TTC for over 12 months

Well, it's not a convincing start, but I marked today as CD1. This means my never-ending cycle is finally over at 48 days. TWO days until I see the new doc.!

I realized yesterday I may be sabotaging my weight loss plan unintentionally. I've been on Clomid for 7 cycles now. Weight gain/bloating is a well-documented side effect. And I just read that Provera can cause weight gain/bloating as well. So I don't feel quite so bad about my lack of success. I do feel that hormonal issues might be a cause of the weight I've been gaining, but maybe the meds are contributing to it as well. It's been a bad week food-wise though. I just need to try harder.

Well, goes to show how much I get out to .

I wish you good news at your appointment Beth. I hope the Doc has good news for you and Mr. G

thanks kellybean!

I've had enough bad news about my reproductive parts so any hope he gives us about how to fix things or coax things into working will be good news!

I posted this over at the other place, but I know some of you don't go there.....

Good morning everyone and Happy Halloween!

Wow, had my appt. with the RE this morning. I was so nervous! But he's a very nice, kind man. So here's the report, it's probably going to be a bit disjointed though so bear with me:

He's concerned about my short cycles. Wouldn't say he's worried about low egg count but admitted it was a concern. He was pleased that it's CD3 and promptly ordered a fsh test. We want to see a low number he said. I explained that the gyno had an order in for the test already but had given me an "infertility" diagnosis so my insurance won't pay. He said "well, we can take care of that! You just had a 48-day cycle. That's 'irregular menses.'" YEA! So I have a new order. I'm going to go to the lab at lunchtime for the blood draw.

He did not have my HSG films! I was upset about that, but he called his office and suspects they are there. So he will review and call me on Monday. I mentioned it was a very painful experience which makes him hope/suspect the tube was spasming. He said the spasms can be very painful. So there's a chance it's not really blocked or blocked severely.

No more Clomid. When he told me that, I said "So I'm out already this cycle." He kinda sighed at that, but said I do have "spontaneous" ovulation but that the Clomid has not been consistently effective. He said he thinks I need something stronger (injectibles) and that he doesn't want any residual effects from Clomid for when we start something else. He asked if how I tolerated Clomid and if I was "fussy." I said the s/e weren't bad for me and that "I'm a 39 year old woman trying to conceive -- I'm going to be fussy!" He laughed at that.

I'm very disappointed that we have almost no chance this cycle unless it's a true Divine Intervention, but I have to admit, it's been a bit nice not having to worry and stress over timed intercourse for these past few weeks.

My missing progesterone test (the first one on Clomid) was 13. Hey, not bad! Which further supports his theory that I do sometimes ovulate. Hubby's numbers are 418 million which is very nice. Can't say anything about hubby's little smoking habit now.

He asked what I thought we should do. I said maybe surgery to fix the tube, and if he could get me ovulating, could we conceive on our own? He said now that's the million dollar question. Ideally, I think he'd love that. We did not discuss or even mention IUI or IVF. I forgot to ask if he would perform the surgery and if it would be up here.

So we're still up in the air right now. He wants to review my HSG films and my fsh test. He says we'll have a Plan very soon. Hopefully I will know more on Monday.

Hi girls if you don't mind I would like to join your thread by proxy. My sister is trying and is going through Metaformin and now Clomid. So in trying to help her out I do research now and then but it would be great to have some other gals to talk about it with. She doesn't always share everything and I don't want to be another voice bugging her on how things are going. I try to wait for her to come to me with news but it is difficult because I want her to have a little one as much as she wants one.

I am going to go back and catch up with everyone's journey first.

momma bear, welcome to you/your sister! Feel free to ask any questions.

So weekly update time......

Another frustrating week. I was expecting a call from the RE on Monday with his "Plan," but he didn't call. I chickened out and didn't call him either, but did on Tuesday. Left Message. No call. Called on Thursday. Left Message. Got a call back late Thursday from one of his nurses.

According to the nurse, they did not have my HSG films and only requested them on Friday the 31st. WTF? I sent them a release back in September....AND the hospital's radiology dept. even called me about sending them! So I'm very irritated over this, but arguing about it wasn't really going to get me anywhere. I started to ask if they had my fsh/estradiol blood test results (completed on the 31st) and never got an answer.....because my cell phone lost the call. Again, WTF? I have not idea if the problem was on my end or theirs. She didn't call me back and neither did I. So I'm still clueless, still frustrated, still in fertility Hell. The doctor needs these two critical pieces of information before he can begin developing his "Plan" and he has neither.

I realized today that I have been waiting OVER THREE MONTHS for someone, anyone, to explain my HSG results to me and what is the extent of the blockage in the fallopian tube.

Theoretically I will ovulate this weekend. Believe me, I am NOT holding my breath on that happening. No drugs this month so I feel there's virtually no chance of it happening.

So next week can only get better, right?

It is such a waiting game Beth but you do have to wonder if doctor's realize how much of one it is.

So my sister's story (the short version). We are sisters but not the type to share every little detail with each other so my information is never in any chronological order unless it already happened. She and her husband decided to start trying right after they were married (they just had their year anniversary in July). It was a little rocky between us for a little bit after my news came out (but I didn't know they had been trying). So we aired everything out and I stepped in to help in any way I could. It didn't take long to figure out her thyroid was way off which was keeping her from ovulating. And then she was diagnosed borderline diabetic. I guess the two can go hand in hand and in her case they do. It almost felt like everytime she went to the doctor they gave her some other news but never any answers. They tested her dh he is fine. So at this point she is not ovulating they have her on the maximum amount of synthroid....she is on metaformin...and they are going to start her on clomid. So I hope with every ounce of me that she will have something to celebrate for Christmas. It took my mom 7 years to have her first so I know she is nervous. And she dotes on my little guy and loves him so much I want her to have her own. I would even carry it for her if I could. And my biggest fear is how do I continue my family without breaking her heart.

So ladies you all have my prayers and thoughts. Hang in there.

momma bear....sounds like sis is making some progress. Ask her (if you can) if she is getting a progesterone blood test to confirm ovulation once she starts Clomid. This is usually ordered CD18-21 depending on your cycle. I had one after my 1st month of Clomid and it came back ok. That lured me into a false sense of ovulation security -- another test months later (still on Clomid) revealed I wasn't ovulating after all (at least that month). I wish I had found out sooner -- more months wasted, you know?

Yes they have been testing it. They tested after they put her on the maximum level of metaformin and she still wasn't ovulating so they said they would start clomid. I cannot remember when they were going to start but I know she was excited that she could be pregnant by turkey day.

Good. I hope the Clomid works for her! The routine is to start out at 50mg, and then up to 100mg, and 150mg if needed.

OK so I talked to my sis today and she is confused about whether she ovulated or not. I gave her my Toni Weschler book so I need some help. This is her first cycle on Clomid and she said she had two days of a line on tests but that the line wasn't as dark as the first line. I have never seen and ovulation test so would you all say that is typical? She was also worried that she hadn't had any abundant CM, thoughts?

I have never used OPK's but as far as I know they can be abit tricky. Some women swear by them and have no problems at all, others hate them! I *think* the line is supposed to be as dark as the control line or darker but maybe I am wrong on that one? Beth will know, she's used OPK's!

With the clomid, again I am not talking from my own experience because I havn't used it, but I think one of the side effects can be that it dries up your CM.

Is your sister relying purely on OPK's to check for ovulation? It's also worth noting that it's possible for your body to pick up the surge, get a positive OPK and then not ovulate for a few days. The reason for this is because your body can gear up to ovulate (so you would get all of your usual signs) and then not do it for a couple of days. This used to happen every month to a lady on another board that I go on.

Thanks for the info White Lily...this is all new to me too.