Friday, February 20, 2009

A Little Sad

I got the results from my blood work on Monday - they actually called last night, but it took a lot for me to be able to write this post. I did have some wonderful women rally behind me last night and help me do some research on what it really means... thanks Danielle A. - you really helped and found some great information.

My blood sugar level is consistently going down somewhat which is the good news... my testosterone level is normal - more good news - I'd hate to be the woman that is turning into a guy at the moment. :-)

My progesterone level is extremely low though - normal ovulating women have readings of 10 or more... what's mine? A very sad 2.5... which means according to the doctor that I couldn't have ovulated this last month. Now Danielle A. did find some websites that have women who were pregnant with a reading of 2 - but I just highly doubt that, and honestly - I don't think I could deal with a negative pregnancy test right now.

While researching last night - I came across this:

Progesterone deficiency symptoms include:

  • Anxiety and irritability
  • Breast tenderness - I've got it
  • Carbohydrate cravings - Ummm... this too
  • Early miscarriage
  • Infertility/not ovulating - Check
  • Insomnia
  • Irregular periods
  • Lower body temperature - MY WHOLE LIFE! I could be a corpse! (I'm dying if I register 98.6 - my normal is like 96.1)
  • Menstrual cramps - Check
  • Mood swings
  • Ovarian cysts - Had one in 2001
  • Puffiness/bloating - Yep
  • Water retention - Yep
  • Weight gain - hips/middle - Yep, incidentally - this is where I'm having the most trouble losing right now.

I also found this:

Progesterone has many other functions, among them protecting against fibrocysts, helping the body use fat for energy, and helping normalize blood clotting and blood sugar levels.

So let me get this straight - all of a sudden my weird body is making a little more sense to me - it doesn't make me less frustrated that it doesn't do what it is NATURALLY supposed to do... but at least some of the symptoms fit together and make a little more sense. I'm the most interested to find out if raising my progesterone level would lower my blood sugar even more OR if it would help me actually get the scale moving again. It seems like that whole issue of progesterone helping the body use fat for energy might be correlated to my lack of being able to lose... but again, who knows!?

I'll be totally honest though - I held it together on the phone with the doctors office, but inside I fell apart. I was so excited when we met with them and they gave me such hope that this was going to be an easy road... with the exhaustion of this week being such a busy long week... I might have just been more emotional about it than I should...

Where do we go from here, you ask? I'm supposed to call the doctor's office again on the first day of my next cycle and go in on day 3, 4 or 5 for a battery of hormone tests... from there we'll formulate a plan. When we first met with him he mentioned something about going back on the pill for some reason if something happened... I don't remember specifics - but I don't want to do that unless I can clearly understand how that would help me in the ovulation process. It seems like that prevents ovulation and I want to be comfortable with the plan before we go down that road. That being said - I do trust Dr. Mac, and will most definitely do what he thinks is best - he's got 30 years of experience with this sort of thing after all.

I guess it's good timing because I've got some serious Bible reading to catch up on this weekend - so I will be spending a good LONG time with God this weekend trying to reconcile my feelings with this plan.

I wrote some notes recently while reading in Matthew 13 - they are notes from my study Bible's notes... but it said "Believe, ask God for a mighty work in your life, and expect him to act. Look with the eyes of faith." I am trying to remind myself of those words often...

4 comments:

  1. Kim I am so sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear. I am praying for you.

    I might be completely wrong but possibly what your dr is refering to is the progesterone only (which taken constantly makes the body think you have already ovulated). Sometimes taking that can "reset" your system, kindof like rebooting the computer. I used to do it occasionally when my cycle was going too long.

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  2. A few things: 1.) Many of the symptoms on that list can ALSO be connected to other issues, independent of a progesterone deficiency, so just because you have them, doesn't mean that they couldn't be a symptom from something else. 2.) It's better knowing than NOT knowing and now you can start to take steps in the right direction and 3.)there is obviously hope according to your doctor and 4.) GOD IS BIGGER THAN INFERTILITY ISSUES.

    I will continue to pray for you and just wait to see how God decides to work in all this. Don't think He doesn't already know the outcome or that this was going to happen.

    2 Corinthians 12:9
    And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

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  3. Don't loose hope--I'm pretty sure progesterone is easily supplemented...infact, I have several vials of it and packs of vaginal supossitories in my kitchen at the moment. Remember, nothing is impossible for KimPossible!

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  4. I think they can supplement it too, so don't despair. You already know this could be a tough road and this is just the beginning. Hopefully your road will be shorter rather than longer, but I'm praying for you either way!

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