Infertility Journey



2005 - Diagnosed with PCOS, prescribed Prometrium to take every few months to bring on a cycle.

2009 - Prescribed Metforrmin for Insulin Resistance (also start dating the Hubs :) )

2011 - Get married August 13, 2011. Not particularly trying to avoid or conceive.  Open to getting pregnant but realize PCOS will likely be a problem. After a few months, start charting off and on based off sympto-thermal method.  Notice long cycles, wonky temps, possible lack of ovulation.

2012 - Off and on charting but not much else.  By our anniversary we realize we officially meet the definition of infertility.  Focus on trying to lose weight before getting medical attention.

2013

May- Have lost 60 lbs but still haven't hit goal weight.  Decide to wait for earlier of hitting goal weight or my birthday to make appointment.

October - First appointment with Dr. S, NaPro doctor! Asked to start charting with Creighton. Prescribed some blood tests.

November- Meet with Fertility Care Practitioner, start charting!

2014

April - First follow up with Dr. S. (Took a while to get the suggested 3 cycles charted).  Learn I have MTHFR defect, compound heterozygous. Told to take Methylfolate and B-12 (Methylcobalamin)  due to MTHFR.  Post peak phase too short (8 days). HSG scheduled.

May - HSG.  Dr. S finds and clears a partial tubal blockage.  Everything else looks good!

June - Follow up with Dr. S and make a plan (finally!).  Decide to start first round of Clomid. Prescribed Biaxin for Tail End Brown Bleeding (TEBB). Prescribed progesterone for post peak. To take blood test and ultrasound post peak.

(For the summary of everything up to this point, see these posts, Part 1Part 2Part 3, and How I Found Creighton and Napro )

July - Start first round of Clomid (25 mg, days 3, 4, and 5). Ultrasound and blood test showed that there was no ovulation and no follicles formed.  Lining is too thin, not enough cm, and estrogen and progesterone are low.  Ultrasound also showed cysts on my ovaries.  The good news is that the TEBB is gone.

August - Second round of Clomid (50 mg days 3-7).  Gave Clomid one more shot.  Also added Mucinex, B-Complex, and L-Argenine to hopefully boost cm. Another failed cycle, no ovulation, no developed follicles.  Lab messes up and fails to process estrogen and progesterone numbers. Insulin is almost double from last year's numbers.  One positive, lining is looking better.

Late August/ September - First round of Letrezole (Femera), keep all other supplements going. No ovulation again.  Lining looking good.  Progesterone level ok, estrogen still too low.  We're scheduling the ovarian wedge resection.

Late September/October-  Decided to go ahead and start another round of Letrezole (Femera), all other supplements the same. TEBB is back. No post peak testing, so no ovulation or levels confirmed.

November- Taking the cycle off before surgery.

December- Robotic Laparascopic Surgery: Ovarian Wedge Resection successful, uterus looks good, no endometriosis.  Follow up scheduled for the end of the month, so I'll just be recovering until then.

2015

January- First post-surgery round of Clomid (25mgs CD 4-6).  Started Low Dose Nalrexone.  Biaxin for TEBB, which cleared it up again. First confirmed ovulation ever!!! (Or maybe not).  Lining looked good too.  Progesterone and estrogen confirm ovulation but are low, so upping Clomid next cycle.

February- Same as last cycle, except upping the Clomid to 50mgs.  Also added some new supplements for PCOS and egg quality : myo-inositol, prenatal vitamins, ubiquinol, and alpha lipioc acid. No ovulation this cycle.  Estrogen and progesterone too low, testosterone is higher than ever. Also, post peak phase down to 9 days this cycle, the shortest I've had in over 6 months :(.  Only good news is that my insulin appears to be down to normal.

March- Trying Clomid 50 mgs CDs 4-8.  Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and lining look good.  Clomid worked this cycle, it looks like I ovulated from both ovaries, craziness.  CM was on the dry side though, so adding another mucus enhancer for next cycle.

April- Another round of Clomid 50mgs. Everything the same, except adding ammoxicilin for cm and giving self fertility massage a try. Ovulated again, though just one ovary this time. CM good, lining good, estrogen good! Progesterone low though, so we're switching from pills to shots *gulp*.

May- Another round of Clomid 50mgs.  Only change was from progesterone pills to shots. Ovulated from both ovaries again, and my lining and hormones were good.  CM wasn't great though.

June - Another round of Clomid 50mgs.  Everything stays the same.    Blood work shows progesterone good, but estrogen is too low. Ultrasound shows no ovulation

July- Another round of Clomid 50mgs and everything the same.  Progesterone ok, estrogen too low. Ultrasound confirms no ovulation again.  Officially clomid resistant, again.

August- Trying Letrezole (Femera) for the first time post surgery. Hormones came back ok and ultrasound confirms ovulation. Timing was off though.

September- Letrezole (Femera) again. All good results but no pregnancy.

October- Letrezole (Femera) again. All good results but no pregnancy.

November- Letrezole (Femera) again. All good results (though estradiol a bit low) but no pregnancy.

December- Letrezole (Femera) + prepeak HCG injections.

2016

 January- Letrezole (Femera) + prepeak HCG injections.

February- On a break from treatment (maybe for good)



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