CurlySue

...and, it actually went quite well. i was there for two hours (yes, two hours!) and did the forms, filled in all the paperwork, answered all the questions, did the weight, height and blood tests, etc.

Discussed symptoms with the doctor. She (was a she, in the end - the man who i was supposed to see was not there that day) said it sounded a lot like I had classic endometriosis symptoms (the pain in the right side, the pain being cyclic, the mad, crazy, erratic cycle lengths, the breakthrough bleeding, etc) and recommended a HSG. That was until I told her that I had an allergic reaction to the dye when I went for an IVP last year so she went and consulted somebody else. When she came back she told me that it would be safer to do a Lap and Dye instead because the dye involved is not contrast dye and it is a more thorough investigation.

That was booked for the morning of 4th September...

She looked at the results from my hormone tests (CD21) and she said that, though the doctor told me they were normal there were two hormones which are required to balance each other out. In the second part of the cycle, after ovulation, one is supposed to be higher than the other. Mine is reversed. The one that is supposed to be high is low, the one that is supposed to be low is high.

She said this might explain my erratic OPKs.

I am going for CD2-4 blood tests next month, when I get my next period, and OH has been booked in for sperm analysis on 8th August (luckily enough, I got football tickets for him for that day - it is a way of sweetening him up at least!).

She gave me all the options. If there is a blockage somewhere, she said, then fertility drugs are pointless. Insemination is pointless. The only real option then is IVF or the other one that is similar to IVF. If all is clear or there is only a minimal problem (ie endo that does not interfere with tubes) she said that the prescription of fertility drugs would probably be the best option. It would not lessen the cycle but it would at least give me more of a chance, i.e. 2 eggs in 50 days rather than 1.

Oh, another thing she said - guidelines now suggest that every day is too much even around ovulation time. Every other day is more than enough.

Getting somewhere, at least. I really had the thought that was going to be a totally hopeless appointment!!!

akcher

Sounds like you're doc is on the job with getting the ball rolling That's great to hear and keep up posted

miel

wow!
you had a lot of informations...it's good to see a good doctor
i am really happy you got some answers .

CurlySue

I had heard of so many people turning up to their first appointment only to be told "give it another six months and we'll see what we can do" - I suppose the fact that I have mad, erratic cycles helped me in that department.

loopylew

you sound like you had a really good Dr, when you say mad cycles what do you mean? mine are between 32-47 and i get pain in my right side, i do seem to ovulate each month but have a 5-8day luteal phase. My consultant just sent us away for another 3 months so were back on the 30th Sept, weren't in there more than 10minutes for our first appt. Did you go private?

pixielou

Yep, your def lucky Curly! My doc won't do me Lap op, I should have lied and said that I was allergic to the die, lol

CurlySue

Looking back over my "official notes" for the past 18 months or so my shortest cycle has been around 25 days. My longest has been (I think) 51 (though I am really unsure about that one as I had breakthrough bleeding for a day in the middle of that) The last one was 43 days. The one before that was 27. The one before that was 40. The one before that 33. Sometimes its not a proper period. Its just pink. Other times it's heavy with (tmi) clots and skin. Before I was on the pill I used to have around an average of four periods per year. I would get a period then miss three, get another, then another miss another two, get another one, miss another three. You get the picture, right? I went to see the doctor about it and he put me on the pill to try to regulate them. It worked, somewhat, but the minute I was off the pill they went up the wall again.

I was referred mostly for the pain. The pain I get nowadays starts about three or four days before ovulation and more or less never stops until my period is almost over. I get pain bad enough to require painkillers more or less from the day I ovulate (eases off until about 3dpo then starts up again) It lasts until a couple of days before my period ends (one month, I counted 20 days of moderate to severe pain that did not ease up at all and have actually passed out because of it!) so the doctor actually referred me for pelvic pain rather than for infertility. And, I think, because I have a history of menstrual problems.

I don't know if I ovulate every month. Though my GP told me that my hormones were fine the Gyno told me today that they were reversed from what they should be. My luteal phase is not consistent because I don't always ovulate (I know this through temping! I can have positive OPKs and no temp shift or, indeed, can ovulate without having a positive OPK - though, this last month I know I did not ovulate yet I had two almost positives and one positive!) The times I HAVE ovulated my luteal phase has been mostly 15 days but, on occasion, it has been 9 days, 8 days, 12 days. I am thinking these are the months I do not ovulate. But it more or less averages at 15. The word 'messy' really fits me and my cycles, always has.

Did not go private, no. But, like I said, I have a history of period problems (in my clinical notes) and am suffering quite severe pain. Was NHS though.

ps appointment itself lasted about 20 minutes. Then she had to do an internal exam (swabs, etc). I then had to go to pre-op assessment unit and have some blood tests, height, weight, BP, oxygen, etc.

After that I had to go to see another women who went through all kinds of questions with me re: op. That took half an hour. It also took fifteen minutes to get blood out of me as I have shite veins.

That's why it all took so long.

CurlySue

Was the most ridiculous allergy as well. She gave me a note saying "if you experience an itchy rash come back immediately." I got to the cubicle to get dressed and I started feeling hot. I looked down and my entire chest, my arms, my stomach, my back, it was bright red. Itchy. Hot.

Had to have an injection in my arse. Could not really see straight for awhile after it.

You should have lied, indeed...go back and say "Oh, by the way..."

Did you have HSG? I just knew I could not have one. I am too prone to infection "down there"

chefamy1122

I am glad you got a good dr who gave you such valuable information!

CurlySue

It was a good thing.

Three times a week, she said. Every day is going to leave a vagina prone to abrasions and sperm depleted.

Every other day around ovulation as well, she said. That are the new guidelines.