So I finally did it....something I have been putting off because well frankly deciding to do it meant there really was a problem. I (or WE...since my husband is a crucial part in this process) decided once and for all to go see a RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) at Seattle Reproductive Medicine. Since we have now been actively trying for 15 months not to mention the other 5 years that we weren't preventing....it was time. We had been seeing a OB/Gyn at a local clinic but he just wasn't ummmm....passionate... about getting us pregnant. Yep that's right I want my physician to be passionate about me becoming pregnant dammit! I mean it's all I think about, consumes my every day and thought so when I take the time to see a doctor about our lovely infertility I want some passion....and while they're at it a little COMpassion too.
Well I couldn’t have been happier with our experience at SRM, well I COULD have been happier had he declared me pregnant right then and sent me on my way, but the whole experience there really was very comforting and informative and I left optimistic.
Okay so I'll get on with the details now.....
Well I brought in a crammed folder full of information regarding my periods, fertility work-up, medical history, sperm analysis (that part not mine) and a CD of my HSG images. Well our wonderful RE called us into his office, yes that's right after the medical assistant took my vitals, the RE himself came into the lobby to greet us, shake our hands, and invite us into his OFFICE, not a cramped medical room but a bright nice office with a view of Lake Union. He spent an hour reviewing all of our information, going over our new patient paperwork, viewing the HSG images (after saying he really didn't care what the radiologist though he wanted to personally view them, I liked how he was so thorough), and then spend a great deal of time explaining the results and our options. I checked out with a clean bill of fertility health, everything was great, labs, tubes, ovaries, uterus all beautiful...excuse me while I take a bow now. Yes thank you, thank you very much. .......Now my hubby unfortunately not so much....he has decreased swimmer count.... his first count was 18 million and second count was 8 million. Sounds like plenty but actually it should be at the very least 20 million at the lowest and really even that would be considered lower than ideal. As far as the fluctuation of 10 million, well that was my question too...especially after he had tried so hard to improve his health but eating better, losing weight, and exercising more....apparently a fluctuation of 10 million is perfectly normal....if one count was 90 million and another was 80 million there wouldn't be any cause for concern but with number like 8 and 18 it's a little different.
So now you ask what is the plan? ....Well we currently have a plan for a plan rather than a plan, are you following?
My hubby gets the wonderful opportunity to repeat his SA sperm analysis on Monday. If his total motile (moving and in the right direction) number is above 5 million then we proceed with IUI (Intrauterine insemination), our RE would like his total motile number to be 10 million or above ideally so that’s what I am crossing my fingers for. I would also be starting Clomid with the IUI to increase our chances. It will be my first time starting Clomid and our RE described the side effects to mimic menopause….hot flashes, mood swings, great fun!
If the total number is BELOW 5 million he basically said we should move on to IVF, at that point it is possible we could become pregnant with IUI but unlikely.
So that’s where we are at this point. A huge part of me is praying I am pregnant right now (due for AF next week on 2/8) and I can just bypass this whole thing. The rational part of me knows the odds are just not in my favor and that my sudden increase in appetite is due to my emotional state rather than a growing fetus but as anyone who has tried to conceive before knows that there is always hope until the dreaded day so excuse me while I analyze every “symptom” for the next 5 days.
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