Much Better Day

Special Puppy

After many phone calls and rushing my old records (which were supposed to be transferred over a month ago) we finally got what we wanted.

Provera & Pregnancy Tests

They gave me Provera.  Same 10mg but seven days this time.  I'm on day two of seven and I usually get AF 14 days after the last pill.  So CD1 in about three weeks.

Before the Provera they made me get a pregnancy test.  A urine PG test.  What is that?  I thought I would explain the two types of PG tests.

• Qualitatively - Meaning you get a "yes" or "no" if hCG is found.  Never a maybe.  This is with all urine tests (lab or at home) & some blood tests. 
• Quantitatively - You get a number of how much hCG is found.  Results are based on the number, so < 5 is not PG, 5 to 25 maybe, and > 25 is pregnant.  This is always blood and used by all REs.  I've never heard of an RE using a urine test.  This is also good because after multiple blood tests they can look at the trends in number to see if there is a problem with the pregnancy.  In the infertile world this is simply know as "beta".  

After being infertile this long I feel like a urine test is too much work for me.  Blood tests I just hop up on the chair, they stick me with a needle and then 30 second later I'm patched up and out of there.  It's more "painful" for me sitting in the overly crowded waiting room than the actual needle.  The urine test they gave me a bag with a cup, wipes and stickers and told me where the bathroom was.  Next I'm standing the the bathroom looking at the 12 steps on the wall of instruction on how to give a urine sample.   Then wondering to myself if this is enough pee to fulfill their 30ml requirement.  This is too much work, just stick me with a needle next time.  Anyways, it was negative.

Clomid Increased 

They decided to give me the Clomid this cycle, as long as I go to the high risk appointment on the 26th.  This also means I am doing Ovidrel with IUI.  Yay!

Last week they wanted Clomid 50mg for me.  After reviewing my records today they decided to increase my dose to 100mg.  Though I still hate Clomid I have more hope in 100 over 50.  

Frozen Sperm

We went into Seattle to freeze Bean's sperm yesterday.  It went well.  I don't have a count or any other numbers.  But he did produce one vial worth for freezing.  It's sperm in the freezer so I should be happy.  And we do plan on doing it a couple more times in the next few weeks.  But does one vial per ejaculation sound normal?  I'm trying to Google and it seems like only one is used per IUI.  Sustained all of Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  

I'm so grateful that Bean goes along with these ideas.  I know it's not easy to jerk off in a strange room with people walking around outside. 

Blood Work

Last Friday I has another series of blood work, seven vials this time.  I looked at my hand after he got done and it turned purple with white spots.  It was pretty amusing to me.  Today I picked up the results.

	Selbe's	Normal Range
Estradiol	134	27 - 433 pg/mL*
DHEA	205	18 - 391 ug/dL
LH	14.31	1.2 - 103.03 mIU/mL**
FSH	6.28	1.79 - 22.51 mIU/mL ***
Prolactin	10.53	3.34 - 26.72 ng/mL
Insulin	8.86	1.9 - 23 uIU/mL
Creatinine	0.8	0.6 - 1 mg/dL
ALT	32	30 - 65 U/L
Fasting Glucose	92	70 - 110 mg/dL
TSH	1.38	0.34 - 4.82 uIU/mL
Testosterone	68	2 - 45 mg/dL
HgbA1C	5.1	4.3 - 6.1 %
17-OHP	79	< 285 ng/dL ****

* Estradiol - Mid-follicular phase: 27-122;  Periovulatory: 95-433;  Mid-luteal phase: 49-291

** LH - Follicular phase: 2.12-10.89;  Mid-cycle: 19.18-103.03;  Luteal: 1.2-12.86

*** FSH - Follicular phase: 3.85-8.78;  Mid-cycle: 4.54-22.51;  Luteal: 1.79-5.12; Postmenopausal: 16.74-113.59

**** 17-OHP - Follicular phase: <185; Luteal phase: <285

A few of those with the *'s depend on where I am in my cycle.  Since I'm CD60 I'm guessing I'm in the luteal phase?  I'm sure that isn't right because I never ovulated.  The only number that is high is my testosterone and that is common for a women with PCOS.

IVF

I was told yesterday the IVF wait list is at about 9 months right now.  But it could become shorter if other people drop out of the program.

-Selbe

Blood Work 9/18

Dear AF, please never let CD3 be on a Sunday again.  My RE has offices all over New England, including one about 25 minutes from me.  The local office is open Monday-Saturday, the main one over an hour away is the only one that is open Sundays.  I tried talking them into CD2 or CD4 BW, didn't work.  And the wait time is LONG on Sundays.   

	Results	What It Does
FSH	Normal	Gauge of ovarian reserve.
Estradiol	High	Abnormally high levels on CD3 may indicate existence of a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve.
LH	Normal	Normal LH level is similar to FSH. Ovulation hormone.
Prolactin	Normal	Pituitary gland.
TSH	Normal	Thyroid.

Source

I started out with Lawanda or Dildo Cam (vaginal ultrasound).  I didn't realize it was going to be a vaginal one, CD3 and tampon and all.  I guess that's the only type they do there.  They at least let me look at the screen at the end, which the local hospital forbids unless I'm knocked up.  So I got to see my uterus.  Looks like every other uterus I guess.  They didn't mention a cyst or anything else that could be wrong.

My appointment ended with 10 vials of blood on an empty stomach.  Everything came back normal except my Estradiol (Estrogen).  This has always been assumed to be fucked up since I'm labeled "estrogen sensitive" after my love of hugging the porcelain god every time I'm on estrogen-based birth control.  Now I have a good excuse to blame my horrible moods on.  (Which happens to be this whole week.)

High Estrogen Symptoms:  (I did this for PCOS awhile ago)

• I Have: Mood Swings (along with every other female), Cramps (I'm good for those), Depression (along with every other IF), Unexplained Weight Gain (I'm fat?), Fatigue (if my allergies hate me),  Allergies (queen of those), Memory Loss (I have my days), Acne, Irregular Periods, Facial Hair (I guess?), Migraines (a couple a year), Nausea/Vomiting, Breast enlargement (they are a nice size?), Cold Body Temperature (I'll drop to 94°F easily), Sleep disturbances (light sleeper), Sugar cravings (& meat), Not ovulation (this blog wouldn't exist if I had fucking eggs), Cervical dysplasia (I rock dysplasia), Occasional skipped periods (I don't think "skipped" should be used in my case), Feeling crazy (woo hoo!)
• I Don't Have: PMS, Uterine Fibroids, Osteoporosis, Hot Flashes (not since I was a teen), Thinning Hair (my hair is really thick), Breast Tenderness, Miscarriage (I've never gotten that far), Low Sex Drive (sucks for those people), High Blood Pressure (try low), Inflammation (of?), Vaginal yeast infections, Leg cramps, Water Retention, lumpy breasts (breast come in lumpy? like cottage cheese?), Cystic Ovaries, Heavy menses, Breast cancer, Gallbladder problems

I wish the tests showed more.  

I had an old lady at work ask me if I had any babies yet after seeing my engagement and wedding ring last week. The elderly can be so sweet sometimes, but they don't realize what they are saying.  Anyways that was also the last time I wore my rings to work.  To be honest if I had any "babies" I'd be at Panera Bread with all the other mommy friends instead of working at retail hell. (This is probably going to piss people off, read above about horrible moods.)  But I don't mind working at retail hell (most days).  I do an amazing job.  On my hungover days I still do my job at the normal level.  And I don't have to deal with all this broken crap while I'm there.

After my HSG on on Tuesday they'll figure out what to do with me based on the results of the HSG, todays BW and U/S.  I'd just like hang out on Vitex/Metformin for awhile, rather than more Clomid/Femara/Provera and injecting myself.  I'm OK with taking a break for awhile, possibly forever.  

Website that shows the normal levels of all the hormone BW and what they mean: http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html

-SelbeCD3

Broken

I'm broken, I've known for awhile now.  It's pretty obvious.

I decided to start this because I think pregnancy blogs are a great way to document the 9 months.  Unfortunately I'm not pregnant, I'm broken instead.  Sorry, not ultrasound photos or cute photos of my growing belly (it might be growing, but it's not cute).

So here is the story how I got this way:

I got my period just like any other girl.  Nothing odd there, it was even regular back then.  But when I was 16 I skipped a month, then another month, then a couple months... That pattern continued. I now get my period anywhere from 3 weeks to 8 months apart, lasting 3 days to 3 weeks long.  It almost sounds kind of awesome, but now I'm 26, married and ready for a child.  I want to know why I'm like this.  I've also had two LEEPs to remove precancerous cells from my cervix when I was 19 and 24.  That is a while other set of problems...

In the past I have been on Ortho Novum, Ortho Evra (the patch), Depo-Provera (the shot), nothing, Depo again, Yaz, nothing and now Microgestin (Loestrin).  The ones with estrogen are supposed to "fix" me.  They really just hide what is wrong until I get off them again.  That and the side effects are horrible.  The progestin only ones are great, no side effects, except they stop my period all together.

I've been to probably 10 OB/GYNs in the past years (we are military, I move around a lot.)  I said before I moved here I would get myself "fixed", or something like that.  Of course I stalled for 6 months to make an appointment (normal for me.)

December 2010:

First appointment with new GYN.  I have a body temperature of 94.8°F on two different thermometers.  I'm sent for a TSH thyroid test after the doctor felt my neck up.  I'm told it came back normal.  GYN couldn't find my cervix during my pap smear, a lot of scarring & very small opening due to second LEEP.  I'm put on Microgestin for 6-12 months to correct my irregular period.

February 2011:

Another GYN appointment to switch my Microgestin, that was running out, to the patch (less side effects & easier to use).  Doctor told me I had to stay on Microgestin for at least another month.  Blood pressure increased from 120/80 to 130/80.  I asked for testing for PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome). I'm informed it is just an ultrasound & GYN wouldn't authorize it.  I got the "no testing, no treatment, no need to know" speech and told all they can do is keep me on Microgestin.  I'm told to come back in 4 weeks to recheck the blood pressure & more Microgestin.

March 2011:

Ditched that GYN & had appointment at my regular primary doctor to get a referral to another OB/GYN (military policy).  I'm told I'm most likely having anovulatory cycles (stopped ovulation). Microgestin will not fix that & I'm taken off it.  My thyroid test (from December) came back at 4.08, slight hypothyroidism (underactive).  Could be the cause of my problem.  I'm maked down for Oligomenorrhea (4-9 periods/year, 35+ days) for the first time, even though I've know that's what I've been for years.

I have an appointment with my new OB/GYN on Monday.  I'm worried I'm not fixable...