CD1 12 June 2012

[Taurus8484]

There was an article in our paper on Sunday. She waited 18 years to have her baby. Is was through IVF at the clinic Im going to and she was 54 years old and the baby was perfect.

They tried when she was 39 through IVF and had 2 miscarriages but still had 2 frozen, so she had them inserted. The first one didnt take but the second one did.

 

[Shellvz]

Hi luv xx

Yeah Im well. Work has been flat out so just taking a quick break before another meeting!!!

YAY!!!! Results night tonight for you...........can you either write down the numbers or get her to print them off. I want to know what they are. Send them through tomorrow morning........

No worries - knowing me you will get them tonight

I am going to ask for a printout.

 

[Shellvz]

There was an article in our paper on Sunday. She waited 18 years to have her baby. Is was through IVF at the clinic Im going to and she was 54 years old and the baby was perfect.

They tried when she was 39 through IVF and had 2 miscarriages but still had 2 frozen, so she had them inserted. The first one didnt take but the second one did.

Wow - 54! Not sure I would want to be pregnant and raising a baby at that age. Amazing that she hasn't gone through menopause yet...

 

[Shellvz]

RESULTS

Blood test:

FSH 6.4
LH 3.9
Oestradiol <60
TSH 3.36
IgG antibody 251
Ferritin 155

ULTRASOUND

Uterus measured 75x44x32mm
2.5mm regular non specific type endometrium.
Cavity normal. Uterus was mobile and non-tender. Cervix appeared unremarkable.
32x29x30mm posterior subserous fibroid noted. No cavity distortion seen.
Right ovary measured 34x16x22 contained 12 follicles (2-8mm).
Left ovary 16x20x23 contained 15 follicles (2-7mm).
Both ovaries are mobile and non-tender.
No adnexal masses or cysts noted.
No free fluid present in pelvis.
Urinary bladder unremarkable.

Conclusion: Normal sized uterus. 2.5mm endometrium. 3cm posterior subserous fibroid. Normal cavity with no distortion from fibroid. Bilateral polycystic ovaries.

 

[Shellvz]

Left with more questions than answers so another blood test ordered.

My oestrogen level is low, too many follicles in ovaries, question mark on whether I am actually ovulating or not.

Bilateral polycystic ovaries???? Atleast not the syndrome.

Iron levels too high. BMI too high - told to lose weight.

Fibroid not an issue.

Have to have blood test CD21 to check progesterone, androgens and sugar levels.

 

[Taurus8484]

Hey,

So the tricky thing is that each analyser (the machine they analyse the blood on) has different reference ranges for what is considered "normal". So without knowing what analyser they use, the reference ranges change a little.

However, for autoi mmune assay they stay roughly the same. So based on,

Your FSH is great, should be under 12.
Your LH should be under 12, so again thats good.
Normal reference range on our analysers for E2 which is your oestrogen is between 150-600 for Follicular Phase, so yeah yours is a bit low. So apart from E2, the rest looks okay.

Dont know much about the ultrasound, but thats a total of 27 follicles which I thought would be okay. I know if it goes too high, thats a bad thing and can mean POCS, found this for you.

"The most useful test is called an antral follicle count (AFC) , in which the doctor counts the number of antral follicles (also referred to as resting follicles) present in the ovary on Day 3 using vaginal ultrasound scanning. Antral follicles are small follicles , usually about 2-8 mm in diameter. The number of antral follicles correlates well with ovarian response. A normal total antral count is between 15 and 30. If the count is less than 6, the prognosis is poor."

I had 18 follicles in my Ultrasound on Monday......so I would have thought yours were great????

Glad your doing the 7DPO progestrone test. That will tell you for sure if your ovulating. Thats why I was surprise they didnt order that for you the first time around.

I know you have more questions than answers, but doesnt it feel better to know your being proactive.....I mean if your not ovulating, then thats why your not getting a BFP and there are all sorts of drugs they can give you to ovulate.

Dont stress

 

[Shellvz]

Hey,

So the tricky thing is that each analyser (the machine they analyse the blood on) has different reference ranges for what is considered "normal". So without knowing what analyser they use, the reference ranges change a little.

However, for autoi mmune assay they stay roughly the same. So based on,

Your FSH is great, should be under 12.
Your LH should be under 12, so again thats good.
Normal reference range on our analysers for E2 which is your oestrogen is between 150-600 for Follicular Phase, so yeah yours is a bit low. So apart from E2, the rest looks okay.

Dont know much about the ultrasound, but thats a total of 27 follicles which I thought would be okay. I know if it goes too high, thats a bad thing and can mean POCS, found this for you.

"The most useful test is called an antral follicle count (AFC) , in which the doctor counts the number of antral follicles (also referred to as resting follicles) present in the ovary on Day 3 using vaginal ultrasound scanning. Antral follicles are small follicles , usually about 2-8 mm in diameter. The number of antral follicles correlates well with ovarian response. A normal total antral count is between 15 and 30. If the count is less than 6, the prognosis is poor."

I had 18 follicles in my Ultrasound on Monday......so I would have thought yours were great????

Glad your doing the 7DPO progestrone test. That will tell you for sure if your ovulating. Thats why I was surprise they didnt order that for you the first time around.

I know you have more questions than answers, but doesnt it feel better to know your being proactive.....I mean if your not ovulating, then thats why your not getting a BFP and there are all sorts of drugs they can give you to ovulate.

Dont stress

Thanks Donna,

I didn't sleep very well - tossed and turned and worried. Feel to blame as it seems to be connected to weight gain (and causes weight gain so catch 22).

I am determined to lose weight and regain fitness - atleast this has been a good kick up the bum. If I ever needed incentive I have it now

The Dr said my FSH was good but my LH was low. Oestrogen was low and iron was high. Progesterone wasn't tested so will be now.

She is concerned about my insulin levels so that is getting checked too.

I don't really understand about the polycystic ovaries - I read up on it on google last night but seems confusing still. I realise that PCOS is not the same thing - seems to be the next step.

The Dr told me I had too many follicles (hence the diagnosis) yet your quote would mean I am ok. Who knows what to think....

I started taking my temp again this morning - just over this ovulation phase - want to confirm ovulation myself before blood test.

 

[Taurus8484]

Gosh, dont feel like yourself to blame. Shit, Ive not exactly Miranda Kerr either, I could seriously lose 20kgs and still not look like a stick.

At least now your getting some answers right?!?!?!?! It will be fine luv. You will get your levels normal and fall pregnant before you know it. Positive remember!!!

 

[Taurus8484]

And the FSH test is the important one. The others can be fixed with drugs, diet etc.

You get a low FSH and that you cant change....did they order a AMH test as well???

My temp has been stupid the last few days too!!! On its way up again..........the never ending confusing world of TTC.....

 

[Taurus8484]

And who would have thought that having too many follicles/eggs on Day 3 would be a bad thing????????????????????

 

[Taurus8484]

And from what I have read, PCOS - you dont get a normal period as in length wise, they are all over the place etc and yours are always on time......

Not going to go on anymore, have a 3 hour meeting waiting for me................

What Im trying to say is.........DONT STRESS!!!! It will be okay. Your getting help now so your already 1 step in front of where you were last cycle

 

[Shellvz]

And from what I have read, PCOS - you dont get a normal period as in length wise, they are all over the place etc and yours are always on time......

Not going to go on anymore, have a 3 hour meeting waiting for me................

What Im trying to say is.........DONT STRESS!!!! It will be okay. Your getting help now so your already 1 step in front of where you were last cycle

I know - I said that to the Dr - I am a clock and have never missed a period in my life...

I asked her about the test to say how many eggs are left and she said she didn't know about any test. I couldn't remember its name so just let it go. Is that the AMH test?

I agree - I am in a better position than last month as atleast I know that I have some diet/exercise issues which I can address. I have started reading about diets targeting PCOS and it just looks like fruit, veges, nuts, lean meats, complex carbohydrates and avoiding refined foods and sugary foods.

It seems that Polycystic ovaries affect your insulin levels and produce too much insulin, thereby absorbing all sugars into fat cells - hence easily putting on weight.

My plan is to exercise daily, avoid sugars and try to eat more healthily.

 

[Taurus8484]

Yep, its the AMH test. Its relatively new in the world of testing, as in a few years old. Google it, there is a heap of information on there about it.

 

[Taurus8484]

Did she actually say you have PCOS?

 

[Shellvz]

Did she actually say you have PCOS?

No - she said I didn't have the syndrome. Just bilateral polycystic ovaries.

 

[Taurus8484]

Whats the difference??

 

[Shellvz]

Whats the difference??

My understanding is that PCOS is a syndrome which includes PCO.

"PCOS is a syndrome and is not a disease, and there are multiple potential causes. In the picture below, it can be seen that the ultrasound appearance of polycystic ovaries (PCO) is enlarged ovaries that have multiple very small "cysts" just inside the outer margin (capsule) of the ovary.

There is international consensus that on its own the ultrasound appearance of PCO is not enough to make the diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Furthermore, the ultrasound appearances of polycystic ovaries are present in approximately 20% of normal women. Consequently, it is important to understand the difference between PCO and PCOS.

PCOS is diagnosed if a woman presents with any two of the following three features; infrequent or absent ovulation, physical signs or blood tests consistent with high levels of male hormones (hyperandrogenism) and the ultrasound appearances of polycystic ovaries. Furthermore, there should not be any other hormonal cause(s) of this situation."


https://www.bubtree.com.au/Fertility-Care/Polycystic-Ovary-Syndrome-(PCOS).aspx

 

[Taurus8484]

https://www.womenlivingnaturally.com/articlepage.php?id=106
https://main.posaa.asn.au/index.php/what-is-pcos/myths-a-truths

Dont know if you have seen these sites or not??

 

[Shellvz]

"What are polycystic ovaries (PCO)?

PCO are ovaries which contain an excessive number of primordial follicles. (Despite the name, there are no cysts, so the condition should really be called polyfollicular ovaries). These follicles are tiny fluid-filled sacs which contain the eggs. An ultrasounds of the ovaries during the reproductive years usually shows, on average, 5-12 follicles in each ovary. When more than 12-15 follicles are present, the ovary is called 'polycystic'. This itself does not cause adverse symptoms and should not be confused with PCOS.

Normal: less than or equal to 12 follicles
Borderline: 13-15 follicles
Mild: 16-30 follicles
Moderate: 30-50 follicles
Severe: more than 50 follicles, as a general guide - these women usually have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), associated with infertility, increased facial hair, and a disturbance of hormone levels.

What is the cause of polycystic ovaries?

In a normal menstrual cycle there are usually 5-10 follicles at the beginning of the cycle. Later in the cycle usually around day 14, one follicle gets bigger (leading follicle) and shortly thereafter ovulation takes place with release of the egg. The remaining eggs regress and disappear before the next cycle. These events typically occur every 4 weeks and result in the monthly menstrual bleed. With polycystic ovaries, this cyclical sequence of events does not take place. Instead, no leading egg develops and there is a build up of small immature follicles with successive cycles. Despite extensive research no single cause explains this variation from normal.

PCO is very common - it is estimated that 1 in 3 women have them. For most, this does not cause a problem and is often left undiagnosed unless they have difficulties becoming pregnant. Even in this case, many women achieve ovulation and therefore pregnancy with minimal drug involvement.

PCO is a genetic condition, and tends to develop during your 20's. PCOS usually develops much sooner, with symptoms appearing when a girl is around 16.

PCO causes a mild hormone imbalance which may cause one or more of the following:

1. Acne
2. Irregular, infrequent periods
3. Slightly reduced fertility
4. Oily skin
5. Mild hair excess on face, nipples or pubic area
6. Some degree of resistance to your body's natural insulin

Treatment:

Exercise - this burns up sugar and helps lower the strain on insulin which helps your ovaries.

Keep weight low - increased weight increases resistance to insulin in everyone.

Low carbohydrate, low GI diet - all carbs except fibre and metabolised to sugar, so low carbs lowers the strain on insulin which helps your ovaries.

Oral contraceptive pill - this treats the hormone disturbance and stops the ovaries trying to make more follicles.

If trying to become pregnant, simple agents like Metformin (which decreases your resistance to insulin) or the fertility drug Clomephene may be needed."

https://girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com.au/2009/08/pco-what-are-polycystic-ovaries.html

 

[Taurus8484]

https://main.posaa.asn.au/files/DrEden_Chapter_1.pdf

THis is a good one