Next steps

So...Picking up where I left off before. We were getting ready to find out if there was an actual reason (or two) why I have not gotten pregnant in the last 14 months.

My husband - N - had a semen analysis on September 30th. Lucky him! I wasn't here - I was traveling and was coming home the next day. Fortunately, we are blessed with a local academic medical center - where everything can be taken care of in one location. So he went in and completed his "deposit".

We picked up the results the next Friday - 3 days before I had my reproductive endocrinology appointment. Unfortunately, neither of us knows much about semen analysis. All we knew was that some of the numbers looked "off" and that it wasn't reading like a normal analysis. But, of course, we didn't know what was wrong and whether it was fixable. So I know I worried about it all weekend - we were off visiting N's parents. I don't know whether he did, but I'm sure it was in his thoughts.

I took the results with me on Monday when I went to the clinic for what turned out to be a very long initial appointment. First with the nurse, then the medical student, then the attending, then another nurse...

Anyway, apparently the diabetes on my side is NOT the reason we are not getting pregnant. Which is good - because I just couldn't figure out how that would be causing all of the problems. Instead, it looks as though we have some "male factor" issues related to motility (mainly) that could be causing our problems.

I have an appointment with regular endocrinology next Tuesday, and I fully expect them to say that I need to treat this like diabetes, even though my numbers are completely borderline. I have an appointment with the nutritionist after the endo appointment - and I'm sure that there I will learn that I have to cut back on my beloved bread, cookies, and ice cream. *sigh* Not that I was eating THAT well while working on the dissertation, but it's always whole grains, and, well..*sigh* I do love my carbs. But I'll get over it in the interest of living a little longer.

Anyway, the reproductive endocrinology people were remarkably straightforward about our next steps. I have to have a hysterosalpingogram on my next cycle, and on that same cycle (assuming all is well) we are going to start unmedicated IUI's. They said that I don't seem to have any problems ovulating and since sperm motility may be an issue, halving the distance to the egg might just work for us. Of course, if it doesn't, then we have to revisit the issue, but if it does, yay!

The whole HSG thing is because a) they only did an ultrasound about a month ago, and it doesn't show you anything about the fallopian tubes, and b) I might have a septate uterus. Weird, eh? I never thought there was anything structurally 'off' about me, but that just goes to show that you can't know anything from just the outside. ;)

So we'll see - I am happy about this course of action. Of course, they want the DM to be controlled, and it will be (I hope) with medication and careful monitoring. But I'm also happy that they have options for us here. AND, even better! I am still on my old insurance so I am not reducing the amount available on my soon-to-be-new insurance for infertility. So that is good. No, that is GREAT.

In other news, I have to call the grad college tomorrow. I forgot to take a phrase out of my dissertation in 3 places and I need to see if I can reprint 4 pages and bring them in tomorrow. *sigh* Such a doofus, I am. And I waited and waited today for my adviser to email me, but she was away for a few days. So, *sigh*. Dumb me. Hopefully the grad college will be in a forgiving mood (especially since it is not anything substantive...).