Just a bit about me. I’ve been living with diabetes for 20 years and use an Animas Ping. My most recent A1c was 6.7%. I was pregnant last December (A1c 6.4% at the time). It ended in a missed miscarriage due to a blighted ovum. We restarted TTC in March with Clomid. We did a medicated IUI (Clomid and hgc trigger shot) in June. As of today, it looks like I’ll be starting a new cycle as I’m already starting to spot.
I had an appointment with my endo yesterday and he expressed his concerns about how hard pregnancy is going to be on my body. He also inquired on considering an endpoint should our efforts be unsuccessful. Adoption was mentioned several times during our appointment. Thing is, I’ve had these conversations with my endo on numerous occasions.
I left feeling down in the dumps. I processed what was said, discussed it with my husband and felt compelled to share with this group. In fact, as I wrote this, I realized that my endo has never been in support of our TTC efforts.
I understand the risks involved (I suspect that many of us have stayed up late at night pondering this very idea). My kidney function is great (I had a barrage of tests in December). The only complication I have is very, very mild nonproliferative retinopathy. I have annual eye exams and my ophthalmologist has not seen any changes for the past 3 years.
I am realistic about our TTC expectations. Meaning that adoption is an option if having our own baby is not in the cards.
My husband has been very supportive. Not just with taking care of the blood sugars, but was my rock during the miscarriage.
I guess I’m writing this because I felt that if anyone would understand, it would be you ladies.
I get what your saying your doctor should be there for support. Tell you of all your risks so you know, but if you still want to try then the doctor should just support you in your decision. Have you thought of going to a different endo?
I recently went in to the doctor to do a dye test the results came back that my tubes are damaged. The doctor told me, my only choices are ivf or adoption. So I’m not sure if its doctors or what. But its a bit annoying.
Prior to TTC, my A1c was in the 8% range. Since TTC, it was the first time that my A1c was in the 6% range. After the miscarriage, I was still able to keep my A1c in the 6% range. That counts for something, right? The frequent BG checks (at least 10x/day) really helped me get my numbers tight.
We just did our 2nd IUI this past Wednesday and are in the TWW.
During my fertility work-up last year, I had a dye test to check the tubes. Not the most fun thing to go through. That test confirmed that I had a uterine fibroid (which acts like an IUD) and found a polyp at the exit of each fallopian tube. So, I really felt like our TTC efforts started after I had them removed last October.
Hearing that your tubes are damaged is disappointing. At this point, you have more information on what’s going on with your body and can make a more informed decision for the next step.
Hi Curlygirl,
Yes you work really hard at keep your A1C in the 6% range the doctor should be supportive and encourage you. The lowest I have ever gotten my A1C is 7% and I find its a struggle every day. I think doctor don’t get the struggle to test and keep blood sugar in range.
Have you considered doing IVF? I know that is one of the options I was given. The other things that my husband and I thought of was adoption. My husband I have been looking into just about every option out. I get the struggle though.
I’m hoping for your success in having a baby!!
Meghan
It IS frustrating. I still struggle with it too. Just know that you’re not alone.
For me, it’s a very thin line between in target values and lows. One misstep (for example not eating enough carbs after taking a bolus) and I have to correct with a glucose drink or a 4 fl oz box of Juicy Juice (what can I say, I mess up from time to time).
One thing that is a bit scary in the pursuit for tight BGs is how much my threshold has been lowered. Meaning that the “tells” that would normally alert me that I’m going hypo kicks in at a very low range (low 50s or high 40s). I’ve also acquired new “tells” for going low, the newest is my tongue feeling partially numb. Those instances were enough to make me check my BGs incessantly. I feel reassured that I’m aware of where my BGs are and can act on it.
Prior to our TTC efforts, my insurance refused to cover a CGMS. They said that I did not meet the criteria (no documented hypoglycemic unawareness, no ER visits, not pregnant with poorly controlled diabetes [A1c >8%] ). So, I got my endo to write a script for test strips, check 15-20 times a day. At least he was supportive of that.
Yes, IVF would be our next step should the IUIs be unsuccessful. Initially, the whole thought of an IUI/IVF seemed so unromantic and mechanical. I have come to the realization that many of our perceptions of how things are “suppose” to go is not how things are. This was especially true after my miscarriage. I’ve really been working on focusing on what I have in my life as opposed to the one thing, a baby, that I do not have…yet =)
I appreciate your willingness to share.
I am sending you positive thoughts in your pursuit to have a baby.
I’m the same in the going low its so touchy. I have been having the same problem not catching my low until it 2.7 which is so scary. But I get headaches, I sometimes taste like metal, and the big one is seeing stars. The joys of being diabetic hey.
I went off my pump and cgms 3 months ago I had so many problems with the pump. Sugars where so out of control.
I agree with you about IVF I’m hoping that can still get pregnant naturally. Time will tell I guess.
It is nice to have someone that understands.
Meghan
I would like to weigh in! I felt much the same way when I was TTC - I felt embarrassed to tell my diabetes medical team that I was trying to get pregnant because I thought they would tell me my blood sugars weren’t good enough (I had a 7.8 HbA1c) and that I was too old (I am now 40 - please no responses that I am too old! I’m good with it.). The process I went through (after looking into adoption and etc.) was to talk to a reproductive/fertility specialist who was able to tell me what was good and not so good about my chances to get pregnant without assistance, and then develop a plan. For me, that plan was IVF and yes it is mechanical! But who cares, you get a baby at the end and you can have sex for sex anytime you want. The reproductive specialist told me that they wouldn’t get started until I got my HbA1c under 6.0, and that’s what I brought to my endo. Honestly if she hadn’t supported me I would have found another endo - I was determined. So then it was in my court - I could through determination and hard work get my BGs down and once I did (okay, I got my green light with an HbA1c of 6.2) the specialists know what they’re doing. And right now I am in my third trimester 31 weeks and riding the crazy roller coaster now of keeping sugars in check and making sure baby doesn’t get too big. So - curly girl it sounds like you haven’t decided on your approach yet and conceiving naturally is fantastic and of course would have been my first choice. I just wanted to share that I am a believer that if you want something hard enough you can do it. Just make sure your team is cheering you on, not holding you back. Good luck!!
I have an appt with my endo in two weeks. Should his support still be non-exsistant, then I will be going to another endo. It will entail travel to another island (I live in Maui and would need to travel to Oahu). Maui is more like rural healthcare as opposed to Oahu, which has many endos to choose from. Prior to my miscarriage, I was enrolled in the Sweet Success Program (based in Oahu), which is affiliated with a high risk OB practice.
Bottom line, we are more than willing to travel to Oahu to ensure we have the best care and support =)
I keep my insulin bottles in the fridge unless I'm traveling for days. If I'm traveling, I put it in the trunk where it's a little bit cooler than the car seats and then put it in a cooler place upon destination arrival.
I'm not sure if you're using syringes or the pump. If you're using syringes and need to bring bottles of insulin with you constantly on trips, you can do like I do when I need to bring my stuff along and just put it in the trunk, or you can stash it in the glove compartment. Both of those places are cooler than car seats or a purse, so if you accidentally forget and leave your stuff in the car (I am VERY absent-minded by nature, so I have to take precautions for situations like that myself), it shouldn't get any permanent damage.