If you could recommend...

I love all of my bloggy friends's blogs and enjoy keeping up with their stories. I'm looking to expand my horizons a little bit though, so I'd love to find a few new awesome blogs to follow. Can anyone recommend one or two that you just can't live without? I'm looking for people who are in the same or similar boat as me, and preferably ones with not too many followers so I won't just be "one more person" following their blog!

Feel free to leave your suggestions anonymously if you're afraid of offending your own readers by not choosing THEIR blog as your go-to blog. :)

By the way, I started taking baby aspirin two days ago... just in case. AF is still a no-show. Still no spotting either. I didn't take an HPT this morning because I didn't want to waste another one. I'm thinking about calling the doctor tomorrow to get a blood test though, because I want to start taking progesterone a.s.a.p. if there really is a little bun in the oven.

Doctor's appointments

This week I finally had my two doctor's appointments. The first was on Tuesday with the high risk doctor.

Details from High Risk doc:
1. Re-tested anticardiolipin levels to see if they are still elevated. (results are not back yet)
2. Tested for thyroid issues. Normal.
3. Tested blood sugar. Normal.
4. Decided not to put me on Hep.arin because it's a pretty heavy-duty drug (and a twice daily injection) and she doesn't think I need more than baby aspirin.
5. Suggested that I get an ultrasound every 4-6 weeks after 20 weeks if/when I do get pregnant again to check for any blood clots forming. (Awesome!!) The reason for this is because of the potential threat of late term loss due to clotting issues. (Not awesome.)
6. Suggested I can start taking baby aspirin right now, and take it daily through 36 weeks of pregnancy. (Taking it longer can lead to going past your due date.) ***See note below

The second "follow-up" appointment with the fertility doc (Doctor N) was today.

Details from Doctor N:
1. Reviewed blood test results that are back from Tuesday.
2. Reviewed appointment with the high risk doc.
3. Got the go-ahead to try on our own again this cycle. If I get preggo I will go on progesterone again, this time after I get a positive pregnancy test.
4. Dr. N suggested that if we don't get preggo this cycle, we should try Clo.mid next cycle. He said that he has had great success with Clo.mid for people like me - with symptoms of PCOS and low progesterone/lots of spotting prior to the crimson b**ch. It helps the body to produce its own progesterone.
5. ***Dr. N disagrees with high risk doc about the timing of the baby aspirin. (He says: "Getting you pregnant is our department. Keeping you pregnant is hers." :) ) According to Dr. N, the baby aspirin can interfere with ovulation and inplantation, so I'll start taking it after I get preggo.
6. Dr. N agrees that ultrasounds every 4-6 weeks after 20 weeks to check for clots is a good idea. (Yay!)


The long and the short of it is that I'm hoping we don't even have to think about the clo.mid. I've lost a total of about 7 pounds so far since my appointment with Dr. N, and I've upped my exercise. I feel like a perfect house for a little being. I'm very optimistic about this cycle. I'd like to say that I won't be disappointed if I don't get pregnant, but I'd be lying... 'Course, I haven't even ovulated yet, so I'm putting the cart before the horse, but you know... :) Let's go, T's men!!!

Wish I were more of a b**ch

Before I begin this post, I have to ask you all to please NOT tell me to change doctors. This practice is the closest practice to me that delivers at the hospital where I want to deliver. While I'm not thrilled with their attentiveness, I do have the feeling that they know what they're doing. From now on, I just need to be more assertive with regard to my own care.

That being said...

When I walked into the fertility doc's (Dr. N.'s) office, he reviewed my HSG results and my bloodwork. The HSG was normal (which I knew) and the blood work was mostly normal except for an elevated anticardiolipin level. I knew that too, but for weeks I've been asking the nurse to tell me exactly what that means, and when she couldn't, (on any of the multiple occasions that I asked her) I finally gave up. (After all, Dr. Google reassured me that elevated anticardiolipin levels are often treated with baby aspirin, which I was on last cycle.) Nurse "nice but useless" was clearly not concerned enough about my test result to offer a follow-up appointment with the doctor.

Dr. N. started telling me about the anticardiolipin level and its implications (e.g. blood clotting issues.) Long story short: he's concerned. He's very concerned that this is a major factor in my inability to maintain a pregnancy. (Nurse "NBU" did not seem concerned at all, and had just told me to "call again next cycle" when I ovulate and "we'll try again".)

Dr. N. is concerned enough about this issue that he's referring me to yet another specialist: a high risk specialist, who will either be able to diagnose/treat the problem, or who will refer me to a hematologist (blood specialist) for further evaluation. Dr. N. wants the high risk person to decide if she thinks I am okay with just baby aspirin, or if I should move to something like Hepa.rin. Bad news is that the high risk person is only in their office once a month, and that's not until April 28th. Dr. N. doesn't want us to try again until I see the high risk doctor.

F**K. (Or, no f**k, depending on how you look at it.)

Guess we can throw that "fate" post out the window. Or maybe this is fate. Interesting.

When I walked out of the office I was kind of angry with them, and then I was annoyed with myself, and now I'm annoyed with them again. This WHOLE TIME I've been waiting, I could have had an appointment scheduled with this specialist. The blood draw was in January. F**king JANUARY. I've been asking Nurse "NBU" since JANUARY if the test results had implications.

ARRRRGH!

Okay, but now for the rest of the stuff:

I had a good appointment with the doctor. Asked him about weight and stress, and PCOS. He said that if I do have PCOS, it can't hurt to try to lose 5 or more pounds. Believe it or not, some studies that he's read have shown that losing even 5 or 10 pounds can improve the symptoms of PCOS. So hopefully that will be the kick in the ass that I need to lose some weight. (I wanted to lose some anyway, so hopefully this will be my motivation.)

I told him that the OPKs stressed me out, and he confirmed my question about stress making people ovulate late sometimes.

He also said the words that I really have been looking for from the beginning: "Let's GET you pregnant, and THEN treat you." That means no OPKs, and no progesterone until AFTER I get a positive test. (For now, anyway.)

So the new plan is to see the specialist, then see Dr. N again (I have an appointment already scheduled this time) and then try to get knocked up "the old fashioned way."

The moral of this story is that if I had been more of a bee-otch in the beginning, and insisted that I either talk with or meet with the Doctor about my test results, I probably would already have seen the specialist and would be trying this month. The big thing I've learned about this office is that I need to be my own advocate because they're too busy for hand holding.

Then again, fate works in strange ways, and maybe this was really the way it was supposed to happen after all.

Fertility Specialist

We had our first appointment today with the infertility doc. He was very, very nice and I'm excited to have someone who's interested in KEEPING me pregnant the next time. Here's where we are.

1. Wait for first period after D&E.
2. Get blood drawn after period ends and before ovulation.
3. Wait for second period after D&E.
4. Get hysterosalpingogram. (Also called HSG or tubogram.) This is an injection of dye into my uterus and x-ray to make sure there are no abnormalities. Doc says that a septum can exist even though we have had one healthy baby, and it can make it very difficult to conceive again. He's seen it before.
5. Try to get pregnant on second cycle while taking Progesterone and baby aspirin. (Progesterone and baby aspirin were what I was expecting.)

The thing that is weighing on my mind is PCOS. He said, "I'm not saying that you necessarily have it, but it's possible." See, I spot for a couple days before I get full flow. I never knew that it was abnormal to do that because I guess I don't really chat about my cycle with a lot of people, but apparently most people just get the full flow right away. I also have more hair (luckily most of it is very blond) on my face, arms, etc. than most people. I have also struggled with my weight for my whole life. I was an obese teenager, and finally got my weight more under control during college. Now I'm at a weight that I'm comfortable with, but still maybe 15-20 pounds more than where I'd like to be. All these things can be signs of PCOS.**

When I was between 16 and 20 I brought an article that I ripped out of Good Housekeeping or something to show my doctor. I am not 100% sure, but I think it was about PCOS. I asked her if I could have it because of excessive hair growth, obesity, and very irregular periods (they were then, but not now.) She pretty much told me that she didn't think so, and I'm sure it was because I was obese (which can cause irregular periods and excessive hair growth). It will be interesting to see if maybe I self-diagnosed 10 or 15 years ago...

**Edit: I forgot to add that I have some ovarian cysts, which can be harmless, but they can also be a sign of PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.