Dildo-Cam Report

Another visit to the dildo-cam this morning, with promising results.

I've got three mature follicles, two of which are ready to drop (20 mm and 19 mm, I think) and another which is a bit behind (15 mm) and will probably arrive at the party after all the fellas have left.

My uterine lining is "gorgeous" (why, thank you, ma'am!) and my hormone levels are all right on target.

I just gave myself the Ovidrel (HCG trigger) shot, which will make me ovulate within the next 12 - 36 hours.

Have I mentioned how blase' I've gotten about self-administered injections in my belly?

So far (and I hope this was the last one!) I've had nine injections, eight of which I've done myself: Ovidrel (by Shrike); Ovidrel, 3 FSH & Ovidrel; 2 FSH & Ovidrel.

By the time I was ready to trigger last cycle, I'd gotten to the point of just swabbing and stabbing; I don't even have to steel myself or work up the nerve.

I really barely feel them at all, and if it does hurt, it's not much at all.

Also, I think a little perspective is in order.

I was talking to a friend earlier this evening, and telling her about the ultrasounds. She was asking if it hurts, or if it's uncomfortable.

I said, "Well, it's not fun, but I've gotten used to it and really, it's nothing compared to what I've got waiting for me on the other end of this whole project. It's not like that's the worst thing that's going to happen down there."

After all, I suspect that when I'm in labor, a dildo-cam in my twinkie will sound pretty damn good compare to, oh, an entire human!

While Dr E was camming me (that was a first, it's usually a tech and a nurse; for day 3 of this cycle she was there but the nurse did the scan; this time she wielded the cam herself) she answered a few more questions that I have about the whole IVF possibility.

She said that we should start now with getting Shrike checked out, to see if it's even possible to use her eggs. She wrote her lab orders for day 3 blood work and said that she'll also need a visit to the dildo-cam for an antral follicle count. (And, yes, she's just thrilled about that.)

Since she's not actually a patient there, Dr E said she'll just sort of sneak her in for the ultrasound, wihout an actual appointment, and she won't put it in the computer or bill us or anything.

Very cool, considering that's a $70 procedure with my insurance, and they bill it at $295.

She said to just call Nurse E to set it up and don't tell the girls up front.

But wait, here's the part where I realize I'm a total dumbass. . .

I was telling Shrike about all that, and asked her where she is in her cycle (I was feeling dumb enough for not knowing that. Half the world knows every excruciating detail about my cycle, but I've got no clue what week she's even in!) .

She said "Well, it should be next week; I start the pink pills on Sunday."

DOH!

I had completely forgotten that she's been on the pill for a few months. (She was just having pretty bad cramps; no actual problems or anything.)

It's not like I knew she was on it and forgot that she'd need to get off to give me eggs (which would be even dumber) but I had totally blanked about her being on it!

She's ok with going off of it for a while (said she'll just live with the cramps) so I guess we'll go ahead and do that, as soon as she finishes this package.

Now, I'm waiting to hear back from Nurse E about how long she needs to be off the pill before the day 3 labs and follicle count will be worth doing. I don't know if we can do those next week, or if we need to let her get back to a natural cycle first.

I think the plan at the moment is that we can go ahead and start checking her out and trying to get approved for the shared risk program while continuing to do IUIs.

By the time we used up the six medicated cycles that Dr E is willing to try (we're on #2 now) we would most likely have our ivf ducks in a row, if we needed them.

Of course, what we'd really prefer is to just get lucky this time around, and in a few weeks we'll all be having a big laugh over thinking all that would be necessary.

Speaking of getting lucky, we're scheduled for IUIs at 1 pm Saturday and 11 am Sunday.

Perfect timing - no missing work, and - bonus - Shrike is off all weekend!

On more thing - Last weekend, I did a seminar at a college near WorkTown with ED2 (the sister of the ivf mom) and she was reminding me to turn in an expense report for my mileage to get there.

Then she said, "And you can get reimbursed for mileage when you make a trip over to the OldWorkTown center (the main office)."

I said, "Well, I usually do that when I'm going to be right down the road at the doctor's office, anyway."

She told me, "That doesn't matter. You're doing company business, and saving me a trip to NewWorkTown. You were talking about how much all this is costing you. The mileage isn't a lot, but maybe it will help a bit."

Going to OldWorkTown "on the way" to NewWorkTown takes me 60 miles out of my way. At 40 cents/mile, they are basically offering to pay me $24 pretty much each time I go in to the RE's OldWorkTown office for monitoring, as long as I pop in at the center and drop off tuition or pick up toilet paper or whatever.

How cool is that?