The big news yesterday, until I received the news from my mother that my grandmother was very, very ill, was my appointment with my RE in the morning.
The first bit of good news I received was that I did not gain any weight over the holidays. This was a complete shock, since I certainly did not restrain myself from eating anything I wanted. I put it down to the metformin.
I didn't actually see Dr. RE, as he was detained in surgery. Instead, I saw the nurse practitioner. She was very personable, which Dr. RE is not, particularly. She looked over my charts and agreed that I did, indeed, ovulate last month. However, the ovulation was later than they like to see, so she prescribed a doubled dose of clomid for next month (100mg). She seemed very positive about the likelihood that 100mg would do the trick for me. Doubling the dose will bring back all the anxiety (especially about the chance of multiples) that I felt last month. But if that is what it will take, I am ready.
HOWEVER . . . the rest of the plan for next month I am less sanguine about. I am to use ovulation predictor tests between 11am and 2 pm daily beginning on day 10 and to come in for a post-coital test the day after the opk indicates a surge and a progesterone draw the week after that. My reservations are three-fold:
1. I thought opk's were invalid for people with PCOS, which is my diagnosis.
2. Between 11 AM and 2 PM I am at work!!! I am supposed to pee on sticks at work? Everyday? Why? I read the instructions for the specific brand she recommended and they say one can test any time, as long as it is consistent, and recommend first thing in the morning. Is there some reason for the 11 AM - 2 PM requirement?
3. Post-coital test? I guess I always knew there would come a time when I would have to get naked for Dr. RE, but I was hoping it could be put off a bit longer. Like, forever. Plus, isn't there a good bit of debate as to the utility of the post-coital test? Or is that just when it isn't accurately timed to ovulation? Which, I guess, is the reason for the opk.
Any thoughts? Assvice?
It does seem that she discounted the idea I might get pregnant this cycle, despite all that clomid I swallowed. I however, am holding out a small bit of hope. My temperature is still low, so I know I haven't ovulated yet. Al and I are committed to every-other-day sex no matter what. I think last month I got really discouraged and we may have given up too soon.
2 comments:
Oh how I feel your pain on the OPK testing during work hours dilemma!
Many a time I have snuck a pee stick into the public restroom and waited the requisite time to check for that second line...
I've heard (thus comes the 'assvice') that the LH takes some time to build up in your system, unlike HCG which will show up first thing in the morning. Someone told me to wait until late morning/early afternoon to let the levels have a chance to increase.
But the worst part is that you're supposed to not pee for like FOUR hours before a test, so your urine isn't diluted!
Which is just silly.
So I ignore that part and try not to drink a lot and wait as long as I can, and then make that sprint (pee stick in pocket) to the bathroom.
Good luck, I hope this cycle works out for you!!
Post coital tests are useless. Imagine a picture of a platform with a train leaving the station. A postcoital test is like looking at that picture and estimating the number of people who got on the train. Nuff said. It won't hurt to do one, but it won't tell you anything, either.
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