The Daily Drinker Gets Pummeled by Reality: Test Results Edition
Click here for the previous article↓
Hello, I'm Sumika.
It's been a little while since the last post, but here is the continuation.
A few weeks have passed since my first visit.
This time, I was accompanied by my husband for the first time, partly to handle the insurance application procedures.
It was at this point that I heard the results of my previous tests, and to put it bluntly, I was pummeled by the data (reality).
First, here are the realistic results of the blood test that left me frozen.
■ Summary of Test Results
AMH (Ovarian Reserve): 1.42 ng/ml
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): 13.4 mIU/ml
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH): 0.41 μIU/ml
Infectious Disease Screening: No abnormalities
Anti-Sperm Antibody Test: No abnormalities
Rubella Antibody Test: 8H
■ Dazed while listening to the explanation
Although I had done some research, I made sure to ask exactly what each of these numbers indicated.
First, the AMH of 1.42. It completely skipped over the average for a 34-year-old (2.0–3.7) and landed at a shocking "equivalent to 40 years old." This is the reality that my egg supply is running low. Furthermore, the FSH value of 13.4 means that "because the number of eggs has decreased, the brain is desperately pumping out hormones saying 'Grow more eggs!', and the ovaries are working at full capacity in a panic" (roughly speaking).
"Wait, I'm not as young or as healthy as I thought, am I?"
While I was shocked, that was my honest thought.
The doctor said, "Well, it's not like it's extremely dire, and I think you can get pregnant within a year if you undergo treatment while trying to conceive," so I decided to calm down and face it.
Just as I was feeling relieved by the doctor's words, I was immediately discouraged.
■ The shocking result of the Rubella antibody "8H"
"Also, Sumika-san, you have absolutely no Rubella antibodies."
I was somewhat prepared for poor results in the gynecological department, but this was a blind spot—or rather, a shock.
I listened to the doctor's explanation while wondering what kind of unit "8H" was. Anything under 8 means no antibodies at all, and my "8" meant "It's technically there, but it's nowhere near enough for a woman hoping to get pregnant. Effectively, you are defenseless."
In my previous article, I nonchalantly wrote, "I'm glad I got the Rubella vaccine," but this was a complete foreshadowing payoff.
Since the risk of contracting Rubella during pregnancy is no joke, a mandatory "Rubella vaccination" was decided.
And with this vaccine, you must absolutely avoid pregnancy for two months after the injection. In other words, my fertility treatment project, which had finally reached the starting line after researching hospitals and enduring painful periods, was confirmed to enter a "3-month forced sleep (wait period)" the moment I pressed the start button.
■ Might as well drink (alcohol) for now
My AMH is equivalent to a 40-year-old, and time is of the essence. Yet, because of the Rubella, there's a 3-month time loss.
As someone who is obsessed with efficiency and wanted to take the "shortest route," there is no greater frustrating opportunity loss than this.
On the way home, seeing me clearly dejected, my husband said,
"Where should we drink tonight?"
Wait, in this situation, he's thinking about drinking alcohol? Is it because the wait time was long and he wants to drink quickly?
I thought for a moment, but then I reconsidered, thinking that there's nothing I can do today and the situation won't change, so I should change my mindset.
I replied, "Let's just have sushi," and we went to our usual sushi izakaya.
If anything, I even thought, "I guess I have more time to drink now" (tee-hee).
Next time, it will be about how I spent the 3 months I was forced to wait (probably).