Newbie (long post)

[Katana]

I just thought I'd say hi and introduce myself. I just stumbled across this board today and I wish I had have found it 2 years ago!!! I’m not sure where to post, so I’m posting here and in the Donor Issues forum since I think that's where I will probably spend most of my time.

My name is Katana (23) and my husband is Christian (26). We've been together for almost 6 years now, and married for 3 of those years. We've been TTC on and off over the past 2 years and have done 12 cycles so far with no success. We've known from the beginning that my husband would have sperm issues because he had an injury when he was a teenager that makes it so he can't ejaculate normally. (That's the reason we've only tried for 12 cycles out of 24, things didn't work the other times.) Anyway, even though we knew he'd have issues we decided that we’d try at home for a year or so first, just to see what happened. We went to see our doctors for a referral to an RE last fall and after a loooooooong wait to get in, we will be going for our first appointment the end of this month. I’m so excited to go! My husband will be having his first SA and we will be having a meeting with the RE to discuss potential options.

We’re both totally for the idea of using donor sperm to have our baby if my husband‘s SA doesn‘t go well. We’ve got a donor picked out already as a back-up plan and will go directly to the donor sperm route if Christian’s SA is bad. Neither of us really wants to go through IVF, so if we don’t get pregnant using IUI’s and donor sperm after a reasonable length of time we’ll be moving on to adoption rather than IVF.

I have noticed since I started charting, which has only been the past 6 months, that my luteal phase is only 10 days long and my preliminary bloodwork that I had to get before going to the RE showed my prolactin is a bit higher than normal…… I guess that will have to be addressed too, hopefully it’s no big deal to fix.

Even though I’m only 23, I’m really starting to feel the need to have a baby before I run out of time. All (and I do mean ALL) of our friends have kids or are pregnant right now. I’m literally the last one. I’m the oldest in my family (I have a little sister) and my Mom is really putting the pressure on. (She doesn’t know about dh’s issues and we don’t plan to tell her.) I do have a beautiful niece and nephew that I love with all of my heart to help me get through until I have my own kids, but sometimes I still get jealous of people with kids.

Alright, I’ll stop now. Sorry for the super long post, I’m just so happy to have an outlet finally that I’m having a hard time shutting up! No one, other than you guys now, knows what we’re going through. Thanks so much for listening if you made it to the end of my ramblings, I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Katana and Christian

[clar]

Welcome!...I hope your stay here is very short and you have a quick success. Hope your RE appiontment answers a lot of questions for you.

[BC-Maura]

Welcome, Katana! It sounds like you have already identified some issues that could be slowing you and dh down, which is great. With most issues in IF, once you identify them, you can fix them! I would definitely mention your 10 day LP to your doctor. It may be that you need progesterone supplements starting right after ovulation to try to extend your LP a bit. And the prolactin level can be adjusted as well.

I hope you're pleasantly surprised by dh's SA. You just never know. But if it does turn out you need donor sperm, I'm so glad you're on the same page about it.

So, again, welcome and check back in again soon!

Best of luck and keep in touch++++++++++++
Maura

[Katana]

Thanks for the welcome guys!
BC-Maura, are you a doctor or nurse or something? You have such good advice for everyone!

[BC-QueenValerie]

Hello*!!!! welcome to Fertile thoughts*!!!!! I also hope your stay here is short and sweet (if you know what I mean??)*!!!!! Good luck at your appt and please keep us posted*!!!!

[BC-Maura]

Originally Posted by Katana

Thanks for the welcome guys!
BC-Maura, are you a doctor or nurse or something? You have such good advice for everyone!

Thank you so much! No, I'm a former lawyer, but my dad was an OB/GYN and my mother was a nurse, so I've always been interested in health and medical things.

Best+++++++++++++++
Maura

[BC-DKNY]

hi katana....welcome

it sounds like you and dh really have a good plan in place.

i agree that i would address the short LP to your doc. that could be a potential problem, yet it's one of the easiest to correct. and who knows, that could've been contributing to not being able to get pg. implantation usually occurs between 6-12 dpo and if you're already shedding your lining at 10 days, it's possible that a conception occurred, but failed to implant because of the premature AF.

good luck with your dh's SA. i hope things go smoothly and that you'll have quick success.

[Katana]

Well, we went to our first appointment with the RE today and I can't say I'm all that impressed with how things went. First off she told me that luteal phase defects don't exist, that they're a myth. Second, she told me that there was no possible way I could know when I was ovulating to know if I did have a LPD (if they existed that is). I told her that I was charting my temperatures, using OPK's, checking my cervix height as well as how soft it is and if it's open or closed, and checking my CM. Apparently (according to her) there's no possible way to know when I ovulated even doing all of those things. She absolutely refused to prescribe progesterone during my LP and pushed me to go right to IVF, and when I refused, to IUI with clomid and injectables without even fully diagnosing me yet! I'm sooooooo not happy about how things went. She wouldn't really even listen to what I had to say, she just wanted to tell me what she thought would be best and then leave. Grrrr! The worst part is that there's no one else for me to go to.

On the plus side, Christian's SA went pretty good as far as we know so far. We didn't get any actual numbers aside from the count today, but they said that there were 1,500,000 to 1,800,000 sperm/mL. We expected there to be virtually none! We'll find out the rest in 7-10 days... I can't wait to find out! It'd be nice if his numbers were good enough that we could forget about the RE for a while and keep trying at home. I'm really dreading going back.

I have to go for bloodwork on day 2 or 3 of my next cycle, which is in about 2 weeks. They're testing FSH, LH and TSH. She also checked off a urine culture, but didn't tell me about it. I just noticed it on the lab form now..... I wonder what that's for??

Anyway, I'll cross my fingers that the next appointment to discuss treatment (July 3) goes better than today......

[melgrace]

First of all welcome!

I am sorry your RE appointment went so badly! She sounds horrible! Is there not another RE you can go to?? There is such thing at LPD. I am taking clomid for it - my progesterone level post o is normal, so that wasn't my problem and apparently clomid can lengthen your lp. If you can't go to another RE would your ob be willing to treat you up to a certain point? That is what we are doing right now.

Best of luck.

[SKR]

if I wasn't happy with her I would definately seek someone else even if I had to travel. This IF is expensive and you really need to have a good rapport with your RE. She sounds as if she has a great bedside manner (LOL). Some doctors refuse to believe that the "layman" has any common sense and might actually know a little bit. She sounds as if she thinks she knows it all! Any way, I'm glad that dh's SA is good so far. Hopefully all your bloodwork will be good as well and you'll be preggo before you know it!! Best of luck to you and dh! Shanna