Update

First, we're back from vacation and it was everything we wanted/needed. There are pictures up on our other blog (www.the-fletchers.blogspot.com)

While we were there I got a phone call from Irena. My test results were back and she wanted to let me know. The MTHFR came back negative which was very good. Even though it might have helped explain some things, it seems to go hand in hand with multiple miscarriages and that's obviously not something I want to deal with. So very good news there.

The bad news came from the glucose tolerance test. While my blood sugar levels were fine, my insulin levels were pretty elevated. I didn't think to ask what the number was, but will at our next appt. It was hard to grasp what it meant because I was on a beach drinking a daiquiri when she called and we had very limited access.

In the brief research I've done since we got home, here is what I've found. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas that carries glucose (sugar) from my blood into my cells so that it can be burned for energy. Insulin resistance is when my cells don't respond to the insulin appropriately, so the sugar in my blood can't get into my cells. To compensate, my pancreas pumps out more insulin to try to get the sugar out of my blood and into my cells. A more simplified version: being insulin resistant means that I need higher levels of insulin to keep my blood sugar level normal.

In the nonfertility world, this is bad because it's an independent risk factor for heart disease. Also, because the pancreas is working in overtime it can eventually wear out and won't be able to produce the excess insulin to keep my blood sugar levels normal. When that happens, diabetes develops. Third, it contributes to increased appetite which obviously leads to weight gain. Lastly, more insulin makes it easier to store (vs burn) body fat, thus worsening the weight gain problem and making weight loss difficult.

In the infertility world, it is often linked to PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome.) They have never mentioned that being a possibility with me, and from what I've read I don't fit any of the other symptoms so I'm not worried about that. It's also clearly linked to abnormal ovarian function, which I think is where I fit in.

I have really struggled with this because I read that while there is a genetic predisposition for it, whether or not it develops can depend on eating and exercise habits. So now I feel like this whole thing is my fault. On the other side, it can cause weight gain, so maybe that's why I've gained weight. While I know I've talked about emotional eating, it's not like I do that daily.

I don't know - there is still so much I don't understand about it. Is this a huge factor in my infertility or something that is just adding to it? If this is the only problem, do we try to fix this before doing anything else? Do we keep trying, but on our own? Do we combine this with continuing down the treatment road? We have an appointment on May 13th to talk about that, our next steps, and who knows what else.

Until then, she did tell me some things I need to do to help correct it. First, I start taking Metformin, today. I think that some of you have taken it - I'd love to hear about it. I've heard it can make you feel sick but that it should eventually go away. I start taking one with dinner tonight and then in a week I'll add to it. Luckily it's on the Walmart $4 prescription list so shouldn't break the bank.

I'm also supposed to start using the Fertility Diet book. It's not a diet as in trying to lose weight diet, but more of a changing my diet. It's supposed to be a moderate carb diet - too many carbs stimulate the most insulin secretion after you eat them. I'm supposed to make sure and have many nonstarchy veggies, whole fruits, high fiber, whole grains/legumes, protein-rich foods, and monounsaturated fats. I also have to do some form of exercise every day - even just 30 minutes of walking. Regular exercise will increase my cell's sensitivity to insulin.

That's all stuff I should be doing anyways, and now that I have to, it will hopefully be some good motivation. I want to have a baby so badly and want to do anything I can to help with that. I guess in the end it doesn't matter why I ended up with the high insulin, it just needs fixed.