This is why I don't believe in magic.

So, while everything appeared to line up this last month with getting all the fertility treatments done in a narrow window of time, the egg + sperm were NOT one of those things that lined up according to plan.

Another month of big fat negative.  I think this picture is rather humorous.  I, of course, had a "helper" with me at 4am while I was doing my test 14 days post I.U.I and I believe she is smirking in this photo...saying, "ha-ha, we're going to be the only kids you're going to have!  4-legged ones are the best!"  (Or, in Delilah's case here, 3-legged :-)

It's been 12 months now that we've been trying.  4 months since starting fertility treatments and 2 cycles of I.U.I.  Sigh.  It really does wear on me both emotionally and physically.  I thought I had gotten a urinary tract infection from the last I.U.I since I was having these miserable bladder symptoms (peeing every hour, never feeling like I was done with horrible lower abdomen discomfort...) turns out that *this* was rolling around in my bladder and causing the irritation.  Ugh!

I really need to commit to drinking more water since I've had kidney stones 3 times now and this is the second time with an extremely irritating bladder stone.  I think I'm going to put myself on SO.  (Veterinary urinary diet for animals with or susceptible to stones. :-)

Since I'm JUST now feeling better after a weeks + time of bladder misery, I'm just *not* really in the mood for lots of foreign objects up around in there. I think I'm going to shake things up a little bit.  Randy and I talked and I think I'm going to go forth with the hysterosalpingogram (yeah, even I had to look that one up!)  The"hsg" is an x-ray test that takes a picture after dye has filled the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes. The picture will reveal any abnormalities of the uterus as well as tubal problems such as blockage and dilation. Sometimes forcing dye through the tube will dislodge any material which blocks it. A number of women have become pregnant following a hysterosalpingogram without further treatment.  I wouldn't start placing your bets yet.

Following this procedure, I'm taking this month off from fertility drugs and I.U.I.  I'm going to start acupuncture and take some deep breaths and a little focus off of trying, trying, trying. I'll keep you posted as new events unfold.