[foxypopcorn]

My husband and I learned yesterday that his SA showed "no sperm". We've spent the last 24 hours grieving and scouring the web for more information, and crying. We've been trying to conceive for the past 18 months - very patiently for the first 12, then using ovulation detection kits for the last 6. The past few months it has gotten very hard because I think I've known that something wasn't working. I menstruate and ovulate like clockwork, my hormone levels are excellent. His hormone levels came back normal.

I have so many questions - and you'all sound so knowledgeable - can I pick your brains?

We were sent to get a second SA locally, but know that we don't want to waste any more time in our small rural community, so we asked our local doctor for a referral to the UCSF fertility clinic - Dr James Smith and Dr. Ira Sharlip. Does anyone have any experience with these doctors or this clinic? Or are there any other Bay Area clinics or doctors that we should be checking out? I am also looking for a list of questions that we should bring to our first consultation.

From what we've read online, it sounds like we will be looking at TESE / ICSI / IVF in order to have biological children. Granted, we are only day 1 on this new journey, but our initial feelings are that we will not pursue donor sperm or adoption. After talking to my best friend, who is 20 weeks pregnant with her first child, I realize that I need to make some new friends who will have experiences and emotions similar to mine. No one else in our lives even knew that we were trying, and we don't really want to share this new news with our friends and family (other than my mom and sister). Any tips about where I can meet these new friends? Are there any SF bay area support groups?

We are reviewing our finances and trying to get a handle on the costs of our new path. Is there anywhere to get a regional cost estimate for pursuing TESE / ICSI / IVF? We are also pulling our explanation of benefits to see what our insurance will or won't cover. Any tips about working with Dr to code things so that insurance will cover it? The couple dr. offices we spoke to yesterday were only able to quote us $300 - $500 for an initial consultation.

This is devastating news for us. I feel like our world has stopped spinning and that I will never be the person I was prior to getting this news. We will not be the same couple. We will be okay, no matter what, I know that, but at the moment everything feels pretty overwhelming.

Thanks for listening - and I thank you in advance for your wisdom and advice.

[Hope1234]

Foxypopcorn,

My DH and I highly recommend Dr. Paul Turek at the Turek Clinic in San Francisco. He used to be part of the UCSF staff and then he opened his own clinic. He is an expert in male infertility. He can perform a centrifuge pellet with a SA (look for sperm under a high powered microscope), which is much more thorough than a SA at just a regular lab under a regular microscope.

We are also doing ICSI with TESE/IVF. We went through the same sort of emotions as you and your DH. Learn as much as you can and hang in there. Dr. Turek's website The Turek Clinic - Bay Area Male Reproductive Health Center has a lot of useful information. Good luck!

[SFBaygirl]

As you can see by my avatar, I too am in San Francisco

I have Kaiser insurance so I am researching that area, not sure yet how good it is. Dr. Turek has already been mentioned and has free phone consultations I believe.

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. There is a wonderful 500+ page thread about this very subject that will break your heart and make you weep with joy. I can't recommend it enough. You will find you are not as alone as you think. The grieving process takes time but please don't lose hope.

Keep us posted on any info you get as there are several of us from the Bay area here and we could always use a little good news.

[hopefulfor#2]

Foxypopcorn, I'm so sorry to hear that. My DH was diagnosed with no sperm in 2007 and it's been an emotional roller coaster since then. This fertility community can be really helpful in helping you feel NOT alone... you are not alone going through this. Keep your chin up, keep doing your homework, and keep trying!!

[Whitman2002]

I know exactly what you’re going through. My husband and I were “trying” for about 4 months with a fertility monitor before I finally got the feeling that something was wrong. Two of my best friend’s and I all started trying around the same time. Both became pregnant within a couple months of using the monitor. At first I tried to be happy for them and focus on starting my family. Finally I convinced my husband to go and have his sperm analyzed. I just wanted to rule that out as a possible issue. We got a phone call from our fertility which turned our world upside down “no sperm found”. We couldn’t believe it. Neither of us had ever heard of such a thing. He is a 34 year old male in perfect health. We went back and had another sample analyzed hoping the first one had been a mistake. The doctor called again to confirm that indeed there was so sperm in his 2nd sample. We went through a bunch of blood work and my husband met with the doctor to discuss the results. I have been with my husband for 5 years and have never seen him cry. He called me and I could hardly make out his voice in between sobs. He told me that the doctor found that his FSH levels were too high (18.5) and that his only option was adoption or sperm donor. This is the most devastating news a couple can receive. I looked online and tried to find other couples with this problem. We had hoped that my husband simply suffered from a blockage that could be operated on. We had no idea that a hormonal imbalance was the cause. There isn’t really a cure for high FSH levels. No one seems to know what to do.

My husband went to see Dr. Turek in San Francisco to have a mapping procedure done. Dr. Turek pinpoints areas where sperm can possibly be extracted. If we find sperm in the mapped areas we may be able to have children through IVF. He will do a free consultation over the phone. Apparently Dr. Turek’s mapping procedure is less invasive than a typical TESE. As far as sharing this information, we too chose to share only with my mom and one of my sister’s. We’re all devastated. I looked for support groups as well, but my husband wasn’t keen on the idea.

As far as finances go, we will have to blow through our savings. We were going to put a down payment on a house, however that’s not going to happen now. I have heard that most insurance doesn’t cover fertility costs. I don’t think Dr. Turek bills insurance anyway.

Believe me, I know how you’re feeling. It’s the worst news we have ever received. It’s one of those life changing events that will stay with you forever. I never in a million years thought that I would be in this position with my spouse.

Let me know if I can help…it feels good to talk about it with someone who can relate.

Originally Posted by foxypopcorn

My husband and I learned yesterday that his SA showed "no sperm". We've spent the last 24 hours grieving and scouring the web for more information, and crying. We've been trying to conceive for the past 18 months - very patiently for the first 12, then using ovulation detection kits for the last 6. The past few months it has gotten very hard because I think I've known that something wasn't working. I menstruate and ovulate like clockwork, my hormone levels are excellent. His hormone levels came back normal.

I have so many questions - and you'all sound so knowledgeable - can I pick your brains?

We were sent to get a second SA locally, but know that we don't want to waste any more time in our small rural community, so we asked our local doctor for a referral to the UCSF fertility clinic - Dr James Smith and Dr. Ira Sharlip. Does anyone have any experience with these doctors or this clinic? Or are there any other Bay Area clinics or doctors that we should be checking out? I am also looking for a list of questions that we should bring to our first consultation.

From what we've read online, it sounds like we will be looking at TESE / ICSI / IVF in order to have biological children. Granted, we are only day 1 on this new journey, but our initial feelings are that we will not pursue donor sperm or adoption. After talking to my best friend, who is 20 weeks pregnant with her first child, I realize that I need to make some new friends who will have experiences and emotions similar to mine. No one else in our lives even knew that we were trying, and we don't really want to share this new news with our friends and family (other than my mom and sister). Any tips about where I can meet these new friends? Are there any SF bay area support groups?

We are reviewing our finances and trying to get a handle on the costs of our new path. Is there anywhere to get a regional cost estimate for pursuing TESE / ICSI / IVF? We are also pulling our explanation of benefits to see what our insurance will or won't cover. Any tips about working with Dr to code things so that insurance will cover it? The couple dr. offices we spoke to yesterday were only able to quote us $300 - $500 for an initial consultation.

This is devastating news for us. I feel like our world has stopped spinning and that I will never be the person I was prior to getting this news. We will not be the same couple. We will be okay, no matter what, I know that, but at the moment everything feels pretty overwhelming.

Thanks for listening - and I thank you in advance for your wisdom and advice.

[sleepless]

It's comforting to read all your experiences. I hope no one minds that I join this thread.

I had a large fibroid removed last year. Since then, I've had multiple exams and my doctor has informed me that I healed well and I should be able to have children and I might be able to deliver naturally. This was great news!! My husband and I started trying and I have been actively monitoring my temperature and taking OPK tests, but we haven't been successfully for 6 months. I convinced my husband to get a SA. The first SA, they did not find any sperm. I thought this must be a mistake. He went for a second SA and no sperm again. He was then sent to an urologist and they diagnosed him with azoospermia. We couldn't believe it! The news was too hard to digest. Since then, I've been obsessed with the internet and finding any remote possibility of hope out there. I stumbled upon Dr. Turek's website. My husband had a phone consultation with him, which went well and there was hope again! We are crossing our fingers that Dr. Turek can do something, anything for us. I would like to keep this thread going with updates and progress if possible.

Me: 33
DH: 37, azoospermia, LH - 21.3, FSH -38.1, T - 599

10/09 - Met with infertility specialist
11/09 - Consultation with Dr. Turek!

[SFBaygirl]

Sleepless: Check out my signature. My DH and I are currently seeing Dr. Turek and LOVE HIM!!! His office is amazing, the staff is extremely nice. We got our free phone consult the day after I sent my email, Makenna at the office called me the very same day! We had our consultation the next week.

Dr. Turek is super nice and funny, not serious or intimidating at all. He did an exam and put DH on Clomid and then added Arimidex. He was "cautiously optimistic" about finding a few sperm on a centrifuged SA. We didn't leave feeling negative and I can't recommend him enough.

We just found out yesterday that after only 3 weeks of Clomid, DH's T level is now 428!!! Dr. Turek called it a robust normal Testosterone level and DH feels so much better physically. We still have over 2 months on the Clomid to go.

We have been going through our Kaiser policy for all of the ancillary testing such as the genetics testing, the medications (Clomid and Arimidex, the Arimidex is extremely expensive).

For the first time in a long time, I feel some hope.

Please feel free to PM me for any more info, I could talk about this all day .

Also, you may want to check out the very large azoo thread on this section of the forum. You will find that there are so many of us going through this.

Whitman: Did your DH already have the FNA mapping done? That is what the next step for us will be if no sperm are found on the centrifuged SA. I like the mapping because it is much less invasive and will help predict how successful a TESE would be. I don't want to go through ER etc. if there is not much likelihood of finding sperm. I would rather move on to DS or adoption.

[sleepless]

It's comforting to read all your experiences. I hope no one minds that I join this thread.

I had a large fibroid removed last year. Since then, I've had multiple exams and my doctor has informed me that I healed well and I should be able to have children and I might be able to deliver naturally. This was great news!! My husband and I started trying and I have been actively monitoring my temperature and taking OPK tests, but we haven't been successfully for 6 months. I convinced my husband to get a SA. The first SA, they did not find any sperm. I thought this must be a mistake. He went for a second SA and no sperm again. He was then sent to an urologist and they diagnosed him with azoospermia. We couldn't believe it! The news was too hard to digest. Since then, I've been obsessed with the internet and finding any remote possibility of hope out there. I stumbled upon Dr. Turek's website. My husband had a phone consultation with him, which went well and there was hope again! We are crossing our fingers that Dr. Turek can do something, anything for us. I would like to keep this thread going with updates and progress if possible.

Me: 33
DH: 37, azoospermia, LH - 21.3, FSH -38.1, T - 599

10/09 - Met with infertility specialist
11/11 - Lab work came back and TSH is abnormal, diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
11/23 - Consultation with Dr. Turek!

SFBayGirl: Sounds like Dr. Turek is really great! We can't wait to see and consult with him!! We're also going through Kaiser! Seems like you guys are one step ahead of us. That's great to hear about your DH and the improvements in his T levels! That is awesome news!

Just got my lab work back and my TSH is 7.92, which indicates hypothyroidism. The REI specialist is sending me to an internist for additional tests. I think this must be a mistake. My TSH was 1.7 last year, which is excellent and normal. I don't understand how it can jump so high in such a short time frame.

[SFBaygirl]

Sleepless: Congrats on getting an appointment with Dr. Turek. That is such an important step and we are so lucky to have him here close to us.

That is very strange about your thyroid levels. Have you had any symptoms of hypothyroidism? Have you had weight gain, tiredness, poor hair/nail growth etc.? If not you may want to be retested, labs can make mistakes of course. If you truly are hypothyroid it is good you were diagnosed as that can also affect fertility but is fairly easy to correct.

Best of luck. When I saw Dr. Turek I mentioned these forums, it would be funny if you did too. He said he would have to contribute.