The Corrective Spin

Here's the spin:

While the nurse at the RE's that I've had consistent interactions with (she is Jnurse) is nice and hopeful, right now those traits are annoying me. She's always like, "Think swim!" after an IUI and with a smile informs me that C and I can have intercourse that night. Her phone messages ramble (so do mine, so I won't judge her too harshly for those) and sometimes it just seems like she does not know the scientific basis or even the doctor's reasoning behind the way that things are done. But she is nice, and in the infertility game, that cannot possibly be underrated. Ever.

So, why did she tell me that the HCG in my system could be from fertilization? This didn't sound right to me, but it did make me think the worst (uh, lost baby, anyone?). With a little rationalization and internet research, I have much more reasonable answers. First, there is a good chance that the HCG trigger shot that I received on CD 13 is still in my system on CD 22 (especially since my HCG number was so low). While doctors warn women not to take HPTs too soon after a HCG injection (it will come up positive depending on the amount of HCG in your system), there are many reasons why the medication may or may not be out of your system by a specific CD: type/brand of medication given, amount of medication, and/or your system's ability to flush the hormone. Those are wide ranging variables. Which means that HCG could *possibly* clear your system as soon as 48 hours and it could take as long as fourteen days. I have no idea what they gave me or how much since I receive the medication in the clinic. Secondly, your body doesn't start to produce it's own HCG until after implantation and formation of a placenta. The placenta is where the HCG comes from. There wasn't enough time in eight or nine days for me to ovulate, fertilize, travel to the uterus, implant, create a placenta, and begin producing my own HCG. No way.

I calmed down after clarifying this for myself. I was then able to tell C that they ran the HCG test and my levels came back as if the HCG trigger shot hadn't cleared my system yet, so we were going to do another test early Monday morning. I am excited to add to my track marks.

I'm figuring that when we get back to doing IUIs that I will have the added protocol of progesterone suppositories. Yippee! I told C that it would be nice if, just once, he had to stick something oozing into one of his orifices. After he had a date with the dildocam in the same orifice. I think it would create some additional empathy, or even things up. Something.

The only thing that could possibly throw me for a loop is a message on Monday that says my HCG number rose. That, however, will not be happening unless flying pigs freeze over hell. Which we all know just doesn't happen.