So I was scheduled for a Hysteroscopy for tomorrow morning. I got a call this afternoon and the nurse said that they had to cancel my appointment because the surgery center is not a participating location with my insurance(gotta love Aetna). Why they didn't realize this before they scheduled me there is beyond me and irritating because they are now delaying the process. I am going to have to wait until next month's cycle starts, call and probably do birth control to prevent ovulation so they can do the test. They only do it one Wednesday a month at Abington. They basically insert a camera to the hysteroscope and put this in your uterus (not sounding like fun to me...the last time they did this it was in conjunction with a surgery so I was sound asleep...this time I won't be). They will be able to tell if there is any scar tissue, any polyps or fibroids. Then I have to get bloodwork tomorrow morning. Eric went already and no lie (because I called Quest thinking maybe he was delirious and they took too much blood!) they took 22 vials of blood. They had to do a separate vial for each test and my rap sheet has 32 tests! Hopefully I won't pass out!
When I spoke to the nurse this afternoon I had asked about my Day 3 FSH level and it was 11 (in the past it was between 8-9). This is the follicle stimulating hormone and it is the main hormone used to produce eggs. By testing this level it can tell a doctor about one's ovarian reserve-hence the biological clock ticking and ticking. The higher the level the closer one is to menopause and decreased eggs. They use a chart to explain the levels:

Day 3 FSH level

Less than 10
Reassuring level. Expect a good response to ovarian stimulation.
10 - 12
Fair. Response is between completely normal and somewhat reduced (response varies widely). Overall, a somewhat reduced live birth rate.
12- 15
Reduced ovarian reserve. Usually show a reduced response to stimulation and some reduction in egg and embryo quality with IVF. Reduced live birth rates on the average.
15 - 20
Generally show a more marked reduction in response to stimulation and usually a further reduction in egg and embryo quality with IVF. Low live birth rates. Antral follicle count a very important consideration.
Over 20
Perhaps a "No go" level in our center. Very poor (or no) response to stimulation. "No go" levels must be individualized for the particular lab assay and IVF center. Antral follicle count a very important consideration.

With my level being an 11 I rate "fair".
They also did a baseline antral follicle count. Antral follicle counts are a good predictor of the number of mature follicles that the dr. will be able to stimulate in the woman's ovaries when they administer the injectable FSH medications that are used for in vitro fertilization. The number of eggs retrieved correlates with IVF success rates. So one asks, How many antral follicles are good? Well, they have a chart for this too!

Total number of antral follicles
Expected response to injectable ovarian stimulating drug (FSH product) and chances for success
Less than 4
Extremely low count, very poor (or no) response to stimulation and a cancelled cycle expected.Should seriously consider not attempting IVF at all.Rare pregnancies if IVF attempted.
4-7
Low count, we are concerned about a possible/probable poor response to the stimulation drugs.Likely to need high doses of FSH product to stimulate ovaries adequately.Higher than average rate of IVF cycle cancellation.Lower than average pregnancy rates for those cases that make it to egg retrieval. The reduction in success rates is more pronounced beyond age 35.
8-10
Somewhat reduced count.Higher than average rate of IVF cycle cancellation.Slightly reduced chances for pregnancy as a group.
11-14
Normal (but intermediate) count, the response to drug stimulation is sometimes low, but usually good.Slight increased risk for IVF cycle cancellation.Pregnancy rates as a group only slightly reduced compared to the "best" group.
15-26
Normal (good) antral count, should have an excellent response to ovarian stimulation.Likely to respond well to low doses of FSH product.Very low risk for IVF cycle cancellation. Some risk for ovarian overstimulation. Best pregnancy rates overall as a group.
Over 26
High count, watch for polycystic ovary type of ovarian response.Likely to have a high response to low doses of FSH product.Higher than average risk for overstimulation.Very good pregnancy rate overall as a group, but some cases in the group have egg quality issues and lower chances for pregnancy.

When they did the ultrasound I had 6 follicles which is a low count. So with the low follicle count and higher FSH level they are saying that my odds are decreased but there is still a chance. They want to run additional tests to make sure there aren't more issues. I guess aging ovaries and endometriosis isn't enough! I'm trying to stay hopeful. There are women with worse situations who have success. My plan is to get all the tests done and get all the facts together to make an educated decision. And to think in school they teach you all about the birds and the bees. Hmmm. If only it were that easy.