Janurary 2002
Scott and I just graduated college and moved to central Oregon. I didn't have to work because Scott's job gave us that financial freedom. So, we decided now was the time to start adding to our family. I figured following the calendar and timing intercourse around my potential fertile days would do it for us. Five months passed and conception was never achieved. I then figured maybe I should start charting (I had done charting before as a method to prevent pregnancy). I diligently took my temperatures and entered them carefully, making sure to follow the 3 over 6 rule of ovulation. By November (our 3rd anniversary) I became frustrated and depressed. Why wasn't I pregnant yet? What was wrong with me? Was it Scott? Were we being punished? Was I being punished? Would we ever have the chance of being parents?
January 2003
My dear friend Dez Donohue introduced me to a website called Fertility Friend. It is a charting site....however, instead of you drawing your cover lines this program does it for you. I figured this would make pinpointing my ovulation days a little more accurate. A couple more months had passed and I was feeling the disappointment and frustration more then ever. That's when I decided to join the boards on FF. I began corresponding with women going through the exact same situation as me. Talking to these girls gave me hope and patience.
July 2003
This cycle was anovulatory...quite depressing to say the least. At the end of my cycle I decided now was the time to see a doctor. That's when I made the appointment to see Dr. Lynch-Miller. I showed her my chart and asked her what to do next. She prescribed 50 mg of Clomid...a popular fertility drug. Dr. Lynch-Miller also ordered a seamen analysis for Scott. His results came back at 193 million/ml at 90+% motility. Hearing those results gave me hope. We now knew that Scott wasn't having any influence in my lack of being pregnant.
August 2003
Cycle 17 was our first textbook chart. I started taking the clomid cycle days 5-9. I clearly ovulated on cd 17 and intercourse timing was optimum. Aproximately a week into my luteal phase my chart became triphasic. 15 days past ovulation (dpo) I took a pregnancy test and received a negative result. 16 dpo cycle 18 began...we are now on to our 18th cycle and our second round of clomid.
September 2003
I realized this cycle that I miscalculated last month's ovulation day. We actually missed it by 2 days. The reason for this...at ovulation you will see a temperature spike. Therefor, I assumed the temperature spike on my chart indicated ovulation...not until cycle 18 did I realize that my temperature rises by 2 tenths of a degree for two days before ovulation occurs. Knowing this...we made sure our timing was accurate. I am now 10 dpo and know without a doubt that we are not pg. I am also expecting AF (aunt flow) to be here about Monday (13 dpo).
Boy was I surprised! I decided to take a hpt 14 dpo which turned out to be negative. I waited a couple more days and took another test 16 dpo which turned out to be positive! That means we're pregnant!!!
And yet another surprise...at about 5 weeks (10/5/03) we miscarried. I called my doctor when I began spotting...she advised me to have an ultrasound and a blood test done. The ultrasound showed a dark spot where the sack and embryo would be. My blood test showed my hcg level to be at 220. Two days later I had another blood test. The results of this blood test predicted an inevitable miscarriage...my hcg level had dropped to 75. I also found out that my blood type is O negative...not A positive like the hospital typed me as at birth. Two days followed and my period began. I filled my prescription of clomid and will continue on to cycle 19.