Sorry it's been a couple weeks since my last update. Things have been hectic lately. Between work and family drama and friend drama, I've been lucky to even SLEEP lately!
I went back for my follow-up with Dr. R. I have a LOT of body issues going on, which I kind of already knew cuz I always feel like crap. Digestive, reproductive, adrenal...you name it, it's "off" in my body. The big thing is to start a good diet, which I've known I've needed to do for YEARS! The end goal is to have NO CARBS...this is very difficult for me! I haven't been following directions totally, but I'm doing better and I will one day have a 100% healthy diet. Baby steps.
In addition to the new diet, the doctor has started me on dietary supplements. They aren't "vitamins" but are "whole food supplements." They are from Standard Process...here's the link if you wanna check it out. http://www.standardprocess.com/display/router.aspx
He has me on 4 different supplements:
Tribulus--I told the doctor that since we've been trying to get pregnant for so long, and since I am on an anti-depressant, I have zero sex drive. This is a problem when TTC, obviously. It has become a "job" and we have been working off a "schedule." The Tribulus is to increase vitality...and give me my sex drive back. It also helps to promote healthy, regular ovulation. It's supposed to help with my fatigue and insomnia also.
Ovex--This is also supposed to help aid in ovulation. It basically will help to get my reproductive system on track and working again!
Catalyn--This is kind of a multi-vitamin. It promotes cellular health, and assists with metabolism.
Zypan--This helps with digestion and protein absorption. It helps food be digested to the proper parts of the body.
I have been on these supplements for 16 days now, and I'm already noticing changes. No, I haven't lost any weight, sadly. But I notice I have a lot more energy, which is huge for me! I usually feel utterly run down and exhausted ALL THE TIME...but now I don't feel the urge for a midday nap, which I always had to have. I also think the Tribulus is doing it's job *wink, wink* and hubby is very happy about that! :)
In addition to the supplements, I go into the office once a week to get my chiropractic adjustments and that's making me feel much better, too. Dr. R's plan is to keep re-evaluating as we go along, and he thinks we'll soon be down to only one visit per month. He also wants to wait until we are 2-3 months into treatment and then do a 21 day cleanse/body purification program. I am looking forward to that, too!
Over all, this is not to get me pregnant. This is to get me HEALTHY, which the doctor thinks will then make a huge difference in TTC. It all makes sense and it's what I've been needing for a long time. I can have someone tell me to diet and take better care of myself, but this is actually a PLAN and my doctor's office is actually SUPPORTING me and helping me hold myself accountable.
Baby or no baby, this is what I need right now. And I am so excited to have a new outlook on things! I will keep you all posted! :)
So I survived my first visit at the Chiropractor(I will refer to him as Dr. R.) For some reason, I was really nervous! Luckily, my dear friend, Halee, works there, so I had faith that Dr. R knew what he was doing. I had to fill out a TON of paperwork to take in with me. I did a symptom survey that covers issues with each and every body system. I wasn't sure how it all would relate to my fertility, but now I'm starting to feel hopeful.
Dr. R is not only a DC, he is also a QN(a Quantum Neurologist.) I know, I had to look it up too! A QN basically looks at every individual nerve in the body and how they all relate to each other. I don't know much about it, but Dr. R said that the body is like a bowl of Jell-O: if you poke it somewhere, the whole thing moves.
My visit was just a consultation. He asked me a ton of questions, did some tests, and took some x-rays. It seems my major problems lie with my digestive system. He also sees issues with my liver as a big thing. He did all these "exercises" on me, pushing and pulling my legs, testing my strength in extremities, etc. My reproductive system is also an issue, obviously.
I have to go back tomorrow so he can devise a "Care Plan" for me. He's going to put everything together, look at the x-rays and decide what is going to make me better. He's not promising to get me pregnant, but there are MANY documented cases where chiropractic treatment was started and 2-3 months later, women with severe infertility issues were pregnant! That is not his focus. His focus is on getting my body working at optimal level. I feel very comfortable with him and he made me feel very at ease. I believe he's going to come up with a great plan that will make me feel better than I have in YEARS! And if it helps me to get pregnant, even better!
I will update you all on my Care Plan when I get done tomorrow.
Oh, and if I DO get pregnant, my dear friend says she gets to name my baby...don't worry, she's assured me that Princess Halee Consuela Banana Hammock is a gender neutral name...
As you've probably guessed, I am not pregnant. And I haven't felt like posting a new blog. I know I said I was going to leave everything to God, but I can't help it. I am emotionally beaten down. After only 2 cycles back in the game, Kris and I decided to take this month off. I got to the point that I didn't even want to try ever again. It should NEVER be this hard for ANY woman to have a baby. It is our gift, and everyone that wants kids should be able to experience it.
With that said, I've decided to go a different route this upcoming cycle. A very dear friend of mine works for a local chiropractor. She was telling me stories she's heard about women struggling to get pregnant. They did all the fertility treatments and tests and spent tons of money. Then they started going to a chiropractor and after a couple months, they got pregnant! There are apparently all kinds of documented links between infertility and chiropractic care. Here's a website if you'd like to read more about it:
http://www.preconception.com/articles/improving-your-chances-of-conceiving/infertility-and-the-chiropractic-link-1411/
I don't know if this will work for me or not, but I am at the point that I'm ready to explore other options. At present, it costs us roughly between $600-$700 a cycle for fertility treatments. My first visit to the chiropractor will cost no more than $25, and other visits won't exceed $89...and that includes any kinds of tests and x-rays they may have to do. That's a HUGE difference. The best part is that these are the prices even though I don't have insurance!
My friend said she told the chiropractor she works for about me and he is already making plans for my treatment. They carry lines of herbal supplements and natural products. Those can get pricey, I'm sure, but I still will be coming in WAY under what I'm currently spending with my doctor. My first appointment is in 2 days. I am currently just past ovulation this cycle so I still have a couple weeks until a new cycle starts. I figure I might as well start now...hopefully I'll be on the road to a successful cycle! I'll let you know how my first appointment goes!
So we moved on to the current cycle. I decided I would NOT stress about getting pregnant. I've had so much stress with EVERYTHING in my life lately...TTC, family, money, job...that it was getting to a point of making me sick.
My doctor confirmed this when I went in for my U/S last Thursday the 16th . We did the Femara 5mg CD 3-7 again. This month when I went in, I had 2 FOLLIES on my left! Nothing on my right...we've discovered that my right ovary just isn't working like the left. We've never gotten anything off of it. But my left ovary is AWESOME! Lol! Anyway, she decided to have me do the trigger shot again, and I actually triggered 2 days earlier than last time. I didn't even bother with OPKs this time. When she came in to go over things with me she hopped up on the bed (I was in the chair) and she says, "I want you to drink and have sex all weekend!" She proceded to tell me that stress can play a major role in TTC. She told me to get some wine, and enjoy a romantic weekend with my hubby. She said she firmly believes that I will NOT get pregnant if I stay as stressed as I have been. It's not healthy for my body and it's not healthy for my soul. She told me what I needed to hear...it was time to stop trying to fix everything, control everything, and just go with the flow.
And that's what I did. I followed her directions (hubby had zero complaints lol!) After I knew I had ovulated, I stopped thinking about TTC completely. I left it in God's hands. I'm currently 7 days past my trigger, so I'm probably about 4-6 days past ovulation. I'm noticing some strange things going on with my body, but I refuse to dwell on them...for now. My fingers are crossed but I'm not going to let my hopes get built up. If it happens, it happens...I have to leave it up to the Powers That Be.
BUUUTTTT...if I'm still having these "strange" things going on with my body at the end of the weekend, I'll be posting all about them here! Cautiously optimistic...that's the name of the game.
Oh my goodness, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last blogged! First off, still not preggers. I got my hopes up last cycle and when I was let down...once again...I had to take a break from blogging and TTC forums. Now that I'm back in the "two week wait" once again, I figure now is a good time to bring you all up to speed.
After my HSG and my Femara 5mg on CDs 3-7, I had an U/S on CD 12 to see if we had any follies. There was a big BEAUTIFUL one on my left side. I also had a "triple stripe lining" for the first time! I had never heard of it but apparently, according to my doctor, it's the most PERFECT lining...exactly what they want to see while TTC! My doctor decided since my follie was so big and everything looked wonderful, she wanted me to take an Ovidrel shot that would "trigger" my ovulation in case my body wouldn't do it on it's own. She told me to take the shot if I didn't have a positive OPK by the next morning. I went home and tested that afternoon and had a big +++++! First time I'd gotten such a clear positive on an OPK. Even though I was ovulating on my own, I took the trigger shot just to give myself an extra little push. I sat back and waited for my BFP two weeks later...and it never came.
I had gotten so hopeful and here was yet ANOTHER let down. I broke down and cried my eyes out and got pissed and broke things and told DH I didn't want to do it any more. I couldn't take any more disappointments. I literally felt as if I had hit a brick wall. Every fiber in my body was exhausted, but every fiber also wanted to keep going. The stubborn Irish girl in me came out and we decided to move on, put that failed cycle in the past, and prepare for the next one...
So I had my HSG on Friday. I had planned for it to be anywhere from uncomfortable to OMG! I have a high pain tolerance, so I was hopeful. OH. MY. GOD!!! It was AWFUL!! I seriously was almost in tears over it. And I had taken a Darvocet before I went, so I can only IMAGINE what it would have been like had I not taken it! My Dr. said the reason it was so bad for me was because I'm very "narrow." And she already told me if we ever DO get pregnant, she's 95% sure I will have to have a C-Section because of it.
The dye part wasn't so bad...it just felt like period cramps, and I usually get them so bad that I'm used to it. Luckily, everything looks great. I've read that some women have to roll from side to side to get the dye going. I didn't have to. About 3 minutes after the dye was injected, it was over. I guess my tubes are a little wonky...she says they are a little "curvy" but that it's not uncommon. Everything was clear which is a relief! My biggest fear was that I was going to have a blockage and I KNEW that we wouldn't have the money to fix it. The other exciting thing about the HSG is that studies show that the chance of getting pregnant in the 3 months following the procedure is greater than normal, because it basically flushes you all the way out.
I'm feeling really positive about this month, but I'm not going to get my hopes up just yet...
So I had my first ultrasound today since we went on a 3 month break from TTC. It was a baseline to make sure all of the mutant follicles had died and to make sure they hadn't stuck around to form cysts. Everything went great. My doctor said I was all clear and that everything looked really good. What a relief!
This is going to be a very expensive month. Each ultrasound is $220 out of pocket, and I have to have 2 of them this month. My next ultrasound is next Monday to see if the Femara is working. I lucked out with the Femara. I was able to get on their website and print off a coupon for a free 30 day supply. All I had to do was get my doctor's signature on it. For 10 pills (5 days) it would have cost me $153!!! I'm hoping since I only had 5 days worth that they will honor it every time I refill until I've got my 30 days worth. Even BETTER would be to get lucky this month and to not have to do ANY of this anymore!
I already feel better on the Femara than I did on the Clomid. On Clomid, I had TONS of annoying side effects. On the Femara, I have none! I feel great! This is probably also due to the supplements I'm taking. I have more energy than I've had in a long time! I'm feeling positive for once!
The only concern I have for this month is my HSG. This Friday, I am going to the hospital to have a hysterosalpingogram, or HSG. Basically, my doctor will shoot dye into my uterus and watch for it to drain through my fallopian tubes to make sure I don't have any blockages. I've been putting this off for awhile because it's VERY expensive and from what I've heard, it's also very painful. But I got to thinking that if there IS a blockage, I'm pretty much flushing my money down the toilet by doing all of these test and taking all these meds. The big plus is that if you DON'T have a blockage, the HSG flushes you out and your chance of getting pregnant is INCREASED in the 3 months following. (If you want more info: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/hysterosalpingogram-21590)
Anyway, that's all for updates for now. I'll post again on Friday and let you know how my HSG went!
