Take a test!

I changed Doctor. It isn’t the my previous gynecologist wasn’t good, it’s just that I was loosing my patience (seldom I follow my brain than my heart, this was one of those times).

The new Doctor was recommended by my friend, who delivered healthy baby boy after 1 year of trying!!! (So you see there isn’t any logic, but we still follow our brain). And my brain proved right this time.

My doctor was like a motherly figure. She was kind and patient, she asked me questions about my menstrual cycles, relationship, etc. She said as such she doesn’t foresee any problem with me, but just to confirm it medically she asked me to conduct some blood test (to check hormones level) on particular days of my cycle and a hysterosalpingogram (HSG). And for my husband a semen analysis. After all the tests, if required, she will consult on further medication. I was really comfortable with her.

While I was leaving her clinic, she said, “don’t worry, you will surely conceive, you will be pregnant” (isn’t that music to ears?)

About the tests:
Usually hormone test such as FSH, Thyroids, LH, etc are conducted on Day 2-5 of your cycle (considering your first day of bleeding as Day 1). Most doctors suggest these tests. Consult your gynecologist or doctors before conducting this test. Its simple blood test.

HSG – a procedure in itself
During a HSG, a dye (contrast material) is put through a thin tube that is put through the vagina and into the uterus. Because the uterus and the fallopian tubes are hooked together, the dye will flow into the fallopian tubes. Pictures are taken using a steady beam of X-ray (fluoroscopy) as the dye passes through the uterus and fallopian tubes. The pictures can show problems such as an injury or abnormal structure of the uterus or fallopian tubes, or a blockage that would prevent an egg moving through a fallopian tube to the uterus. A blockage also could prevent sperm from moving into a fallopian tube and joining (fertilizing) an egg. A HSG also may find problems on the inside of the uterus that prevent a fertilized egg from attaching (implanting) to the uterine wall.

A HSG is done to:

• Find a blocked fallopian tube. The test often is done for a woman who is having a hard time becoming pregnant. An infection may cause severe scarring of the fallopian tubes and block the tubes, preventing pregnancy. Occasionally the dye used during a hysterosalpingogram will push through and open a blocked tube.
• Find problems in the uterus, such as an abnormal shape or structure, an injury, polyps, fibroids, adhesions, or a foreign object in the uterus. These types of problems may cause painful menstrual periods or repeated miscarriages.
• See whether surgery to reverse a tubal ligation has been successful

This test should be done 2 to 5 days after your menstrual period has ended to be sure you are not pregnant. It should also be done before you ovulate the next month (unless you are using contraception) to avoid using X-rays during an early pregnancy. You may want to bring along a sanitary napkin to wear after the test because some leakage of the X-ray dye may occur along with slight bleeding.

Irregular Period? Check for PCOS

When my regular cycles started fluctuating and that too on higher side, I visited a gynecologist. A scan revealed that I had PCOS in my left ovary.

It isn’t scary, but if I let it loose, I was susceptible to infertility (I hate this word).

I was told to reduce weight, do some exercise regularly and some medication over three months helped me to overcome PCOS.

So what is this PCOS?
Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a commonly seen problem among women these days. It affects women of reproductive age and statistics shows it is seen in 10% of women. Though in most cases it is minimal and won’t be even noticed, the alarm rings when difficulty in conceiving is noted leading to long periods of infertility. Unfortunately there is no universal definition for the PCOS, but we can guess it from the name itself. Poly cystic means ‘with many cysts’ and it tells you it’s a condition of the ovary having many cysts. By definition a cyst is a fluid filled sac.

The basic terms PCOS means this: It’s an endocrine disorder where the male hormones (androgens) in females increases to an abnormal level and affects the female reproductive cycles. This leads to a situation where women do not ovulate. Basically the purposes of ovaries are to produce eggs and release one of the mature or full grown eggs every month. The release of egg is called Ovulation. The high male hormone level inhibits the growth of the egg in the ovary so that it will not reach its maturity and so won’t be released. Thus the unreleased eggs remain in the ovary and become cysts over a period of time. Since ovulation is not happening the patient will not conceive leading to infertility.

The commonly seen symptoms of PCOS are:

• Acne
• Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
• Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.
• Thinning hair on the scalp.
• Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than 9 periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding.
• Fertility problems. Many women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant
  

PCOS is generally diagnosed from the symptoms stated above and confirmed using blood tests for hormone levels and ultra sound scan of the pelvic region. A gynecologist or obstetrician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment. To diagnose PCOS, the doctor will:

• Ask questions about your past health, symptoms, and menstrual cycles.
• Do a physical exam to look for signs of PCOS, such as extra body hair and high blood pressure. The doctor will also check your height and weight to see if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI).
• Do a number of lab tests to check your blood sugar, insulin, and other hormone levels. Hormone tests can help rule out thyroid or other gland problems that could cause similar symptoms.

The absence of periods is the cardinal factor in diagnosing PCOS. The other symptoms like hirsutism and acne may or may not be present. Another interesting finding is that majority of PCOS patients who are overweight are insulin-resistant. Insulin resistance means your body is resisting the effects of insulin. Insulin is supposed to keep the blood sugar normal. So resistance to insulin causes you to become diabetic. And the drugs given for type II diabetics is effective in controlling the insulin resistance and thus PCOS.

The treatment of PCOS is in 2 ways depending on if you are looking for a child immediately or not. If you don’t have any plans for conceiving, then birth control pills are given to regularize the monthly cycles. But if you are keen on conceiving, then Metformin is one of the widely used diabetic drug. Usually both these drugs are given for 3 – 6 months. If the condition is persisting, then other methods of treatment should be followed like inducing ovulation taking drugs or surgery. Laparoscopic are useful for puncturing the cysts and inducing ovulation by scraping the walls of ovary which triggers female hormone production. (PLEASE SEEK DOCTOR'S GUIDANCE IN PCOS)

• Try to fit in moderate activity and/or vigorous activity on a regular basis. Walking is a great exercise that most people can do.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. In general, this diet has lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains. It also limits foods that are high in saturated fat, such as meats, cheeses, and fried foods. If you have blood sugar problems, try to eat about the same amount of carbohydrate at each meal. A registered dietitian can help you make a meal plan.
• Most women with PCOS can benefit from losing weight. Even losing 10 lb may help get your hormones in balance and regulate your menstrual cycle. PCOS can make it hard to lose weight, so work with your doctor to make a plan that can help you succeed

Am I pregnant?

I used to have regular cycle until it started fluctuating on the higher side. This would give me hope every month!! It may sound weird, but I used to feel (or imagine?) some of the pregnancy symptoms. Any passing additional day over due date would increase my hope until the urine pregnancy test.

Some of my symptoms during this tenure were:

• Nausea – feel like vomiting or sometime vomit too

Reasons: Erratic eating habits, combination of acidity and headache would often result for me in vomiting. All I couldn’t figure out why this vomit sensation grew stronger past my due dates – may be its psychological

• Bloated

Reasons: I am fat, that’s it!!

• Frequent urinating

Reasons: Drinking lots of water, and that too near my due dates

• Swinging moods

Reasons: If it is... it is

• Feel like pregnant

Reasons: No comments- was trying for long and hope is always alive.

My suggestions, if you feel you are pregnant:

1. Hold on for some time before a test. For me my next cycle used to begin always the next day of my pregnancy test (what a waste of money!!!).
   
2. Always used renowned, recommended (by doctors) or branded home pregnancy test

Well, it’s normal to feel or imagine some of the symptoms. Most of these are psychologically related and it’s quite common to have one or some.

that 18 hours...

I missed my period... wow, it could be positive and the next day I went for Urine Pregnancy Test (UPT) crossing my fingers for that two lines. Well, my dreams lived less than 18 hours with just one line.

We were trying for about 8 months, and for the first time, I felt helpless, thinking about my 18 hours of happiness. For that 18 hours, I would have lived a whole 9 month... deciding on everything from names of babies, colour of bedroom, toys, how stupid I was!!! I didn't lift anything heavy, didn't sleep on my tummy. In fact I couldn't sleep that night desperately waiting for the morning for my test.

I cried and cried (well that’s normal). Sometimes crying helps getting pain out of heart, try... its works for me.

I was losing patience everyday growing. That 18 hours made me live a 9 month life and realize life won’t be easy going further, better be prepared and face it.

A beginning...

I thought to share my experience on my first cycle of ICSI. Took a while to select a suitable name for this blog and came up this one “I-n(and)-fertility”. Just like "Impossible" can be spelled as "I - am - possible", so do I believe that I will have “fertility” some day!!! I feel that infertility shouldn’t get over me, instead I should overpower it (Please do carry this attitude with you as well).

The blog will provide some enlightenment on the psychological state to couples who are undergoing or will undergo IVF. The blog is about sharing my experiences, my feelings and emotions. It also describes the emotions of other people around me who are going through IVF.

I appreciate if you would leave a comment for improvement.