Ovulating or Not?

Having a TVS (transvaginal sonogram) according to the cycle day when you are most probably nearing ovulation is like waiting for a falling star. You don't know when it will happen and if it does, you should be able to watch it. Last year, I always have it after taking the ovulating drug Clomid. It's stressful, not to mention, expensive.

Sister Regina asked me to have this ultrasound to see if the herbal tea and acupuncture made its wonders to my reproductive organs. The goal is to see a big and round egg in one of my ovaries.

Based on my BBT chart in the previous months, I usually ovulate on cycle day 18 or 19. I have to have TVS before these days. I decided to go to Dra. Aguilar on cycle day 17. However, in this cycle, it seems I will be ovulating earlier than that. I have noticed changes that lead to ovulation, days earlier than the previous months that I experienced them. I thought that maybe I would be ovulating on cycle day 16. So I went to Friendly Care on cycle day 15.

Before, I usually go to the clinic during lunch time to be listed as a patient, go back to the office to work for a couple of hours, then go back to the clinic just in time for my appointment. I don't know what came over me but instead of doing that, I thought of lessening wasting time going to and fro the clinic by asking for an undertime instead. I planned to take a few hours off to have me listed in the clinic and just wait for Dra. Aguilar. Usually, Dra. Aguilar is still in the clinic at 3pm. When I arrived at Friendly Care at 3:30, I was disappointed to know that she has already left! The horror!

I left the clinic disappointed and blaming myself for not calling first to check if Dra. is still in the clinic. I should have left the office earlier. I should have just went during lunch for the listing. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

Her next schedule falls on my cycle day 17. I don't know what to wish for. Do I wish that my ovulation can wait till that day? Do I wish that I read my BBT chart wrong? Have I mistaken noticing changes in my body? Should I just skip having TVS and believe my BBT chart which is telling me that I am ovulating? Ovulation. You are such an elusive fella.

Having the TVS seems like a closure for me. The result will tell me if the alternative treatment I'm undergoing is working or not. I feel that it is but I have to be medically sure. But it's just stressful for me!

Update: My BBT is 97.6F this morning. This means I have ovulated. :) Do I still need to have medical evidence of this?

Evil Envy Strikes Again

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Last year when my husband and I started seeing a fertility specialist, one of the doctor's patients were husband and wife who were both my batchmate in high school. Being an awkward person in such situations, I tried not to notice them in the small waiting area as much as possible. That's just me. I'm socially inept when it comes to people I've known in the past. Also, I'm insecure of seeing a fertility specialist. Though I knew they were there for the same reason as we did, I just avoided the chance to open up the issue and make small talk about it with them. Good thing Hubby is the more social one when we're in the province, he and the husband was the one who chat.

The reason of the title. Hubby and I decided to stop in the meantime the fertility workup due to stress and he would be starting his contract overseas. A month or so after that, I saw on Facebook that the couple was able to get pregnant! I admit, I was saddened and envious of this. I shouldn't feel that way, I know, but that was the truth. I told myself to be happy for the couple, they've been married longer than us and like most couples, they also deserve to have a baby. I should be happy. I was sad for a few days.

Now, I saw pictures of the wife with her big tummy. If my calculation is correct, this is her due month. I can't help but think that if I was able to get pregnant at that time we were seeing the fertility doctor last year, I also will have a big tummy now, awaiting my baby's birth anytime soon.

Alas, it's not supposed to be and I have to not think about it. God has a different plan for Hubby and I and I shouldn't compare myself to her. I must be joyful for her baby's birth and not be envious of it. I, too, will have my time soon.

Yoga Mat Spray

Starting to do yoga again made me wash my mat after two years (yikes!).

After washing my mat with a mild detergent, I searched on ways how to clean my mat after every use.

I learned that a few drops of tea trea, lavender and peppermint oils in distilled water does the trick. Put this mixture in a spray bottle and viola! Instant, natural and cheap yoga mat spray.

Zumba!

The class before yoga is Zumba. I was able to watch the class and wanted to join next time!

Zumba - a Latin-inspired dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia during the 1990s. Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba involves following the music with repetitive movements. Zumba's choreography incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance moves.*

The following week, I went to the gym to join the Zumba class. There were many students, mostly ladies. Being a shy first-timer, I positioned myself at the back of the class. Should I make a fool of myslef for not being able to follow the routine, only a few people would know. :)

As the class started and the instructor danced in front, I was smiling. A big smile! I like this! I want this dancing as exercise. I like dancing and the last time I danced was...hmmm...I can't even remember! As I followed the instructor's steps, I was smiling the whole time. I can't help it.

To watch a video of Zumba, you can check this out on Youtube.

*Wikipedia

10th Acupuncture + 3rd HPV Shot

This is the day of my 10th acupuncture and the third (last) HPV shot.

I first went to Friendly Care to be listed as one of Dra. Aguilar's many patients that day. I'm #12. After the nurse checked my blood pressure and weight, processed my health card, I was free to wait for Dra. or come back later. Coming back later is more productive than waiting since I can do my other errands, such as my acupuncture. :)
I arrived 20 minutes before the acupuncture clinic hours and was immediately ushered to cubicle 1. Seems like a not-so-busy day today unlike my 9th session.

Sister Regina came in the cubicle after a few minutes. She read my chart and asked about the usual stuff (cycle, herbal medicine, arrival of husband, etc.). She told me to have a TVS (transvaginal sonogram) on day 11 or 16 on my next cycle. She will be leaving the country and won't be back till August 21. If my ultrasound still is not OK (I didn't ovulate for the cycle), I can still come to the clinic. Another nun can help me. I do pray my ultrasound will be OK.

As I lay there after Sister Regina inserted the needles, I counted the approximate date days 11 and 16 will be on my next cycle. I guessed about the first week of August, maybe on my birthday even. :)

I used the deep breathing patterns used during yoga class to relax my mind. Deep inhalation. Deep exhalation. I tried not to think about anything aside from my breath. Why is it when you want to clear your mind, tons of things come into your head instead? Try as I may to relax and meditate, ideas come to my head. But after a few minutes, I fell asleep, which is what I want during acupuncture.

I woke up and waited for one of Sister Regina's assistants. None came. I wonder if I just slept for a few minutes even if I felt I slept a good 20 minutes or so. I don't have a watch so I'm not sure how many minutes has passed. At last an assistant came and removed the needles. I glanced at the clinic's clock and my session lasted for 45 minutes. :)

3rd HPV shot

I went back to Friendly Care to have my third and last HPV shot. Yoohoo! When I came to Dra. Aguilar's clinic, she was already in and was with patient #10. Good. Only a few minutes of waiting.

When I went inside Dra. Aguilar's clinic, she said it has been a long time (last time I went was April) and finally, I'm graduating with my HPV shots. The vaccine was given quick with a bit pinch on my left arm.

As she was removing the sticker on the vaccine's box to put on my file, I was debating in my head whether to tell her about taking the herbal medicines of Sister Regina. Call me coward but I wasn't able to muster the courage to tell her. I'm shy, I guess. I know she has nothing against acupuncture, but still I went mute.

Coins for Nails

Last year before Hubby left to work overseas, he made a savings container from a sunglass case. On top, he put a note which says: COINS FOR NAILS. "Nails" here means the nails to be used in the construction of our house. The money we will be able to save here will be put in our savings account for the house.

I only put P10 coins in this pseudo-piggy bank. Whenever I get P10 coins as change, I put them in it when I get home. It seems second nature to me to keep the coins and put them in the piggy bank. Now, it's nearly full! Wonder how much is in it?

Solgar Folic Acid

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I'm starting to take folic acid today. Bought mine at Healthy Options for less than P200.

Herbal Tea The Second

The second prescription of herbal medicine from Sister Regina comes in a similar container as the first. I should take this the same way I took the first. I double-checked with the assistant if it is different since they look the same to me.

Here are the ingredients written at the label:
Radix Rehmanniae preprata
Radix Paeoniae alba
Radix Angelicae sinensis
Rhizoma Chuanxiong

From what I gather, these herbs promote blood circulation, regulate menstruation among other things.

I boiled a cup of water and put 8 scoops of the herbal medicine. This medicine is darker in color, and the water turned blackish brown after putting it. The smell, ugh! It smells like incense! I waited for about 15 minutes to cool this concoction and drank it little by little. It tastes like the ashes of burnt wood! Just when my tongue is familiarized to the taste of the first herbs, now, I have to do the same to this.

If my calculation is correct, 200g of this medicine is equal to 18 cups. I can finish this in 9 days. AJA!

9th Acupuncture

Tropical storm Falcon ravaged the country the day before my appointment with my acupuncturist Sister Regina. I was deciding whether to go to the clinic or not. Rains poured incessantly during the night, I feared that flood will enter my apartment (as what happened in the Ondoy devastation in '09), I wasn't able to sleep well despite the cool temperature.

Good thing the sky cleared up the next day.

I left the apartment earlier than usual for my appointment. I alloted much time in case the sky brings rain again, unexpected traffic due to flood, etc. This worrying was no use since I got to the clinic an hour before my appointment. Good thing, the clinic is open and Sister Regina's assistants are there.

Patient #1! Woohoo!

I sit on a chair inside my cubicle. Outside I hear other patients talking with each other, some in Chinese and some in Tagalog. I open my book, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, as I wait on Sister Regina. After a 10 minutes or so, Sister came inside the cubicle.

After the usual preliminaries, she asks me to lie down. As she is inserting needles in my head, she tells me about her patient who had a severe case. This patient does not have menstration if she does not take pills. She can have one year without her period. Before her wedding, she underwent acupuncture also to prepare her body for future conception. They got married, the husband left the country (he's a seaman) and she got pregnant. But, it was an ectopic pregnancy. They are now working up again.

This story makes me feel happy but I feel a bit worried at the same time. Ectopic pregnancy?! I didn't worry about ectopic pregnancy before this but now, I sometimes do. Blame it on my worrier gene.

I tell Sister that I have about two cups worth of herbal tea left. She says I should finish it and she'll give me another type of herbal medicine. By next cycle, I should have an ultrasound and see that my follicles are big and round. Note that she says "see that" not "if". She's positive acupuncture combined with the herbal medicine will do wonders to my polycystic ovaries. I do hope so!