How do you count Day 1?

I’ve been having some trouble trying to figure out what exactly constitutes Day 1.  Is it “a little bit”?  Must it be “a lot”?  What the hell am I talking about?

Her. AF. Aunt Flo.  Or as my protocol sheet calls it “Menses Begins” (actually, that sounds a lot like a name for a bad network TV series where you find out the main character’s last name is Menses and they are just starting college or a new job or something truly lame like that).

Today started out extremely light and never picked up to any “normal” Day 1.  I called the RE office for advice.  They asked me if it was typical and I said, “No, but I have no idea what is ‘normal’ anymore.”  You see, my huge fibroid used to make Day 1 into a B-movie/horror flick.  Actually…it wasn’t funny.  For the last few months before surgery, I couldn’t really leave my house on Day 1.  I’d cancel anything that required my being away on that day.  Day 2 was risky too.  Boy am I glad that’s over.  Whew.

So yeah, I had no idea if I should call it Day 1 so the RE’s office set up an appointment tomorrow morning for a baseline.  They’ll let me know what day to call it.  Science makes it so much easier.  For those who haven’t done IVF or IUI, your appointments and medicines are all timed to the start of your menstrual cycle.  So Day 1 is where they start to count from.  Days 2-5 you may be taking drug X, on Day 7-9 you may need to take pill Y, etc.  So defining Day 1 is important.  I wish my clinic would provide a clearer description of their definition as it is not the same as what I would call it (the first day you see any blood whatsoever).  Their instruction sheets says: “Cycle day 1 is the first day of full menstrual bleeding by bedtime”.  Fine.  I’m not sure how I am predict to call for a Day 2 appointment by 4pm on Day 1 when I haven’t gotten to my Day 1 results “by bedtime”.  Perhaps I need a time machine or a futurescope. Argh. Mumph. Feh.

I’m sure it’s just me.  Now that I am fixed up and my uterus has shrunk down to normal human levels (for the first time in about 5 years) I am at a loss and feel like a stupid dork when the nurse asks me (very, very nicely) a simple question like, “So today is Day 1 of your cycle then?”

Ehhhhhhh.  I guess so?