Glad we got that out of the way. It took all of like 5 minutes and was a little uncomfortable but not too bad. The nurse said I handled it really well which makes me wonder what other patients do. Do they moan and whimper and cry or what? Anyway he basically poked a little camera up in there and looked around. There was a little bit of scar tissue which he just sort of scraped away with the scope, but everything else looked good. My tubes aren't blocked, so that's not the issue (he said you are twice as likely to miscarry if one of your tubes is blocked). I asked him about my endometrium being thin and he said that it is what it is. He would have expected it to be thicker by now but it's not and there's not really anything we can do about it. Is it causing me to have miscarriages? Maybe, Maybe Not. Hehe, so we are back to square one. At least when I get pregnant again someone will be jumping to attention and not just saying "Good luck! See you in 6 weeks if you make it that far!"
Friday, August 26, 2011
Fertility consult
At long last we had our appointment with the fertility specialist. To make a long story short, he agreed with what Dr. H has been telling us... which is essentially that the success rates for any "treatment" of unexplained recurrent miscarriages are all very similar and all very high (around 80%). In other words, no one knows for sure if the "treatment" really worked or if the patient was just destined to have a successful pregnancy that time around anyway. So no matter what any doctor does, they look like a hero.
So now for the long story. We still have options and there's a very very good chance that we can have another baby no matter what we do (as long as we try). They all vary in terms of complexity and cost (cha-ching!) and how patient we are willing to be. First of all, the clotting stuff was worthless. He said the test results were basically all normal but even the one that came back borderline indeterminate was something that only really causes problems if it is off the charts high. Ultimately he seemed pretty certain that was not part of the issue and rarely is in early miscarriages like I've had because the vascular structure hasn't even developed enough at that point for it to matter. He gave us a really long explanation of chromosomes and the different potential abnormalities which was really confusing but what I got out of it was that although the results of the chromosome testing we've done so far were "normal" there's still a chance that they weren't completely normal. He said sometimes some people are predisposed to make eggs that are more likely to develop these abnormalities, and I could be one of them. Or, more unlikely, but sometimes sperm are more susceptible to "DNA fragmentation" and cause the same sort of problems. The treatment for that is IVF which would involve getting some of my eggs out, fertilizing them to create embryos, testing the embryos to find one without any abnormalities, and then implanting just that one. That process would probably cost about twenty THOUSAND dollars but our chances of success are extremely high.
There are still a few things he wants to look at before we go down that road. He did an ultrasound today and said that my endometrium was a little thin for how far along I am in my cycle. He also said my ovaries are kind of small. I don't know yet exactly what that means, if anything, but I'll try to find out. Later today he's also going to do a hysteroscope inside my uterus to check for anything in there that might be discouraging mini me from hanging out. He's also going to check for I think fluid pockets in the fallopian tubes which can cause build up of stuff that can be toxic to the little guys. Then assuming I don't just get pregnant right away this month we're going to do some "day 3" labs to check my hormone levels and also make sure my TSH is good for the amount of Synthroid I am taking. Then when I do get pregnant they are going to keep track of me in the early days, monitor my HCG and do ultrasounds to make sure everything is going well and if it isn't they want to be proactive and get in there so they can take a good look at those chromosomes. If and when it does look like the pregnancy is a keeper then I'll just go to Dr. H like I normally would.
So the bottom line is, in the end we still probably won't find anything and I'll end up taking prenatal vitamins and baby aspirin as usual and hoping for the best. And doing just that the chances are good that eventually one will take. But it is a huge relief to know that Dr. H hasn't been completely missing the boat here. He's done everything I've asked him to do and probably would have done more if I had pushed for it but I'm glad to have the second opinion anyway. Plus now I also know that if we get really desperate and I start getting old, we could liquidate all of our assets and plunk down the cash for IVF and probably be all but guaranteed another baby. Chances are we won't need to, it's all just a matter of how patient I can be and how long I'm willing to ride the miscarriage roller coaster. I think I can hang on a little bit longer at that price.
The good news is that all this early diagnostic stuff we can probably get insurance to pay for. Which is nice because by the end of the day we will have already racked up about $2500 worth of poking and prodding.
I'll have an update later after the scope.
So now for the long story. We still have options and there's a very very good chance that we can have another baby no matter what we do (as long as we try). They all vary in terms of complexity and cost (cha-ching!) and how patient we are willing to be. First of all, the clotting stuff was worthless. He said the test results were basically all normal but even the one that came back borderline indeterminate was something that only really causes problems if it is off the charts high. Ultimately he seemed pretty certain that was not part of the issue and rarely is in early miscarriages like I've had because the vascular structure hasn't even developed enough at that point for it to matter. He gave us a really long explanation of chromosomes and the different potential abnormalities which was really confusing but what I got out of it was that although the results of the chromosome testing we've done so far were "normal" there's still a chance that they weren't completely normal. He said sometimes some people are predisposed to make eggs that are more likely to develop these abnormalities, and I could be one of them. Or, more unlikely, but sometimes sperm are more susceptible to "DNA fragmentation" and cause the same sort of problems. The treatment for that is IVF which would involve getting some of my eggs out, fertilizing them to create embryos, testing the embryos to find one without any abnormalities, and then implanting just that one. That process would probably cost about twenty THOUSAND dollars but our chances of success are extremely high.
There are still a few things he wants to look at before we go down that road. He did an ultrasound today and said that my endometrium was a little thin for how far along I am in my cycle. He also said my ovaries are kind of small. I don't know yet exactly what that means, if anything, but I'll try to find out. Later today he's also going to do a hysteroscope inside my uterus to check for anything in there that might be discouraging mini me from hanging out. He's also going to check for I think fluid pockets in the fallopian tubes which can cause build up of stuff that can be toxic to the little guys. Then assuming I don't just get pregnant right away this month we're going to do some "day 3" labs to check my hormone levels and also make sure my TSH is good for the amount of Synthroid I am taking. Then when I do get pregnant they are going to keep track of me in the early days, monitor my HCG and do ultrasounds to make sure everything is going well and if it isn't they want to be proactive and get in there so they can take a good look at those chromosomes. If and when it does look like the pregnancy is a keeper then I'll just go to Dr. H like I normally would.
So the bottom line is, in the end we still probably won't find anything and I'll end up taking prenatal vitamins and baby aspirin as usual and hoping for the best. And doing just that the chances are good that eventually one will take. But it is a huge relief to know that Dr. H hasn't been completely missing the boat here. He's done everything I've asked him to do and probably would have done more if I had pushed for it but I'm glad to have the second opinion anyway. Plus now I also know that if we get really desperate and I start getting old, we could liquidate all of our assets and plunk down the cash for IVF and probably be all but guaranteed another baby. Chances are we won't need to, it's all just a matter of how patient I can be and how long I'm willing to ride the miscarriage roller coaster. I think I can hang on a little bit longer at that price.
The good news is that all this early diagnostic stuff we can probably get insurance to pay for. Which is nice because by the end of the day we will have already racked up about $2500 worth of poking and prodding.
I'll have an update later after the scope.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Vegas, baby!!
I got my HCG drawn yesterday (among other things) and it came back less than 2, so I am officially NOT pregnant anymore. Holy cow, I did not have a D&C and I can't hardly believe it. And I swear, it was nothing more than a long period, I never had really any sort of cramps. So I guess that's lucky....
The phlebotomist yesterday was really struggling. First he could not figure out what labs had been ordered. From what I gathered it was the Factor V Leiden, Prothrombin time, and Lupus anticoagulant, in addition to the beta HCG. Anyway, he had to get like 10 tubes ready. Then he stabbed me and I started bleeding ALL OVER the place, it was crazy. That has never happened before. He had to stop and start over again on the other arm because otherwise I probably would have just bled to death right there in the chair. It was really gross. I am not usually squeamish about getting my blood drawn anymore but normally I don't see my blood pouring out and running down my arm like that. *shudder* So I was a little queasy by the time it was all over. I filled out a form to have the results mailed to me so that I can take them with me to my appointment with the specialist. Unfortunately I know that I have already had all those tests done before and nothing was amiss. So on the one hand, that probably means we're still back to square one. On the other hand, if I came back positive for a clotting disorder I probably would not be able to donate blood anymore, which I would be a little sad about. I am type O negative and they are always calling me begging me to come in.
Eric's friend from college called him on Saturday and announced that he was getting married in Vegas on Friday and would we like to come. So we are jetting off bright and early tomorrow morning for a 48 hour whirlwind trip. Full of mischief I am sure. I did get pregnant with Seth like right after we went to Vegas the last time so maybe this is a good omen.
The phlebotomist yesterday was really struggling. First he could not figure out what labs had been ordered. From what I gathered it was the Factor V Leiden, Prothrombin time, and Lupus anticoagulant, in addition to the beta HCG. Anyway, he had to get like 10 tubes ready. Then he stabbed me and I started bleeding ALL OVER the place, it was crazy. That has never happened before. He had to stop and start over again on the other arm because otherwise I probably would have just bled to death right there in the chair. It was really gross. I am not usually squeamish about getting my blood drawn anymore but normally I don't see my blood pouring out and running down my arm like that. *shudder* So I was a little queasy by the time it was all over. I filled out a form to have the results mailed to me so that I can take them with me to my appointment with the specialist. Unfortunately I know that I have already had all those tests done before and nothing was amiss. So on the one hand, that probably means we're still back to square one. On the other hand, if I came back positive for a clotting disorder I probably would not be able to donate blood anymore, which I would be a little sad about. I am type O negative and they are always calling me begging me to come in.
Eric's friend from college called him on Saturday and announced that he was getting married in Vegas on Friday and would we like to come. So we are jetting off bright and early tomorrow morning for a 48 hour whirlwind trip. Full of mischief I am sure. I did get pregnant with Seth like right after we went to Vegas the last time so maybe this is a good omen.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Summer Fun
Yesterday afternoon Seth and I went up to the Spokane County Aquatics Center, which is like a mini water park. They have one little water slide, a lazy river, and a kids play area with another kids water slide and a bunch of crazy things that shoot and dump water everywhere randomly. We were there for about an hour and Seth had a really good time I think. It's crazy having to teach him not to run by the pool and things like that. It goes against his instinct right now to not run everywhere he goes. At first we just sat on the edge and stuck our feet in the water. But after awhile he got into it and wanted to climb all over everything. Then once he got all wet I think he realized it was warmer to be in the water and he was wading around up to his neck. We're learning also not to drink the chlorinated water, yuck! If nothing else, he does always seem to enjoy watching the other kids run around and be crazy. It was worth the $4 for me to get in and hang out in the pool, rather than in our hot house. Next time I'll have to take a buddy so we can get some pictures.
I got my HCG done again yesterday and it was down to 16, so I'll probably have to get it one more time next week. Natalia also called me and said she and Dr. H decided to do another panel to test for any clotting disorders again. It sounded like if those all came back normal again then we are back to square one. She did also say she reviewed my chromosome test results one more time thoroughly and said they were in fact normal. Ha! That is a relief. I could have sworn she had mentioned something about fragile X syndrome at my appointment and that was a little scary. But no worries, we're fine in that regard. I also sent in all my new patient paperwork to the fertility doc, so hopefully an earlier appointment opens up. Either way Sept 16th will be here before I know it, where did the summer go?!?
Oh, and Seth starts day care on Monday! We are going to be taking him 2 days a week. I think I had mentioned before that we registered him as a drop in, and we did take him once for the day a couple of weeks ago. The center we chose has a "curriculum" and daily lesson plans even for the toddlers. They have back to back activities planned most of the day, each designed to teach the kids something - sensory, social, motor skills, etc. It seems like a great opportunity for Seth to get some exposure to some new things that we're not really set up for at home (or have time for). So off he goes! He'll continue on there thru pre-school and until he's ready for kindergarten. I am excited for him, I think he's going to have a lot of fun.
I got my HCG done again yesterday and it was down to 16, so I'll probably have to get it one more time next week. Natalia also called me and said she and Dr. H decided to do another panel to test for any clotting disorders again. It sounded like if those all came back normal again then we are back to square one. She did also say she reviewed my chromosome test results one more time thoroughly and said they were in fact normal. Ha! That is a relief. I could have sworn she had mentioned something about fragile X syndrome at my appointment and that was a little scary. But no worries, we're fine in that regard. I also sent in all my new patient paperwork to the fertility doc, so hopefully an earlier appointment opens up. Either way Sept 16th will be here before I know it, where did the summer go?!?
Oh, and Seth starts day care on Monday! We are going to be taking him 2 days a week. I think I had mentioned before that we registered him as a drop in, and we did take him once for the day a couple of weeks ago. The center we chose has a "curriculum" and daily lesson plans even for the toddlers. They have back to back activities planned most of the day, each designed to teach the kids something - sensory, social, motor skills, etc. It seems like a great opportunity for Seth to get some exposure to some new things that we're not really set up for at home (or have time for). So off he goes! He'll continue on there thru pre-school and until he's ready for kindergarten. I am excited for him, I think he's going to have a lot of fun.
Monday, August 1, 2011
I heart Shopping!!!
We've been out at the river the last few weeks soaking up the sun, and Seth is starting to get a little diaper tan line. His little white bum is so cute! He's not too sure about being in the cold water but he loves running around on the trampoline and splashing in his pool. Hopefully before summer is over the water will warm up enough that he can do some real swimming.
I went water skiing on Saturday for the first time in for-ever. It is not exactly like riding a bike, I tell you what. I did finally manage to get up after multiple tries and boy am I paying for it now. My left hamstring is on FIRE, not to mention I left one very expensive diamond earring at the bottom of the lake :( Lesson learned.
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