The Version with Paragraphs (and more info)
Thanks for the support and info, guys.
Now that I have access to a computer with a keyboard, here's the full scoop:
Estrogen - 42.9
Prolactin - 9.8
FSH - 11.6
(The above is quoted directly from my voicemail - I don't know whether they tested estradiol or not, because she said "estrogen". I'll call tomorrow.) Nurse Cheery also said, with regard to the FSH, "this is in the gray area, but it does mean you'll want to start LH testing earlier". In my state of shock, when I called back, I mostly focused on this statement. It ended up being one of the least informative and most irritating interactions I've ever had with her, even though she was trying to be reassuring.
Me: What do you mean, "gray area"? From the little that's bouncing around in my brain, I thought 11 was a BAD number.
NC: Well, it's not great, but it's not horrible. It doesn't mean you're not going to get pregnant.
Me: Ok.... What do you mean, "start testing earlier" and why?
NC: When you have elevated FSH you can have trouble popping out the eggs. Sometimes you will ovulate earlier than expected. Other times it can be later. It just means you're going to pee on a lot of sticks.
Me: I already do that and we think we've been catching the surge. Would we want to supercede a natural surge and do a trigger?
NC: Not necessarily. We want to make sure we don't miss anything. And again, it doesn't mean you're not going to get pregnant. We should have you come in for an ultrasound around CD10 to see if there's a follicle developing.
Me: We already did that and saw the follicle each of the last two cycles.
NC: (no response)
We went on like that for a few more minutes but all I could really get out of her was that we have no idea if my eggs are good or not but I may or may not have trouble ovulating. Which isn't a helluva lot more information than we already had. In fact, it's less... since going into this testing we all (including the RE) thought it was pretty likely I was ovulating based on OPKs, ultrasounds and the first prolactin results.
Anyway, Nurse Cheery is not our final answer, of course, but we haven't been able to schedule a consult with the RE yet. We're Googling madly and trying to figure out whether this means we need to do a major reworking of our plans or just a bump in the road that we have to cope with.
This is DEFINITELY not how I thought I'd be spending this evening when I woke up this morning.
Now that I have access to a computer with a keyboard, here's the full scoop:
Estrogen - 42.9
Prolactin - 9.8
FSH - 11.6
(The above is quoted directly from my voicemail - I don't know whether they tested estradiol or not, because she said "estrogen". I'll call tomorrow.) Nurse Cheery also said, with regard to the FSH, "this is in the gray area, but it does mean you'll want to start LH testing earlier". In my state of shock, when I called back, I mostly focused on this statement. It ended up being one of the least informative and most irritating interactions I've ever had with her, even though she was trying to be reassuring.
Me: What do you mean, "gray area"? From the little that's bouncing around in my brain, I thought 11 was a BAD number.
NC: Well, it's not great, but it's not horrible. It doesn't mean you're not going to get pregnant.
Me: Ok.... What do you mean, "start testing earlier" and why?
NC: When you have elevated FSH you can have trouble popping out the eggs. Sometimes you will ovulate earlier than expected. Other times it can be later. It just means you're going to pee on a lot of sticks.
Me: I already do that and we think we've been catching the surge. Would we want to supercede a natural surge and do a trigger?
NC: Not necessarily. We want to make sure we don't miss anything. And again, it doesn't mean you're not going to get pregnant. We should have you come in for an ultrasound around CD10 to see if there's a follicle developing.
Me: We already did that and saw the follicle each of the last two cycles.
NC: (no response)
We went on like that for a few more minutes but all I could really get out of her was that we have no idea if my eggs are good or not but I may or may not have trouble ovulating. Which isn't a helluva lot more information than we already had. In fact, it's less... since going into this testing we all (including the RE) thought it was pretty likely I was ovulating based on OPKs, ultrasounds and the first prolactin results.
Anyway, Nurse Cheery is not our final answer, of course, but we haven't been able to schedule a consult with the RE yet. We're Googling madly and trying to figure out whether this means we need to do a major reworking of our plans or just a bump in the road that we have to cope with.
This is DEFINITELY not how I thought I'd be spending this evening when I woke up this morning.
posted by Jen at
7:44 PM
9 Comments:
I'm feeling your frustration-- I hope you can talk to the RE soon and get some better (and fuller) answers--
By
sara, at 8:35 PM
I'd bet my paycheck that the estrogen number referred to is, in fact, your estradiol. And from everything I've read, that number looks good.
Sorry the interaction with Nurse was less than helpful. I can relate. Doctor will be better. Hang in there.
By
pookchop, at 10:01 PM
Okay, that FSH number seems completely out of left field. I hope you get some better answers and a clearer plan of action once you talk to people with a clue.
Ack. That just seems ... WRONG.
There were a few discussions on google that seemed to suggest that the prolactin effect of extended breastfeeding could inhibit the estrogen feedback and lead to elevated FSH, but honestly, it's hard to tell whether those people were just talking out of their asses.
Ack. I hope you can get a clearer set of answers post-haste.
By
Jody, at 12:53 AM
That sucks! How long do you think you'll have to wait for the consult? I know y'all have gone high tech, but would going low-tech and temping be helpful? My understanding is the only way to confirm ovulation is the temp rise. Maybe you can with U/S or something, though.
By
Hope and Megan, at 7:00 AM
how maddening to have numbers but no answers. I really hope that you can get, at the very least, a phone consult with your RE pronto. Leaving you with numbers & then declaring them in a gray area is just wrong!
By
Anonymous, at 7:32 AM
my elevated FSH means that I will sometimes surge on CD8 or 9, so for my first few months TTC, I didn't think I was ovulating at all because I was missing the surge.
I think if you're getting a clear surge then you're catching ovulation.
I hope you can get in for a consult soon. I know exactly how frustrating this is.
By
Anonymous, at 10:37 AM
Thinking of you - totally know nothing about numbers but hoping you get answers speedily.
By
Briar, at 11:41 AM
Actually, the more I think about it, the better her answers sound. She is suggesting things you are already doing, so maybe you DO already have your answer. The FSH could be a concern, so let's see if you are ovulating by doing x,y, z all of which indicate you are, so no worries.
But this might explain the Peak without High on the monitor
By
Brooke, at 2:04 PM
According to http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html FSH of 10-13 = diminished reserve, sorry.
By
Anonymous, at 7:33 PM
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