CD10 + doctor's visit

I had my first clinic visit in ages today! But first I want to share the mushrooms I picked yesterday with you. I went by myself into unknown and new woods to pick mushrooms by myself! Normally, I've gone with someone else to pick mushrooms and to a spot that they know about. But this time, I didn't have anyone to go with me (and Mr Siili isn't a big mushroom person), so I put on a brave face and decided to check out a new place right near our home. Actually, it is between our current place and our new home. Score!

I wandered around for the first hour not finding the mushrooms I had gone to look for (suppilovahvero = yellow foot), but rather finding a few chanterelle (1/2 liter) instead. Just when I was thinking of heading back, I stepped upon, literally, the mother load of mushrooms. I picked 2 liters of the suppilovahvero. By that time I had been wandering around for about 2 hours, it was time to head home. On my way back to the car, I heard some snuffling noises behind me, turned around and there was a white fluff ball! I yelped (no screaming or yelling) and the dog growled at me. I froze for 2 seconds and calmed my heart down enough to remember I have Taekwon-do skills if need be and a bucket of mushrooms. The guy finally got his growly dog back under control and I found my way back to my car. I didn't get lost! Another score!

Summer break from TTC is over! After an ill-timed O in June that caused the FET to not work that month, the clinic being closed all of July, my period starting too early in August (actually 1 week before Aug) and then me going to Shanghai for work at the end of August and first half of September, this is the first time the timing is working again. So, when AF showed up for cycle #40, I called the clinic to schedule today's appointment.

The lady doctor was one I hadn't had/met before (they have rotating doctors at the clinic, so we get whoever is there that day). She was nice, answered my questions well and I liked her. The details are as follows:
- lining is 8mm. Yay!
- left ovary has a couple of small cysts; nothing new & nothing to worry about, but also only very small follicles growing there
- right ovary has a couple of nice sized follies, at least one is a 7mm and one 8mm. Go follies!
- I'll start POAS on Thursday to hopefully catch the surge (on Friday?) sometime during the following couple of days
- If/When I get a positive, I'll call the clinic to schedule the thawing of our last and only embryo. Fingers crossed the timing is correct and it thaws in tact!

I also asked about the AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) blood test I had done back in June to see how my egg supply is doing. She told me my score is a 0,6, which is normal for my age and having endometriosis. Dr Lady said that if had been 0,2 or lower, then we'd be in major trouble. There's still some time for me and my eggs, but still it is time to be cautious because, yet again, of my age and endo.

I also asked her about my endo and whether or not that is a good enough reason for "infertility" or should I still be searching for another reason. She said endo is a 'good' enough reason. I think I have a post brewing about this topic, so I'll save it for a later date.

All in all, the doctor's visit was like I expected. Everything looks to be going like it should and nothing earth shattering was found. Fingers crossed we see some double lines on the O tests later this week!

For now, I've got a bit of bounce to my step and some hope in my heart.

CD10

 I went to my PGH appointment today to see about doing a FET with a natural cycle this month and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it all. I mean, I was feeling quite positive and upbeat the last week and a half. No stress and just going with the flow. As I was leaving PGH today, I sort of felt a bit down and not as upbeat. I guess we'll just have to see how things go, won't we?

Anyway, first thing was first at the appointment. I was asked when AF arrived (10 days ago) and if I was taking Zumenon (no, this is a natural cycle).  I was then told/asked to de-robe my lower half and hop up on the table. The doctor spent forever with the magic wand up my lady bits. Seriously, she was looking and looking at things for close to 10 minutes. Usually the doctors only look for a minute or two tops! It seemed there was lots to look at.

I have several liquid filled cysts on my right side, but thankfully they are not endometriosis related. The doctor wasn't so concerned about them. She thinks they might be left over from last cycle. The bummer part of having all of these little cysts is that they look a maturing egg. Some of them were definitely too big to be an egg, but she wasn't able to tell if one of the others was a normal sized maturing egg or if the egg was one of the smaller ones, thus meaning O won't happen for longer. On the left-hand side, there is my endometrial cyst. It is still right around 2cm, which is good. If it grows too much more (up to 3 cm?) I'll have to possibly go in for surgery again to remove it. The doctor commented that my lining was a bit thin at 6,6 - 7,4 mm. When asked I was told it should be closer to 1cm. My lining being thin is common for me. Sad, but true.

After my uterus was studied so intently and I was able to put my clothes back on. The doctor and I discussed my plan of action this month. For the next 5 mornings I will take an OPK to see if it is positive. If it happens to be positive tomorrow, this cycle is out the widow this month for the FET as the transfer would need happen next Monday. And the FET can't happen on Monday because they would need to thaw the eggie the day before and PGH isn't open on Sundays. The rest of the possible +test/transfer days are: Thurs/Tues, Fri/Wed, Sat/Thurs and Sun/Fri. If I don't get a + OPK at all, the cycle is out of the window. The doctor said that since this is a natural cycle they need to have a +OPK test to proceed. As my body will have to produce the FSH hormone on its own. I'm sure my body will ovulate, but I'm not sure the tests will pick up the hormones to give me the positive I need.

Finally, I asked some questions that I'd been thinking about lately and I got some answers, but not a lot. First, I asked what will happen if this FET doesn't work and we head into our 3rd IVF. What happens? She said that the nurses, doctors and lab tech-doctors will have a meeting to go over past treatments and make a plan of attack for the up coming cycle. I'm not sure if I (and hubby) would be involved in this meeting or not. If the 3rd IVF fails, I'm not sure if I'll get a 4th chance via PGH (public health care) or if I'll have to start with a private clinic and more expenses.

Second, I asked what blood tests I have had done and if there are any more that I could have done. I've had HIV, Hepatitis B & C and Syphilis test done, all negative of course. And then this year I also had an endometriosis growth blood test done, or at least something along those lines. And in any case, the results came back normal. The doctor did prescribe one more blood test to be done: AMH, which is Anti-Mullerian Hormone. I wasn't sure what this was, so I had to Google it. From my new understanding it is a test some doctors use as an indication of ovarian reserve or function. I'm ok with that test.

Third, I mentioned my discomfort and almost pain in my lady bits after stopping Lugesteron when I get a BFN. The doctor said that the symptoms I described are not unheard of. She then went on to ask if I have any allergies to nuts. I told her I don't have allergies per say, but I do find that I have irritations to. (Does having an irritation-reaction count as an allergy? Even if I haven't been diagnosed with a 'nut allergy'?) So, she wrote me a prescription for Progesterone to try next time around.

Fourth, the doctor put us in line for our 3rd IVF treatment to tentatively start during week 36 (September sometime).

So, to sum up this very long post.  If I get a +OPK in the next 2-5 days, I'll call the clinic and go in for a FET. If I don't get a +OPK, hubby and I will have to time our own IC and life will continue like normal this summer. If the FET doesn't happen this month, our next appointment would then potentially be sometime in August, depending on if I happen to be in China during the important time of my cycle.

Thank you to those of you who managed to read this far.

Sunday soup

It's Sunday evening, which means I should think a little bit about preparing for work tomorrow. And I so don't want to! The weekends are never long enough, especially when its been a nice and sunny one. Saturday was windy as could be, although it was still warm. Hubby and I were too lazy to walk to the store (excuse was the wind), so we first drove to where our house is being built (only 50 more weeks or so left) and then to the food stores. Today was much less windy and we headed to the local university lawn to lay out. We were good and used suntan lotion. I did seem to miss the area right under my swimsuit top and got an itty-bit of pink, but not more than that. The rest of the weekend has been spent reading and watching a few TV shows (Castle, Sanctuary and Dresden Files). I even did a few loads of laundry. Yay me! Now only if the dishes would get done.

Here are a few things that have been bouncing around in my head the last few days:
-June 1st was Mel's birthday (Happy Birthday!) at Stirrup Queens. She did a b-day give-away and I won (1 of 4 prizes)! The company that sponsored the give-away doesn't want to ship to Finland (happens often), so it'll be shipped to my mom's address in the US. Hopefully I'll get it some month.

-I noticed this weekend that I'm feeling much better about my body. The discomfort in my lady bits is gone and so are the bloating feelings. During this almost year and a half of IF treatments, I've not noticed too much in the way of side effects. Sure, I've had some moodiness and bloating, but most of it has gone away quite quickly. This last time around though, I was feeling majorly bloated for quite some time. I just don't think I realized it until last week. But thankfuly the bloated feeling had gone away and so has a kilo or two! Now I just need to get myself back in the gym (again) and tone that tummy and waist area.

-Hubby and I went out for dinner out this evening. We had hamburgers. Meh, they were ok, but I don't think I'll be wanting to eat there again any time soon.

-Last night as hubby and I were watching some TV shows, we got on the topic of how we wanted our body dealt with when we die. We both agreed on being cremated. But I said I wanted to be an organ donor first. He said that would be a good thing, as he didn't think they'd be able to do much with a person's organ after they were cremated. In addition, when I said "I think my US driver's license says I'm an organ donor" he told me that I don't know how to play one and that I couldn't be one as I don't have one (an organ, the piano type one). We both had a good laugh over that. And those are the types of things my hubby says all the time. He's very good at word play and something I love him for.

-Workshadowing started last week at work and will still continue until the beginning of August. Workshadowing is what we call teaching a job to someone new so they can take the job back to their office. I workshadowed in the US and brought the work/job here to Finland. Now the Chinese are workshadowing us and taking the work back to China. I'm a bit bummed because I love what I'm teaching and a bit sad it'll be leaving me. But, I am thankful that my job with the company will continue, for now.

-Later this month, I'll be going to another Postcrossing meeting. This time I'll be catching a ride with a couple and we'll go to the Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. I'm excited to check out another UNESCO site in Finland and to see an interesting part of history.

-PGH appointment on Tuesday. I don't think I'll O until around Sunday. So, I wonder if they'll want to try to do the FET before (Friday) or just after (Monday)? I guess I'll have to wait and see.