Fertility treatment is a roller coaster. One month you’re up. One month
you’re down. It’s physically and emotionally draining. And, just when you let
yourself get your hopes up… another cyst.
Last month, I went to our new clinic to get an ultrasound and blood
work. It was day two of my period, which is a very awkward time to get a
transvaginal ultrasound. During the ultrasound, the nurse discovered a cyst on
my left ovary that was too large for me to safely continue treatment that
month. In hindsight this was actually a very good thing. It meant my back
injury from a recent car accident would have more time to heal before I start
growing something in my uterus adding extra weight and stress to my sore lower
back. But, at the time, it felt devastating.
In order to rid my body of the cyst, I was prescribed a one month cycle
of birth control, and told to come back for another ultrasound day two of my
next period. As it turns out, that day is today. So, this morning, I went back
to the clinic with fingers crossed that my ovaries would be cyst free. When the
sonographer looked at my uterine lining, it looked wonderful. And, when she
looked at my ovaries she said, “Your ovaries look beautiful today!” Maybe that
isn’t your typical compliment, but it meant everything in that moment to me. My
left ovary has a small follicle that was collapsing, but not enough to worry
about, so we are moving forward.
Tomorrow I will
start our third round of Clomid treatment. (The first at this clinic.) I will
be taking four pills a day (two in the morning and two in the evening). This is
a higher dose than I took last time. Since I have successfully ovulated on
Clomid before, there is a good chance that I will do it again. Plus, this
clinic actually has me on a 31-day plan. I will be monitored every step of the
way. In fact, next week I will return to the clinic for another ultrasound, and
a HCG trigger shot to induce ovulation. I will have two more “mini shots” of HCG to help maintain a pregnancy,
as well as two estrogen supplements at the end of the cycle.
We were given an option with this cycle to choose Intrauterine
Insemination (IUI), or sexual intercourse. IUI holds a price tag and sex is
free (not to mention a lot of fun), so we were hoping to do this the good old
fashion way (you know, besides the ovulation stimulating medication). But, in
order to give sex a try, my husband had to get a semen analysis test. To me,
this is one of the most humiliating things you can do in a doctor’s office, but
my husband is a trooper. Although we did not discuss the details of his “sample
donation”, I know he did it. Later that day, I got a phone call from the clinic
with his results. His sperm count was above average, and the sperm’s mobility
is also very high. My husband has often joked that he knows he can get me
pregnant, because he has super sperm. As it turns out, he’s right! These
results do not guarantee pregnancy, of course, and we may need to try IUI some
time, but this month is not that time.
Next week, my husband and I will be celebrating our two year wedding
anniversary. We planned a long weekend getaway to Hot Springs, AK.
We are both praying that that time will be the last that we are alone.
