Follow-up

I had two follow-ups after my first appointment. Basically all she did was check my temp and asked how I was feeling.

Today I told her that everything in my pelvic region is doing good. She again expressed concern about doing at home insemination and is trying to encourage me to do intra-uterine insemination (IUI). (I'm saddened by this because it makes me feel like because I don't have a penis, I am incapable of knowing the insemination process and how it works. :( )

For now I think we're gonna keep trying the at home insemination(yes, we are), at least one (or 5) more go around. If I do have issues again with it then we will explore other options. Because if I keep having infections then it will destroy my chances of ever getting pregnant. (We're going to try taking benedryl before these next insems to see if that helps with the possible allergy. Also what I don't understand is that there's no real difference in our inseminations and doing an IUI. They just stick the swimmers into the uterus instead of making them go thru the cervix to get to the uterus. Wouldn't you still get an allergic reaction? I think so.)

So, we will try again this month. Maybe... I just gotta make sure everyone is back on board. But I think Amity is ready to try again (I never wanted to stop trying, but you're health comes first.). She asked me last night if I think I'm ready because I should know my body better then anyone else.

Well, that's it for now.
-Sheila- (commentary by Amity)

In the recent news about the earthquake on the east coast I share with you this picture that I thought was funny (because no real damage was reported).

Doctor's appointment

So I know a lot of people are concern with how my appointment on Thursday went so I figure I should probably tell you guys.

So I had an appointment with my OB-GYN on Thursday morning. They ask me what's wrong and everything, so I describe my symptoms to the nurse and explain to her that we are trying to conceive. She proceeds to take my blood pressure and had me go pee in a cup. Then tells me when I get back to strip from the waist down. So I get back to my room and start unbuckling my belt when my physician comes in and says wait don't get undress just yet. She sits me down and asks me some questions, like how exactly did we do the insemination, when did we do it, and when did I start having pains.

After her questioning she tells me she wants to do an ultrasound first. The ultrasound tech explains to me what I'm seeing on the screen. It's all Greek to me... She at first couldn't find my left ovary so she had to go a different route. She found a lot of eggs in my left ovary, and four eggs in my right. She asked if I was on any fertility drugs. No I am not. Now keep in mind that I haven't ovulated since June 20th, so Amity says that if I ovulate all those eggs are gonna drop. We're hoping I don't become the next octo-mom.

So after the ultrasound I go back to my room and Kalea, my physician, tells me what the results are. I don't really recall what she said. (That's why I wish Amity was there...) She does tell me that I do have small cysts, but nothing to be concern about. I then get a pelvic exam (it actually hurt a lot) and proceeds to tell me that it looks like a pelvic infection.

She prescribed 3 different anti-biotics to "attack the infection aggressively before it gets any worse so we can avoid a trip to the hospital." And sends me to get blood work done.

I have a follow-up appointment on Monday, hopefully I'll have more details then. I'm also gonna ask for the ultrasound pictures so I can share with you guys.

So as of today, Saturday, I'm feeling better then I have. I don't know if it is the drugs because honestly, I think it's too soon to tell. My stomach does hurt more at night and early morning then anything else.

Well that's it for now. I'll have more information after Monday, hopefully.

Needing ovulation vibes!

Sheila still hasn't ovulated this month and she's on cycle day 22!! This month has been SO weird! She's had all these "symptoms" eventhough she had a visit from the red lady the 8th of July.

All day long she had excrutiating pains in her lower abdomin area. It even hurt to place a hand on her tummy. She was SO tired and crabby. I think if she could've killed me, she would've.

So, we decided maybe we should get a pregnancy test just to be TOTALLY sure that she's not pregnant and there's something wrong. Then again, if it's negative and she's having these pains, maybe there's something wrong anyway which is also preventing her from ovulating.

Yes, it is from Wal-Mart. It's close and sort of cheaper. I can't believe for just this one it was almost $4! I should invent something to pee on and give you results in 1 minute just to have it be thrown away. I'd be rich! Hmmmm...what would people need results for that they could pee on a stick..? I'm talkin males and females, not just females. I'll ponder it and let you know if I decide on something.

Looking over the directions for the test we thought this diagram picture was funny. What girl can pee like that (in a stream) without getting it all over the place or even standing up at all unless you're in the shower? I'd like to meet them and learn their trick if there is such a person.




While I was admiring this and having a photo shoot, Sheila was doing her business and we finally got the answer we were wanting to know. Negative.

We're going to monitor this pain she's having and if it doesn't get any better, off to the doctor or hospital we go! I'm curious to know if an ectopic pregnancy will also show up as a negative. I know it's looking for hCG levels, but I wonder if it differs since the embryo isn't in the uterus. Maybe we should have them do an ultrasound just to be sure? We'll keep you all posted in the next few days if we decide to go get her checked out.










Happy thoughts and vibes for us that she will ovulate soon!
-Amity

Nothing new...

Just taking temps and watching CM. The temp chart isn't as crazy as it was last month! Much easier to read.

It's a good possibility our donor will be going on vacation during the time Sheila ovulates next. We're currently on day 12 of her cycle and she should pop her egg sometime this weekend (if her body cooperates)...that being said, our donor may be in another state. Boo. But you know what? When it's our time, it's our time. It'll all work out. Everything happens for a reason. Even if we don't like it.

That's that. Short and sweet. Fingers crossed!
-Amity

The verdict is...

I like expressing my thoughts in pictures....

If you didn't get what I was trying to say, it's that this time didn't turn out how we would've liked it to. Everything in this two week wait was going really well (or so we thought). Let me explain...

Pretty quickly after the insemination, Sheila began having cramps and such and we just thought it was her ovulating and the swimmers doing their job. Her temperature rose and continued to stay really high for four days and took a small drop (.13 degrees) and stayed that temp for 5 days. In those 9 days she seriously was going to the potty it seemed like every hour, she was nauseated at smells and thoughts of food, she had tender nips and skin color changed around them, overly exhausted, emotional, and just felt like she was preg. Her cramps started up again, so we looked it up and it said that around the 10th day you can have implantation cramping. We were thinking YAY, it must have worked! Then Thursday, July 7th, her temp dropped A LOT (.42 degrees), didn't feel the same feelings anymore and had what seemed like menstrual cramps. Lo and behold, the red lady came Friday morning with a vengeance. :(

So, we've already got this month's plans going and we will try try again until it works. Hopefully this months cycle won't be SO friggen crazy, temperature wise, and just be normal...or whatever normal is.

I leave you with a fail pic that I thought was funny and had to share...

-Amity



Fertility Friend is not being much of a friend...

You know this whole tracking temp thing is a bit useless if it doesn't tell you when you ovulate! Everything has been fine on the chart. Still tracking temps as the days go by and then all of a sudden, today's temp changed the entire chart from saying Sheila ovulated on day 18 to day 20! We didn't do anymore insems after day 19, so now I'm a little mad/confused at the damn thing.

I posted on the GLBT fertility forum that I'm on about this jump and someone said they had a theory and for me to "delete" the high temp on day 16 and put today's back in and see what happens and it still said O'd on day 20. GRRRR I'm still waiting for them to get back to me on said theory.

Something else to ramble about...
Sunday Sheila's family came over [read: invited themselves] for dinner. Let me explain so when Sheila reads this she doesn't fly off the handle...Saturday morning we both get a text from her mother asking if we can have dinner at our house. We, meaning Sheila, text her back and said sorry we don't have any food or money to buy food. So her mom said they'd bring us money to buy food, so they could come over Sunday for dinner. We weren't even going to go to her house Sunday because we don't even have money for gas. I remembered that I had a bunch of chicken legs from the Ranch Market and I figured I'll grill them and if they don't like it, oh well. End of convo for a little while. During the day we went to a wedding reception, we picked up our sample on the way home, and did our insem after we got home. Probably 10mins after we're done, Sheila's hips are propped up and everything is marinating inside, she gets a text that her parents are on the way over with money for us! We're like Oh.My.God we can't have them just come over and be like well Sheila's busy, thanks for the money, see ya later, bye bye! She hurried and text them and told them we weren't home and to come in an hour. Luckily they got it before they were here! PHEW! How embarrassing that would've been...HA! They got here, chatted and gave her money, and then left just to turn around and make the long journey back out to us again the next day.

So, Sunday they get here and I guess her mom asked her if we started trying yet as they were walking into the house and she said yes. Then everyone was like so are you pregnant yet and yadda yadda. Sheila tells them we won't find out for like 2 weeks. It kind of strikes me odd that the people that came to dinner that day, all have had children, and you'd think they would know about ovulation, proper length of time before a pregnancy test, and all that jazz, but I was wrong.

After running around like a crazy person I finally get the dinner made and put on the table. We sit down and then everyone is looking at me and then onto Sheila. It was the awkwardness of if we were going to say prayer or not. I don't do prayers. I will sit and bow my head out of respect if someone else is doing one, but me personally, not happening. Sheila looks at them and says, eat. Her mom looks all sad and Sheila says, well do you want to do a prayer then and she's like no it's your house you do what you want. So we eat and I think I got told 4 times that the chicken was really good by her mom in a 10 min time frame. OK thanks. Got it. She then said, it must be good he's already had two of them while pointing back at Sheila's dad with her thumb. He never even looked at me or anything the entire time he was here just played on his phone. Not a huge surprise since that's how he is at the grandparent's house too. We played Guitar Hero for a little bit and they got ready to leave. Everyone gets up and says they're goodbyes and her dad walks right past me and hugs Sheila 2 feet in front of me and does the I love you sign right in her face and leaves without looking back. I've come to terms that he's going to always hate my guts and even more so, now that we're going to bring a child into this "disgusting life" we live. You can't win them all, right? It just makes me feel like a piece of shit.

We're not going to dinner this Sunday. Sheila says we've seen them 3 weeks in a row, it's time for a break. Fine with me. It's a holiday weekend after all. That being said, I hope everyone has a safe and eventful weekend, if I don't post anything else before then. :)

-Amity

Fingers crossed

This frustrating cycle has come to a close. We inseminated 2 more times this weekend and watched Sheila's body temperature go up and down A LOT during the month (pic below) and still Fertility Friend hadn't showed any ovulation. I was getting discouraged that something crazy happened this month and she never popped her egg. That is until we put in this morning's temp and voila! the red lines finally showed up!

OK so let me explain this little guy right over <~*~here. The blue dots are Sheila's temperature that she gets on her basal thermometer every morning at 5am. The blue lines just connect the days. The dashed line means she forgot to take her temp that day. The date is at the top this one is June's. The day part on the bottom is the day of her cycle. Day 1 is the first day the red lady comes. CM under the Day is for Cervical Mucus which is secreted from the cervix everyday and gets yuckier as you get closer to ovulation. When you're closer to ovulation, it has the same consistency and nutrients as semen, so the swimmers can live longer (up to 5 days) inside of the cervix waiting for the egg. Some of the boxes are green meaning that it's "go time". haha. The X's under them are the days we inseminated and the + and - were for the ovulation predictor pee stick things. The red lines on the graph are the average temperature (horizontal line) and the switch in hormone from estrogen to progesterone (vertical line). Where they intersect is your ovulation day meaning the 24 hours the egg is released for fertilization. It is also your lowest body temperature reading for the entire month. According to this chart, we nailed it right on the head, so hopefully this little follicle will attach itself within the next few days and stick!

We're not overly concerned with the whole peeing on a stick thing in 2 weeks. We'll just see if the red lady comes back to visit again and if she does then it's on to try number 2!

I've really done my research! I guess that's what I get for having SO much time off!

-Amity