Clomid is an evil, evil wench

I'm not "officially" out yet, but my temperature dropped this morning over 0.6 degrees to my coverline.  That was probably only meaningful to like two people reading this.  Translation:  period is coming and coming fast.

I was noting to T all through this last week that it wasn't successful as I was having no symptoms at all.  He would be quick to remind me that early pregnancy symptoms (i.e. before a positive test) could be a bunch of hogwash, which is certainly true.  But I still figure I'd feel something.

Then yesterday, my body went a little crazy.  (This is where we enter the "too much information" section of the blog.  Move along if you don't want to hear about my boobs being on fire.)

I'll step back and note that I really don't get PMS symptoms.  Maybe a little cranky one day, but I'll get some very specific cramping about 12 hours before my period starts.  I'll maybe get some shooting pains in my boobs a day or so before.  Then once it actually starts, I'll have more generalized cramping for about an hour.  Then I'm on my merry way.

So yesterday, day of boobs being on fire, made me start thinking something was HAPPENING.  Hmmm...I thought...here is the "different" I was searching for.  I also had crazy itchy nipples, which I NEVER have, along with that generalized cramping I get normally after the period starts.  At this point in our "journey", I have definitely learned to not get ahead of myself, so off to the googles I went.

In all my preparation with Clomid, I read extensively about side effects while you were actually taking it early in the cycle.  I didn't read about (nor knew about) the impacts it can actually have on your PMS.

Boobs on fire?  Quote from random girl on internet:  "I never had sore breasts in PMS.   But with Clomid, I almost wanted them to fall off to just leave me alone."

Itchy nipples?  Whole post on one of  my websites entitled "Clomid sore and itchy nipples 2ww" with multiple respondents.

Crazy cramps?  Chalk up to Clomid as well.

So my moment of hope only lasted about 10 minutes.  I actually had a visual of the Clomid witch running away cackling while I chased her with a raygun powered by the Google engine.  God bless the interwebs.

The docs do test my ovulation after Clomid by taking a blood sample about seven days after the supposed ovulation.  They want to see the measurement (of progesterone) over 15 which simply means you ovulated.  Mine was 44.  I ovulate like a boss.

We're trying this one more time, but then I'm done with this IUI crap.  It's time to pull out the big guns of IVF again.  We'll probably end up exactly where we are now, but it definitely won't be without a fight.  Plus I've decided I like shots better than Clomid crazy as it sounds. 

Now I'm going to concentrate on the positive side of not being pregnant:  drinking.  We're going to St. Louis this weekend to watch the Cards crush the Cubs with my parents (my husband is a Cubs fan - ha!).  $9 beers for all.  And next weekend we have tickets to a dinner at a new brewery opening in town -- multiple courses paired with local beers.   I'm happy.  I like beer.  Life will be just peachy these next few weeks (and that was not sarcasm).  Have a good weekend yourself!