Round up your ghosties and ghoulies and long legged beasties, the BESH are going to scare out the BFPs!

So my nob of a husband refuses to tell his family we are struggling to conceive. Consequently I have to receive his excited smug sister's scan pics texted to my phone. Oh look how fertile I am! I could do without that. "oh fuck off SIL!" And he got ratty. Wanker.

It was a combination norf :) My hands get sore from the soap at work but the eczema is much worse when I'm stressed. When the stress is terrible, I scratch my hands in my sleep til they bleed I saw the dermatologist who checked it wasn't a specific allergy and prescribed hand cream and skin wash to use rather than the hospital soap. But I ended up having three months off work. The doctor giving me permission to stop allowed me to collapse into a heap and actually grieve. I had counselling at the time too which helped me accept the circumstances and prepare to go back to work. I luff you too norf. Here have the I can do without it for 29 hours.

norfy I think that's a valid concern, but if fertility related MH ishoos barred adoption, I suspect the available pool would be tiny!

I am "working from home" today. I have a medical later (we get one a year through work). It includes a smear. This will be my first follow up since my abnormal smear in June. Not about the test, but about the result. If the abnormality is getting worse, I will have to give in and get it treated. Meh. So please to be sending me all of your best fanny healing vibes later hags.

The other thing I'm anxious about is getting MENTAL HEALTH ISHOO on my medical records in case I end up at the adoption stage and it counts against me. But I will ask about that.

faif, I do adore you. Going to the docs expecting hand cream and being signed off with stress. Was it a referred pain sort of thing, do you think? Or just coincidence?

I agree with frank. You're in that weird position where the GP saw how you were and signed you off. I had that when Mum died - he took one look at me and signed me off with stress - I was expecting hand cream because they were sore! I think you should try at least two counselling sessions before you decide if its for you personally.

If you are unsure, that is a sign to me that you are not ready to go back to work. Get a sick note and ask to be referred for counselling. You can always cancel an appointment later on.

Have a nice first day back.

Two hours till doc's. Am absurdly nervous and still have no idea what I should be asking for.

Shame about not being able to get an earlier scan Faith, but at least you only have just over 24 hours to go.

I'm not aware of any side effects Norf. They didn't mention any and as its just FSH that I'm taking, the only effects should be in my ovaries. There is a risk I will overstimulate, but we'll know if that's the case at next week's scan.

First day back at work after a week off today - yuk!

Jeepers you lot talk a lot! I can't keep up!

My scan will def be Wednesday, MSB rang they won't can't fit me in before. First day back on the ward was exhausting but I survived.

Great news about the hcg and no further blood tests norf. What you doing re work and counselling? I really fink they should just IVF you - stick the fertilised egg where it needs to be. Clearly it needs directions?!

Well done on the stabbing frank! Hope it does the trick.

Re swimmers - first sample MSB had 0% A rapid and only 8% B. we joked they were going round in circles. He was very chuffed with a 45% progressive result last time round! euro is right though - its the duffers that fall out. The good uns are well on their way by the time you get up to wee. Better off weekng immediately to prevent UTIs. Trust me. I'm a veteran in that stake! :)

Are you feeling any side effects yet? Are there any to look out for?

I keep going till they tell me to stop. Next scan is booked for next Monday, if it all looks good I may only need a few more. If I'm not responding I'll have to keep going.

You'll be a dab hand at it soon, fsr. How many days do you do it for?

No HWHNN is in Brussels today. I had to stab the needle into the vial, then turn it round so the vial was on top, IYSWIM, and draw the syringe downwards. I was trying to hold onto the vial with one hand and draw the syringe with the other. I'm sure there is a knack to it.

Good news about the appointment Sinks, keep chasing them about it. I find if you make a nuisance of yourself they'll give in eventually

Lots of things for the CVs there ladies, HCG clearing, needle stabbing, er, SA amature analysis...

Dunno really what appointment is for. It's the one after my repeat bloods, repeat Fanjocam and ghj's traumatic repeat SA. Hopefully they might tell me what treatment I'm going to get. Injectable ov induction, IUI, IVF...

But not getting too excited (not sure that's really the word for it..) as not got the letter yet, just a promise of it..

Yay! Excellent potion-mixing and stabbing! Is HWHNN there too? Why did you have to do the sucking up bit one-handed?

Well done Norf and Frankel :)

Well done on the drop Norf.

Injection No 1 = done. Needle is still pretty darn big (bout half an inch) but I sucked it up and got on with it . I have to go back for a rescan next Monday to see if the drugs are doing their job, so I have plenty of opportunities to get better at the stabbing. TBH, I found the drawing up the syringe one-handed the faffiest bit.

sinky, what is this appointment for?

Yay! Excellent HCG clearing Norf

I'm not sure about British shorthairs, it's the squished faces that freak me out.

Ooh! HCG is 16.7 (massive 80 % drop from 80 last week) and they don't need me to come back in again! I am freeeee. Well, free of weekly blood tests, anyway. Obviously there are plenty more occasions a hospital might like to shove something up my fanjo in future. But for now I am free.

Howdy BESHes.

How is all? Am cooing over all your cats- I like the British shorthair- what I really want is the whiskers cat. He's so fluffy! (said in style of small child from despicable me)

Ghj has scary good sperm. But don't hate me folks, cause I'm obviously fecked up enough for us both. Yay me.

Rang hospital today... Apparently an appointment is in the post... I suspect by that they meant it is now going in the post after being forgotten about...

Yep, total motility misses the normal parameter by a whisker, but the others look pretty good.