We celebrated our third wedding anniversary on January 6th with dinner at the Downtown Grill in Macon. It's always a great meal! I had to return to Dr. Butler's office on Friday morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork. When Cynthia called me in the afternoon to let me know the results, she said that my estrogen level only went up a little, so they were increasing my Follistim dose from 100 to 125. I was concerned, but she said everything was fine. I had to return on Sunday morning and there was a developing follicle on each ovary, both measuring about 10 millimeters. (18-20 mm is considered mature). My estrogen level had gone up nicely, so they kept me at the same dose. I returned on Tuesday and the follicle on my left ovary had continued to grow, but the one on my right had not. I asked her if that meant we only had one shot this time and she said yes. So that, of course, had me worried. I can always find something to worry about! But, at the same time, I also realize there's nothing else I can do but what they tell me to.
Since the follicle on my left ovary was almost mature, I had to go back in on Wednesday morning to make sure my estrogen level was high enough. It was and I was told to give myself the Ovidrel injection that night at 10:30. This medication is human chorionic gonadotropin (hcG) and it matures the follicle and makes you ovulate. They want you to give it 36 hours before the scheduled insemination so that the timing can be perfect. Because this medication is hcG and a home pregnancy test detects that level in your urine to confirm pregnancy, I would have had a false positive had I taken a test the day after giving myself the shot. I almost wanted to take one anyway just to see what positive looked like! But, I didn't. I didn't have to give myself anything on Thursday night and the insemination was scheduled for Friday morning.
Thomas had to drop off his sample at 9:30 and we had to return at 10. They washed and spun down his sample and placed it in a solution that "jazzes" the boys up and makes them work faster. They also look at the count (average is 20-50 million) and his was 60 million! He credits all the PowerAde he's been drinking lately. Ha ha! They put me in this reclining chair that tilts you back almost upside down. The procedure took less than 5 minutes and it wasn't painful, just really uncomfortable. It's a small price to pay though! Because he was able to pass the catheter through my cervix easily, that meant that the timing was perfect. For those that don't know, when you ovulate, your cervix opens. Once the catheter has passed through the cervix, they deposit some of the sample at the top of the uterus so it can travel into the fallopian tubes for fertilization. They also deposit some at the cervix so they can migrate also. It's kind of a 2-for-1 shot. Once they were done, they sat me up a little, turned off the lights, and left me and Thomas alone in the room to relax for about 15 minutes. Cynthia then came back in to give me some follow-up instructions. For the next two weeks, I have to take Prometrium (progesterone) capsules that thicken the lining of my uterus to allow for implantation to occur. My mom wanted to see me that day, so she and my dad came to the house and we fixed spaghetti for dinner. She brought me three red roses and a card that said "It's a Boy!" and one that said "It's a Girl!" It was so sweet.
On Friday, January 29th, I have to take a pregnancy test if I haven't started my period. I have to call the office regardless of the results, but if it's positive, I have to go in for a blood test to confirm it. It's going to be a LONG two weeks, but I'm trying not to think about it as two weeks. Just a few days here and a few days there. It will be here before I know it, I'm sure!
I've had so many people praying for us and that definitely helps! Keep the prayers coming and your fingers crossed that we'll have good news in a little while!
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