Hormone Replacement Therapy

So with the New Year, we have a new plan. We are going to Hormone Therapy for the next 4-6 months, I am going to lose the extra weight, get in shape and try another IVF cycle at the end of our hormone treatment cycle. This is something I can do to try and improve our chances and something I have control over so pretty much it will keep me sane, for awhile! :)

I met with the RE today and talked about what Hormone Replacement Therapy ("HRT") could do for my "issues". The RE said that HRT has shown to improve egg quality, help increase insulin sensitivity and balance my hormones to treat my PCOS symptoms, increase my sensitivity to the fertility drugs in future IVF cycles and help me feel better overall. I did appreciate this statement from the RE "You deserve to feel good after all the stuff you have been through". Amen to that!! With treating the PCOS and Hypothyroid symptoms I should be losing this lovely extra 15-20 pounds I am carrying around, have more energy, clearer mind, sleeping better, better sex drive, stronger nails, less dry skin and better muscle tone (I used to have amazing muscle definition before all these problems started).
I had my blood drawn to test my thyroid levels, total and free testosterone, FSH, progesterone, estradiol, and prolactin. My veins are a nurses nightmare because they are by feel only and like to disappear and it seems my left arm is really the only one nurses can find. I had to drink 32 oz of water, eat some crackers and be stuck four times to get enough blood to run the tests. PURE JOY :)
We will wait and see what all my levels are looking like so the RE will know the dosage to give me of hormones. The procedure sounds pretty simple, the RE will make a small incision above my hip and place a pellet of natural testosterone and estrogen mixture that will sit and be absorbed over the next 4-6 months. Every day 14-28 of my cycle I will need to take natural progesterone to make sure my lining is shedding properly. The effects are supposed to be noticeable from 1-4 days of putting in the pellet. If they are not then they may need to add another pellet due to my hormone levels being depleted for so long that they need an extra boost.

After 4 months the RE will test my Testosterone levels to see if they are down to a normal level and if they are we can do another IVF cycle then or we will need to wait till about month 6 when the hormones have completely left my system.

I am going to also start talking with acupuncturists in my area that specialize in infertility to see what they recommend for someone with my problems doing IVF and what they charge.

I am getting tired of the emotional roller coaster and am ready to do all that is available out there. I am not sure how much more I can handle of failures, it is just so depressing and long and stressful and tiring and emotional and, and, and...

Meformin Woes

Well I am back to taking my Metformin since my hiatus between IVF's. I did have the Dr. change my prescription to the extended release so I can take it before I go to bed. That has decreased the nasty side effects of intestinal upsets and nausea but the past week I have been on a roller coaster of feeling great then suddenly wanting to throw up. Luckily I just feel nauseous and don't actually have to throw up. I have been reading and it seems that it can take up to a month before Metformin stabilizes your insulin levels and the side effects subside. All I can say is Immodium chewable tablets are always close by till my body adjusts.

Otherwise, I have planned out that I will start taking BC this coming Sunday and that should put the egg retrieval the week after Thanksgiving. I am excited but worried that it will be another failed cycle. I did talk to a lady that had done IVF and they put in 3 grade D eggs and all three took, she has 3 year old triplets. Also, a friend of hers just did IVF and she had 2 grade C and 1 grade D eggs and all three took. So....some people it works maybe this time it will for us!

Dr. Appointment - Check!!

Yesterday we finally made it to the new Dr.'s office after cancelling and debating on when we should reschedule. Mr. Explorer Bud and I both agree that we liked this Dr. and he had some interesting theories about PCOS and Hypothyroidism.We first got to fill out more paperwork and then go back with a nurse and have her fill some more in on the computer and then sat around waiting to go talk with the Dr. He went over both our previous lab work, IVF treatments and surgeries which brought up a little emotion when talking about the IVF cycles. I was surprised because I felt almost defensive about them that I produced good eggs and everything was fine. Strange but so is going through infertility too!

In talking about how I was feeling, tired, colder than other people around me and still not dropping weight like I feel I should be he felt my T3 levels were not up to par so he has put me on a natural Thyroid that is T3 and T4 and we will retest my levels in 6 weeks so I am hoping to feel more energized. Then we moved over to PCOS where he talked about Testosterone and that a lot of the time women with PCOS are actually lacking Free Testosterone but not in Total Testosterone. When you are lacking in Free Testosterone you are tired, have trouble remembering things, poor muscle development, low sex-drive and lots more symptoms. I have a lot of these symptoms and my Total Testosterone isn't terribly high but it is a little high but interestingly I wasn't tested for Free Testosterone levels. If we are going to do IVF within the next 6 months then I will have to wait to address this issue because to treat it I would be put on too high of levels of Testosterone to carry a baby. At least I know what some of my problems may be stemming from.

So any who, moving onto the exam portion of the appointment, which I appreciate since it is coming out of my pocket I would like the Dr. to actually see what is going on in those ovaries and uterus before he makes recommendations. He did confirm that I am Poly Cystic, on my right ovary I had about 20 follicles and on my left I had a few. He then said that my cervix was very tight and only had a pin hole size opening when it should be bigger and that he will probably need to dilate my cervix for our next IVF. Has anyone had this done before and I thought it was strange since I don't believe my prior Dr. did it for either of my IVF's??

He asked if I was ever diagnosed with Endometriosis and I said no that I hadn't. He did some palpation's and found that I do on my left side which is the side that I had the ectopic and tubal removal. He said it was minor and shouldn't cause a problem but that we should keep an eye on it in the future. Yeah, one more "problem" to add to the list!! Love it!! So I am supposed to send him the pictures from my tubal ligation so he can see if it was there prior.

He did say that I probably had an infection in that tube and that was probably why I ended up with an Ectopic pregnancy which makes a little more sense than it just floated around and landed there in the tube.

At the end we decided we would move forward with a third IVF with ICSI but it will be a low stim IVF which is where I will be on Clomid for 5-7 days and then injections the last week instead of the whole time. His goal is to harvest 4-8 eggs instead of a bunch and to get at least 2 good quality ones to put back in. Since my lining is thin right now and who knows when I may ovulate next, doesn't look like anytime soon, I can start BCP's at anytime! Oh and I talked to him about my worry that my lining isn't thickening up after the IVF he said we could try taking Progesterone the last two weeks that I am on BCP's and that should help tell my body to start building up a lining.

I think I will wait a few weeks before starting the BCP since I calculated it out and I would be doing the retrieval and transfer the week of Thanksgiving which we will hopefully be in California with family. I am excited by apprehensive since the first two ended in no baby.

Appointment Made!!

I have finally gotten around to making a new appointment with the new fertility Dr. I get to fill out a bunch of paperwork but I know it makes it easier for the Dr. to get a feel of where we have been and what we have already been diagnosed with. I think I am ready to get back on the roller coaster of treatments. It has been 8 months since the last IVF in February and if we don't start right away and this next round isn't successful then I will be 32 before having a baby!!! I know, not ancient, but when we are talking about prime fertile years time is tickin' away!!

I also may have some good news but am going to wait till next week to blog about it when I know more information!! Stay tuned...

New RE

So today I made my first appointment with a new RE to see what he thinks and get the ball rolling towards a new round of IVF. This RE is just in the next town over so he is very close and he does minimal stimulation IVF which is where they use mostly oral hormones and only a few injectable hormones so you will produce fewer eggs but it is cheaper and easier on your body. One cycle with ICSI and medications will be about $7,000 which is the cheapest anywhere which Mr. Explorer Bud and I like a lot more. So our appointment isn't until the first week of August but we are going camping and have a family reunion to keep really me busy. I don't think Mr. Explorer Bud constantly has our infertility constantly on his mind but I pretty much do!! I spend my time trying to not think about it!!

Come in AF!

This has been the weirdest few days of TTC that I have had so far. I am been egging on AF to show. Can you believe that? Crazy infertile me calling on AF to come in? Really? I am only 5 dpo, but I would be super excited if AF decided to show tomorrow.

I am really at the point where I want to start our IVF cycle soon. I looked at all my shot information (which scares the sh*t out of me) and I need to call the insurance liaison and injections nurse next week.

April 4th (the projected day of AF's arrival) seems like ages from now. It is very relaxing to not be thinking about TTC as much. I am having caffeinated coffee in the morning and a glass of wine or beer at night (GASP!).

I hope this next week and half is as short as this entry.