Sad and trying.

[steph_466]

Hey guys, im new to this site but I thought I'd try something new. So im 23, been trying to get pregnant for two years now with no sucess. My husband has been ruled out no issues with him! I have been told that I have PCOS but no tests to prove it because they tested my levels after I was on Metformin. I havent taken the metformin now for about a month and don't feel any different. My doctor doesn't want to put me on Clomid until August. I don't understand what Is available, I think there should be more tests to why I haven't conveived yet? I haven't done a doctor ovulation test for a year now, and I only have a tube on my right side, left was removed at 18 due to a cyst. As far as the ovulation tests go, I didn't have any test show ovulation Can someone give me some advice? I don't know where to turn and I don't no if I should wait and go on Clomid or ask for test?

 

[HearMyPrayers]

You could ask the doctor to draw blood on day 21 of your next cycle to test that you have in fact ovulated? do you use OPKs? Its tricky with PCOS, but you could/should ask the doctor to be more aggresive to confirm you are indeed o'ing on your own!

 

[jcr1988]

are you seeing a doctor or a specialist? if not a specialist then i think you need to push to get into one and keep pushing for tests! look into all the options and go in and ask about what they suggest you do. I had to really push to get refereed to a local OB and when that got us no where i contacted a specialist and they took me in with no hesitation at all!!
I know how hard it is being so young and dealing with all this but so far i think you're on the right track!! I hope you find this site very helpfull in your journey! i know i have!!

 

[steph_466]

I am going to go to the doctor in a few days and ask about testing my hormone levels. I seem to see a lot of information about that being an issue and an easy fix. I asked about buying OPK but he said there is no point, my body simply wasn't dropping an egg and the kit tests your hormone levels so my hormoes still go up as if im ovulating but theres no release of the egg So it would get my hope up for nothing. I am seeing a OBGYN but doesn't want to see me again until August to put me on Clomid. My period are now very regular, a perfect 28 day cycle so thats a really good sign! They told me the next step for testing is a scope, but since I don't have a tube on my left side he was scared to go in and look in case of infection and hurting any chance I have. So this waiting game is a real sad killer for me I just got married last month and was really hoping I would be well on the way in a pregnancy by now. Solid answers would be nice.

 

[cupcake]

if you are not ovulating you need to start clomid, if you have one tube it might be best to do clomid+ ovitrelle an ovulation shot +iui, if you ovulate on clomid that might work, if you dont ovulate on clomid then they will put you on injectables which have more success of ovulation , there are different kinds and this is also coupled with iui. If those things fail then you move on to ivf. I see no reason to wait to start meds if you dont ovulate you cant get pregnant and only one tube is def grounds to start treatment. With all these meds they cause more follicles so there is a risk for multiples with pcos, you already produce many follicles so they are looking to control things very carefully so you dont end up with high end multiples ( really only a risk for iui because with ivf they only put back 2 or 3) and also that you dont get ohss, which is a dangerous condition where you hyper ovulate. best of luck

 

[steph_466]

Im due to start my period tomorrow so hopefully this month will be our month Trying to stay positive. I feel my doctor doesn't care what I think, only what he thinks is right for me. My family doctor offered a counceller but really I think anyone at 23 and two years of trying would be frustrated and hurt by now to. I really don't feel im out of the norm here. I wish the doctors would take me more seriously and not just look at my age, the common respone im getting for anything I feel or need addressed is well its hormones and your still young it will work itself out. This is crap, I go see a doctor for help not to be belittled. Sorry for my rant and thank you for your advice. I will call my OBGYN as soon as I can.

 

[jcr1988]

Im due to start my period tomorrow so hopefully this month will be our month Trying to stay positive. I feel my doctor doesn't care what I think, only what he thinks is right for me. My family doctor offered a counceller but really I think anyone at 23 and two years of trying would be frustrated and hurt by now to. I really don't feel im out of the norm here. I wish the doctors would take me more seriously and not just look at my age, the common respone im getting for anything I feel or need addressed is well its hormones and your still young it will work itself out. This is crap, I go see a doctor for help not to be belittled. Sorry for my rant and thank you for your advice. I will call my OBGYN as soon as I can.

If I were you I'd be looking for a fertility specialist and calling just to see if they'll get you in with out referral. That's what I had to do and it was the best thing I could have done. While design said I was young and had time the specialist said I have only 5-10 good years left for this.

 

[steph_466]

Okay I'll look into that, Im pretty sure there is a clinic in Calgary so I will make some calls. Whats the difference from a fertility specialist and a OBGYN ?

 

[J_Lynn]

I am going to go to the doctor in a few days and ask about testing my hormone levels. I seem to see a lot of information about that being an issue and an easy fix. I asked about buying OPK but he said there is no point, my body simply wasn't dropping an egg and the kit tests your hormone levels so my hormoes still go up as if im ovulating but theres no release of the egg So it would get my hope up for nothing. I am seeing a OBGYN but doesn't want to see me again until August to put me on Clomid. My period are now very regular, a perfect 28 day cycle so thats a really good sign! They told me the next step for testing is a scope, but since I don't have a tube on my left side he was scared to go in and look in case of infection and hurting any chance I have. So this waiting game is a real sad killer for me I just got married last month and was really hoping I would be well on the way in a pregnancy by now. Solid answers would be nice.

The ovulation detectors don't work for a lot of us with PCOS - so that may not be helpful. When I use them, it says every single day that I'm ovulating.... As soon as I told my doctor I was using them he chuckled and said I need to stop wasting my money because PCOS can cause your LH levels to always be picked up as surging (I think that's how it works, I can't remember now exactly what he said because it was so long ago)

 

[J_Lynn]

Okay I'll look into that, Im pretty sure there is a clinic in Calgary so I will make some calls. Whats the difference from a fertility specialist and a OBGYN ?

Through my years, OBGYNs will give you birth control to regulate your period or they'll just give you clomid.

However, a fertility specialist starts from the top and digs to find a reason for the infertility and then works on a solution. My fertility specialist started by ruling out my husband. Then he checked to see if I had blocked tubes, then he checked for endometriosis, then did a few other things (lots of surgeries, lots of blood work) then after almost a year - I was finally prescribed with clomid.

I don't mind that and I think it's the best way to go about it... He wanted to rule out everything else before he started giving me pulls and sending me on my way since you really shouldn't take fertility drugs forever.

So the difference is basically one doctor just does papsmears and wants you to get out of their office, and the other genuinely wants to look into, find and then solve, the reason for your troubles with conception.

That's how I sum it up, anyway. I have the best fertility specialist in the state - and I don't care if I have to start hooking and working a 3rd job to pay the doctor bills, I wouldn't trade him in for the world. Lol

 

[steph_466]

My obgyn has done the checking if my tube is blocked, as well as checking my husbad. He wont due surgery in case of infection. I was told I had endo and pcos now the last time I went in he told me maybe you just have really painful periods. I know this is sad but I was heartbroken, how can you let me live my life believeing I have something you don't honestly think I do. I've done a ton of research taken the metformin changed my diet and explained this to my family to come home feeling like an idiot because now I might just have "painful periods" I feel very insulted and I don't feel my husband understand why. Im sick of pain and waiting and never getting answers, I honestly believe if I was 30 and not 23 the health care system would actually take me serious!

 

[J_Lynn]

My obgyn has done the checking if my tube is blocked, as well as checking my husbad. He wont due surgery in case of infection. I was told I had endo and pcos now the last time I went in he told me maybe you just have really painful periods. I know this is sad but I was heartbroken, how can you let me live my life believeing I have something you don't honestly think I do. I've done a ton of research taken the metformin changed my diet and explained this to my family to come home feeling like an idiot because now I might just have "painful periods" I feel very insulted and I don't feel my husband understand why. Im sick of pain and waiting and never getting answers, I honestly believe if I was 30 and not 23 the health care system would actually take me serious!

Your age shouldn't have anything to do with it - I've been getting treatment for my PCOS since before I was 18 years old. I'm not even 30 yet myself and I have been dealing with trying to get pregnant with my current doctor(s) for over 3 years. Your age should have nothing to do with it - it's the medical clinic you're attending. Is there a womens clinic, or an infertility specialist that you could see without needing a referral? Here you don't have to have referrals to see someone - so I don't know if it would be the same in your area. The only time you need a referral is for IVF - and that's understandable.

As soon as he told me that I had PCOS and endo, then said 'oh, nevermind - maybe you just have painful periods' I would have been like 'Well, it was nice talking to you - I'm going to go find someone who will find out. Thanks!' and that would have been the last time I ever went in there.

 

[River54]

I'd get a referral to see a FS, as that is what they do - specialize in fertility.
I've noticed when researching myself, that some clinics in Canada say need referral (since that is how they get paid for the first appt), and others don't - you just pay $200 or whatever it is for the initial consult.
With mine, we called the FS first to see what we needed. They just said to get a referral for both of us, and it didn't matter from where - walk in clinic doc was fine.
We got the referral, and since we had no obvious problems even though it had been over a year, and were relatively young, our appt for the FS was 6 months later. Once at the appt, we talked, they set us up for a pile of tests, and had a phone appt afterwards to know results and where to go from there.
Pretty efficient, as they get straight to the point of trying to get you pregnant, the best way for you.

 

[popchick75]

My obgyn has done the checking if my tube is blocked, as well as checking my husbad. He wont due surgery in case of infection. I was told I had endo and pcos now the last time I went in he told me maybe you just have really painful periods. I know this is sad but I was heartbroken, how can you let me live my life believeing I have something you don't honestly think I do. I've done a ton of research taken the metformin changed my diet and explained this to my family to come home feeling like an idiot because now I might just have "painful periods" I feel very insulted and I don't feel my husband understand why. Im sick of pain and waiting and never getting answers, I honestly believe if I was 30 and not 23 the health care system would actually take me serious!

Just out of curiosity, how did he come to the endo conclusion? The only way you can conclusively diagnose endo is by having a hyposcopy (i can't remember the exact name...it's basically exploratory surgery).

Same with the checking your tube for blockage...did you have an HSG done?

 

[J_Lynn]

My obgyn has done the checking if my tube is blocked, as well as checking my husbad. He wont due surgery in case of infection. I was told I had endo and pcos now the last time I went in he told me maybe you just have really painful periods. I know this is sad but I was heartbroken, how can you let me live my life believeing I have something you don't honestly think I do. I've done a ton of research taken the metformin changed my diet and explained this to my family to come home feeling like an idiot because now I might just have "painful periods" I feel very insulted and I don't feel my husband understand why. Im sick of pain and waiting and never getting answers, I honestly believe if I was 30 and not 23 the health care system would actually take me serious!

Just out of curiosity, how did he come to the endo conclusion? The only way you can conclusively diagnose endo is by having a hyposcopy (i can't remember the exact name...it's basically exploratory surgery).

Same with the checking your tube for blockage...did you have an HSG done?

Hysteroscopy - they suck lol Oh man I hope I never have to go through that again

 

[popchick75]

I was lucky enough that that is the one thing I've never had to go through. I've been through pretty much everything else. I'm sort of amazed that so many doctors 'diagnose' people with it after just hearing symptoms and doing an ultrasound. Even the worst endo can't be seen on an ultrasound.

 

[J_Lynn]

I never understood that myself .... it's like, "Oh, you have a magic ball and can see inside my body? Sweet! Sure, go ahead and add that to my bill." Uhh - no.

I had the Hysteroscopy, D&C, in-depth HSG and the endo removal when they did see I actually had it done all at the same time. And they had to cut me at my belly button, in my ovary area (I'm not exactly sure what that's called) and then right below my ribs because they weren't able to get through the layer in my belly - he said it was super thick, but it's not a bad thing; he said he can assure me I'll never have to worry about having a hernia lol The surgery wasn't bad, it was the recovery that was horrible. It took them 5 hours, and it took me about 2 weeks to recover enough to walk around comfortably then another 2-3 weeks to be able to have no pain. My core muscles are still being built back up - after I thought I was healed I tried to get on the horse and I couldn't even pull myself up. All my muscle strength was gone since the muscle was tore through. It sucked.

But, it's all worth it

 

[jcr1988]

Okay I'll look into that, Im pretty sure there is a clinic in Calgary so I will make some calls. Whats the difference from a fertility specialist and a OBGYN ?

Through my years, OBGYNs will give you birth control to regulate your period or they'll just give you clomid.

However, a fertility specialist starts from the top and digs to find a reason for the infertility and then works on a solution. My fertility specialist started by ruling out my husband. Then he checked to see if I had blocked tubes, then he checked for endometriosis, then did a few other things (lots of surgeries, lots of blood work) then after almost a year - I was finally prescribed with clomid.

I don't mind that and I think it's the best way to go about it... He wanted to rule out everything else before he started giving me pulls and sending me on my way since you really shouldn't take fertility drugs forever.

So the difference is basically one doctor just does papsmears and wants you to get out of their office, and the other genuinely wants to look into, find and then solve, the reason for your troubles with conception.

That's how I sum it up, anyway. I have the best fertility specialist in the state - and I don't care if I have to start hooking and working a 3rd job to pay the doctor bills, I wouldn't trade him in for the world. Lol

EXACTLY! and when going to an OB your also guaranteed to see baby bellys and when your struggling thats the last thing that you want to see. a specialist will do a lot of testing and narrow down the best solution to getting you pregnant.

 

[steph_466]

I had that test done where they put Iodine inside you to have your tubes glow under the x-ray machine. That hurt really bad, I hope to hell I never have to do that again. My OB kept pushing until I went grey and almost fainted, then sat me up and said "Im really sorry but you only have one open tube as far as we can see." So I was soo mad at this point, im in intollerable pain and the man didn't have the time of day to read my file to see that his fellow gyn took my tube out 4 years prior to that.

So besides me not liking my OBGYN, I finally talked to my husband the other night about going to see a fertility specialist and he doesn't feel thats the right move yet. He feels that since my body only became regular in January and that I really only have one working side that potentially I may have only ovulated twice. He really wants to wait a few more months before I go see someone. He is in full agreeance that I shouldn't go back and see my OBGYN. That made me really happy He feels that maybe give my body some time and see if just maybe I could be one of people who don't ovulate on the scheduled days or by the book for say. So we talked it out and for the next couple months, im going to keep posting on here looking for ideas and inspiration and buy a couple ovulation tests and see what we get

 

[jcr1988]

I had that test done where they put Iodine inside you to have your tubes glow under the x-ray machine. That hurt really bad, I hope to hell I never have to do that again. My OB kept pushing until I went grey and almost fainted, then sat me up and said "Im really sorry but you only have one open tube as far as we can see." So I was soo mad at this point, im in intollerable pain and the man didn't have the time of day to read my file to see that his fellow gyn took my tube out 4 years prior to that.

So besides me not liking my OBGYN, I finally talked to my husband the other night about going to see a fertility specialist and he doesn't feel thats the right move yet. He feels that since my body only became regular in January and that I really only have one working side that potentially I may have only ovulated twice. He really wants to wait a few more months before I go see someone. He is in full agreeance that I shouldn't go back and see my OBGYN. That made me really happy He feels that maybe give my body some time and see if just maybe I could be one of people who don't ovulate on the scheduled days or by the book for say. So we talked it out and for the next couple months, im going to keep posting on here looking for ideas and inspiration and buy a couple ovulation tests and see what we get

I would still just get an apt with a specialist, being Canadian ohip should cover that. Have them do ultrasounds and blood and they can give you a good idea of where you stand on getting pregnant on your own or not.