I felt really optimistic about my follicle check this morning, wondering only if I’d have to be seen again or if maybe we would be lucky enough to do this thing this weekend.
Oh how optimistic I was.
I knew going into this that our chances would be less with one blocked tube. When I had a bigger follicle on my blocked side two days ago, I simply assumed my left would get a chance to catch up. What I didn’t expect (though now that I think about it logically, it makes sense) was that the follicle on my right could grow larger and effectively kill all the others on my other ovary.
My IUI was canceled.
My lining looked good, my uterus looked good, and my right ovary looked fantastic. You know, the one connected to the blasted blocked tube. I had a 17mm and a 16 mm on the right. The 11 and 12 from two days ago on the left shrunk to 10 and 9. Apparently even a 12 isn’t guaranteed to continue to grow. For some reason I always figured that we’d be able to get an egg or two from both ovaries, but apparently at a certain point, one takes over.I don’t know why this never occurred to me.
So my small but still better than we have had so far chance is now gone. The doctor told me to go ahead and give myself the trigger shot tonight to make myself ovulate, and have uh….”fun” with my husband tomorrow and Saturday, but really we have snowballs chance in hell. Because my body would have to take Mr. Egg from my right ovary and move it on over to the left. In his words, “something is better than nothing”. To me, it’s still nothing. I’ll do it, though, because I’m an absolute glutton for punishment.
I partially expected there to be some mourning over the failure of this cycle. What I didn’t expect was for it to happen so soon, to be so upset over the loss of even the opportunity. In a 50/50 shot, I ended up with the short end of the stick. I might as well have thrown all that money straight into the garbage, and all of the hope in there with it.
The nurse coordinator is supposed to talk with the doctor tomorrow and let me know his recommendation moving forward (“if you don’t get pregnant this cycle” — oh how optimistic she is– whatever she is taking I would like some of it) but I’m not honestly sure what I want to do at this point. From what I understand, there is a 50/50 chance we could end up in this exact same position next month (and, incidentally, is why I don’t gamble).
This sucks.
July 12, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Well, shit. That really blows. I’m sorry – it sounded like this cycle had some promise, if only your ovaries’ accomplishments switched sides!! Your title is right – it’s just downright unlucky that your right ovary took over this month. What’s the story with the blocked tube? I don’t know anything about blocked tubes – can they unblock it somehow?
SUCK. 😦 Hugs to you.
July 12, 2012 at 8:47 pm
I’m not sure, but I plan to ask. I know, it totally sucks that it just happened to be on the wrong side – otherwise my body was responding perfectly. It totally took me by surprise that it got all screwed up
July 12, 2012 at 9:03 pm
When I had my HSG, it was to check for blocked tubes. I believe that laproscopic surgery can be done to unblock them. When I had my surgery she todl me one of my tubes were “sticky” and they fixed it. I kind of stopped paying attention at some point because if I had a dollar for everything they tell me thats screwed up about me I’d be rich!
July 12, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Unless you start a cycle with something like clomid on day 3, which will give all your follicles a chance at growing at the same rate, you will always have 1 or 2 follicles that lead, and the rest sort of fall away.
The plus side is that if not next month, the month after you will ovulate from the other ovary. In theory it should be one month left one month right but that is rarely the case, its one or two months before the other ovary produces a dominant follicle.
In the meantime, your drs need to think about how to get your tube unblocked so that you can use both!
It is both sucky and unlucky, and Im sorry. Id hug you if I could, a lot opportunity in whatever form it comes in is still a lost opportunity and you have every right to be disappointed.
July 12, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I actually took Femara Cd 3-7 and so it appears that the right side took over anyway.
I appreciate the cyber hug
July 12, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Im so sorry! This whole mess is so disappointing. Hop one hurdle just to get smacked with another. Here’s to hoping they stop!
July 12, 2012 at 9:04 pm
that’s the best analogy ever. because that’s exactly what it feels like
July 12, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Hey I am really sorry to hear about your bad luck. in my opinion, shared by someone else here, you really need to see if you can get that tube unblocked- haven’t the drs discussed options with you? See what they say. Good luck!
July 13, 2012 at 12:26 am
Oh no… I’m so so sorry. My heart has broken into a million pieces whenever my cycle has been cancelled… thinking of you xoxo
July 13, 2012 at 4:30 pm
yeah, mine too. 😦 I never expected it to be so disappointing.
July 13, 2012 at 4:20 am
Oh what! I seriously didn’t know this could happen. Getting the short straw sucks, and with that a lost opportunity, unless magic happen of course. Hugs to you.
July 13, 2012 at 4:30 pm
like a snowballs chance in hell kind of magic!
July 13, 2012 at 5:44 am
sucks Teresa…wish I could say or do something that would make things better-but I can’t-hugs to you both….
July 13, 2012 at 8:23 am
This does suck. I’m sorry to hear that. But my optimistic side says….don’t you alternate every other month? I know 2 IUIs probably weren’t in the cards for you, but whenever you’re ready to have another one, maybe you could keep track of what every other month is and attempt to plan when you’re more likely to be O’ing from lefty? Of course, that’s my dumb guess that science will do what it’s supposed to also, but it’s a thought. Or hopefully that tube-unblocking thing that someone mentioned will work for you and then it won’t matter? Either way, I’m praying for you, girl!
July 13, 2012 at 4:31 pm
The nurse emailed me back and said there really isn’t a good way to unblock the tube. And, if i did one again we would just have to hope I ovulated from the left side. Apparently another girl I know did 4 IUI’s and ovulated from the same side 3 of the 4 times. There is just no way to know
July 13, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Argh…..Fack! Well, here’s to hoping lefty still finds a way to work some magic.
July 13, 2012 at 10:42 am
Oh Theresa, I’m so sorry. I know how devastated I was when my IUI was cancelled. I actually made a fool of myself by breaking down in tears at my RE’s office. I know how bad you wanted this cycle to work. My heart goes out to you, hope you can try to have an okay weekend. *HUGS*
July 13, 2012 at 10:44 am
Oh yeah I did that too, and it wasn’t even my regular doc/nurse so it was even more embarrassing. I’m just so disappointed we didn’t even get the chance 😦
July 13, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Oh lady, I’m so sorry you got the crappy short straw. I feel you completely – my TTC journey is a slew of short straws 🙂 Be angry, be sad, be whatever you need to prepare to move on. And do let us know if there is an option to unblock your tube. I have a friend IRL with tube issues. ((hug))
July 13, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Stupid short straws. According to the nurse there is really no good way to fix the tube. Its just luck of the draw as far as which ovary you ovulate from.
July 13, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Ugghh that just sucks lady! I hope you can find a way to lose yourself in all the “fun” you and your husband will be having this weekend. Hopefully your left ovary will step up to bat next month and you’ll get that IUI after all. Hugs!
July 13, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Agreed. Though I have to decide if I want to try an IUI again or not. I just can’t decide if it’s worth another 50% chance that we’ll end up in this same situation again.
July 13, 2012 at 3:18 pm
I am SO sorry. This is devastating news and SO unfair!!!! This journey is so heartbreaking and often, I wonder when the RELIEF will come…when will get that silver lining we so deserve? Sending you HUGE hugs and hope that you will get some more answers!
July 13, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I asked myself that question yesterday when I left the house to go for a walk with a friend and the neighbors were taking newborn pictures outside. *sigh*
July 13, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I’m so sorry for your cancelled cycle. My first attempt at an IUI last September was cancelled and it was devastating. To make matters worse, I had to go back to work and pretend like nothing was wrong. Hang in there and hugs to you.
July 13, 2012 at 4:34 pm
yeah, me too. It ended up being a good distraction once I was able to pull myself together, but it still made for an all around rough day.
July 14, 2012 at 2:34 am
Ugh. I’m so sorry. And after all the progress you guys were making. I hope your luck changes soon!
July 14, 2012 at 9:31 am
Yeah go figure that one, right? I hope it does, too.
July 15, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I’m so sorry to hear about the cancelled cycle! It really sucks. When my right tube was blocked I looked up research on ovulation and alternationating sides. The one research article I found determined that about 50% of women alternate and the other half are ovary dominant, ovulating the majority of the time from the dominant side. 87% of those were right ovary dominant.
If your tube is blocked for unknown reason ie not endo, PID, or other such damaging conditions a tubal canalization could clear the mucus. If that is indeed the problem. I am both right ovary dominant and had a blocked right tube. Pregnant both times after clearing it out.
Also I learned about magical tubes with the ability to swoop to the other side to scoop the egg. There is always a shot with one tube!
July 15, 2012 at 9:50 pm
I asked the nurse coordinator about clearing the tube and she told me there really is no good way to fix them, so its interesting that you have had them cleared and my doc is telling me there isn’t a good way to do it.
Did you have to have yours done more than once? Did insurance cover it? I was reading a bit about it today and a study was saying that most of the time the tube ended up getting re-blocked within 6 months of having it cleared.
July 16, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Oh, I’m so sorry! That just sucks when everything looks great except just one tiny part of the equation. Why does it always happen that way? Ugh! And if you figure out how to get your hands on some of your doc’s optimism, let me know. We could bottle it up and make a killing.