What happened in 2014?

Since I last wrote on this blog, a lot has happened.  For one I feel more knowledgeable regarding infertility and the process of getting pregnant.  A quick update as far as what went on in 2014.  The last post I wrote was about being referred to a fertility specialist (FS).  I ended up cancelling my appointment with them as I was starting to receive all these bills for the surgery I had in 2013.  I briefly touched based about my surgery in the “infertility story” post.  Here’s what occurred in 2014 and first off I’d like to say I didn’t forget about this blog, I just got distracted as usual.

In January I was referred to a FS which I cancelled the appointment a week before I was scheduled to go.  I started doing more research about how the body becomes pregnant and googling my symptoms (sx) more.  I came across few blogs, articles, post or even vlogs where my experience matched others.  Still, occasionally if I googled one sx I would come across an forum where tons of women were experiencing my one sx.  I was having mid cycle bleeding/spotting in my last half of my cycles.  I was not getting pos opks and I was continuing Basel body temping (bbt charting).

I came across a forum where a women shared her experience with a supplement called “Symplex F”.  I was initially very intrigued to try the supplement although no vitamin store in town stocked it.  I began looking elsewhere as you can imagine and came across the supplement on Amazon.  I purchased it and received it in March of 2014 where I started 3 pills a day.  In may I experienced my first “normal” cycle ever in my life.  Here’s how my last 7 cycles have gone since April of 2014.

Apr/May= 40 day cycle w/ pos opk and confirmed O on cd 23.  *I was ecstatic when I received the pos opk.  I took maybe 20 in the span of 24 hrs lol.  But the excitement quickly faded each passing day when I received BFN after BFN and then af started.

May/Jul= 38 day cycle w/ pos opk cd 26, confirmed O on cd 29. *When the cycle started I was excited to finally be able to stop and start a “flow” and complete a cycle.  I continued to take the supplements and at this point it I was taking them for 4 months.  Again the excitement faded with each passing BFN and then an “early” af.

July/Aug= 35 day cycle w/ pos opk on cd27 and confirmed O on cd 29.  *I was shocked when I ovulated on the same day.  I was even more shocked when af came after only a 35 day cycle.  How depressing.  I began reading information online once again and determined that you should only take supplements for at the most 3 months or you may adapt to them and cause further issues.  I was too scared to stop them though and instead I began taking maca root.  I didn’t even have a chance to test for pregnancy that cycle but silly me and reading the conflicting stories of women having “early” afs in early pregnancy I tested until my af stopped on the following cd 7.

Aug/Sept= 39 day cycle w/ pos opk 27 and 28! Confirmed O on cd 29.  *I was thrilled the maca seemed to be working.  Again oing on the same cd as the previous 2 cycles but just as the previous months my excitement soon became dread when I began spotting on cd 29-cd31.  I began reading more information online about spotting around ovulation and noticed that every site/blog/article claimed it was a good thing to spot during O as it shows a “strong ovulation” (their words not mine).  Of course the thrill of thinking I O’d big time quickly faded as everything else had when the spotting returned on cd 35 and I spotted until af showed.  I assumed I needed to use progesterone cream and decided I would try to go without the supplements.  So I stopped them all but the prenatal.

Sept/Nov= 47 day cycle w/ pos opk 18/19 and confirmed O on cd 19. *I thought for sure I was pregnant this cycle.  I did use the progesterone cream from cd 22-36.  When af didn’t show I began testing like a mad women.  I feared stopping the progesterone was a bad idea but I stuck to my guns and decided if I got a pos hpt I would start using it again.  I tested every morning from cd 31-47.  Spotting did begin on cd 38 but again all those conflicting stories of women having a what they thought was a period was a sign of pregnancy.  However, a 100 negative tests later and my flow still had not started.  I was beyond frustrated and the morning of what would have been cd 48 I started a “flow” and knew af was here.

Nov/Dec= 37 day cycle w/ suspected O on cd 22. *I was so heartbroken by the previous cycle that I completely stopped temping, testing w/ opks and taking the supplements.  I cried for about 2 weeks until I thought, “What if this would be the cycle I could conceive and have a normal cycle?”… so with that I started temping again.  It was too late to use opks as I buy them online so I order a bundle that wouldn’t arrive until mid Dec.  I received the temp rise on cd 22 and temped for the next 3 days where my temp stated elevated.  I stopped temping at that point and when I was around 5 dpo I started lightly spotting brown.  It was the first time I suspected implantation in my entire TTC journey.  I began to get excited which quickly faded as typical when the spotting didn’t stop and my “flow” began on what would have been cd 38.

Dec/Jan= 35 day cycle w/ pos opk on cd 26-28, FF gives me CH on cd 26? *I was happy again when I received the pos opk on cd 26 but once again I experienced some spotting on cd 28 which triggered me to test again with an opk to see what was going on and that’s why there is a split from cd 26-28 where I tested.  I started using progesterone cream again on cd 29.  The spotted didn’t stop.  At times it seemed to let up but ultimately it never stopped until I woke up to a flow on what would have been cd 36.  So another bust.

Jan/Feb= I am still on this cycle.  All I can say at this point is I am on cd 3 and I have discovered a new supplement licorice root.  There was hardly any information out there on this supplement aside from having estrogen and progesterone balancing assistance.  I will write a separate posts for all these supplements I have tired but I’m just hoping my cycle becomes normal.  I am now nearly 30 and still ttc #1.  I have no idea how much longer this journey is going to take me and I am nowhere near ready to give up.  I am in the process of finding a new doctor but I am hesitant as I don’t want my weight and hx to be pushed in my face as my issue at hand.

Let’s not give up ladies.