Pop-rocks in my ovaries, dropped eggs, and the dreaded 2ww..

***Just a warning this is a long one due to the fact that I haven't been good at documenting as we go along, feel free to take a snack break and come back to finish…

It seems that every time I say that I am going to be better about posting as things happen, well, I just don’t! Even though I don’t really have an excuse for my lack of diligent blogging…I do have to say that we just finished a three day cross-country drive to Utah from Jersey (more on that later..and by later it will probably be next week when we get back to NJ..but who knows Utah might have a good effect on my consistency with blogging)! The bad part about waiting so long to write about what has been going on is that I forget those little things that seemed like a huge ordeal, but be glad because this post would probably be three times as long if I did remember them!

If I remember correctly (and I do because I just cheated and looked) I left you all hanging on the results of the release ultrasound last week. I am saddened somewhat to say that this said ultrasound was the first of like 5 or so! How is that possible you ask..well let me explain it all its gorey details (not really I’ll spare you those)!

We went in Friday and honestly I wasn’t really expecting the egg to drop, for some reason my eggs really like their little follicle cocoon! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the process, even if you haven’t released they will still do the IUI and then you have to come back later that day for a second ultrasound and hopefully at least one has released by then! So in typical Ashley follicle fashion the first ultrasound produced negative results. Although the two or three mature follicles were still holding steady. We headed back to do the IUI and the nurse that did it at first I wasn’t sure if I really clicked with. We didn’t have a very good start due to the fact that on the phone the previous day they had told me I didn’t have to get my blood work but since I hadn’t released they ended up needing it and it was past the blood run time. Luckily I was able to get it done before the IUI and they were able to get my results that day..thank you now #2 favorite nurse!

Favorite nurse #2 ended up being a God-send! I don’t know if you recall but originally they were suppose to give me a stronger trigger shot because I hadn’t released last cycle but they decided against it because of my many little follicles and the risk of having multiples. With out boring you all with too many medical details I found out from this nurse that there was another drug called Lupron that is used as a trigger shot and that they should have had me use due to the last time. I was a little upset b/c I really didn’t want this to be a wasted cycle and I didn’t want to pay for a procedure that didn’t even have a chance at working! The nurse was very understanding and said that we would talk more when I came back that afternoon.

Fastforward to later that afternoon and release ultrasound #2. Again no release and many inside tears (both from sadness and frustration)! We had to wait awhile to talk to the nurse and at first I was a little annoyed but when she talked to us I realized it was because she had talked to the doctor first. According to my blood results I hadn’t had an LH surge yet and so the doctor wanted to give me slightly rushed dose of the Lupron and then have me come back the next day for another release ultrasound and If I had released in the morning they would do another IUI that morning and if not I would come back that night and they would do another RU (release ultrasound) and no matter what they would do another IUI. I was very pleased to hear this and the nurse said the Lupron would be good for my anyways because I was hyper-stimulated.

My one concern was that we had just paid out of pocket for an IUI that had no chance at working because they didn’t give me the correct drug and now we were going to have to pay for another one that we didn’t really know if it would work. However, the doctors office is so amazing and they told us they weren’t going to charge us for the second IUI!! We were getting ready to over to the pharmacy to get the Lupron when the nurse called us back again and said she had just talked to the fertility pharmacy and they were out of the drug! So what did they do, they scored some from the IVF nurses and gave it to us for free! They have been above and beyond amazing!

We did the shots that night and then came back the next morning for RU #3. Favorite nurse #2 wasn’t working but I was pleased to see that I ended up with favorite nurse #1! She was a little confused at all that was going on but luckily I had written instructions from yesterday. RU #3 was again negative! WTH?? We then had to go about our day and come back that night for RU #4 and IUI #2. The nurse told me to rest that day since one of my follicles was up to about 43mm and several others were in the 15-26 range. Let me tell you my ovaries were feeling it! I literallly felt like there was pop-rocks in my ovaries as the follicles continued to grow..not a pleasant feeling! It is kind of neat being a freak case because you really get to know all the doctors office staff! I do have to admit though that it isn’t fun hearing them say over and over that they don’t really know what is going on and they have never seen anything like this before!

That night be came back for RU#4 and again negative results! Oh and by the way the big follicle was now up to 46mm! They told me that I had about 7 mature follicles (ie 7 potential babies..oh my)! But if they didn’t release soon I would have none :( They went ahead and did IUI#2 and since I was already in a lot of pain this one wasn’t so pleasant. They gave me a HCG booster of 5000 IU and the nurse told me that if I wanted too I could come in the next day and have another RU for my own peace of mind (it wouldn’t change anything but at least I would know). I decided to take her up on that offer.

The next morning I came back in for RU #5 and guess what??? Two had released!!! Yay! I have no idea if if it was in the right time table but I am trusting God with this! My ultrasound tech was amazing and gave me a hug for good luck! I talked to favorite nurse #1 and she was excited to confirm the two releases and gave me a hug too (they all know we are moving soon and this was our last chance there)! I can’t express how thankful I am for all of them no matter what happens and I know that God has blessed me with that office!

Now we are in Utah and in the midst of our 2ww! I haven't been feeling great but I blame it on the progesterone and the long days of driving! We go back in on the 30th for the preggo blood test!

Thanks for hanging in there during this and I will let you all know how it goes!