Perhaps I should quit reading

The internet, not books (I will never give up my books!). Last month, after my BFN, I read on a board where after a failed IVF cycle, your chances of getting KU go up as your body is still full of hormones. So I had this hope in my heart.

Yesterday it was crushed.

I told Hubby yesterday that I think it would be easier on me mentally if I were to just get a hysterectomy so that I don't have to go through this each and every month, wondering if I'll be "blessed" or get an "oops." If I did have a hysterectomy, there'd be no more wondering. There'd be no more false hope. There'd be no more recovering from the let down.

I don't see us continuing down this path any longer. Unless we win the lottery, it's just not going to happen.

The new lube

I was reading an article on WebMD on "8 Ways to Boost Your Fertility." It had some things that a newbie to TTC would find helpful, but for those like me who have already dug into the IVF trenches might not find that helpful. However, #7 was very interesting. See below:

7. His & Her Fertility Booster: Check That Lubricant

With more frequent intercourse, couples may turn more to vaginal lubricants. That's OK, doctors concur, if the lubes are picked wisely.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, some lubricants can actually decrease fertility. That's because some have spermicides.

What to use? "Canola oil," says Gibbons.

"Even peanut oil is good," says McClure. It's crucial, he says, to avoid lubricant with spermicidal agents.

Impromptu household lubes may not be good either, he says. "I had a patient yesterday with a great [sperm] count and no motility [swimming ability]," McClure says. When he asked a few more questions, he got the root of the problem. "He was using soap for a lubricant." So he informed the patient, "Soap killed the sperm."

You also want to avoid commercially available water-based lubricants. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, commercially available water-based lubricants, such as Astroglide, KY Jelly, and Touch may inhibit sperm motility by 60% to 100% within 60 minutes of incubation. Canola oil, however, did not have the same effect.

The studies comparing lubricants have been published over the years in a variety of journals, including Human Reproduction and Fertility and Sterility.

We used to use PreSeed, but have ran out of it. We sometimes will use an oil based lube from Kama Sutra (sp?) but have been concerned if it was keeping the little guys from getting where they need to be. Plus it's expensive, close to $20 for a little 4 ounce bottle (though it tastes good).

Maybe I'll just keep me a little bottle of Kroger's canola oil by the bed for future use.

Weekend review

We had a nice three day weekend. Friday, we went up to Colorado Springs to take my car for its maintenance to the Sa.turn dealership since the one here in town closed. We then headed up the hill to Cripple Creek to try our hands at the higher stakes and new games, Roulette and Craps. I still played the penny slots, but Hubby played the Roulette and three card poker. I ended up spending only about $90 for the day, which isn't too bad.

Saturday, we went over to Hubby's aunt and uncle's house for lunch. Then we came back to our house where we catered for my family. Two nice meals in one day. We shot off fireworks without having to worry about anything catching on fire since it had rained most of the day.

Sunday we went to the reservoir to celebrate Hubby's niece's 17th birthday. We were only there an hour before the heavy rainstorm drove everyone away. Which was good, because I couldn't handle watching the two-week old infant being passed around to everyone. One lady (the grandma I think) asked me if I wanted to see the baby. I tried to say no, something about it sleeping, but she still got the kid up to show off. Thank God she didn't ask if I wanted to hold him.

We saw some white tail deer last evening when we headed out to see Hubby's parents. Normally, mule deer hang out in this area of the state, so it was a treat to see the white tails. Three bucks and one doe.

I got good news today. I'm getting most of what I paid to my RE back because my insurance ended up covering more than I thought it would. My credit card will appreciate that.

What part of "NO" don't they understand?

The idiots who tried to pass this bill last year are up to their old tricks again. What part of the almost 73% NO votes didn't they understand? I want to take these people out behind the barn and knock some sense into them. Ugh.

Coloradoans, if you get approached to sign a petition for this, please tell them HELL NO!

The importance of paper work

In my job as an insurance agent, I often tell my clients' employees that they need to make sure that they have a will in place that not only dictates what they want done with their stuff, but also what their wishes are for their children.

Case in point, this article.

From what I've read, MJ did not have a will (or if he does, it hasn't been disclosed yet). But the question is, who is going to care for his children? Or, you can ask yourself (if you are one of the fortunate ones who have children) what will happen to your children if you pass away before they turn 18?

Wills (and trusts) are so important to establish when you become a parent. You need to be the one who selects who is going to care for your children upon your passing. If you don't have the best relationship with your parents (or your in-laws), do you want them to be assigned the job? What if you have no close relations? Do you want the state to decide what to do with your kids?

So please, if you take anything from MJ's passing, take this: be proactive in who will be the ones responsible for your children when you no longer can be.

Bathroom remodel project

We're finally getting on the ball for remodeling our bathroom. Hubby has stripped all the stuff off the walls. We've got someone coming in a couple weeks to rip out the carpet and lay the new tile which we purchased at Lowe's yesterday. It's a classic marble gray, really pretty. I think it will look good with the soft gray walls and the raspberry tub/toilet/sink that are in there now.

We were in Lowe's for 1.5 hours last evening, picking out everything and getting an appliance ordered. We're able to take advantage of the 12 months same as cash financing program that they have, which is great. We normally do one project at a time, get it paid off in six to twelve months, then start on the next project. That's how we've been able to get a new washer/dryer, refrigerator, windows, and sod. We take on one major project a summer or winter following this strategy.

Tonight I'll take some "before" pictures of the bathroom, although they won't be actual before pictures, since we've already removed the towel bars, the mirror and the medicine cabinet. But you'll get to see the really ugly yucky carpet and the old paint, then when we get everything done, I'll post the after pictures.

The thing I'm looking forward to most is just getting rid of that carpet. The toilet overflowed a couple of weeks ago, and despite the fact that we dried it using fans, it's just unpleasant smelling.

In other IF news, I'm hoping we can take advantage of my ovulation this month, in that I've heard that leftover meds in the system after a failed IVF can still produce an egg or two. We'll see how it goes.

My men can dance!

I really hope this link works so you can see how well my Hubby (with the goatee), BIL (scruffy looking) and FIL (clean shaved) can dance a jig.

I can't stop laughing!