What branch is your dh? If you are Army, are you at Fort Huachuca? We were stationed at Fort Huachuca for 2 years in 03-05. I was seeing a RE inTucson then and I have to say I think he was a complete waste of time!!!

Have you ever had your progesterone checked? If you have low progesterone, that can keep you from getting pregnant and if you do get pregnant, it can cause a miscarriage. When I was seeing the RE in Tucson, I had really low progesterone, but he wouldn't give me supplements, he would just give me a 2nd hcg shot (which was stupid if you ask me).

__________________

Oh and I forgot to ask if you could tell me a little about the frozen sperm? Since dh is leaving soon, I am thinking about having some of his sperm frozen so I can have a couple more cycles after he leaves.

__________________

I'm at Drum... how did you get to see a fertility doctor or start treatment?? Are you Tricare Prime or Standard did you get a referall from the Primary Care Manager??? How long after ttc did you they let you see someone??? I have never been impressed with anyone at Guthrie and the last time I had a baby I saw a different person everytime and nobody caught the major swelling I was having. Anyways if you can fill me on any details of what steps you took to get treated for infertility would be greatly appreciated.

kelly-Yeah, my DH is in the Army. I'm at Huachuca as well. Well, you know there are only two REs in Tucson. I've been to both. The first one scared me and this second one has disappointed me because I thought he would be much better. It turns out that I'm going to have to lay it out for him if I have to go back next month. I need to make sure they recall why I'm there. Granted I've lost a baby to preterm labor and suffered a blighted ovum, I can get pregnant on my own. I only wanted this doctor to perform an IUI because my DH is deployed. That's all but I guess they missed the punchline and just started treating me like I couldn't ovulater thus get pregnant at all. Very frustrating. I'm praying so bad I got pregnant. Otherwise, I'll be hiking it back up there for another IUI. The clinic in Phoenix is too expensive.

As far as freezing his sperm. I found a Vesectomy reversal place up in tucson that freezes sperm. So, basically find a place that will freeze and store sperm. Make sure you TWO LET THEM KNOW YOU'LL NEED ACCESS TO THE SPERM WHILE HE IS GONE OR THEY WON'T EVEN LET YOU SNIFF IT WITHOUT A POWER OF ATTORNEY OR A SIGNED DOCMENT GIVEN TO YOU BY THEM PERMITTING YOU ACCESS TO IT. So, if you decide to freeze make sure you guys fill out the paperwork allowing you to use all that he has 'donate' for lack of a better term. FDA has cracked down on sperm storage access because some pyscho lady tried to get her exhusbands sperm from a storage facility and do only heaven knows with it.

Then when you are ready for it, you just schedule to have it shipped to your doctors office or you can hand carry the prepared specimen to your doctor's office for the IUI. It usually takes anywhere from 30 to 2 hours to thaw out and clean.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I never knew I'd ever need to know anything about this stuff......but here I sit a with a head full of it...

__________________

Oh, yeah, and I've never had my progesterone checked when it mattered. I had it checked the first time at the first RE I went to in Tucson but it was already confirmed that the pregnancy wasn't going any further than it was. My body just hadn't gotten the clude yet. I think I have to paper work here some where.......okay, just found the sheet.
It reads PGN HI 16.3 ng/ml. So my guess is it was 16.3. My HCG level was around 40 thousand some thinb but it had gone down from 50 thousand some thing so I think I was in my 10w of pregnancy when this test was done and the next day my doc did a d&c on me. I've often wondered about my progesterone level but most docs don't mention it. They just go straight for the beta results. Geez, I'm having some killer cramps right now. Ugh. Hope they aren't AF cramps. I'm still 7 days out from her dreaded arrival that's if she dares to show her face.

Oh...just saw some thing the sheet that may be of some importance. There's a range chart that looks like this:

PGN

1st Trimester 9.3 - 33.2
2nd Trimester 29.5- 50.0
3rd Trimester 83.1 - 160

It also has some others on PGN
Follicular 0.32 - 2.0
Midcycle 0.77 - 2.3
Luteal Phase 1.1 - 21.6

So, my guess is this is what they use to determine levels of pgn in your system. I was only at 16.3 for the first tri so I'm not sure how that registered HI in the lab. Anyway, when I get pregnant again I'm going to ask for my pgn right off the bat.

__________________

Actually, Shawna I didn't get referred to see an Infertility doc. I just went to one to get the IUI done. However, the person in charge on post in the hospital seemed really concerned about my pregnancy woes and that I got proper treatment. So, if I were to get pregnant again and lose the baby I'd just make an appointment to see the doc reference fertility issues. From there whomever you see will look at your history perhaps order some test and in the case that you've already experienced so many m/c they may just put a ref. in for an RE or Ob to have you examined. I'm not saying wait till you get pregnant and have a m/c to get in touch with them. But you know how Tricare can be with it comes to dishing out the money. Just make sure you stand your ground if you do go see them to inquire about fertility help. Don't let them side step you with excuses. Enforce the fact that there could be an underlying health problem preventing you from conceiving and you don't want to wait till some thing terrible happens to discover it. Our DH is paying for them to take care of us.......so make'em earn that check.

Let me know if you take that route. If I get pregnant this cycle, I just may be calling up on them to inquire about extra tests and so forth just to see if there's anything I can to aid in caring full term. Guess we'll see. Some times I wish I was Dorothy and could click my heals together making all these fertility issues go away.

__________________

This is the RE I went to when I was there. http://www.infertility-azctr.com/

__________________

Yup. I went to that one first and I it was such and experimental atmosphere that I wasn't comfortable nor was my DH so we paid our consultation bill and never went back again.

__________________

I should have done that with the first visit!! I would drive and hour and a half to get there and then they would make me wait at least another hour before they called my name (an hour after my scheduled appt.). It was very frustrating since dh had to work and I had to put Makayla in hourly care at the daycare.

Now I still have the same distance drive, but I get seen as soon as I get there and they are kid friendly so i can just take Makayla with me.

__________________

You couldn't take her with you to the first? Wow. I didn't know that all. Well, the second place you are at right now is where I went for my IUI. I don't think we are suppose to mention their names because they could sue us or some thing for slander. You may what to take that link out....lol...just a thought. I'm not all that up to date on the policy for the forums as of yet but to be on the safe side.

And you are so right about the wait. We drove up and waited and waited. It was like 'what is going on here' . They didn't tell us about the costs of the procedures just kind of inadvertently pushed a paper in front of us to figure it out on our own. I just didn't get the "We Care" feeling from the staff at all.

But that's behind us now. The second place did provide the initial atmosphere I was looking for even if they seemed to not really listen to my particular situation as well as I wanted them to. They still did the IUI which is all I wanted from the start.

And before I forget, AGAIN, your daughter is so beautiful. I love her name. Its one of the ones I had picked out some time ago as a favorite.

__________________

Crap, I didn't even think about that. I don't think I can edit a post so I guess I'll leave it and hope they don't come across it.

Why did you have to pay? Tricare has covered everything except a small copay on my injections!! They won't pay for IUI or IVF, but they will pay for everything else.

__________________