OPK

OPK is what those in the know call the Ovulation Predictor Kit that is supposed to tell you when your most fertile time is. You can buy one of these kits at any drug store and if you follow the directions on the box, they're simple enough to use. Test your urine every morning starting on day 11 and when the test line is as dark as the control line you know it's time to have sex. But that would be too easy. If you're really serious about trying to get pregnant you have to scrap the box directions and instead test your second morning urine starting on day 11. This gives you your baseline negative result. When the test line is just slightly darker than it was the day before you call the office and they schedule your IUI for the next day. First of all, who pees twice before 7:30 anyway? I have to set my alarm early just so I can pee once and try to go back to sleep so I don't have to do the test at work. Second, how am I supposed to remember how faint the line was the day before? I guess I could keep a shelf full of the weeks OPKs laying around, but that's just gross. I just do the best I can. It's on my mind today because I think I had a positive OPK this morning, but they gave me the HCG injection to stimulate ovulation just in case, since I have to get the IUI tomorrow anyway (I'm going out of town Thur, so was in a bit of a time crunch).

As for the ultrasound, well...not so great. The two follicles on the right were still too small, but the one on the left looked good, 21 mm. That's unfortunately the side where my tube is blocked, so it doesn't look promising. My doctor said Clomid is just not the drug for me and she would recommend moving to IVF at this point. That's a big step. I think I'll need some time to process the whole thing, and save up a bit (IVF runs around $11,000/cycle). My doctor "owes" me an IUI at no charge (long story), so that's really the only reason we're even doing it tomorrow. It's a long shot, but why not.