The Whole Story

I was 34 when we actually first started trying, just a couple of months shy of my 35th birthday. But I figured that we'd try before the dreaded 35th birthday. We tried faithfully each month. I have a clearblue easy ovulation predictor computer. After about a year of trying, we decided to get tested, go to Hawaii, relax and have a vacation. Before we left, I got my blood checked. All my hormones came out normal, my FSH was super low, and I was feeling psyched, that maybe we needed to just relax and that our trip to Hawaii would help us to get pregnant. However, my doctor suggested that we test my husband too. Before we left, he went to the lab to get tested. Poor guy, he's so shy and the test was totally humiliating and traumatizing to him. He practically cried when he came home. And to top it off, he cut himself on the side of the cup. I felt so bad for him.

Anyway, we went to Hawaii and just 2 days into our week long trip, at 6am, my doctor called to tell me that the reason that I'm not getting pregnant is that my husband's sperm count and sperm motility is low. Exceedingly low. Anything under 20 million sperm per ML is low, and his were 800,000. -- Not even a million. His motility, which needs to be at least 50% was 12%.

I was so freaked. I started crying. And needless to say, it ruined our trip to Hawaii. Though, not really. We tried not to think about it.

I was really upset. I was hysterical and would start crying out of nowhere the first few days. My husband would barely talk about it with me. I felt awful. I was so upset but I had no one to talk to. We were both trying to process this, but he wouldn't process it with me. He just wanted me to change the subject and try to enjoy our vacation. Point taken. But I continued to be upset.

When we got back to California, we looked around for urologists. Not simple, most don't bill insurance and charge $500-$600 for a consultation! And it's billed as infertility which most insurance doesn't cover.

Anyway, my husband finally talked to a urologist specializing in male fertility. He felt relieved and happy to talk to him. And I spoke with his patient coordinator who was friendly and spent a long time talking to me on the phone.

My husband has to wait for some lab orders, get his blood drawn and then we can go forward with our first appointment.

Meanwhile I'm ovulating so I've pushed my husband to take guaifenesin and I've been taking it too. I figure that if he only has a couple of sperm, there's no reason not to thin out all those viscous cervical and seminal fluids in order to give the little buggers a fighting chance.

I'll keep posting as I learn more. I'm hoping to help other couples to have hope and information as I continue to find out more as it relates to our particular case.