intro!

moto611 · August 2014

Hello!

I've been lurking for a little while and finally decided it was time to intro. My husband and I have been TTC since early 2012. We were worried about sperm count before we even started to try because my husband was on a drug called Androgel (testoterone replacement therapy) and we knew it could reduce sperm counts. We tried for all of 2012 and in December '12 I finally convinced my husband to go for a semen analysis: ZERO sperm. The tech actually came out and asked us if his sample was post-vasectomy. We switched doctors immediately and the new doctor said "of course" the Androgel was the problem, it's "practically male birth control," and that it would take 6-12 months for his sperm to reappear, IF it was going to come back.

Fast forward to December 2013 - he did a repeat SA and had sperm!! Count wasn't super high and morphology looked terrible, but I was just so relieved there was sperm. I immediately got us into see an RE because I was worried that with such low morph we'd need IUI or other treatments. RE insisted on repeating all tests, so my husband did another SA in March, and this time everything was in the normal range! (We're not sure if the morphology actually improved or if the first test was some kind of fluke.)

So now instead of dealing with male factor I guess we have unexplained infertility... or maybe we just needed to try longer, who knows, but the RE strongly recommended treatments and honestly I was just so tired of BFNs that we decided to listen to his advice. We did a TI cycle in June, IUI#1 in July, and I just had IUI#2. My husbands post-wash counts have doubled with each IUI, so it seems things on his end are still improving.

That's our story so far! I'm really hoping the sperm thing was our major issue and now with that resolved we'll get pregnant eventually, but we'll see I guess. After almost three years of getting myself hyped up for half the month every month just to end with a negative HPT and tears, I'm not holding my breath.

Anyway I'm hoping I can hang out here while we try!

shirleymaeby · August 2014

Hi there! Great news about your husband's improving samples! That's awesome. Welcome to the boards, hopefully your stay will be short!

Kcheese · August 2014

Welcome & good luck!

DSculley1824 · August 2014

Hi! What great news about your husband and how his samples keep improving! I bet that's a huge relief! Now to focus on you. Keeping my fingers crossed for your IUI#2. Good luck

BunnyBerry · August 2014

Hi there, welcome to the board! Wow, what an amazing story. What a blessing that the sperm count has just improved like that. No wonder that after all this time, though, you're ready to go with treatments.

Your feeling of just not holding your breath anymore sounds very familiar. Sometimes it's so much easier to go into a TWW without expectations or hope. But the best part of it is that that doesn't affect our chances. I hope you get KU soon!

penelopec518 · August 2014

Welcome, I too am new (former lurker) of the board. We too are dealing with unexplained infertility, and it is frustrating! Good luck!

Hollowvic · August 2014

Welcome and good luck. That is great that your Hs counts have improved so much. We're dealing with MFI, trying to figure out a way to improve his counts. Just curious, did your H do anything to try to improve, like vitamins, supplements or change any habits?

moto611 · August 2014

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!!

Hollowvic - my husband takes clomid (half a pill a day) and he takes fertilaid for men instead of regular multivitamins. He also had a varicocelectomy in June of 2013. (I tried to put that in my signature but it doesn't seem to be showing up) Oh and also I made him switch to boxers and stop putting his hot laptop on his lap. I'm not sure which, if any, of these things actually helped. At this point, after LOTS of googling, I'm pretty sure the TRT was the main culprit. Although I hope the varicocelectomy helped at least a little because it was pretty painful for him

AnnaClaire256 · August 2014

Hello Moto! (Anyone else remember those Motorola commercials) lmao I'm a nerd. Anyway....

Welcome to 3T! Glad to hear your H's counts are improving. Hopefully that was your issue and your stay here will be short and sweet!