Today was the day!!!!

I'm so emotionally exhausted from all the anticipation today held!

I started the day by giving blood {AKA- having my TSH, Free T3, T4 re-tested to see if changing from 30 mg every day to 30 mg every fourth day brings me back to normal ranges} and then heading off to get some much appreciated baby love! :-) Gosh those boys melt my heart!

On my way to the appointment traffic was horrible! Notices say accident just before my exit and down to one lane. So I get off on a random exit {Thank God for GPS!} and while navigating the land of Ladue, MO {huge house after huge house was distracting me from the road! Thankfully no accident for me with all my jaw-on-floor-views!} I made it! I was talking to Charles on the phone and walking in. I hang up with Charles {whom BTW was at "work"} and walk around the corner to the restroom since I had like 10 minutes to kill only to see him standing there with a huge sappy love grin on his face! :-) Gosh I love that man! He surprised me {No clue that he even knew where to go! What time! Or the Doctors info! haha!}, that's for sure! It was a welcomed surprise though.

We walk into the office and it's nice! Smaller, much smaller than Dr. Ahlering's office but equally as nice and comfortable feeling. Unfortunately. A huge sign on the door says children must remain in the waiting room... So things shall get interesting as I took the boys with me to the Dr visits. Anyways. Charles keeps reminding me that we'll figure it all out...

The staff is all very nice! The nicest yet I would say! :-) Submitted my insurance info and when one of the ladies came out to verify our insurance info she asked what I knew about it. Oh, I thought for sure she was going to say we didn't have infertility coverage or that they were not covered! Heart in throat moment! Instead she said that the insurance company informed her we have unlimited infertility procedures! {Do not believe that but find it very comforting that they at least acknowledged we have infertility coverage!!!!} Went on to say that we are very blessed as this is a rarity and how we feel so humbled to have such coverage...

And then we went back. Let's just say that he certainly looks like a Dr. Small guy with huge thick black rimmed glasses. With that nerd look. As in, someone I certainly trust what they say... :-) He is VERY thorough! He verbalizes his list of things to talk about. It's so funny. But it keeps him/us on track! He appreciated my anal list of procedures/medications/dates/E2 levels/etc and added to it the latest results that I had from Dr. Ahlering. I'm so glad I keep such detailed records...

Mentioned that me overstimming is a concern but if we do IVF that we could always do the ER and freeze the embryos to do the ET to at a later date when I'm recovered and my body is more favorable to accepting the embryos. Also thought it would be best since we would be able to control exactly how many embryos were being transferred instead of with IUI where it's solely a guesstimate... He talked of Metformin and said that since I had such a reaction that it's best to leave it alone but in all reality it's something that would otherwise be highly recommended but could be worked around.

He was very classy in addressing the fatness. :-) Said that he sees women all the time get pregnant with my BMI {no I'm not sharing that!} and that he does not believe it is the reason but could be part of the reason. He does not believe we should halt treatments until I'm down to X BMI either but encouraged me to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Okay. I can do that. Walks boys??? :-)

He told me to stop the Vitex and Red Raspberry leaf and to only take the Baby Aspirin after ovulation as it can prevent ovulation from occurring. {Must talk to family Dr about this as I've been taking it everyday for several months now and do not know if I can just abruptly stop or if I must taper off or what? Any thoughts??} Charles is to stop his natural supplements as well. We're only to take, from a reputable maker, the Vitamin D3, Calcium/Magnesium, Multi Vitamin {he gave me a Rx for one along with telling me to start back on the Folguard...}.

So the POA! YAY!!!!

Charles is to have another semen analysis ASAP since it was last {and only once} done in September 2008. It's time for another. That's it for him. Lucky guy.

Once my period arrives {he does not like to induce menses until at least 30 days have elapsed. That sucks. Said if I still have not gotten it by day 40 to call and they'd induce. Yeah. That's like the end of February.} Days 3-5, one of them, I'm to have more blood work. Surprised? {That doesn't look right. I thought it was 'suprised'. Who's right? Me or spellcheck??} I'm not. Actually, two of the things I'd never even heard of and cannot remember the name to even google them! I was shocked by this! But the bigger shocker was when he briefly mentioned "diminished ovarian reserve"! Jaw on floor here! I wanted to cry but did not let this halt the conversation. Said it is a possibility and that the results would give more detail. Mentioned it confirming PCOS/D as he gives me that diagnosis again. {I don't care! Just get me pregnant! :-)} He also said that my AMH and Inhibin-B results indicate PCOS since my AMH was high and my Inhibin-B was ultra low but also shows possibly diminished ovarian reserve. :-( He also wants to test my A1c along with re-testing my LH, FSH, blah blah blah blah blah. Also another Antral Follicle Count.

Then sometime between days 7-12, he wants to do another SHG as he said it is read based on operators deciphering and he wants to check out my uterine cavity himself before recommending next steps.

He said right now he does not think having surgery, such as a Lap, would be idea since it can cause problems instead of fixing them if nothing is there to be fixed. So we'll wait on that unless he finds something on the SHG he wants to check out. I cannot say I'm saddened by this as I want to avoid surgery at all costs! I'm a chicken like that...

So these tests should all take place in March ish with treatments *hopefully* starting back up in April. So maybe, just maybe, we'll have have a January 2011 baby?? Yeah it sucks that we'll be going into 2011 but whatever. Beggars can't be choosers, right??

So let's pray that my period starts all on it's own ASAP so testing can happen and that that cycle is short too so that we can get started on treatments ASAP!!! :-)

And after meeting with him we got the Rx from the nurses for my stuff. Charles got his brown sack with the specimen container. We got directions to head to St. John's {which I kept referring to as St. Lukes. haha!} to pick up my HSG report/images to bring in at our baseline ultrasound...

Let me tell you... It was such a wonderful feeling knowing we have such encouragements and "cheerleaders" right their with us as we take one step at a time with the hopes of finally being able to bring home our baby... THANK YOU!!!! It means so much to Charles and I for all your support via comments, texts, phone calls, and e-mails!

Comments

Hillary said…
Yay - wonderful news!! So glad the appointment went well and you have a great POA in place :)
Nicki said…
So glad to hear you have medical cover and that your doc seems to have a great poa for you all!
I will be holding fingers for your af to arrive so that we can see a bfp in the near future from you! **babydust** XXX
T said…
YEAH!!!! You got a POA!! I will be right hear cheering you all along the way!
Maureen said…
Yeah!! So glad everything went well yesterday with Dr. P...he is a big nerd, but he's so nice and you can just tell her really cares about you!! And he knows his stuff!! I'm so hopeful he is the last RE you'll ever have to see!!
Melis.sa said…
I hadn't heard of baby aspirin not causing O. I'll have to look that up?

Woot for a POA!! Hoping AF arrives soon so you guys can get things moving along! WOOT WOOT! That's so sweet that your DH suprised you and came to the appt!! So sweet!
Jessica said…
You left out the part about your DH suprising you at the RE during our phone conversation yesterday!!! That is so sweet!!!

I will be here cheering you on too!!
squirrelgirl said…
YAY! Your new doc is a Man with a Plan! I hope things progress smoothly and speedily for you.
TwoDogMama said…
I'm so glad you liked Dr. P. We would have gone with him had we decided to continue pursuring treatments. How nice of your DH to show up to go with you! I know how great it feels to have that support. And that is amazing to have that type of insurance coverage. Coming from someone with no infertility coverage that is so great! I'm sending good vibes your way!