Update

the good news is that we can't test until at least the 8th of June (that will be 11dpiui)because of the effects of the trigger shot. So we really just have to sit back and relax. The other good news is that the sperm count for today's IUI was 35 million with a 56% post-thaw mobility. Also great numbers for frozen sperm. The other great news is that we had 7 follicles with at least 5 of them being mature...which also increases the odds. And lastly, while there is a chance of multiples, the chances of higher order multiples are still only 5% because KB is 35. Wonderful wonderful news. Like I said before, I'm shooting for one baby, but if we had twins (or as far as triplets for that matter) I would be absolutely fine with that. :) Yay for KB's 35th Birthday. We go in on june 12th at 7am for our pregnancy test. I can't wait. In the meantime, we have a trip to Boston to look for housing...that should keep us busy!

Finger's crossed folks. We head in for our IUI in 2 hours. I got to give KB a shot in the belly last night (she's needle-phobic)...that was fun. She felt a sharp pain on her left side last night...which is great. If that was ovulation, we are happy it was that side, there were 4 follicles on that side and the largest of all the follicle's was also a lefty. Let's hope the other side did not release...she didn't feel anything and those follicles were much smaller...so chances are good.

I gave KB's uterus a pep-talk last night, today is her 35th birthday, which is the only reason the doctors agreed to do the IUI (because the risk of multiples with 5 mature follicles is not as high if you are 35 or over; they won't do an insemination with more than 4 follicles if you are 34). We got lucky with timing here. At first we had agreed this would be KB's 33rd birthday and that she would be going backwards from now on, like benjamin button. But now we are happily celebrating the fact that she is 35...otherwise it would have been $1000 down the tube for nothing this cycle. This cycle is still way more expensive than all others in the past...close to 2k thanks to the progesterone suppositories and crappy health insurance that doesn't pay a dime of fertility/prescriptions. Can you believe $600 for 6 weeks of progesterone suppositories? Ridiculous.

This morning I treated my beautiful 35year-old wife and her 5-7 (we aren't sure how many were mature) follicles to breakfast-in-bed. Some delicious "mexican eggs" blackcherry yogurt, red raspberry leaf tea, and a square of chocolate. A little healthy, a little delicious...starting these kids off right!

Let the next two weeks come by quickly!

My nightmare of a day

So it turns out that it wasn't five mature follicles but rather 7. And most doctors won't inseminate with that many because of the chance of conceiving multiples. We have been on the phone all afternoon trying to figure out what we can do, because I hate the prospect of a missed cycle. At first we don't consistently produce follicles and now we produce too many. The doctors have agreed to do the procedure with an understanding that we know the risk of selective reduction should we conceive more than three (that is the number my wife and I are willing to go forward with). And we have to give ourselves the trigger shot tonight. One problem: we don't have that prescription and can't get ahold of the nurse. So we are still in limbo, but it looks like this cycle won't be for naught. And with this many follicles it is our best chance so far. Not to mention we probably had multiple follicles last month as well. We just didn't know it because we didn't look at an ultrasound in past months. And we didn't get pregnant then. So what is all this fuss about? I wonder if clomid can have an additive effect for every month you are on it. Maybe I should ask the RE tomorrow.

Who knew there could be even more emotional stress when you get doctors involved. I thought it would reduce stress. Silly me.

Tiny colonies

We had our RE appointment this morning to check on KB's follicles. There were seven of them! Five of the seven were mature! One was a whopping 24.5 mm! Awesome. But also yikes. Our bloodwork should come back later today and we will find out when we go for our triggershot and first iui!

In unrelated news, I also am growing a colony... Of knots in the muscle around my right shoulderblade. Can't turn my neck, hunch my shoulders or breathe without severe pain. The pain is so bad I can't drive. And right now I am home and condemned to the couch. I might need to go to a masseuse to work these knots out. I can't get any work done this way.

So yay for the wife's colony but boo for mine. I have to go. It hurts to type.

Apathy

What can I say, I have hit that point of the year (and probably of graduate school in general) where I am just extremely apathetic and am procrastinating everything. I really cannot wait for this move, because it might be just what I need to kick my butt in gear. Yes, I am up-to-date on my clinic paperwork...even though I could be ahead by beginning my clients' termination reports...but still, I am up-to-date. Yes, I am where I need to be with moving stuff (thanks to the lovely wife). I am up-to-date on my consulting job. I have finished collecting my dissertation data (at least the part I am using for the dissertation/defense). I have started to clean up the data file...so why, oh why, can I not just analyze my data?!!!!! Honestly, it will only take a few more hours of cleaning up the file, merging a few files, and creating some variables...we are talking maybe 10 hours of syntax and I could see the results of over a year's worth of work...but I just don't have the energy.

My dear, dear, dissertation advisor (whom I actually do like quite a bit) reminded me today that I should really get as much done as possible before the move. And he is right. I have 8 weeks...if I can at least just get my data analyzed, that would be good. Once I arrive in Massachusetts, I have a month before I begin, I could easily get a first and maybe second draft of a results/discussion section completed...but I am just so so so tired. I miss free-time. It has taken me 5 years to say this...but there you have it.

Dear dissertation advisor also is pressuring me (or encouraging me in a strong way) to apply for the ABCT student research award...because apparently I need one more thing to throw onto the table right now. Please, if I can't even get my data analyzed, do you really think I can handle that? I'd rather crochet more stuffed animals, thank you very much (animals to be posted soon)...