O-vary Important

So what's so very important about your ovaries? Well, a lot actually. This almond-sized organ is the home to our eggs, and without these o-vary important organs, you've got yourself a problem. Good news is that mine are finally working with a little help from modern medicine. I can only imagine the turmoil and pain I would have endured had I been facing this thirty years ago. Now that we've got all my eggs in a basket- pun intended - I now get to hopefully experience the miracle of life. In fact, did you know that a human egg is visible to the eye, but it is only the size of a period. Yep that's right, we all began as >.<this big! When the sperm and egg meet, it is the size of a poppy seed. Um, have you seen a poppy seed? Those things are insanely tiny! Hard to believe we came from that! 

Sometimes I want to brag about my ovaries finally doing what they are supposed to, but then I think about the fact that it's not really that special since most women do it from the age of 12 to 50. Although, I can brag in the fact that I understand how it works and where it comes from. I know a heck of a lot more about my reproduction organs than anyone without a doctorate should know! ;-)

Super Swimmers

Part of the PCOS and infertility treatment plan is to have the male partner have a semen analysis. I'm not sure what it is about boys, but they sure have some issues with getting tests done. I have to spread it wide and have my doctor poke and prod at my hoo-haa, so why can't he just put his sample in a cup and be done with it? lol So anyways, after months of bugging him to do the test, we finally got the analysis done. I was terrified that we are spending all this time and money on treatments for me only to realize he had his own set of problems as well. Good news is that he has super swimmers! The doctor said that his results were exactly where they should be and an ideal example of what someone would want. I was relieved to say the least. I came home and told my husband to which he responded, I knew it!

Everything seems to be falling in place. I am still doing preliminary work, but it looks like we're going to be in the clinical trial! We are looking for work closer to family- although I will be bummed to be further away from Mama J. I guess all the more reason for weekend trips! I am hoping that this is exactly what Baby Bear needed to find his way into the world.

Misdiagnosis

Sorry for being MIA again... what a busy busy week! I guess tornadoes will do that to you! ;-) Today I was reading up on PCOS again, and I saw an article with this information in it: "Other signs of PCOS include acne, high blood pressure, obesity, and abnormal facial and body hair growth (due to too much testosterone). One of the less recognizable symptoms of PCOS is depression, which can be misread as a bipolar illness."

 When I was 15 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.... not a commonly known fact because of the next statement. I honestly think I was misdiagnosed, and the article above helps me confirm that. Every other symptom of PCOS that I have seems to be another misdiagnosis as well. I remember my doctor giving me a terrible time about my insulin levels and weight gain, but he failed to notice that it was because I have PCOS. My current doctor seemed to think that my high blood pressure was just outrageous, but again, he failed to notice that it is also a symptom of PCOS. Now, I hate to point the finger, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that all these things I've been given a hard time about at the doctor's isn't my fault after all. Sometimes I wonder if I should have been a doctor because at this point, the internet seems to know more information than my doctors did.

On a side note, I have been looking into participating in some PCOS medical trials. I found one that is at the University of Michigan, and they actually pay for all your testing and fertility treatments. I figure it benefits me because I already would have been doing this stuff anyways, and it benefits all of us by giving us medical information and understanding of the process.  

Missing Pieces

Well, it's been awhile since I have written a blog. I just haven't had much to say- I've been busy with school, work, and a little thing called life. :-) I did stumble upon a fact that I thought was worth sharing. For many years I was told that not having a period was fine. As long as I wasn't trying to have a child, there was no reason for me to have one. WRONG! Apparently, if your uterine lining doesn't shed, your chances for uterine cancer increase significantly. Um, thanks for the memo doc! All I have to say is thank goodness we started trying because I would have gone years without a period if we weren't. I can also remember a doctor telling me that PCOS will make the process harder but to just keep trying to have a baby. Um, what's the point in trying if you know there's a missing piece to the puzzle? That's like me trying to put something together without all the pieces... don't worry, I know you don't have all the pieces, but just keep trying. I remember telling my current doctor that I was told that, and he laughed and said well then I guess it's a good thing you came here. 

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! I'm going to be enjoying a barbecue and swimming with my family! Yay!!

Family Act

Every day someone faces the pain of infertility. While the most significant pain is in the heart, it can be felt in other places. One that seems to impact many is to the pocketbook. I can't even begin to tell you how much money we have spent over the last year on infertility. Whether it is insurance deductibles, things that aren't covered by insurance, pregnancy and ovulation tests, natural treatments.... we feel the burn every time. If I could have one wish other than being blessed with a little one, it would be that insurance is required to cover fertility treatments for people with a medical issue causing issues with conceiving. That's why I sent a letter to our state senators requesting that the Family Act of 2011 be supported by them.

Here are some features of the act:

• The Family Act covers the out-of-pocket costs associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) including diagnostic tests, laboratory charges, professional charges, and medications for IVF.
• The Family Act covers the out-of-pocket costs of fertility preservation procedures if the man or woman is diagnosed with cancer and the cancer treatment or disease itself may result in infertility.
• The Family Act has a cost sharing provision allowing 50% of all applicable medical expenses to be  covered up to a lifetime maximum of $13,360. You would need to have out-of-pocket costs totaling $26,720 to claim the entire credit in your lifetime.
• If you do not owe taxes in a particular year, do not owe enough taxes to use the whole credit, or do not reach the max amount in one tax year, it carries over to the next year for a max of five years after the first year you use the credit. 
• The Family Act is available to couples filing jointly with adjusted gross incomes of less than $222,520, but the credit is smaller for those earning between $182,500 and $222,520.

If you're interested in learning more or sending your own email request for support, look at this link.

History Lesson

I thought I'd give a little background to how PCOS came into my life, and at what point it took it over. Back when I first started my periods, they were just awful! Painful, heavy, and downright crazy. I just figured I was blessed with a mess and dealt with it. Later on, I went to the hospital for kidney stones. While I was there, they did a CAT scan, and in addition to the kidney stones, they found cysts on my ovaries and an issue with my back which is a whole new story. lol

The emergency room referred me to my family doctor to follow up. My doctor sent me in for an ultrasound to find out if the cysts were causing any issues. The technician spent forever and a day taking a ton of pictures, and she even when to get another technician to look as well. When I got the results, they said I had a lot of cysts, and some of them were bursting. All the fluid is what the tech was so concerned about. The doctor put me on birth control pill, and I went on my way. After that, my periods were extremely light, and I was absolutely delighted.

Fast forward to the summer after I graduated from high school. I am not sure why, but I hated taking the sugar pills for birth control. I guess now I know why they have you take them... because I totally forgot to start taking the pill after my week off. Since I wasn't sexually active, I wasn't concerned. I waited, and waited, and waited- but no period came. About 18 months later with still no period, I finally decided that I should get it looked into. I was young and totally loving no period, and at the time, I was happy about it. I went to the doctor, and he prescribed me pills to start my cycle and more birth control. I went about a year on this with no real issues and a regular cycle.

All the sudden I started having issues again. Random bleeding at weird times, painful cramps, a lot of concerns that bothered me a heck of a lot more than not having a period at all. At this point, I was with living with my husband, and we agreed I should get it taken care of. I went to the doctor, had a bunch of bloodwork done, and got an ultrasound. The results came in, and the doctor said that since nothing else was coming up, it must be PCOS. Um, what are you PCOS whisperer? You are just guessing that since you can't figure it out? Needless to say, I was annoyed and just wanted to be done with it all. She changed my birth control pill, and things started getting better again.

Finally, go to about two months after I married my husband. I had been off the pill with a couple normal cycles, but it was like a switch went off to make my cycles wonky as soon as we started trying to have a baby. I decided to look for a new doctor, and found a male doctor who was quick to get me in. We had another ultrasound, and we went over all my symptoms. It was then that I finally got an official diagnosis of PCOS without anyone just "guessing" it was that. He gave me some medicine to start my cycle again, try for another month, and if I didn't ovulate to come back and start treatments. Of course, being the stubborn person I am, I wanted to try everything I could to do it on my own. I did all the natural options I could find, but to no avail, it didn't work.

Once I got over my pride, I decided it was time to let the doctor work his magic. And here we are, witnessing his magic trick! I never thought I'd finally see the day!

The Shot Glass and New Direction

Alright, you know you're trying to have a baby when the shot glass has turned into a pee sample container! The ovulation and pregnancy tests I bought require you to pee in a cup, and then you dip the test in it for three seconds. As I was rummaging through my cups trying to figure out which one would be given as a sacrifice to the Pee Gods, I saw a shot glass. Now this poor shot glass, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't been used in the last three years I've been living with my husband. I dusted it off and put it in my bathroom cupboard next to my hefty supply of tests. Every time I pee in said shot glass, I can't help but laugh. Sometimes I wonder what I'll do with my trusty shot glass after we finally get our positive pregnancy test.... I'm guessing nobody will want to drink out of my potty shot. :-) 


As for my new direction, I realized that this blog has sort of turned into the misadventures of trying to conceive rather than PCOS. So for future posts, I'm going to try and limit the baby talk and maximize the cyst talk. The cool part is that even when I complain about symptoms- like the sore tatas and cramps- you'll never know if it is from PCOS, ovulation, Aunt Flo, or pregnancy. After all, I never do either!