In for a penny, in for a pound.

The New Year's Resolution: giving it my all for the next 6 months.  I don't want to look back on my life and ask 'what if'.  For the next 6 months I am going to give every piece of anecdotal evidence/study/urban legend a try.  (Please note I am not a doctor and I wouldn't call my research thorough, I'm grasping at straws as I have a <1% chance of conceiving with my own eggs.)   After 6 months, I will pursue donor eggs.

-A 21 day Fertility Diet.  Do I think it will help?  Probably not, but it can't hurt right?  I'm following the suggestions on the link below:
Fertility Diet Recommendations

Basically, it boils down to just eating really healthy.  However, I will not be giving up my morning latte and I will be having a glass of wine (or two) on the weekends.  (I have found studies/stories to support the wine, I have yet to find anything to support the caffeine, but I'll keep looking).

-Traditional Chinese Medicine.  I also have an appointment with a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor on Monday. I am not excited about the prospect of acupuncture and studies have shown mixed results as to its effectiveness. Links below with a few articles on TCM and Infertility.
American Pregnancy Association
US News Article

-A 3-day juice cleanse (maybe).  There are a number of unscientific articles out there that point to how much influence the liver has in hormone regulation.  Juice cleanses claim to support liver functions.  After 3 months of holiday parties, happy hours, and work celebrations my liver could probably use a break.

-That Amazon cart full of random supplements has been purchased. (again, I am not a doctor)

DHEA Study about improving Egg Quality
 A clinical study that never happened on CoQ10
Examination of Royal Jelly Studies

-I will be limiting the amount of time I spend working out each week.  Numerous doctors had pointed to my running as being the cause of my infertility.  I will be limiting my running to three days a week until my Half Marathon in the spring.  Other than that I will still be enjoying swimming and yoga 2-3 days a week.  Here's a study that evaluates the effect of exercise on ovulatory dysfunction.

Exercise as a risk factor for infertility with ovulatory dysfunction

My take away from the article:

• people who exercise on average between 8 and 60 minutes per day have a lower risk 
• people who exercise on average more than 60 minutes per day have a higher risk

-I have an appointment with a clinic that specializes in High FSH cases.  It doesn't change the statistics that I am unlikely to conceive with my own eggs, but I'm hoping this clinic will give me the option of trying to conceive with my own eggs.

For those looking for evidence and hope that it is possible to get pregnant despite high FSH, I offer this study:
Three pregnancies despite elevated serum FSH and advanced age