Looking For a Few Good Medical Providers

I am no were closer to finding out what may be causing me to get so sick than I was a week ago. 

After being on a heart monitor for 24 hours and finding out that the leads were put on incorrectly, I was waiting for a phone call to tell me when they were going to repeat the test.  Instead I got a phone call saying that the test came back completely normal.  How can this be when the nurse who took the monitor off said that without a doubt the test would be considered invalid because it was done incorrectly? 

I questioned the nurse on the phone and she said there was nothing in the notes saying the test was performed wrong.  I asked her for the results of the other tests the office had done and said she had no record of other tests being performed.  I was trying to not lose it on this nurse, but I'm sure it was clear I was getting pissed.  She said she would look into it.  So I asked her when my appointment will be scheduled with the neurologist and she said they wont schedule that appointment until I visit again with my GP two weeks from now.  Her response sent me over the edge, they promised me they would schedule me with the neurologist as soon as the 24 hour monitor was completed, now am left in limboland.

What scared me even more was her asking me if I am still having problems with my epilepsy.  My what????  I don't have epilepsy!!  She snarkly said "whoops, better fix that". Yes, Please!!
I think it is time to ask for my complete medical chart to review.

About two hours after I talked to the nurse, another nurse called from the same office saying they are going to set up my consult with a neurologist and that I should expect a phone with my appt time and date by the next day.  Three days later I have still not heard anything.  I have left two messages (one a day), and have heard nothing.  I am so frustrated.

For those who say the medical system in the US is so great, I think I have some concrete proof that are system needs some serious work.  I can't even imagine what my experience would be like without health insurance.

Thankfully, I have still been able to take care of Gavin without any major complications but I can tell my work is suffering.  The tingling and lightheaded/dizziness feeling has affected my ability to move around quickly or do computer work.  I want my life back!!

What Will the Future Hold?

Since my last IUI cycle, my health has gone down hill.  Sudden bouts of nausea, tingling limbs, dizziness, and muscle weakness.  There have been two incidents that have occured while I was out for a walk, one while doing dishes and another while I was in a meeting.  I've been to 5 doctors, each with their own thought on what could be causing all of this but no diagnosis yet:

1. a drop in blood pressure caused by arrythmia
2. Hypoglycemia
3. High estrogen
4. MS

Three of the doctors (One of them being a cardiologist) recommended that I see a neurologist but my family doctor is adamant that my issue is not neurological and more likely to be heart related. My RE thinks it is No. 2 or No. 3.  I am hoping it is none of the above and something more simple like a vitamin deficiency.

My family physician had me on a heart monitor for 24 hours which was a total waste of time and money.  Since the incidents have been occuring randomly, days apart from one another, it just does not make sense to perform the test only for a 24 hour period.  I was frustrated with having to do this in the first place, but even more frustrated when I got it taken off, they realized that two of the leads were in the wrong place.  I'm now waiting to find out when they are going to repeat the test.

Until they figure all of this out, there is no way I can move forward with another IUI cycle.  :(

On the brightside, I was offered a new job.  However, this job comes with much more responsibility and tougher workload.  I'm kind of afraid to take it with all of these medical uncertanties but then again the 40% pay raise makes it very appealing.

Funny yet sad:  My son mimics alot of sounds, including when he hears some one cough. I was experiencing some serious nausea and vomiting last night.  I told Gavin to hang out downstairs so he would have to see me hunched over the toilet.    As I was puking my brains out, I hear Gavin downstairs mimicking the sound of me throwing up.  If I didn't feel so crappy, I would have been laughing hysterically. 

Not Getting My Hopes Up

I called my RE to see if we could see if they could give me an explanation on why I started bleeding so early.  I am now spotting again and my tatas are so insanely sore, I wish I could run around work topless (but I will refrain).  I think my hormones are just so out of wack my body doesn't know what to do.  The nurse said injectable meds can cause some women, who typically struggle to ovulate, to experience a abnormal cycle but she also said it is very possible I am experiencing a late implantation.  The only way to rule something out quickly is through a beta test.  I'm waiting for the results as I type. 

If it's positive, I will be cautiously amazed and excited. 

If it's negative, I'm not going to be able to do another cycle for at least two months because they are going to do some investigative tests.  I found out my progesterone check was 1.2 on 7dpiui which is flat out horrible and could very well be the culprit to all of my problems. 

**********************

Got the call: Negative

I have an appointment on the 17th to start talking about additional testing.

Waynes World

Do you remember the movie "Wayne's World" (yeah, I'm that old:).  Especially the scene where the Garth and Wayne are playing street hockey and after a car would interrupt their game they would say "Game off", and "Game on" when they could play again.  Yeah thats been me the last few days.

My "Period" stopped completely early Thursday, within hours of my last post.  I got a negative pregnancy test on Friday morning, showing that the meds were out of my system and that, at 13dpiui I am not pregnant.  Friday afternoon I went out for a quick pint of beer with a co-worker and then came home and took Gavin and the dog on a quick little walk.  We had to shorten our walk dramatically because a stray dog was following us and I couldn't tell if he was friendly or viscious.  Why risk it.  Once I got home, I went to take the leash off the dog and immediately got a tingling numbness in my limbs and got so lightheaded and dizzy that I had to sit down.  It took a full two minutes before I felt like I was ok to carry on.  I kept thinking there has to be a reason why I am having all these weird things symptoms this week and there really is only one logical explanation.

Saturday morning I took a HPT and their was a faint pink line.  Yippeee!!!  Yeah not so fast.  Sunday morning = fainter positive HPT.  Sunday around noon, crazy bleeding again which has continued onto today.  This morning I did NOT get a positive HPT.  Blah. 

So what does a girl do when she finds out she is not pregnant?  Go shopping!!  I took a different approach to retail therapy though and purchased an SUV, a Chevy Equinox.  The payments are more than I wanted but it was something that I technically needed.  My clutch was about to go on my Jetta and I just was not in the mood to deal with our shady VW service department.  This was a great solution and I got to say it has made me feel better. 

So I have to say car shopping with a toddler is REALLY hard.  Getting the paperwork taken care of was a nightmare.  The office we working in did not have a door to corral hum. Every five minutes, Gavin would take off, running through the show room, showing fellow customers his dance and gymnastic moves, and high fiving the salesman.  Thankfully, everyone was really nice about it but that little man ran me ragged!  I swear I ran a mile in that show room!  At least I can say he had a lot of fun.  He was smiling from ear to ear while making his momma chase after him:)

Maybe I have asked this before, but I can't remember.  Has anyone else considered starting a webpage to show your gratitude to your child's donor and also to make it easier for other families that have children with your donor to contact you.  I keep thinking of doing the DSR but I really do not want to blow $150 on it and thought this might be a better route.  Any thoughts?

Post Two: Luck Is On My Side

No I am not pregnant but I'm not as bummed about it as I was this morning.

I started stressing about how I am going to pay for another cycle.  When I called my RE's office to tell them to cancel my beta, I asked if there was any way to get cheaper meds.  My rockstar of a nurse said that just minutes ago, another woman dropped off 4 boxes of  Gonal-f 300IU pens to donate and they are all mine if I want them!  Hell yes I do!!  Although they expire this month, she said they should still be good for another few months.  Now I just need to come up with $1800 more instead of $3k.  OMG this is totally doable.  If all goes well I can start another cycle at the end of July!

Funny enough,  after making my phone call, I was planning on returning some maternity clothes that I bought a few days ago.  Since the hope is still alive, I gonna keep them!

Maybe some one can help me with this too.  I still need a couple more pens of Gonal F and ovidrel. I found out that Towndrugstore.com is much more cheaper than Freedom Pharmacy.  Has anyone had any experience with them? 

Anna, to answer your question, Ovidrel is often used to induce ovulation but it can also be used as a progesterone booster.  My doctor prefers this over progesterone suppositories. 

The Torture is Over

The fat lady sang.  On to the next cycle.

I still feel sick as hell but I guess I must have just come down with something or my body is just reacting poorly to all the meds I've been pumping into myself. 

I guess you can never tell how bad you want something until you realize you can't have it.  I've been pretty bummed all morning about it all but I also can't help but think that everything happens for a reason and this was not meant to be. 

Another Day (8DPIUI)

It's pointless for me to test because my RE had me take an Ovidrel booster shot yesterday, so it would make a HPT positive no matter what.  I am just going to have to agonize over these bizarre "symptoms" and hope like hell it worked.  Sorry if it annoys people, it's just my process ;)

I was kind of excited this morning.   It looked like my bleeding completely stopped overnight but as my morning has progressed, my bleeding has returned and a little bit heavier than yesterday.  It still lighter than my normal period, but then again my cycles have been all over the place for the last year.  I'm starting to pass what looks like long stingy tissue (TMI, sorry).  I'm not cramping at all. 

My extreme exhaustion is still here.  I went to bed as soon as Gavin did (7:30) and woke up at 7am this morning.  That length of sleep should totally have rejuvenated me but I still feel like I haven't slept in days.  I also feel like I am getting a sinus infection, another symptom I had a few days prior to finding out I was pregnant with Gavin.

I have to admit, I have already accepted the defeat and am planning to sit down tonight and figure out how I am going to pay for another cycle. I already have a quarter of what I need but that still leaves me with a little over $3k to come up with.

I wish this whole process would be so much easier and cheaper.