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September 18, 2003
Hi!
First, I just want to congratulate all our recent grads—I’m thrilled for all of you! I hope you each have a healthy and happy PG!
As for my Talk to me Board, if you go to http://interact.iparenting.com//postlist.php?Cat=&Board=pcjenniferd you can get around the fact that my Talk to Me button still isn’t working.
Before I get to my next going back in time IF installment, I figure I’ll give you an update of the current goings-on!
I met with a new endocrinologist this week to try to sort out my hypothyroidism. No doctor has been able to keep my levels stabilized which is probably the root of my IF issues. I really like this doctor—he was funny, made fun of me for being an English major (doesn’t everyone?), gave me IT cartoons, and was just very comfortable to be around. He was also the first doctor to tell me that my thyroid could be the cause of my infertility. All the others maintained that since I’m under treatment it couldn’t be the problem. But they couldn’t tell me what is. So pfffftttt to them!
Anyway, this doctor reduced my Synthroid dose (my RE’s office messed up and increased my dose based on my TSH and T4/T3 levels when it should have been lowered). And you know, I knew that, but that was the day I was told I was miscarrying and my mind was in a million other places. This doctor even “yelled” at me for not catching their error. He said I’m smarter than that. Awwww, flattery. So I will have my levels checked every 1-2 months and we’ll see what’s happening. I asked if it were normal to have levels fluctuate so much and he said no I am essentially a freak. Too funny! He’s also encouraged by the fact that I did get PG—he must have said that at least five time! I so hope he’s right!
But now, back to TTC land…I’m currently on CD 9 of CY #22 (bleck). I started BCPs last weekend in preparation for IVF #2. I had my CD 3 tests done (it’d been a year) and everything looks good. My FSH is 5.6 (anything under 6 is excellent and means you should stim well) which is exactly what it was last year. It made me feel better to know that the ticking of my biological clock is merely in my head. I’ll get to IVF #2 (and #1) in another entry.
Now, we’re going back in time to November 2002-May 2003….
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Catheters—medieval torture devices.
Cycle #11 (Off the Meds.)
This cycle was unmedicated and completely un-fun! I got peaks on my FM on days 16 & 17 (this was good), but Chris was away on business. So there was no “business” going on at home! I started spotting on CD 19 (with a break on CD 20) and continued spotting until CD 34 (I started provera on CD 29). Oh what fun! And again, spotting for me means a lot of bleeding so I had blood work to determine when AF actually came…
Cycle #12 (My friend Follistim)
I started Follistim injections (1 amp) on CD 3 and carried them through CD 9. I had 1 mature follie—not a great response (probably due to the timing being off because of the previous cycle being so messed up), but I triggered on CD 10 and had IUIs on CD 11 &12. Let me tell you, I really started to hate those evil IUI catheters at this point. I know they tell you that they don’t hurt (no worse than a pap smear), but I am not your average bear! I had to ask for LP support and was told to take one application of Crinone at day, which I started on CD 13. I started spotting on CD 22 (9 dpo). Yet I was repeatedly told that Crinone is fail proof. Grrrrrrr Anyway, BFN. Happy you-know-what Christmas (AF came on 12/23).
Cycle #13 (Santa Sucks)
Because my old clinic is part of a university, they close down for Christmas break. This meant I had to skip a cycle before my next round of meds. My parents were up for Christmas and that helped get me through the first few days. Of course what didn’t help was Chris’ family coming up Christmas day (read: with 5 month old daughter in tow). Much as I like his family, I was pretty low that day. It was the first Christmas without my Grams, my sister and bil stayed at their house, and to top things off our basement flooded on Christmas Eve (never happened before or since) and one of the hoses on our new washer blew off that night too (we didn’t know and of course all the presents were in there for safe keeping. Now MIL’s new DVD was soggy!). Oh, and we lost power while I was trying to cook Christmas breakfast and start dinner. You get the point. So bil, sil, and baby arrive (mil had come the night before and stayed over). Well sil and mil did nothing but fawn over the baby the entire day. I kid you not. They didn’t speak to anyone else and Chris and bil disappeared to play PS2 leaving me to handle the baby blues and dinner preparations. Now, before you think I’m just oversensitive, my mom was soooooo pissed too at their behavior. At one point I snapped. I ran into my bathroom and sobbed hysterically (after yelling at Chris). It was the closest thing I’ve had to a break down. Needless to say, I somehow got through the rest of the day (and huge storm). My sister had it worse—a tree fell on her house. No one was hurt (except the house!). What a bad day all around…and this cycle was going to follow suit.
I spotted off and on until CD 17. I got peaks on my FM on days 22 & 23. I only had one day of spotting (CD 33) and AF arrived after CD 35 (only because I used my Crinone!). At some point in this cycle I reached the 1 year mark of TTC.
Cycle #14 (A New Year and New Beginnings?).
I was able to do another Follistim/IUI cycle. I started meds (still 1 amp) on CD 3 and continued until CD 10. This time I had 2 mature follies. I had IUIs on CD 12 & 13. It was ugly. I spent the day after each on the couch in agony. It felt like someone reached in and made all the tendons and what-have-you holding my uterus in place at least 10 times too short. I couldn’t even stand upright. Not to mention the bleeding. On the second day, the clinical fellow (they do the IUIs at this clinic) put the speculum in and started babbling “I didn’t even touch you yet!” The pain was severe and Chris turned green as the doctor tried to clean up all the blood. Nice. No wonder AF arrived 10dpo!
Cycle #15 (Oh what fun it is!)
Because I had corpus luteum cysts, I had to sit out this cycle. But I was getting prepared for IVF since I’d lost all faith in IUIs. Chris and I attended our IVF class and met with the RE to go over my protocol. I even had my sonohysterogram done to make sure there were no polyps causing all my weird bleeding (nope, none). My best friend took the day off to drive since Chris was away. She’s a keeper! I loved the doctor who did the test—even though it involved a catheter it didn’t hurt. Unfortunately, he was moving on to his own practice and I was left with the clinical fellows who were practicing butchery! I got peaks on my FM on CD 23 & 24 and had a 12 day LP thanks to Crinone (which only keeps AF at bay for me). I also turned the big 3-0 this cycle. Blah.
Cycle #16 (Bye-bye IUIs!)
The cysts were gone so I was able to do my third and final IUI cycle (per my insurance you have to do 3 before IVF). I started 2 amps of Follistim this time and was eventually lowered to 1 since my E2 values were rising too quickly. I ended up with 3-4 mature follies—my best response yet. In all fairness, I think if I’d tried a couple more times with that response I would have had more luck (and if I’d used PIO instead of Crinone!). This time the IUIs weren’t as bad, I still felt pretty crampy, but there was little spotting and I felt human! I had a fabulous looking chart, but again another BFN.
Cycle #17 (Unmedicated)
One word—disaster. I never got a Peak on my FM and I bleed nonstop starting on CD 18. I had awful cramps too and begged for Provera on CD 25. Looking back I wonder if I had another chemical PG…the pattern fits, but we’ll never know. All I do know is I was glad when the cycle was over.
Ok, this is such a long entry! Aren’t you glad that we’re now at May of 2003—on the brink of IVF #1?
Until next time,
Jen
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