my results are back...

So, about a week ago -- I had an appt with an OB/GYN to discuss my lack of period for the last cycle. He said I had PCOS and told me to get my 3rd day of cycle blood testing done to confirm.

I got the call today with the results. My doc didn't call, but a nurse did instead.
She said that my Vitamin D levels were a little low and to take an additional 1000mg a day. I'm not sure I want to do that b/c I have spoken to another doctor before about that (when I was a vegetarian) and they said you can't overdo it with Vitamin D. You have to make sure the actual Calcium levels are sufficient as well. I will most likely take a supplement once I talk to my general practitioner who likes to research things thoroughly before committing to any dosage of vitamins or medication on a case by case basis.

I was also told that I do not have Classic PCOS and that if I want to start the Clomid I can come in a speak with the doctor. I asked the nurse what that meant. What does it mean I do not have 'Classic PCOS'? She said she wasn't sure and that the doctor had just written that. Then she took a few minutes to review the actual numbers. She said she didn't see any of my levels that were out of normal range and asked if we had been trying to get pregnant and if so we can talk to the doc about infertility meds. I told her YES, we had just tried for 1 month and I was surprised he wants to put me on infertility meds already. Especially considering I do not have any other levels out of whack. She said 'Oh'. That is interesting. I told her I do not want to come in an discuss with this doctor or see him again. She had recommended someone else for me to see. She is a nurse practitioner that works with patients for both OB and GYN. She said she is very hands on and she comes highly recommended by other patients as well. Supposedly she "really knows her stuff when it comes to infertility and medications". Okay, so I said I would give that a try and have an appt for next Monday.

Honestly - I'm still angry about all this. I understand the Vitamin D deficiency and it's relation to PCOS and infertility and a whole slew of other medical issues. But to say I need infertility meds b/c those were the ONLY levels I had off... I don't know. He is so set on believing I have it and even if other tests show I don't... it doesn't seem to matter.

Maybe I'm still a bit naive about PCOS and what it is. But, I thought a blood test would for sure show if I had it or not. If that's not the case, then how can it truly be diagnosed?

Blah.

Oh...also she said the doctor noted I should get my cholesterol checked. She looked at the numbers and they were within normal, maybe considered on the high end but not out of range for concern, so she wasn't sure 'why'. Nice. I will talk to my GP about that too anyway.

I get the results in the mail in a couple days, so I can update with what they actually are and try to decipher myself. I guess.

I'm hoping the doctor on Monday is actually GOOD.

The doc I've been wanting to see, the one I really liked, is totally booked until mid-September. Waaaaah. Oh well.

So, the day after my last post, my temp dropped from 98something to 96.4.
The day after that, I got my period.

Today is CD2, and I've made an appointment to get my blood tested tomorrow.

Didn't need the progesterone, glad I waited and that my 'riod finally came.

CD 49...tap tap tap

Midwifery...

tell me all about it! I need to learn!!!

And so it goes...

for a moment, pretend you are a patient anxiously waiting for your doctor at the OB's office. You're on the table, half naked with a white sheet covering your lower half.

You're here b/c it's been 45 days since your last period, you've had cramping for almost 3 weeks straight and you want to know what's going on in that body of yours.
All the pregnancy tests you've taken at home have come out negative. You wanted to see your regular doctor, or at least one you've seen before and somewhat liked, but they're all on vacation. Your options were either seeing one you've met before and disliked very much or someone totally new. You take the lesser of two evils and opt for someone new.

Your new doctor enters the room.

He asks you "How frequent are your periods?"

you: "most my life they've been 26-28days. I've been off the pill for over a year. I had a D&C / Miscarriage in January. Since then, my period was 44 days 1 cycle, and every cycle after has shortened. My last one was 34 days."

Doc: "There is no evidence shown that a D&C procedure or miscarriage causes one to have irregular periods."

You think to yourself..."What kind of evidence is he referring to? I have spoken to REAL women who have had the procedure and or a miscarriage and have had the same period issues I've had."

Doc: "I checked the pregnancy test and it is negative."

You: "All the ones I have taken have been negative too."

Doc: "It is possible you are currently only 10-13 days pregnant and the hormone levels are not high enough to be detected right now."

Doc then does a quick internal exam.

Doc: "I think you may have PCOS, which explains the irregular periods. And also can explain issues with infertility."

You: "What issues with infertility?? Last time my husband and I tried to get pregnant, we got pregnant. This is only the 2nd time we've tried to get pregnant, THIS cycle. You said you think it is possible that I might be pregnant, and now you are saying I may have issues with infertility?"

Doc: "Well, let's start you on some progesterone. It will make you get your period and help you to ovulate. It also will not have a negative affect if you are pregnant, we actually give it to patients who need help maintaining an early pregnancy."

You: "Um, okay, if you say it won't hurt, then ... okay."

Doc: "You take them for 12 days, put 2 high up in your vagina every night before bed. It will make you get your period afterwards. Once you get your period, schedule an appt for bloodwork on the 3rd day of your period. If the 3rd day falls on a Sunday, scheduled it for the 2nd day. It's better than coming in on Monday the 4th day. You may also get your period while you are still taking the progesterone. If so, stop taking it and schedule the bloodwork on the 3rd day as well. Then we can talk about putting you on fertility drugs. The side effect with that is you might have twins"

You think to yourself, b/c if you speak outloud it will sound like you need to be put in an insane asylum... "What in the hell?! I might be pregnant, and also should consider taking fertility drugs b/c I may have infertility issues???"

You start tearing up, b/c you are so damned confused, finally, you ask...

You: "you just said I may be pregnant, I may have PCOS and need to take fertility drugs. can you explain this to me."

Doc looks at you like you are his feebleminded 14 year old thug son who does nothing but disappoint him and says, "I don't see what you're not understanding, it's all pretty explanatory."

You: "Okay, I still don't understand."

Doc doesn't answer you and begins writing things down. He writes up a form for the bloodwork you're supposed to have done after you get your period while taking the progesterone and says .. "I can't guarantee you will get all the correct blood tests done, but this paper should help you get close to what you need."

You think to yourself, "This guy is insane! I'm just going to sit through the rest of this nonsense, leave and wait until MY doc comes back from vaca and talk to her."

Doc says some other nonsense not worth listening to.

You nod your head, as if you care.

He says, "Goodbye.", "It's been a pleasure."

You say, "yup, okay" and think to yourself, "what the hell just happened?"

You get off the table and get dressed, you hurry out the exit and into your car.

You call your husband crying b/c you're so confused, frustrated and annoyed. After talking it out with your husband you realize you still never found out why you have this cramping going on and think why did the doc offer to take some blood tests to test hcg levels? Why didn't he do an ultrasound to see if you have remnants of a ruptured cyst that was causing the problems like your last doc did? Last doc found fluid from a ruptured cyst on ultrasound and hcg levels tested positive for pregnancy. Why Why Why...do you always wind up seeing whack job doctors.

Once you get home, you get online and start researching about PCOS and over-analyze the symptoms. You start thinking, maybe the doc is right, but how can one diagnose someone only having done a quick internal exam.

You take a break from reading and giving yourself major anxiety. You get back online to blog about it and find it theraputic.

-Fin



So, the hubby and I talked about it and we are going to wait a week to see if I get my period or get a positive preg test result. If neither occur, I will take the progesterone. Maybe I do have PCOS? I just never thought of myself as having fertility issues. Wow.

CD 44 - I give up

My chart changed again. The horizontal line has moved UP. I don't get it.

My bubbies are very full feeling and I have blue veins appearing daily. What the heck. I had A LOT of cramps last night, thinking my 'riod would show up today, and it didn't.

Argh. I wish I knew what was going on. It's frustrating, I just have to be patient, of which...I'm not usually.

Here's is today's chart - compare to chart in last post where the horizontal line has moved. Oh, and the Rule Of Thumb thing disappeared today.



I'm not testing today since I'm going to the doc tomorrow anyway.

Gotta BFN this morning with EMU / FMP - using the Clear Blue Easy test again.

Called OB to schedule a checkup to see what is going on in there with the cramping and having missed my 'riod.

All the docs I've seen at this office are on vacation except for 1 male doc and the crazy lady I saw last time.

Ugh. I wanted to see the doc I saw last time I got pregnant, b/c she knows how I work. She knows that tests can show up negative and blood tests of an HCG level of 5 can mean you are still pregnant. She knows I'm different and wasn't a believer of catching pregnancies that early until she saw me. I was positive on CD10. I was her anomaly.

Now if I am, I'm going to have to go through all the shananigans I went through the first time. Hearing "You are NOT pregnant", "You can't be, it's not possible", "You may be having an ectopic pregnancy", yadda yadda yadda.

That's the hardest part. Alas, I still feel different, my temp is still high, and it's CD 43.

Anyone know what is UP with the RULE OF THUMB thing on TCOYF, I got that today for a past temp after I put today's temp in. See below.

Dare I say it...

I took another preg test. This time a different brand, CBE. (ClearBlue Easy).
Within 3 minutes there was the faintest blue positive. Extremely faint, like, not even sure it was a real line, maybe just evap (evaporation line).

Took an FRER (first response, early response) too, and it was a BFN (Big Fat Negative).

So, evap, or not, or possible too late to test -- b/c didn't use EMP (early morning pee).

I have been craving chocolate, which is consistent with me getting my period. I always crave chocolate before AF (aunt flow, AKA period)

I would post pics, but it's so faint, getting a decent pic is incredibly hard. Hmm, maybe I'll post it anyway.

Mike and I can see it, can you?

Here is my chart

We are currently on CD 42. What the heck.

I can see at the beginning of my cycle how my temp dropped with AF, then a spike when I O'd, supposedly.

I stopped taking my temp shortly after b/c I went to HI on vaca, and due to the time change, I didn't think I would get accurate temps. Didn't bring my thermo either.

When we came back, I started temping again, and 3 of the temps were in line with my previous temps. Then the spike on CD 41 and going up on CD 42.

Now, when you O and wind up getting pregnant, shouldn't your temp continue to go up from that point? or does it go back down to normal temp and make it's way up?

My last pregnancy, I O'd and then the temp went up the day after and continually there on after.

Maybe I didn't O on CD 20, my CF/CM was very dry at that time, Mike thinks I O'd on CD 37, b/c the CF/CM consistancy changed and I have that random slightly high temp in there. Ugh, should've temped while away.

I haven't been great at recording the CM portion, or the Intercourse portion, I think there are 2 or 3 times missing from this chart. Ah well, Mike and I tried to figure out what was missing, but our brains aren't working at the moment.

I knew at CD 26 we were pregnant last time. Here we are at CD 42 and I have no clue.

I am very tempted to call up my OB and go in for some testing. The cramping I'm having has been going on for about 2 weeks and last time it was b/c of pregnancy. Never know, could be something else going on all together.

Still trying not to get my hopes up, but I feel like I am pg again. Time will only tell. I kinda feel like I can go with the flow a little more with this one, even though my brain will always be over analyzing.

No matter how much I hate to admit it, I've gotten my hopes up.

Today we are on CD 41. No period in site.
Same light cramping going on these past few weeks and bubbies are getting bigger. I'm noticing blue veins appearing. What is the deal.

Did a preg test today and it was negative. Arghy.

Temp spiked today. My temps have been between 96.6 and 96.8 for most of this cycle and today it was 97.74. I wonder if that means that my 'riod is comin'. We'll see if my temp takes a dive tomorrow.