Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Still trying and trying and trying




So here's an update on what we have been doing to try to get pregnant. If you read my last blog post you know that we had an unfortunate miscarriage. After the miscarriage in December , we had to take a couple months off of trying to let my body heal. So beginning March 2010 we were right back in the fertility battle. Because we got pregnant pretty easily the last time my Dr started me on the minimum dose of clomid and had us try that for 2 months. That of course did not help so we increased the amount and added a few extra fun things to do. I was increased to 15 clomids per month, that was 3 a day for 5 days and then after that I was to take an estrogen pill up until the time of ovulation. My Dr also recommended that I continue to take a daily prenatal to help my body prepare for pregnancy. We stayed on a very strict baby making schedule which can be very stressful and not romantice in the least. It really can take a toll on a marriage. John and I have been very good and remembering what it is that we are working for and try to not make it feel like a job. Every month I go in to the Dr and get checked for eggs and if there is a really good one or two he gives me the HCG shot in my butt and we hope and pray for the next few weeks.(and make love of course) In October of 2010 still unsuccessful Dr Johnson once again increased my dosage, So I am now taking 20 clomids, estrogen and pre-natal's but he also added in Mucinex. Sounds odd to take Mucinex, but he said it will help with the lining in my uterus and at this point I am really down to try anything. I added a picture to show how much I have to take every month!! We attempted to do artificial Insemination in October and it didn't work. It's pretty disappointing when you think to yourself OK this is it, and then that dreadful period hits you. Because I am on so much medication and my body is pumped full of extra hormones my body plays weird tricks on me. I obviously have a hard time controlling my emotions, I can jump from being depressed to excited or very angry . I've had to work extra hard not to gain weight but I also have to be careful that I do not lose any either. Sometimes I feel I have to work extra hard in my personal relationships because of my constant change in emotions. My periods will sometimes be 5 or 6 days late and I can't help but think that it finally worked. So the Artificial Insemination did not take, and financially we could not afford to try it again for a few months. I kept taking my bucket of pills and just hoped for the best.
In January 2011 I scheduled my usual appointment for the ovulation check and was going to discuss possibly trying the Artificial procedure again. I was still on the high dosage of clomid and this month I did not have any eggs. My Dr could not explain the reason for that and he decided he wanted to do another labrioscopy (scope procedure). He said that I have been doing everything right and should be pregnant by now. Since there was no chance of getting pregnant this month, he scheduled me the next week. I wasn't surprised when I heard the news after I woke up from recovery that I was in pretty bad shape. Dr. J's fears were confirmed and my endometriosis had completely grown back. I had several large cysts on both ovaries and endometriosis covering a very large area. He removed the cysts and endometriosis with a laser and put a protective covering around my ovaries to help with healing. I recovered well from the procedure, and i know it's a good thing that I was "cleaned out". This was a major setback but it was necessary to do or else getting pregnant would be almost impossible.
So now it's July, and I have been trying every month since February. As many of you know it can get very costly to continue treatments month after month. It has been pretty hard on us financially, we are only covered under John's insurance and they do not pay much for infertility. We need to start being more aggressive; I am getting really frustrated and stressed which is not working in my favor. The more stressed your body is the harder it is to conceive. I am looking into some other options and remedies and hopefully I can post exciting news soon. So wish me luck!

1 comment:

  1. What can I say that will make any of this better? I'm sorry this is the journey that you & John have been sent on, to get your babies here. But I'm glad you have shown how much love you have for them. Thanks for trying to hard and for always having a smile on your face at Sunday dinners...you can be mean like me any day :)

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