Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Infertility Journal
I don't know about you ladies, but I have been keeping a small journal of my daily cm observations, temps, medications, appts, food, exercise, moods, etc... I was getting tired of filling in all the "fields" each day before filling in that day's info, so I am looking at getting some printed with all the fields already filled in. Thought this might be something that others would use. What do you think? Do you use one? Would you? What information would be helpful for you? Was thinking of having some extras printed when I did mine and then maybe trying to sell some on Etsy and on the blog here.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Lab results
Finally got my lab results from LapCorp over to Dr. Yeung. He says that my kidney and liver panels were fine and I can go ahead and start on the Metformin, which I plan to do tomorrow. My LDL (bad cholesterol) was 141 which he said wasn't high but on the higher end of normal and I need to improve it with diet and exercise and keep an eye on it.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
NaPro Dr appt update
Hi everyone! We are sitting outside Duke having ice cream and I
thought I'd send an update. The appt went fine - quick, but Dr Yeung
did a good job answering our questions and concerns. I have a script
to get lab work done to check on my kidneys and liver and cholesterol
and if they check out fine then I have a script for Metformin which
will help with insulin resistance and weight and lowering
testosterone. It may help me to ovulate. He said my cervix looks
fine and I have great CM. :-). He did give me a script for an
antibiotic too to see if that clears up some of the continual CM. He
said he does not suspect endo based on his exam. He reinforced the
fact that there is no cure for PCOS and the 3 options for treatment if
one wants to conceive are Met, Clomid and Femara - the other 2
stimulate ovulation and he admitted are less of a long-term help and
more of a band-aid fix. We were clear about wanting my long-term
health to be top priority but that we would love to be fertile also!
I am to stay in touch with LaDean and to send Dr Yeung my chart and an
e-mail every 3 months or if anything changes. If I become pg, I need
to notify him right away so he can order a lab for a progesterone
test. I think that's it! Let me know if there are any ?s.
thought I'd send an update. The appt went fine - quick, but Dr Yeung
did a good job answering our questions and concerns. I have a script
to get lab work done to check on my kidneys and liver and cholesterol
and if they check out fine then I have a script for Metformin which
will help with insulin resistance and weight and lowering
testosterone. It may help me to ovulate. He said my cervix looks
fine and I have great CM. :-). He did give me a script for an
antibiotic too to see if that clears up some of the continual CM. He
said he does not suspect endo based on his exam. He reinforced the
fact that there is no cure for PCOS and the 3 options for treatment if
one wants to conceive are Met, Clomid and Femara - the other 2
stimulate ovulation and he admitted are less of a long-term help and
more of a band-aid fix. We were clear about wanting my long-term
health to be top priority but that we would love to be fertile also!
I am to stay in touch with LaDean and to send Dr Yeung my chart and an
e-mail every 3 months or if anything changes. If I become pg, I need
to notify him right away so he can order a lab for a progesterone
test. I think that's it! Let me know if there are any ?s.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
On the edge...
... of the unknown. I am excited, nervous, a bit scared, mostly excited!
Tomorrow is my appointment with my NaPro Dr. :-)
This will be my initial visit and some testing, possibly ordering some labs and getting some prescriptions, maybe an ultrasound to see my ovaries, possibly discussing a lap to check for endometriosis... just guesses. I am working hard on not obsessing and trying not to get carried away with attempting to predict and prepare for every possible scenario.
Last week I was going kinda nutso, Tom and I went out for dinner and left the kids with our wonderful friends. It was so good to talk about my feelings with him. I was feeling a little alone on the fertility train... but he really is right there beside me, holding my hand, making sure I don't jump overboard with crazy obsession and paranoia. He is so good for me. I started into a long discussion about how I am doing this and this and I think this will happen and what if this happens and what do we think about this possibility, on and on. He looked at me and said "Above all, I want you to be healthy and with me for as long as possible. If getting you healthy means we can have more children, I would love that. We will not take short-cuts and do things that may harm you. Let's see what the Dr finds and recommends and we will ask questions and research as things come up. I love you. Calm down." (Paraphrased but that's the gist.)
I've been much better since then. :-)
I know that while I have all the daily charting and testing and observing and temping and things that I can do and be absorbed in, it may seem that he is hardly participating (except obvious necessities, ha!)... but that is not the case. I know that he is thinking about it and working very hard to stash away money for treatments and probably bearing more of the burden than I realize.
So, pray for us! We are leaving at 9am and have a 2 1/2 hour drive to Duke University. My appt is at 1:30pm. I will post an update here as soon as I can. We are driving another 4 hours down to SC to see some wonderful friends and spend the weekend with them. It will be very nice. Thank you!
Tomorrow is my appointment with my NaPro Dr. :-)
This will be my initial visit and some testing, possibly ordering some labs and getting some prescriptions, maybe an ultrasound to see my ovaries, possibly discussing a lap to check for endometriosis... just guesses. I am working hard on not obsessing and trying not to get carried away with attempting to predict and prepare for every possible scenario.
Last week I was going kinda nutso, Tom and I went out for dinner and left the kids with our wonderful friends. It was so good to talk about my feelings with him. I was feeling a little alone on the fertility train... but he really is right there beside me, holding my hand, making sure I don't jump overboard with crazy obsession and paranoia. He is so good for me. I started into a long discussion about how I am doing this and this and I think this will happen and what if this happens and what do we think about this possibility, on and on. He looked at me and said "Above all, I want you to be healthy and with me for as long as possible. If getting you healthy means we can have more children, I would love that. We will not take short-cuts and do things that may harm you. Let's see what the Dr finds and recommends and we will ask questions and research as things come up. I love you. Calm down." (Paraphrased but that's the gist.)
I've been much better since then. :-)
I know that while I have all the daily charting and testing and observing and temping and things that I can do and be absorbed in, it may seem that he is hardly participating (except obvious necessities, ha!)... but that is not the case. I know that he is thinking about it and working very hard to stash away money for treatments and probably bearing more of the burden than I realize.
So, pray for us! We are leaving at 9am and have a 2 1/2 hour drive to Duke University. My appt is at 1:30pm. I will post an update here as soon as I can. We are driving another 4 hours down to SC to see some wonderful friends and spend the weekend with them. It will be very nice. Thank you!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Test results at last
I finally got copies of my blood work from the PCOS / Acupuncture study done at the UVA in 2008. These blood draws were taken on April 8, 2008 which is day 53 out of a 77 day cycle.
Vitals
Blood pressure - 137/81 and later 99/67 (normal 120/80))
Pulse - 95 and later 80 (normal 60-80)
Respiration - 18 and later 16 (normal 12-18)
Temp - 95.7 and later 98.1 (normal 98.6)
Oral glucose tolerance test
Fasting - 87 (normal 60-100)
1 hour - 128 (normal less than 200)
2 hour - 129 (normal less than 140)
DHEAS
Result - 287.0ug/dL (normal 35-430ug/dL)
Women with PCOS often have levels over 200.
Testosterone
Result - 93 (normal 6-86)
Women with PCOS have elevated levels of testosterone.
17-Hydroxyprogesterone
Result - 149.00 ng/dL (normal follicular phase is 15-70, luteal phase is 35-290)
Since I have no idea which phase of my cycle I was in or whether I ovulated that cycle, this seems difficult to understand how it my relate.
TSH
Result - 1.64 uIU/mL (normal 0.4 - 4.0)
PCOS women usually have normal levels, this was tested to rule out a thyroid problem - very good news!)
Prolactin
Result - 5.0 n/mL (normal 2-29)
PCOS women usually have normal levels, this was tested to rule out a pituitary tumor or other problem).
That's it! I was hoping there was an FSH/LH reading in there somewhere and maybe some more hormone levels, but good to finally get these!
Vitals
Blood pressure - 137/81 and later 99/67 (normal 120/80))
Pulse - 95 and later 80 (normal 60-80)
Respiration - 18 and later 16 (normal 12-18)
Temp - 95.7 and later 98.1 (normal 98.6)
Oral glucose tolerance test
Fasting - 87 (normal 60-100)
1 hour - 128 (normal less than 200)
2 hour - 129 (normal less than 140)
Click word to go to wikipedia definition.
Result - 5.0% (normal 4-5.9%)
DHEAS
Result - 287.0ug/dL (normal 35-430ug/dL)
Women with PCOS often have levels over 200.
Testosterone
Result - 93 (normal 6-86)
Women with PCOS have elevated levels of testosterone.
17-Hydroxyprogesterone
Result - 149.00 ng/dL (normal follicular phase is 15-70, luteal phase is 35-290)
Since I have no idea which phase of my cycle I was in or whether I ovulated that cycle, this seems difficult to understand how it my relate.
TSH
Result - 1.64 uIU/mL (normal 0.4 - 4.0)
PCOS women usually have normal levels, this was tested to rule out a thyroid problem - very good news!)
Prolactin
Result - 5.0 n/mL (normal 2-29)
PCOS women usually have normal levels, this was tested to rule out a pituitary tumor or other problem).
That's it! I was hoping there was an FSH/LH reading in there somewhere and maybe some more hormone levels, but good to finally get these!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Fresh Fig and Greek Yogurt pie recipe
Fresh Fig Pie (adapted from here)
2 cups Greek-style strained yogurt
up to 2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered honey
6 to 8 ripe Mission figs, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 8-inch almond flour pie shell
additional honey, if desired
Fold up to two tablespoons raw honey into two cups strained Greek-style yogurt. Stir well so that the honey is fully incorporated into the yogurt. Spoon the yogurt into an almond flour pie shell. Gently place the sliced figs over the yogurt. Drizzle the sliced figs with additional honey, if it suits you.
2 cups Greek-style strained yogurt
up to 2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered honey
6 to 8 ripe Mission figs, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 8-inch almond flour pie shell
additional honey, if desired
Fold up to two tablespoons raw honey into two cups strained Greek-style yogurt. Stir well so that the honey is fully incorporated into the yogurt. Spoon the yogurt into an almond flour pie shell. Gently place the sliced figs over the yogurt. Drizzle the sliced figs with additional honey, if it suits you.
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