well, our first IUI was very frustrating, the whole day sucked!
Once we were given the all clear (bloodwork, consents, etc)
our practice told me to buy a digital ovulation kit, which I've never used. Wow, those things are so much better than the cheapie ones I had been using (from target, 20 strips for less than $20). I tested on both, just to see if I needed to spring for the pricier one($40 for one month), the next IUI, and got a positive on the digital with the strip barely showing a color change.
Anyway, I called our practice to schedule the IUI for the next day. (I was a little disappointed, as I'd made plans with 4 other local moms to go to sandy point beach for the day, and had to cancel. )
It was a Sunday, so they are only answering phones for 1 hour(stress). I got my appointment and was told to have Mr. S 'collect' in a sterile cup at home, bring it in, and I'd go in 1.5 hours later. I told the nurse we didn't have a sterile cup, turns out they were supposed to give us one when we signed the consents. UGH. (when we did IUI's 4 years ago we were at a different clinic which had Mr S collect on site) she said, "Go to any CVS."
And then we both promptly forgot about it.
I remembered at 840 pm(as Mr S. was saying goodnight to Acorn) and he went out at 9 to find one. Well, that didn't work out, neither CVS or Giant had sterile cups. We improvised with the only sterile container in the house... a breastmilk bag!
So, Mr S drove in on Monday morning, and was told he didn't have an appointment(he did) and then told they wouldn't accept the container. No surprise, but aggravating. He was told to go collect more, but as he'd just abstained the recommended 4 days, didn't feel there'd be any left.
He came home very demoralized.
He said, "Let's just cancel, and maybe move straight to donor s."
I snapped back, "No, who knows how often I am ovulating, we're doing it!"
He was like, "I don't know if anything will come out."
Me: "We have to try, I've been so anxious about this."
Him: "I am anxious/upset every day about this GD genetic disease."
Well, that shut me up, he rarely gets visibly upset.
So, long story short, I said, "I want you to try, it is up to you."
Our RE called to apologize for the appt. error and ask us what we wanted to do. She had already called the week before to suggest we not try IUI, as DH's numbers were so poor(combined with my age, she said less than 5% chance of success) but I said, "We said we'd do this once, so we will." She suggested we go buy some cryo sperm, but I was determined we'd try with Mr. S's one time.
So, we got an appt. for 3 hours later, and Clove 'collected' again while Acorn and I read books upstairs. We dropped her at MIL's and drove to the appt.
An hour later, they said they were ready for me, and to undress. I said, "can I just pull up my skirt?" they said yes.
"The Doctor will be in in about 5 minutes."
Then we waited ANOTHER HOUR! (those tables are uncomfortable, and we were hungry)
Our RE had an appt. that went over by 45 minutes b/c they had an interpreter.
She came in and sadly said, "There were only 200,000 motile." We weren't surprised(average for IUI is 10-50 million, for comparison's sake).
Anyway, she inserted the catheter and said, "well you are definitely about to ovulate."
and we were done.
It was so fast that after we left Mr S was like, "she could have gone for a drink of water during her other appt and gotten this done."
He was fed up with them, esp. that they had no record of our appointments that morning.
But, in general, we both felt better, for trying.
We knew it was a long shot, but it seemed defeatist not to try.
