Follicle Check and Specialty Appointment...

This morning I went to see DR B and have my follicles checked by ultrasound.  Again, the plan was to check the follicles, and if they are of the appropriate size (18-20 mm or greater), then I would be given the hCG trigger shot.  With hCG and my most recent temp chart in hand, I arrived at 9 AM, signed in for my 9:15 appointment and waited.



When I finally made it back to the ultrasound room, I was a little disappointed that my favorite ultrasound tech wasn't there.  She's great and always shows me what she's looking at, describes stuff to me, and makes me feel "in the know" about my body and what's going on.  The other girl, the one I would be seeing today, is very nice, but doesn't tell me anything.  I asked her a bunch of questions, "How does my cervical lining look, are there cysts again, are the follicles of good size, has the fibroid grown at all?"  To most of my questions, she answered with a polite, "It looks fine."  The only real answer I got from her was that my follicles all looked to be pretty small.

The ultrasound is done and I'm asked to wait in the little ultrasound/lab waiting area while she completes her report for Dr B.  I'm sitting there, watching three very pregnant ladies talk while awaiting their ultrasounds and lab work, all the while feeling about as infertile as I could be.  How dare they flaunt their big pregnant bellies in front of me while I've miscarried twice and am now hearing that I have small follicles and fear this is yet another failed cycle!  I know, I know, it's not their faults, and I don't blame them.  I'm just disappointed that my body hates me so badly.  I mean, we're helping it to ovulate anyway and we're even willing to push the little eggie out of the ovary and into the fallopian tube!  You'd think the least it could do is mature the follicles enough in time!!!  Geesh! 

In the midst of my wallowing, the ultrasound tech comes out and hands me my report and tells me to wait in Dr B's exam waiting area.  So, I mope down the hallway and slump in a chair in the small waiting area.  Then, I'm moved to an exam room.

When Dr B comes in, he looks over the report and then walks over to where I'm yet again slumped in a chair (I'm surprised he's not scolded me for my bad posture) and shows me my follicle sizes.

Follicles on Ultrasound.  They aren't MY follicles (although I'd love it if mine were that big).  I just wanted to show you what the follicles look like on Ultrasound.

Left Ovary:
Follicle 1:  12.1mm x 12.1mm
Follicle 2: 6.8mm x 11.1 mm
Follicle 3:  9.4mm x 9.1 mm
Follicle 4:  4.5mm x 6.6 mm

Right Ovary:
Follicle 1:  6.4mm x 8.3mm
Follicle 2:  4.7mm x 5.5mm
Follicle 3:  4.7mm x 6.6mm
Follicle 4:  3.2mm x 7.4mm

Fertility Fountain

Dr. B likes to see the follicles be at least 18 mm - 20 mm before he'll trigger.  Just like the last time, he thinks they'll grow enough in a few days and wants to see me back for a repeat ultrasound on Wednesday.  Can I just tell you how bummed I am???  My work schedule is hectic all week.  How am I going to be able to re-arrange it again?  I already swapped my Monday (today) with another girl's Friday so I could make this appointment.  I'm scheduled to work now Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and am suppose to be in a class all day Wednesday.  And they say stress isn't good for your fertility!  Okay, Okay.  I tell myself to pull it together as I schedule the appointment for Wednesday at 9:30 AM. 

I get home and make a list of things I need to get accomplished.  I call work and find out that there will be a second class offering later in the year and I can go to that one instead of the one this Wednesday - so that's taken care of.  Now I can relax and pray my follicles grow, grow, grow in time.  If they aren't quite ready (like the last time), hopefully they won't need to repeat the ultrasound and can just bring me in on my lunch time for the shot.  I could always just administer it myself, if they'd allow me to.  I mean, I AM a nurse!  LOL 

I also have a message to call the reproductive endocrinology office at Duke.  They want to see me next Wednesday!  Wow!  Next Wednesday???  Okay.  So I'm now feeling like I have a lot to pull together between now and next Wednesday when we sit down in front of the big dogs for a consultation.  I absolutely LOVE Dr. B, but I really feel like it's time for a second opinion.  Nothing would make me happier than to spend an hour or so there and for the specialist to tell me that we're doing all the right things.  It will really make me feel better though to know we have a plan in place, and more knowledge and experience on board.  I'm so tired of miscarrying my babies.  Now that we know the recipe to getting me pregnant, we need to find one to make the baby stick!

If you're following my blog, please say a prayer for us.  Please pray that these follicles will grow and be of great size for the ultrasound on Wednesday.  Pray that we are able to get the trigger shot of hCG this cycle and that God will give us a very sticky baby.  Pray that our appointment at Duke goes well and that all of our questions are answered and that there is a solid plan in place for IF this cycle is unsuccessful.  And thank you to all my friends and family who do follow my rantings on this blog.  God bless each and every one of you.