Catching Up

Well, it's been almost five months since I last wrote but I'm still not pregnant.

I finished my strict diet with Dr. Weight and achieved my goal of getting my BMI under 30 (lost over 50 pounds).  I've mostly kept it off since then too (just gained a few pounds over Christmas that I haven't focused on getting off yet).

Back in August "J" and I went to a free group consultation at a local fertility clinic.  There they offered a free AMH test.  I thought, "why not?"  I'm listing the result here along with the previous results for comparison:

Test 1: 0.21 (CD 21)
Test 2: 1.01 (CD 5)
Test 3: 0.49 (CD 16)
Test 4: 0.83 (CD 28)

Um, what?  That fourth test was taken two months to the day after the first one.  When the fertility clinic called me with the results, I asked the nurse why my numbers were all over the place when AMH is supposed to have stable results (at least over a short time period).  She said they saw results like mine occasionally but that they couldn't explain it.  She just encouraged us not to wait too long to "try" - ha!

In September I began BBT tracking and clearly ovulated on CD15 (later confirmed by a Progesterone test - this time my result was 14.77, much better than before!).  With a 27 day cycle, this meant my luteal phase was 12 days which is sufficient.  Per BBT tracking, in October, November, and December I ovulated on CD 14 or CD 15, and I got positive OPKs each of those months, too! 

Each month we remained hopeful as each month there was something new to try.  In September I'd been on Metformin for a few months (due to high insulin).  In October we added Synthroid (my TSH was 4.3 which is considered normal according to most labs but should be between 1-2 for TTC).  In November we tried adding Progesterone (mostly because it couldn't hurt and could help if any part of my problem conceiving was related to low progesterone).

In October I also had food sensitivity testing done.  Pre-diet my CRP (a blood test which shows inflammation in your body) was 9.4 when it should have been under one.  Post-diet it was down to 2.9.  Dr. Weight suggested this drastic of a difference in ~14 weeks was likely due to the removal of some food to which I was very sensitive.  The food sensitivity testing seems to have confirmed her suspicion - I am "severely" sensitive to Wheat, Gluten, and Green Peas (none of which I had during my strict diet).  I am also moderately sensitive to nine other things and minimally sensitive to 23 others.  I have worked very hard to remove ALL of these foods from my diet (as internal inflammation could absolutely be a culprit behind infertility) and my CRP test from last week showed I'm down to 0.21!  I find that amazing and it gives me such hope that now I will be able to get pregnant.

That being said, we've now been actively TTC for 14 months without luck.  At this point, I have addressed all health issues which I know to address (though I am in the midst of working with a GI doc who suspects Celiac Disease - I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy scheduled for later this month - and I will also be meeting with an endocrinologist this week so make sure my thyroid is where we need it to be and that it stays there while we TTC and during any achieved pregnancy). 

So, pre-January 1st, I bit the bullet and signed up for the most expensive health care plan my company offers which - thankfully! - provides awesome infertility coverage.  "J" and I have an appointment at a fertility clinic tomorrow and we are ready to do whatever it takes to get pregnant.  Insurance will pay for up to six medicated cycles with IUIs, and up to three IVF cycles.  How amazing is that?!?

I have great faith that with all of those chances SOMETHING will work.

I hope to use this space to chronicle our journey at the fertility clinic.  Wish us luck!