Monitoring and FINALLY!

IT'S GO TIME, MISTER BEAN!!!

I went in this morning for one of my every-other-day monitoring appointments (which we've started referring to as "a poke-and-probe," since it involves drawing blood, then poking me with the ultrasound probe, mega fun all around). My right arm has good veins but has been stuck so much lately, I look like a heroin addict. My left arm wouldn't cooperate (I believe those veins are smarter and hide deep in my arm when a needle comes out), so she had to take it from my hand. Ewww. I never look - I don't like seeing my own blood - and I thought she was done, so I looked down at my hand because they always want me to hold a cotton ball on while they get a band-aid out. Well, I looked too soon and saw a metal needle sticking out of my skin. I nearly barfed. I'm not a queasy person by nature, but with all this estrogen coursing through my veins!? I can't be held responsible for my behavior!

I actually kind of forgot about the appointment after it was done, because I had so much other stuff to do. Came home about 9am and got the kids into the school work as fast as possible, because once done, we had several errands to run, before picking up my oldest's friend (which we do every Monday). So we did our grocery shopping and other errands, got the friend, and came home. When the doctor's office called around 1pm, I was like, OH! Right... So I was not expecting what they had to say.

"It looks from your blood work like you are starting to surge, so we're going to go ahead and schedule your IUI for tomorrow." Uhhh... come again? I was expecting something like, "The follicle is ___ mm now so come back in ___ days for another monitoring appointment." Something along those lines. 

I had stopped using the at-home ovulation tests since I was going in so often to be monitored. They said I didn't need to. I mean, I still did at least every other day, but not religiously like before. So when I got off the phone with them, I immediately took all 3 types of OPKs that I have. Here is my result:

Top: Clearblue Digital Advanced

Middle: Wondfo 

Bottom: Clearblue Digital

Apparently, the advanced, isn't so advanced, since the other two test (oh, AND bloodwork and ultrasound!) all showed I was in fact having my LH surge. And that advanced test cost more! Waste of money.

Anyway, I was so excited! And simultaneously, freaked out! Tomorrow!? That's so soon! 

David said he can take time off (sick time - he never uses it) to go. He has to leave his sample at 10am, then my IUI is at 11am. The lab needs time to wash the sample so it's ready to use. They said my part of things will only take about 15-20 minutes total. Kind of weird... for some reason it seems like it should be longer or more difficult. (Not that I'm complaining.)

I know the odds of it working aren't great. IUIs have about a 10-15% success rate per cycle and a lot of couples need 3 cycles before it works. But it does work the first time for some people. So... I'm optimistically hopeful.