Dr. Appointment Number 1

One thing I really hate about moving is finding new doctors, new dentists, new dry cleaners and new stylists. But, I really lucked out with this new doctor. I'll confess, I want to be her BFF.

When I went into Dr. P's office, armed with my one cycle of charting (a la Taking Charge of Your Fertility) and showed her that I was on day 72 of my cycle, she suggested we do a quick pregnancy test to be safe. Even thought I had taken a test the morning before, my heart beat quickly as I was waiting for the results. It was negative, and I had suspected. Step two was the vaginal ultrasound. Dr. P came into the ultrasound room with me; and when the technician told her it might be a minute, she said, "I'll wait in here, I don't want to miss this." :)

Although it all looked like static to me, the ultrasound revealed my chocolate chip cookie cysts that "are consistent with PCOS." Up until this minute, I had never heard of PCOS.

Dr. P wanted me to continue to chart my cycle, adding ovulation predictor tests, and return in three months. She gave me a bit of hope at the end of our hour long appointment, saying, "You might even be pregnant by then."

My Story--The Beginning

I would be finishing my Master's Degree in June, so we decided to start trying. In an effort to prepare my body, I stopped taking BC in October, but we weren't having unprotected sex until January. I also started taking a prenatal vitamin daily. After being on BC since 2002 (more on that later), I thought it reasonable to allow my body time to cleanse itself of all the extra hormones. I was having regular cycles Oct-Jan, so all systems were go. 

One of my besties texted me on New Year's Day "Happy Babymaking!" So many of my sweet friends had told me they got pregnant quicker than they thought, I thought it would likely be just as easy for me. And, January, Febuary, March and April went by.

Around this time, a friend of mine passed Taking Charge of Your Fertility to me. She had a bun in her oven, and attributed it all to reading the book, charting her cycle, and and one month of Clomid. This book opened my eyes to charting my cycle through temperature, vaginal fluid, and cervical position. I learned so much about my body and my cycle that no one ever told me. In fact, several of my friends who have read it agree this book should be required reading for every married woman. (I'll have a whole blog dedicated to this book soon.)

My first chart revealed that I had a cycle that lasted 72 days. Most of March, April and May went by without ovulation (an anovulatory cycle).  First signs of distress, and cue my first doctor's appointment.

The Irony of It All

My story is not unique, but frustrating all the same.  SJ and I have been together for over 12 years; married for 3. We actively prevented pregnancy to wait, so that I could complete graduate school, so that we could be in a "better place" financially, so that we could be ready.

So, now it's time to add a sweet baby to our family.

Let's just say, I'm very much a baby person. I'm an elementary teacher. I have many little ones in my life. If there is a little one in the room, it's most likely that I will be holding the baby or playing a game with the tot soon. SJ also loves little ones; he's great with his neices and my many, many cousins. He's fantasized about being his son's t-ball coach. He's ready, I'm ready, we're ready.

And...I have PCOS. I'm gaining weight, developing acne, have a never-ending period, rarely ovulate, and according to my doctor, my ovaries look like chocolate chips.  To me there is just something ironic about all of it.