Medical Update

It was brought to my attention this morning that I neglected to give you guys the update on our medical status last week - as it was happening. Apparently some people, my Dad, have grown dependent on the blog for updates... and well: friends in crisis, craft fairs, work, feeling ill, and everything else has had me completely zapped.

So here is the run down of where we are right now.

Let me give you a little historical information. In months past, when my testosterone level shot back up... and a cycle was cancelled... I'd be put back on the birth control pill, and within the first pack - my testosterone level would go back down from 40 to 20.

This time however, when our cycle was cancelled the testosterone level was at 44... after a month of being on the birth control pill, AND 2 weeks of Lupron (which is supposed to shut my body down from making ANY hormones on it's own)... my level is 42. FORTY TWO! Which means that it has only gone down two "points" since we were cancelled.

When I talked to the nurse at the doctor's office - they were ready to start stimulating for the next cycle... but we also have the knowledge that there is a slight possibility that my level could go up once we start stimulating regardless of being on the Lupron shots. The possibility is much less than not being on those shots, but it is there.

So after some discussion with John... we decided to not start immediately back on the stimulation shots this week. (We would have started them today) We instead opted to go back and recheck my blood work again on Friday and see if there is any change. We honestly would like for my testosterone level to come down much more significantly.

Our hope would be that it would come down to a level around 20 so that should it start going back up a little with the stimulation drugs - that we'd have some room for that to happen without having to cancel the cycle completely.

So, I go on Friday to check my labs again, and we'll see where we are from there.

In good news from those lab results... based on the two glucose and insulin levels that were taken... I'm still hanging in there with controlled levels on both of those. Apparently, those levels being high can also cause your testosterone level to rise, but that isn't a hurdle that we have to worry about right now. Which is good news! It also means that my current course of treatment - is holding steady enough to where we don't need to add anymore drugs at this time.

I suspect that when/if I do become pregnant - that I will have to add some sort of insulin to my regimen for the safety of myself and the baby. For now, however - we are doing good on that front.

The only complaint right now is that the Lupron shots just might be killing me slowly... over dramatic, party of one...

I know... it's not that bad, but it isn't that great either. These shots are killer. Everyday when I take it at 5... I literally can feel it hit my blood stream. By literally feel it, I mean instant nausea... and headaches. The kind where I literally have to lay down and not even THINK about food. It's not fun... but yes, it is worth it if it helps us to our goal. I just know that it's frustrating for John - because if it doesn't happen before I take my shot... there is a strong chance that it's not going to happen at all.