Femara/Letrozole does crazy things to my body.

I went in for my CD 8 ultrasound this morning, and I already have a mature follicle at 18. Why do medications like Femara and Clomid do this to me? I'm not complaining by all means, but I don't understand why one follicle grows super fast while on medication. I had other little ones that were all under 1.3. It is possible that the 13 can make it. I have had it happen before where small follicles caught up to the bigger ones. Once I had a follicle grow 4mm in 24 hours, so it is possible that my 13 will become a 17 by tomorrow. I love having normal cycles, well at least I think they're normal. By normal I mean ovulating before CD17 like usual and having a normal length LP. 

I am going to see my fertility specialist next Tuesday. We were originally going to have 2 IUIs, one with Femara and one with Gonal-F. However, I changed my mind. DH asked me if I would rather a phone instead of Gonal-F, and because the phone was less than half the price of Gonal-F and I wanted this phone forever, I got the phone. Instead of doing Gonal-F this cycle we did Femara. I ran out repeats and I'm hoping that my doctor will give me another prescription. If this IUI is unsuccessful we are taking an IUI break. I still want to be monitored, but maybe every other month instead of every month? I'm not sure yet. I definitely want to be on Femara and Progesterone because they make my cycle normal. 

We were going to do IVF in January, but decided to go on a cruise instead. We both need a vacation. We need to get our minds off all of this fertility torture, and I think a cruise will do just the trick. We went on a cruise to Mexico last year and loved it. This time we are going on a 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. We leave here on January 19. I'm super excited.  

Ovary pain and lots of EWCM on CD8

I know that the thought of ovulating this early is crazy, but it has happened before. The earliest I O'd on Femara was CD9, and I'm on CD 7 right now. I am having lots of ewcm and ovary pain. I know the ovary pain are follicles growing, but I can't explain the EWCM. I will find out what is going on when I get an ultrasound tomorrow.  

Dollarama Pregnancy Tests Are Crap. False Positive

What an evil evil evaporation  line I had the other day on a pro care dollarama pregnancy test. I thought  for sure I was pregnant, but nooo of course not. I don't understand why all of my tests had lines. What a cruel and evil trick. To make up for this, I better get pregnant with triplets next cycle.

Maybe I'm not out?

I have done more tests and they have come back with faint lines again. I have no idea what is going on. I have been getting lines on dollar store tests and lines on the loblaws early result brand. You would think if I was pregnant I would have a positive FRER, aren't they supposed to be the most accurate? Why am I always so thirsty, could it be a symptom?

We are going to Isis tomorrow to get a blood test to see if the tests are right, or if they are evil evaps.

These are what my tests looked like from tonight. They were both taken with different urine

Dollarama test



Loblaws test

My tests were crap, i'm out!

The lines kept getting lighter and now there are no lines to look at. Well, there may have been something very faint on this mornings dollar store test but it had to be an EVAP because this afternoon I took an FRER and it was a BFMFN. I took one progesterone this morning, but now I'm stopping. I want my period to come and be over with. 

I think I'm done. I can't stand feeling this way anymore. I do nothing but cry and I'm always sad. I get excruciating period cramps that are unbearable. I think it's time to go back on BC and get rid of my stupid periods. If 3 IUIs haven't worked, then nothing will. I'm infertile and there's nothing I can do about it, but be sad. I usually call the fertility clinic on day 1, but I don't think I will this month. What's the point?

I think all of my tests were evaps :(

Shouldn't they be getting darker? This is from this morning:

10DPO FMU Possible Positive Pregnancy Test

I have been testing with a dollar store test every day twice a day for the past 2 days. Yesterday morning I had a very visible line, but in the afternoon it wasn't very noticeable but there. This morning I tested again with FMU and I got another faint squinter line, however, it doesn't seem to be as dark as yesterday mornings test. It takes 48-72 hours for HCG levels to double which could explain why my tests aren't getting that darker. I have also read that some tests have more dye than other tests so sometimes the lines can get lighter. I also tested this afternoon around 4pm with a cheap test and there was barely a line again. I could hardly tell if it was an evap or not. Now it does say on the instructions of this test that first morning urine is recommended which would explain why I get positives in the morning and possible negatives at night.

I don't think I am pregnant. I bought an FRER and I couldn't see a line. I only saw a line when I took it out of its case, but I don't think it's real. My FMU dollar store test clearly shows a line. I played with it and you could see the line clear as day. You can also see it when it's not played with. I'm so confused.

Here is a picture of the FRER I took around 11 am. This is driving me nuts.

I saw another line with FMU....

And this time the line is actually darker! I don't know what to think. Getting pregnant just seems like it's too good to be true. It feels like my odds of winning the lottery are better than having a baby. Anyways, I couldn't help myself and tested again with a test from dollarama. My test was taken at 7am. My temperature also went back up. Weird things have been happening this cycle so I'm really wondering, but it couldn't be possible it just couldn't be. There's no way. Me pregnant? HAHHA YEAH RIGHT!

Here's the picture, and I know it's probably not real. I just want it so badly that I'm seeing things.



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I tested again, and I see it again.

Am I going totally insane? Am I imagining things? If I was, then why would my DH see the line too? It's still very early so the line is very faint. I can see it better in person. I'm going to test again tomorrow morning. Here's my newest picture.



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I ovulated at least 2 eggs on Femara/Letrozole.

I went in for my CD14 ultrasound this morning, and I ovulated at least two eggs. I totally didn't expect to ovulate more than one follicle on Femara, and I definitely didn't expect to ovulate more than one egg without getting the HCG trigger. This answered my question about ovulating more than one egg without the HCG trigger. I thought that without it there was no chance of ovulating more than one, but I was wrong. I told the doctor that I didn't think one could ovulate more than one on Femara and she said that it's not common but sometimes on higher dosages you do. I am on a high dose, but I was on a high dose last cycle and I only had one mature follicle. This time I had 3 and ovulated at least 2. I'm supposed to go back for a blood pregnancy test on the 22nd of October, but I doubt I will make it until then. I will be 15dpo and will only go to get a blood test if an FRER comes back positive. I'm going to start progesterone tonight and will be taking 3 a day making it 600mg a day. I'm not looking forward to it because they are gross and disgusting. I hate peeing bubbles lol. I'm not confident that this cycle will work, but weirder things have happened I guess.

Oh, and I almost forgot. My lining today was 10mm. It's growing, yay.

My IUI hurt this morning

This morning when I had my IUI I just wanted to scream. The doctor said that the pain was probably because the sperm hit the top of my uterus. I know what type of pain she's talking about it and what I experienced today was not that. I'm thinking it may be because of Femara. I find it dries me out down there.

DH's post was sperm count was 7.8 million. 39 million/mL and 40% motile. Out of all 5 IUIs this one has been the second best. I know it only takes one swimmer to do the trick, but I can't help to wonder why his is low compared to others who I have seen online. The doctor who did the IUI today said that it was fine and I shouldn't compare us to others because it's like comparing height but the hypochondriac inside of me is saying that it's a severe problem.

Fingers crossed that this will work. I doubt it will. It hasn't worked before so why would it work now? Next cycle we are doing Gonal-F again. If next cycle doesn't work we are going to see our doctor and ask him what he thinks.

I'm surging so there won't be an HCG trigger this month

The fertility clinic called to tell me that my blood work from this morning is LH surging. I have 3 good follicles this month and now I'm worried that only 1 will ovulate. I have read somewhere that HCG releases all mature follicles, but when you ovulate naturally only 1 follicle will release an egg. I know it only takes one, but I think my odds of getting pregnant would be better if I ovulated more than one. The internet gives too much conflicting information because I also read that trigger or no trigger once you ovulate you will ovulate all mature follicles. I don't know what to believe. It's something to ask the doctor. We are going in tomorrow morning for an IUI. We have to give them the sample at 730 and then go back at 1030 for the IUI. This morning I had 3 follicles that were 21, 18, and 16mm. My lining was 8.3. 8.3 isn't good, is it? I'm looking forward to find out what DH's post wash sperm count is tomorrow. He quit smoking, so I can't wait to see if his numbers have improved. 

CD11 monitoring update...3 good follicles on Femara/Letrozole

I was under the impression that Femara wasn't supposed to give you more than one mature follicle, but I was wrong. After looking it up, I have discovered that lots of women who took Femara had more than 1 mature follicle and ended up with multiples. I went in this morning for my cycle day 11 monitoring appointment. I have 3 follicles. 20, 17, and 16mm. This so far has been the best count yet. On my gonal-F cycle I had 3 mature follicles, but they weren't this big this early. I am having crazy ovulation pains on both sides which is unusual. I am going in again tomorrow, and I'm assuming that the doctor of the day will prescribe HCG. Usually on Saturday my own doctor is working and I'm sure if my lead follicle is more than 20 mm he will want me to trigger. They changed how they do the IUI's at my clinic so I am assuming that I will have my IUI the day after my trigger shot which would be on Sunday. 

High cycle day 3 FSH and Femara side effects.

My day 3 FSH this cycle was at an all time high of 10.7 :( It has never been this high, so now I'm super freaked out. The doctor of the day today told me that because of my age I shouldn't be worried. I disagree with him though because my AFC is always low and my AMH is too low. With an FSH of 10.7, an AMH of 1.2, and an AFC of only 6, there is definitely something wrong here. It's funny how my own doctor never seems concerned about my FSH or AFC, but is concerned about my AMH, whereas, the internet says my AFC and FSH for my age is bad, but my AMH isn't too bad. How confusing. I'm very worried about myself. If this doesn't happen soon, it never will. My biological clock is ticking way too fast for my age, so this better hurry up! I'm running out of patience and so are my ovaries, apparently.

There is some good news to share, I have 3 big follicles on cycle day 9! I took 7.5mg of Femara this month. I found it very odd how for the last 2 days I have been having ovary pain on both sides. Usually I only get ovary pain on one side. The 3 follicles growing inside of me would explain it. I have a 17mm follicle and 2 15mm follicles. Yesterday my 17 was a 16 and the 15's were a 12 and 13. I'm hoping that they continue to grow and I have all 3 of them by the time we have to trigger. I'm assuming with a 17mm follicle that I will be having my IUI on Friday or Saturday. We will see. I have to go in daily for ultrasounds and blood work now.

I also have been experiencing bad side effects from the Femara. I didn't have any side effects when I was on a lower dosage than 7.5mg. I have been getting excruciating headaches, hot flashes, night sweats, bad ovary pain, abdominal discomfort, and bloating.