TTC #1 in Our 30's: January 2008 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! - Page 3

[JustKiya]

Kat - I'm glad that you've got such a calm handle on things - maybe one day, I'll be there too.... Sooo not happening right now, though!

I wish I could help you with some of your questions Rivka, but I've no clue at all! The test result stuff should be pretty simple to google, and I don't know how much research has been done around CT scans and TTC'ing....

I've been spotting for the last few days, so I'm hoping AF is on her way.... if my flow is like it is after most of my annov cycles though, it's gonna be loooonnnggg - which means I'll have to reschedule my doc appt. I'm going to try very hard to actually reschedule and not just cancel, like I want to. *sigh*

: for y'all, Jencat & Poet....

[frog]

Hey, y'all, can I join (again)?

I'm frog--I'm 36 and my partner, turtle, and I are ttc #1. We tried about five times over 8 cycles, then took a year-long break. We're back in action with this cycle. Swim Team will arrive tomorrow and insems will happen later in the week (probably Wednesday/Thursday, I'm guessing).

[poetgirl]

Hi FROG, Wonderful to have you back. Missed you! I wish you and turtle lots of swimming and sticking vibes. May this be short and sweet for you!
Yep, I'm still here. Things not going so well for me. 14th cycle, found a polyp in uterus on HSG, low progesterone, mild hypothalamus dysfunction...it's been a hard road. Now I'm on Clomid and 2WWing.

Hi Kiya! Murph about AF. I hope AF is not long and you don't have to reschedule. However if she is still lurking about, maybe you should go anyways for a "talking session," show OB your charts, come in with a list of ques, DH's fertell results and stuff. I'd hate to see you have to put that off.

Rivka, This has been a tough month for you. I'm really sorry. But DH's body pillow offer is a stellar one. Glad he's home for you. I can't answer much but can tell you that yes, you always have tiny follicles getting ready to ripen. This is called your Antral Follicle Count. It can be seen any time of the month--usually after AF is best, but not necessary. When I went to the RE we looked at mine at 14 dpo and found 24! This is when he concurred with my OB that I almost looked polycystic but I am def. NOT (can't remember what other signs were)--it was just that I had a very high follicle count. Normally anything >16 is in the age range of 18-22 and it goes down from there. AFC is an age-spec. # like your FSH. I'm glad he at least got some blood tests done on you. But I am very sorry he is an overall goober and caused you any pain. HTH.

Kat, Thanks for explaining a little more about your situation. Sorry you have to wait sooo long. Hope it's good news that awaits you.

For me, the Clomid stuff really comes in swells. Overall, my body is really achy, like flu body-aches...between my ribs, my thighs, all over achiness. I had a really rough night last night, just could not stop thinking about IF, our slim chances, the whole 9 yds. Finally DH came to bed and I just started crying, but this time instead of telling me to be positive, he just told me to tell him how I was feeling (something I asked him in previous arguments which made him defensive). It was so much better to just express myself and have him listen. He was great. We have a tough baby shower situation this weekend. Dh's best friend whose wife got + on first try after telling me it was taking me so long she figured she better get started and had been kind of insenstive during all this. I know she's excited and rightly so, but all her friends have babies, no fert. issues and they like to meddle...I just know it's going to be a night of confrontation. Lately, when that happens I can't give my pat clippy answer, I just start crying. Thanks Clomid. Anyways, we processed that too--I felt really guilty for essentailly dreading it. So, I feel a bit better today. Back at work, can't complain after so much time off and the distraction of my students is probably a good one. Hope everyone out there is well. FF says I O'd Sat. and our timing was good...who knows?

Hugs Jencat, how are you feeling? Still sore up top?

Cheers to everyone else!

[amahrey]

hi all-

sooo, i guess this is where i fit. i'm 31 and just stopped my birth control pills about 3 weeks ago. i took them for about 13 years, so i am just really curious at this point as to whether i will have af this month or if it will take a few months or what. i've been reading stuff on here and fertility friend and i'm anxious to start temping and charting etc.

but, right now i dont really have anything to do except wait

[jencat]

Frog - welcome back! Nice to "see" you again! Good luck this week with the swim team! I'm still here too - on my second cycle of clomid. We'll see. I'm trying to play it cool... not stress and obsess too much... Good luck, right!?

Poet - tough situation this weekend. Maybe if someone brings up your fertility efforts you could just say, "I'd prefer not to talk about it today. But doesn't XXX look great? She's getting so close..." That might be nice but blunt enough to get them to shut up and try to be sensitive to your feelings. Just an idea... Or you could "have a headache" and send DH with your best wishes! (Is it co-ed? If so, maybe DH could stick close by...) Whatever you decide, hang in there... you'll get through it.

Anyhoo, I feel fine. Boobies started to get really sore Saturday. My hopeful side was wondering if it was implantation (6 dpo)... But my boobs get sore every month in the ttw so... whatever! I still have over a week so, too early to think too much about it. Might have to actually go into lurk mode to keep myself from thinking too much about it. Who'm I kidding? (hee hee - Poet, don't give me a demerit for my grammar!)

[jencat]

Oh, and welcome amahrey!

[poetgirl]

Originally Posted by jencat

Poet - tough situation this weekend. Maybe if someone brings up your fertility efforts you could just say, "I'd prefer not to talk about it today. But doesn't XXX look great? She's getting so close..." That might be nice but blunt enough to get them to shut up and try to be sensitive to your feelings. Just an idea... Or you could "have a headache" and send DH with your best wishes! (Is it co-ed? If so, maybe DH could stick close by...) Whatever you decide, hang in there... you'll get through it.

Thanks Jencat! That was such a great post. I'm going to take your suggestion verbatim! Luckily it is a co-ed thing and DH promised to hang back w/ me.
I've just been soooo funk-y lately. Thanks for keeping it light and sharing your perspective with me. Fingers crossed for 6 dpo! I really hope those sore bbs are a sign of ++ things to come! I keep trying to hang back too but *sigh* I'm not kidding anyone either!
lots of ::: for the rest of your 2WW.

WELCOME AMAHREY! Come wait with us! Nice to have you along!

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by poetgirl

I can't answer much but can tell you that yes, you always have tiny follicles getting ready to ripen. This is called your Antral Follicle Count. ....HTH.

wow thanks for the good info, I'll look that up. oo found this http://www.advancedfertility.com/antralfollicles.htmI had great number of little "egglets", that makes me happy! All you gall help immensely, i am really conscience of wearing DH out with too much ovary talk, he is very sweet and receptive as long as it is relatively new info and not too much just fretting. So a outlet for me is a great thing and a marital aid. He has kinda put himself in charge of making sure are child id born or passion and romance. have i mentioned that i luv him?

Originally Posted by poetgirl

Finally DH came to bed and I just started crying, but this time instead of telling me to be positive, he just told me to tell him how I was feeling

sounds like you got a keeper too

Originally Posted by poetgirl

I just know it's going to be a night of confrontation. Lately, when that happens I can't give my pat clippy answer, I just start crying. Thanks Clomid.

yeah i second Jencat thinking, find some way to makes it clear it is not a road of conversation you intend to go down and then redirect folks to remember why they are there, to celebrate the other ladies happiness. And keep the DH nearby so you don't feel alone. redirection can be a good remover of confrontation. Once you are armed for the worst you can go and assume the best?

Originally Posted by amahrey

hi all-
i've been reading stuff on here and fertility friend and i'm anxious to start temping and charting etc.

but, right now i dont really have anything to do except wait

Welcome Amahrey!:

my recommendation is start temping and charting now, you can put in LNP and pick up with the info you know and go from today. that way by the time you start a fresh month you will be used to the routine and be good at it. also, you never know how far away your AF is and the info might be helpful. I had one of my first months go wonky (still is) and i sure wish i had temped rather than wait till the start of me next one(that still hasn't come)

[mischievium]

pssst... does anyone remember me?:

Before I say anything else, Laura, I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear about your sister . I can't even imagine how difficult things must be for you right now, please know that I/ we are here to listen.

Now... on to "business." I'm sorry for being such a lousy threadmate :-- I ended up needing to take a few months off without knowing I needed to take a few months off. I guess I just feel like my DH and I aren't really TTC right now, so much as we are TTGITSD (trying to get in to see doctors). I mean we're trying (well... not this month because I'm due to O any moment and right now I'm in Seattle and he's in SF... more on that later), but I just have this nagging feeling that nothing is going to happen on it's own. And the following (cut and pasted from a protected blog post because I just can't bear to type it all out again) is why:

"So... I did the first panel of blood tests (hormone levels checked at cycle day 3). All of the levels came back normal EXCEPT I have an isolated elevated DHEA level. During my initial consult with my OB, she took my history and examined me and specifically mentioned that she was concerned that I might possibly have Cushing's Syndrome, but we would wait and see what the test results said. Yeah. According to her and the internets, an isolated elevated DHEA can be indicative of Cushing's Syndrome. The signs and symptoms of Cushing's, along with my assessment of whether I have them or not, are as follows:

• Weight gain, particularly around your midsection and upper back (Which I have, but this is not an uncommon body type in my family)
• Fatigue (Maybe)
• Muscle weakness (Maybe)
• Rounding of your face, "moon face" (Again, I think this fits, but is not uncommon in my family.)
• Facial flushing (No)
• Fatty pad or hump between your shoulders, "buffalo hump" (<-- First, whoever started calling it a "buffalo hump" should be shot, but yes I did have this. I say "did" because I had it removed prior to the wedding.)
• Pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the skin of your abdomen, thighs, breasts and arms (yes, BUT this can also be a genetic thing. As many of you know, whether you get stretch marks in pregnancy or not is almost completely genetically determined. When I was a pre-teen/ teen and I went through growth spurts and my breasts developed, I had stretch marks all over me.)
• Thin and fragile skin that bruises easily (I don't think so.)
• Slow healing of cuts, insect bites and infections (I would have said no until recently when I had two different small cuts on my shins that took several weeks to heal and disappear, so maybe.)
• Depression, anxiety and irritability (Again, I have these symptoms, but there could be an alternate explanation.)
• Thicker or more visible body and facial hair, "hirsutism" (Yes. I have had this since late adolescence.)
• Acne (I had really bad cystic acne during my pre-teen/ teen years to the point that I finally ended up taking Accutane which was a miracle for me and saved my skin from destroying itself.)
• Irregular or absent menstrual periods in females (I didn't think my cycles were all that irregular, but my OB seemed fairly concerned that they were.)
• High blood pressure (No.)

I guess what I'm saying here is, I have a lot of the symptoms, but it is not clear whether they are a result of Cushing's or are genetic or are the result of something else. My OB, who has been fabulous, referred me to an endocrinologist for a work up. The first appointment I could get was March 11th. Before that I need to have my blood drawn 7 DPO to check my progesterone, I either ovulated early or not at all last cycle and therefore missed the 7 DPO test last cycle. I also need to have an ultrasound to check my ovaries/ follicles/ uterus. Needing to have these tests done in SF based around biological events I can't control is making the home buying process (i.e.: knowing ahead of time when I can be in Seattle) more complicated. For now, I'm sticking with my docs in SF and will transfer care when we have a house here.

Meanwhile, poor DH finally submitted his specimen for analysis. The results were what I would have guessed-- motility and morphology are fine (yay!), numbers are on the low side. He has been referred to a urologist who specializes in male infertility for a work up of his own. His appointment is in early February.

I'm trying not to get too discouraged by the fact that there seems to be problems on both of our ends. And, yet, I am a bit discouraged. I wanted to be pregnant before I was 30, that didn't happen. Then I wanted to be pregnant such that I would have a baby before I was 31. That's not going to happen. I am in Seattle and DH is in SF and we are totally missing our opportunity this month. Time keeps on ticking..."

As you may have gleaned from the blog post, I am in Seattle looking for houses right now while DH is in SF working.

It's very late and I need to go get some sleep, but I look forward to catching up with everybody and to getting to know the "newcomers."

[frog]

Originally Posted by poetgirl

Hi FROG, Wonderful to have you back. Missed you! I wish you and turtle lots of swimming and sticking vibes. May this be short and sweet for you!
Yep, I'm still here. Things not going so well for me. 14th cycle, found a polyp in uterus on HSG, low progesterone, mild hypothalamus dysfunction...it's been a hard road. Now I'm on Clomid and 2WWing.

I've missed you, too, but I've been lurking here and watching your story. I hope you take it in the best possible way when I say that I wish you weren't still here.

[frog]

Originally Posted by jencat

Frog - welcome back! Nice to "see" you again! Good luck this week with the swim team! I'm still here too - on my second cycle of clomid. We'll see. I'm trying to play it cool... not stress and obsess too much... Good luck, right!?

Nice to see you, too, jencat. How are you feeling on the clomid?

[frog]

Originally Posted by mischievium

pssst... does anyone remember me?:

<jumps up and down like a wild woman>

I do! I do!

[poetgirl]

Hi Mischievium!!! I've wondered about you a lot! Sooooo good to hear from you! I'm sorry you are at the pinnacle of transition and the complications re: TTC therein. Hopefully you can keep getting answers and moving forward in that direction, so when you are settled into Seattle (SF will miss you--some storm we had there-eh?) you can try again with a bit more resolution and help. What are the difficulties of Cushing's on TTC? I'm not familiar w/ this.
All the best to you in your house search in WA.

Frog, Thanks.

[JustKiya]

back, frog AND Mischievium!!! Is this oldhome week, or something?? I'm delighted both of ya'll are back, and I'm hoping ya'll will graduate ASAP!!!

Welcome Amahrey - May your stay here be short and sweet!!!

I think that AF is officially here, but I'm not sure. No cramps (which I usually have on the first day) and it's pretty light - just a hair over spotting. Tis sad, but I would really it rather start out heavy - that at least gives me hope that it'll clear itself out pretty quickly. I'm not going to reschedule the appt, even if I am still on, because I know me, and I wouldn't go. *sigh* So, I'll just take my charts, and sit down and have a chitchat with her.....

Poet - for the weepies..... Dh & I were watching some show on TV where they were portraying a very pregnant VERY emotional woman, and he just gave me this LOOK. I shrugged, and told him that I'm SURE I'll be that way because of how I react to hormonal BC (upon which, he shuddered), and that he just has to remember that 1) I'm not trying to torture him 2) I can't control it and 3) It sucks just as much - if not more - for me to be all loopygoopy.

[frog]

Swim Team is in the house!

[jencat]

Kiya - sorry it looks like AF is here... but at least you know you can look forward to O'ing again soon, right? Do you use a fertility monitor? Have a glass of wine and treat yourself nice.

Mischievium - great to hear from you! Wow, a lot going on... I don't know much about Cushing's Syndrome but I sure hope either you don't have it or it is treatable and without too annoying symptoms. The good news is you and DH have gotten tested and you know what you're facing. And hopefully you have a dr you trust to help you two along the way. (Course, you do have to BD so... hopefully next month you'll be in the same state!)

Frog - I'm on my second of 3 months on 50 mg of clomid. I can go to 100 and then 150 after this if I choose. I really don't have too many symptoms thankfully. I get some ovary and uterus pain around O time. Sore boobs and nipples after O until AF. And probably a little teariness/moodiness but it's really hard to tell if that's the clo or just me!?

Good luck with your insem this week!!

[~Adorkable~]

mischievium, welcome back , i am new here since you have been around i guess, since i would have very much remembered you great name. I happen to be i the Tacoma area, so I guess welcome to my neck-o-da-woods.

anyway,i got a quicker appointment with GYN finally, will see a new one tomorrow afternoon and all my mondays test came back. i did not get to hear the details, but just got a message that they want me to retest my thyroid, cause it was low and they noticed a unrelated test i took over a year ago that said it was fine, so hmmmm. So i am getting retested on that tomorrow when i go in. and still getting the CT on friday.
here is to hoping my new gyno is not a goober!

[poetgirl]

Originally Posted by Rivka ?

mischievium, welcome back , i am new here since you have been around i guess, since i would have very much remembered you great name. I happen to be i the Tacoma area, so I guess welcome to my neck-o-da-woods.

anyway,i got a quicker appointment with GYN finally, will see a new one tomorrow afternoon and all my mondays test came back. i did not get to hear the details, but just got a message that they want me to retest my thyroid, cause it was low and they noticed a unrelated test i took over a year ago that said it was fine, so hmmmm. So i am getting retested on that tomorrow when i go in. and still getting the CT on friday.
here is to hoping my new gyno is not a goober!

Ill drink to that, the no-goober OB! So glad you got a new appt. Yeah! I hope you can ge more conclusive info and a supportive guide for your TTC journey. Low thyroid is common in women, think some on this thread have it, if that's so. BTW, thanks for your helpful words about the shower this weekend. Your advice was great--prepare for the worst, hope for the best. So many things along the way have been both bonding and challenging for DH and I but he's been great lately.

Kiya, Hope AF gets the show on the road and heads out soon! Oh, isn't is hard to be loopygoopy and to just not quite be able to shake it?! The finer moments of womanhood.

Frog, GO SWIM TEAM! :::

One more week or so for you Jencat? Hang in there, you've got my vote! DH asked me when I can take a HPT. I'm only 3dpo! Could be a long wait. Usually he has no idea about where we're at in the 2WW.
Cheerleading to everyone else and good good vibes. Sometimes Jan. is a hard month :

[mischievium]

Thanks for all the welcome backs, everybody.

Originally Posted by frog

<jumps up and down like a wild woman>

I do! I do!

Yay! The frog's back! Go swimmers, go!

Originally Posted by poetgirl

Hi Mischievium!!! I've wondered about you a lot! Sooooo good to hear from you! I'm sorry you are at the pinnacle of transition and the complications re: TTC therein. Hopefully you can keep getting answers and moving forward in that direction, so when you are settled into Seattle (SF will miss you--some storm we had there-eh?) you can try again with a bit more resolution and help. What are the difficulties of Cushing's on TTC? I'm not familiar w/ this.
All the best to you in your house search in WA.

Poet! Sorry to hear about the all the side effects that your experiencing from the Clomid, HTH you'll get to experience the best side effect possible.

As far as Cushing's and infertility goes, the info in the internets is a bit scarce. I mean, many sites that discuss the signs and symptoms of Cushing's mention infertility or amenorrhea as symptoms, but they don't really explain the mechanism by which it interferes with fertility. Cushing's syndrome results from an excess of cortisol in the body. For many people this is a result of long term corticosteroid therapy (used to combat inflammation in diseases like arthritis or asthma). If I have it, I fall in the other group-- people who's bodies are producing too much cortisol, the two main causes are adrenal hyperplasia (adrenal glands themselves are over producing cortisol) or a benign pituitary tumor that secretes too much of the hormone that regulates how much cortisol the adrenal glands produce. From what I've read it's very treatable, but could require surgery. From what I've been able to piece together, excess cortisol disrupts the normal cascade of hormones that occur during a woman's cycle resulting in irregular cycles, sometimes anovulation and amenorrhea.

Aren't you glad you asked?

Originally Posted by earthymama2b

back, frog AND Mischievium!!! Is this oldhome week, or something?? I'm delighted both of ya'll are back, and I'm hoping ya'll will graduate ASAP!!!

I think that AF is officially here, but I'm not sure. No cramps (which I usually have on the first day) and it's pretty light - just a hair over spotting. Tis sad, but I would really it rather start out heavy - that at least gives me hope that it'll clear itself out pretty quickly. I'm not going to reschedule the appt, even if I am still on, because I know me, and I wouldn't go. *sigh* So, I'll just take my charts, and sit down and have a chitchat with her.....

Kiya, it's so frustrating when our bodies won't cooperate with our schedules, isn't it?

Originally Posted by jencat

Mischievium - great to hear from you! Wow, a lot going on... I don't know much about Cushing's Syndrome but I sure hope either you don't have it or it is treatable and without too annoying symptoms. The good news is you and DH have gotten tested and you know what you're facing. And hopefully you have a dr you trust to help you two along the way. (Course, you do have to BD so... hopefully next month you'll be in the same state!)

Hi Jencat!!
Well... we've had the first round of testing, I'm sure the specialists we're going to see will have fun tests of their own for us . I'm actually not upset about the tests, I'm upset about how long they're taking to get done. Patience, as you might imagine, has never been my strong suit .

: That the 50mg does it's job.

Originally Posted by Rivka 

mischievium, welcome back , i am new here since you have been around i guess, since i would have very much remembered you great name. I happen to be i the Tacoma area, so I guess welcome to my neck-o-da-woods.

Hi Rivka! I see from your post that I now have a challenger for "Lord of the Multi-Quote!"

Thank you for the welcome to WA, I actually grew up on the east side, but I haven't lived here in 12 years :. It's going to be an adjustment moving back, but I am psyched about finally having a house!

I look forward to getting to know you and good luck with all of your tests and the new OB!

[SunnyKat]

FF has just declare my chart Triphasic.
I'm also 18 days past ovulation with consecutive high temps.
(no, I'm not going to test any time soon.)