Monday, March 29, 2010

Not Going To Be Easy

Well it has been about 3 weeks since my last infertilty update and I am afraid I don't have much to post.  I was sure that AF was on her way the last time I posted but she is playing games with me.  I did see Dr. Sanders for an ultrasound and he gave me some prometrium (a form of progesterone) to take for 7 days to give AF a kick in the right direction but it has been a week since my last pill and I still haven't seen her.  He said that from the looks of my lining I should have a pretty heavy flow.  I have had some very light spotting but other than that I have just been trying to not get too aggrivated about it all.  I have heard that it can take 7-10 days after the last pill for AF to finally show so I am hoping that things will be underway in the next couple of days.  The plan is, once she arrives, to take 50 mg of chlomid on cycle days 3-8, while continuing to take the metformin.  I have also started acupuncture and although I have my doubts I want to give it a fair shot.  It was very relaxing the first time and she said that if I have been charting, I should notice a difference.  Unfortunately, I haven't been charting up until now so I don't have anything to compare it to other than if I start ovulating but that could also be because of the chlomid.  I will probably go once a week for a month or two and see how I feel.  If I feel that it's a waste of money I will stop going.  Fortunately, she charges on a sliding scale so you pay what you can afford with a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $40.  With those prices I think it's worth a shot! 
Fire season is just a few weeks away and Skeet seems to think it will probably be a busy one.  This is good but bad at the same time.  If there is a good chance he won't be around then I don't want to spend the money on the chlomid and ultrasounds and chance that he won't be in town on the day of ovulation.  So I think if we can get AF to cooperate I will do chlomid for the next two months and then put TTC (trying to concieve) on hold until things slow down.  I am also debating whether or not we will continue to do any fertilty drugs/treatments while I am doing school.  I should find out in the next couple of weeks whether or not I will be interviewing for the Rad Tech program.  If I get in, life will be pretty stressful for a few years and I don't know if I want to add the stress of TTC to that.  Having a baby is very important to me but if I am not going to be able to have one I would like to have a good career.  Obviously, if we don't ever get pregnant I won't do OB ultrasounds but I will go a different direction and maybe do MRIs or Cardiac ultrasounds.  It's a lot to think about and I still don't have it figured all out, but I think that things might just work out the way they are supposed to. 
That's all I have time for now... hopefully in the next couple of days I can post that things are underway... keeping my fingers crossed!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Happy Birthday Mom!!



I have the best mom!  She is one of my bestest friends and is always there for me!  I just want her to know how amazing I think she is and how thankful I am to have her.  Without her, I would be lost.  I love you mom! I hope you have a fabulous birthday and that all your wishes come true!! 

Friday, March 12, 2010

Here We Go Again

So I am having flashbacks of 5 years ago when Skeet and I first began fertility drugs in attempt to have a baby.  Today I had an appointment with Dr. S and it looks like we are back to where we started.  After an ultrasound to check out my lining and my follicles he decided we will start over with chlomid and see what happens.  Not only are we starting over with chlomid but we are starting at only 50 mg.  The lowest dose.  He also repeated some blood work to test my FSH, Estrodial, TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), and Prolactin.  I asked him to test my thyroid and pituitary again to make sure everything is working as it should be.  He doesn't think anything is wrong with either gland but he did the tests just to make me feel better. 
On the ultrasound screen today he showed me that I had two very large follicles on my right side and he sounded pretty impressed that they had developed on their own.  On Tuesday I had thought that AF would arrive any day because I had started spotting pretty heavily.  Today, still no AF but the spotting is still there.  Dr. S saw on the ultrasound that there is blood in there and thinks that I will start bleeding any day.  So on cycle day 3 I will start the chlomid and take 1 pill a day for 5 days.  Then I will return to see him on cycle day 12 or 13 for another ultrasound too see if the chlomid has any affect this time.  Also, I will be starting the Metformin again, which he had told me to stop before my surgery but today told me that I should be taking it "just in case".  I wish I had never stopped because I was finally gettng used to it.  It takes a month or so for my body to adjust to it and before I don't get sick to my stomach every morning because of it. 
I did talk to him about one more thing, FSP (I can't remember what it stands for).  It is a procedure, like IUI but the sperm is more concentrated before insemination and they force it, somehow, into the fallopian tubes.  He said that he would look into it this weekend.  I am curious to see what he finds out.  I have never met a doctor so open to trying new things.  I feel very blessed to be his patient.  I know he wants this to happen for us almost as much as I do. 
Poor Skeet, he has to deal with Candi on Chlomid.  It isn't pretty.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Not this month

So I just heard from Dr. S's office about my progesterone level results and I guess I am borderline (whatever that means). My level came back as a 0.3 and he doesn't believe that I have ovulated. I have an appointment to meet with him next Friday and we will be discussing a repeat of the saliva test I did a few years back, as well as whether or not I should still be taking metformin. Also, he wants to discuss possibly trying chlomid again. I never did respond to it when we tried back in 05 and 06 but he thinks that my body will respond differently now that I've had the ovarian diathermy. I may talk him into trying femara first though. I don't know. I also want to talk to him about royal jelly, my diet, and possibly another IUI. I would also love to have another ultrasound in a month or so to see what my ovaries look like. I was under the impression that the cysts would start to go away after the diathermy.
I am currently on CD 30, so if I had ovulated then I should see AF arrive any day now but that's not likely.  So I guess we will wait until next week and see how things go with the appointment.  I know it's only been a little over a month since the surgery but I was hoping to see some kind of difference, even if it was just a tiny one.  I am trying to not be too upset about it all.  It could take another month or two to see any changes. 
Other than that, things are okay.  Skeet is on furlough and so he's around a lot these days.  Work and school are going well.  I am just anxiously awaiting a call from someone about the Rad Tech program.  I am trying to remember exactly when they called about the interview last year.  I think it was the end of March or first of April... but I could be wrong.  I hope it's sooner rather than later because I would LOVE to know what my future holds!! 
I'll update again when I have more to share.