Going on 15th week of Acupuncture

Today I saw LAc again. These are the herbs she prescribed me:

1. Chinese # 0508011-20050801
2. Chinese # 0510081-20051008
3. Dodder Seed (Semen Cuscutae--Tusizi)
4. Fleeceflower Root (Radix Polygoni Multiflori--Heshouwu)
5. Himalayan Teasel Root (Radix Dipsaci--Xuduan)
6. Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyper--Xiangfu)
7. Prepared Rehmannia Root (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata--Shudihuang)
8. Safflower (Flos Carthami--Honghua)
9. Szechwan Chinaberry Fruit (Fructus Toosendan--Chuanlianzi)
10. Turmeric Root Tuber (Radix Curcumae--Yujin)

She will be out of town next week so I will not be able to see her. I am to call her to make an appointment. I told her I am having a Hysteroscopy so maybe I can come in on that same day. I told her I would let her know because if AF shows up I will have to reschedule Hysteroscopy.

I mentioned to her that I was having some weird cramping going on. She said it was too early for that so possibly I needed some extra fiber in my diet. She suggested that I eat rice, mostly brown rice mixed with white rice and if possible, also black rice. I've never heard of that before. Anyway, she also said to soak brown rice overnight and then cook next day. Also, she suggested I try to eat grain bread, rather than just plain wheat bread for that extra fiber.

Going on 14 weeks of Acupuncture

I've been on acupuncture and chinese herbal tea treatments for 13 1/2 weeks. It's amazing what a difference I have noticed in myself. Not only in my cycles, but in the way I feel. I am much more at ease, relaxed, and not as stressed as I used to be. There is not tension in my shoulders nor the back of my head. I love going to the treatments, especially because I know that it is doing somethin good for me.

I think that I ovulated either yesterday or today. My BBT has not showed anything yet, but my temperature sky rocketed today. At my session today I fell asleep. It is so weird because I had just woken up two hours earlier. LAc told me that I could drink my tea in my cup of water instead of dividing it into two cups. I am so glad, because sometimes in the mornings I am so busy, that I don't even have time to eat, yet I drink the tea anyway. From now on, as strong and nasty as it may be, I will be drinking it only once.

Here are the herbs for this week:

1. Chinese Angelica (Radix Angelicae Sinensis--Danggui)
2. Chinese Herb # 0509011-20050901
3. Chinese Herb # 0510081-20051008
4. Dodder Seed (Semen Cuscutae--Tusizi)
5. Fleeceflower Root (Radix Polygoni Multiflori--Heshouwu)
6. Himalayan Teasel Root (Radix Dipsaci--Xuduan)
7. Indian Bread (Poria--Fuling)
8. Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi--Xiangfu)
9. Prepared Rehmannia Root (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata--Shudihuang)
10. Tangshen (Radix Codonopsis--Dangshen)

11 1/2 weeks of Acupuncture, What a difference!

I am at 11 1/2 weeks of acupuncture, and I have noticed several changes in my cycle. For starters, as I mentioned before, ovulation day moved from CD 32 to CD 19. In addition, my luteal phase decreased from 16 days to 13 days. I had no PMS, but I think that is pretty usual for me. On CD 1, I had very little cramping, tender breasts and backache, but it lasted only a day. I had AF for 3 days, then it changed to spotting. Flow was normal and color was bright red, with no clots this time. Usually, I have clots.

I am really satisfied with my LAc, and I pray that I will not need IVF in order to get pregnant, but it will happen naturally. I am really looking forward to this cycle. She had initially told me not to try to get pregnant for the first two cycles, since I had a tubal pregnancy in the past, we were trying to avoid another one. This will be my third cycle since seeing her, so we will be trying. I am graphing my temperature, checking CM and using a ferning microscope. Hopefully all of this will give me the results I need. In addition, there will be lots of BDing.

Here are the herbs for this week, which I will begin tomorrow, CD 5:

• Chinese Angelica (Radix Angelicae Sinensis--Danggui)
• Chinese # 0509011--20050901
• Chinese # 0510081--20051008
• Dodder Seed (Semen Cuscutae--Tusizi)
• Glossy Privet Fruit (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi--Nuzhenzi)
• Himalayan Teasel Root (Radix Dipsaci--Xuduan)
• Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi--Xiangfu)
• Prepared Rehmannia Root (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata--Shudihuang)
• Tangshen (Radix Codonopsis--Dangshen)
• Twotoothed Achyranthes Root (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae--Niuxi)

Since we will be going out of town next weekend, she gave me the herbs for the following week. She said if for some reason I do not have access to a stove to heat my water, the last resort would be to heat it in the microwave, but only if I have to. I there is a coffee pot, I can pour water in the pot and turn it on. Also, I can take only one cup of tea, instead of two. Beginning on Saturday, September 16, I will be taking the following herbs:

• Che Qian Zi (Plantago asiatica--seed)
• Chinese # 0507011--20050701
• Chinese # 0509011--20050901
• Dodder Seed (Semen Cuscutae--Tusizi)
• Fleeceflower Root (Radix Polygoni Multiflori--Heshouwu)
• Glossy Privet Fruit (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi--Nuzhenzi)
• Himalayan Teasel Root (Radix Dipsaci--Xuduan)
• Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi--Xiangfu)
• Prepared Rehmannia Root (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata--Shudihuang)
• Twotoothed Achyranthes Root (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae--Niuxi)

In the meantime, I am still drinking my gallon of water, taking my prenatals and acidophilus, and have now added flaxseed oil. In addition, I continue drinking my fresh veggie juice every am. I have not worked out this past week, but will begin again either tomorrow or monday. I need to get back in the routine of eating a little healthier, because I have let myself go too much. It's just that I am so tired when I come from work, that it is just much easier to buy something already made, then to have to cook and then wash dishes. Of course, my husband is so lazy, that he can't lift a finger to help me. I don't know how I am fixing that problem.

10 1/2 Weeks of Acupuncture

I saw LAc again on Saturday. It looks as if I ovulated on day 19. Wow, my ovulation day went from day 35 last cycle to day 19 this cycle. This is looking really good. So, according to chart, I will more than likely be getting AF within about 4 days or so. I told LAc that my luteal phase is usually 16 days long, although it should be 14 normally. She said to wait and see if this had been corrected as well. Also, she did not put any needles on my belly today. Here are the herbs for this week, until I get AF:

1. Che Qian Zi (Plantago asiatica--seed)
2. Chinese Angelica (Radix Angelicae Sinensis--Danggui)
3. Danshen Root (Radix Salviae Mil Tiorrhizae--Danshen)
4. Dodder Seed (Semen Cuscutae--Tusizi)
5. Fleeceflower Root (Radix Polygoni Multiflori--Heshouwu)
6. Green Tangerine Peel (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride--Qingpi)
7. Himalayan Teasel Root (Radix Dipsaci--Xuduan)
8. Motherwort Herb (Herba Leonuri--Yimucao)
9. Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi--Xiangfu)
10. Safflower (Flos Carthami--Honghua)

As of today, I had a couple of days of spotting (Saturday and Sunday), but no other PMS symptoms at all.

I was talking to my hubbie today and we were discussing TTC options. I told him that we should give acupuncture a chance until the end of the year. That will cover the 6 months that LAc suggested. In the meantime, I will have hysteroscopy on 9/22/06, and other tests recommended by new RE. If we do not get pregnant by the end of the year, then we will begin our IVF procedure with our new RE. We are still discussing whether we will do Teacher discount program or the Shared Based Outcome program. If none of this works, then we have decided we will be adopting and not pursuing TTC anymore. We have not yet set a date, but I do not want to wait to long. We have discussed options with this such as international or domestic and open and closed adoptions. Hopefully we will not have to come to this final step, but we are considering as of now. Our hopes are that acupunture is the key to success!