Appt yesterday and another Monday

My NaPro doctor moved from NC to MO and he has been helping me via e-mailed charts and prescriptions, etc... This last cycle just was not looking as good BBT wise as the previous one and I was asking him what else we could do. We discussed upping my meds dose and he recommended getting an ultrasound of my ovaries prior to that so that we could make sure there were no large cysts or a lot of unruptured large follicles. I found a family doctor locally who would see self-pay patients (harder than I imagined)! I met with him yesterday. We talked for a while about my history, current treatment, what I needed and he palpated my belly and pretty quickly found my right ovary seemed enlarged and likely cystic. I guess with PCOS, that isn't a big surprise, but I was still disappointed. We have the ultrasound scheduled for Monday afternoon to get a good look and see what is going on there, how many cysts, how large, what kind and how the follicles are looking. It's a relief to finally be getting a "look-see" but intimidating nonetheless. I am also considering and discussing with both doctors trying to get an hsg done to check on blockages and see what my tubes and uterus are looking like... costly, but seems worth it? We are also going to check into getting a semen analysis done, it hasn't been pushed by doctors since Tom is "proven" :-) but a lot can change in 10 years and he is around a lot of chemicals and nasties in his work, so probably worth another check. We figure that throwing over $200 at meds a month, we should be good and certain nothing else is blocking the way. So, that's the update here. It's funny, now that the Dr. pressed on my ovary and I felt what it felt like (tender), I can find it now and feel the cysts. Eeek! I am nervous about the news of what all we find in there.

I've been feeling a little more "off" for the last 2 1/2 weeks. Ever since 10dpo last cycle, not sleeping real well, night sweats, temps erratic. Grrrr.....

Fertility Journal rewrites

Got some great feedback from my fertility journal "testers" and am beginning final edits tomorrow and hope to have them done by the end of the week. I hope to have them available for sale before too long!

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.

Reflecting back

I was looking through old posts and came across this post where I listed all my current symptoms and ails. I am amazed at how much I have improved over the last couple of years. The biggest thing has definitely been diet and weight loss. A great motivator for sure! Sometimes, over time you forget where you've been and this was a great reminder.

Soooo looooooong....

This cycle has been incredibly long and ridiculous. I am on CD 64, 12dpo - I assume af will arrive today. Had a migraine yesterday, low back pain and a bit of cramping, still some of the same today though the headache is much better. Hubby and I both gained almost 10# while we were on vacation, so hitting the diet pretty hard again - eating only meat, veggies and fruits (no beans, grains, sugars, nuts or dairy). We are gearing up for a serious try on the next cycle. I have some new prescriptions, started back to serious diet-watching, and am planning to be very focused this next cycle. I'll keep you posted!

Discouraged

Well, here I am at cd43 and no sign of ovulation or af yet. It is very discouraging to say the least. I am feeling okay, have had a few days of being moody/angry - my joints are pretty achey - I am tired. I actually am wondering about my thyroid, I had a temp of 95.8 this morning - eek! I have been having cold hands and feet again too. Bummed 'cause it was doing so much better, wonder if I am sensitive enough that the leak in Japan is bothering me? I stopped all supplements this month except the Metformin, wasn't really a conscious decision - just got so busy. Just had a phone consult with my Creighton Practitioner and sent off an e-mail to my NaPro Dr. I am hoping that my 8 months of charting and almost 6 months on Metformin will earn me something... labs at least? I am getting tired of being patient, especially when I'm not seeing improvement. So, that's where I am currently. I'll keep ya posted!

To the printer at last!

It has been a very busy spring for me on our little farm and I must apologize to you ladies who have volunteered to test the fertility journal. It has taken much longer than I anticipated to get these edits done. However, I have sent them to the printer and will be picking them up on Monday this week. If you haven't yet, please do send me your address and I will get your copy right out to you! Thank you for your patience. :-)