I'm Back!

So it's been a looooong time since I last posted something here, and a lot of things had happened since then.

We're still on our journey to becoming parents and just yesterday we had our first (and hopefully the last) IUI (intrauterine insemination). I think I've overs shared it on Facebook, so I decided to just write a post about it so I can talk about it more without people hiding me from their timelines. Jay and I tend to over share when we're excited about something.

The last post I made I think was about my hormones and how they are all over the place. So we stopped seeing our previous doctor and decided to rest for a while. We didn't proactively try having a baby again until late last year. And Jay and I thought that will be taking it more seriously. So we went to a new OB/GYN who is also an infertility specialist. She put me on the some meds, same as the ones I've been taking during my previous treatments, and the only difference is that I was also given some shots of Gonal-F to help me ovulate. I also had more follicle monitoring this time, and my OB insisted that I go to an OB Sonologist, not just a regular radiologist who does ultrasound. That meant I have to pay more and I didn't even know that there was a difference. My deciding factor was always the cost in choosing where to have my ultrasound done because I have to do it many times!

Anyway, so we had to monitor my follicles to know when I would ovulate. Because that's the thing with having PCOS. I just don't know when I'll lay the golden egg! So aside from stimulating my ovaries with all the medicines, we also have to check if my follicles are growing so we can time our, ehem, baby dance(BD). It's a legit term, guys! Hahaha. I've read that in other TTC (trying to conceive) blogs, forums and websites.

Sadly, our first round which started on October 26, 2015, failed. :( I'm not even sure if I ovulated. But my follicle grew to 34mm, which is not a good size because it got too big and the ideal number is around 20mm or so. We were ready and pumped up when my follicle matured to 22mm that when I showed my ultrasound result to my OB, she advised us to get it on that night. She said that my follicle will burst anytime soon and I should have another scan to check if I had ovulated. But it just grew and I didn't show my OB the 2nd result because I knew it was a failed cycle.

I stopped going to the doctor because December was fast approaching. I was sure I wouldn't be able to commit 100% because of the holidays and I just wanted to enjoy the Christmas season. And I'm pretty sure my OB would be hard to find because December is always a busy month.

So Jay and I decided that for the next round we'd be pushing through with our IUI. We had the savings from our 13th month pay to spend for the procedure and we were just waiting for my period to start. Yep, from the last cycle I had, my period didn't come for like 82 days! If I didn't know better I would've thought I was pregnant! I actually thought I was and that caused the "Christmas of 2015 meltdown". And that deserves a post on its own.

The year 2015 didn't end too well for us in terms of overcoming our infertility challenge. But we're facing 2016 with renewed hope. It's scary and exciting at the same time. We try to lean more towards being excited and expectant about it. But we also proceed with caution, so we don't get too disappointed when the outcome is not favourable.

I'll be writing a separate blog about our IUI experience hoping it would help someone who's going through the same struggles we're facing.

#StayPositive

FAST FACT: 

Follicle: A fluid-filled sac that contains an immature egg. They are found in the ovaries. During ovulation, a mature egg is released from the follicle so it can be fertilised by a sperm. While several follicles grow at the same time during each cycle, normally, only one will release an egg then turn into a corpus luteum afterwards .

P.S. 
So if you didn't receive anything from us this Christmas, rest assured that the money went to a good cause. :)