Our Journey

Septemberish 2006: Boy meets Girl.  Boy moves too slow, and doesn't ask Girl out even though she flirts shamelessly

January 2007: Girl gets sick of waiting and lets Boy's friend know she is interested.  Boy calls Girl that night and they go on their first date.

November 2008: Boy and Girl get married.  They decide they want a family right away, so they stop preventing.

December 2008: Boy enlists in the Army, and leaves for several months for Basic Combat Training.

August 2009: Boy comes home and picks up Girl and they drive across the country to their new home at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.  After casually not preventing for a couple of months, they get serious about baby-making.

December 2009-May 2010: Girl is concerned that something is wrong.  She starts charting her temperature every morning trying to get a handle on her cycle.  Everything seems normal since there are definite temperature shifts indicating normal ovulation.  Cycle averages anywhere from 24-28 days.  Boy isn't concerned, says they have plenty of time.  Girl is unsure.

June 2010: Boy leaves for a year-long deployment to Iraq.  Babymaking put on hold.

June 2011: Girl thinks that they may get to be one of the lucky couples that make a post-deployment baby (VERY common).  She is wrong.  She starts charting again.  At this point, most couple would go see a doctor, but Girl is afraid of what the doctors will say.

June - September 2011: Girl continues to chart temperatures and take supplements that she has ready might help with fertility.

October 2011: Boy and Girl travel back to the West coast on a PCS to Fort Lewis in Washington.

December 2011: Girl finally breaks down and makes an appointment to go to the infertility clinic on post to see if anything is wrong.  Girl goes through hormone testing and an internal ultrasound to check her ovaries.  She also has an HSG to see if her tubes are open.  Boy has his semen tested.  Follow-up appointment to discuss results is scheduled for the beginning of the year.

January 2012: Boy's test comes back normal.  Girl's tests come back normal, except one: the AMH test comes back low, meaning her ovarian reserve is no-good.  In short, she has the eggs of a woman going through menopause.  Doctor thinks the results are wrong since all other tests and the ultrasound came back normal.  Girl retests...this time, the result is good.  Doctors are happy.  Girl is unconvinced as to which test is the result of a lab error.  Doctor doesn't listen to Girl's concerns....ever.  Doctor's plan of action: start on Clomid (even though all signs point to Girl ovulating on her own and Clomid is designed to help a woman ovulate).

February 2012: First round of Clomid.  50mg CD 3-7.  Mid-cycle ultrasound shows that Girl ovulated.  Result: not pregnant.

March 2012: Doctor ups dosage of Clomid.  100mg CD 3-7.  Right side: 2 follicles (19.5 & 14). Left side: quiet.  No pregnancy.

April 2012: Clomid 100mg CD 3-7.  Right side: quiet.  Left side: 2 follicles (21 & 15.5).  HCG trigger shot to induce ovulation. IUI #1 on CD 11.  No pregnancy.

May 2012: Clomid 100mg CD 4-8.  HCG trigger shot.  IUI #2 on CD 15.  No pregnancy.

Late May 2012: Clomid 100mg CD 3-7.  Right side: 1 follicle (20).  Left side: 2 follicles (19.5 & 19).  HCG trigger shot.  IUI #3 on CD 12.  No pregnancy.

June 2012: Girl meets with Doctor to discuss further options.  He says Girl has 3 options:  IVF, a laparoscopy, or just continue on the same path.  Girl says she isn't ready for IVF, so she decides on surgery to rule out endometriosis.  In the meantime, Doctor says she can try Letrozole.

July 2012: Letrozole 5mg CD 5-9.  No pregnancy.

August 2012: Non-medicated cycle.

September 2012: Diagnostic laparoscopy & cystoscopy with chromopertubation.  Results all normal.  Girl knows this should be good news, but is disappointed that there are still no answers.  Asks Doctor if there are any other tests they are missing.  They say no.  She asks if they should look at progesterone since her luteal phase is on the shorter end.  Doctor says no.  He is totally non-useful.

October - December 2012: Girl decides to take a break for medication and pursue natural options for awhile.  She decides to put herself on progesterone cream to see if it makes any difference.  She also decides to try going gluten-free to see if it helps.

To be continued...

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