Here are my most recent day 2 bloodwork results:
TSH - 1.75
(normal)
LH - 2.7
(the lowest it's ever been for me)
Prolactin - 8.2
(normal)
FSH - 5.1
(Awesome! It's never been so low! Two months ago it was 8! The DHEA might be working!)
E2 - 195
(Yikes, it should be under 75. It could be falsely supressing my FSH. Or I had a cyst. Or some early follicles leftover from last cycle. My clinic says it's fine. They like anything under 250. But 195 isn't normal.)
Showing posts with label Fertility Bloodwork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fertility Bloodwork. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Day 3 Bloodwork (from April 28)
I have to get Day 3 bloodwork done every cycle because we suspect I might be heading into premature ovarian failure (POF). My FSH levels have been in the "normal" range, but high for my age. However, the way FSH can work with POF is that it can look normal for months, then suddenly go super high, and then go back down to normal. However, if you even have that one high reading it means you are screwed. Even if it doesn't show up all the time. That doesn't matter. Your highest FSH level isn't your "worst case scenario," it is your scenario.
I did the bloodwork on Day 2 this month, and I got the results today. I'm not happy.
FSH - 8
LH - 6.5
Estradiol - 104
Prolactin - 11.2
TSH - 2.02
Here are the results from my March Day 3 bloodwork.
Here are the results from my April Day 3 bloodwork.
I have a problem with the fact that in March my FSH was 7. In April it was 7.6 And now for my May cycle it is 8. It seems to be steadily rising. I'm only 24; my FSH should be at, like, 5. (Reference: FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate.)
I also have a problem with my rising estradiol levels. In March it was below 73. In April it was 101. In May it's 104. (Reference: E2 should be between 25-75. Lower levels are better for stimulating, and higher levels could indicate either a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve.)
This is crap.
I did the bloodwork on Day 2 this month, and I got the results today. I'm not happy.
FSH - 8
LH - 6.5
Estradiol - 104
Prolactin - 11.2
TSH - 2.02
Here are the results from my March Day 3 bloodwork.
Here are the results from my April Day 3 bloodwork.
I have a problem with the fact that in March my FSH was 7. In April it was 7.6 And now for my May cycle it is 8. It seems to be steadily rising. I'm only 24; my FSH should be at, like, 5. (Reference: FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate.)
I also have a problem with my rising estradiol levels. In March it was below 73. In April it was 101. In May it's 104. (Reference: E2 should be between 25-75. Lower levels are better for stimulating, and higher levels could indicate either a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve.)
This is crap.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
To Bother or Not to Bother with a Beta?
It's Tuesday, and I'm 9DPO right now. I am trying to decide whether to even bother getting a beta or not. I can go for one on Sunday, which is 14DPO. Technically, I could go for one earlier but I'm definitely not interested in doing that.
I don't really want to get a pregnancy test done at all. I don't want to find out that I'm not pregnant until I have my period and am actually moving on to the next cycle. The problem is that I have no idea how long my luteal phase is, so I don't know when my period is due. If I have a perfect 14 day luteal phase (yeah right, like anything goes perfectly with me) then I would get my period this coming Monday at 15DPO.
Should I bother driving an hour to get a beta done, getting my hopes up in the process? Or should I just wait it out until Monday or Tuesday and see if I get my period?
The problem is if I am pregnant, I would have to get a beta done in the middle of the week if I didn't do it on Sunday. Which means a day of getting up at 4:30 am to drive and get this test done, and then a day at work worrying and wondering until I get the phone call.
If I'm not pregnant, I'm finding out before I get my period and before I move on to the next cycle. I don't want to do that. However, if I get my period it will probably be on Monday at the latest. So I wouldn't know for that long before I was able to mentally think about the next round of treatment.
If I did go on Sunday, I could personally speak to a staff member. It is impossible for me to ever get ahold of anyone at that clinic. I always get the answering machine. Sure, they call back the same day. But hello, I have a job. I'm a teacher. I can't be leaving my classroom because my doctor's office is calling me. Not to mention the rumors that could start spreading.
I could find out what my medication protocol will be for next cycle, without it being a message that's left on my answering machine. I could get my prescription in person, rather than have them fax it to my drug store.
I don't know if that's a good enough reason to go through the hour long drive and the early disappointment, though.
By the way, I'm still pretending that I'm pregnant. I have lots of IPS. I've had mild cramping almost every day, I'm tired, I'm having headaches for no reason, my boobs are getting progressively more sore (but not so much sore to touch, just sore sitting there. Except my nipples. They're a bit tender to the touch). And I had a pregnancy dream last night. All good reasons to trick myself into thinking that I'm pregnant so I don't get depressed!
I don't really want to get a pregnancy test done at all. I don't want to find out that I'm not pregnant until I have my period and am actually moving on to the next cycle. The problem is that I have no idea how long my luteal phase is, so I don't know when my period is due. If I have a perfect 14 day luteal phase (yeah right, like anything goes perfectly with me) then I would get my period this coming Monday at 15DPO.
Should I bother driving an hour to get a beta done, getting my hopes up in the process? Or should I just wait it out until Monday or Tuesday and see if I get my period?
The problem is if I am pregnant, I would have to get a beta done in the middle of the week if I didn't do it on Sunday. Which means a day of getting up at 4:30 am to drive and get this test done, and then a day at work worrying and wondering until I get the phone call.
If I'm not pregnant, I'm finding out before I get my period and before I move on to the next cycle. I don't want to do that. However, if I get my period it will probably be on Monday at the latest. So I wouldn't know for that long before I was able to mentally think about the next round of treatment.
If I did go on Sunday, I could personally speak to a staff member. It is impossible for me to ever get ahold of anyone at that clinic. I always get the answering machine. Sure, they call back the same day. But hello, I have a job. I'm a teacher. I can't be leaving my classroom because my doctor's office is calling me. Not to mention the rumors that could start spreading.
I could find out what my medication protocol will be for next cycle, without it being a message that's left on my answering machine. I could get my prescription in person, rather than have them fax it to my drug store.
I don't know if that's a good enough reason to go through the hour long drive and the early disappointment, though.
By the way, I'm still pretending that I'm pregnant. I have lots of IPS. I've had mild cramping almost every day, I'm tired, I'm having headaches for no reason, my boobs are getting progressively more sore (but not so much sore to touch, just sore sitting there. Except my nipples. They're a bit tender to the touch). And I had a pregnancy dream last night. All good reasons to trick myself into thinking that I'm pregnant so I don't get depressed!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Recent Day 3 Bloodwork
I called my office to get my most recent Day 3 test results. I'm not thrilled with them, but they do fall in a normal range. The clinic had to call me back and leave a message on my machine, so I couldn't talk to an actual person to ask for my specific levels for some things that I was just told are "normal." Here are the results:
Fasting Glucose/Insulin - Normal
(I didn't get the actual levels, and I really want them. The normal range for fasting insulin is up to 30. But the normal range doesn't give all the information. A fasting insulin of 10-13 generally indicates some insulin resistance, and levels above 13 indicate greater insulin resistance. The normal range for fasting glucose is 70-110, with 70-90 being the most healthy.)
TSH - 3.12
(Normal is .4-4. I didn't get this tested on my last Day 3 so I have nothing to compare it to.)
Prolactin - 6.8
(Should be < 24. My last level was 8.1)
E2 - 101
(Should be 25 - 75. Mine is too high. Levels on the lower end tend to be better for stimulating. Abnormally high levels on day 3 may indicate existence of a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve. Elevated E2 can falsely supress FSH.)
FSH - 7.6
(FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate. My last level was an even 7, which I wasn't completely comfortable with. Even though it's "good," it still seems a bit high to me. So I'm definitely not happy that it's up to 7.6 this time, even though it's still "good".)
LH - 8.4
(My last level was 7, which was the same as my FSH. They should be in a 1:1 ratio. If LH is higher than FSH it's a good indicator of PCOS. Normally, LH should be <7, but I'm surprised that it was only 8.4, considering my enormous levels during the rest of my cycle.)
So my LH was higher than my FSH this time. Interesting. I'm now even more sure that I have PCOS. PCOS that appears to be getting worse with time. Maybe this is because the more time passes, the further away I am from when the pill was controlling my hormones.
I really hope my FSH doesn't continue to rise slowly. I know of some people who had normal FSH (like, 7) and then a year later suddenly they had high FSH (14+). I do not want this to happen to me!
I have to try and relax. Freaking about about my FSH can't be good for my follicle growth.
Fasting Glucose/Insulin - Normal
(I didn't get the actual levels, and I really want them. The normal range for fasting insulin is up to 30. But the normal range doesn't give all the information. A fasting insulin of 10-13 generally indicates some insulin resistance, and levels above 13 indicate greater insulin resistance. The normal range for fasting glucose is 70-110, with 70-90 being the most healthy.)
TSH - 3.12
(Normal is .4-4. I didn't get this tested on my last Day 3 so I have nothing to compare it to.)
Prolactin - 6.8
(Should be < 24. My last level was 8.1)
E2 - 101
(Should be 25 - 75. Mine is too high. Levels on the lower end tend to be better for stimulating. Abnormally high levels on day 3 may indicate existence of a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve. Elevated E2 can falsely supress FSH.)
FSH - 7.6
(FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate. My last level was an even 7, which I wasn't completely comfortable with. Even though it's "good," it still seems a bit high to me. So I'm definitely not happy that it's up to 7.6 this time, even though it's still "good".)
LH - 8.4
(My last level was 7, which was the same as my FSH. They should be in a 1:1 ratio. If LH is higher than FSH it's a good indicator of PCOS. Normally, LH should be <7, but I'm surprised that it was only 8.4, considering my enormous levels during the rest of my cycle.)
So my LH was higher than my FSH this time. Interesting. I'm now even more sure that I have PCOS. PCOS that appears to be getting worse with time. Maybe this is because the more time passes, the further away I am from when the pill was controlling my hormones.
I really hope my FSH doesn't continue to rise slowly. I know of some people who had normal FSH (like, 7) and then a year later suddenly they had high FSH (14+). I do not want this to happen to me!
I have to try and relax. Freaking about about my FSH can't be good for my follicle growth.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Day 3 Bloodwork Update
(Warning, this post may contain medical talk, jargon, and acronyms that are not easily decodable by one who does not suffer from infertility.)
I called my clinic this morning to find out my Day 3 results. They don't seem terrible.
Estradiol - <73
(should be between 25-75. Lower levels are better for stimulating, and higher levels could indicate either a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve. If I'm around 73 that seems a little high to me)
Prolactin - 8.1
(should be <24)
LH - 7
(should be <7, but I'm surprised that it was only 7, considering my enormous levels during the rest of my cycle)
And finally,
FSH - 7
(FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate)
I fall into the "good" range for FSH!! But my estrogen is kind of high for Day 3, so it could still mean I have diminished ovarian reserve. Either that or I did have that cyst I was thinking I got from the Clomid last cycle.
We know I have a problem, but nothing in my bloodwork jumps right out at me to tell me what my problem is. If I was ovulating, my bloodwork would probably appear completely normal. However, when I pair my Day 3 results with what we've been seeing during my monitored spontaneous cycle I still wonder if I have PCOS.
I know I have semi-regular cycles (28-38 days), and often people with PCOS have cycles as long as 120 days. BUT my ultrasounds are showing that I'm not developing any mature follicles (their growth appears to have stunted at "small"). So obviously I'm not ovulating.
My next clue comes from my clinic itself. They have an information sheet on Decreased Ovulation and the possible causes (pituitary failure, ovarian failure, and PCOS). It all starts with knowing that you're not ovulating. If you are ovulating, then obviously the following information doesn't apply to you.
If your FSH and LH are <2, then pituitary failure is present.
If your FSH and LH are >10, then ovarian failure is present.
If your FSH and LH are in the intermediate range, >2 and <10, then PCOS is likely present.
Notice they say likely... PCOS is a bitch to diagnose.
Regardless of my extensive detective work and my immense base of infertility knowledge (lol) I am still not a Reproductive Endocrinologist. So obviously I need my appointment with my RE tomorrow to tell me what the heck is going on.
But at least I can spend my day not feeling like I'm going to throw up. I'm telling myself that it's just PCOS.
*sigh of relief*
I called my clinic this morning to find out my Day 3 results. They don't seem terrible.
Estradiol - <73
(should be between 25-75. Lower levels are better for stimulating, and higher levels could indicate either a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve. If I'm around 73 that seems a little high to me)
Prolactin - 8.1
(should be <24)
LH - 7
(should be <7, but I'm surprised that it was only 7, considering my enormous levels during the rest of my cycle)
And finally,
FSH - 7
(FSH is used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate)
I fall into the "good" range for FSH!! But my estrogen is kind of high for Day 3, so it could still mean I have diminished ovarian reserve. Either that or I did have that cyst I was thinking I got from the Clomid last cycle.
We know I have a problem, but nothing in my bloodwork jumps right out at me to tell me what my problem is. If I was ovulating, my bloodwork would probably appear completely normal. However, when I pair my Day 3 results with what we've been seeing during my monitored spontaneous cycle I still wonder if I have PCOS.
I know I have semi-regular cycles (28-38 days), and often people with PCOS have cycles as long as 120 days. BUT my ultrasounds are showing that I'm not developing any mature follicles (their growth appears to have stunted at "small"). So obviously I'm not ovulating.
My next clue comes from my clinic itself. They have an information sheet on Decreased Ovulation and the possible causes (pituitary failure, ovarian failure, and PCOS). It all starts with knowing that you're not ovulating. If you are ovulating, then obviously the following information doesn't apply to you.
If your FSH and LH are <2, then pituitary failure is present.
If your FSH and LH are >10, then ovarian failure is present.
If your FSH and LH are in the intermediate range, >2 and <10, then PCOS is likely present.
Notice they say likely... PCOS is a bitch to diagnose.
Regardless of my extensive detective work and my immense base of infertility knowledge (lol) I am still not a Reproductive Endocrinologist. So obviously I need my appointment with my RE tomorrow to tell me what the heck is going on.
But at least I can spend my day not feeling like I'm going to throw up. I'm telling myself that it's just PCOS.
*sigh of relief*
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Uh Oh.
Well, somehow my clinic got my bloodwork from the hospital yesterday and while I was out today they called and left a message. They didn't tell me the results of the bloodwork, but they told me that Dr. Martin (the RE who owns the practice) wants to see me on Tuesday.
Now, just to put this in perspective, I had originally seen a different doctor who I didn't like. And yesterday, after I found out about my possibly horrible situation, I asked if I could please see Dr. Martin sometime this week. Or for that matter, could I please see ANY of the doctors this week. The receptionist looked in the computer and said she had no appointments with any of the doctors for this week, but if I wanted to see Dr. Martin I can see him on May 13. Two months from now.
Then they saw my bloodwork, and suddenly I can see him in 2 days.
To me, that sounds like something a whole lot worse than PCOS. It sounds like they saw my bloodwork and went "Holy crap! High FSH! She's running out of time! She better get in to see Dr. Martin right away!"
I should probably also mention that the person on the phone sounded like she felt really sorry for me.
I'm scared to death. Hopefully I can find out my levels tomorrow, so I'm not feeling bowled over on Tuesday at my appointment.
Is this seriously happening??
Now, just to put this in perspective, I had originally seen a different doctor who I didn't like. And yesterday, after I found out about my possibly horrible situation, I asked if I could please see Dr. Martin sometime this week. Or for that matter, could I please see ANY of the doctors this week. The receptionist looked in the computer and said she had no appointments with any of the doctors for this week, but if I wanted to see Dr. Martin I can see him on May 13. Two months from now.
Then they saw my bloodwork, and suddenly I can see him in 2 days.
To me, that sounds like something a whole lot worse than PCOS. It sounds like they saw my bloodwork and went "Holy crap! High FSH! She's running out of time! She better get in to see Dr. Martin right away!"
I should probably also mention that the person on the phone sounded like she felt really sorry for me.
I'm scared to death. Hopefully I can find out my levels tomorrow, so I'm not feeling bowled over on Tuesday at my appointment.
Is this seriously happening??
Saturday, March 14, 2009
And It Keeps Getting Better... Not
I just got back from my ultrasound. I'm on CD 17. Once again, I have absolutely no follicle growth. And my lining dropped from 8.5 to 6 (I'm been really lightly spotting for the past few days... bizarrely, because I never spot mid cycle).
But wait, it gets better.
I looked at my monitoring sheet. My E2 should be in the 500's at this point in my cycle, but it's not. It's in the 100's still. Which didn't surprise me, because my follicles aren't growing.
But it gets even better.
My LH, which should be below 7, was at 17.0 on CD11 and 14.2 on CD14. (This explains why I always have almost positive OPK's).
So I say to the nurse who's taking my blood "Um, that's not normal. My LH shouldn't be that high. Especially when my estradiol is so low." And she said "You're right, that's not normal." So she goes looking for my Day 3 bloodwork, which, TA DA, isn't in my chart. Apparently the hospital didn't send it to them.
I asked the nurse what could be going on and she said "What we will probably see from your Day 3 bloodwork is an elevated FSH."
WHAT?!
I am 24 years old! How could I possibly have high FSH? How could I possibly have a decreased ovarian reserve? Or poor egg quality???
I am terrified. I'm calling my OBGYN on Monday to find out my Day 3 levels and to get them to send them to my clinic. What I'm hoping is that I'll have normal FSH with high LH, which could mean that I just have PCOS. (Keep in mind, this potential diagnosis was done solely through the help of the internet. The nurse did not mention PCOS as one of the diagnosis options. So I don't know how likely it will be.)
I really really hope all it is is PCOS. Because if I have high FSH, that's it. We can't afford IVF, much less IVF with donor eggs!
The nurse said that next month we'll probably do a clomiphene challenge test. It's a test that gives an indication of your ovarian reserve... a test that is normally only done on women in their 40's!!! I can't believe this.
(Oh, and I love how nobody told me that they didn't have my Day 3 bloodwork, and that my hormone levels are COMPLETELY out of whack. I had to look at my own flippin chart and make her tell me something. Don't you think maybe this is worth a frickin PHONE CALL?!?!?!)
But wait, it gets better.
I looked at my monitoring sheet. My E2 should be in the 500's at this point in my cycle, but it's not. It's in the 100's still. Which didn't surprise me, because my follicles aren't growing.
But it gets even better.
My LH, which should be below 7, was at 17.0 on CD11 and 14.2 on CD14. (This explains why I always have almost positive OPK's).
So I say to the nurse who's taking my blood "Um, that's not normal. My LH shouldn't be that high. Especially when my estradiol is so low." And she said "You're right, that's not normal." So she goes looking for my Day 3 bloodwork, which, TA DA, isn't in my chart. Apparently the hospital didn't send it to them.
I asked the nurse what could be going on and she said "What we will probably see from your Day 3 bloodwork is an elevated FSH."
WHAT?!
I am 24 years old! How could I possibly have high FSH? How could I possibly have a decreased ovarian reserve? Or poor egg quality???
I am terrified. I'm calling my OBGYN on Monday to find out my Day 3 levels and to get them to send them to my clinic. What I'm hoping is that I'll have normal FSH with high LH, which could mean that I just have PCOS. (Keep in mind, this potential diagnosis was done solely through the help of the internet. The nurse did not mention PCOS as one of the diagnosis options. So I don't know how likely it will be.)
I really really hope all it is is PCOS. Because if I have high FSH, that's it. We can't afford IVF, much less IVF with donor eggs!
The nurse said that next month we'll probably do a clomiphene challenge test. It's a test that gives an indication of your ovarian reserve... a test that is normally only done on women in their 40's!!! I can't believe this.
(Oh, and I love how nobody told me that they didn't have my Day 3 bloodwork, and that my hormone levels are COMPLETELY out of whack. I had to look at my own flippin chart and make her tell me something. Don't you think maybe this is worth a frickin PHONE CALL?!?!?!)
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