TTC 10 plus months, part 6

[mrsden]

A friendly, supportive thread for those of us who are taking a bloody long little longer time than average to conceive.

Morning all! Thanks for all the welcome hellos :) Nice to have so many new friends on this rather long and frustrating journey. Let's hope we all reach destination labour ward soon....

Minipie - my mid-cycle bleeding is like clockwork. Period on CD32 and midcycle bleeding CD16 for the past 2 months only. Mid-cycle bleeding lasting for about 4 days. That's 2 periods a month. Never had anything like it in all my years of periods. Weird. Feel like I'm personally keeping Tampax in business!! I'm still using the CBFM and today (CD20) showed a stable 2 bars on my monitor. Anyway, hopefully tests will shed some light. Blood test results on Monday so not too long to wait.

Ladygee - I'm not sure if the nutritionist is going to take blood. I think it may be one of the services she offers. Another one they do is to hair to be tested for toxicity. Things like too much copper can affect hormones. I've got to keep a food diary and fill her in on all my medical stuff before the first appointment next month. I'll let you know what goes on / suggestions etc.

Nelly - I use Aveda too and I genuinely do not know where I would be without - smells soooo lovely! I have the uber large bottles, which are expensive but work out cheaper over the long run as you get 4 for 3 and they come with a pump which reduces spillages. I've got long hair and they last for ages. To anyone else paranoid about shampoos, shower gels and other toxic stuff around the house my hubby is massively allergic to loads and loads of products and couldn't even get on with Aveda, so he uses a vegetable oil shampoo by Dax (used to be in Boots but now on the Internet) which is v.cheap and cheerful and contains no nasties at all. It smells lovely too. We also use shower gel by REN (when feeling flush) or Faith in Nature (when economizing). All of our home cleaning is Ecover and we can't use biological washing stuff cos it brings him out in a rash. I only know cos I used to use biological powder and when we first got together he looked like he'd been chemically burnt after staying at mine!!! His mum took me to one side quite early in our relationship to 'inform' me what I could and couldn't use - WTF - the man is 28? I did rather think that he could tell me himself?! Still he is an only child..............

Whatmess - hoping you feel better soon and your infection clears up. I'm no homeopath but is there anything else you could use to help if you don't want to go the antibiotic root/allergic to penicillin? My ML swears by all sorts of natural remedies and even cured DH of whooping cough with homeopathic remedies when he was small. I'm still dubious but might be worth a try?

Oh crap is that the time. Better get on with some work. Hope everyone has a great day xx

lemons I hope that your scan goes okay tomorrow. What is the procedure with IUI, what happens after the scan. Will you not have to take any medication at all?

stasi hello and sorry that you are still having problems with your hands..that sounds weird but you know what I mean!

mess You really aren't having much luck are you? I can't believe that you have an infection on top of everything else you've been through lately. Do you think that it could be related to the fact that they left stitches in you? Hope that you feel better soon.

minnie I'm glad to hear that your appointment went okay. It sounds much like my first appointment many moons ago though I was offered the HSG and no mention of a Hycosy then. I don't really understand the difference.

lisa hello, how are things with you?

princess It is a dilemma the whole lady gardening for doctors appointments thing. I never know what "look" is appropriate for these things. I fear that too much gardening might make me seem a bit porn star but, like you, I'm not sure the 70's Afghan rug/let it all go a bit wild and natural look is much better either!

ladygee I seriously can't believe that your appointment was overlooked. Thank goodness you chased it up. I had a thought yesterday. Are you more fertile in the weeks following IVF treatment? That could well take the title for most stupid question of the thread so sorry if it is stoopid and inappropriate.

MN Klaxon, joycep has just fingered another fruit for crimes against TTC Okay I have never eaten a papaya. I have viewed the suspiciously at the supermarket and am well prepared to believe that they are indeed evil!
I am with you on the trying to dream up money making schemes.
You have my sympathies on the barking MIL front. It is so difficult isn't it. My mum seems to think that it is my duty to just assimilate her right into the heart of mine and DH's life but I have a real issue with doing that and don't want to. In truth I have a lot of repressed anger towards her and believe that because me and my sister weren't the centre of her life when we were children (her social life and boyfriend were much more important) I really don't want to put her wishes above my own now I am an adult with my own life. Obviously the alcoholism is another big issue and makes it difficult to be around her all of the time sometimes. Gah, like you said, families eh!

I am in need to a good slapping with wet fish at this end & need my hands tied together to stop me googling implantation bleeding! I am (not based on temping but on EWCM and ov pain) on 13DPO and CD28. This morning I went to the loo and had a couple of wipes of rust coloured blood which has stopped for now. My brain is racing because my LP is normally at least 16days which would make my AF due on Sunday at the earliest. Since TTC I have never started my period on day 28 (I have had day 29'ers a couple of times but the average is 31 days, sometimes as long as 34days). I also don't feel like my period is imminent. I did have a headache yesterday but apart from that my boobs haven't deflated, I'm not waivering between murderous and a wailing basketcase, I have no period pain, just a poking feeling on the right handside. I am setting myself up for a big fall aren't I?

pout - i never know whether it?s best to encourage each other with the symptom spotting as on the one hand it?s nice to give each other positivity, hope and encouragement but as you said when you have ttc for a long time, doesn?t this just set ourselves up for a fall. I always try and be as negative as possible towards myself in the hope that one day i get a lovely, unexpected surprise.However, I really really REALLY hope that your spotting is implantation bleeding. It sounds very curious. I presume it?s not normal for you? Goodness It would be the best story we have had on here if it is! Have you considered poas with first morning pee? I have found on the odd occasion i have wondered whether something is going on that poas stops the psyching out....even though they were negative, it just stops that wondering and hoping and mentalling....Also as much as your mum is your mum, i think you should definitely put your wishes above hers. Your priority is to have kids right now, needy parents isn?t the way it should be. I have a needy MIL and my mum is the complete opposite, stiff upper lip , just get on with it attitude. Joys of parents!

lady - thank goodness you chased the clinic. I?m glad they were apologetic for the oversight though. Have you thought any more about doing immune tests?

lemon - the dildo camming is not the most enjoyable thing to do and i found i was cringing a lot as she placed a spot light up my area so she could see better but at least it?s not painful! I really hope it works for you.

So to all the Aveda users out there ? is this organic shampoo or something? What is special about it? I have bought some Australian Organics shampoo because I have literally convinced myself that Aussie has been making me infertile.

I am trying to plan what I will say to my GP tomorrow. I have to prepare otherwise i will garble. We can only take one problem in at a time and I do have another issue I would like to discuss with her....I can?t get through the night without going to the loo now and if i don?t i get really bad kidney pain. I wonder how i can wrap this up in the whole ttc issue.

Hope everyone has a nice day.

joycep I have calmed down a bit now and thought things through more sanely & agree that this way only madness & upset lay! DH has come home early from his site visit too and he has basically thrown cold water on the idea that this is anything other than more AF f*wittery! I will just have to wait it out and no doubt AF will do it's thang at some point between now and Sunday!

I was thinking about what you have said about your bladder issues. I don't wish to be a bore about endometriosis but have you researched this in any depth at all? I was surprised to learn that frequent trips to the loo and associated bladder pain can be a sign. I can dig you out some links to some informative websites if you want them.

Oh pout - you are kidding? I didn't thin i had any symptoms of endo! I only get it during the night and not during the day if that helps. Do you have those links? I do want to get a lap anyway just to check that there aren't any obvious things going on inside.
I am glad you have calmed down. Still hoping for you though

Whatmess ? so sorry to hear you?re having such a rough time of it. I hope the check-up tomorrow goes ok.

Lemons ? good luck for your scan tomorrow.

Princess ? hope the blood tests provide some answers for your mid-cycle bleeding

oh pout I?d be mentalling away too if that was me. It sounds intriguing ? I am hopeful for you.

Not stoopid at all to ask about fertility after ivf. I didn?t give it a second thought until my acu lady said that some of the drugs are still lingering around so, if we felt up to it, we should get back to trying naturally this month. Looking online there?s a few stories some evidence to support this. So we?ll see, for now I?m just enjoying our first SWI of the year.

Joycep ? I?m going to see what the clinic says first but I?m certain I want things investigating further before any more IVF. A lap and immunes are top of my list. It seems as though I should have been offered a lap when they discovered a blockage on the HSG. Apparently HSGs are renowned for sending tubes into spasm and they don?t show enough detail to understand what is causing the blockage and whether it can be fixed. I think maybe the reason they went straight to IVF is because DH?s sperm was bad too but now that appears to be greatly improved so I?d be interested to know what they say. I?m also kicking myself for not looking into things more last year. Care, the clinic I went to in Manchester, are supposed to be quite good on reproductive immunology so I?ll give them a call after the appt and take things from there.

I have an ever-growing list of questions for the consultant. I turn into a bumbling wreck in any clinical situation and even wrote myself a little script last time I went to the GP, I seem to get flustered very easily otherwise.

On Aveda, it?s all plant-based products that smell amazing and claim to be environmentally responsible. Australian Organics sounds similar tbh.

Congrats izzy, that is fantastic news . Did you think you were about 5-6 weeks? it's amazing to think you can already see a heartbeat.

Ohhh pout, you never know. I have a feeling this thead is going to get lots of bfps but I know why you don't want to think of that just yet.

Joycep, I have added papayas to the banned list. Not that I have ever eaten one. You do realize that you have the power to make or brake the entire fruit industry?

Mess, sorry you are suffering. An infection sounds nasty.

How frustrating for the clinic to have forgotten you lady gee. Hope you get some answers.

No news here, think I might be post ovulation now.

Hi mrs den.

I make myself a bit over 6weeks due to when I ovulated. Not too worried bout being a bit behind as they haven't actually dated me properly yet. I will get a due date at next scan I think. I'm just glad there's a baby after being told I was miscarrying!!

Still totally in shock!

It's amazing izzy. It's awful that you thought you had lost the baby but I bet it feels like a miracle now. I hope the rest of your pregnancy is stress free.

izzy a heartbeat is great :)

pout finger crossed for implantation bleeding, I had implantation bleeding with both my pregnancies. I'm waiting for AF, she is due today, I've had spotting since Monday, got a BFN this morning :( I'm going to see Dr Shehata privately as I'm not getting on with steroids, not sure what he'll suggest if anything. I've just eaten a massive strawberry tart. On the plus side the acupuncture is really helping with my migraines

whatmess sorry to hear about your infection, I hope it clears up, its the last thing you need right now

Sorry for the lack of personals I don't quite feel myself right now x

Hi ladies, (Warning may be TMI)
The infection is definitely stitch related Pout. Because they didn't dissolve, they allowed an abscess to form around my belly button, then when the nurse took the stitches out, this left a bit of a hole. Not sure about homoeopathy Princess, I know many people swear by it but I am a bit of a cynic, also as the sight alternates from being scabbed over to open and oozing, I'd be too scared to put anything in it in case it made the infection worse. It burst yesterday and so is open at today although the oozing has stopped. Fx it will start to knit together and heal.
Still no sign of ovulation. Ordered some sexy night and underwear to help keep DH and me in the mood . Jaw dropped at the cost. How on earth do they justify charging so much for stuff so non existent? Lord, I sound like my mother .

Surprised at your clinic lady. It really is poor. I am always surprised when they admit these things. I think they should be honest with people, but I sometimes think the ease with which they do so gives the message that we are just another medical case with little to no understanding of what this all means to us.

Just a quickie because DH is literally over my shoulder & has just announced how he "knows my nickname anyway"

joycep I have been through my print outs and the best one for giving a really good overview of symptoms is www.endo-resolved.com/symptoms.html

Hey lovelies

Firstly izzy YAY! Am so so pleased for you, but can?t believe you have had all that worry for nothing. I hope you can start to enjoy it soon.

whatmess sorry you are having such a horrid time, it sounds really ouchy, hope it starts clearing up soon.

lisa am sorry to hear you?re feeling down. The strawberry tart sounds nice though :)

mrsd I love that you have got good feelings about lots of BFPs on this thread.

ladygee an acquaintance of mine, one of the few people I know who?s done IVF, conceived the following month after her failed IVF cycle. She was waiting for her period to turn up to start the next cycle and it didn?t arrive. She had six years unexplained before that! Maybe get shagging Sorry the clinic were being a bit crap, it doesn?t exactly inspire confidence does it. I LOVE the sound of your gran though, she sounds awesome.

pout am quietly hoping for you. It is a little bit oooooh if your cycles are normally so predictable. at the afghan rug, mine?s definitely more that than porn star. And about fruit crimes. Sorry your mum is still causing lots of trouble. She sounds extremely difficult, I think you are right to protect yours and your DH?s relationship in that situation.

princess I?m sorry about your mid cycle bleeding and good luck for the results.

joyce good luck with the GP tomorrow, and I hope you manage to sneak in the kidney question under the radar. Does your GP have an actual policy of one issue per appointment then?

lemons I totally agree about wanting some privacy from the 10-mile radius thing now that you?re starting treatment, I feel the same about if we do IVF. A few people have been asking me about our treatment recently and I am trying to be as vague as possible to avoid giving out specifics.

Waves to gin frannie nelly minipie. mini I wonder if your urine sample was for Chlamydia? Also waves to wine who I saw last night for some cheeky un-TTC friendly cocktails :)

Not much going on here, think I will be ov?ing over the weekend, we are staying with friends both nights so not great timing, might have to do a bit of very quiet SWI?ing.

Evening Ladies,

Sorry to be quite rubbish at posting in the week- work is mad at moment.

Welcome to princesschick, sorry you've had a crappy time. I hope success is just around the corner for you. Have you tried acu? I had quite a lot of mid-cycle bleeding and spotting but found it helped both.

Good luck with the scans tomorrow lemon. Totally understand your range of emotions and yes, feel very lucky too that it's not yet coming at a financial cost- that must add such insult to injury. I think I'll have a million questions for you once you get started, apologies in advance, but what drugs are involved in a clomid free cycle? Do they still give you progesterone?

whatmess- sorry about the nasty infection on top of it all. Only on this thread can infected belly buttons and sexy undies go in the same paragraph! I really need to make more effort to be a sexy wife- when DH and I met I was into extreme waxing and on reflection pretty bloody naff dental floss thongs. Now he has the pleasure of big white knickers and a trim once a month for shag week. Poor man!

pout- I remember reading about your Mum and your wedding and feeling really bad for you. The impact that alcoholism has on everyone around that person is horrendous, particularly the selfishness. You're right that you now need to put your needs first. I echo not wanting to get anyone's hopes up over symptom spotting... but rusty discharge? I'd be POAS tomorrow morning and googling like a good'un!

joycep- Good luck with the GP appointment; my advice would be to just go in with a list. As I mentioned before, it was other symptoms that pushed through my referral quicker rather than length of time ttc. Let's hope you start getting some more help through the NHS.

ladygee- At the risk of being one of those people with their miracle friend story, I know a friend of a friend who got pregnant the cycle after IVF after 4 years trying. I know that's not always helpful but it does give some hope and you always seem like someone who is so good at focusing on the positive!

My auntie's friend told her yesterday that she is pregnant after egg donation, after years of trying. It would have been in the same few days of fatima donating...I know it would be waaaay too much of a coincidence for it to be her eggs but I have just read a book called 'The Two Week Wait' when in a particularly masochistic mood, which has made me believe this could actually happen I just thought it was quite a lovely serendipitous moment to think that someone on this thread has helped someone like this lovely lady!

This is turning into a mammoth post so waves to all missed. Hope you are all having relaxed evenings.

kitty the tart was delicious :) have been to see Dr Shehata tonight and he was lovely and supportive, going to try super ovulation next

Hi everyone

I was planning on catching up but there has been so much! I'll try a little bit.

pout that sounds...interesting on the spotting. As we all know because I share far too much that would just be quite normal for me, but if it's not for you, then I hope it really is what you think it might be! Don't know if that sentence actually made any sense, but I knew what I meant. Hopefully you can interpret too.

Haha at joycep and her fruit crimes! I don't eat papaya too much, or indeed mango. I did have peas in my dinner tonight, but then I also washed it down with a glass of wine, so ner to TTC. I've been so good lately, probably averaging one glass a week, except for the bottle I spread over 3 nights when ERTD arrived. I'll try sobriety for a little longer, as I have to say it's helping my bank balance too!

Hello to those I've not spoken to - new nellie and frannie and princesschick I think? Sorry that you have all ended up here, but welcome to what is an amazingly comforting place.

ladygee I am in that your hospital didn't do a follow up appointment. You sound like you have a bit of a plan in place, though fingers crossed that you don't need it. I guess it makes sense that you might be more fertile after treatment, and lots of hopeful stories posted above.

EEK at the infection whatmess hope you start to feel better soon. I agree, I love the contradictions in the thread - oozing stomachs and lacy knickers

Glad the shoulder is on the mend lemon

OK I have forgotten everything else I wanted to say. Not much happening at this end. ERTD was pretty short this month (48 hours) which was a bit odd. Should probably get shagging! But this month is likely to be out as OH away most of next week.

Sorry for such a rubbish catch up! General waves and hugs to everyone. :)

Evening ladies. How is everyone? What has I missed?

I am back from hols and horribly jetlagged. I will catch up with the end of thread 5 and the first pages of this thread when I have a few hours mins to spare.

My holiday was lovely, despite the fact that I got a stinking cold, my first for almost a year. Typical that after three months of immune suppressing drugs, they have that effect! Interestingly (well, to me) I usually react massively to mozzie bites, getting big swollen areas around 8cm in diameter around them. This has happened for the past few years anyway. This holiday I just got normal mozzie bites. I guess that must have been an immune reaction too. So it does look like the drugs are doing something.

I also got hit on the head by a boat whilst snorkelling and horrendous sunburn on my hands after a bike ride (I stupidly missed them with the sun cream) but despite my various injuries I had a fab time. I mostly forgot about ttc - no MNing, no temping, a lackadaisical attitude towards vits and diet, etc. But I did manage to get a couple of shags in before I oved (very painfuly and unmistakenly) on the journey home. However, despite my best efforts, Mr euro was unwilling to join the mile high club...

I hope you are all ok. Will check in properly after I have caught up with the thread.

Welcome back! That sounds a very interesting holiday . Shame no Mile High club though, Mr Euro was being a bit of a spoilsport

Main things (can't remember when you last posted) was izzy having been told by a rather blunt sonographer, after some bleeding, that she was probably miscarrying. A worrying few days and various blood tests, and in true miracle fashion, another scan has shown ickle bean with heartbeat .

Also a successful IVF cycle for fatima with a fabulous BFP.

lots of ERTDs but we won't mention those

And pout is knicker checking, MrsDen survived having a baby to stay. joycep is plotting the downfall of the fruit and veg industry, er and we are all buying Aveda shampoo, if we don't get duffed, at least we will have amazing hair.

Quite a lot more but I've forgotten.

Morning ladies

joycep any news on how your doctors appointment went? Hope you got somewhere with it.

ladygee It would be amazing if you conceived naturally this cycle. I so felt for you when your treatment didn't end in a BFP for you. I understand totally why you would want to get a full reproductive MOT before going forward with any more IVF rounds. I am a bit confused why this wasn't suggested for you anyway.

mrd at the thought of Joycep single handedly ruining the fruit and veg trade. I expect that the share values of papaya have plummeted since yesterday alone!

izzy I am so pleased that you can finally enjoy your pregnancy a bit more. It seemed so unfair that you went through so much to get your BFP and then had all that worry on top.

lisa Has you AF shown up yet? What is super ovulation? I am liking the sound of that and reckon I could do with a bit of that

mess an abscess, oh cripes. Nasty. Hope you are on the mend soon.
at the cost of new under crackers.

kitty I guess that people knowing when you are having treatment just puts added pressure on things that you don't need. I think that people who haven't experienced this aren't aware that IVF isn't this sure bet miracle treatment and you don't need the added weight of their expectations. I would be inclined to tell people after the event.

frannie I am with you on the big knickers, I definitely choose my undergarments for comfort rather than titillation! My DH drew the line when my mother tried to palm me off with her knickers that didn't fit saying that she "had only worn them once" yuk, yuk, yuk!

nelly at AF weirdness. A two day AF is puzzling. How are you getting on with your wedding plans? Did you decide on a dress yet?

euro welcome back! Glad that you had a good holiday and glad that you made it back (almost) in one piece! at your mile high efforts!

lemons how was your scan yesterday?

Still no sign of proper AF at this end but I am still getting tiny amounts of sludge (sometimes rusty, sometimes almost black - TMI). I have resigned myself to the fact that it isn't anything to get excited about and is just much heavier than normal spotting that has started a wee bit earlier than normal. I feel much more periody today so reckon that proper AF is imminent. Feel a bit of a div for getting so excited yesterday and plastering it all on here like some loon! I'm not bothered about AF coming though because I really want to have my investigations and get my shiny clean womb for my peace of mind going forward

Waves to everyone else.

Morning lovelies,

First scan done, and many more where that one came from, now cd8, follicle of 11-13mm, so insemination next Wed or Thurs (they are monitoring me by more scans). I get ovitrelle as a trigger, frannie which arrived and is sitting on the bottle of gin in the fridge, it makes a nice contrast.

Right over to you lot, any news from knicker-watch pout? I would POAS/IAR nelly with a 48hr ERTD. But nice to have it behind you. Jealous of your cocktails wine and kitty! And good luck with the stealth SWI, kitty! I am quietly wondering whether DH and I are the only one to have no inhibition about shagging with or wihtout intent when at other people's places, we are a bit more quiet when we have friends over at ours but our walls are cardboard like (and I am sure I have heard guests before). Good luck with the superovulation lisa! Good luck with getting some more investigations done lady and with the review appointment next week. And whatever joycep says, I am defiantly eating fruit (and muffins, I discovered the evil scales which made my BMI >25 were broken :) ). Fingers crossed that this thread proves as fertile as you think mrsd. I would love that!!

Right onto some work, as I have wasted too much time waiting around the clinic. Waves to all!!

X-post with pout and especially for you I thought I should mention that I did a bit of a tidy this morning in the shower, thinking of the thread. But I did not go all out, because a) DH would not recognise me and b) I would end up all spotty from the in-grown hairs.

And OMG at whatmess' abcess (how do you spell that?) that sounds NASTY. Hope it gets better soon!

lady* - i hope your clinic can give you some direction. It does seem that we have to all come up with our own plans doesn?t it? I mean really you should have been told to have a lap already by the sounds of it.

mrsd - at me having the power to take down the whole fruit industry! Who needs a baby with that kind of super power.

whatmess - forgot to say i?m sorry about your infection. It sounds horrible, poor you. I hope it clears up.

euro - welcome back! What a wonderful relaxing holiday you have had. That?s interesting to see that the drugs are working. getting hit on the head by a boat doesn?t sound good but i am glad you are alright.

pout - thank you for the link. I have read it and digested it. Pain seems to be one of the biggest factor with endo and I don?t seem to get painful periods now i have changed my diet. The thing is i guess it?s different for everyone but apart from hypoglycaemia and the loo thing i don?t seem to have too many symptoms. I don?t know how you cope with sludge gate. It would drive me demented. i?m still hoping for you Pout.

lisa - i hope super ovulation is the trick. I seem to be seeing those two words a lot on MN. Has it been invented by Dr Shehata?

nelly - hope you?re well. And good on you having peas. I think that shows you?re not totally obsessed like moi!

lemon - hurrah at the little folly. I?m glad all went ok.

So I saw my GP. I never feel very mature when i speak to doctors and whenever i talk about our ttc situation I become very teary and just want to cry. Anyway, she is referring me as apparently i have no time to lose with my declining egg reserve (she could have perhaps referred me a year ago!). And I also had a blood test to check for Rubella immunity. She asked me what i wanted to do and i said i wanted a Lap. She said that I really need to speak to someone who will just re assess everything we have had done and look at the bigger picture. She is referring me to someone who she thinks is very thorough. I did ask for more blood tests but she got quite stern and said that I should just wait for my consultation as they can do all sorts of bloods that she can?t do. I mentioned my shortening cycles, my kidney pain in the morning and she said speak to the consultant. Well, it?s very slow in this area and could take 3-4 months for this referral to come through. And I am not sure that this consultant is really going to reassess everything with a fine tooth comb...is this what any of you have had experience of? I thought people just get sent for ivf?
She then told me that a lot of people she refers end up getting pregnant before their fertility appointment and that really I should put it to the back of my mind. She bloody well told me the same thing a year ago!!

I?ve also noticed that in the last month, I have started becoming like i was last year; really emotionally up and down. I was miserable a few weeks ago and i seem to be going through an angry and bitter phase as well especially at pregnant women in the street and celeb pregnancy announcements too. Not that I say anything but I just feel robbed. I hate being like this and feeling sorry for myself, they?re horrible traits.

Now i have period pains, i think the witch is here but at least i have made it to CD27 which is amazing.

Hello to frannie, wine, gin etc.

Lemons Fx for you for next week.
I haven't a clue, always was a terrible speller. Thank God for modern tech and spell check, although even spell check struggles with my offers occasionally.
Every time I go for a waxing, I swear it will be my last because of the sheer hell when the hairs start to grow back, but somehow I end up going back.

Pout [Grin] at the palmed off Knickers. Takes me back to growing up with a mum who used to buy the same knickers for all three of her girls who were the same size. We had all sorts of ways of working out whose were whose and weirdly, none of them included permanent pens.
Totally get where you are coming from re AF. I felt like this pre-op. The consultant actually said afterwards that I am now in peak condition for baby making. And that is what I keep returning to when I feel low.

Euro Good grief, sounds like quite an adventure. Do you think MrEuro was unwilling to take the risk given your recent erm accomplishments ?

Frannie Dental Floss underwear...Such a distant memory. Not sure I could bear should that be bare the sight myself, let alone allow DH that delightful opportunity.

Belly button looking better today. Hopeful that it is one the mend. Off to Drs this afternoon. Still no sign off +OPK. But then no sign of AF either so, it may still come in the next few days.

Waves to everyone.

Joycep, your gp sounds like she's in the coven. I bet she has 10 children, all easily conceived. I'm sure that if it's a gynae that you've been referred to they will do all that is necessary so it's good news you've finally been referred. I know all about those negative feelings. I'm not in too bad a place currently but I've been there and it's horrid. At the moment I'm in a lost all hope place but somehow it doesn't leave me feeling too bad. All the pregnant women are out with their bumps in the warmer weather, it is amazing how many there are.

Pout, urghh to knicker sharing!

all this talk of trimming and tidying the forest has reminded me that I really should give it some attention. I let it grow wild in the winter. I find all methods of hair removal leave me a bit itchy. And itching own there is not a good thing.

Euro glad your holiday was lovely.

Hi to everyone else, I have to get back to work so I am rushing this post. I promise I will catch up properly soon.

lemons Good news that things are full steam ahead for you. Am giggling at the interesting juxtaposition of gin and TTC meds! at your tidy up! Maybe we ought to start a thread and canvas opinion on what is the appropriate level of tidiness for doctors appointments.

joycep I am so pleased that you have got a referral but am annoyed that this didn't happen for you a year ago. As for whether your gynae will want to repeat tests I don't know. At my last appointment I was lucky in that the consultant was happy not to go over old ground & redo anything (except for repeated bloods) because of the fact that time isn't on our side. She did ask me though to bring copies of old test results when I have my next appointment. Do you have your copies?
I'm so sorry that you are feeling emotionally up and down. It is so bloomin' difficult to deal with long term TTC and I think that the fact that you deal with such extremes of emotion continually throughout a cycle (optimism following ovulation then fading hope during the 2ww and eventually abject disappointment with AF) that inevitably leads to a general see saw of emotions. I too have been struggling with anger over the last couple of months. I described it to DH like some safety valve has blown in me. Perversely the anger has got worse since the relief of having such a productive appointment with the consultant. I wonder whether it was the holding onto the thought of my appointment that was the only thing keeping me together. I can identify with your feelings of being robbed and the bitterness. I feel really hateful and bitter about lots of things that I'm sure has been triggered by the TTC. These feeling are horrible and unattractive like you say but this is a horrible (and unexpected) place to find ourselves. Keep fighting joycep and hold onto the fact that the NHS wheels are in motion for you. We will get there

mess Snort at your mum buying you and your sisters the same knickers Mind you my germ phobic, weirdy (though will happily fish a dog hair out of my tea and continue to drink it but will not share a glass with DH!) ways are a relatively new thing and I probably wouldn't have been too freaked out as a kid by wearing clean knickers that my sister might have worn at some point before me.
It must be comforting being told that you are in peak baby making condition.
FX that this time your belly button heals nicely for you.