My follow up appointment yesterday went really well. The ironic thing is, this round I had less follicles. I have 2 on the left, and 5 on the right... total of 7️⃣ 🥚 follicles. Last time I had 4 on the left and 5 on the right... total of 9️⃣ 🥚 follicles.

However, I have an 🥚 follicle (on the right) that’s measuring bigger this cycle, almost 18 mm. Two more measuring at 14 mm. And one measuring at 11 mm. Last round, I had two 🥚 follicles, one measuring at 16 mm and another at 15 mm.

Another difference is the trigger... this round I triggered tonight at 8:15 pm. And we do the IUI on Saturday at 8 am- 36 hours post trigger shot this round.

Last round, I did the trigger injection at 8 am the day before IUI, 24 hours post trigger shot. It was explained to me that this was because we were going into the weekend, and if we waited until Monday I could chance ovulating on my own. But at the same time, they wanted to grow my follicle as big as possible before the trigger; which only left 24 hours before the IUI.

I feel that the timing is much better this round and another positive thing is, we get to have our regular RE do it. 👏🏼 Last time, we had a covering doctor.

IUI day was on 08-17-19 and the procedure happened around ~9 am with complications 😔

A little background:

1. I used to work in an OBGYN office and I know the surgical tools they used to assist with procedures.

2. My cervix/uterus was perforated last December because my cervix is unusually long, curved like a “V” and it was my usual RE that performed my surgery. Her statistics stand as 2 perforations out of 500 hysteroscopy cases- so I am apart or that VERY small statistic thanks to my abnormal anatomy. 😒

3. Last IUI was done by a covering doctor. Actually, the initial appointment was with my regular RE. The ultrasound follow up was done by the covering doctor. And the actual IUI procedure was also done by the covering same doctor— more about this as you read...

So my regular RE asked if the covering doctor had any issues doing the IUI since my cervix is irregular. I said no... and well. It turns out that the covering doctor PROBABLY didn’t do an IUI. She probably did a ICI- intracervical inseminarion. I definitely felt the difference- when she pushed the syringe, I felt a cold sensation on my Fallopian tubes- similar to what I felt during the HSG tear. After the IUI this time, nothing came out. (Sorry TMI).

So at first attempt, my RE tried to put the catheter in and ended up telling the medial assistant to run out and get an abdominal probe to do an ultrasound. She could not get through my cervix! She says, “I need the ‘tenac’” and this the tenaculum. An instrument that holds the cervix open... 😖😖😖 An instrument I used to cringe handing over to the OBGYN years ago... so when she asked for this, I thought, MUTHER F@*KER this is going to SUCK!!! It hurt so much trying to get the catheter through, I started bleeding, crying, shaking, and I felt light headed. So they decided to give me a break and have me drink my bladder to fill it so they can visualize better.

So after 20 mins, they came back in the room and my RE explained to us what she was seeing in the ultrasound. She says, “Here is where I am, this is the cervix, as you can see it’s a V... instead of a straight line. So I have to bend it down and push it up to get to the uterus.” She apologized for the pain; but really wanted to do it right otherwise we prepped for nothing! She finally got the catheter to go through the second time around. And no tenaculum was needed... *phew.

I can tell the sensations I felt were different compared to last time and even I could tell she was in my uterus. I think all the cramping I documented last time was just from the covering doctor trying to get in my cervix.

I wish the covering doctor would’ve told me she did an ICI instead of an IUI. 😑 I imagine in all of her experience she HAD to know she was NOT in the uterus!!!