RE-Production: Hide and Seek Ovary

This morning (10-15-13) my husband and I attended our first appointment at The Fertility Center of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Dodd will be overseeing our fertility care and I really like him. He made me feel very comfortable and was quick to put a plan together. He will also be teaming up with my primary care doctor to get some other health issues under control. The nurses and other staff were also very friendly. All in all it was a great experience!

The first thing we did was sit down with the nurse and walk through our medical histories. Once that was complete were taken to Dr. Dodd's office where we had an open conversation regarding a treatment course. Dr. Dodd would like for my PCP to address my Hypokalemia (low potassium) and continue addressing my low Vitamin D levels. This is the minor stuff (which is actually major when it comes to fertility).

Dr. Dodd spoke with us about doing another round of Clomid. It will be our 6th round which should be our last Clomid round EVER. That is the maximum number of rounds one should be doing. I agreed to try Clomid again even though I hated the side effects. Side effects for me were extreme hot flashes and mood swings. I'm really not looking forward to being a sweaty crazy hot mess again! I'm sure my husband isn't either!

After finding out I've never had a pelvic ultrasound to check my ovaries I was taken back to another room for that. Let me tell you...all dignity flew out the window with this. I thought yearly exams were invasive....this is much worse! My lining on the 5th day of my cycle measured at 5 mm. I'm not sure whether that is a good measurement or not, but nothing negative was said about it. My ovaries on the other hand...well they are a different story. I don't have the classic cystic ovaries that some women with PCOS have. I do have partial cystic ovaries though. The way this was explained to me was that I have cysts that follow a pearl pattern, but not an excessive amount! At that time Dr. Dodd made the decision to add Ovidrel in addition to the Clomid. Due to going to LA for a week (YAY) we will not be able to begin this cycle, but come November I'll start treatments! We will have to travel back to the clinic for another ultrasound to measure follicle growth and when follicles appear to be ready the shot of Ovidrel will be given. I don't know much about this shot yet though! I can say I'm very excited!!! If all goes well with the first round I could share my birthday month with our child!

As for my husband.....all he has to do is give a semen sample. Oh and take CoQ10 and Omega 3 supplements. I guess we women have to take the brunt of all of it!

So here we are! Waiting for the next cycle! Fingers crossed, prayers, and baby dust that all of this works out!!!

The end of the road...or is it just the beginning?

I've been wanting to start blogging again, but I didn't feel that I had much to say. That all changed this morning. While at work I got a call from The Fertility Center. It's about an hour away; however, it is our only choice at this time! I've been waiting on this referral for a few months! I'm ready, yet not ready. I'm nervous for what this means. Will another doctor tell us to consider and put our money on IVF? Will this doctor give us more hope than the last? I have a lot of questions and YES my overly organized (not counting my new house) self already filled out my new patient paperwork and started a folder to put information in. I have my legal pad ready to go which will hold questions, suggestions from the doctor, and important information. Did I tell you I'm excited? No? Well I am VERY VERY EXCITED!!!

Why a fertility clinic? I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which is an endocrine disorder that causes several health issues. Along with the health issues PCOS has caused my body to not ovulate regularly like it should and there are most likely other reasons. Basically...I can't get pregnant without the help of a doctor. In addition to my issues we discovered my husband has low motility. It was not low enough to give an actual diagnosis of male infertility, but it was enough that it may or may not impact our chances of a biological child. Despite all of this I do spend a lot of time praying and hoping for a miracle!

This new start to our journey is much appreciated, but we are not ready for the costs that we face for it. The medications needed are expensive! The procedures range from $330 (IUI) to thousands of dollars! We will be fundraising! In fact we've already started because, again, I am overly organized. Here's our gofundme link http://www.gofundme.com/DreamstobeparentsIVF where friends, family, even strangers, can help us reach our goal! We have estimated the costs for three IVF procedures, medications, and monitoring to be $25,000. The cost stresses me out more than the thought of poking myself with needles!

So here we are! We are at what we hope to be the end of our infertility journey and the beginning of a whole new life. The new kind of life that involves middle of the night feedings, football games, and weekend worries of a teen dating life!

Did I mention our appointment is in the morning? That was quick!