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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 1, 2010 12:37:38 GMT -5
It's been a while since I've logged in and posted-Life has been mega busy. My fiance and I have been trying to conceive for the past several months with no luck. I know it's traditional to wait until you've been trying for a year, but as we all know, when you have endo, time is against you. Knowing this, I have set up an appointment for a consultation . I am unsure of what I can expect from the doctor as I've never seen him prior to this. I'm not entirely sure what to ask as I am a bit ignorant on how fertility treatments are started. IE if there are any kind tests ran etc. Can you girls give me a few pointers on what I should be asking him, what treatments you've been on, and if they've worked?
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Post by Karen on Jul 1, 2010 17:30:46 GMT -5
Hiya, Pixie! First off, I must note that I'm not TTC, but my questions are geared towards what others have gone through. Hopefully, some of the other girls can chime in, although I don't know that we have many active members TTC.
What do you already know about your cycle going into the appointment? Do you know when you ovulate? Are your cycles pretty regular? Are you temping? Do you know how long your luteal phase is? Several of my friends have discovered they have a short luteal phase, and getting to the root of that has helped most of them. Of course, not all of them have endo. But, still, it's a place to start!
I'm assuming the doc you're seeing is a reproductive endocrinologist?
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 2, 2010 8:30:56 GMT -5
HI Karen! My cycle has never been regular- last cycle I was over 3 weeks late- we were really hoping that I had conceived but I couldn't really test. Regular over the counter tests have never worked. The Control window will work but I never get any kind of line in the result window. I've used several different types of test, all with the same result. I take my BBT every morning but never show any indication of a fluctuation in temp. The main reason I'm visiting this doctor is that we're not even sure that I actually ovulate. At this point, I'm assuming that i have the typical 9 day luteal phase. The Doc I'm seeing next Friday is simply and OB/GYN- Unfortunately, I live in a very rural area and the nearest specialist is about 4 hours away. On top of that- Most the docs in my area, if you don't have insurance( which as a full time college student, I don't. I only work part time and having med conditions I simply can't afford it.) will put you on a waiting list of about 6 mo and then charge 300 for the office call. So it's really hard to get in to see anyone.
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Post by Karen on Jul 2, 2010 9:22:01 GMT -5
About your temp, what kind of thermometer are you using? If it's a digital fever one, those can be not as precise. Get one specifically for bbt. My sister was temping for months and didn't see any patterns until she upgraded her thermometer! As for a late period, it could be that you ovulated late. Happens to me all the time! Grr... If your luteal phase is 9 days, that could be part of the culpret, too. Sometimes diet changes, vitamins, or progetserone cream can be a starting point. Have you read TCOYF yet???
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Post by sequin on Jul 2, 2010 10:07:08 GMT -5
Hey Pixie - I agree that TCOYF is a wonderful book to read; it can answer all kinds of questions and I charted for many, many years. That said, however, when I first talked to my ob/gyn about my inability to conceive and then to an RE, they never once asked me about it. They will ask you about your cycles, but they will most likely want to do their own tests on you.
The RE I saw charged about $300 for the initial consult no matter what. Expect many blood tests on certain days of your cycle. They'll probably do a semen analysis on your husband. They may want to try to flush out your tubes. They'll probably do an ultrasound (transvaginally, so be prepared.) They may want to put you on the pill to regulate your cycle to see if that works (they did that for a friend with PCOS. That plus IUI worked for her.) Any medical history you can give them on your endo will be helpful. I'm afraid I don't know all the tests they'll do on you because my tubes are completely blocked, so we skipped all the mid-level techniques and went straight to IVF.
How old are you? If you feel like you have time, it might be financially helpful to wait until you have insurance. All these tests can get expensive and time-consuming. When we did IVF the first time, we had insurance, and it was pretty affordable. This last time, our insurance was different and didn't cover much. It cost us about $12,000 total. For one shot.
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 2, 2010 11:56:36 GMT -5
I'm using a BBT thermometer-been charting for several months. I really don't think I have time to wait- was told i needed to have the first by 25. I turn 24 in August. I know that's not a definite but its not a risk I'm going to take. I want Children so I'm willing to do whatever is needed.
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Post by Karen on Jul 2, 2010 16:07:32 GMT -5
Endo is so completely unpredictable that it's absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to give any sort of time estimate like that! Some women can go 18 months between surgery and go from stage 1 to stage 4 in a short period of time, while others go years in between with no change. There is absolutely no way to calculate which boat you'll be in, and to give you a ticking clock like that is just not cool because it puts people like you in the panicked state that you are in. There is no guarantee that you'll be fertile/infertile now, just as there's no guarantee that you'll be fertile/infertile later. If you're not seeing a shift in your temping at all, I'd suggest getting a new BBT. Seriously, some can be wrong. There are free websites such as fertilityfriend.com that can help you with your temping. And seriously - read TCOYF!!!! It will make you SO much more informed at your doc appointment and might help you pinpoint some things about your cycle!!! It has info for people that might not have an obvious temp shift, and reasons for such. It also has an entire chapter on tests & treatments to achieve pregnancy, including ways you can try to correct some of the underlying problems on your own. It also has a good explanation of the pros and cons of medical treatments. Since you're without health insurance, I would think those tips would be absolutely invaluable. Get the book from the library and it's free! If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of being an educated patient.
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 27, 2010 9:06:47 GMT -5
Wanted to post a quick update- I didn't get to go to my consult because i couldn't get off work to do it. I had about given up home until this morning- i'm about a month late and figured it was just my hormones gone goofy again. Nope! Positive test this morning. wanted to say thanks to all you girls for your advice and support!
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Post by Karen on Jul 27, 2010 10:34:05 GMT -5
Woooooooo hooooooooo!
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 27, 2010 10:46:30 GMT -5
woooo hoo indeed...now if ican just wait until friday to tell his/her daddy. I've decided that i'm going to wrap up a pair of baby booties and give it to him...
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Post by pretty on Jul 27, 2010 14:25:06 GMT -5
Awww, just got a little tear in my eye! so happy for you pixie! awesome news!
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 28, 2010 8:06:27 GMT -5
Thanks, Pretty!
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Post by JC on Jul 28, 2010 16:17:45 GMT -5
How wonderful!!!! Congratulations!!! Let us know how it goes when you tell him!
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Post by ccincurak on Jul 29, 2010 9:04:45 GMT -5
That is so inspiring! Congratulations!!!!!
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Post by pixie1724 on Jul 29, 2010 13:54:02 GMT -5
Thanks guys- I'm on pins and needles waiting for Friday- I went to the store last night and bought the cutest pair of bunny booties. I can't wait to see the look on his face! He's wanted this for so long. He was told during his previous marriage that he had a low count- I conceived within 3 months. He's going to be ecstatic.
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