Infertility Support Group
In vitro fertilization is one of the most common and utilized ways of treating conception problems. This support group is dedicated to those beginning their journey with IVF and needing support. Join the community and share your experiences, advice, and story with people going through similar challenges starting a family.
Hi all. I'm new to TTC and the realm of infertility and need some straight talk from others that have been here (please!).
I will be 36 this year. Have no children. My partner (who has 2 kids from a prev. marriage), and I have decided to try. My last cycle with Nuvaring was Nov 2008. I was on it for almost 7 years. I have a history of being very irregular and anovulatory prior to that.
In an effort to be proactive about getting that BFP, I saw my GYN last Tues. who ordered CD3 tests for me. Well, CD3 was on Sunday, so I went first thing Monday morning to the lab. Got the results yesterday:
Fasting Insulin, glucose, and thyroid stimulating hormone all in normal ranges (so that's good)... however:
FSH was 5.5
Estradiol was 94
She said my estradiol is high and they "like" to see numbers below 60 for that. When I pressed her for what that MEANS she kind of danced around it, but indicated that it's a reference of my ovarian reserve.
Not happy with that explanation, I've made an appt. in March to see a fertility specialist/reproductive endocrinologist for a second opinion and more info. But - from what I'm reading on the internet, high estradiol seems like a death sentence, in that if my ovarian reserve IS compromised, then I will likely not respond well to fertility drugs or IUI or IVF (which I'm not even sure I'm willing to go that far).
I understand that I'm older and I knew there would be a greater chance of these issues showing up, but I'm confused about all the info out there and feel like I'm not getting a straight answer from my GYN. (She said "well, keep trying and tracking your cycles and we'll see what happens within 6 months." - but if my eggs are compromised because of my age, isn't another 6 months just going to make it worse??)
Sorry so long... I'm just exasperated and feel like I'm doomed from the start. Any comments, advice, words of wisdom would be much appreciated!
I will be 36 this year. Have no children. My partner (who has 2 kids from a prev. marriage), and I have decided to try. My last cycle with Nuvaring was Nov 2008. I was on it for almost 7 years. I have a history of being very irregular and anovulatory prior to that.
In an effort to be proactive about getting that BFP, I saw my GYN last Tues. who ordered CD3 tests for me. Well, CD3 was on Sunday, so I went first thing Monday morning to the lab. Got the results yesterday:
Fasting Insulin, glucose, and thyroid stimulating hormone all in normal ranges (so that's good)... however:
FSH was 5.5
Estradiol was 94
She said my estradiol is high and they "like" to see numbers below 60 for that. When I pressed her for what that MEANS she kind of danced around it, but indicated that it's a reference of my ovarian reserve.
Not happy with that explanation, I've made an appt. in March to see a fertility specialist/reproductive endocrinologist for a second opinion and more info. But - from what I'm reading on the internet, high estradiol seems like a death sentence, in that if my ovarian reserve IS compromised, then I will likely not respond well to fertility drugs or IUI or IVF (which I'm not even sure I'm willing to go that far).
I understand that I'm older and I knew there would be a greater chance of these issues showing up, but I'm confused about all the info out there and feel like I'm not getting a straight answer from my GYN. (She said "well, keep trying and tracking your cycles and we'll see what happens within 6 months." - but if my eggs are compromised because of my age, isn't another 6 months just going to make it worse??)
Sorry so long... I'm just exasperated and feel like I'm doomed from the start. Any comments, advice, words of wisdom would be much appreciated!
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The high estradiol can mask the FSH a little bit, so yours might not truly be as low as it registered. But there are other things that can make estradiol elevated--a cyst for example.
I would definitely pursue seeing the reproductive endocrinologist--I think one of the things many women on here have said is that they wish they had started treatment sooner, so that's what you're doing. And gyns can be good, but really, this isn't their specialty to moving on is probably a good idea.
My best advice (being a true infertility treatment veteran, damn) is to take everything one day at a time. It's all you can do with anything in your life, but is especially sanity-saving during infertility battles.
Good luck, and you've found a really great place for support and information!
Unfortunately, as AshleyPen mentioned, I am one of those who wishes I'd started treatment sooner. Simply having a consultation with an RE was a tremendous relief.
Prepare some questions you will leave with answers to all of them. And the ladies here are always a wealth of information as needed!
And please don't ever stop asking questions! Find a RE who will engage in conversation with you about your concerns and give you straight answers about test results (at least a range of what they expect to see, and reasons why your results, if outside the range, might be happening). I made another mistake of staying with my 1st RE too long because he was supposed to be so good, but he was really awful about dealing with my questions. Finally, I interviewed 2 others and was so pleased with the RE I chose!
Good luck to you - and try and stay hopeful, even though it can be so tough sometimes. DS is a great place for support, and you'll find stories of many who have gotten pregnant despite the odds...
My appointment with the RE isn't until March 25, which seems like a painfully long wait, but I know I'll get there! It's going to be a long month. *sigh*