I began reading my book about thyroid disease while away for my husbands birthday with his family. I wasn't the most social but I couldn't help it. The book seemed to simplify the fact that if you were hypothyroid you could just take a tablet and you would be feeling better.
I did some more researching online and from what I understand most people who are hypothyroid have something called hashimotos, where your immune system is attacking your thyroid gland. Not cool at all!
I then began reading into hashimotos and I saw that there are links between hashimotos/hypothyroidism and polycystic ovaries and endometriosis. As a person who apparently has all three this clicked with me. If the hashimotos is causing the hypothyroidism, then couldn't it be causing the polycystic ovaries and endometriosis?
After reading a blog about hashimotos, (http://hopeforhashimotosdisease.blogspot.com.au/) I decided to change my multivitamins from Conceive well gold to individual selenium and vitamin e in the morning, and a probiotic, folate and vitamin d in the evening. This blog also links an allergic reaction to milk to the cause of her hashimotos so I'm going to try to cut down on milk and see how I go. Also the general consensus on hypothyroidism is that you should cut right back on gluten so here I go!
Sunday 29 June 2014
Some results..
The morning after my GTT and other blood tests I went to the GP for something else. He happened to have my results. Gulp.
I have a bad habit of reading things over my drs shoulders on the computer screen. Maybe I'm paranoid, who knows. I read the results as he clicked each screen.
Progesterone 21 : 50
GTT: normal
Thyroid: subclinical hypothyroid ( FSH 5)
I was psyched not to be diabetic. I'd read a library book about diabetes cover to cover in case I had it. I also got a book about thyroid disease but didn't get to read that one. Of course I didn't!
I was over the moon about my progesterone level. It meant I'd ovulated and would be the correct level to support a baby.
I had no idea what hypothyroid meant. I asked the doctor what I should do about it and he said they would continue to monitor it.
I googled my life away that afternoon as from what I understand in order to conceive your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) should be 1-2. So clearly, with a level of 5 I would not conceive.
My next GYNO appt is not for another 3 weeks so this wait should be interesting!
I have a bad habit of reading things over my drs shoulders on the computer screen. Maybe I'm paranoid, who knows. I read the results as he clicked each screen.
Progesterone 21 : 50
GTT: normal
Thyroid: subclinical hypothyroid ( FSH 5)
I was psyched not to be diabetic. I'd read a library book about diabetes cover to cover in case I had it. I also got a book about thyroid disease but didn't get to read that one. Of course I didn't!
I was over the moon about my progesterone level. It meant I'd ovulated and would be the correct level to support a baby.
I had no idea what hypothyroid meant. I asked the doctor what I should do about it and he said they would continue to monitor it.
I googled my life away that afternoon as from what I understand in order to conceive your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) should be 1-2. So clearly, with a level of 5 I would not conceive.
My next GYNO appt is not for another 3 weeks so this wait should be interesting!
GTT ... after a nightshift :(
I calculated 7 days after my ovulation date (which is when you need to get your progesterone check, technically 21 days of a regular cycle, if you ovulated on day 14). Unfortunately I work nightshift and so when I called the collection facility to see if I could get it done when I woke up that afternoon I was told a flat "no". I did my best to convince them that because it would be morning for me that it should be okay but I had no luck. So after fasting from 8pm, I worked all night till 5am (STARVING) and went to sleep around 6.00am, getting up at 7.30am for an 8.00am appt. You can imagine how I was feeling. I was exhausted and starving.
I walked in there and was quickly given me first blood test (1 vial for the gtt, another vial for the other tests). I don't look when they take my blood as I've fainted at the sight of blood before. After my first test my head started spinning like I was going to faint. Oh great I thought, I'm diabetic, surely this is the kind of thing that they feel? I was then given a glucose drink which tasted like flat lemonade. I'd heard terrible things about it being sickly sweet but maybe it was the fact that I was desperate for sugar but I loved it at that moment. I had to drink it within a few minutes so that was a bit tricky when I was feeling like rubbish but I managed.
I was then told to sit in the waiting area for an hour. I was collected after an hour and more blood taken. I was then told to sit for another hour. I was called again and more blood taken. I was excited about my meal by this point.
On the walk home I got a footlong sub and it was AMAZING.
I walked in there and was quickly given me first blood test (1 vial for the gtt, another vial for the other tests). I don't look when they take my blood as I've fainted at the sight of blood before. After my first test my head started spinning like I was going to faint. Oh great I thought, I'm diabetic, surely this is the kind of thing that they feel? I was then given a glucose drink which tasted like flat lemonade. I'd heard terrible things about it being sickly sweet but maybe it was the fact that I was desperate for sugar but I loved it at that moment. I had to drink it within a few minutes so that was a bit tricky when I was feeling like rubbish but I managed.
I was then told to sit in the waiting area for an hour. I was collected after an hour and more blood taken. I was then told to sit for another hour. I was called again and more blood taken. I was excited about my meal by this point.
On the walk home I got a footlong sub and it was AMAZING.
Then I went to the OBGYN
After being told that my ovaries appeared borderline polycystic by my GP, I had a bit of a tantrum when he more-a-less told me that I had PCOS. I did some reading and saw that some people had polycystic ovaries without the syndrome. I don't have problems with my weight, excessive hair or high testosterone so I couldn't figure out how I could have the syndrome.
I went along to a new OBGYN and showed him all of my details, including hormone blood tests, ultrasounds and basically my entire gynae history. I had written all of my questions on a piece of paper and he answered each of my questions. He said that our first plan of action would be to complete more blood tests, including a GTT (glucose tolerance test), thyroid tests AMH test and progesterone 21 test. Oh and my husband would need a blood test and a semen test. Lucky guy.
He said that after that we would need to book in a laparoscopy (remove any endometriosis adhesions) including a hysterosalpingogram (where they put dye to check your tubes).
So I checked my ovulation date and a booked in my GTT a week later...
I went along to a new OBGYN and showed him all of my details, including hormone blood tests, ultrasounds and basically my entire gynae history. I had written all of my questions on a piece of paper and he answered each of my questions. He said that our first plan of action would be to complete more blood tests, including a GTT (glucose tolerance test), thyroid tests AMH test and progesterone 21 test. Oh and my husband would need a blood test and a semen test. Lucky guy.
He said that after that we would need to book in a laparoscopy (remove any endometriosis adhesions) including a hysterosalpingogram (where they put dye to check your tubes).
So I checked my ovulation date and a booked in my GTT a week later...
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Let's start at the beginning
When I was a girl I loved dolls. I was obsessed with all things baby and had a porcelain doll with beans inside to make it feel more 'real'. His name was David. I had a second-hand pram for David and a toy cot. My best friend Amy purchased her own porcelain doll and many a day was spent caring for our babies. I asked my mum countless times to have a baby. She laughed at me.
When I was about 12 I convinced my mum to borrow a BTIO (Baby Think It Over Doll) from the school where she worked so that I could look after it for a weekend. I set up my childhood cot and took it everywhere with me. It was great.
As I grew older I began working and my desire for a baby went on the backburner. I hoped to get married, and then have babies. My periods were mostly regular and I had cramping at that time of the month, which was normal, I thought. I went on the pill to prevent pregnancy (LOL).
When I was 19 I met my now husband, Chris. Everything was wonderful. I had some more abdominal cramps so I went to the doctor who ordered an ultrasound. That ultrasound found a cyst on one of my ovaries.
Despite taking the contraceptive pill, which was supposed to stop the cyst from growing, then cyst got bigger and my doctor recommended it be removed. During the laparoscopy the gynaecologist noted that I had mild endometriosis and burnt it off. I had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and had to be readmitted to the hospital. The gynaecologist told me that the sooner I had children the better my chances were of being able to have them.
I stayed on the pill for the next 7 years, skipping the sugar pills to avoid periods, though I did have breakthrough spotting most of the time so it didn't really work!
In December 2012 I went off the pill (after getting married) and visited the gynaecologist to discuss my risks, and he performed an internal ultrasound, telling me that everything was normal. We decided to monitor my periods and try to conceive for the next year.
For the next year my periods were irregular. One month it came, then not for two months and then two months in a row and then not till two months after. In January 2014 my periods became regular after I started taking vitex and stopped eating meat after some digestive problems. They came every month (31-34 days) and I began taking OPKs (test strips you wee on to test the LH level in your urine) and taking my basal body temperature when I woke up each morning.
Most months I got a positive LH test around day 20 and then my BBT spiked around day 22 and stayed elevated till day 34.
I decided to go back to the gynaecologist as I've been timing BD to just after my positive OPK for several months to no avail. I asked my GP to send me for an ultrasound to take with me to the GYNO. I was told after this appointment that my ovaries are 'borderline polycystic'. This absolutely devastated me...
When I was about 12 I convinced my mum to borrow a BTIO (Baby Think It Over Doll) from the school where she worked so that I could look after it for a weekend. I set up my childhood cot and took it everywhere with me. It was great.
As I grew older I began working and my desire for a baby went on the backburner. I hoped to get married, and then have babies. My periods were mostly regular and I had cramping at that time of the month, which was normal, I thought. I went on the pill to prevent pregnancy (LOL).
When I was 19 I met my now husband, Chris. Everything was wonderful. I had some more abdominal cramps so I went to the doctor who ordered an ultrasound. That ultrasound found a cyst on one of my ovaries.
Despite taking the contraceptive pill, which was supposed to stop the cyst from growing, then cyst got bigger and my doctor recommended it be removed. During the laparoscopy the gynaecologist noted that I had mild endometriosis and burnt it off. I had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and had to be readmitted to the hospital. The gynaecologist told me that the sooner I had children the better my chances were of being able to have them.
I stayed on the pill for the next 7 years, skipping the sugar pills to avoid periods, though I did have breakthrough spotting most of the time so it didn't really work!
In December 2012 I went off the pill (after getting married) and visited the gynaecologist to discuss my risks, and he performed an internal ultrasound, telling me that everything was normal. We decided to monitor my periods and try to conceive for the next year.
For the next year my periods were irregular. One month it came, then not for two months and then two months in a row and then not till two months after. In January 2014 my periods became regular after I started taking vitex and stopped eating meat after some digestive problems. They came every month (31-34 days) and I began taking OPKs (test strips you wee on to test the LH level in your urine) and taking my basal body temperature when I woke up each morning.
Most months I got a positive LH test around day 20 and then my BBT spiked around day 22 and stayed elevated till day 34.
I decided to go back to the gynaecologist as I've been timing BD to just after my positive OPK for several months to no avail. I asked my GP to send me for an ultrasound to take with me to the GYNO. I was told after this appointment that my ovaries are 'borderline polycystic'. This absolutely devastated me...
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