“Knowing a disappointing truth is better than wondering
forever.” -Unknown
Over the course of over five years, I have been pregnant only
two times. Only one of those babies do we get to hold this side of heaven. In
more than over two years of trying since our miscarriage, there has not been a single
positive test. Two years is a long time to go with no definitive answers. But
that might be about to change.
At the beginning of the year, we found that my thyroid
needed a little help to do its job (aka hypothyroidism). Even once the
medication dosage was figured out, that treatment did not seem to be improving
our fertility problems. My doctor began to suggest IUI might be a good option
for us as there seemed to be no explanation for our issues and everything appeared
to be fine. However, we didn't feel the same way and were still concerned that
there might be underlying health issues that could be missed in jumping to such
“solutions”.
In June, we decided to contact a clinic that specializes in
solving fertility problems naturally, a place several friends of mine had
visited and experienced success in addressing health issues that then led to
healthy pregnancies. The Pope Paul VI Institute (PPVI) is an international
leader in developing and practicing Natural Procreative Technology
(NaProTechnology) and happens to be located just one hour away in Omaha,
Nebraska. Our first appointment was set for early August and we began tackling
the required preliminaries before that meeting, namely learning the Creighton
model of fertility tracking (CrMS). It was frustrating that they wouldn't see
us until 60 days after we started using CrMS but, looking back, I can see now
how much information it has added to the discussion. It still frustrates me at
times, as my perfectionist nature wants everything to be “right”, but I'm
learning to trust my judgement more now, three months into it.
Since that first appointment, a battery of tests including
bloodwork and ultrasounds have occurred and, later this fall in October, I will
have a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery. Even before the testing officially
began, it simply felt good to be doing something, to have a plan to discover
any underlying health issues, even if it meant becoming a human pincushion and
driving to Omaha every day for six days straight for ultrasounds. But all of
this may have already turned up at least one piece of the puzzle…
LUFS
It's an acronym I hadn't heard before, even amongst friends that
also struggle with infertility issues. It stands for “luteinized unruptured
follicle syndrome” and is not terribly common. Information from PPVI says they
see it in only 15% of cases where women have regular cycles but still struggle
with infertility. Basically, my body will give every sign that a cycle is
normal and that I'm ovulating. Basal body temperature, cervical mucus, and even
ovulation predictor tests will all look like everything is functioning
normally. But when observed through ultrasound, we can see that, while my ovary
may develop a follicle, that follicle will not rupture to release the egg.
Being me, I immediately dove into research, reading
abstracts of any medical papers I could find that referenced LUFS (yay for
PubMed). LUFS was first described in 1978 and can only be diagnosed with
laparoscopic surgery or daily ultrasounds around the time of ovulation (how we
found mine). Clomid alone, seemingly one of the most popular first steps with
doctors when facing infertility, is actually one of the least effective
treatment for LUFS.
We haven't met with the doctor yet and probably won't form
an actual treatment plan until all the testing is done and we have a complete
picture (there's a possibility PCOS is involved as well in all this). But at
least for now, it feels satisfying to just have one piece. I'm grateful we
don't have to wonder forever.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan
