French precision

I had to go to the lab this morning to get my blood drawn for an estradiol level check. If it would be below 500 pg/ml I would have to get a HCG booster shot... With IVF#1 my level was well above that (1982), but this time I wasn't so sure, as my boobs are still not sore (which starts freaking me out - to me this is the early sign of pregnancy, I had it with #1, but so far nothing this time). I first thought that if the level would be below 500, the chance of being pregnant would be about zero, but luckily, when I went through old emails I exchanged with a friend, I found out that she did have the hcg booster shot, and she had a successful pregnancy, so that eased my mind a bit.

It was very busy at the lab and the ladies were there usual charming self... I asked them at what time I could call for the results - important as if the level would indeed be below 500, I would have to go to the pharmacy to get the meds and then try to contact a nurse to give me the shot - they told me 3 pm.

So I called around 3:10 pm. "Are you sure the results would be ready at this time?" Yes, I asked this morning and you told me to call at 3... "Well, but normally we don't have the results before 4 pm". You told me to call at 3 pm, and I need to get this stuff sorted if my level is too low... After a few rounds of stupid music she finally came back to me to say that my level was above 1000. So no booster shot needed.

When I picked up my son at the nanny's around 5:30 pm I went by the lab to get the results (on paper this time). When she told me over the phone "over 1000" I assumed they hadn't completely finished testing or something and that the final number would be on the paper. No... the paper also says "> 1000". WFT? They can't give me a freaking number? I mean, it doesn't really matter, because it's over 500, so I don't need the shot, but come on, with IVF#1 they were able to give me an exact number, why not this time? You might wonder why I didn't ask them - well, she gave me the results in an envelope and I didn't open it until I was in the elevator on my way down again. As this was a tiny elevator, my son was freaking out (is afraid in small elevators since we almost got stuck in one a few weeks ago), so I didn't feel like going up again.

I'm really getting a bit fed up with this lab. This morning they also asked me twice what the date of my last period was. I told them, but I also said that it wasn't relevant, since I had a long IVF protocol... I'd prefer to have these IVF-related tests done at the clinic's lab - at least they don't ask stupid questions (like for the vaginal exam where the lab near my house manages to ask why I need this test done - do I have a yeast infection?) and they have their results a lot quicker than this lab. But the downside is that it's 30-45 minutes away by bus and metro while this other one is a 15-minute walk...

Anyway... I guess I'm happy that I didn't need the booster shot. Things seem to go OK inside me, at least as far as the lining is concerned... Still feeling bloated, slightly crampy sometimes, but not as much as last week, having night sweats and crazy dreams (but why don't my boobs hurt? - I googled a bit, apparently some women do have sore boobs with one pregnancy and not with the next. Hmm, ok, I hope I'm one of them then!). One more week until beta.