9.29.2013

WIDE OPEN!

So, I left off where Meriam told me to come on down to Omaha for prep. I really appreciated the anonymous blogger who assured me it likely wasn't for nothing. And it wasn't. The irony is that my period start Wed at 10:30pm. I don't know about y'all, but I almost always start first thing in the morning. But by starting when I did, surgery actually became CD3. How about that?! Not bad for scheduling a month out and all the stress, etc when the goal was 4-8. Not bad at all. God has a funny sense of humor :)

Omaha was good. We stayed at Hawthorne Suites about 2 min from ppvi. It was only $64 for a king suite and it included a kitchen and hot breakfast. It was a great recommendation off the discussion board. It was great to do my preop at Creighton with Nina. Nina. Who last year recognized me from six years prior. She is kind of amazing. It was good to see a familiar face. Then was the ultrasound with Rachel. She was pretty new last year when I went. Then I got to do my favorite part, say a big thank you to every nurse I see. Teresa is pregnant with child number 8! And Stefani is just as young and adorable as she sounds on the phone. Meeting Dr. Hilger's son Steve went well. And we were all set for the next day. We found a great little cafe and cupcake place not far aways, Jones Cupcakes. Yum!

We were at the hospital bright and early at 5:45am. I did get a little teary after the nurse put the IV in, thinking this is likely my last surgery and hopeful for the outcome. The last thing I remember is a nurse asking me if I wanted a rosary and slipping it into my hands, telling me it was blessed by the pope! I love Dr. H!

I woke up and things were mostly good. A surgery is never easy, but they handle my nausea with anesthesia well and know better than to even suggest a narcotic. I had less shoulder pain with the gas, though there was definitely some. They seemed a little short staffed and let me sleep until 3pm, which seems unheard of. I am used to getting kicked out when I can barely stand. I thought I could go home late that same day, but I didn't really factor in that a late check out isn't really at all that late so we extended another day and went home Saturday. I almost didn't have a choice, there was some rodeo in town, but someone expected cancelled.

My mom is so cute, she knew that my follow up with Dr. H wasn't until Oct. 10 and that I needed all the info before then if we were to try same cycle as Dr. Toth wanted. She totally recorded verbatim what Dr. Hilgers said. He agreed we could try this cycle and confirmed my tubes were OPEN! He didn't have to do a thing. Great news, of course!

He reviewed my meds when he got back to the office, and advised me for this cycle. He wants me off the turmeric, fyi, and he did say I needed to do the dreaded inflammation diet. Everything inside the uterus where I had the washes looked great. Unfortunately everything outside the uterus was very inflamed.

Today is Sunday, I am off the pain meds and doing more around the house. I get tired easily, but that is okay. I definitely feel I can go back to work tomorrow. I am not 100% today, but good enough. The not lifting for two weeks is definitely going to be the challenge. Thank you all for your prayers! ***Update-while the gas in my shoulders isn't as much of an issue as it was before, it seems to come when I am sitting or laying down making rest quite difficult at night or during the day. This seems more drug out then I remember and adds to an overall crummy feeling. Pain meds don't help for this, I think the only thing that really helps is being up and around. Also, the anesthesiologist took a little knick out of the roof of my mouth, so eating is painful unless its soft foods. I might work a half day today (Monday) from home. Feeling pretty puny.

9.25.2013

Attempting to Let Him Lead

From the last post you may recall reading: "Here we are. Facing potentially $20k in surgery. We are done. Unless God swings the door wide open, we will try with what we have. Tubes blocked or unblocked, we don't know."

Things appear to have changed. While I don't know the outcome and if this path will lead to surgery Friday, I continue on the path that God has lead us by continuing to walk through the doors swinging wide open. The turn of events happened after I posted, of course. I called Dr. Toth to tell him we are canceling the selective HSG due the chance it may not be covered since it isn't within the context of a lap. Dr. Toth's response was unwavering. Do it. Do it in the context of a lap. I confirmed with him about surgery risk and how I thought it was risking infection spreading. His response. Do it. No putting it on me to decide. No ambiguity. Just do it. Couldn't be more clear.

So instead of calling to cancel, I called Dr. Hilger's nurses to ask first of all, this wasn't how it was already set up right? and also, is Dr. Hilgers willing to do this? Again, I was going off my prayer-doors open if this was the path we were meant to take. The nurse brought up two more potential barriers: 1)   does Dr. Hilgers have time in his schedule and 2) does the hospital have time for Dr. Hilgers to do this in their OR?

The response was clear again. Yes, Dr. Hilgers will do this, yes he has time, yes the hospital has time. Again, Renee clarified it is likely to be covered. The only "risky" thing is really the unblocking with a catheter, if necessary. I would happily pay that $900 if the hospital bill is paid by insurance. 

So we continued to move forward with one more piece unknown. Would I end up in the CD 4-8 window Dr. HIlger's prefers? It looked like it when we set this up but so far, no period. Stress is for sure the likely culprit. I may have had a double peak. Being concerned your job is at risk, a huge deadline coming up with a lot riding on it, a sister that is likely on drugs, a potential upcoming out of state surgery, and my oldest child have some major behavior struggles will do that to you. In talking with Cheryl, the surgery scheduling nurse, she made it sound like there is no way Dr. Hilgers would do it post peak, but he may be willing to do it a day or two earlier. I clarified we were asked to abstain so pregnancy isn't a concern and was told there was more to it than that. So we waited.

A few questions occurred to me that I received clarification on. First, I realized the change to a lap might mean a request for me to abstain and heal. I asked Dr. Toth if he intended for that and he assured me even post lap he wants us to try that very same cycle, unless of course I needed a tubal surgery and required healing from that. Teresa agreed that it was likely alright unless we encountered anything major. I also clarified that likely Dr. Hilgers would not be able to do a tube repair during the surgery, only run the catheter through. Most of those require the robot and that would be another surgery (one I don't imagine we would do). Dr. Toth reminded me that he absolutely believes the tubes are still blocked and doesn't want us to "waste" unprotected intercourse on not tic, so for that reason I hope the surgery will be soon. Miss the hubby. If we have to wait another month, I am not sure that is best for us. I imagine I'd let hubs make that decision if we got there. I can't think that far ahead though. 

Today is Wed. Surgery would be Friday. I would leave town tomorrow morning. No period yet. So I called Mariam who is subbing for Cheryl, at her request, to let her know where I was at with things. I am on cycle day 32, but a little unclear about when my peak was. If I went by point of change, it had long past. But if I went by peak-type CM, then it was pretty recent. For these reasons I skipped my draw (after confirming I could get a green light for Clomid without it). Mariam said something I never expected to hear. Come anyway. I was hoping that came from Dr. Steve Hilgers, but it sounds like isn't there. She said the policy is not to cancel surgery, but to still have me come in for all my pre-op appts.  Sounds like I am to keep moving forward to me. To be honest, if he does go through with the surgery, then two weeks of healing before ttc sounds a lot better than potentially only a week. Ouch :( That doesn't exactly sound like what God meant when he creates children out of love making. 

I am a tad nervous they will cancel only after I get down there and do three pre-op appts (Creighton is first, then ultrasound, then pre op with Dr. Steve Hilgers). But then again, I am still on the path as I promised I would be as long as the doors don't swing shut. Should they swing shut tomorrow after appts, well, then that's what they do. I promised I would keep walking. 


It reminds me of the thick fog this morning. 



I may only be able to see my own feet and not the path ahead, but I do know who is holding my hand and I trust Him with everything. So here we are. And eventually the Son will come out and burn off a little of that fog, as He always does when the time is right. 







Until then I will just grip a little tighter.
















9.18.2013

The End of the Road?

Dramatic title, much? Yes, I know, but I do want to ponder this topic out loud.

But first, quick updates and background. We will wrap up our oral antibiotics on Sept. 26th. It's been good, for the most part. I do have bright orange urine once or twice a day, but thankfully my tears and sweat didn't change color. There have been a lot of sweaty 100+ days around here. That could have been...awkward.

I am taking a pretty benign probiotic, Syntol, and a second one called Yeast Management. These are mostly aimed at yeast and probably not as comprehensive as some. Dh takes align, nothing special, and hardly takes it daily. He does eat yogurt regularly, which I think can help but isn't the end all. We are, again, in general, doing great. I did have one day with very loose stools that could have been very embarrassing had I been working from my office. And that's all I am going to say about that! My dh has survived in that area. He did, we believe, have symptoms of yeast he got from me prior to all this. Those continued. My symptoms of yeast went away after treatment until about day 12 on orals. And then I died the slow death  known as the yeas.t infection. Lord knows I am not exaggerating and if I could have physically removed my lady parts in anyway, I would have, and been quite happy about it. But this from someone who also didn't show enough restraint around the halloween candy.

I decided to be so smart and go to the drug store for an OTC treatment. I always forget about those. One day treatment does not in one day heal, fyi. More like 3-7. Ugh. The cream had another bad effect-making me unsure of my observations. On a month that correct charting is essential. Not good.

Dh was also treating OTC for yeast and he felt he wasn't improving. I called Dr. Toth's office as they suggested if not better and they were about to script Difl.ucan for both of us (despite me not mentioning my problem) when...oops. It decreases the effectiveness of Rifampin. So don't take together. So you should probably stop taking Rifampin and finish up after Difl.ucan. My question-will that put taking Rifampin during my fertile time or even post ovulation? Is that safe? I didn't really like the idea of disrupting our protocol. Dawn put Dr. Toth on the line who promptly said he didn't like the idea of me taking Rifampin on it's own. Our choices were to: a) ride it out. Difl.ucan (one pill, twice a week for two weeks totally four pills each) after Rifampin is done on the 26th or b) take Difl.ucan now if we must, but quit Rifampin permanently. Guess whose riding it out? Yup. These suckers.

So I continue to heal and dh continues to tread water. I can tell you he doesn't seem to be near as uncomfortable as I was or even am now 5 days post 1 day treatment so I don't feel too bad.

Some other updates, Dr. Hilger's office has been amazing in that they came back with a SHSG date of 9/27/13. Yup, the day after I finish abx. The catch, I need to be CD 4-8. Not like a reg HSG where I could be any old day. A very tight window of cycle combined with a very tight window of when Dr. Toth wanted it. They seemed to align. I got a call a few days later from Cheryl, the surgery scheduler with more info. Did it look like I would ovulate on time? I told her I might be late. Work was crazy stressful. Like I have responsibility for $25 million work of human subject protection work to take care of in a short timeline when new info keeps coming out of the woodwork. I was kind of freaking out I wouldn't meet my deadline, meaning we could not get approved to collected the data in time, when folks were scheduled with plane tickets already. That kind of pressure. Then Cheryl is on the phone saying here is your pre-op appt (wait, I have to go down a day early-I was thinking this was a one day deal?) and you'll also need an u/s the day before and a hospital pre-op. Yikes-I am thinking if my mom goes with me so the hospital will release me, then who will watch the kids...and you are telling me, don't stress, we need you to ovulate so you will be on CD 4-8?! Aaaaaahhhhh!

But my head didn't explode. instead I had peak type mucus that day, because I am weird like that. My prayer was for things to line up if we should go and they were. I have childcare. I have someone to go with me. I have a date that works with cycle (so far) and Dr. Toth's requests. So what's the problem. It's a teensy thing Cheryl said in all that "don't stress" talk. I said, just a little concerned that my insurance won't cover the HSG in a hospital. Clearly that bill could be huge. Her response? Oh, those are rarely covered. Okay.....I trust you, God. Really. But really?!

I called Rene to pre cert. The thought was, if it isn't covered then we won't go. Period. My tubes could be freaking open, people. I don't want to pay a surgery on my own dime to find this out!!!! On the flip side, they could be closed. And a little catheter through and they could be open. A little procedure. With a big price tag. A $20,000 hospital only self pay price tag, not including any of the doc bills (Hilgers, radiology, and anesthesiology) per Rene. Insert more bad news. First of all, BCBS will say they never pay SHSG. But the good news, they always do in the context of a lap. But the bad news, I am not having a lap. More bad news, there is no one that she knows that has done it this way so nothing to go on. And while precert isn't necessary, she would do it. But it's no guarantee. And they will say no, because they always say no to SHSG. Despite the fact they say they will cover dx of but not tx of infertility. To check the tubes, in my book, is to dx. To unblock is to treat. Heck, I would pay the $900 to unblock them if they were blocked if the $20k hospital bill was tied to the dx and not the tx.   She guessed it was a 50/50 chance. She will talk to her supervisor, but that's what she is thinking. That, my friends, is not a risk I am willing to take. On tubes that may be already blocked. Oh, Erin, I hope you are right!

So, I have heard a lot of discussion on the yahoo health board about when to say when with ttc. And while I am sure it is different for everyone, I can tell you my journey, I have had enormous peace come over me in the last 18 months and time to absorb the fact that I may not have another child. There are moments of sadness, but it didn't have to come all at once. It was an adjustment over time. I am extremely grateful for my boys. I would love another child. But I have peace. I do not feel desperate. I do not ever want to make ttc my life or my God. Despite all we've done, it hasn't bothered me. Everyone is different on how much is too much. For me, what has bothered me is the losses. The four babies I can not hold. That will never snuggle into me and let me sniff them or squeeze me tight when they are scared. The hair I can't brush out of their eyes. Their cries I can't comfort. In a therapy session, I drew a line I didn't know I had until it came out. One more loss and I am done. Dh agreed. Dr. Toth confirmed, said completely independently. In that office we came up with another line we'd draw. If the tubes were blocked, as in tubal reconstruction blocked, we were done. Here we are. Facing potentially $20k in surgery. We are done. Unless God swings the door wide open, we will try with what we have. Tubes blocked or unblocked, we don't know. But we will not pursue further expensive treatments. We will take these next three cycles to try. The tubes may very well be open after inflammation goes down, but they may be shut in a minor way or a big way. And we are going to let it go. We will not have turned over every possible leaf. That's okay. I know in my heart it is not for us to spend this money. It won't be good on my marriage. I don't feel responsible spending it. God has a plan for us. It may be our two boys. It may be future adopted children. I have no idea. But I trust in His plan. It really wasn't a hard decision to make. It made sense to both of us and we are at peace. It wasn't even a hard decision. We just stepped outside of the situation and thought spending that money is nuts. For us, its nuts. Sometimes when you are too close to the situation, you come up with all sorts of what ifs and how our circumstances make this special. For us, stepping outside made it clearer. We have not drawn a line yet, but in the future we may have to decide again when to stop actively ttc with clomid. We know 3 cyles was enough for each of our other pregnancies, but perhaps we will need 6 to let go. I don't know. And it will be hard if we don't conceive. But despite hard times, there can still be peace in our decision. I sure know that from experience that day in the airport. I am excited about what lies ahead. If God writes our story, it will continue to be incredible.

9.05.2013

Responses to Questions and Comments on our Treatment Posts


I so appreciate those following and I apologize it took a bit to respond to questions. I have cut and pasted them below, from comments, but if I forget one, don't hesitate to let me know. 
1. Once you complete the treatment, can the infection return or does it cure it for good? Also, is this the extent of his treatment or do some people have to go through even more invasive things.
Great question. Our hope is certainly that the infection will be gone for good, but we don't believe that will be the case. It all depends on how long you have had the infection as well as other things I am sure. Dh was first diagnosed with Ch.amydia before we met in 2003, so I don't recall the exact year. That mean at least 10 long years of the infection in his system, definitely that goes against us curing it forever. Now, he hasn't had active signs that he has known about all that time. He took the usual short course of meds and felt better. Then when there is no way he could have been reinfected, he had symptoms again. And again. One time he tested negative I believe, and still received the meds. The third time they didn't bother testing him. The test (swab) is very painful and not particularly accurate. Dh also tested negative on the new urine test he had recently prior to going to NY and testing positive. Does this mean he didn't really have it? Quite the opposite. We believe the meds killed some of the Chlamydia, but only in its active phase (it has a life cycle, that may not be the right word). If any is left, it can spread and remain in the system, each time perhaps getting nastier and more resistant to the antibiotics provided. Repeat doses of the orals only hurt my dh, didn't help him. 
Additionally, there is a good chance Chlamy.dia came down my family line as well. We will never know for sure, but my mom had a miscarriage, as well as both of my older sisters. There are a few classic signs, like my littlest sister (the one after the miscarriage) has a lot more signs of infection and has never been pregnant despite lots of opportunities. She has constant bladder infections, almost no immune system, lots of problems. One of Dr. Toth's book (which I have both as free docs on my computer if you want them) has a quiz in the back to determine risk factors. I can send it to anyone who would like. My family had other risk factors. If my family has passed this through generations, then that is another sign against a complete cure. 
Honestly, I think knowing we wouldn't necessarily get a complete cure from treatment was helpful up front. I know more than one person quite disappointed because that is what they were expecting. Treatment is invasive. It's expensive. Like most things in life, it doesn't come with a guarantee, unfortunately.
What we did do was treat something we know we have with the most comprehensive treatment available for it. And for that, we feel good. 
I learned the typical "full" testing treatment is: testing in the form of a swab for the guy, cervical culture for the girl, ultrasound on the male's prostate, ultrasound on the female, a semen sample for the male. Treatment is a 10 day IV for each (clindamyacin), 5 days of a broad spectrum antibiotic cocktail shots for the male (all five days include 2 prostate injections each day, two of the days included two seminal vesicle injections). [By the way, my dh perseverated on the number of shots prior and it didn't end up really being a factor. Harder days were given more meds, etc. Many days the second shot wasn't felt at all, etc.] Women typically do the cervical D&C and receive 10 uterine lavages of the broad spectrum antibiotic cocktail (some days can be doubled up-for example two after the D&C is common). Changes can be made to meds based on allergies. There is also 30 days of antibiotics following the IV done to tailor the treatment to the results of the cultures. Add ons, to my understanding, are bladder lavages for those with severe reoccurring bladder infections (women), a full D&C for those women that need it, and for the men who have burning symptoms they can numb the penis completely and do what is referred to as a flagyl cream fill inside the penis. We did not do any of the add on items listed. We also did not do a semen analysis (dh had one in 2008 when we were there). We did not test for everything possible. We tested mycoplasma and CT for me, aerobes and anaerobes and just CT for dh. 
2. What have you done as far as probiotics to protect your system during treatment? Have you had any issues with yeast infections with this or past treatment? I struggle with that just under Hilgers antibiotic treatment. Thanks! -Renee
Ironically, we were likely struggling with yeast prior to the treatment so I was worried about that. I had signs of yeast infection, but I let it go assuming it would continue if it was the real deal. It came and went, so I thought it was something else. Dr. Toth said yeast fluctuates based on your cycle so that could have been the cause. One of several symptoms dh was having was likely yeast. We thought it may be due to our internet research prior to going to NY. That has not gone away, he doesn't think. He is going to pay more attention and knows if he still has it, he can get a OTC or prescription cream from Dr. Toth. Since we are not have sex right now, we aren't passing the yeast back and forth and I have had no symptoms during or after treatment related to yeast. I take a  probiotic called Syntol, and another called "yeast management" recommended by a friend. I have taken about two a day and will take them a full four weeks following the end of the orals, so it is expensive. I give my dh align or culturelle, so not expensive probiotics really. He always eats greek yogurt daily with his lunch so he continues that. Both of us feel fine on the orals. I have had some loose stools, but my stomach isn't upset at all so far and it hasn't gotten progressively worse. Dh said he feels the same. Physically, we feel pretty great. Dr. Toth actually says the research on probiotics is very mixed. Dr. Hilger's office offered a suggested probiotic and various immune support. I am completely frustrated i can't find the paper I wrote them down on, but I will update the post if I come across them. 


3. Hi, thanks for sharing this information. I have a few questions for you if you get a chance to address them. Do you know how prevalent this level of infection is? Are we all walking around with latent infection? Can two people who have only had sex with each other have this type of infection? If you have trouble conceiving but were able to carry the baby to term does that mean you do not have infection? Thanks!


This is so important to discuss. 
  • First of all, Chlamydi.a itself is the #1 sexually transmitted disease. It is highly prevalent. 
  • Then consider this: those diagnosed with it think they can take a pill or a few pills and it will be gone. I subscribe to dr. Toth's and other's belief that this is not the case and it can be much more persistent than that. So men that "do the right thing" and get tested and treated and then are given the all clear, could be continuing to spread it to partners.
  • Then think about how they test for it: the swab. Men hate the swab, it is by far the most painful thing my husband has ever experienced (yes, worse than prostate injections). So I imagine most men avoid it. 
  • For those that do test, there are many false negatives. These tests are now machine read to save time and money and that leads to less accuracy. Testing the way dr. Toth does leads to more positives, but he also has a lot more positives than the general population because of who comes to see him. They come to him because they know they have an infection or they know they have all the symptoms. Even Dr. Toth will tell you the test is limited to the area they test-is there active infection in that area at that time. So if all your history and symptoms scream infection, then you probably have it even if your test is negative. In fact, some couples only have one member test positive. Of course both should still be treated. 
  • Unfortunately, Chlamydi.a is spread more ways than just by se.x. It is spread to children through delivery.   So you can be a virgin and have Chlamydia and not know it. You can be married and both you and your husband were virgins before you got married, and both have Chlamydia. Most people don't realize this.
  • Finally, Chlamydia isn't the only infection that causes infertility. It isn't the only infection Dr. Toth tests for and treats. He is a pathologist. He treats all infections. Traditional "STDs" aren't the only ones that cause infertility. Many infections affect fertility. So if you have had STD testing, or are a virgin, you can still have an infection that affects your fertility. When I think about how many people have trouble getting pregnant, miscarry, deliver early..when I think of how many people have unprotected sex and premarital sex...I think infections are a huge epidemic due to being under diagnosed and under treated. One more thing-new research is suggesting Lyme disease (an infection that is spreading widely) may now be sexually transmitted and also passed on through childbirth. I think infections are a big problem in general. Dr. Toth says they are so under researched and that he believes they are tied to more than just IF-heart disease, cancer, etc. The body can't operate the way it was meant to if it is fighting a long term infection. 
4. Wheelbarrow Rider: Forgive me. I'm having a hard time (maybe because I skim what I read) understanding what your ultimate goal is with these intensive antibiotic treatments. And I did not understand why you're husband got some shots in a very sensitive area. Just reading about the cries of pain hurt me tremendously but he's your husband! so discount my opinion if needed.
Airing the Chapel, that may be the result of skimming, or perhaps I didn't address it. I am not sure, so I am glad you asked if you sincerely wanted to know. While I think it is important to treat a systemic infection, I was not 100% convinced we should go to NY. I knew the treatment was expensive and we'd have to fight insurance to get even some paid for. I knew it was no guarantee to fix the problem long term. I knew there was certainly no guarantee of a healthy pregnancy. I knew it was going to painful for my dh. I knew we'd have to leave our children for over a week. I was at peace with our two children. I was also open to the possibility of adoption. I didn't have a clear sense of what we should do. Not in a tormented indecisive way. In a "I see the benefits to both sides" sort of way. So I did nothing despite the recommendation from Dr. Hilgers. And I prayed about it. And what happened was my dh got symptoms. And my dh was miserable. And my dh lead the effort of looking into it and researching it. And my dh made the final decision that we should go. For the possibility to improve our health for us and the children we already have. He also has a strong desire for a third biological child if possible, but we both agreed we would not pursue that if Dr. Toth thought it was not healthy to pursue. This was huge. Because, you see, my husband doesn't like to be away from our children (more than the average parent). He actually has paranoia that something will happen to us or them (he lost his dad in a car wreck at 12). He also doesn't typically go for unconventional treatments. He doesn't like pain (who does?) or needles in even the smallest sense. He is a reasonable guy, a CPA. He was not feeling good. He did his homework. He asked a lot of questions. And as the leader of our family, as well as the primary breadwinner, the one with the day to day symptoms, and the one that had to endure the most during treatment, he said yes. He thought it was best for us and our family. And as he was making that choice prayerfully and doing the research, barriers were removed. Plane ticket credits, hotel credits, deductibles already met, stocks increased in value, work time requested off was granted, my mom was no longer sick and could watch the kids, and things continued to fall in place. Our peace continued so we moved forward. 
Regarding why my dh received shots in the prostate, I have cut and pasted some info from Dr. Toth's site:
Functional considerations: The prostate gland serves three basic functions:
Thanks for all your questions. If this sparks more, ask away. Coming soon...hsg next steps.



Regarding whether one could have an infection if they have trouble conceiving, and yet carry to term, I can only say that I don't think carrying to term in and of itself rules out an infection. People can have an infection and then pass it on to a child that is carried to term. Infection doesn't always lead to total inability to get pregnant, inevitable miscarriage, or early delivery and compilation. It can lead to problems for the child conceived in an infectious environment, but not always. The way I knew I had an infection was through multiple routes: 1) I tested positive for ureaplasma urealycticum during my lap with Dr. H-but Dr. H will be the first to tell you that many many patients test negative with him that respond well to antibiotics, 2) my dh's history with infection, 3) I had brown bleeding at the end of my period with normal progesterone levels as checked by Dr. Hilgers at his lab, 4) my miscarriages were consecutively worse-each they happened earlier then the last; plus the babies showed delay when compared to my dates of conception, 5) every lap showed a ton of inflammation that I was told was due to infection or inflammation, and 6) I did well with antibiotics and conceived healthy children until I overused them, my symptoms returned, and I lost babies again. Things that can make infection worse are: pregnancy, miscarriages, and surgery. I had two losses, had two healthy boys after aggressive treatment, then had a surgery, a pregnancy, a miscarriage, a D&C, a pregnancy, another miscarriage. So lots of making the infection worse. If you want to rule out infection, you can have cultures done during a lap with Dr. Hilgers, but since those aren't foolproof either a lot of it comes down to history and symptoms. I suggest reading Dr. Toth's book and taking the quiz. I suggest joining Dr. Toth's yahoo health discussion board found on his website fertilitysolution.com. That would be a good place to start. 




1. As a stopgap, it determines whether the man is urinating or ejaculating

2. As an immunological organ, it secretes bactericidal fluid that mixes with the ejaculate and protects spermatozoa

3. Not unlike the tonsils, it serves as a filter for bacteria entering the male body through the urethra. The prostate entraps and sequesters invading bacteria, and undergoes inflammatory and structural changes. In a stationery organ this process would ideally serve the body. As the prostate gland contracts every time a man ejaculates or urinates, these sequestrations are imperfect. Escaping bacteria are squeezed into other healthy parts of the prostate. If they enter the ejaculate, the bacteria will enter the female partner’s reproductive canal and may damage both the physical integrity and reproductive performance of the female genital tract. Once pathogenic bacteria breach the prostate, ascending infection to the bladder and to the kidneys or descending infection to the epididymis can occur. I rarely see males with bladder infections or kidney infections in my practice. I meet patients with epididymal infections regularly.

http://www.fertilitysolution.com/Treatment-for-Chronic-Prostatitis/

I hope you have read this in it's entirety. While I appreciate your concern for my husband and the pain he endured, I assure you it was quite voluntary and no one was more sympathetic to what he endured than myself. While I in noway discount what he went through, I would like to add women often go through many difficult things while treating infertility. My husband chose to take some of this on himself, and I honestly appreciate that he wasn't just willing to put me through things and then decline when it was his turn. That being said, I wouldn't have thought any less of him if he chose to not do treatment, I was honestly in a peaceful place and would have accepted that. And, I know that for me personally, going through the lab work, laps, mid lines, D&C's, and shots wasn't a big deal. Shots don't bother me, the pain was not ever severe, etc. It was the emotional part that was hard,, and he shared that with me every step of the way. Not to mention giving me the four shots a week through both pregnancies was harder on him then on me receiving them. My husband, though, has much appreciation for what I have been through. Additionally, I see that he has some pride for tackling something that he was somewhat fearful about. He learned what he was made of, in a sense. He told me before he has never been put to the test when it comes to pain. He showed such awe and appreciation for me having been through childbirth (and no, it wasn't natural; actually when my epidural worked I will go on the record as saying it was actually no big deal; but that first time when they refused to give me an epidural because I "wasn't far along yet", yet I was in hard labor due to pitocin-well, I earned my stripes that day). This was the first time I really heard him express  admiration for me in this area. Because I know him, I know he would have been mad at himself if he would have let fear alone be the deciding factor in whether or not we went to NY for treatment. Also, me not nagging him, letting him make the decision, it brought us closer together. Dh, for maybe the first time really immersed himself in this research. It wasn't me. He took a very real personal interest in it this time, even more than before. I had already done the research. We were able to talk about it at a level of detail we hadn't already. We treated our infertility together for the first time. Regardless of the outcome, it was a good experience and we are glad we made the choice to go. Yes, I said we. Dh said he would do it all over again. And that, my friends, is quite the testimony.