How did you deal with your infertility?

[Sol_y_Paz]

How long did you try before speaking with a doctor?

What types of things did you try (for example, charting, temping, special supplements, fertility monitors,)

Did you speak with your general doctor and have them refer you?   Or did you seek out others and get their recommendation of the right doctor?  

What type of testing did you get done?  What treatment(s) did you try? 

Thanks for sharing any part of your own story and struggle.  

[LeighB]

Well, I won't be much help, but I wanted to reply anyway. :) 

I haven't gone to a doctor.  Partially because I don't think my infertility is caused by anything serious or deadly, like cancer or tumors, etc.  But also because I can't go any further with treatments.  We just cannot afford testing or drugs.  

I am charting and taking vitamins.  I've also put myself on a strict gluten free diet, as my daughter has Celiac's and I intolerance can be hereditary.  I don't have much faith in it though, since I was gluten free for years before.  But who knows! 

[lifeguard]

I didn't deal well. It took us 6 years to conceive ds. For the first couple we weren't officially trying. Then I started getting a sneaking suspicion something wasn't right but I was soooo worried I would just be told I was too fat & they would refuse treatment until I lost weight. I tracked my cycles for a couple years on & off, kept trying to lose weight & focused on finding a better solution for my ongoing depression.

After 5 years some ladies I met who had infertility troubles encouraged me to seek help. I saw my family doctor first & asked for a referral. It was a 10 month wait to get into the specialist. In the meantime my family doctor had me do some basic blood tests & an ultrasound of my ovaries through which we discovered I have pcos. I started metformin right away but for me it made little difference in my weight or my cycles.

The specialist had me do some additional blood tests, another ultrasound of my ovaries & an ultrasound of my fallopian tubes where they put fluid through to check they were clear (don't remember the name of that particular one).

At that point we actually moved but in the new location I found a doctor who could take me immediately & she accepted all the testing we'd already done. She started me on clomid & we miraculously conceived on the first cycle.

In conceiving dd we were in a different location again. I asked for a referral to an infertility clinic & when I found out it was a 14 month wait I called around to ob's until I found one who would prescribe clomid & could take me fairly quickly & then asked my family doc for a referral to him.

It took a lot longer to conceive dd even with being at a lower weight, eating a better diet, taking the metformin & the clomid. In fact we did 6 cycles of clomid over 10 months & were on a break from the drug after 3 consecutive cycles before adding in femara when I conceived (likely the clomid was still in my system). While we were doing this I finally got in to the infertility clinic & had my worst fear realized when they told me I was too fat & they wouldn't treat me until I lost weight - terrible, terrible day.

The hardest part truly was the emotional part.

[shesaidboom]

lifeguard, I had the same thing happen. At first the fertility specialist I saw said she wouldn't treat us because my BMI was over 30. She did make an error, it's actually a BMI of 35 cut off at their clinic, but it was horrible to have to hear those words when I have been struggling with weight and asking for help in losing (also PCOS, metformin did nothing to help).

Dp and I have been 'officially' trying for 4 years. I knew we would have issues because I was not having periods, so I spoke to my doctor about it right away. At the time the doctor I was seeing was truly awful and dismissed everything. He would tell me I was young and I was fine and to come back in 2 months if nothing changed. I was finally able to find a doctor who was taking new patients and she referred me to an endocrinologist who ran tests, found out I had PCOS and put me on Metformin. Problem was the Metformin wasn't helping and this Endocrinologist would only see me once every 8 months. My doc would give me the run around every time I saw her. Check for pregnancy 'just in case' and say "let's wait and see what the endo says". I tried all sorts of diets and supplements, yoga, accupuncture, chiropractics, whatever I could in the mean time. I also charted, but I was going between 6 months-1.5 years without a period through all this. Finally this summer I refused to leave my drs office until she referred me to a fertility specialist and she did. Dp and I have conceived before the help of the fertility specialist, but we have never carried past 14 weeks.

So far dp and I have done every kind of blood test you can imagine, a general sperm analysis, sperm functioning analysis, I've had two transvaginal ultrasounds, and a sonohysterogram (to make sure my uterus is okay and my fallopian tubes are open). The fertility specialist put me back on Metformin (a much higher dose) and we're going back this coming Tuesday to get more results and see what our next step is.

I agree that the hardest part is definitely the emotional part. It is such a difficult process.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by LeighB 

Well, I won't be much help, but I wanted to reply anyway. :) 

I haven't gone to a doctor.  Partially because I don't think my infertility is caused by anything serious or deadly, like cancer or tumors, etc.  But also because I can't go any further with treatments.  We just cannot afford testing or drugs.  

I am charting and taking vitamins.  I've also put myself on a strict gluten free diet, as my daughter has Celiac's and I intolerance can be hereditary.  I don't have much faith in it though, since I was gluten free for years before.  But who knows! 

That is a lot of help, thanks for sharing.  I didn't mean to not include those who are dealing with their infertility this way either as this is 100% a way of dealing and living with it.  It really sucks that most fertility treatment of any kind is so costly.  

Gluten free it easier today than ever I think, I see products in the store and on menus that can help cater to what your daughter needs and your diet as well that you are going gluten free.  What type of vitamins are you taking? 
 

Originally Posted by lifeguard 

I didn't deal well. It took us 6 years to conceive ds. For the first couple we weren't officially trying. Then I started getting a sneaking suspicion something wasn't right but I was soooo worried I would just be told I was too fat & they would refuse treatment until I lost weight. I tracked my cycles for a couple years on & off, kept trying to lose weight & focused on finding a better solution for my ongoing depression.

After 5 years some ladies I met who had infertility troubles encouraged me to seek help. I saw my family doctor first & asked for a referral. It was a 10 month wait to get into the specialist. In the meantime my family doctor had me do some basic blood tests & an ultrasound of my ovaries through which we discovered I have pcos. I started metformin right away but for me it made little difference in my weight or my cycles.

The specialist had me do some additional blood tests, another ultrasound of my ovaries & an ultrasound of my fallopian tubes where they put fluid through to check they were clear (don't remember the name of that particular one).

At that point we actually moved but in the new location I found a doctor who could take me immediately & she accepted all the testing we'd already done. She started me on clomid & we miraculously conceived on the first cycle.

In conceiving dd we were in a different location again. I asked for a referral to an infertility clinic & when I found out it was a 14 month wait I called around to ob's until I found one who would prescribe clomid & could take me fairly quickly & then asked my family doc for a referral to him.

It took a lot longer to conceive dd even with being at a lower weight, eating a better diet, taking the metformin & the clomid. In fact we did 6 cycles of clomid over 10 months & were on a break from the drug after 3 consecutive cycles before adding in femara when I conceived (likely the clomid was still in my system). While we were doing this I finally got in to the infertility clinic & had my worst fear realized when they told me I was too fat & they wouldn't treat me until I lost weight - terrible, terrible day.

The hardest part truly was the emotional part.

Emotional is very hard.  There seems to only be such a short time frame to act in too before we are considered to have naturally declining fertility and anything before that we are considered too young to be concerned, etc.  I think a lot of people at first think nothing could be wrong and try so hard to find excuses for why.  Most people, including myself, expected when they were finally ready to start trying it would come naturally and easily.  It can be confusing when that isn't the case.  I can't believe a referral took 10 months and then 14 months!!  But so glad the clomid worked for you for your first so quickly.  Sounds like you really had to struggle to have some in the medical community take you seriously.  

Originally Posted by shesaidboom 

lifeguard, I had the same thing happen. At first the fertility specialist I saw said she wouldn't treat us because my BMI was over 30. She did make an error, it's actually a BMI of 35 cut off at their clinic, but it was horrible to have to hear those words when I have been struggling with weight and asking for help in losing (also PCOS, metformin did nothing to help).

Dp and I have been 'officially' trying for 4 years. I knew we would have issues because I was not having periods, so I spoke to my doctor about it right away. At the time the doctor I was seeing was truly awful and dismissed everything. He would tell me I was young and I was fine and to come back in 2 months if nothing changed. I was finally able to find a doctor who was taking new patients and she referred me to an endocrinologist who ran tests, found out I had PCOS and put me on Metformin. Problem was the Metformin wasn't helping and this Endocrinologist would only see me once every 8 months. My doc would give me the run around every time I saw her. Check for pregnancy 'just in case' and say "let's wait and see what the endo says". I tried all sorts of diets and supplements, yoga, accupuncture, chiropractics, whatever I could in the mean time. I also charted, but I was going between 6 months-1.5 years without a period through all this. Finally this summer I refused to leave my drs office until she referred me to a fertility specialist and she did. Dp and I have conceived before the help of the fertility specialist, but we have never carried past 14 weeks.

So far dp and I have done every kind of blood test you can imagine, a general sperm analysis, sperm functioning analysis, I've had two transvaginal ultrasounds, and a sonohysterogram (to make sure my uterus is okay and my fallopian tubes are open). The fertility specialist put me back on Metformin (a much higher dose) and we're going back this coming Tuesday to get more results and see what our next step is.

I agree that the hardest part is definitely the emotional part. It is such a difficult process.

Hope your results were good on Tuesday and hope your next steps go well.  It is a difficult process all around.  Sounds like you also have struggled to be taken seriously by some in the medical community.  

[LeighB]

I started taking a high dose of Vitamin D and magnesium, along with fish oil, prenatal vitamin and a few other supplements occasionally.  I've been doing some research that shows there are many supplements that can help with PCOS (which I believe I have), so I'm hoping that will make a difference. 

Yes, I think the emotional part is the hardest too. 

[ChristiJohnson1]

I first joined this forum as "DextersGirl" a few years ago but I left after a couple of years of TTC.  It got to be too much.  So...by way of re-introduction, my name is Christi Johnson, and I'm infertile.  *sad smile*

It's been a long, hard road for be and DH.  I had adenomyosis and fibroids and stage 4 endometriosis...and I was severely anemic.  This spring - April 14, 2011 at 8am, I went in for surgery to have my uterus removed.  I went in for pain and came out with a surprise, emergency hysterectomy.  It's a nightmare and sometimes, I think I'm going to wake up and it will have been a bad dream.

Thankfully, they kept my ovaries and fallopian tubes.  The next goal is to find a gestational carrier.  I can still have a child that is 100% mine and my husband's but someone will have to carry our baby for me.  :(  It's really really sad.  But at least I still have hope.  That's the best part.

I agree.  Infertility is isolating.  I don't understand that, but it is.  It's hard for women who can have children to really relate.  So I guess my answer to how I dealt with infertility is that I am still dealing with it....still coming to grips with it....and still keeping hope that when hubby returns from deployment we will be able to find a carrier and have another child.

Thanks for this thread.  It's very difficult to find where I belong in this community now.

:(

cj

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by LeighB 

I started taking a high dose of Vitamin D and magnesium, along with fish oil, prenatal vitamin and a few other supplements occasionally.  I've been doing some research that shows there are many supplements that can help with PCOS (which I believe I have), so I'm hoping that will make a difference. 

I hope he does make a difference.   

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by ChristiJohnson1 

It's been a long, hard road for be and DH.  I had adenomyosis and fibroids and stage 4 endometriosis...and I was severely anemic.  This spring - April 14, 2011 at 8am, I went in for surgery to have my uterus removed.  I went in for pain and came out with a surprise, emergency hysterectomy.  

Thankfully, they kept my ovaries and fallopian tubes.  The next goal is to find a gestational carrier.  I can still have a child that is 100% mine and my husband's but someone will have to carry our baby for me.  

I agree.  Infertility is isolating.  I don't understand that, but it is.  It's hard for women who can have children to really relate. 

Thanks for your story.  I am sorry it has been such a long road with health issues and you had to have a surprise hysterectomy.  I am very glad you have your ovaries and fallopian tubes and still have an option for a biological baby.  ((hugs))