Opps

Happy Late New Year! (and Merry Christmas too!) Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but we've moved states and just been very busy here lately. I do have a good bit of news! Randomly a month ago I ran across an article talking about the effects of vinegar on insulin levels. Vinegar, it said, helps your body to keep insulin levels...well...level. I figured that it wouldn't hurt anything to try so I picked up some vinegar. It took me about two weeks to get over the fear of vinegar (some of it smells like dirty feet >,>) and actually start consuming the 3 tablespooons a day that was suggested. Well, something worked :) or it could all be good timing, but I started a cycle. On one hand, I'm very happy, but on the other, I forgot what a pain (literally) it was. Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the time being! I guess we'll see in a month or so if it was luck or really helped!

No news...is good news?

Well, I just wanted to give some form of an update. We haven't received any directions from our doctor and my DH hasn't had time to go in for a sperm test. All in all, this isn't necessarily bad news. We are finally moved into our new place and we're just trying to take things slow. Thanks to the positive results of the HSG, we're rejuvenated and using Ovulation test kits to catch any ovulation that does happen this cycle! I'll be back when I have some news to share (which will hopefully be soon!)

The HSG

Well, it would seem that something went wrong with that last cycle of Clomid. Not only was it very late, but I ended up having to have a cycle "jump started" (what I like to call starting a cycle with medicine). What a bumpy ride it ended up being! Losing hope with infertility is one of the worst things that can happen during treatment, but sometimes I wonder if being hopeful doesn't make things just as hard. Of course, I'm getting off topic so here we go!

To start off for those who don't know, and HSG is an X-ray procedure where they inject dye through your cervix to examine the shape of your cervix and uterus as well as to see if your fallopian tubes are open. I was also informed by a friend that this procedure was done for her to help in the diagnosis of her eptomic pregnancy.

The HSG just sounded painful after reading the information pamphlet they gave us. The nurse who scheduled our first one (we had to do three reschedules due to the delayed cycle) also talked about how terrible it was. I'd never had one before, so I was pretty nervous going in today. Instead of going to our office, we headed to the main hospital and to the radiology lab downstairs. We were really lucky! There wasn't much of a wait at all before I was brought back to change and before I was even out of the changing room they were ready for me.

We headed down the hall to the lab where we met the doctor who would be doing our procedure. (Dr. C has been out of the office a lot here lately due to working on grant work. I'm guessing that means raising money for the study the hospital is currently working on.) My DH got to put on an apron to protect him from the radiation and they began. (For those of you who are not curious about this procedure, I'll separate my description so it is easily skipped. Going in as nervous as I did, I feel it is important, even if it is embarrassing for me, to prevent others from going in blind!)

The procedure did begin just like any other pelvic exam although the stirrups they used held my legs instead of my feet. It was easier to relax and I'm sure some of those uncontrollable movements were minimized as well. Once they located the cervix, he took (I'm guessing at some of the details of this since I couldn't see, but the doctor was very nice and explained everything he was doing before he did it) one of those long sticks that have the cotton on top and cleaned my cervix with Iodine. The cleaning wasn't painful, but it did feel very weird. The best I can describe it as would be to compare it to thrumming a guitar string and putting your finger on the string lightly to feel the vibrations. It was a very unique feeling. Next however, came the dreaded part. I won't lie and say the threading of the catheter through the cervix wasn't painful. It started off as a light period cramp and increased as he continued, but he was able to adjust the pressure of the balloon sack (they use it to keep the dye flowing in the correct direction) to ease it a little. The worst of the pain was towards the end of the threading and it was less of a cramp but more of a very strong ache. After they had finished threading, the ache subsided into a light ache. It went from spraining your ankle to being sore after a hard day's work. The light ache remained with me through the procedure, but it wasn't really distracting just more of a reminder. Next, they repositioned me (I continued to lie down of course) and moved the X-ray machine over me. They turned the machine on and began pumping the dye into my uterus. That was another weird feeling because I could feel the dye hitting the top and the liquid level rising and it flowing out. That feeling is something I won't try to accurately describe. I'll just say that in some ways it felt very similar to a muscle twitch. Seeing what my uterus looked like on the monitor was really neat. When they pulled the sack down so they could see the shape of my cervix, I didn't even feel it. The removing of the tube was much easier then the inserting. Once the tube was out, I experienced some light period aches, but nothing too painful. Sitting up was embarrassing. As soon as I was up in a sitting position, I felt a gush and felt like I'd wet myself. Of course, they led me to a restroom so I could clean up a bit. There was a little spot bleeding and that was it. The doctor was nice enough to tell my DH that he owed me a very nice dinner (he specifically said no Mc. Donald's) and we were on our way back so I could redress. The actual procedure from the entering of the room to the leaving the room was probably somewhere around 15 minutes. Since the procedure, I have had occasional cramping and spotting, but nothing like what I feared. So, overall, this is not a procedure I'd recommend just having to have, but if you need it, it shouldn't be feared.

Our results were good which leaves me even more confused. There was no blockage, strange growths, or odd shapes. In the end, it leaves us back where we were before. Our struggling is a hormone issue not a physical (and by physical I am referring to the organs involved) one. That is assuming that my DH's first count test was correct and no problems will show up during the next. The doctor who did our procedure said that things looked very good and that if we were directly under his care (he is one of the senior doctors at the clinic we visit) he would just work towards finding the right medicine combination to make our ovaries work.

Now, to veer off again for a bit. I know it's been a long bit in between posts. We're moving this weekend to the other side of town and there's just been a million things going on between the treatments and packing. I'll be back as soon as we here back from Dr. C about the results and our next step.

Waiting

Well, Here I am 38 days into my cycle (my last was 32 days) and I'm waiting for AF to appear. I did a POAS test at day 35 and got a neg. result so I highly doubt that I'm expecting. My IUI is scheduled for the 28th so I no longer have to really worry about being too close to the 10 day mark. The longest cycle I've had had in the last six months or so has been 39 days and that was when I first started treatment so I guess I'll wait and see. If AF hasn't reared her ugly head by this weekend, I guess I'll do another POAS test and if she hasn't been seen by the 28th maybe I'll ask for bloodwork. Keep fingers and toes crossed for me though! I can honestly say I wouldn't mind finding out I was expecting right now!

A little bit of news

I know I'm a little late in updating, but I've had a stomach bug :(. Tuesday we visited Dr. C again and talked about our next steps. Before we move on or retry anything, he wants to have an IUI with dye done and another sperm sample from my DH. We can't really set a date for the IUI so it is loosely scheduled for the 28th. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but I'll do what needs doing.

On a side note, it's been really cold here in Michigan and we're getting ready to move. Nothing like moving in the snow, eh? I guess most of the schools had snow days today because of the wind chill. I know that our front door, not the screen one, the wood one, was frozen shut this morning when I got up to look out and check to see if I needed to shovel the sidewalk. Thankfully, I do not! I'm so far behind what with our Roommate being sick. I finally got Christmas stuff mostly boxed up and my DH's birthday is Sunday!! He wants a map cake with a possible dragon on it. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll turn out nice!

Well, that's about all of an update I have. (Yes I realize this was a dreadfully boring post and I will strive to be more witty and entertaining next time!) Back to folding laundry it is! Dishes and laundry always seem to multiply when I'm sick.

A good petition!

I know the message I'm about to copy and paste is pretty bland and generic so I'd like to take a little bit of space before it to talk about it. Infertility hits close to home for me and for thousands of other women. It isn't a choice any of us have made or something that can't be treated. Medicine and understanding of diseases has come a long way and more people than ever before are able to be treated for medical conditions, but somehow, infertility has slipped through those cracks. In 15 states, insurance providers are required to offer coverage, but those states are few and far between and even then employers don't have any real incentive to offering it. Infertility hurts everyone involved. I understand how it is, no one ever thinks it'll be something they have to worry about. I always thought that my husband and I would have children by accident and just accept them as they came, but not everyone gets the chance to have kids that way. Many people (myself included) live by schedules of temperatures and medicines and still month after month come out with broken hearts and more debt than they could have ever thought. I'm lucky, we started worrying about it early, but most people find out so late that they only have a few years to try the different treatment options and then they have to try and squeeze out extra money they didn't even fathom that they would need. In closing I would like to let all those out there who don't want children to know that I respect their choice, but I still would like to request that you sign so that those of us who do have the choice and the chance to pursue happiness.


Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

" Insurance Coverage for Infertility"

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FI200507/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.

Getting Started

I've never really done anything like this before, so here goes! I'm trying to reach out to all the young women out there who struggle with infertility! I know that sometimes I feel alone when I look at all the message boards and support forums. It seems like everyone is so much older than I am and that's very intimidating. There's nothing like being afraid to post about your cycle's failure because you're afraid you'll get that "you have plenty of time" response. The first doctor we went to see didn't really take us serious since we "have plenty of time" to practice with. I guess it's kind of the same everywhere. If you're not 30+ it seems like no one will take you seriously half the time, but I'm not trying to rant about that.

I'm not really sure where to go from here now. Introductions are one thing, but the next step is always another with me. My DH and I have been married for three years and dealing with infertility for about 2 and 1/2 of those years. We stepped up out of the world of just charting everything to the world of visiting a doctor about a year and a half ago. It was a hard step for me I think mostly because of denial. Part of me still struggles with wanting to have children without any medical help. I think if I got one wish on a star or from a genie that would be it. We haven't made the step to IVF yet, but we have undergone 6 cycles of famera and clomid both with a bit of a break and a switch of doctors inbetween. Let me tell you this, famera was a booger of a drug! Not only did it make me moody and extremely emotional, it gave me this nasty back pain that took a few months to become not regular and sometimes (late in my cycle) I still get it! Even though our new doctor, Dr. C, warned us that Clomid is worse on it's side effects, I haven't really noticed anything too bad.

Now that finishes most of my history I guess. I'm sure little bits of it will pop up here and there again, but you never know what you're going to need to say until you're about to say it and then I guess you can only add it in or revise your original post and confuse everyone. I guess I should give my few bits of advice that I've already learned. You more experienced infertility folk are going to have to be patient with me. DH and I went in to this knowing nothing really except for the basics you learn in school.
1. Always ask around. Even if you don't realize it, someone you know has either dealt with infertility or knows someone who has. Getting a recommendation for a doctor is much better than picking one online. If you absolutely have to randomly select a doctor, go for one associated with a hospital and not a stand alone clinic. (of course there is more to it than this, but this is good for starters)
2. There are these things called ovulation tests and they do help. Even if your doctor never mentions them (which is a good sign that you should find a new doctor) you should purchase them and begin testing roughly ten days after the first day of your last period until you get a positive result.
3. Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period not the first day after bleeding.
4. There are no definates to ovulation. Just because you ovulate on day 13 one month does not guarentee you will ovulate on day 13 again. This even applies to people without fertility problems. I know that I grew up being taught that if you didn't start on exactly the same day every month (for example the 11th) you were late. These things work in cycle days and not everyone is going to have a 30 or 31 day cycle.