I was scheduled for check up with my OB last 2 February 2017.
According to her, my thyroid has improved but I have yet to continue taking on my Levothyroxine to help my thyroid hormones. And since my androgen level is still high (what else is new) as always, I am back to taking metformin. I really hate metformin not because it makes me dizzy, vomit or makes me visit to the washroom ( I actually like this part because I'm constipated) but because it makes my stomach feel the acidic like pain again. I have a phobia of it because of my gastroenteritis way back 2010 and I really struggle taking up this metformin. I have to take 500mg of it 3 times a day. Often times when I feel the pain, tendency is, I stop eating or I puke. No wonder, I lost weight just a week of taking the medicine. Oh, that's part of TTC and it is really hard. So, hello again metformin world.
My OB does not want me to take clomid anymore because we failed to conceive with it despite taking it for years. Thus, she wanted me to try letrozole or, according to google, femara (in the Philippines). I heard this femara thing back in my country so I was really wondering, are clomid and letrozole (or femara) not the same? Well, according to my research, they both aid in ovulation problem and helps women with PCOS but as my OB said if I fail to conceive with clomid then we better try a new fertility drug. And also, I found this image in google, so I am at peace now and okay for me to try letrozole.
I am to take letrozole in April after DHs scheduled semen analysis. My OB says it is better to wait for the new result of DHs sperm count before I take the medicine.
In the meantime, I have to repeat my hysterogram procedure. Oh sad and ouch, amp. I tried to tell OB that both my tubes are patent and I have also a DVD of the procedure for her to see but she said I have to redo it in preparation for our artificial insemination (IUI). Okay, for my little R, I will do it again. She even suggested if I want to do the laparascopy procedure just to check the inside of my abdominal and pelvic organs. I ask her if it is with anesthesia and she said with general anesthesia so I declined. I already have 6 surgeries which entails general anesthesia and the last thing I wanted to have is another of it to which she agreed.
We are really happy with all that is happening. I also did my first ever pap smear with my OB. I really thought it was painful because that is what I have heard so I am really hesitant to do it. When my OB did the procedure, I did not even notice it was all done. My OB is not a specialist in infertility but I like that she is very caring and sensitive with what we feel. For us, that is one of the most important thing when a couple do workup, an OBs TLC.
So, my OBs plan is to have my hysterogram. I need to call her on my first day of my period followed by a series of blood tests to check my progesterone level on days 21, 24 and 27 of my cycle. (Oh, so many needles) Afterwhich, I will start my letrozole in April and we will try 3 rounds of IUI. If and when IUI fails, then we have no other recourse but to try invitro fertilization (IVF). My OB will not perform the IUI and IVF procedures but she will refer us to a specialist in Moncton, New Brunswick (an almost 2 hours drive from Fredericton). New Brunswick has a clinic in Moncton specializing with infertility problems. The clinic's name is CONCEPTIA. Below is the schedule of fees which I downloaded in Conceptia's website in preparation with our TTC journey.
Back home, we were eyeing to fly to Taiwan just to have an IVF but we're so happy it is a drive-away now from our place to Conceptia. This time, we'll do it right, we'll stay in a hotel 2-3 days overnight, LOL. OB says we can ask help with New Brunswick Government for our IVF. I actually read that before we came here. The Government offers a one-time financial help for couples like us who is undergoing infertility problems as stated in New Brunswick's website HERE and I quote:
The fund will provide a one‑time grant to help alleviate the financial costs associated with infertility treatment. The fund allows individuals to claim up to 50 per cent of eligible incurred costs of in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination procedures as well as related pharmaceutical products, up to a maximum of $5,000.In order to qualify for the grant, a person must be:
- a full‑time resident of New Brunswick with a valid Medicare card; and
- have been diagnosed by a physician with fertility problems and have received infertility treatment after April 1, 2014.
Our New Brunswick healthcard will cover most of our infertility procedures while preparing ourselves with the IUI and/or IVF. Also, our Manulife medicare with our employer (both DH and I are employed with UPS Fredericton) will help us alleviate the cost of our procedures and fertility drugs. We add up a little cost in our medicare to take the maximum limit of our medicare to cover our infertility treatments.
All of these were all planned before and after we landed here in New Brunswick. DH and I sees to it that financial burden will no longer be in the picture while we do our workup again. To all these that are happening, we will forever be thankful to our second home country and most especially to our dear Father God for all His guidance and help with our TTC journey. We knew in our hearts that anytime soon, God will bless us with the desire of our hearts, our little R. A little more little R, a little more.
