Asking the experts....

OK ladies...give me your opinions here.  I know all the experience here outweighs some idiots in this world.

My LMP started on 9/10/2009.  I took Femora during this cycle (can't remember how many mg but it was not 50...it was 100 or 150 I think?).  DH returned from Egypt on 9/21/2009,and we BD every other night through CD 17...and on CD 18 I began my 3x a day progesterone (Endometrin 100 mg tablets, vaginally).  I have a very regular 30/31 day cycle.  Yesterday (CD33) I used an Indonesian pg test and it was negative.  I went to the med unit at work and did one of their pg tests....negative.  I asked the dr to do blood work....which brings me to a mini rant here.

(consider this a commercial break...then I'll go back to my questions)....

MINI RANT:  Why can't people stick to THEIR jobs and mind their business?  I did the urine pg test in the med unit, negative as mentioned above...then the dr went w/me to the lab (about 10 feet up the hall) and asked the lab tech to do the blood test.  He stood there questioning WHY they should do a blood test, because the urine tests are so accurate that if it's negative, then obviously it's NEGATIVE.  Um...EXCUSE ME.....is he the ******g dr?!  How about doing the blood test because it's your job?  How about the fact that during my LAST pregnancy, the urine test was NEGATIVE and the blood test was POSITIVE?!  When he has his fulll blown medical degree....then he can open his mouth and question the dr and what she's asking for...in the meantime...just do your job....period.

OK...I feel (slightly) better now.  End of mini-rant/commercial break...

Now for my question(s)....if I am normally as regular as clock work...and now have NO SIGN of AF coming (not that I normally have 'symptoms,' she just shows up)...two urine tests say negative...and of course the blood test results didn't come back today (despite the fact I went in at 8:30 a.m. so there'd be time to get them back today), so I have no idea what the results are.  Does any one else have any suggestions on what's up?  I know it's been suggested from my last pg to stop the progesterone after the negative tests...but I don't want to do that since the last time, I actually was pg...and my dr here had told me to keep taking the estrogen/progesterone ****tail until AF showed up, indicating that it would come as usual.  I would hazard a very uneducated guess that because I'm not taking JUST progesterone, but progesterone AND estrogen, that maybe that's why I'm different?  Of course my mind is coming up w/every doom and gloom it can...thinking that if the HCG shows pg...but it's not 'high' enough to trigger the urine tests (ie, supposedly according to the BF up above, +25 hcg), but it shows up in the blood work, would the low # mean it'd be another mc?  I don't know if I'm pg right now or not...but just find it unusual that AF hasn't come by now.  I'm feeling fine - tired to a certain extent, but that's normal considering I always go to bed late, get up early....some foods taste funny to me - bitter tasting - and don't know what's up with that - I chalk all those type things up to wishful thinking..  Hopefully I'll know tomorrow when I go to work what the blood tests said.

What's the latest you'd get a positive pg tests after ovulation and still have a viable pregnancy?  ie...I should be 18DPO...so is it possible to still have a good chance at being pg with a growing baby and it not show up yet? Knowing that I'm normally like clock work?  Now that I'm thinking about it...is Femora one of the drugs that can delay the 'normal' ovulation time and we just missed it all together by assuming it was going to happen around my 'normal' time?  and I assume if it delays ovulation, it would delay AF if it was negative?  I didn't temp this month...don't know why or have an excuse...So sort of just tried to pay attention to the dates and cervical position - not that I'm in any way shape or form an expert on that!  - and enjoy time w/DH.

Sigh...anyways...I'll post tomorrow morning my time (it's 11:15 p.m. right now...I need to get to bed!) - assuming the results are back - and let you know what's up.

Thanks....

My PCP puts NO faith in urine tests for me since it was neg and blood test was positive. I should say it's just for me he has no faith in them. I know someone that was 6 months preggers and couldn't get a pos on a HPT. Good luck!

Thanks Kathy.  This time the blood work confirmed the urine test as negative...apparently the progesterone was stopping AF from coming.  Last time is the only time I was pg that the urine test was negative and the blood test positive, so at least I know it's not a normal occurrence for me...but I'll probably still have the blood test done at the end of each cycle AF doesn't come on time just to confirm a negative before stopping the meds.

How are you doing?

Eh, been better. I am freezing here. That's about it. Glad to see the results.

Hi Holly.  Positive blood tests after a negative urine test are rare, unless you are REALLY early.

At any rate, how did you confirm ovulation?  Was this your first cycle on Femara?  If you didn't confirm O with a temp or dried up CM or OPKs, it is possible that you didn't O by CD 18 when you started the progesterone.  That is a pretty decent dose of progesterone, too.  If you hadn't really O'ed by the time you started that, the progesterone could have delayed O or not make you O altogether.  Progesterone is a great thing, but it is counter-productive if taken too early.

My best guess, however, is that you are one of the women who doesn't get their period until they stop the progesterone.  I am one of these women, as well (as well as countless others on FF).  Most REs here in the states have you only take progesterone until 14 DPO and if you test negative, stop...as it could delay AF.  My guess is that is what is happening here.

Good luck!

Thanks Ann.  I hadn't done the temping this month so was just trying to watch for the other 'symptoms' of ovulation..but obviously I must suck at it...or it just wasn't my month.  You're right though...the blood test did come back negative so they said to stop the progesterone and now I'm just waiting.  I'll start the temping again - pain in the ass that it is - once that happens, so we can do the IUI again this month.  I am assuming that the reason AF did come even w/the progesterone I had before was because it was a smaller dose of progesterone.  Fortunately - at least so far - I don't seem to have a lot of side effects from it - no moodiness/grouchiness, etc - so it could be worse.