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.