Starting Over: IVF Class

So we went to our new clinic today. I am feeling pretty good about it. I mean, not happy to have to start this all over again OBVIOUSLY, but everyone at the clinic is really, really nice. The class today was so well run, with the whole packet of clear instructions. Afterwards I got to sit down and go over meds and dates. It's SO different and easy and clear, when compared to the mess that was my old clinic. I just can't say enough times how glad I am that we switched. 

Anyway, this is my tentative schedule:

-stay on birth control till Tuesday, February 5th. Go in for baseline that day, and take last pill that night

-start shots on Saturday, February 9th

-monitoring visits on Wednesday Feb. 13th, Friday Feb. 15th, and Sunday Feb. 17th

-retrieval probably sometime Tuesday-Thursday, Feb. 19th-21st 

I will write more about this soon, but for now I am just trying to enjoy life before the hectic schedule of shots and appointments starts again.

Finally: Cycle Day 1

Finally, at long last, I got my period today. A 41 day cycle was quite enough, thank you very much. It's good to be moving on.

Unfortunately, I can't move quite as quickly as I'd like to. My clinic wants me to start birth control on Friday (cycle day 3), and stay on it 2-3 weeks. Despairing of ever seeing my period soon, I had already booked a flight to see my parents the first weekend in February. I'm not opposed to delaying that (thank goodness for no change fees on Southwest), if the clinic will let me start shots on February 2nd. If not, I will start on February 9th. The later date puts me at risk of missing a work trip on February 22nd, and also I just have ants in my pants and don't even want to wait one more week, but we'll see.

B and I have to go in next Tuesday morning for an "IVF Class." Ha. I could practically teach the damn class, after having already done two cycles. But, we will go. They said we need to do some more labs anyway.

Day 41

Last time my cycle was 38 days, so I expected something shorter this time. Maybe last month the birth control was still in my system, but with more time since I stopped taking it, it would be shorter this month- or so I thought.

Day 41 today and absolutely no sign of it coming soon.

I have been having some other health issues and been taking a ton of ibuprofen (a bad cold, and a muscle sprain or something in my chest), so I took a pregnancy test two days ago, just to make sure. Negative, as I was sure it would be. Just a really long, annoying cycle.

However, I am not as stressed as last time, because I am on no strict time deadline. Last time I was eager to get it, so I could have the testing done before my trip to Ecuador. This time, there's really no rush, other than just wanting to start IVF so I can finish IVF.

In other news, last Thursday I went to my first acupuncture session. I had that terrible cold, so lying still without wiping my nose every two seconds was a challenge! But I did okay, only lost one needle from my arm when I just had to blow my nose. I liked the place and the practitioner and think I will stick with it. It makes me feel like I am doing something positive for myself and preparing for IVF.

Not much else to say. Had a great trip to Ecuador, an annoying trip to see B's family in Cali, and am just a little restless lately, waiting for things to get going again. Will probably not update again until I have something to say.