A new drug & a great fortune

Cycle #8, CD#3
I had a doctor’s appointment today. I got my weight checked and my blood pressure taken—and avoided the dreaded pelvic exam during my period!! Yeah! Don’t know why, but who cares?!
Darrell and I sat down with Dr. Gallagher in her office. She looked at my charts and was very concerned that I didn’t ovulate right around day 14 on the Clomid. She offered Clomid 100mg and I agreed. She even gave me a refill for when I am gone for Christmas—but insisted that I call first! I questioned her about the drug Metformin (which makes you more sensitive to insulin. Insulin Resistance and how it effects your hormone levels is thought to be the underlying cause of PCOS). She said it was a bit experimental and probably would have offered it after about 4 cycles of the Clomid. She was happy to give me a prescription for that- 500mg twice a day, to be taken 30 minutes before I eat. She said that would be upped to 3 times a day after my 2 refills are gone.
I was also told to come in for an ultrasound on CD #14 to see how the follicle(s) are developing. I am happy about this! Real confirmation that I am producing viable eggs! Who knows, it may be my baby’s first photo or video!
The Metformin is supposed to really help with acne, excess hair (I have a bit over my top lip), and excess weight! The last I am most excited about! I would LOVE to lose weight! I took my first pill tonight after dinner. I heard some bad things about eating sugar while on this medicine—digestional upsets! Ick! Hopefully, I’ll avoid that! I researched more on the net about Metformin and I keep running across success stories of women who did the low-carb dieting while on it. It is just amazing!
While waiting for my prescriptions to be filled, we went shopping. We bought a great little fiber optic Christmas tree. It rotates between about six colors and looks fabulous in the dark! We love it! And HAD to buy Harry Potter Christmas ornaments for it! :o)
Darrell and I had lunch at our favorite Chinese Food Restaurant, Mencius. I had Almond Chicken with broccoli added. When we got our fortune cookies, I played the little mind game I always play. I pick a subject and think to myself, “this fortune will pertain to this subject.” Then, I open the cookie, read the fortune, and try to make sense of it with this subject in mind. Today’s subject was—“This fortune will have something to do with my new prescriptions.” This was the fortune inside my cookie:

Clomid #1 was not the big winner

Well, cycle #1 on Clomid was not the one… I am now on day 1 of cycle #8. To give my body due credit, I think everything was great except the egg did not implant. They say only 40% of eggs that make it that far get implanted. I’ll just have to try again. Even my luteal phase increased to 11 days- much better than 10 days.
My next doctor appointment is on Wednesday. Here are the notes I have ready for her along with the temp charts of my last 2 cycles:
Notes:
I have ovulated both times in the past 2 cycles. The first one was without the Clomid, on CD#33. I had a 10 day luteal phase. The second cycle, on 50mg Clomid, I ovulated on CD#23 with an 11 day luteal phase.
The progesterone test I took was actually on the day I ovulated on the second cycle. So my guess is that the low results are normal for then?
Side effects: the Clomid dried me up considerably, gave me a few minor hot flashes and I had two emotional days, but I think it was well worth it!
Questions:
1. Isn’t the purpose of the progesterone test to see what your level is at one week or more after ovulation? If so, why was I required to take this test on the day I suspected ovulation? I asked if I needed to come back in a week or so and was told no. I am confused about this. Next time, if I have not ovulated before test time or I am currently ovulating, should I again take the test anyway?
2. I recently talked with a cousin who I found out has PCOS also. As far as I know, she isn’t trying to conceive, but she was put on Metformin and said her cycles apparently normalized. Would Metformin help me, either with or without the Clomid?
3. Is there a limit to how many Clomid cycles you allow? When Clomid works correctly, by what day should ovulation occur?
4. If I don’t get pregnant this cycle, it looks like my next cycle’s days 1-5 will very likely occur while I am away from home for the Christmas holidays. If this turns out to be the case, what should I do for the following cycle to be seen for the next round of Clomid?

An annoying nurse & a visit to the vampires

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I have just been overworked! Thank you for all the emails, posts, and even a guest book entry wondering were I was and hoping I was okay!
I am now on C#7, CD#27—and 4 DPO!!!! Yes, I finally ovulated on CD#23. It was way later than I thought it would be on the Clomid. Last cycle, on my own, I ovulated on day 33 so I guess it did get things moving a bit. I am guessing that if AF makes her irregularly scheduled appearance, then I will be put on Clomid 100 mg. My temps since O have been 07.9, 98.2, 98.0, and 98.2. I am hoping to see at least 98.4 in the next couple of days.
The paperwork that I got for the Clomid from my doctor said to go in and get a progesterone serum test between CD#22 and 24. On CD#20, I called in and told the nurse that I hadn’t ovulated yet, do I still need to give this blood? She said yes and told me that I could just come by in the next 2 to 4 days, pick up the blood test request form that she’d have waiting, and then go to the specific room in the building where they do the blood tests. Her reasoning was that the dr. would want to see “where I was.” This doesn’t make too much sense, because I saw a chart on how your levels of progesterone progress with your cycle, and the levels are nothing until O day and then they make a nice hill after that, ending with the appearance of AF.
Being the proper patient, I went in on CD#23 and went to pick up my form. I AGAIN talked to the nurse and this time I told her that I was ovulating as we speak, since I had gotten a peak FM reading the day before (was I happy to see that!!!). She again said to go and do it anyway—never consulted the doctor either time. Well, I was frustrated, but I gave the blood anyway. I am just very hard to get blood from. Past technicians have told me that my veins wiggle but this one said I had thick scar tissue that was hard to get through. She inserted the needle, pulled it out a bit, pushed it in again, pulled, pushed (finally got the blood) and pulled out again. But it didn’t hurt too much and I didn’t bruise, so it was a good job. The worst ones are when they have to do it all over again in my other arm. Yikes! Once, they even tried it from both wrists! Yikes, yikes!
So, two days later I get a phone call from the nurse. She says that Doctor Gallagher has reviewed my blood test results and is concerned because they are very low. I immediately thought, “Well, duh! They are SUPPOSED TO BE LOW—I was just ovulating!” But I was in a calm mood or something and just listened to what she had to say. She confirmed that my cycles lasted longer than 28 days, usually, and told me to come in on day 30- 31. Which is WAY TOO EARLY to rule in or out a pregnancy with accuracy and happens to fall smack on Thanksgiving (no, thanks!). I made a decision then and there: I am going to play the dumb patient and ignore her and come in around day 35 like my paperwork says. I ovulated, so I believe I have a fighting chance this cycle and no nurse is going to tell me otherwise. Her attitude suggested that I didn’t know what I was talking about concerning my ovulating and that no one could get PG that late in a cycle. I know better so I am sticking to my guns. As I said on the boards, “I am TAKING CHARGE of my own fertility!”
My new message board has really picked up since my last entry! It is amazing how many people regularly post there now! It makes me very happy. I am so glad that I have such close TTC friends! On a sad note, my friend Darian got AF. I had been watching her charts closely (I seem to bring luck when I do that). But I have faith in her! She will be holding her precious LB soon, I know it!
I realized a few days ago that this is probably my last cycle before Christmas. There is always that little fantasy of giving someone an “I love Grandma” bib or shirt or something to announce the pregnancy. I hope we get to do that, but I am less confident as the cycles pass.