About Me

Email: carlysdreams at hotmail dot com
Twitter: carlysdreams & lifeandIVF

Welcome to The Less than Domestic Goddess!

This blog is a constantly evolving project; a collection of what I encounter each day, what makes me happy, and what gets inside my head and turns those wheels. I believe our dreams and our lives are what we make of them. I believe that everyday people and things can inspire us the most.

I live in L.A. with my husband, L, and our two dogs, Emma and Henry. I blogged about my June 2009 wedding obsessively extensively on a website called Weddingbee. Follow along as I write about living in the city, our triumphs, our losses, and fulfilling a dream to expand our little family.

My Road to Health, Fertility and Recovery (The Abridged Version)

A long time - 2009: Unexplained bleeding, heavy periods, cramps, fatigue.

Early to mid- 2009: Ultrasounds and blood tests reveal ovarian cysts, and possible polyp. GP scares me into thinking I have cancer and sends me to a gynecological oncologist.

June 2009: We got married!

October 2009: Extensive D & C to help my symptoms. Told to get pregnant immediately. I felt better for a couple of months, and then symptoms returned.

Late 2009 - 2010: Desperately tried everything from natural remedies to changing my diet, and taking tons of herbal supplements. Supplements helped for one month, and put us back $2k. Attempted to get pregnant naturally.

2010: Miserable. Still trying to get pregnant naturally. Practically had a nervous breakdown. Stopped trying to get pregnant, and instead had a mental evaluation. I'm not joking.

Early 2011: Started feeling better mentally, and decided we were done with messing around. Sought out a wonderful doctor, and got tested again.

March 2011: Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. Diagnosed with two endometriomas (ovarian cysts), dozens of polyps, and endometriosis.

March - May 2011: Recovery and birth control pills.

May 2011: Off birth control pills and back to trying naturally for awhile.

July 2011: We decide to see a fertility specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) who I lovingly nickname, Dr. Dick. He orders a full battery of updated tests: HSG, sperm analysis, blood workup, and ultrasound. Ultrasound reveals an endometrioma (cyst) has grown back on one ovary. HSG reveals partial blockage in one fallopian tube. This is not good news.

August 2011: Specialist recommends IVF. According to his calculations, we have a 2% chance of conceiving naturally, a 4% chance of conceiving through IUI, and a 60% chance through IVF. We seek alternative therapies, diet changes, and a second opinion.

September 2011: Started acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

October 2011: We got a second opinion, and decided to pursue a new path.

November 2011: IUI #1. We got really excited, and then it was cancelled due to a bad reaction to the fertility drug, Clomid.

December 2011: IUI #1 (the remix). Baseline ultrasound showed I did not ovulate last cycle (likely due to my arch-enemy, Clomid) and therefore a lovely cyst is now just chilling. Taking birth control to help it go away.

January 2012- February 2012: Finally completed IUI #1 with the help of fertility injections (Follistim). Result = Big Fat Negative.

March 2012 - June 2012: On a trying to conceive break. Decided to put fertility treatment on hold. Rediscovering myself.

June 2012: Ovarian torsion incident created urgency to begin IVF like yesterday.

July 2012: IVF #1 = Big Fat Negative. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

August 2012 - March 2013: Coming up for air. On birth control pills.

March 2013: First Lupron Depot injection.

April 2013: I seek to add "angry, anxious troll" to my resume, so I decide on a second Lupron Depot injection.