Infertility~Timed Intercourse

We have recently found out that my husband and I both have infertility issues. Mine of course is more drastic but we will need a miracle to conceive without an assistance. This past month I took 100 mg of Clomid days 3-7 and went through hot flashes from Hell! I then proceeded to use Clear Blue and Easy Ovulation Predictor sticks and on cycle day 14 had a LH Surge. I drove to San Ramon (becuase the San Jose Reproductive Science Center is closed on weekends) and the doctor found 3 follicles. 2 follies on the right (one 13 mm and one 14mm) and 1 23mm follie on the left. In order for an egg to be present in the follie they have to be 15mm but of course because I have PCOS my follies can be the right size but no egg may in there. I realized that one of my tubes were considered possibly blocked but I could not remember which. So the Dr. checked my records and of course it is my left tube which had the monster 23mm follie! The docs had a conference and decided to go ahead and give me the HCG trigger shot. It was actually painless and went by really fast. They informed me to have fun but not too much and report in 2 weeks for a blood test (pregnancy test). So right now is the waiting period. I go on Friday June 4 to find out if I have a little miracle inside me. Wish me luck.

Lately

I have not posted in such a long while! A lot has happened since my last post. In February I decided to do the regular 5K Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and assmbled a team. We ended up with over 20 members! I made a friend during the event but unfortunately I also lost that friend. I am not sure what exactly occured. We were hosting a bake sale to raise money for the Race and sh bailed the day before citing work/school conflicts. Even though she was supposed to help me with preparations I just told her "Ok, that's fine" and I would speak with her soon. Well we spoke maybe 2 more times (through) text message and I have not heard back from her since. I was a little disappointed at first because I was excited about finally having a person here in CA I had a lot in common with. Anyhow the Race was a success and I cannot wait to do it again.

In March I lost my great grandmother. She was 92 years old. She lived a long life and she will be missed dearly. There were more than 140 grandchildren listed in the obituary!

I still have not been able to locate steady employment. I used to let it stress me out but now I just take it for what it's worth. I have started back scrapbooking. I am reading lots of books I have planned on reading but never got around to. A friend is teaching me to crochet. I have time for new recipes. I am taking better care of my hair. I have been working out and am seeing amazing results. I am doing very well in school and the list goes on and on. Like I said I am taking this unemployment for what it is worth and enjoying it instead of moping. My husband and I are blessed that he makes enough to pay our bills and we live a comfortable lifestyle. We have been to Sacramento and San Francisco in the last month and will be traveling again soon! I am very appreciative of my life.

3Dayforthecure.org

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has this walk they put on every year. I'm still ironing out the details but it looks as though walkers do 15-22 miles per day for 3 days for a total of 60 miles. You sleep in camps in two-person tents. The 3day event is in San Francisco Oct. 1-3, 2010. I don't think there is a team here in Seaside/Monterey so I am going to form my own team. They have a get started meeting being held in San Jose in February that I plan on attending. I have asked 2 ladies from Facebook if they would like to join my team. One said yes and I'm waiting on the other girl to respond. Each walker has to raise $2,300 and pay a $90 participant fee. So I have about 8 months to raise the money. My husband thinks that it is too much money. If I am the team captain it is my responsibility to make sure we do fundraising activities. I haven't done anything such as this so it will be a challenge and I am ready for it. I am really excited about this event. It's an even better way to ensure I work out lol.

Test results

The doctor called me today and gave me my husband's results. His sperm is ok. It was a low amount but otherwise he said it was fine! That's good news!! As for me he hasn't received my hormone bloodwork yet but he said he did have my blood sugar and insulin results (for the diabetes test). He said my levels were normal!! That's fantastic. Now we just have to wait for the hormone tests.

Lately....

I've been busy with school. It has been kicking my butt as usual. I think I just have to get used to all of these papers being due every week. I have a major one due next week and I am going to start on it tomorrow. I'm not going to wait until the last minute because it is a lot of work.

I've been hanging out with my next door neighbors. They have a little boy who is so cute! The wife is cool (I'll call her K) and we just kind of chill. Go to Jamba Juice. That kind of stuff. We don't really do anything fancy during the week. My husband and her husband (I'll call him S) go to the gym. Lately they've been going quite a bit but my husband seems to like it. I know he misses his friends and family so I'm glad he has found someone he likes to hangout with. S is also out here studying a language. His language is different from my husband's though. We're all talking about taking a trip out to Fairfield, CA so we can go to the Chic-Fila lol. We all miss it. They're from OH and PA so they know all about the awesome goodness that Chic-Fila!

My diet is going OK. I've been working out regularly and trying to not overeat. It's a work in progress. I have been cooking more veggies. I went to Zumba last week and I didn't really care for the instructor that was there. The normal instructor has been teaching too many classes and has had to take a couple off. I may have to start going on Sundays. That won't be so bad once football season is over. Something I don't get is how I am slightly overweight but I don't have stretch marks! I mean how is that? I know girls younger than me and way skinnier than me who have them. I'm in no rush though. hahaha.

I am reading "Marshmallows for Breakfast" by Dorothy Koomson right now. I'm trying to hurry up and finish so I can start this new book by Michael Crichton I checked out from the library.

I went on an interview with Office Team last week. It's a temp agency. It went well. The lady seemed to like me. I submitted my resume' for a job but haven't heard anything back yet. I have applied for so many jobs! I don't get it. It normally doesn;t take me this long to find a job. It seems as though I found jobs more quickly before I had my undergrad! I may never work once I finish my Master's lol.

No Go...

I didn't get the County Social Worker position because I did not score high enough. I received a letter in the mail notifying me that although I did well I just did not do well enough. It's ok however, I know I will find the right job for me when the time is right. I have a lot on my plate right now with school being so overwhelming and finding out that I have this awful disorder.

Facts about PCOS

Upon researching PCOS I have learned that it has vast consequences on my health:

-difficulty becoming pregnant and if pregnancy is achieved there is a higher chance of miscarrying.

-difficulty lose weight and upon gaining weight, PCOS women are more likely to be apple shaped. e.g. muffin tops--stomach is larger than hips.

-higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes before the age of 40

-increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

-higher risk of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer (from the usage of certain fertility drugs)

These are some of the more severe drawbacks but there are cosmetic drawbacks as well:

-Thinning hair or male pattern baldness

-excess unwanted hair on the face, neck, chest, legs, and arms.

-Acne

-weight gain can cause women to be depressed about their size.

There are various ways to "fight back":

-Birth Control pills help in decreasing the likelihood of developing endometrial cancer because they shed the lining of the uterus instead of letting it build up due to absent/irregular periods.

-Hair removal can be done with a shave, laser removal, or electrolysis.

-Eating healthy coupled with routine exceercise. In the book "Living with PCOS" by Angela Boss, Evelina Weidman Sterling, and Goldstein Jerald S. MD, they suggest a low-carb diet because women with PCOS tend to have a harder time losing weight.

-Staying positive. Don't let the fact that it's harder for you to get pregnant deter you. Become informed about your body. Eating healthy and exercising is something we all need to do anyhow! Now you have more motivation.

My fertility journey so far.

I started menstrating at 9. Maybe that should have been a clue as to the issues I was going to have as a woman ttc (trying to conceive). I always believed that I could get pregnant whenever I wanted. I used BC because of this fear. I have never been pregnant and I'm 28 now. my husband and I have been ttc since June 2008 with no luck. I have went to various Gyn over the years and not a single one even hinted that I had a disorder that would cause me to not ovulate...not to menetion all the other little "treats" that go along with this disorder.

I was seeing an OB-Gyn when I was still in Charlotte, NC. He knew I was moving soon and had been away from my husband (AF BMT). So we started in August with testing my progesterone, an HSG and doing a transvaginal ultrasound. My progesterone was 0.09. Ridiculously low...obviously I didn't ovulate. The transvaginal ultrasound just showed I didn't have any dominant follicles. The HSG (hysterosalpingogram,) although painful, showed I had no blockage in my tubes. So he started me on 50mg of Clomid. I took that in my Nov cycle. No preggers. I happened to thumb through my records he had given me to give to my next doctor here in CA and noticed that he thought I may have PCOS. I had no clue what it was. I researched PCOS and was devaststed. At that point I knew I needed an RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist). I went last Monday and he confirmed that I do have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and hopefully a couple of rounds of Clomid will do the trick. Right now we're waiting on my period so he can do a bloodworkup and he also wants my husband to provide a semen analysis.

Diagnosed

Today I was diagnosed with PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's disheartening because it has been confirmed that I am having issues getting pregnant. I assumed as much because my husband and I have been trying and have not gotten preggers yet. I saw a doctor at the Reproductive Science Center in San Jose. He seems a bit eccentric but otherwise very knowledgeable. I like his approach to fertility issues. He emphasizes the positive in everything. He told me not to worry even though I have been diagnosed. He wants to do some more blood work to check my hormone levels and he also wants to do a semen analysis on my husband. As of right now he believes that a few cycles of Clomid or some other fertility medication may do the trick. I hope so. We tried 1 cycle of Clomid 50mg in the past and obviously that didn't work because I don't have a baby! Tricare Prime covers the diagnosis and treatment of fertility issues but does not cover procedures such as IVF. So, for now I am going to do research on PCOS and find out what this means for my future aside from ttc (trying to conceive). I have completed some preliminary research and came across some great websites. Wish me luck.