I don't think I've mentioned these other changes in our attempt to improve my health and balance my hormones. First, about a month ago we started making a point to sleep in complete darkness. Turning off all electronics and any thing that puts out even the smallest amount of light in our room at night. It has been very nice. Here is an article about how a woman's fertility cycle can correspond with the lunar cycle. Interesting!
Also as of about 2 weeks ago, Tom and I have stopped drinking our daily cup (or 2) of coffee. We have replaced it with tea or hot cocoa (I'll have to share that recipe). We will still drink a cup socially, but didn't think our habit was healthy.
This week I purchased an ovulite which makes it easier to check for ferning daily. It also is portable - I about went crazy when we traveled for a week at my peak time recently and I didn't have my microscope with me for observations.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Some interesting notes
I've noticed a few changes over the last couple weeks.
I have been getting tired at a more normal time. Around 10pm or so, I am ready for bed. May be due to it getting dark earlier? As a result, I've been able to get up earlier again, which is very nice!
I am dreaming every night and remembering my dreams in the morning... that is something that I haven't had happen in a very long time and definitely not consistently in years. Do most people dream on a regular basis?
I also have become more weepy/emotional. I was reading a book last week and cried through several parts, I cried during an episode of Little House on the Prairie the other day, and watched "It's A Wonderful Life" for the umpteenth time a couple nights ago and had tears rolling down my face.
So... what does this mean? I don't know! It is quite foreign to me. I've never been a "crier" or "dreamer". Is this what it's like to be a normal woman? Is it a sign that hormones are getting to levels they should be? I have no idea... but, it's an interesting thought!
I have been getting tired at a more normal time. Around 10pm or so, I am ready for bed. May be due to it getting dark earlier? As a result, I've been able to get up earlier again, which is very nice!
I am dreaming every night and remembering my dreams in the morning... that is something that I haven't had happen in a very long time and definitely not consistently in years. Do most people dream on a regular basis?
I also have become more weepy/emotional. I was reading a book last week and cried through several parts, I cried during an episode of Little House on the Prairie the other day, and watched "It's A Wonderful Life" for the umpteenth time a couple nights ago and had tears rolling down my face.
So... what does this mean? I don't know! It is quite foreign to me. I've never been a "crier" or "dreamer". Is this what it's like to be a normal woman? Is it a sign that hormones are getting to levels they should be? I have no idea... but, it's an interesting thought!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Book notes
Finished reading The NaPro Technology Revolution: Unleashing the Power in a Woman's Cycle. Yes, all 400 pages of it! It was good, enlightening, sobering, encouraging and overwhelming all at the same time.
Here are a few notes that I took:
In PCOD women, 61% of their ovulations (often 6 or fewer per year) are defective in some way. That alone drastically reduces chances of conception! That means if I ovulate 6 times this year, only 2-3 of them will be viable chances... a woman of normal fertility would have 12-13 chances in a year.
Androgen levels can be treated medically, but the gonadotropin levels respond only to surgery.
Benefits after surgery (ovarian wedge resection) include:
Quote: "In actuality, when one studies ovulation closely by daily ultrasound and hormonal parameters, one realizes that there are a number of different "ovulatory events" that mimic ovulation but are either completely annovulatory or represent a significant defect in the ovulation mechanism. An example of an ovulatory defect that is anovulatory is the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome. An example of an ovulatory defect in which the ovulation process is significantly defective is the immature follicle. While ultrasound is commonly used in the ART programs to monitor ovulation inducing medications, it is rarely used for studying spontaneous ovulation patterns and their defects. The latter is extremely important if one is to design treatment strategies that meet the specific demand of the underlying problem."
It goes into descriptions of several different types of ovulatory dysfunction and the follicular and luteal phase deficiencies associated with them, along with symptoms. Intriguing and mind boggling!
Here are a few notes that I took:
In PCOD women, 61% of their ovulations (often 6 or fewer per year) are defective in some way. That alone drastically reduces chances of conception! That means if I ovulate 6 times this year, only 2-3 of them will be viable chances... a woman of normal fertility would have 12-13 chances in a year.
Androgen levels can be treated medically, but the gonadotropin levels respond only to surgery.
Benefits after surgery (ovarian wedge resection) include:
- decrease in testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, & DHEAs.
- LH comes down significantly while FSH remains the same - correcting the ratio
- over 90% return to regular cycles.
- 7x increased risk of heart attack and heart disease due to lower HDL, higher triglycerides, higher homocysteine levels.
- by age of 40, 40% of PCOD women have Type II diabetes
- increased risk of endometrial cancer due to elevated insulin levels and unopposed estrogen (because of long follicular phases without ovulation to produce progesterone).
- 3x increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer
- increased risk of hysterectomy because of dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- ovarian cancer risk increased
- women with PCOD are more likely to have chronic fatigue syndrome
Quote: "In actuality, when one studies ovulation closely by daily ultrasound and hormonal parameters, one realizes that there are a number of different "ovulatory events" that mimic ovulation but are either completely annovulatory or represent a significant defect in the ovulation mechanism. An example of an ovulatory defect that is anovulatory is the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome. An example of an ovulatory defect in which the ovulation process is significantly defective is the immature follicle. While ultrasound is commonly used in the ART programs to monitor ovulation inducing medications, it is rarely used for studying spontaneous ovulation patterns and their defects. The latter is extremely important if one is to design treatment strategies that meet the specific demand of the underlying problem."
It goes into descriptions of several different types of ovulatory dysfunction and the follicular and luteal phase deficiencies associated with them, along with symptoms. Intriguing and mind boggling!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Day 1
A new cycle. Adding cinnamon for further blood sugar control and ToCoQ10 to help lower cholesterol and give antioxidant protection.
Tom and I have also decided to try soy isoflavones this cycle. We are concerned about the health risks of the long periods of unopposed estrogen with the long follicular phases. We've read that taking soy isoflavones at twice the doseage of clomid for days 5-9 of the cycle can shorten follicular phases and strengthen ovulation. We will see how it goes and report back. I am not a fan of soy, but wasn't sure about clomid either and those were the only options I was getting. I figure the risk was less, the cost was way less and we'd give it a try.
This also means I get to start journaling in my new printed journal - yippee!
Tom and I have also decided to try soy isoflavones this cycle. We are concerned about the health risks of the long periods of unopposed estrogen with the long follicular phases. We've read that taking soy isoflavones at twice the doseage of clomid for days 5-9 of the cycle can shorten follicular phases and strengthen ovulation. We will see how it goes and report back. I am not a fan of soy, but wasn't sure about clomid either and those were the only options I was getting. I figure the risk was less, the cost was way less and we'd give it a try.
This also means I get to start journaling in my new printed journal - yippee!
Not this month...
Still a very encouraging cycle. Temp finally dipped below coverline this morning and I can feel af on her way. I tested with a First Response on Sat morning (12dpo) and it was negative. I had been hopeful as I could see a true ovulation. I do still think that ovulation was "weak" and the corpus luteum was definitely not producing sufficient progesterone as the temps were barely above coverline. I hope to see more improvements on the next cycle.
We are thinking and praying about the next steps and will update here as we decide. Thanks for your prayers and support!
We are thinking and praying about the next steps and will update here as we decide. Thanks for your prayers and support!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Ovulation!
I am so excited! By all signs, it appears that I have actually ovulated and my charts looks so beautiful to me. :-) Check out the TCOYF chart in the sidebar link --->. I am in the lovely 2ww, actually half way through it now, so we shall see... I may start testing the middle of next week because if I get a + I want to get a progesterone test ASAP. Pray for us!
Currently reading...
The NaPro Technology Revolution: Unleashing the Power in a Woman's Cycle
by Thomas W. Hilgers
Very impressed so far, will update once finished. Thank you LaDean for sending it to me!
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