Acupuncture was bizarre!!

I'm really not sure how I feel about it. I was really strange. I feel like she put needles everywhere! She put one on my head, my forehead, on each hand, leg and feet. I think maybe a few on my right foot. She put about 6 on my stomach and they F'N hurt! She said it was because they were connected to my uterus. 

To warm them she used this burning incense, which was really weird, stinky, and smoky. I laid there for about 15 minutes, wishing it would end. 

She wants me to come twice a freakin week! She says we need to stop the spotting and get rid of the stagnant blood or IUI won't be successful. I made an appointment for next week, but honestly, I don't know if I plan on keeping it.

Right now I'm just weirded out. I think it's a little too hippy for my and I'm feel (no joke) that I smell like I smoked a freaking joint. It totally smells like weed, not that I'm an expert, but I've smelled it so...it's very comparable.  And my left hand where the needle is, hurts. I couldn't even steer with it on the way home.

I just don't know what to think about it right now. 

Last of my blood tests came back

My RE's nurse called me this morning. It was so nice to hear form her after all my worrying yesterday.
All my remaining blood tests have come back. My Thyroid is normal, both of our STDs came back negative, and I officially carry the rubella and chickenpox immunity!! Yay! We are good to go!
I asked her about what I can expect next cycle and what I need to do. She basically told me, I don't need to do anything. They will tell me what to do. Not used to that one! I go for my CD2 or 3 b/w and u/s and then she will call me with results that afternoon. Then she will call in my Clomid Rx to my pharmacy. We also schedule a monitoring visit for around CD10/11. That's where we will take a look at my follicles and decide what to do. If everything is good to go, they will then give me the trigger shot. Then I come back for the IUI. She said they will go over everything with me CD2/3.
I also asked about my acupuncture appointment tomorrow. I had totally forgotten to ask. She was really happy to hear that I was going and said I could go anytime during my cycle, just to let the acupuncturist know where I am at in my cycle.
She told me to call with ANY questions. I am not used to this kind of care! LOL I am in good hands and I need to remember that and try to "relax"!

I have been a nervous freak all morning!

I just can't escape all the thoughts about next cycle. I am so anxious about our IUI. I was really nervous about knowing what to do, when, and how next cycle. I realized after checking out Dr. G's website, that I don't need to worry about it so much. They will keep me informed about when I need to do everything and they will to the what and how. I guess I'm just not used to being in the hands of a competent doctor. I'm used to having to figure out everything alone and having doctor's give me wrong information.
So I thought I'd post what an actual IUI procedure entails for those who we're wondering like I was. I got it directly from Dr. G's website so this should be exactly what we start in a couple weeks!

Step 1. Fertility drugs are administered to stimulate the growth of two to three eggs to maturity. Typically, Clomid® pills or gonadotropin injections are employed to nurture the growth of follicles, which cause ovulation to take place.

Step 2. Monitoring of the drug treatments is conducted to measure the growth of follicles and to control the drug doses based on the patient. Because fertility drugs can produce multiple eggs, monitoring is also needed to reduce the risk of multiple births. Blood tests, performed at our clinic offices are used to measure estrogen concentrations, and ultrasound is used to measure follicular development. Generally, the goal of an IUI treatment is to produce three to five mature follicles.

Step 3. When monitoring shows the maturity of at least two or three follicles, the patient receives an injection of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), also known as Ovidrel®, which will induce ovulation.

Step 4. Here, the actual artificial insemination (IUI) procedure is performed.  On the morning of ovulation, a sperm sample is provided by the male partner, prepared for the IUI, and injected later the same day. With a very fine catheter, the washed and concentrated sperm sample is inserted through the cervix, high into the uterus of the woman. Comparable to a Pap test, the IUI procedure is fairly painless and uncomplicated.

Step 5. After the IUI procedure, pregnancy testing and early ultrasound monitoring are conducted at appropriate intervals.

SHG today and our plan

We had to wait FOREVER today, but here it is:
SHG went great. It was over so quick and I hardly felt any discomfort. According to Dr. G, my uterus is perfect! He even told Mr. DF that his wife has a beautiful uterus. LOL. So no reasons as to why I spot. He says I'm just a spotter. I asked what was next and his response was whatever you want to be next. Love him. So we went into his office and went over the plan.
He is concerned with my high estrogen levels. My body isn't quite working the way it should at my age. He's going to recheck my TSH & T4 thyroid levels, which we did to make sure they are ok. My CD3 ultrasound (u/s) showed some follicles, but not as many as he would like to see. Hormones should help with both of these issues. It will thin out my lining a little, which is too thick due to the estrogen.
If this last natural cycle is a bust, we will move onto IUI next month! We will start with CD3 blood work (b/w) and another u/s. Then I will take an ovulation hormone called Clomid to push those follies into creating beautiful eggs. Assuming I respond according to plan, when I see a + ovulation kit, I will need to give myself an Hcg trigger shot, which makes sure that my eggs are released. Then a day or two after we will do the IUI. I will also have an u/s that day to make sure the egg is releasing. If not, I go back a day later and do another IUI. I will take progesterone supplements after during THE WAIT :)
Assuming it doesn't work, we will try 3 cycles with this protocol, then move onto 3 cycles with added injectable hormones, and then IVF.
I hope I explained that all right. I'm overwhelmed with excitement right now. I am just so excited to move forward with a plan. It's is obviously not working the good ol' way so I'm ready to do this in full force! Wish us luck :) I completely forgot to ask him about acupuncture so I will call them on Monday and make sure it's ok.
I won't have to check my progesterone again this cycle so I don't have to worry about knowing my exact ovulation date. Dr. G is confident that I'm ovulating, and in reality the results wouldn't change the plan.
Now it's off to Vegas with the girls. I am going to try to "relax" the rest of this cycle and just see what happens. I will still check my fertility monitor and use ovulation predictor kits, but the thermometer is on vacation!

"I'll find strength in pain"

I keep singing that line of a Mumford and Sons song over and over today. I'm not in a particularly bad mood today, just anxious I guess. I'm wishing Friday would come quicker. I want to go do my SHG and speak with my doctor. I want to know what our plan will be for next month. I'm sad that I'm already thinking of next month when I am only on day 6 of this cycle.
I set up an appointment for acupuncture next week. I will speak with Dr. G and make sure he recommends it and that the day it falls on is an ok day to go, but I am looking forward to it.
One day all this sadness, all the tears, all the doctor's appointments, and all the money spent will be worth it and I will only cherish all of it as a memory of something that has given me strength. Today though I just sit and wonder when?
I know most of this is due to my upcoming birthday. You would have thought 30 last year would have been worse. I had already come to terms with not being pregnant by 30 a couple months prior when I found out about my surgery. I turned 30 thinking it would be my last birthday without a child, at least my last birthday without a pregnant belly. Now it seems I will be saying the same thing about 31.
One day it will happen, I hope. In the meantime "I'll find strength in pain".

CD3 blood work and ultrasound done

Good news. Everything looks normal and good. Bad news, nothing exciting is going to happen this month. My ultrasound looked good; the technician said everything looked exactly like it should at this point. My blood work levels were: FSH 6.4, LH 7, and E2 (estrogen) was 94. Estrogen was way better than last time, but still on the higher side. Dr. G is not concerned though so I guess I shouldn't be either! They did also check my rubella/chickenpox immunity. They have to send that one out so I don't know the results yet. I just received the MMR vaccine as everyone knows so I should be fine. I'm still worried though...
Now I go for the SHG on Friday, where Dr. G will be the one to do it. Good, because I plan on bombarding him with questions! I want to know what we're going to do next cycle. I don't want to wait around anymore. They're also making me take another progesterone test after I ovulate. Lame. I just hope they do something exciting next cycle. This is getting old. I know this cycle will just be a waste. No miracles will happen for us. They haven't yet. I will turn 31 not pregnant.

Hello Aunt Flo

My period is here. We are offcially on our 17th cycle of trying. I have an appointment for first thing Sunday morning for my CD3 bloodwork and my ultrasound. Then next Friday I go for my SHG. It sucks to have another period, but I knew it was coming a week ago when I started spotting. I am just glad that it's here so we can move on. Hopefully I will get some answers soon. And by soon, I mean next week!