Health Update

I am out this cycle.

However, I do have some news on my health, and am scheduled to see my doctor rather soon. So, a few things to update you with.

Remember when I posted my hormones? They were reviewed again. My TSH level was last .272, which is really low. It had been increasingly getting lower over the past year. When I first began my thyroid medication, remember how I had like 5-6 cycles in a row? Then they disappeared for about 7 months? This is why.

The dramatic drop in my TSH level caused my cycles to stop altogether. If you take a look at my TSH levels over the year, you'll notice they are always lower (not around the same, but lower), each time I got tested. Eventually they got low enough to cause my cycles to come to a halt. Basically I went from hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism (hypothyroidism is when your TSH levels are too HIGH, and hyper when too low).

This is part of Hashimoto's Disease. They will do that; this is also why it's very important I'm always seeing a doctor so they can be monitored.

My doctor is going to retest my thyroid, and make the necessary changes to bring it back up to a more normal level, which will hopefully balance out my cycles. So there IS a reason why my periods stopped. Maybe.

This leads me to my next update. Based on my fertility chart that I have been tracking (minus the basal body temperature, which I stopped doing about a year ago), it doesn't look like I'm producing enough Progesterone post ovulation. While the levels were normal PRE ovulation, they aren't kicking up to the right notch POST ovulation. Doctor says that may be happening anyway. So, now I'm going to also be starting the Progesterone Challenge (Provera). After ovulation, I'm going to take Progesterone to keep it at normal levels.

Now, thirdly. It looks like we may need medical assistance after all.

My ovaries and hormones are those of somebody older than I am. For example, my FSH level was on the higher end, making my ovaries and production of eggs "fair". Not excellent, but fair. Let's just say I'm more borderline than anything else. My chance of pregnancy is slimmer because of this. My Estrogen is on the lower end of the scale. I pretty much have hormones of a women who may be in her 40's. Always great news. This also ups my chances of miscarriages and birth problems.

Now, to make matters MORE confusing, it could be possible this is all because of my thyroid in the first place. Autoimmune thyroid disease can be responsible for my body to be much older than it's supposed to be. Thank you, immune system.

This is also why it's crucial to see a doctor this Tuesday. Tuesday will be day 3 of my cycle; which is exactly when I need to get my hormones retested. My doctor wants to test everything again, now that I'm actually ON a cycle. Those results will be more accurate, so fingers crossed they will be normal. PLEASE be normal.

Unfortunately, our medical insurance doesn't cover the costs of fertility treatment (stupid California). So thousands of dollars will be whipped out if the Provera or new thyroid medication/combination doesn't work. Because my ovaries are emo, I probably will have to get a trigger shot (Gonal F injection) and an IUI. The trigger shot will cost close to $1000, and the IUI a few hundred or more, depending. Of course getting these procedures done will also jump my chances up of having multiples.

So, there is the update. I'm not going to worry about anything yet until I get my new hormone results when I have everything retested. Fingers crossed and prayers needed. Thank you everyone for your love and support.