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Take the Pledge!RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association

Ultrasounds, Tests and Results...Oh My!!

I know it has been awhile since I have last updated, but between life, dr's appointments, death in the family, computers dying,......sigh, it's been alot!

So, I have had my TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) tested and even though my symptoms all point to HYPOthyroid, (too MUCH) it came back on the low end of normal, .53, but would indicate HYPERthyroidism. (too LITTLE) So, we're not treating it, but instead will monitor it and have it rechecked in a few months.

My old doctor retired, :'( and I finally got my appointment with the new practice. There are several MD's within this practice and I saw a NP. (Nurse Practioner) WTF?!?! So pretty much all she did is confirm 1) that I don't want to go back to HER, 2)my 5 months waiting to get seen was waste of time. I wanted lab work ran, like all of my hormones, etc. She completely dismissed it as being too expensive. I asked for Clomid, she said it is out of her scope of practice and that I would have to see an OB or a fertility specialist. I DID however get an ultrasound to SEE what is going on inside there and a script for Provera so I can induce AF, instead of going months and months without one.

My ultrasound....very interesting stuff. Kidneys and liver look good. Uterus is tilted, which I already knew. What I didn't know is that I have a Bicornuate Uterus. Which means, instead of my uterus being round and smooth at the top, mine is separated into two chambers and looks like a heart. WTH?!?! All of these years, and I had NO idea that I had that. My right horn (as the radiologist kept calling it) is much bigger then the left, and she said most likely is the one that "homed" both of my girls. Isn't it pretty?

The heart shaped object in the center is my uterus. The right horn is much bigger then the left due to that is where both of my girls hung out during their stays. Notice the deep separation, separating my uterus into two, making it much smaller then a normal uterus.

The scary part about a Bicornuate Unterus is, it can cause miscarriages, if the baby implants on the smaller side. It may not be an early miscarriage either. It could cause growth restriction problems, (due to no space to grow) and cause a late term miscarriage, preterm births and breech babies. Interesting thing is, my oldest daughter was born 8 weeks preemie and was breech and we never had a reason as to why!! She was breech throughout the whole pregnancy, and now I know why!! She didn't have any room to turn head down!! Of course this revelation now makes any future pregnancies high risk and will have to be closely monitored for growth problems and proper placement.

Ovaries are enlarged, but not too much so, and are COVERED in immature follicles. So much so, she didn't even count how many. So, this pretty much confirms it, PCOS (PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome) it is. There was no fibroids or ovarian cysts, so that is good.

As far as I know, next step in PCOS protocol since I'm already on Metformin (for insulin resistance) is either Birth Control Pills (if NOT Trying To Conceive) to try to shrink the cysts or Clomid to induce ovulation. I feel like I am hitting a brick wall with getting the Clomid though. I have seen 2 different docs in the last 6 months hoping to get a script for Clomid, but both have said it is out of their scope of practice. Why is it so difficult to get a script for it, when it is so obvious it is what I NEED?

I WANT to get in to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist, but the nearest one to me is OVER 3 hours away, one way. That and since I am not insured, everything is out of pocket for me. At this point, we're just not prepared to go into debt to get my body figured out. I did a search the other day for OB's in my area who specialize in infertility and there was 1 that popped up. Coincidentally, it was MY last OB!! :) So, if this doc I'm seeing in August can't help me any further, I guess I will be making an appointment with my old OB.

So the game plan is as follows. I am on CD 84, still no ovulation and on my 9th day of 10, of Provera to induce a period. After AF leaves, on CD 10 I will be taking one dose of Folliculinum, and again waiting (and crossing fingers) for ovulation.

Meds/Herbals for next cycle: 

Vitamin D, 2,000 iu/day

Calcium, 1,000 mg/day

Metformin, 500 mg/BID

Liquid B Complex 1/day

Kelp, 325 mg/day

Fish Oil, 300 mg/day

Folliculinum, CD 10 only

Provera, *if no Ovulation, CD's 35-45