the RE didn’t tell me to get them done 3 MONTHS ago when we saw her.  She didn’t even apologize.  Refused to even admit that she didn’t tell me to get them done.  It isn’t worth my time or effort to argue that issue, so I let it go.  We thought we had done everything right and on time and then this gets thrown at us.  Sure fire way to upset, stress, and freak out a needlephobe?  Surprise her with mandatory blood work.  Not only that, but mandatory UNNECESSARY blood work.  But that’s a whole separate issue.

I am feeling much saner today, although still freaking out about the blood draw.  I’m so relieved that I won’t have to face it alone.  Strawberry and I will share a nice lunch then go to the lab together.  And I will ask to lay down this time.  I will have chocolate ready and waiting for when I’m done.

As expected, had an almost positive OPK at 9:30 pm last night and a positive a 7am this morning, so it looks like the timing will be fine with the Saturday morning IUI.  I am resigned and fairly calm, but really, I think this month will end up being a practice run.

-Nutella

Warning: This is LONG

Yesterday I got the final court order for my name change in the mail. For those of your just hearing about this, I’m taking Strawberry’s last name and making my last name my new middle name. Not a big deal, but a big PITA. Anyway, I intended to stop by the motor vehicle office (MVA) that’s 2 min from my office this afternoon to change my driver license and perhaps my title and registration, if I had time.

On the TTC front, I brought 2 OPK’s to work with the intention of testing at 11 and again at 3. At 11 I did the first one and got a faint line. If my body follows its typical pattern, this means that I would get a darker line in the afternoon and a positive late tonight. After lunchtime I called the RE’s office to make an appt for a Friday afternoon IUI. After some convincing, the nurse gave me an appt for 3pm in the suburban office. Turns out, they normally only do IUI’s in the morning.

At 1:45 I headed over to the MVA and got a number. There were 31 numbers ahead of mine for new driver’s licenses. Good thing I brought a book. As I was sitting and waiting, the following sequence of events occurred:

2:12- Nurse calls. She can’t find the results of my STD screening tests in their system. I tell her that the RE never asked me to have them done, but that I had done the CMV screen on my own. She is dumbfounded and seems to imply that I can’t get inseminated without having the screening done. She’s going to call the RE and call me right back. I hang up, panic ensues.

2:19- RE calls, and I run out to the vestibule of the MVA. Haven’t I had STD tests done in the last year? No. Why didn’t I get them done? Um you didn’t tell me to, I got the CMV done because I wanted to know for picking a donor. Do I feel comfortable going thru with the IUI without them? Of course! Well, then she will draw the blood for the tests when I am in the office for my IUI. (Cue hysterical deep breathing Nutella) Here’s where I try to calmly explain how much of a needlephobe I am and how this would be a VERY BAD IDEA. I ask if I can get them done at the lab near me today and she agrees, takes the name and location of the lab and ends the call. I stand in the vestibule and will myself not to cry.

2:22- I run out to my car dialing Strawberry at work to tell her the whole saga. With her on hands-free I start the car and head off to the lab about 10 min away. She looks up their hours and reassures me that they are open until 4pm. I will have to do the blood draw alone. I begin the psych myself up for it when call waiting beeps.

2:25- The nurse needs to clarify which lab location I am headed to. I clarify; she has the lab order ready to fax.

2:29 As I am almost at the lab building, the nurse calls again. Turns out TODAY ONLY the lab is closing at 1pm. So I ask her for the address of the other lab in the same suburb and she gives it to me. I ask her to please fax it to that location. At a traffic light I pull out my map book and try to plot the best route.

2:32- The nurse calls again to tell me that lab #2 also closed at 1pm TODAY ONLY. I pull off the road. After a chat with the nurse we decide to move the IUI to Saturday morning in the city office, and I will go to the lab closest to my work for the required STD tests on Friday. Resigned to this turn of events I head back to the MVA.

2:50- There are still 16 numbers ahead of me at the MVA. I wait and read and finally I am called and I leave with my new license at 4:10.

Back at work, I miraculously have no voice mails or emails. OPK at 4:30 shows a darker line, but still not positive.

Now, I’m off to the airport to pick up our houseguest. Ah, the excitement that is my life.

-nutella