The appointment has been made! June 22. Commence nerves.
Normal papsmear - no problem. The whole "what's wrong with my baby machine" thing, though ... is a little nerve wracking.
I can play the well-educated guessing game all I want, but the fact of the matter is we simply don't know what is preventing conception. More and more it seems like I hear about people who just can't have kids because of a variety of issues, and if that's me, too? I don't know what my next step is and I can't think about it yet.
Since I began taking my basal body temperature first thing every morning several months ago, I've suspected a progesterone deficiency. The last few cycles in particular have been a bit disturbing -- the temperatures hover around 98 degrees, forming a mostly straight line, rather than that spike in temperature you really want to see at ovulation and afterward.
I have no idea what causes a progesterone deficiency. The internet has a number of theories: Exposure to petrochemicals as a fetus; too much estrogen (fat); birth control pills cause estrogen dominance/ early follicle burnout; stress; hormones in meat.
Of all of those I figure if anything screwed me up it's the birth control pills. And my weight.
Today is my ninth day on the vegan cleanse, and so far, it's had minimal results where my fertility is concerned. I'm noticing more moisture down below, but my temperatures are still wacked. I've lost about five pounds, which is great, but too few to really effect any change at this point.
The goal for the next couple of weeks is to just keep on trucking -- keep losing weight and trying to stay positive. A progesterone deficiency would probably be welcome news at this point: At least there are pills for that.
I'm a Dr. Google addict. Still - be wary of self-diagnosing, or expecting quick results when it comes to diets and lifestyle changes. Patience is a bitch, but try your best to embrace it, as impossible as it may seem. I hope your appt. gives you some answers!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a doctor, but I play one on the web. I am really hoping it's progesterone -- because that is so easily fixed. Get ready for suppositories!
ReplyDeletemommyodyssey - Good point. I've often gone into a doctor's office with some preconceived notion of what's wrong with me, only to discover it's something completely different! I'll just try to go with the flow ...
ReplyDeleteLibby - SUPPOSITORIES?! Fuuuuuuuuuuuu....
I have one suggestion: When you go to the doctor, take ALL your stuff with you. As in, bring in your Basal temp tracking charts (several months worth), and a list of all the medicines/vitamins/supplements you're taking. It will help the doctor get a more in-depth look at what you're concerned about. (Plus, it will prevent him/her from waving a hand and saying "well try X for a couple of months first, THEN ...")
ReplyDeleteWhen we were trying to determine Sean's due date, I happened to have my tracking chart (I'm an uber geek: I had Basal temp, cervical mucus, and days we had sex tracked) with me and she took one look, pointed at one day and said: "Bingo. EVERYTHING happened that day."