Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Clair, I don't know if this will help you or not, as I don't know your history, but here are the problems I faced. A couple of years before being diagnosed with Graves, I was having miscarriages. They always occurred at about 5-7 weeks. My doctor kept telling me that miscarriages are common and not to worry. Finally, on the fourth miscarriage, I called a new doc who agreed to see me and discovered I had a hormone imbalance. I took Clomid and got pregnant, then took progesterone for a few weeks until the baby implanted well and could produce enough to sustain the pregnancy. My son Collin is now 4 years old. I also have a two year old daughter...an unexpected blessing...and was on progesterone during the first five weeks (if I remember correctly) She turned out to be a difficult pregnancy, but after early labor and stopping it with meds, I delivered a healthy girl. I relate this to you because I know that since being on Tapazole, I have had a lot of hormone related problems that I'm sure would effect pregnancy if I were trying. There are some risks associated with using progesterone, but both my kids are fine and it sustained the pregnancy until the placenta could take over production. : I wish you much luck in conceiving. I know how frustrating and emotionally difficult it is to go down this road. Kristi diagnosed 12/02 Currenlty on 5mg of tap My mess > Well, I had a smashing Christmas. My husband's pregnant cousin > informed us that we are losing our infertility coverage (currently > covers 6IUIs and 3IVFs) as of March 1. So I sat across from a > heavily pregnant woman (61/2 months with twins) and bawled my eyes > out in front of his entire family. After confirming this with DH's > company we discovered there is nothing we can do. And we live in > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > own. My last hope is my works insurance and I am still waiting for > that. > > The good news is that the doctor treating my thyroid is part of both > plans... the new one at my husband's work and my company's. I saw > him the day after Christmas in an attempt to see if I could push > treatment with a fertility specialist. He says I am well enough. So > I am doing that... BUT, in the meantime, I have been doing some > homework. > > None of my doctors would say whether or not Graves could be > responsible for my infertility. My RE has gone as far as to say it > is NOT responsible. And in the next breath he told me he doesn't > work with Graves Disease. So much for his expertise. > > What I have found is that the autoimmune nature of Graves can present > many problems with fertility, including a high risk for miscarriage. > And the other thing it can cause is implantation problems. This > would make sense for me since I have been checked and every other > aspect of my reproductive health seems to be fine. There are also > issues with certain types of antibodies... It's all very new to me so > the information sounds foreign and I need to explore it more. If > someone knows anything about this, please pass the info on to me =) > > In the meantime, I have made an appointment for a consult with the > Sher Institute. They are an infertility clinic and deal with > autoimmune disorders a lot. This is their area of expertise. In > fact, I emailed them for info and within 24 hours I had a response > from 2 doctors. But, if we need treatment, we will have to finance > all of it. We have the $$$ for it in savings, but are terrified > nothing will work so it is our adoption money. > > Wish me luck with this. And if anyone knows anything or has > experience with this, please let me know. I feel like I am walking > around in the dark. > > Thanks & Happy New Year. > > Clair > Diagnosed with Graves 1995 > BRT Remission 1997 > Relapse diagnosed 10/02 > BRT again > 50mg PTU 3x per day > Labwork next week > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > DISCLAIMER > > Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement of > the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Clair, I don't know if this will help you or not, as I don't know your history, but here are the problems I faced. A couple of years before being diagnosed with Graves, I was having miscarriages. They always occurred at about 5-7 weeks. My doctor kept telling me that miscarriages are common and not to worry. Finally, on the fourth miscarriage, I called a new doc who agreed to see me and discovered I had a hormone imbalance. I took Clomid and got pregnant, then took progesterone for a few weeks until the baby implanted well and could produce enough to sustain the pregnancy. My son Collin is now 4 years old. I also have a two year old daughter...an unexpected blessing...and was on progesterone during the first five weeks (if I remember correctly) She turned out to be a difficult pregnancy, but after early labor and stopping it with meds, I delivered a healthy girl. I relate this to you because I know that since being on Tapazole, I have had a lot of hormone related problems that I'm sure would effect pregnancy if I were trying. There are some risks associated with using progesterone, but both my kids are fine and it sustained the pregnancy until the placenta could take over production. : I wish you much luck in conceiving. I know how frustrating and emotionally difficult it is to go down this road. Kristi diagnosed 12/02 Currenlty on 5mg of tap My mess > Well, I had a smashing Christmas. My husband's pregnant cousin > informed us that we are losing our infertility coverage (currently > covers 6IUIs and 3IVFs) as of March 1. So I sat across from a > heavily pregnant woman (61/2 months with twins) and bawled my eyes > out in front of his entire family. After confirming this with DH's > company we discovered there is nothing we can do. And we live in > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > own. My last hope is my works insurance and I am still waiting for > that. > > The good news is that the doctor treating my thyroid is part of both > plans... the new one at my husband's work and my company's. I saw > him the day after Christmas in an attempt to see if I could push > treatment with a fertility specialist. He says I am well enough. So > I am doing that... BUT, in the meantime, I have been doing some > homework. > > None of my doctors would say whether or not Graves could be > responsible for my infertility. My RE has gone as far as to say it > is NOT responsible. And in the next breath he told me he doesn't > work with Graves Disease. So much for his expertise. > > What I have found is that the autoimmune nature of Graves can present > many problems with fertility, including a high risk for miscarriage. > And the other thing it can cause is implantation problems. This > would make sense for me since I have been checked and every other > aspect of my reproductive health seems to be fine. There are also > issues with certain types of antibodies... It's all very new to me so > the information sounds foreign and I need to explore it more. If > someone knows anything about this, please pass the info on to me =) > > In the meantime, I have made an appointment for a consult with the > Sher Institute. They are an infertility clinic and deal with > autoimmune disorders a lot. This is their area of expertise. In > fact, I emailed them for info and within 24 hours I had a response > from 2 doctors. But, if we need treatment, we will have to finance > all of it. We have the $$$ for it in savings, but are terrified > nothing will work so it is our adoption money. > > Wish me luck with this. And if anyone knows anything or has > experience with this, please let me know. I feel like I am walking > around in the dark. > > Thanks & Happy New Year. > > Clair > Diagnosed with Graves 1995 > BRT Remission 1997 > Relapse diagnosed 10/02 > BRT again > 50mg PTU 3x per day > Labwork next week > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > DISCLAIMER > > Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement of > the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hi Clair, Several of the techs I work with have had fertility treatments this year. One who has PCOS got pregnant easily on glucophage and clomid and is doing well, due this spring. I went to a workshop on fertility testing last year and there really is an advantage to being young, which if I recall, you are. That was the number one factor influencing success with fertility treatments. Even without infertility coverage, there are many clinical trials going on that you can benefit from. Three of my friends participated in trials in Denver and two are also now pregnant. For some people, meds are successful, but if you have to have more extensive treatment, you could see about clinical trials and related programs. Best to you, elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hi Clair- Our insurance doesn't cover infertility procedures and we were faced with having to go into debt if we wanted to have another child (we had infertility with our 1st too). This time, after three years of infertility, we tried the 1st IVF following the infertility specialist's protocol. It didn't work and we were heartbroken along with being in debt. He did test me for 2 antiphospholipid antibodies, anticardiolipin and antithyroid antibodies and all were negative. He chose not to treat me for autoimmune disease for that IVF. The rheumatologist felt that there was some kind of autoimmune thing going on due to an inflammation type arthritis in my hands and I had Raynaud's (along with the Graves'). He said that there were at least 2 more APAs I could be tested for to find out. We also found that my son's small placenta was caused from an immune reaction to the chorionic villi. I then wrote to Dr. Alan Beer at Chicago Medical School. He's an immunologist in Chicago that specializes in immune related infertility. He felt that even though my antithyroid antibodies, APA and anticardiolipin abs were negative at that time, I had active autoimmune disease (the arthritis and Raynaud's) and my infertility could certainly be autoimmune related. The testing he proposed would cost almost $4K though and wasn't covered by insurance and I felt that was a waste of money since I already knew I had autoimmune disease and they don't know much about it yet especially pertaining to infertility. So, this time I changed my fertility drugs (my problems are multifactorial and the infertility specialist had me on a cookiecutter protocol-I also have PCOS and have been on Glucophage for a couple of years). I ordered most of the drugs from France (which saved me over $1K). I went on a baby aspirin a day plus Medrol (a steroid to tamp down on any immune responses). And started progesterone. I didn't have much hope of it working because they've never been able to find anything really wrong enough with me to explain the infertility I've had which has lasted 10 years (FSH is low, PCOS is mild, etc...). Whatever happened (we prayed a lot for guidance this time too) it worked. All 12 eggs they retrieved fertilized and were of good quality (the previous time, out of 12 retrieved, 3 fertilized and were of poor quality). The fertility specialist had never had 100% fertilization rate before. I went off progesterone at 13 weeks, Glucophage at 20 weeks and baby aspirin yesterday. The perinatalogist is keeping me on steroids until after the babies are safely born but I did slowly wean down from 16 mg to 8 mg and that's where I'm at now. If this cycle wouldn't have worked, we would have gone to an L.A.clinic for infertility (I already had an appt-we're in Fresno, CA) and I would have gone on to IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulins). We didn't want to try IVIG just yet because studies are mixed and it's very expensive. But, if this time didn't work, the trip to L.A. would've been our last try and we didn't want to wonder if we had done everything we could. One other thing I did do this time was to reduce all stress since it's a known cause of autoimmune disease. I have a sister that told me that what I was going through wasn't that bad (that was right after I miscarried last year) and I didn't need any more children anyways. And I saw a therapist during that time because I had a hard time telling my sister that I wouldn't be talking to her until after the babies were born. My husband was incredibly supportive at this decision and that was very helpful. Both my husband and I aren't sorry at all that we had to go into debt to have these babies. The only thing I wish we had done differently is go to a good fertility clinic from the beginning. They would have treated me for autoimmune disease at the outset. They offer plans that can be financed and are more affordable (for instance for a certain amount they'll offer 3 IVFs with a pregnancy guarantee-if they take you as a patient- instead of only 1 with no guarantees). And if they can't get you pregnant, they refund almost all of your money to you (although you'll be out for the fertility drugs too). Even though you'd be out some money, it wouldn't be near the amount that an entire unsuccessful IVF costs. I'm hoping that the Sher Institute that you mentioned offers a similar plan. I'm very glad you're getting rid of the RE that says Graves and infertility aren't related. Not only do you have to worry about thyroid hormone levels that are out of whack (thankfully, for some, that is the only cause of their infertility) but often autoantibodies associated with infertility are found along with antithyroid antibodies which complicate infertility. So if someone is misfortunate enough to have this, just treating the out of whack thyroid hormone levels will not help them. Good luck and take care, dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24) > Well, I had a smashing Christmas. My husband's pregnant cousin > informed us that we are losing our infertility coverage (currently > covers 6IUIs and 3IVFs) as of March 1. So I sat across from a > heavily pregnant woman (61/2 months with twins) and bawled my eyes > out in front of his entire family. After confirming this with DH's > company we discovered there is nothing we can do. And we live in > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > own. My last hope is my works insurance and I am still waiting for > that. > > The good news is that the doctor treating my thyroid is part of both > plans... the new one at my husband's work and my company's. I saw > him the day after Christmas in an attempt to see if I could push > treatment with a fertility specialist. He says I am well enough. So > I am doing that... BUT, in the meantime, I have been doing some > homework. > > None of my doctors would say whether or not Graves could be > responsible for my infertility. My RE has gone as far as to say it > is NOT responsible. And in the next breath he told me he doesn't > work with Graves Disease. So much for his expertise. > > What I have found is that the autoimmune nature of Graves can present > many problems with fertility, including a high risk for miscarriage. > And the other thing it can cause is implantation problems. This > would make sense for me since I have been checked and every other > aspect of my reproductive health seems to be fine. There are also > issues with certain types of antibodies... It's all very new to me so > the information sounds foreign and I need to explore it more. If > someone knows anything about this, please pass the info on to me =) > > In the meantime, I have made an appointment for a consult with the > Sher Institute. They are an infertility clinic and deal with > autoimmune disorders a lot. This is their area of expertise. In > fact, I emailed them for info and within 24 hours I had a response > from 2 doctors. But, if we need treatment, we will have to finance > all of it. We have the $$$ for it in savings, but are terrified > nothing will work so it is our adoption money. > > Wish me luck with this. And if anyone knows anything or has > experience with this, please let me know. I feel like I am walking > around in the dark. > > Thanks & Happy New Year. > > Clair > Diagnosed with Graves 1995 > BRT Remission 1997 > Relapse diagnosed 10/02 > BRT again > 50mg PTU 3x per day > Labwork next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Elaine is right about this. The younger you are the better it is for you. The older you are, the higher your FSH is in relation to your past levels. There are individual variations between women that affect this (for example an older woman can have lower FSH levels than a younger woman but that older woman had even lower FSH levels herself earlier) but, for every woman, the rule is the younger the better. So the most important thing is your FSH levels. If they are low (which usually go along with being young) your chances of success are much better. For example, a 38 year old woman with a day 3 FSH level of 5.0 is much more likely to have a successful cycle than a 32 year old with a day 3 FSH of 10. BUT- a 32 year old woman, in general, is more likely to have lower FSH levels than the older woman. Many fertility clinics won't accept patients with FSHs of 10 or above (those are the ones that offer the plans I was telling you about). Usually though, a higher FSH goes along with being older (FSH rises in an attempt to stimulate egg maturation in eggs that are no longer as viable) and is something that you probably wouldn't have to worry about since you are so young. A good fertility clinic will evaluate you for that. And, to my knowledge, FSH (which is usually always correlated to age) is the major factor that influences whether a clinic will accept or reject you. They accept patients with immune factors. Take care, dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24) > I went to a workshop on fertility testing last year and there really is an > advantage to being young, which if I recall, you are. That was the number one > factor influencing success with fertility treatments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Elaine is right about this. The younger you are the better it is for you. The older you are, the higher your FSH is in relation to your past levels. There are individual variations between women that affect this (for example an older woman can have lower FSH levels than a younger woman but that older woman had even lower FSH levels herself earlier) but, for every woman, the rule is the younger the better. So the most important thing is your FSH levels. If they are low (which usually go along with being young) your chances of success are much better. For example, a 38 year old woman with a day 3 FSH level of 5.0 is much more likely to have a successful cycle than a 32 year old with a day 3 FSH of 10. BUT- a 32 year old woman, in general, is more likely to have lower FSH levels than the older woman. Many fertility clinics won't accept patients with FSHs of 10 or above (those are the ones that offer the plans I was telling you about). Usually though, a higher FSH goes along with being older (FSH rises in an attempt to stimulate egg maturation in eggs that are no longer as viable) and is something that you probably wouldn't have to worry about since you are so young. A good fertility clinic will evaluate you for that. And, to my knowledge, FSH (which is usually always correlated to age) is the major factor that influences whether a clinic will accept or reject you. They accept patients with immune factors. Take care, dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24) > I went to a workshop on fertility testing last year and there really is an > advantage to being young, which if I recall, you are. That was the number one > factor influencing success with fertility treatments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2003 Report Share Posted January 1, 2003 In a message dated 12/31/2002 9:31:19 AM Pacific Standard Time, cas9738@... writes: > And we live in > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > own. Hi Clair, I'm so sorry to hear about your losing your infertility coverage. And what a terrible way you had to find out about it! There may be a way you can buy coverage on your own. A " group " can consist of as few as a single person. A few years ago, after realizing his company was on the verge of going out of business, my husband decided to start his own company. He obtained a business license, then we bought a group insurance policy that covered the two of us. It was a basic policy with no bells and whistles, but provided excellent coverage and was quite inexpensive--I believe it was around $100/month for us both. Many insurance companies offer such policies, we used Alden, a division of Time Fortis. I would think that if CA requires insurance companies to offer infertility coverage to groups, your group of two would have to be afforded the same provision. It's worth a shot anyway. Good luck, Tori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. I hate this. Thanks for the info, though. Clair Diagnosed with Graves 1995 BRT Remission 1997 Relapse diagnosed 10/02 BRT again 50mg PTU 3x per day Labwork next week > Clair, > I don't know if this will help you or not, as I don't know your history, but > here are the problems I faced. > A couple of years before being diagnosed with Graves, I was having > miscarriages. They always occurred at about 5-7 weeks. My doctor kept > telling me that miscarriages are common and not to worry. Finally, on the > fourth miscarriage, I called a new doc who agreed to see me and discovered I > had a hormone imbalance. I took Clomid and got pregnant, then took > progesterone for a few weeks until the baby implanted well and could produce > enough to sustain the pregnancy. My son Collin is now 4 years old. I also > have a two year old daughter...an unexpected blessing...and was on > progesterone during the first five weeks (if I remember correctly) She > turned out to be a difficult pregnancy, but after early labor and stopping > it with meds, I delivered a healthy girl. > I relate this to you because I know that since being on Tapazole, I have had > a lot of hormone related problems that I'm sure would effect pregnancy if I > were trying. There are some risks associated with using progesterone, but > both my kids are fine and it sustained the pregnancy until the placenta > could take over production. : I wish you much luck in conceiving. I > know how frustrating and emotionally difficult it is to go down this road. > Kristi > diagnosed 12/02 > Currenlty on 5mg of tap > > > My mess > > > > Well, I had a smashing Christmas. My husband's pregnant cousin > > informed us that we are losing our infertility coverage (currently > > covers 6IUIs and 3IVFs) as of March 1. So I sat across from a > > heavily pregnant woman (61/2 months with twins) and bawled my eyes > > out in front of his entire family. After confirming this with DH's > > company we discovered there is nothing we can do. And we live in > > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > > own. My last hope is my works insurance and I am still waiting for > > that. > > > > The good news is that the doctor treating my thyroid is part of both > > plans... the new one at my husband's work and my company's. I saw > > him the day after Christmas in an attempt to see if I could push > > treatment with a fertility specialist. He says I am well enough. So > > I am doing that... BUT, in the meantime, I have been doing some > > homework. > > > > None of my doctors would say whether or not Graves could be > > responsible for my infertility. My RE has gone as far as to say it > > is NOT responsible. And in the next breath he told me he doesn't > > work with Graves Disease. So much for his expertise. > > > > What I have found is that the autoimmune nature of Graves can present > > many problems with fertility, including a high risk for miscarriage. > > And the other thing it can cause is implantation problems. This > > would make sense for me since I have been checked and every other > > aspect of my reproductive health seems to be fine. There are also > > issues with certain types of antibodies... It's all very new to me so > > the information sounds foreign and I need to explore it more. If > > someone knows anything about this, please pass the info on to me =) > > > > In the meantime, I have made an appointment for a consult with the > > Sher Institute. They are an infertility clinic and deal with > > autoimmune disorders a lot. This is their area of expertise. In > > fact, I emailed them for info and within 24 hours I had a response > > from 2 doctors. But, if we need treatment, we will have to finance > > all of it. We have the $$$ for it in savings, but are terrified > > nothing will work so it is our adoption money. > > > > Wish me luck with this. And if anyone knows anything or has > > experience with this, please let me know. I feel like I am walking > > around in the dark. > > > > Thanks & Happy New Year. > > > > Clair > > Diagnosed with Graves 1995 > > BRT Remission 1997 > > Relapse diagnosed 10/02 > > BRT again > > 50mg PTU 3x per day > > Labwork next week > > > > > > ------------------------------------- > > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not > intended to replace expert medical care. > > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > > ---------------------------------------- > > DISCLAIMER > > > > Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement > of > > the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- > ------------ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thank you . That helped VERY much. Actually, the Sher Institute came recommended to me by the girl you sent me to (Kitty). But I checked into Dr. Beer too. He seems pretty popular =) I chose Sher because they are right here in LA (I am just outside LA) and because I got great response from the doctors after my inquiry. I am in the process of setting up a consultation. Hopefully what we can do is get all the testing done before we lose our insurance (March 1). I can also get the tests he recommends and bring them to my PCP. Since they are autoimmune tests and not fertility tests per se, if my regular doctor is doing them (and he will), insurance should cover them regardless. Sher does offer the financing you speak of. They have 3 IVFs for $14K. At my age (26), I get a 90% refund if one of those IVFs does not result in a LIVE BIRTH (very important since I had a stillborn daughter... though it was pure medical negliegence that caused her death, I know the risk exists... plus with such high miscarriage rates, I would hate to pay $14K only to miscarry). Of course, I need to go more into detail about this. And if this is the case, we MAY use our adoption money instead of financing. If we are guarenteed our own biological child, we won't need to adopt. And if the treatments fail, we get a refund. There is a lot to think about. Thankfully Graves is the only illness I display and otherwise I appear to be in good health. I am young, fit & have carried a baby to term. All things work in my favor. I hope you don't mind if I come to you with more questions as we proceed with this. Considering that we may have to pay for this out of pocket, we will likely wait a tad longer so I can hopefully be euthyroid when we start (I am still hyper, but borderline normal... TSH has not risen yet, though). Thanks so much for the information, again. Hopefully 2003 will be the year I bring a child home and regain my health!! Clair Diagnosed with Graves 1995 BRT Remission 1997 Relapse diagnosed 10/02 BRT again 50mg PTU 3x per day Labwork next week > Hi Clair- > > Our insurance doesn't cover infertility procedures and we were faced with > having to go into debt if we wanted to have another child (we had > infertility with our 1st too). > > This time, after three years of infertility, we tried the 1st IVF following > the infertility specialist's protocol. It didn't work and we were > heartbroken along with being in debt. He did test me for 2 antiphospholipid > antibodies, anticardiolipin and antithyroid antibodies and all were > negative. He chose not to treat me for autoimmune disease for that IVF. > The rheumatologist felt that there was some kind of autoimmune thing going > on due to an inflammation type arthritis in my hands and I had Raynaud's > (along with the Graves'). He said that there were at least 2 more APAs I > could be tested for to find out. We also found that my son's small placenta > was caused from an immune reaction to the chorionic villi. > > I then wrote to Dr. Alan Beer at Chicago Medical School. He's an > immunologist in Chicago that specializes in immune related infertility. He > felt that even though my antithyroid antibodies, APA and anticardiolipin abs > were negative at that time, I had active autoimmune disease (the arthritis > and Raynaud's) and my infertility could certainly be autoimmune related. > The testing he proposed would cost almost $4K though and wasn't covered by > insurance and I felt that was a waste of money since I already knew I had > autoimmune disease and they don't know much about it yet especially > pertaining to infertility. > > So, this time I changed my fertility drugs (my problems are multifactorial > and the infertility specialist had me on a cookiecutter protocol-I also have > PCOS and have been on Glucophage for a couple of years). I ordered most of > the drugs from France (which saved me over $1K). I went on a baby aspirin a > day plus Medrol (a steroid to tamp down on any immune responses). And > started progesterone. I didn't have much hope of it working because they've > never been able to find anything really wrong enough with me to explain the > infertility I've had which has lasted 10 years (FSH is low, PCOS is mild, > etc...). Whatever happened (we prayed a lot for guidance this time too) it > worked. All 12 eggs they retrieved fertilized and were of good quality (the > previous time, out of 12 retrieved, 3 fertilized and were of poor quality). > The fertility specialist had never had 100% fertilization rate before. > > I went off progesterone at 13 weeks, Glucophage at 20 weeks and baby aspirin > yesterday. The perinatalogist is keeping me on steroids until after the > babies are safely born but I did slowly wean down from 16 mg to 8 mg and > that's where I'm at now. > > If this cycle wouldn't have worked, we would have gone to an L.A.clinic for > infertility (I already had an appt-we're in Fresno, CA) and I would have > gone on to IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulins). We didn't want to try IVIG > just yet because studies are mixed and it's very expensive. But, if this > time didn't work, the trip to L.A. would've been our last try and we didn't > want to wonder if we had done everything we could. > > One other thing I did do this time was to reduce all stress since it's a > known cause of autoimmune disease. I have a sister that told me that what I > was going through wasn't that bad (that was right after I miscarried last > year) and I didn't need any more children anyways. And I saw a therapist > during that time because I had a hard time telling my sister that I wouldn't > be talking to her until after the babies were born. My husband was > incredibly supportive at this decision and that was very helpful. > > Both my husband and I aren't sorry at all that we had to go into debt to > have these babies. The only thing I wish we had done differently is go to a > good fertility clinic from the beginning. They would have treated me for > autoimmune disease at the outset. They offer plans that can be financed and > are more affordable (for instance for a certain amount they'll offer 3 IVFs > with a pregnancy guarantee-if they take you as a patient- instead of only 1 > with no guarantees). And if they can't get you pregnant, they refund almost > all of your money to you (although you'll be out for the fertility drugs > too). Even though you'd be out some money, it wouldn't be near the amount > that an entire unsuccessful IVF costs. > > I'm hoping that the Sher Institute that you mentioned offers a similar plan. > I'm very glad you're getting rid of the RE that says Graves and infertility > aren't related. Not only do you have to worry about thyroid hormone levels > that are out of whack (thankfully, for some, that is the only cause of their > infertility) but often autoantibodies associated with infertility are found > along with antithyroid antibodies which complicate infertility. So if > someone is misfortunate enough to have this, just treating the out of whack > thyroid hormone levels will not help them. > > Good luck and take care, > > > dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24) > > > > > > Well, I had a smashing Christmas. My husband's pregnant cousin > > informed us that we are losing our infertility coverage (currently > > covers 6IUIs and 3IVFs) as of March 1. So I sat across from a > > heavily pregnant woman (61/2 months with twins) and bawled my eyes > > out in front of his entire family. After confirming this with DH's > > company we discovered there is nothing we can do. And we live in > > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > > own. My last hope is my works insurance and I am still waiting for > > that. > > > > The good news is that the doctor treating my thyroid is part of both > > plans... the new one at my husband's work and my company's. I saw > > him the day after Christmas in an attempt to see if I could push > > treatment with a fertility specialist. He says I am well enough. So > > I am doing that... BUT, in the meantime, I have been doing some > > homework. > > > > None of my doctors would say whether or not Graves could be > > responsible for my infertility. My RE has gone as far as to say it > > is NOT responsible. And in the next breath he told me he doesn't > > work with Graves Disease. So much for his expertise. > > > > What I have found is that the autoimmune nature of Graves can present > > many problems with fertility, including a high risk for miscarriage. > > And the other thing it can cause is implantation problems. This > > would make sense for me since I have been checked and every other > > aspect of my reproductive health seems to be fine. There are also > > issues with certain types of antibodies... It's all very new to me so > > the information sounds foreign and I need to explore it more. If > > someone knows anything about this, please pass the info on to me =) > > > > In the meantime, I have made an appointment for a consult with the > > Sher Institute. They are an infertility clinic and deal with > > autoimmune disorders a lot. This is their area of expertise. In > > fact, I emailed them for info and within 24 hours I had a response > > from 2 doctors. But, if we need treatment, we will have to finance > > all of it. We have the $$$ for it in savings, but are terrified > > nothing will work so it is our adoption money. > > > > Wish me luck with this. And if anyone knows anything or has > > experience with this, please let me know. I feel like I am walking > > around in the dark. > > > > Thanks & Happy New Year. > > > > Clair > > Diagnosed with Graves 1995 > > BRT Remission 1997 > > Relapse diagnosed 10/02 > > BRT again > > 50mg PTU 3x per day > > Labwork next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thanks . I have normal FSH levels for my age... My eggs are good quality. It helps when you guys remind me of the good things I have in my favor. Graves really threw me for a loop... I feel like I wasted these last 2 years which have been filled with extreme frustration and disappointment and sorrow over the trouble we've had conceiving. My therapist tells me my diagnosis was a good thing because at least we have somewhere to start... I am just praying that Graves is not indicative of further immunilogical problems. And even if it is, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there... Thanks again for all your help. Clair > Elaine is right about this. The younger you are the better it is for you. > The older you are, the higher your FSH is in relation to your past levels. > There are individual variations between women that affect this (for example > an older woman can have lower FSH levels than a younger woman but that older > woman had even lower FSH levels herself earlier) but, for every woman, the > rule is the younger the better. > > So the most important thing is your FSH levels. If they are low (which > usually go along with being young) your chances of success are much better. > For example, a 38 year old woman with a day 3 FSH level of 5.0 is much more > likely to have a successful cycle than a 32 year old with a day 3 FSH of 10. > BUT- a 32 year old woman, in general, is more likely to have lower FSH > levels than the older woman. Many fertility clinics won't accept patients > with FSHs of 10 or above (those are the ones that offer the plans I was > telling you about). > > Usually though, a higher FSH goes along with being older (FSH rises in an > attempt to stimulate egg maturation in eggs that are no longer as viable) > and is something that you probably wouldn't have to worry about since you > are so young. A good fertility clinic will evaluate you for that. And, to > my knowledge, FSH (which is usually always correlated to age) is the major > factor that influences whether a clinic will accept or reject you. They > accept patients with immune factors. > > Take care, > > > dx & RAI 1987 (at age 24) > > > I went to a workshop on fertility testing last year and there really is an > > advantage to being young, which if I recall, you are. That was the number > one > > factor influencing success with fertility treatments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thanks so much Tori!! That's great to know. From what I've read, the CA law does not specify what a " group " is. So I'm wondering if we could get a business license and never have a business. We don't really want to go into business for ourselves, but I have no problem getting a license.. Thanks for the suggestion!! Clair > In a message dated 12/31/2002 9:31:19 AM Pacific Standard Time, > cas9738@h... writes: > > > And we live in > > California... Our only mandate is that insurance companies offer > > infertility coverage to GROUPS. So I can't even buy coverage on my > > own. > > Hi Clair, > > I'm so sorry to hear about your losing your infertility coverage. And what a > terrible way you had to find out about it! > > There may be a way you can buy coverage on your own. A " group " can consist > of as few as a single person. A few years ago, after realizing his company > was on the verge of going out of business, my husband decided to start his > own company. He obtained a business license, then we bought a group > insurance policy that covered the two of us. It was a basic policy with no > bells and whistles, but provided excellent coverage and was quite > inexpensive--I believe it was around $100/month for us both. Many insurance > companies offer such policies, we used Alden, a division of Time Fortis. > I would think that if CA requires insurance companies to offer infertility > coverage to groups, your group of two would have to be afforded the same > provision. It's worth a shot anyway. > > Good luck, > Tori > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:40:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, cas9738@... writes: > Thanks so much Tori!! That's great to know. From what I've read, > the CA law does not specify what a " group " is. So I'm wondering if > we could get a business license and never have a business. We don't > really want to go into business for ourselves, but I have no problem > getting a license.. > Hi Claire, The insurance company can't judge your intent as far as your " business " is concerned, though I wouldn't advertise that you don't really want to go into business for yourself. We lived in Reno, NV when we had our group policy and were told by the insurance agent that the rules dictating what constitutes a legitimate business are very loose and if we didn't show a profit after 2 years, the insurance company might ask for proof of business activity. Although my husband intended the business to succeed, he decided to take a job elsewhere within 6 months of starting it. So, we were never asked to prove ourselves to the insurance company. It doesn't have to be an extravagant setup--you can use your home address and who knows, it may grow into a thriving little business ;-) Take care, Tori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:40:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, cas9738@... writes: > Thanks so much Tori!! That's great to know. From what I've read, > the CA law does not specify what a " group " is. So I'm wondering if > we could get a business license and never have a business. We don't > really want to go into business for ourselves, but I have no problem > getting a license.. > Hi Claire, The insurance company can't judge your intent as far as your " business " is concerned, though I wouldn't advertise that you don't really want to go into business for yourself. We lived in Reno, NV when we had our group policy and were told by the insurance agent that the rules dictating what constitutes a legitimate business are very loose and if we didn't show a profit after 2 years, the insurance company might ask for proof of business activity. Although my husband intended the business to succeed, he decided to take a job elsewhere within 6 months of starting it. So, we were never asked to prove ourselves to the insurance company. It doesn't have to be an extravagant setup--you can use your home address and who knows, it may grow into a thriving little business ;-) Take care, Tori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, cas9738@... writes: > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > Hi Clair, I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, there is hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, cas9738@... writes: > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > Hi Clair, I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, there is hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 and Clair, Absolutely don't lose hope! Although it doesn't sound like you are. My sister Leah developed endometriosis when she was a young teenager and was told by more than one doctor that she would never have children. She had laproscopic surgery several times to remove the lesions. Anyway, she now has baby Jack, one year old! You never know what's going to happen! I wish you all the luck in the world Clair. Have you been under a lot of stress in the past few years? Because I think that can also contribute to fertility problems. Kristi Re: Re: My mess > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > cas9738@... writes: > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > Hi Clair, > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > there is hope! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 and Clair, Absolutely don't lose hope! Although it doesn't sound like you are. My sister Leah developed endometriosis when she was a young teenager and was told by more than one doctor that she would never have children. She had laproscopic surgery several times to remove the lesions. Anyway, she now has baby Jack, one year old! You never know what's going to happen! I wish you all the luck in the world Clair. Have you been under a lot of stress in the past few years? Because I think that can also contribute to fertility problems. Kristi Re: Re: My mess > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > cas9738@... writes: > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > Hi Clair, > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > there is hope! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 I've done this procedure twice. We used a low level fertility drug (Clomid) and I produced 3 eggs both times. Neither worked. It is cheaper... about $1000 compared with IVFs $10,000. But the success rates are much lower. However, we never used injectible meds and those are supposed to be the " good " ones. And I was hyper through all of it... Thanks again. Clair > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > cas9738@h... writes: > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > Hi Clair, > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > there is hope! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 I've done this procedure twice. We used a low level fertility drug (Clomid) and I produced 3 eggs both times. Neither worked. It is cheaper... about $1000 compared with IVFs $10,000. But the success rates are much lower. However, we never used injectible meds and those are supposed to be the " good " ones. And I was hyper through all of it... Thanks again. Clair > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > cas9738@h... writes: > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > Hi Clair, > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and her > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would undergo > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a much > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. Also, > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > there is hope! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Insane amounts of stress... We lost our full term baby girl in December 2000 due to a doctor's error. That in and of itself is enough to leave me stressed for the rest of my life. But we also sued the doctor (and won) and the law suit went on until this July. Couple that will all of the infertility... And then add my undiagnosed Graves.... And then add my natural affinity for anxiety and stress and you have a basketcase. I am working on it, though. But how do you work on stress like that... Besides, usually stress affects ovulation. I ovulate. Every month. On time. Sometimes I wish I didn't (knock on wood) so the solution to this might be more obvious... Clair > and Clair, > Absolutely don't lose hope! Although it doesn't sound like you are. My > sister Leah developed endometriosis when she was a young teenager and was > told by more than one doctor that she would never have children. She had > laproscopic surgery several times to remove the lesions. Anyway, she now > has baby Jack, one year old! You never know what's going to happen! I wish > you all the luck in the world Clair. Have you been under a lot of stress in > the past few years? Because I think that can also contribute to fertility > problems. > Kristi > Re: Re: My mess > > > > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > > cas9738@h... writes: > > > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > > > > Hi Clair, > > > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and > her > > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would > undergo > > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a > much > > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. > Also, > > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > > there is hope! > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Insane amounts of stress... We lost our full term baby girl in December 2000 due to a doctor's error. That in and of itself is enough to leave me stressed for the rest of my life. But we also sued the doctor (and won) and the law suit went on until this July. Couple that will all of the infertility... And then add my undiagnosed Graves.... And then add my natural affinity for anxiety and stress and you have a basketcase. I am working on it, though. But how do you work on stress like that... Besides, usually stress affects ovulation. I ovulate. Every month. On time. Sometimes I wish I didn't (knock on wood) so the solution to this might be more obvious... Clair > and Clair, > Absolutely don't lose hope! Although it doesn't sound like you are. My > sister Leah developed endometriosis when she was a young teenager and was > told by more than one doctor that she would never have children. She had > laproscopic surgery several times to remove the lesions. Anyway, she now > has baby Jack, one year old! You never know what's going to happen! I wish > you all the luck in the world Clair. Have you been under a lot of stress in > the past few years? Because I think that can also contribute to fertility > problems. > Kristi > Re: Re: My mess > > > > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > > cas9738@h... writes: > > > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility testing > > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back normal. > > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I have > > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am at an > > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never register > > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be the > > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > > > > Hi Clair, > > > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might not make > > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good friend of > > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! She and > her > > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on every > > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs that > > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know specifics > > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her doctor > > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an acceptable > > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she would > undergo > > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this was a > much > > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second attempt. > Also, > > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't give up, > > there is hope! > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2003 Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 OK, well, that was a stupid question...sorry! Of course you told us about your daughter. I'm so sorry. I know the loss of a child is just unbearable. Re: Re: My mess > > > > > > > In a message dated 1/2/2003 9:41:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, > > > cas9738@h... writes: > > > > > > > Thanks for the info Kristi. I've done all the infertility > testing > > > > (advanced autoimmune stuff aside) and everything comes back > normal. > > > > I've had the progesterone test done and that is fine, too. I > have > > > > regular cycles and I have confirmed ovulation. Basically I look > > > > fertile, but can't seem to get pregnant. I've only had one > > > > miscarriage last February and it was VERY early on... So I am > at an > > > > utter loss. The only thing that makes sense is an implantation > > > > problem. Because then I would technically become pregnant, but > > > > because the embryo cannot implant, the pregnancy would never > register > > > > and the embryo would be expelled. Not that I want this to be > the > > > > problem. But the other option is that nothing's wrong... And if > > > > nothing is wrong, where do we begin to find help. > > > > > > > > > > Hi Clair, > > > > > > I'm ignorant of infertility treatments, so what I'm saying might > not make > > > much sense. Your situation sounds exactly like that of a good > friend of > > > mine, who is now happily pregnant and due to deliver this month! > She and > > her > > > husband tried for years without success despite testing normal on > every > > > fertility test they took. What finally worked for her were drugs > that > > > increased the number of follicles (this is the part I don't know > specifics > > > on, I'm just recanting what I remember her saying about it). Her > doctor > > > would check to see how many follicles she had and if it were an > acceptable > > > number (3 or fewer to prevent having a litter of babies), she > would > > undergo > > > artificial insemination using her husband's sperm. I think this > was a > > much > > > less costly option than IVF and she conceived on the second > attempt. > > Also, > > > she is in her late thirties and was utterly desperate, so don't > give up, > > > there is hope! > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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