Gearing up again

I have reached cycle day 9 and this weekend we will start trying again. It's crazy how fast time flies. I just got back from a pre-anniversary weekend getaway at a family friends cabin. Just me and the husband and our dog Bailey. It was a perfect getaway. Surrounded by trees - no one around. Just us and nature. It was so peaceful. In the mornings, we'd sit on the porch and watch the deer play and graze right in front of us! It was almost out of a storybook. So yeah, needless to say it was very nice and much needed.

  Now I am back to the grind and prepping to start up again this month. I have weaned myself off steroids and will be off of them for a solid week until I start up again around ovulation. That will give my body a little break in between. I've been on the plaquenil now for a little over 2 months now. I am really hoping it's taking effect in my system. They say it can take up to 3 months for it to be at it's strongest...but I hope this is still enough time to make a difference. I am a small person, so hopefully that will work to my advantage.

  I will be doing another course of intralipids again this month - so I have to obviously time ovulation accordingly again. I will start testing the OPK's on thursday. The last cycle ended so weird, and my period was just bizarre - so I hope I can predict everything ok this cycle - and that things have sorted themselves out down there. It's hard to predict ovulation when you have wonky cycles sometimes.

 Anyway, so here we go again. I am bracing myself for another very long two/three weeks. I am going to try not to stress, although I said that last month and by the end of it all - I completely disregarded that rule. It's hard sometimes to not get all worked up when you are trying so hard to make something work, and it doesn't. So I will just take things one step at a time and see where the road leads this time. Will update when I know more. :)

Post op appt/Dr. Switch

Today I went to my post op appt. Everything went as I expected - no endometriosis to be found and everything looked great in there. So I can officially cross that off the list of things. So before I get started with the appt. I had quite an interesting week. I have been pounding the pavement to find a doctor to prescribe me Plaquenil. (hydroxychloroquine). ((the drug I have been wanting my specialist to prescribe to me)). I knew she wasn't going to - so I contacted my primary care doctor about it. He took a step further than my specialist would - and actually researched it for me, however, he felt he couldn't prescribe me something on the basis of what I wanted to use it for (infertility) since he knew nothing about it. Which is understandable and at least he was willing to look into it for me which I appreciated.

  So I contacted my fertility specialist again (shot in the dark) attempt and she yet again shot me down. She suggested I see a rheumatologist and that she cannot help me in getting it. Ok. FINE. So I made an appt with a rheumatologist for the 9th of August. NOW. Today I went to my post op and talked with my doctor there. He is very nice, and actually listens to me and my concerns. I told him about plaquenil and stated the reasons why I felt it would benefit me. And guess what. HE is going to prescribe it to me!!!!! On top of that - he wants to care for my issues and wants me to entrust him in my pregnancy journey. He is not an immunologist - and isn't too familiar with how it relates to pregnancy loss - HOWEVER - he isn't opposed to giving me the right medication he feels will help suppress my immune system during pregnancy. So on top of the plaquenil, I will be on a low dose steroid which my fertility dr wanted to put me on anyway. We will retest the TNF levels in a month and see where we are at.

  FINALLY I found a doctor who understands and is willing to help me!! And thinks outside the box!! I couldn't be more thrilled! So I get to start this medication tonight!!! I am not saying this is going to be my miracle drug - but it's definitely worth a shot!!! And for the steroid and plaquenil - it cost me a total of $14!!! Sure beats the $2500 per shot of IVIg if it works!! God I hope it works!! It's my last ditch effort to try and do this without breaking my bank account. Praying for miracles over here!

  Anyway, so that's the latest and greatest! I will keep you posted on how it's all going! But woooohoooooooooooooo for the Plaquenil! Finally!!!!