TTC Journey 2007-2010

Its been a few days since I have wrote anything. I have been busy with work and life. I really haven't spent too much time on the computer. This is something I haven't opened up about yet... I have been debating if I wanted to share it or not. But its a part of my life and while its something I have struggled with for a while now, I think its finally time to really open up about it. I have had my reservations on making it public because its really not the business of the whole world and some people can be so judgemental. So I have felt like I haven't been able to open up about it until now. I have finally accepted that this is the battle I have been dealt.

Some of you know the struggles we have had through the years. First, the miscarriage in Feb. 2008, then all of the tests, the rounds of Clomid. Well, here is what few people know....

I started seeing an RE (reproductive endocrinologist) out in Odessa, which is 3 hours away from my house. She put me on Letrozol to cause me to produce multiple eggs for my October cycle, I went in and she did an ultrasound which showed I had three eggs measuring at 12 on one ovary and 1 on the other measuring at 21. So she gave me an hcg trigger shot which would cause my body to release that one larger egg within 24 hours and the next day Sergio and I both went back and we had an IUI (intra-uterine insemination) done. This is where they take a sperm sample from my husband, wash it and inject it directly into the uterus. It cuts out all the travel time for the little swimmers. Tricare of course covered only the medications and the dr visits, the procedure and injection and ultrasound was all out of pocket! Anyway, that round failed....

but just days before we went in for this procedure I got a call from Wilford Hall down in San Antonio on Lackland AFB and they said that they had re-opened for new patients and wanted to see me! I also found out we had been accepted into their program back in June when we first got back to the states but because of miscommunication and them not having my phone number we couldn't connect. I had tried calling but no one would return my calls because I wasn't a patient and I had no idea that they were trying to call my Italian phone numbers! Anyway, I contacted Dr A from Aviano to let him know that I was told my referral had been denied (because she couldnt get a hold of me, but I didn't know that at the time). And he emailed Dr R down at Wilford Hall to ask if he would do him a favor and see me. Turns out Dr R and Dr A both went to school together in the military AND Dr R even travelled to Aviano to help Dr A out for a little while not too long ago!! So the only reason I got back in being that they were so short staffed was because Dr A pulled some strings and called in a favor. I am so thankful for him!! Well, being that Wilford Hall is a military facility, all procedures will be FREE!!! Of course if we ever moved on to IVF there would be a small out of pocket expense and when I say small I mean small compared to what civilians charge. Anyway, I had my initial consult on November 1st. We got a lot covered at that first appointment. He also gave me a diagnosis....

He believes I have insulin resistant PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). I don't have all the typical symptoms that one would have to be diagnosed, but I fit the criteria and have quite a few of the symptoms. This is something I have thought I had for a while now, but I kept being told that I probably didn't have it. However, I am on a good combination of drugs now. I am taking prenatals, vitamin D3, folic acid, Metformin and will be taking Clomid next month for a Clomid Challenge Test. I will get my blood drawn on CD (cycle day) 3 and then take Clomid from CD5-CD9, then on CD10 I get my blood drawn again. This will show how my body responds to Clomid. I could get pregnant during that time but I was on Clomid for 6 months and never got pregnant on it, however, this time it will be combined with those other drugs I mentioned and might help. If it doesn't though, the plan is that we won't waste anymore time with Clomid and I will go straight to another IUI. Wilford Hall is a 4 hour drive but being that we don't pay anything out of pocket the extra hour will be worth it!

So we have a few things riding against us. We have a slight male factor infertility (slightly below average motility and morphology) but nothing too serious. I have endometriosis and PCOS. Hopefully with the next IUI we will be expecting. Dr R said that Dr B out in Odessa only gave me half of the normal hcg shot, which maybe meant I didn't ovulate before the IUI? However, he will be putting me on Letrozol again(I think), and a steroid for no more than 9 days out of my cycle, with injectible medications and all the other drugs I mentioned, minus the Clomid and then do the IUI. With that combination of drugs lots of people have success! So while God gave these doctors the wisdom, we still want God's blessing so please be praying for us! And I know God won't give us more than we can handle so if we end up with triplets.... Well, who wants a nanny job? haha.