Had my gynae appoinment today

[Fingers crossed]

Well it was one of the senior nurses. She said that the symptoms of PCOS are different for everyone but looking at my blood tests it looks like I have, but my scan showed my ovaries and uterus are nomal . So I was sent down to haematology for some more blood tests for chlamydia and someething else that I can't remember. OH was a real darling and came with me even though he's ill. We were asked a load of questions like if I've ever been pg before and if he's ever got anyone pg, they even wanted to know how long we've been together for and if either of us has been married. What does that matter!! Now because of all that OH has to have a semen sample checked out. He has to produce the sample at home then rush to the hospital within an hour and it's not even our local hospital. He said he might just go early and produce it in the toilets lol. So I gotta phone up for his appointment to hand it in, bless him he's quite embarrassed. So if our results come back ok then I'll be put on clomid. I think she said something about giving me something to make AF come but I can't remember, there was so much info to take in. So now it's just a wait for them to write to us with our results. It's all getting scary now but exciting

 

[Bec]

Corrr.. lots to take in .. good luck with it all. I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[Helen]

Good luck with everything. Glad things seem to be moving for you at last.

Thought I would post this up for your OH...always helps to see the lighter side of life BTW I can't claim credit for these words, they're from another woman on the infertility site I'm a member of.

We were asked to provide a sperm sample and where we live you do it at home and take it in. We live about 35 minutes from the hospital, where you can't get parked for love nor money. We were told a time and a day and basically to get it there in 30 minutes and keep it warm.

So the night before I lay out my clothes and husbands so we can do the deed and jump in the car, indeed the car is parked strategically so we can make a fast getaway and I have even picked out slip on shoes so I can shave a second or two off doing them up. It's been dubbed the 'drive by sperming event' by this point!

With sample tube in hand I assist husband (and can someone PLEASE invent a better way of 'catching' semen?!) and then quickly shove the test tube down my bra to keep it warm while we hop about getting dressed and into the car. The cat is of course busy being sick on the stairs but we ignore this, hop over the steaming pile and leg it to the car. In the car, hubby drives - fast - with me urging him to be careful lest we crash and I have to explain the rather curious item in my bra to a confused policeman.

He is too uncomfortable to go into the actual hospital if he can avoid it so he drops me at the entrance and I hair it in at full pelt and then realise I have no frigging idea where to go so have to run to reception to be told it's the other side of the site. I sprint the rest of the way and arrive only to be told I'll have to wait a couple of minutes while the microbiologist comes down.

I sit, with a crowd of old folks waiting to have blood taken. I'm extremely hot from the run and the hard plastic tube is pushing into my chest and I shift in my seat. An elderly lady smiles at me, I smile back 'it's always nerve racking waiting isn't it?' she asks. I smile back desperately fighting the urge to yell, 'I've got semen in my bra and I don't want to sit here waiting for it to die!'

The microbiologist arrives and is confused that I'm a woman. I tell him I'm the wife and he fills in the form and opens the hatch to collect the tube. I stick my hand down my tshirt into get it, leaning forward a bit and at this point a fire alarm goes off behind me. I pull out the tube and at the same time, pull my tshirt up and turn round, displaying my bra in all its M&S lacy finery to the assembled biddies!

Blushing I turn back and the microbiologist (who is about twelve years old BTW and is trying very hard not to show his amusement) takes the sample and says 'okay, thanks we're done here' at which point I decide I should just leave and so walk with as much dignity as I can out the department and then run back to the entrance.

I'm sure in years to come I'll tell my grandkids this and they'll think I'm barking mad.

 

[Fingers crossed]

Thanks. That story is funny . It's gonna be like that when we go to drop off his sample on the 20th November, he's even booked the day off work for it, bless him. Some reason our local hopspital don't do that anymore so we got to drive 25 miles up the motorway probably in rush hour traffic to get the. Trouble is now I'm even more nervous about his reults than mine. At least as I'm not ovulating they can give me something to get me going, but what if he's got a low count. Will the only option for us be IVF? I'm gonna be so nervous for his results.

 

[missac]

i love that story, peter kay eat your heart out!

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

I hope everything works out for you two you really deserve it .
Katrina

 

[Helen]

what if he's got a low count. Will the only option for us be IVF?

My OH had 3 tests done before we reached that conclusion and that was combined with my bad test results too. They vary each time as well which is quite odd. There was an article in this months mag from the infertility site I'm a member of which was really useful for interpreting the results:

What is normal?

Volume of ejaculate 2.0 ml or more
PH 7.2-8.0
Sperm concentration 20 million per ml or more
Total count 40 million per ml per ejaculate or more
Motility (way they swim) 50% or more with forward progression
Morphology (shape) 30% or more normal forms
White blood cells Less than 1 milliion per ml

How to improve your count
Eat healthily
Take multivitamin perhaps with added zinc and selenium
Take a shower not a bath. Hot water "poaches" sperm. (!nd my personal favourite bit )After shower spray cold water around the scrotum for a few mins to create a nice cool manufacturing site! (OH was not keen on this suggestion )
Stop drinking alcohol or cut it right down
Stop smoking
Try and wear loose underwear to keep the area as cool as poss.

Hope that helps and good luck!

H

xx

 

[Fingers crossed]

Thanks. That info is really helpful Helen. He does't somoke, Can remember the last time he even touched alcohol, he always likes being cool (I'm usually sat on the sofa in winter with at least 2 layers of clothing on with thick socks, in a sleeping bag and sometimes even with a wooly hat on and he's sat in his boxers and a t shirt ), I'll get him back on the zinc and selenium tabs, I bought some when we first TTC but sort of gave them up as the months have gone on. Well I'm feeling a bit more optimistic now, thanks a million