The beginning...

New cycle began yesterday. I had another 16-day luteal phase with the help of hcg, which is great, whole cycle was 39 days long. We have decided to do a 3-month "break" during which I will use progesterone cream on days 7-26 of 3 cycles. It will help dissolve any cysts, reduce estrogen dominance and just give my body a break. This amount of progesterone will suppress ovulation (thus the break from ttc), when I stop the progesterone on cd26 it will induce a "period" (actually withdrawal bleed) and create a better pattern of shorter cycles. We will begin ttc again in December. I will also be working on exercising more and returning to better eating habits during this time. I hope to lose about 20# before December. This will also give us a financial break from the meds and appts. We may try to do a couple more diagnostic tests toward the end of the break to make sure things are clear and a "go" for December. Hopefully all will line up that month and we can have a fall 2012 baby!

May & June cycles

We gave in and have tried some new meds the last 2 cycles. I have taken Femara (letrazole) days 3-7 and hcg injections days 3,5,7 and 9 dpo. These are to stimulate a stronger ovulation and to jump start the corpus luteum into producing progesterone. The cycles have definitely improved, but I am not yet pregnant. They have both been 35 days long and ovulation occurred around day 20 which makes my lp go from 12 days to 15 days - very nice! I am encouraged by these things and thankful that my follicular (estrogen dominant) phase and luteal (progesterone dominant) phase are waaaay more balanced - this is so much healthier for me over all. My bbt chart the 1st cycle on the meds was beautiful and I was very hopeful. The 2nd cycle (ended yesterday) was not as good, temps went up a bit, went up some more but then by 10dpo they were dropping and stayed just barely above coverline the rest of my lp. I also had a tiny bit of spotting on 10dpo and a headache the day before menses (with migraine "aura" the night before the headache), all of this indicates low progesterone to me. So... keeping on keeping on. Sent an e-mail to my Dr and FP tonight to see what's next and if any changes are in store for the next cycle.

Cycle update

Okay, so haven't updated here this cycle yet - in short, it's been disastrous!

I upped my dose of soy iso like I had planned and I have been spotting continually, estrogen has been spiking and plummeting making my bbt chart look like the rocky mountains. I so rarely have mid-cycle spotting that this has been very strange for me and discouraging. I literally have spotted 20 days out of the 26 days so far in this cycle, and am annovulatory so far.

I now feel guilty for taking the soy against my better judgement, it was a "compromise" to hopefully avoid the clomid or femara. It has really messed me up this cycle and I pray it clears quickly and we can move on. This has likely set me back with the Dr. at least 2 months as far as getting labs done and moving on... :-( He knew I was taking it and even said last month that it seemed to be helping along with the metformin, but it wasn't prescribed.

Today, I am very crampy and have leg aches and twinges in my R sciatica, I am very hopeful that this is the end of the cycle coming... but hard to say. I'll let you all know how next cycle works out.

Thanks for your prayers and hanging in here with me.

Plans (occupying my mind)

Hanging in here!  I am trying very hard not to look for signs, but it's hard!  8dpo and nothing exciting to report, my lp is 12-13 days normally.  We'll see.  I try to use this time to consider the cycle and what worked and what changes, if any, to make for next cycle should it come (that way I have something to look fwd to if af shows).  I am thinking that I will take the soy isoflavones again at 150mg days 5-9 and I also will commit to getting maca in me.  I really, really dislike the taste of maca and just cannot get it down in smoothies or by just guzzling it in a bit of water (that was about disastrous).  I am planning to capsule it and commit to taking 4 capsules a day which should equal 2 tsp.  Starting Monday, I also plan to exercise for 30 min daily whether af comes or not, and work more on eating well - low carb whole foods.  I did get a menu made for this week and did grocery shopping based on it yesterday so that shouldn't be too hard!

Oh, one thing to make note of is that I have had the sciatica pain on my right side and that strange itchy nerve pain in my right hip for the past 4 days.  It seems to be subsiding today.  Very annoying, painful and frustrating!

A couple changes I've made

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.

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!

General update

Almost 3 weeks now since starting our new eating plan. It has been very easy and fulfilling to eat this way. I have lost almost 10 lbs in the past 3 weeks. I have days when I have a bit more energy, but am still fairly tired - though able to accomplish more throughout the day and not noticing the 3pm slump quite as much. I have not had issues with anxiety, difficulty breathing or heart palpitations recently, but am still taking SAM-e. I have not had severe endo pain, though some minor pain (not debilitating) in the past 3 weeks, but I also have not had a normal cycle since Nov 28. :-( I have not had a migraine in a while either, nigglings that I could get one but nothing serious. I have not any trouble with the tonsil stones for the last few weeks, my scalp has much improved, no thyroid pain. I have had itchiness on my face which I am working to figure out if it is an allergy to nuts or yeast growth, either way may need to cut them out of my diet. All in all, some good improvements.

My cycle is puzzling me for sure though. Have not had a menses since Nov 28 and have had 2 sessions of spotting for 2-3 days, now am spotting again. I get moody and achey and tired beforehand but then only spot. Need to figure that out. I have not used the pro cream since the end of December so it's not that. May need to consider another hair analysis and hormone panel soon.

Tom has mentioned that he has not had any heart burn for the last few weeks - hooray! The kids are doing very well on the plan. They are not complaining much, they are looking healthier. Rose said the other day that her lettuce tasted like candy - they were eating big wedges of it plain! Heather's attitude is much better the last few days, I had to stop in the middle of her grammar and tell her how much I liked seeing her smile and having her cooperate, she said that she felt happier - hooray!

That's it for now...

Bowels

Okay, not for the faint-hearted. :-)

Will try not to be too descriptive, but I did want to add this info here. We have noticed changes in our bowels with the change in eating. Tom was the first to notice, and I have had the children marking on a chart when they have bowel movements so that I know if they become constipated. If one skips a day or two, (Heather especially has always been prone), I have them drink some "Smooth Move" herbal tea and that works right away with no discomfort. I have noticed an improvement in frequency and quality myself. If you are interested in what "normal" is... here is a link with info and.... prepare yourself... pics.

The Bristol Stool Form Scale

"The Bristol Stool Scale or Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid designed to classify the form of human feces into seven groups. It was developed by Heaton and Lewis at the University of Bristol and was first published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology in 1997. The form of the stool depends on the time it spends in the colon."

Changes in supplements

Here are the recent changes to my supplements:

Vitamin C - ran out of current bottle, haven't refilled

Cod Liver Oil - haven't refilled, am taking flax and EPO but should get a fish oil too...

Licorice Root - misplaced bottle? Will add back in if I locate it

Limcomin - ran out, may continue - not sure

Protease - digestive enzyme for digesting protein, really should refill this one!

Selenium - was taking an additional 200 mcg, stopped for right now due to nausea right when taken, reconsidering...