More About My Journey

Im currently 24 and my husband is 25. We got married 3 years ago on January 9th, 2010. We have been trying to conceive for a little longer than that (but don't tell my parents that! LOL) At first it was a thought, we want children, so lets stop preventing and see where it goes. roughly 6 months later it became very clear to me that it was going no where! So I did what any of us do when we feel something is wrong, I had a consult with Dr. Google. By any definition there was nothing wrong with us. Nothing to be concerned about. I have regular menstrual cycles. No cause for concern. It can take up to a year for normal, healthy couples to conceive. So we continued on as planned. I got an "app for that" and started logging my cycles. 1 year later.... still no baby. I was starting to get discouraged so i went to see my family doctor. She asked me about cycles and timing, did a PAP, and proceeded to tell me that everything was fine, and to try to use Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs) to pin point ovulation and be sure our timing is right. I left relieved and feeling like this was going to be the key!! 6 months into that, I was more discouraged than ever!! I felt like I was never getting a positive result, yet my period would show up right on time! I decided to go back to Dr. Google. I found some research on "pseudo-cycles" and annovulatory cycles. Basically you do not ovulate therefore you can not get pregnant. But you still have a withdrawal "bleed" that is often mistake for a normal period. I wasnt ready to admit defeat!! I decided that being over weight, maybe I should try to get healthy. I could be one of those women.. right? the ones who drop 30lbs and then get knocked up!! That could be me! Only that wasnt me. I dropped 30lbs and was still not getting a + result on the OPKS. We were nearing the 2 year mark of Trying To Conceive (TTC) and decided it was time to see a real OB and to figure out what was wrong. I got my diagnosis of PCOS in December of 2011. My OB, Dr Sams was pretty certain after a short questionnaire that this was my answer But we also confirmed the diagnosis with blood work and a ultrasound of my ovaries. I started treating with metformin for the Insulin resistance that is common with PCOS and a low dose fertility medication called femara. He wanted us to have my husband get a semen analysis as well. We had the SA done in January of 2012, and the results were not  good! But the Urologist who reviewed them gave us the "go ahead"and said that he felt that the numbers were "workable" We did 3 cycles of the 2.5mg femara with progesterone labs called p4's to confirm if ovulation was occurring. And it was!! and we were happy!! but still no baby. Dr. Sams decided after 3 tries, to up my dosage to 5mgs and to get a HSG right away. I couldnt tell you the big long word that HSG stands for. But I can tell you that its NO FUN! Its an x-ray where they insert a catheter into the cervix and run dye into the uterus and tubes to check for blockages or other issues. It hurt. but it came back all clear!
Dr Sams had told me that if my tubes were clear and the 5mg was not getting us improved p4 results (anything over 6 indicates ovulation but above 10 is required to assume healthy egg quality) then i would probably need a specialist. So after Aprils p4 not being what we needed to see, We consulted a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Tried a low tech IUI (intra-uterine insemination) also with no luck.
 CYCLE HISTORY (1-4 + 6 with OB) (5 + 7 on are alone or w/ RE)
First Cycle- 850mg Metformin & 2.5mg Femara = p4 12.3 = O but BFN
Second Cycle- 1700mg Met & 2.5mg Femara = p4 7.6 = O but BFN
Third Cycle- 1700mg Met & 2.5mg Femara= p4 8.4 = O but BFN
Forth Cycle- 1700mg Met & 5mg Femara = p4 10.2 = O but BFN
Fifth Cycle- 1700mg Met & 7.5mg Femara + IUI on 5-12-12 = BFN!!!
Sixth Cycle- 1700mg Met & 5mg femara=p4 7.35 = BFN
Seventh Cycle -1700mg Met & 200mg Soy CD5-9 TI @ Home. 1000mg Royal jelly = BFN Eighth Cycle- Met only. Med break. Annovulatory.
Nineth Cycle- Met only. Med Break. O on my own!!
Tenth Cycle- Met only. Med Break. Annovulatory
After 10 Cycles, we make it to November 2012. Thanks to my parents' help, we are able to afford an IUI with all the bells and whistles of ultrasound monitoring and injectable fertility medications. We started with 75iu injections of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) for 3 days. then went in for an "follicle scan" which is a vaginal ultrasound where the tech looks at your ovaries and counts "follicles" they measure them and watch for growth. Basically follicles grow on the ovaries, as the cycle progresses smaller ones die off but a few will keep growing. usually until there is 1 dominant one and that one will release an egg during ovulation. We had 3 scans and 2 good follicles. Did an HCG "trigger" which forces ovualtion of mature eggs. Had the IUI with a much better sample of the hubbys sperm. but 2 weeks later, still no baby!

Eleventh Cycle- Femara 5mg + Gonal F Injects and IUI = BFN

• needed 8 75iu injections (600iu total)
• had 2 good size follies, possible 3rd. and 27mil swimmers post wash.
• progesterone suppositories

So here we sit.... February of 2013....
3 years into TTC our first child. 11 cycles of fertility medications under our belts. 2 IUI's. One round of injectable meds. And still no baby. We plan to save up enough money to cover the cost of two more injectables + IUI cycles in a row before we proceed. Looking like were on a "med break" until August or so.


http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/376dc3  <--- my Fertility Friend Ovulation Chart