Baby Steps 1

On January 18^th, I took a sick day from school and went to see the doctor. When I first went back, I sat down while the nurse wrote down a summary of all my previous lab work including the tests I had had back in January of 2009. When I saw the doctor, I was told that I had two options. I could begin seeing a fertility specialist now and they would probably change the medicine I was on to something more powerful. The doctor explained that any fertility specialist would be glad to take me on as a patient because I am so young and they can find nothing wrong with me so far. He said that I would be a good candidate to raise their success ratings. He told me that the downside to going to see a fertility specialist right now would be that it would cost a lot more money. My other option was to stay with my doctor and continue with the clomid but begin doing IUIs. I asked the doctor though about the possibility of endometriosis. I had read a lot on the Internet about endometriosis and it seemed that I exhibited many of the symptoms. The doctor explained that endometriosis can only be diagnosed through surgery and he avoids having surgery until it is absolutely necessary. He said that there is no risk involved with an IUI but as with any surgery, even laparoscopic surgery, there is a risk. He told me that after three failed IUI attempts, this surgery would be the next logical step but if I wanted I could have the surgery before the IUI attempts. I knew I definitely wanted to stay with my current doctor for now instead of going to a fertility specialist, but the decision to have the surgery or the IUI was a hard one. If I have moderate or severe endometriosis the IUI will not help and I will have wasted three months and money on procedures that were doomed to fail. If I don’t have endometriosis or only mild endometriosis the IUIs could help and I would avoid unnecessary surgery. That day I decided to go ahead with the IUIs as my doctor initially suggested. I am not sure that this is the right choice but I must have faith. I really would like to avoid any surgery if at all possible. Because I decided to have an IUI, I began 100mg of clomid that day for the next five days and I was to return to the doctor the next week on January 27^th to have an ultrasound to measure my follicle growth to see if I would be ready for an IUI the next day.

On January 27^th, I went to the doctor’s office after school. I had an ultrasound where the technician measured all of my follicles. After the ultrasound, the doctor came in and told me that I had two follicles that were measuring over 2.0, which was very good. They then told me to go to the drugstore and pick up a prescription for HCG and then bring it back so they could administer the shot. I picked up the prescription and brought it back and I had the HCG injection.

On January 28^th, Noah and I both took half days from work so we could go to the doctor for the IUI. It was not nearly as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. Everything went very well. We were told to wait and see if a baby would come.

On February 3^rd I began to feel very sick and had a fever of 101. The next day I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with the flu. I told my doctor that I had had an IUI the previous week and he decided to treat me as if I were pregnant. I was not allowed to take any medicine for my flu symptoms. The only thing I took was some children’s Tylenol to help keep my fever down.

On February 10^th I was still battling a fever and the flu but we also found out that the IUI had not worked and we were not pregnant. I began taking Dayquil and Nyquil though to help combat my flu symptoms.

On February 11^th I called my doctor. We were given the chance to try the IUI again this month. I began the five days of clomid on February 12^th. If we try again this month, I will go in to have my follicles measured on February 21^st and for the IUI on February 22^nd, but at this point I think it depends on how much longer it takes to fully recover from this flu.