OPK tests are so easy to read

[Writinit]

I have just spent an entire day... staring at my own pee. This whole stupid thing is so humiliating. So... I'm using hospital OPK test strips. When I first started using them, there'd be a dark control line and no test line or only a barely visible test line. This morning there was a dark test line. (last night it was slightly visible, one step above barely visible). But even though it was "dark" it clearly wasn't EXACTLY as dark as the control line. So I called the RE's office and they scheduled me for an IUI tomorrow morning. So... and in the meantime I've tested every 4 hours today and the line gets lighter. and i used the expensive digital test (at 6 pm) and it didnt show a surge. So was there a surge? And I'm so skeptical bc my follicles on saturday were only 16mm at most. So... did I actually ahve a surge? and bc i'm so medicated and i'm not sleeping well, i stopped temping. that of course was a stupid idea. I guess i'm freaked out that i'm having IUI with no egg to be seen.
And I (supposedly) have pcos. So... could I have a false read because of it?
The nurse talked me through all of this and said I should go ahead with the IUI, that later in the day the surge was over so the line was lighter.

I hate all of the guesswork.
Anyway this is just pretty much me venting about how much I hate all of this. Thanks for reading!

[beckyg1001]

Writinit -
You cracked me up with your comment about staring at your pee all day. Don't you just love OPK's? From my experience with using OPK's in conjunction with temping, the test line must always be AT LEAST as dark as the control like to be considered a surge. I, like you, have PCOS (supposedly) and usually have a visible test line, sometimes part of it on the edges of the test line are as dark as the control line. But I never actually, truly surge until the test is exactly the same darkness or darker than the control line. I guess you should still go in to have the IUI since the nurse feels that you should. Would you be able to do a second IUI in a few days if you get a surge later?

I hope this helps.

[BC-Maura]

Hi there: Do you happen to know how fast follicles grow? I can't remember! From what you've described, it doesn't sound like you've surged yet, but then again, it's possible to miss a surge with OPKs. Is there anyway you can do an u/s before the IUI to make sure there's a follicle ready to go? If not, I would press the RE about why they think you should do the IUI now, in the absence of a ++OPK.

What cd are you now, btw?

Sorry that you're in OPK limbo! Best of luck and let us know how tomorrow goes+++++++++++
Maura

[Writinit]

Thanks guys. I know I'm the patient that is driving all of those nurses to drink. I know they think I'm crazy. But I'm paying them buttloads of money so I just can't worry about it. So I made them do an ultrasound this morning and there was one mature follicle. So she said we should go ahead with the iui. So we did it. And in the meantime I tested with OPK again and again there's faint to no line. So I did have a "somewhat surge". It's an expensive gamble. If this doesn't work, then next time I will make them give me a trigger shot. Will there be a next time? Of course. It's my body, after all!

Thanks for the support. I'm trying to "think fertile thoughts" as they told me.

This was cd19 for me (1st round of meds no response, just finished round of 150 clomid + metformin).

Do some people surge and not ovulate? This whole process makes me feel like such an idiot.

thanks again guys!

[lsmariev]

Good luck Writinit!!!!!!!