Life Update!

Life has been so crazy lately! Earlier this month we started the procedure for our first IUI. I was started on 7.5 mg Femara days 3-7. On my first follicle check I had some good follicles growing but the doctor wanted me to really get them ripe before doing the trigger shot. I was given one vile of Bravelle to take. The shot wasn't bad at all. It's a tiny needle and the only thing I noticed was a bit of a burning sensation for a few minutes after the injection. When I went back for the next ultrasound I had 7 very mature follicles! I couldn't believe it. I knew that I was really uncomfortable and bloated, but didn't think my body responded that way to the medicine! The doctor gave me 2 options, I could cancel the procedure all together or he could perform a follicle reduction. He won't do an IUI with anything more than 3 follicles. I decided on the follicle reduction because I didn't want to waste the month of medicine.

On day 12 I took the trigger shot at 10AM and went in for my IUI that next morning. As I'm sitting on the table waiting for the IUI it dawned on me that I was in the same room that they performed my D&C just months before. It made the day kind of tough. The doctor came in and immediately got started. He performed the follicle reduction first. As he was about to get started I asked him if it hurt. He looked me in the eyes and said "yes. Imagine the feeling of getting an IV... just down there." I thought to myself "OK I can I handle that"! Before he started he had me count to 3. On 3 he poked the first follicle and I wanted to scream! It in now way felt like an IV! I know I shouldn't be surprised because a man will never know what anything feels like down there haha! Let me just say that if I am ever given the option to cancel the cycle or go through another reduction, I would choose to cancel. It was awful! He repeated that 3 times to get rid of the smaller follicles and then moved on to the actual IUI. The IUI was so easy. A little pinch from the catheter but that was it. It took about 5 minutes and he was done. So now we wait.

It has been 5 days since the IUI and I've been feeling crampy and a bit of spotting. I'm hoping those are good signs but I'm trying not to get too optimistic. I keep thinking of the what ifs. What if I am pregnant? What if it doesn't work? What if I have to move on to IVF? What if I am pregnant and I miscarry again? The thing with playing the "what if" game is it never gets you anywhere. I am going to continue to live in the moment and not stress about anything else. Why is that always easier said than done when it comes to trying to conceive?

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