IUI

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I actually can't believe how quickly things have progressed in the last couple of days. So here's an update:

(and beware - at the end of this post you will find some panicky questions that I need help with):

On Sunday I had 6 follicles ranging from 1.4-1.5 (I think) in size, 3 on each side. My E2 level was getting quite high and the doc was worried about the risk of multiples so he lowered my Gonal-F dose for that night to 75, in the hopes that only the lead follicles would mature, and smaller ones would not. He also suggested that I trigger as soon as follicles reach 1.8 so that others would not catch up.

On Monday I went in to the clinic again for b/w and ultrasound and they found 2 mature follicles measuring 1.8, one on each side. There were also about 3 other follicles that were about 1.5 or 1.6 and were trying to catch up. Now, before I went in for this appointment I prepared a whole page of questions for the doctor, something I have never done. I had various questions about ovarian hyperstimulation (OHSS), ways to help prevent it (like giving a half dose of HCG trigger), and questions about my hormone levels. Well, as I sit there in the room waiting for the doctor, notepad of questions at the ready, the doctor walks in and tells me that she needs to be somewhere else. What?! She quickly looks at my chart and tells me that I have 2 follicles at 1.8 and various other slightly smaller ones. I get the feeling that she is about to tell me to wait another day when I cut in and tell her that the doctor doing rounds yesterday said that I should trigger as soon as they reach 1.8 to decrease the risk of multiples. Also, my E2 level was already getting dangerously high. Once I told her that, she stopped to think about it a bit and told me that this was "a tricky situation". After she pondered a bit, she told me that this is one of the situations where she may wish tomorrow that she triggered me today. So she told me to trigger today. I asked about OHSS and she said that I am not going to get OHSS. I didn't know that she had a crystal ball, but whatever. So I went to the nurse and got the HCG shot (this was around 10 a.m.) I asked the nurse about the potential for OHSS and she said I may get it because I have a lot of the risk factors (PCOS, thin frame, under 35 years of age, high E2 - the day of trigger E2 was 7500). I really don't care if I get OHSS. I can sit at home and deal with it. However, my hubby and I are going on vacation next week and I am really worried about being in a foreign place and not knowing what to do if things go bad with the OHSS, like having to go to the hospital and getting my abdomen drained. The nurse just told me to continue drinking Gatorade, water, and Campbell's soup. So far, I haven't been having any symptoms of it so fingers crossed it won't happen.

So today, Tuesday, I went in for my IUI around 10:30 a.m. (24 hours post HCG trigger). After the IUI I decided to lie there for 10 minutes or so, but a nurse knocked on my door and told me I could leave. I decided to stay there for 5 more minutes and gingerly walked to my car so as not to jostle any of the precious sperm. On past IUIs, fluid always leaked out after. So when I got home I lay down on the couch for about an hour. I went to my acupuncture appointment today as well, and when I got home from that I found that I did leak out quite a bit of fluid. Has anyone ever heard of a condition of fluid or sperm just not being able to stay in the uterus? Because I'm afraid I might have that. When I had an HSG (dye test) done a few years ago, the doctor was unsuccessful because while she was able to put the catheter through my cervix, the dye kept gushing out of me. Coincidentally, this is the same doctor that did my IUI today. My RE assured me that I do not have a problem with this. They did a laparoscopy on me and found everything to be fine. But I still wonder.

I should be happy that I have at least 2 eggies and hubby had 42 million washed sperm with 80% motility. But my neurotic and anxious self is peaking through the surface and I worry that hubby and I should BD tonight, even though I have another IUI scheduled for tomorrow morning. The doctor advised us not to, since my hubby will be giving another sample tomorrow. But I'm worried that the timing is off and the sperm inserted today will not make it to when I ovulate which will likely be some time tonight. And that the sperm inserted tomorrow will be too late because my eggs will have disintegrated. Does anyone know how long washed sperm live in the uterus? I am seriously considering going against doctor's advice but I feel bad if I do. So here's my question: Does this timing sound right to you? --> HCG trigger. IUI 24 hours later. Second IUI 48 hours later. BD 58 hours later. How long do washed sperm live? Do eggs live longer if more than one is released?

I'm sorry this was so drawn out and long-winded. I am freaking out a little bit even though I am trying desperately not to. The fact that I am this anxious on a day I had acupuncture is a little scary. I am usually so zen on acupuncture days.

Must calm self.