Looking at your own...

[rocketandroll]

Ok... so who here has gone to the trouble of (perhaps unwisely) looking at their own sperm under a microscope?

I'm kinda a bit of a science geek anyway so, as I recently got a fairly old microscope I thought I'd do a quick bit of 'self analysis'... I should add, I'm an utter hypochondriac and am always able to convince myself something's wrong based on cursory and ill-educated observations but... I have managed to concern myself somewhat :-(

Maybe this should be under the 'ask the doctor' forum but thought I'd add it here in case anyone else has done this too...

most of the online vids of sperm under a microscope seem to be at 400X magnification... I don't have a 400X setting, just lower and higher... I was looking at the sample at about 1000X I think. Now, ok, I found a few of the little guys... but I must admit... not many. The vids I've seen show the things swimming all over the place... I was moving around and now and then finding something moving. I think in a few minutes I found 15 to 20 of them actually swimming.

Now I could be panicing over nothing here but... to me that doesn't sound too good? Doing some VERY cursory maths I was coming out with a total in the whole sample (whatever ml that normally is) of a few hundred thousand... isn't it meant to be 20million+???

I am now thinking I need to go and get checked out as soon as possible :-(

Am I just being stupid and paranoid?



Ben

[robbyb]

Hi Ben,

As I've said before, if in doubt check it out.  OK, so I've not said that before, but it rhymes and I like it, so I have the patent from now on, thanks.

It sounds like you really do have a low sperm count.  But you have a number of things in your favour... 1) YOU can see them.  An untrained layman, if a certified and self-proclaimed geek.  2) You can see that they are moving.  3) It only takes one.

I had none in my sample, even after NHS laboratory staff had had a good look at two different samples.  It took specialist embryologist with special equipment and techniques FOUR HOURS to find the six or seven sperm that were in my sample.
This isn't me saying: "Consider yourself lucky, for God's sake, at least you have some".  No.  This is me saying... I thought I had none until I went looking for specialist help.

And I think that's what you should do too.

But seriously... if you can see them yourself under a crappy old microscope then you half most of the important questions answered.

Don't panic but as a very wise, wise soul once said "If in doubt, check it out."

Keep us informed mate.

Rpb

[mensfe_admin]

Hi Ben,
Not paranoid just plain sensible. It looks as though you may well have a low count so getting along to the doctor now makes a whole load of sense. The good news though is that there are some alive and swimming. All you need to really know then at this stage is how many the professionals think you have because that will determine whether natural conception is likely or unlikley.
Take care

[rocketandroll]

Thanks both for the encouragement... off to the doctors today I hope.


so... and appologies again that this is kinda in the wrong forum, so it doesn't come as a surprise and I'm well prepared....

Knowing that about 10m - 15m/ml is considered the cut-off point for being considered 'fertile'...

If they find it really is as low as a few thousand/ml... what are the options open to me?

I know that pretty much totally rules out natural conception, so what would the next step be?

If we assumed my wife was indeed ovulating normally?

or

If we find she isn't and also needs help?


It'd just be nice to know what can be done before some doctor starts telling me his/her opinion on the matter.




Cheers all


Ben

[robbyb]

Actually, I think this is exactly the right forum for questions like that.
Unfortunately I think that I'm not the right person to answer them.

I'd wait for one of the moderators to maybe give you a ball park answer... but listen to the doctors, eh?

On the whole they're pretty good... the only advice I can give is don't get fobbed off with the whole: calm down, son.  It's normal not to conceive in the first year.  Calm down and it'll probably happen!  (Claps on back and slams door in face).

Push for investigation and push push push push...

[mensfe_admin]

Hi Ben,
Fortunately there are options if your count turns out to be such that natural conception is unlikely. First of course a cause might be found and dealt with.
Beyond that there are the IVF options but all of the choices will be determined by your semen analysis results so it is best to take each step at a time (even though it may well feel hugely frustrating!!). Once you have the info let us know and we can then add specific and focussed comments rather than get involved in too much speculation.
When you are given the results they might just 'talk at you' - by this I mean they may not actually give you the results but just an opinion ie sorry your results are not great and we have booked an appointment for you to see another specialist...  So make sure you ask for the sperm count (total number per ml) and the % motility (that is the percentage that are 'swimmers' or 'mobile'). There will be lots of other information but the doctor will usually focus on these two. Its a good idea to write them down too because you might forget.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Take care

[Simon.S]

Hi Rock
I saw your rant in one of the other pages, and have answered with concern - however Rock unless I have missed something, you do not appear to talk about your concerns for your partner, after all, it will be a bridge you may have to cross (if not already).
For me this would be my greatest concern - Rock what will be will be, there are lots of options, as is documented all over the place on this forum.
I know this may sound unfealling - but for me when I got my results at least I knew what could be done so me and the women I love could have a family together - ****** hard but at least we were finally on "a" road that we felt, were to some degree, back in control of the choices we had been given.

[rocketandroll]

Cheers all... and Simon, thanks for your honesty.

It is of course a journey we're both gonna have to make and I am of course concerned about her too... I guess it's a little too easy for the person with the problem to get too caught up in their own problems to remember this is a problem two of you are facing equally.


Anyway, as I mentioned in my other thread... got the results today, and I was pretty much smack on right.

I'm 'Extremely low' as the doctor put it, 1.4m/ml, I'm gonna start talking to some clinics and seeing what they say... at the moment it's all just a bit too much and I feel I just need to get away and forget about it for a while.


Ben

[chrisd]

Hi Ben.

I know it must be hard for you hearing the news about your results, I remember the day I received mine, I have never been so scared in my life.  At least you know now and you can find out what your options are.

With regards to it being you with the problem, that is not the case you are both in this together and you need to be a team to get through all this.  I can guarantee you that there will be times when there are tears, joy, hope and pure pain but you need to be solid and be a couple.

My partner and I have never said it is you or me with the problem because neither of us are the problem and without each other we wouldn't be experiencing this. We fell in love with each other not for children but for each other.  It is hard, very hard to come to terms with, but you obviously love your wife and her the same so work together, tell her how you are feeling, ask her how she is feeling but always and I mean always be there for her.  She will be going through the exact same emotions as you Im sure, you are after all her husband and the man she loves.

I have found that this journey has brought me and my partner closer together, we have experience emotions together and learnt things about each other that unless we had gone through this would probably have never known.  We talk about everything and never hold anything back, if we want to cry we cry, if we laugh we laugh but always together.

You are at the beginning of a rollercoaster Ben and I wish you all the luck in your journey but please be there for your wife and for each other.

All the best.
Chris