Hi, new and hoping to hang out here

StumpyG · April 2011

Well... I guess I'd rather NOT end up hanging out here, but if it has to be this way, I'm glad this board is available. I'm hoping you guys don't mind if I jump in. It would be nice to have a place to talk about this stuff when the going gets rough.

Anyway, Hi! I'm Patty, DH and I are 27 and 29 and on cycle 13 of TTC. DH was diagnosed with a large vericocele at age 18 and his first SA just came back abnormal to confirm our suspicions that we're dealing with MFI. We live in a remote area of Japan on a military base with limited medical facilities (no RE, no fertility drugs, a visiting urologist 1-2times a year), so according to the Dr., we're "up a creek" in terms of our treatment options. It's going to be a long 2 more years here, but we're hoping we'll be able to figure something out.

Looking forward to getting to know you ladies a bit!

Mrs.Slick · April 2011

That stinks about the limited resources while in Japan

However, welcome and good luck!

LindzK · April 2011

Hi, Welcome and sorry that you have to hang out here too. I agree that it isn't ideal (I suppose) to be in that situation while TTC. I'm surprised that can't mail you in some meds. Can you order some Male Fertililty Blend for your husband online? That may help with his MFI. I know others on here that have had really good results with it.

Also check out the 3T Sticky: https://troublettc.blogspot.com/ (lots of info here)

hunterjumper102 · April 2011

Welcome to 3T. I am sorry to hear that you are having problems getting help in Japan. Is your husband stationed over there with the military? I only ask since my husband is Navy and its usually that type that gets sent to places like Japan. Good luck with everything, I hope the next 2 years goes by quickly.

StumpyG · April 2011

LindzK:
I'm surprised that can't mail you in some meds. Can you order some Male Fertililty Blend for your husband online? That may help with his MFI. I know others on here that have had really good results with it.
Also check out the 3T Sticky: https://troublettc.blogspot.com/ (lots of info here)

Thank you! That's very helpful. Not a bad idea about the Male Fertility Blend, I'm sure we can order that. He's been on 6 different individual vitamin supplements for the past 4 or 5 months, but I suppose it hasn't really helped much (or enough, I guess). Maybe MFB is the magic mixture. For some reason that we can't discern, the doctor refuses to give us his actual SA #'s and will only tell us the results are "abnormal." So we're not sure how bad it is. We're waiting now to schedule a repeat SA. Hopefully we'll be able to make progress, however slowly it might go... Thanks again!

StumpyG · April 2011

hunterjumper102:
Is your husband stationed over there with the military? I only ask since my husband is Navy and its usually that type that gets sent to places like Japan.

Thanks, yes he's in the Air Force. We're half way through a 4 year tour out here. I love it, IF-treatment-availability aside.

jbeck78 · April 2011

Welcome and good luck!

ChicagoWeded2007 · April 2011

Hi and welcome.

I can't believe they won't give you the results. That's b.s. Those are your Dh's medical records and he should get to look at them!

StumpyG · April 2011

ChicagoWeded2007:
Hi and welcome.
I can't believe they won't give you the results. That's b.s. Those are your Dh's medical records and he should get to look at them!

Right?! So frustrating.

mrsharris15 · April 2011

Welcome and Good Luck!

CluckyEV · April 2011

Welcome to the board!

If they won't let you see the SA #s how are you supposed to know if anything is working? Confused Sorry you are having the added lack of treatment to add to your IF struggles.

Cheetara2 · April 2011

Welcome and GL!!!

besu-chan · April 2011

Hi and welcome! Sorry you are a little out of the way, but I think with some digging you should be able to find the help you need in Japan. I grew up in Japan (Chiba) and never had trouble with medical needs, and I know a friend who had IF treatment. I know it's different when you're in the military, but can you find some local people who might be able to help you find help off-base? Or if you want to tell me your specific area, I could research online for you on the Japanese websites.

Best of luck to you on this journey...

StumpyG · April 2011

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

besu-chan:
I grew up in Japan (Chiba) and never had trouble with medical needs, and I know a friend who had IF treatment. I know it's different when you're in the military, but can you find some local people who might be able to help you find help off-base? Or if you want to tell me your specific area, I could research online for you on the Japanese websites.

Thank you so much for the offer! There used to be a Japanese clinic in the city nearest us (Hachinohe in Aomori) that the base could refer to for IF issues, but apparently they stopped accepting American referrals. I actually recently found someone here who's looking into IVF at a Japanese clinic, so that's our next avenue to check out (not IVF, but maybe checking that place out or finding some other recommendations that will work with us). We don't speak much Japanese, so that complicates things a bit. But with a little more poking around, hopefully we'll find some leads. If you run across anything or have any ideas, I'm all ears. Thank you so much!

Mitzi Bishi · April 2011

Welcome!

I'm also abroad and it can get frustrating with IF and finding your way around another medical system and another language.

How strange that they don't give you the numbers. Is it possible for you to visit someone in the US while back for a visit? Even just to get your numbers and have some time to process the information.

We're also dealing with MFI and it's a long and difficult battle. Hopefully yours won't be as cumbersome.

besu-chan · April 2011

StumpyG:

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

besu-chan:

I grew up in Japan (Chiba) and never had trouble with medical needs, and I know a friend who had IF treatment. I know it's different when you're in the military, but can you find some local people who might be able to help you find help off-base? Or if you want to tell me your specific area, I could research online for you on the Japanese websites.

Thank you so much for the offer! There used to be a Japanese clinic in the city nearest us (Hachinohe in Aomori) that the base could refer to for IF issues, but apparently they stopped accepting American referrals. I actually recently found someone here who's looking into IVF at a Japanese clinic, so that's our next avenue to check out (not IVF, but maybe checking that place out or finding some other recommendations that will work with us). We don't speak much Japanese, so that complicates things a bit. But with a little more poking around, hopefully we'll find some leads. If you run across anything or have any ideas, I'm all ears. Thank you so much!

Aomori-ken! what a beautiful place to live We're currently living in South Korea so my Japanese (or English or Spanish for that matter....) doesn't really help me here... So I know what you mean. It's very tough but it sounds like you've got some leads! I hope it works out well for you.