Nineteen

Good news! Over the weekend, thanks to the additional injections of Follistim, my follicles grew from 10-14mm to 17.5mm and 19mm! 19mm is the largest I've ever had, so we are encouraged. And while 17.5mm is just on the cusp of being mature, the nurse said that by the time I ovulate, it will have grown a bit. Also, my uterine lining was 13mm and they are looking for a minimum of 7mm. A certain degree of thickness of the uterine lining is required for successful implantation to occur.

The nurse will call us later today. If my estrogen levels are high enough (after a rather painful blood draw from my hand -- ouch!), J will give me an injection of Novarel this afternoon, which will encourage (if not cause) ovulation.

While we were in the waiting room this morning, the woman sitting across from us broke the typical waiting-room-silence and asked how long we have been trying, if we've had any success, etc. She and her husband are dealing with a completely different problem, but it was refreshing to talk to someone that was going through something similar. She has been pregnant twice, but sadly lost both babies.

She told us about a woman she met a few months ago in the office. The woman was Nigerian, and she said that if she doesn't become pregnant soon, her husband will leave her. She said that in her culture, the whole purpose of marriage is to have a family, so if that isn't possible, it's somewhat typical for the man to leave. Imagine! You are going through one of the most difficult, frustrating things you will hopefully ever face, and you have the added anxiety of your husband threatening to leave. My heart just breaks for that woman.