Too Much of a Good Thing?

Stacey and I woke up this morning at 5:30, all bouncy and excited for our Day 10 check-up at the RE. This was the day they were going to tell us whether or not I am producing any follicles, how mature they were, and when we can come back for the IUI. So I hopped up on the exam table, and Ultrasound Lady wielded her magical Dildo-Cam and Voila! Up on the screen popped my girl parts. I sat up as much as I comfortably could and tried to watch the show.

"Wow," Ultrasound Lady said. "That's a big follicle! 24.5 millimeters." Woohoo!! Great news!

"Oh, look at this one, too. This is a big guy here, too." Great! TWO big follicles.

"Here is another one." Three?

"And another one". What???

"Okay, now let's look at your right side. Whoa! Look at these guys!"

Turns out, I have SEVEN mature follicles. To say my body responded to clomid is an understatement. So, Stacey and I left and came home, elated. Seven mature follicles, that's great news, right?? We sat and waited for the RE to call us in the afternoon to tell us when we could come in for the IUI.

Around 2:30, the call came. Only it wasn't good news.

"I'm sorry Kelly," the nurse began, "but you produced too many follicles. The risk for multiples is too great. We cannot inseminate this month."

My heart got caught in my throat. I tried to maintain composure, but lost that battle quickly.

"What do you mean we can't inseminate?" I asked. My voice cracked, betraying my devastation. "This was the doctor's idea. He prescribed the clomid! If I don't use it, I don't produce follicles, and now that I did use it, I produced too many???"

"I'm sorry Kelly, but for women 34 and younger, we cannot inseminate if there are more than 4 follicles."

"But I'll be 35 tomorrow!!! What's the cutoff for 35??"

"5 or 6. But still, it's a big risk." I told her I was aware of the risks, but she said there wasn't much she could do, it was the doctor's decision. She did agree to try to get ahold of him again, to see his thoughts about the fact I will be 35 tomorrow. And she promised to call me back right away.

The next hour passed veeeery slowly. I dropped Stacey off to get a massage, went to the grocery store, came back home, pickeed up the dog, and went to wait for Stacey. I was trying not to be heartbroken, but I knew I couldn't fight it. I was sad we'd have to wait another whole month. I was pissed that the doctor prescribed us a drug that apparently backfired. I was annoyed that we just spent almost $1000 for this month's attempt, only to be told we couldn't attempt at all. And I was starting to get afraid it was never going to happen for us.

An hour later, the nurse called back.

"I talked to the doctor, and since you will bee 35 tomorrow, we can go ahead and do the IUI. But we want you to take the trigger shot tonight, and we will only be doing one IUI tomorrow."

Fine! Anything! Oh my god, this is wonderful news!!!!! Thank goodness for birthdays!!! I never thought I'd be so excited to turn 35!

Immediately we went to the pharmacy to pick up my trigger shot, along with progesterone suppositories to start tomorrow night. I can't believe we are really doing it. Yes, we have a slight chance for multiples, yes we have to sign a mountain of paperwork tomorrow, and yes there is a big chance none of this will work anyway. But we are trying. We are going in tomorrow - me, Stacey and our seven follicles - and we are going to give it our best shot.

Keep your fingers crossed for good things!