After about 8 months of trying, I couldn’t shake a feeling of helplessness and decided enough was enough. I took myself off to the doctors, where my GP advised that if I’m really that worried about things then I need to come back after a year of trying with no luck. In amongst all of this, for some weird reason, I would start to spot for around 5-10 days before my period would show up. I’m adamant I must have a LP deficiency (Luteal Phase – the time between ovulation and your period starting again), however with all the tests that have been carried out at the doctor’s and hospital – no one agrees with me!? However, my GP did say that if I didn’t want to wait, then come back after 10 months. This is because with all the tests that they would need a couple to do, and waiting for results, then by the time they all come back then it would be over the year-mark. Which is exactly what we did!
 |
| In amidst the constant doctors appointment and tests, we still made time for Date Night! |
Anyway, they also test for other things – such as chlamydia* (thanks hun, I’m sure all those grotty one-night-standers who get knocked up all get tested for the same!) and rubella. My rubella was effectively “out of date,” so I had to get a refresher injection done just to “top me up”! They were also happy that I was ovulating, despite getting mixed reading each month from my OPKs (Ovulation Predictor Kit).
 |
| One of the many bruises I received from multiple blood tests! |
J, unfortunately, had to do his part still. Yep, he had to go in a cup. Sounds easy, right?! Nope. It had to be no more than an hour old, and he had to keep it in his pocket to keep it warm, too! Then he had to race it up to the hospital before the hour-mark – and he doesn’t even drive either! Factor in a whole lot of road works that were happening at this time, and an hour was definitely not enough time! The hospital does provide a room for men to go in and do their part, but talk about being put on the spot, knowing what other men have got up to in that room?! And on top of all of this, he had to do two samples, each a month apart, to be able to get a true result from his samples.
Of course, nothing is ever simple in the world of fertility. The hospital lost one of J’s samples, so he had to do another a month later. I had another set of bloods taken, which again was subsequently misplaced, so then another set taken. I had a call while I was on a hen do in Marbella at the time, and remember I had to have them taken on the third week of my cycle – which I was of course on at the time! I vividly remember breaking down on the phone to them in my hotel room, explaining that I couldn’t give a sample that month as I was away in Spain – meaning that I was yet again pushed back another month to wait for the next available window. I was gutted.
Can you believe then, that after all of these tests and waiting around – and bear in mind we started testing in March 2017 – that we didn’t get our results back until FIVE MONTHS later at the end of August. And it was not good news.
All of my results came back normal. “Great!” I hear you say. But still do this day I am convinced that I have mild PCOS symptoms. I’ve always had oily, spotty skin – and I’m at the tail-end of my twenties now, come on!! Despite being quite fair, I have quite dark body hair – another trait of women with PCOS. And whilst I’m by no means overweight, I know that I could be fitter and slimmer, but no matter how hard I pushed myself at the gym and with my diet, I have never been able to shift the pounds! Like at all, I mean. Throw in my weird ovulation results, and oh look! Women with PCOS struggle to ovulate each month. Hmm. Coincidence? I think not.
It was another story for J unfortunately. Whilst they were really pleased with his sperm count, his morphology (the shape and formation) came back a whoppingly-low rate of only 2-3%. So in other words, about 97% of his swimmers are misshapen, or have a deformed head or tail. The normal morphology rate for men is actually around 14% and up, which doesn’t sound like a lot at all! But obviously this all impacts on how well they swim to meet the egg – and ours were effectively duff. I was so sad for him. But if you know J, you know that nothing bothers him, and his attitude and mentality about this whole journey has been incredibly strong! What a hero.
With these results, our GP informed us that she would be referring us for assisted conception. Finally, it was the words we were waiting to hear – and we were at the finish line! Or so it seemed...
We were officially infertile.
KEB x
*In case you’re wondering, I was clear of STDs. Obvs.
Post a Comment