Waiting

Well, Here I am 38 days into my cycle (my last was 32 days) and I'm waiting for AF to appear. I did a POAS test at day 35 and got a neg. result so I highly doubt that I'm expecting. My IUI is scheduled for the 28th so I no longer have to really worry about being too close to the 10 day mark. The longest cycle I've had had in the last six months or so has been 39 days and that was when I first started treatment so I guess I'll wait and see. If AF hasn't reared her ugly head by this weekend, I guess I'll do another POAS test and if she hasn't been seen by the 28th maybe I'll ask for bloodwork. Keep fingers and toes crossed for me though! I can honestly say I wouldn't mind finding out I was expecting right now!

A little bit of news

I know I'm a little late in updating, but I've had a stomach bug :(. Tuesday we visited Dr. C again and talked about our next steps. Before we move on or retry anything, he wants to have an IUI with dye done and another sperm sample from my DH. We can't really set a date for the IUI so it is loosely scheduled for the 28th. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but I'll do what needs doing.

On a side note, it's been really cold here in Michigan and we're getting ready to move. Nothing like moving in the snow, eh? I guess most of the schools had snow days today because of the wind chill. I know that our front door, not the screen one, the wood one, was frozen shut this morning when I got up to look out and check to see if I needed to shovel the sidewalk. Thankfully, I do not! I'm so far behind what with our Roommate being sick. I finally got Christmas stuff mostly boxed up and my DH's birthday is Sunday!! He wants a map cake with a possible dragon on it. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll turn out nice!

Well, that's about all of an update I have. (Yes I realize this was a dreadfully boring post and I will strive to be more witty and entertaining next time!) Back to folding laundry it is! Dishes and laundry always seem to multiply when I'm sick.

A good petition!

I know the message I'm about to copy and paste is pretty bland and generic so I'd like to take a little bit of space before it to talk about it. Infertility hits close to home for me and for thousands of other women. It isn't a choice any of us have made or something that can't be treated. Medicine and understanding of diseases has come a long way and more people than ever before are able to be treated for medical conditions, but somehow, infertility has slipped through those cracks. In 15 states, insurance providers are required to offer coverage, but those states are few and far between and even then employers don't have any real incentive to offering it. Infertility hurts everyone involved. I understand how it is, no one ever thinks it'll be something they have to worry about. I always thought that my husband and I would have children by accident and just accept them as they came, but not everyone gets the chance to have kids that way. Many people (myself included) live by schedules of temperatures and medicines and still month after month come out with broken hearts and more debt than they could have ever thought. I'm lucky, we started worrying about it early, but most people find out so late that they only have a few years to try the different treatment options and then they have to try and squeeze out extra money they didn't even fathom that they would need. In closing I would like to let all those out there who don't want children to know that I respect their choice, but I still would like to request that you sign so that those of us who do have the choice and the chance to pursue happiness.


Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

" Insurance Coverage for Infertility"

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FI200507/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.

Getting Started

I've never really done anything like this before, so here goes! I'm trying to reach out to all the young women out there who struggle with infertility! I know that sometimes I feel alone when I look at all the message boards and support forums. It seems like everyone is so much older than I am and that's very intimidating. There's nothing like being afraid to post about your cycle's failure because you're afraid you'll get that "you have plenty of time" response. The first doctor we went to see didn't really take us serious since we "have plenty of time" to practice with. I guess it's kind of the same everywhere. If you're not 30+ it seems like no one will take you seriously half the time, but I'm not trying to rant about that.

I'm not really sure where to go from here now. Introductions are one thing, but the next step is always another with me. My DH and I have been married for three years and dealing with infertility for about 2 and 1/2 of those years. We stepped up out of the world of just charting everything to the world of visiting a doctor about a year and a half ago. It was a hard step for me I think mostly because of denial. Part of me still struggles with wanting to have children without any medical help. I think if I got one wish on a star or from a genie that would be it. We haven't made the step to IVF yet, but we have undergone 6 cycles of famera and clomid both with a bit of a break and a switch of doctors inbetween. Let me tell you this, famera was a booger of a drug! Not only did it make me moody and extremely emotional, it gave me this nasty back pain that took a few months to become not regular and sometimes (late in my cycle) I still get it! Even though our new doctor, Dr. C, warned us that Clomid is worse on it's side effects, I haven't really noticed anything too bad.

Now that finishes most of my history I guess. I'm sure little bits of it will pop up here and there again, but you never know what you're going to need to say until you're about to say it and then I guess you can only add it in or revise your original post and confuse everyone. I guess I should give my few bits of advice that I've already learned. You more experienced infertility folk are going to have to be patient with me. DH and I went in to this knowing nothing really except for the basics you learn in school.
1. Always ask around. Even if you don't realize it, someone you know has either dealt with infertility or knows someone who has. Getting a recommendation for a doctor is much better than picking one online. If you absolutely have to randomly select a doctor, go for one associated with a hospital and not a stand alone clinic. (of course there is more to it than this, but this is good for starters)
2. There are these things called ovulation tests and they do help. Even if your doctor never mentions them (which is a good sign that you should find a new doctor) you should purchase them and begin testing roughly ten days after the first day of your last period until you get a positive result.
3. Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period not the first day after bleeding.
4. There are no definates to ovulation. Just because you ovulate on day 13 one month does not guarentee you will ovulate on day 13 again. This even applies to people without fertility problems. I know that I grew up being taught that if you didn't start on exactly the same day every month (for example the 11th) you were late. These things work in cycle days and not everyone is going to have a 30 or 31 day cycle.