Thursday, February 12, 2009

What exactly does "UNEXPLAINED" mean?

Well, as many of you know, Mike and I are unable to have children the good old fasioned way :( I have a mixture of "UNEXPLAINED" infertility and P.C.O.S. I thought I would post a little dictionary for the few of you that aren't sure what I am talking about when I get on a rampage. (Sorry if you have been subjected to one of those, I know it is unenjoyable, Mike reminds me of it all the time) The following is pulled off of WebMD, I think they say it the best.
***Caution - I do use medical terms***
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (say "pah-lee-SIS-tik OH-vuh-ree SIN-drohm") is a problem in which a woman’s
hormones are out of balance. Polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS) is common, affecting as many as 1 in 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems. For reasons that are not well understood, in PCOS the hormones get out of balance.
Follicle Stimulation Hormone In women, FSH helps control the
menstrual cycle and the production of eggs by the ovaries.
Femara This medication is used with other medications to treat certain types of breast cancer (e.g., hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer) in women after menopause. Letrozole is also used to help prevent the cancer from returning. Some breast cancers are made to grow faster by a natural hormone called estrogen. Letrozole decreases the amount of estrogen the body makes and helps to slow or reverse the growth of these breast cancers.(**ALTHOUGH I DO NOT HAVE BREAST CANCER, IT IS THE MEDICATION I AM GIVEN MOST OF THE TIME. THE FDA WILL NOT APPROVE IT FOR INFERTILITY USE, BUT IT DOES THE JOB**)
Hamster Penetration Test The sperm penetration assay (also called the hamster zona-free ovum test or hamster test) checks whether a man's sperm can join with an egg. Sperm are mixed with hamster eggs in a laboratory. The number of sperm that penetrate the egg (sperm capacitation index) is measured. This test is done most often at special fertility centers that do
in vitro fertilization (**Yes, we have had this done* Long Live mansters!!*)
Saline Ultrasound A hysterosonogram is done to evaluate the inside of the uterus (endometrial cavity) by filling the uterus with fluid during an ultrasound. This procedure is also known as a sonohysterogram.
Reproductive Endocronoligist (RE) (Dr. Gibson at the University of Utah) Reproductive endocrinologists are medical doctors who specialize in the care and treatment of women who have trouble becoming pregnant or who have other reproductive or hormonal disorders. Reproductive endocrinologists are gynecologists who specialize in infertility.
Semen Analysis semen analysis checks the number of sperm (sperm count), the number of sperm that look normal, the number of sperm that can move normally, the number of white blood cells in the semen, and how much semen is made. For more information, see the medical test Semen Analysis.
hCG If follicles fully develop, you are given a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection to stimulate the follicles to mature.

2 comments:

Breea said...

I can't believe how complicated everything is, it was nice to have you spell it all out. I have heard bits and pieces of it, but now I can actually fit it all together.
It stinks how complicated our bodies are! Make sure to keep us updated on how everything is going.

rickandcami said...

Gotta love the unexplainable, right?! I have all sorts of unexplainable situations in my life! One of the tests we go through in this life, eh. Love you and we are always here for you two unexplainables!