Update! Update!

Okay...sorry it took so long to get this post up...I went to see Dr. Swanson last Monday.  Basically he said that since my right tube has scarred itself shut I cannot get pregnant from that right side...and we now know that I won't have another ectopic pregnancy (on the right side).  He was really worried about that happening again.  He had said before that he didn't feel comfortable stimulating with fertility drugs as long as there was a chance I'd have another ectopic pregnancy...I guess I was at a pretty high risk.

So now...since the right side is closed he said we can stimulate with fertility drugs and see if we can get that Left ovary producing eggs. As of now...we haven't seen a single egg on the left side (we've been scanning for a year).  While I am taking the fertility medication I will most likely develope follicles on the right, but they will more than likely just be wasting their time...We want follies on the left! 

So Monday (last week) was day 31 of my cycle.  No ovulation occured (that I could tell anyway) during this cycle so I was pretty sure I wouldn't start my period on my own.  Dr. Swanson gave the okay for a progesterone injection for CD 33 (Wednesday) if Aunt Flo did not show up.  He wrote a prescription for Femara 2 tablets daily for 5 days starting on CD 3 of my next cycle.

**Note: I know Femara is not prescribed by a lot of fertility doctors and I am aware that it is a breast cancer drug.  I know there are warnings about using Femara if you are or become pregnant.  I have read all of the precautions and completely TRUST my doctor.   

I asked Dr. Swanson if I will get a cyst on the right side when I use the Femara and he said, "You might." He also said it wasn't dangerous to have a cyst (this "functional" kind anyway) and that unless it was bothersome (meaning: painful) to me then we could kind of ignore it for about a month to see if the left side is responding to the Femara. I figure I can tough it out a month if I do get a cyst (they have both been painful for me) and see how things go.  Dr. Swanson said if I get pregnant the cyst will go away!  And not come back...until  after I have a baby and then it only might come back.

Anyway, I felt pretty good about trying this. Dr. Swanson said, "The other thing to do is nothing, and we know what happens when we do nothing...Nothing!" Very true. 

On Wednesday no period so when I went in for my pap (I had my annual scheduled that day) I mentioned to Barbara (my favorite nurse practitioner) that Dr. S had said I could have a shot of progesterone if I hadn't started my period.  I had a pregnancy test...negative...a pap smear...all fine...an ultrasound just to make sure I didn't have another cyst...NO cyst...and a shot in the butt of progesterone to induce a period.  Barbara said the shot hurt so I was really worried, but the shot itself did not hurt...the burning and tenderness afterward was the worst part (for me anyway). I asked her how long it would be until I started my period and she thought I'd probably start by Saturday or so.  I left and was excited to get going on this next cycle.

I went and filled my Femara prescription so that I was ready. The pharmacist went over the medication with me and mentioned that she never sees doctor's prescribe Femara for fertility, but then she said, "...but he's the best, I wouldn't question it." She asked about injections and if I had tried that.  She asked about Clomid and asked if I had tried that.  I gave her the short story of my fertility life and left with my 10 very expensive pills. 

So today (tonight) is Wednesday...a week later. No period yet. It's technically CD 40...but I'm not couting anymore. I called Dr. Swanson today to ask if I should be worried and Nurse Patty said it could sometimes take 2 WEEKS!  I got the shot because I thought I would start faster than if I took the Provera (pills). I asked Patty what I should do if I don't start...she said to take a pregnancy test and call her NEXT Wednesday if I still don't start.

So that's where I'm at now.  Waiting for Aunt Flo....

I'll keep updated more frequently...our life is starting to settle back down.  I haven't written about too many family issues (unrelated to fertility) on here, but we've been going through a lot lately.  We are moving forward and holding each other up.  We have decided not to put fertility on hold if we don't have too...So here we go again....Well, whenever Aunt F gets here.