posted
Don't worry Mrs.M, everything will be fine. I have severe PCOS, so I am one of those few people for whom Clomid does absolutely nothing. There is a stigma with infertility treatments because they are "unnatural." I think the reasons for people's whispers are 1) I the person herself is dealing with infertility, they may not be comfortable talking about private things, 2) If the person is talking about someone else, she may feel like she is gossiping. (I use "she" because none of the men I have met in an infertile couple talk about it.) I have been dealing with infertility for a long time, and i have gotten used to highly invasive proceedures and questions. This makes me forget people are squeemish and don't really want to hear about my body. I usually don't remember this until I describe the ultrasound I had during my ectopic pregnancy, and by then it is too late for me to shut up. (The wand was at a 90 degree angle from the body part it was in - the ultrasound lady at the hospital couldn't find things like my overies, so she kept on digging).
Have you had your husband tested? This should always be done before you start treatment, he could have no sperm, and then you would have wasted time, money, and a piece of your sanity.
Posts: 188 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
imogen, I'm so glad you like reading my reports. I have this phobia that they're boring and I'm wasting everyone's time.
Dag, we're in Roanoke. It's about 45 minutes from Natural Bridge. We should get together sometime.
School4ever, I'm sorry you've had such a hard time! Ectopic pregnancies are terrible. I cannot believe the nurse couldn't find your ovaries - what a nightmare. Andrew was tested years ago, when we started treatment. I agree that it's very important that men be tested, too.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
I am nervous, but coping with it. I got some adoption info in my email, from an agency that I contacted months ago. It threw me through a loop - is it a good omen or a bad omen?
I have to rush to get ready because I have to make breakfast for everyone, which is the last think I want to do. I really hope Andrew's family checks out on time (they're staying at the campus guest cottage, which Andrew and I paid for).
I am going to take some Aleve soon and start getting ready. Only 5 more hours and I'll know.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Good luck Mrs. M. And thanks for sharing all this. I have no real knowledge about this stuff, but I'm glad you are willing to share with us here.
I gotta admit I had another motive for posting. I notice you mentioned Hollins, and that you're in Roanoke, and that your husband teaches at a University. I'm guessing it's HU? How long has he been there? I ask because one of my good friends graduated from Hollins in 2003, and HU is a small school, so it's possible he had her in a class if he was there at the time.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks, Happy Camper. My husband is at Hollins (I'm writing this from our apartment on Faculty Avenue), but this will be his first year, so he probably doesn't know your friend.
Thank you, Eduardo_Sauron. Kind thoughts are especially nice to hear today.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yikes, I was catching up on this thread Mrs. M, and what you posted about insulin resistance and PCOS was interesting. I've been browsing around on the internet out of curiousity. I didn't realize that PCOS upped the risk of diabetes that much, especially if you are overweight. The docs say I have it, but I've never worried about it too much since I don't want kids. But it looks like there's a lot of other crappy side effects I should keep an eye out for too. *sigh* looks like I should concentrate more on losing weight so that I have less risk.
Good luck with your own adventure and let us know how that test goes!
posted
Good luck today! Just so you know, I have been reading your posts with great interest. Your courage in going through with these procedures and then sharing your experience with us is amazing.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Day 8: Sonohysterogram Day Aftermath August 25, 2004
Well, it's not the good news we hoped for. I have to have surgery to remove 2 polyps.
I was really on edge when we left for the doctor's office. Andrew's relatives were leaving to go back to NYC at the same time we were leaving for the doctor's office. Getting them out of the house took forever and Andrew and I were 10 minutes past the time I wanted to leave. These people take forever to go anywhere, even from the house to the car. Andrew's uncle is the worst offender - he has been known to take 45 minutes to say good-bye. He wanted to take pictures, for crying out loud. He had 3 days to take pictures and he chooses to do it when I'm late to an important medical procedure!?! Andrew's aunt and cousins were in their car and I was in mine as Andrew struggled to extract himself from his uncle's snares. I lost my temper and I did something I have never done - I leaned on the horn. Andrew was shocked and his uncle was unfazed, so I leaned on it again. This time Andrew ran to the car and got in. Finally we were on our way.
We got to the doctor's office in no time. Once again, it was empty. Andrew and I leaned against each other - we don't like to show much affection in public, but we both wanted comfort. He read a Hume book that he'll be teaching later this semester and I read a Reader's Digest issue on humor. I used the time to mentally prepare and calm myself.
The nurse came and got me and I got changed. My pulse and blood pressure were normal this time, despite my nerves. I learned how to physically calm myself down from shooting. The nurse was very pleased. She left and I waited for the doctor. He has a tricked-out ultrasound machine in his office and performs all of them himself. He came in and was his usual quietly cheerful self. He began by looking at the ovaries. They look perfect, which is very good. I watched the screen and he pointed everything out to me. The lights were turned off so that he could see better and that soothed me. After he looked at my ovaries, it was time to look at my uterus. He inserted the the catheter with the balloon and then the saline. It was uncomfortable, but not at all painful. I didn't even feel much pressure. He inserted the transvaginal probe and fell silent as he looked. I looked at the screen, too, but it just looked like blackish-grey static to me. He didn't say anything, as he had when he looked at my ovaries. I had a feeling he had found something, but I managed to keep myself calm. It was over very quickly. He left so that I could get changed and the nurse went to get Andrew so Dr. Slackman could talk to us together.
I changed back into my clothes and Andrew came in. He asked me if the doctor had found anything and I told him that I didn't know. I didn't know for sure, and I didn't want to alarm Andrew. Dr. Slackman came in and he and Andrew shook hands. Andrew stood up to shake hands and Dr. Slackman got the same surprised expression that everyone gets when Andrew stands up - it's impossible to tell he's 6'5'' when he's sitting down. Dr. Slackman told us that I have 2 polyps and he recommends having them removed before trying to conceive.
Endometrial polyps, also called uterine polyps, are overgrowths of tissue that protrude from the lining of the uterus (endometrium). They are usually benign, as mine are. Mine each have a radius of less than one centimeter. Dr. Slackman feels that they could act as an IUD (intrauterine device - a soft, plastic T-shaped device that prevents pregnancy) and prevent conception. He also feels that they put me at a higher risk of having another miscarriage. We have no way of knowing if they caused my miscarriage, but it is possible.
After my period, which is being brought on by medroxyprogesterone, we will do the surgeries. One is a hysteroscopy. This is a procedure that involves insertion of a narrow telescope-like instrument through the vagina and cervix into the cavity of the uterus (endometrial cavity). The uterine cavity is then distended with fluid and visualized. Dr. Slackman will place instruments (probably a CO2 laser) through ports in the scope that will allow him to remove the polyps. He will also be performing a laparoscopy at the same time. This procedure involves inserting a thin viewing device into the abdomen and pelvis to view the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus. A small incision (8 to 10 millimeters) is made beneath the navel, and a needle is inserted into the abdominal cavity. A small amount of gas (usually carbon dioxide) is inserted into the abdomen to create space for entry of the laparoscope, an illuminated, fiber-optic telescope. Dr. Slackman is doing this as a precaution - there is a risk of perforating the top of the uterus during the hysteroscopy and he wants to avoid this. I will be under general anesthesia during these procedures.
The day before surgery, Dr. Slackman will insert a small strip of synthetic material (which he referred to as seaweed) into my cervix. This will absorb moisture overnight and make it easier for him to open it. He gave me percocet for that and for post-op recovery. I was going to try to do the seaweed insertion without it, because I try to avoid taking medication whenever possible. When I mentioned this to Dr. Slackman, he told me that I can do whatever makes me feel comfortable but he highly recommends taking the percocet. I decided to take his advice.
So, I'm going to call his office when I begin my period (in 3-5 days) and they will schedule the surgery. I am very glad that we're doing it soon. Dr. Slackman told us that we can resume conception attempts on the very next cycle, which will be in October.
It is a setback, but it could have been much worse.
posted
romanylass, I think that's my first hug graemlin!
AJ, you have to pay attention to PCOS even if you don't want to have children. I think you should look for an Ob who has a thorough knowledge of PCOS and talk about treatment with him or her.
Shigosei, thank you very much.
Dag, that's a good way of looking at it. Thanks.
Thank you, Derrell. I'm confident that they'll go fine, but it's nice to go into it with good wishes.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
(((((MrsM))))) May all the bumps (because life is never smooth) be little ones!
October is a good month -- Succos often falls in it, like this year. So this year, your goal is to build two "nests" in October. (Ok, so the succah has to actually be built in September this year. Poetic license! )
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sorry to hear about the setback, but I'm glad that it looks like you'll be able to try to conceive in October. It sounds like the surgery will be complicated, but thank goodness for the modern miracle of minimally invasive surgery. I hope it goes very well for you.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mrs M, I'm sorry to hear about your setback, but as Dagonee says it is good news in the end.
October conception - so that would be a July birth, right? How exciting - this time next year, you could have a one month old baby! Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Have you had laps before Mrs. M? If not, let me reassure you, I always recovered very easily from them. I think it is good news - if you only have to wait until october, that's great!
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hard to wait a month, but knowing exactly what is going on in your uterus and that problems have been solved will give you peace of mind in October.
posted
Sorry for the setback. KNowing and plannign to take care of it are one more step to your baby . Best wishes for a smooth surgery.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Think of this as a good thing. Your doctor has found a potential problem and is going to remove it. Even though it puts a hold on things for another month, you'll know that one potential problem has been taken care of and your chances are that much better.
Kristine had a laproscopy to remove some endometriosous and cysts. I don't remember it being through an incision though. The doctor videotaped it all, as in what he was seeing through the scope. It was pretty cool.
I know Kristine got a lot of support from the forum at a website called Fertilitext. She got a lot of information and support from other women going through the same things she was.
Why is your doctor using clomid? I thought clomid was an older drug and there were newer ones that had less side effects. Maybe I'm remembering that wrong.
And finally, to get really personal, even though Andrew has checked out well, he still might want to take some supplements to improve his little guys even further. Every little bit helps. I remember reading that caffeine helped get the guys jazzed up, so I would stop and drink a Super Big Gulp of Mountain Dew on my way to make my donation.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote: He will also be performing a laparoscopy at the same time. This procedure involves inserting a thin viewing device into the abdomen and pelvis to view the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus. A small incision (8 to 10 millimeters) is made beneath the navel, and a needle is inserted into the abdominal cavity. A small amount of gas (usually carbon dioxide) is inserted into the abdomen to create space for entry of the laparoscope, an illuminated, fiber-optic telescope.
I recently had this procedure performed when my gall bladder was removed. They went in and had a peak at my fallopian tubes, ovaries, etc. They provided pictures. I was sore for about a week afterwards. Pain killer does help.
Good Luck! Thank you so much for posting your experiences. They've been very informational.
posted
Shan, the relatives were worse than the sonohysterogram!
rivka, you're right - October is a nice conception month.
Kwea, this is a thread of so many first graemlins for me - thanks for the wave and party!
Shigosei, you are so right. I am very thankful for all the modern medical technology - it is truly miraculous.
imogen, the first thing I did when Dr. Slackman said October conception was to calculate how old the baby would be this time next year.
Belle, this will be my first lap. I'm glad to hear the recovery is mild.
Obrigado, Eduardo (I hope I got that right).
Amka, that is exactly how I feel. I'll happily wait the month because it increases my chances of conception and decreases my chances of miscarriage.
Thanks, romanylass. I do find that it helps to visualize the process in steps.
School4ever, I caved when Dr. Slackman showed me the instrument he would be using.
zgator, very cool site. It's one I hadn't seen before and it's great. Thank you. Clomid is very widely used and has great success when taken with Metformin (which I take). I don't know how old it is, but the side effects are mild. I told Andrew about the caffine and he agreed to drink a triple espresso before his donation. BTW, did Kristine find the laparoscopy as cool as you did?
Tammy, I'm glad you've recovered. I'm definitely taking the percocet. I don't know if I want to see the pictures, though!
. It warms my heart so much to discuss this with y'all. It also makes it easier to talk about it with my family and friends.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I hate to say this again, but you should talk to your husband about getting tested again before October.
I think you said he was tested a few years ago, right? Things can change very rapidly for men, and I know a couple who went through all the tests and procedures before funding out that his count had dropped, and was the current reason they were having problems.
He had been tested and cleared, but by the time everything else had been "set up" it had been 2 years, and he never got re-tested.
He will probably be fine, but if his last check-up was 3=4 years ago it might pay to talk to him about it.
posted
Vitamin E is very good for fertility health, or so my friend with 5 kids tells me. She and dh took it for several weeks before trying for each of their kids and they got pg very easily. So it can't hurt to take a little right?
At least the news wasn't too bad, fairly easily fixed. This will be a time of faith building for you and your dh. I know it was for us. Boy, sometimes it really is hard to have faith that everything will turn out for the best.
(((Kira)))
Posts: 1132 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was conceived in October, it is indeed a very good month.
I hope everything goes well. I don't know what I can say that's comforting, but I am thinking of you.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Kwea, that's a good idea. I am going to talk to Dr. Slackman about it. Better safe than sorry, right?
Thanks, Lisa. It's my pleasure.
Wendybird, I think one of the vitamins I take has Vitamin E in it, but I'll have to check. Andrew doesn't take vitamins, so I guess it's time for him to start. Thanks for the tip.
blacwolve, it's a huge comfort just knowing that I'm thought of with love by people I respect and care about.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
I got a call back today from Dr. Slackman's office. My surgery (surgeries, really) will be on Thursday, September 9th.
I finished the medroxyprogesterone on Sunday and I started my period yesterday, right on schedule. I had this fear that it wouldn't be able to bring on a period, so I'm very relieved. It's always good when medication and your body do what they're supposed to. I called Dr. Slackman yesterday, like I was supposed to. Glenda (the office manager) told me that she would call me back tomorrow with a surgery date. I really love this practice - they're so on the ball. She called today - it's on.
On Wednesday, September 8th I will have my pre-op doctor's appointment with Dr. Slackman. He'll go over the procedure with us and then insert the dilator into my cervix. I'll be taking the percocet for that. Next, we go down the block to the hospital for the pre-op tests and instructions. You can pre-register at this hospital, which is fantastic.
The next day we arrive at 10 a.m for a noon surgery. Then it's slice, sear, sew and I'm home again better than before.
I'm a little nervous, but I think it's just the hormones and being excited for my first day of school, which is tomorrow. I'm taking French I, Drawing, and Behavioral Disorders in Childhood. This has nothing to do with my fertility situation, I'm just excited. It's a bummer to miss class, but it's better to do it so early in the semester.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Is it okay if I pray for you and your situation? (I can't remember what religion you are, or if you are religious, so thought I'd better ask first so as to not offend....)
posted
Farmgirl, I appreciate any and all prayers. They are expressions of love, no matter how they are phrased or whom they are directed to. I'm Jewish, but the other day I was joking with my mother that I'm covered in all the major (and lots of the smaller) religions. Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mrs. M, (this is Belle under her other ID) I've said some prayers for you as well, I didn't think you'd mind.
I know what you mean about the excitement for school - I'm so hyped up I can't stand it. Instead of waiting until January, I went ahead and registered for the fall mini term in October. There's only one class offered then that I need, but hey, I want to get going so bad even that one class makes me feel like I'm doing something!
Posts: 278 | Registered: Feb 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mrs.M, look into carnitine, flax seed oil and zinc for Andrew. It's been a while, but I believe those were some of the ones that might benefit him.
There have been numerous sudies that show carnitine helps. It's even sold now as a brand specifically marketed for that purpose, but it's much cheaper just to buy it generic.
He probably doesn't need it, but with all the time, money and emotion you two will be investing in this, it's a cheap way to make sure you've got one more base covered.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
(((MrsM))) I hope the surgery goes well and that you get to live the dream of being a mother. Thanks again for sharing this part of your life with us.
Posts: 4569 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
Honestly, the most uncomfortable part was the gas they pump into your belly. The pain you get from that subsiding is worse, to me, than the pain from your incision sites. Although they aren't really incisions, more like puncture wounds.
Now, of course, the more work you have done the more pain you will have. Certainly my gall bladder operation had a longer recovery period than my exploratory lap. But I've had one very similar to what you're describing - laparoscopy/hysteroscopy with removal of adhesions and scar tissue and a D&C. I was back on my feet by the next day, and felt back to normal within a week.
posted
I'll be sending you good thoughts and wishes, Mrs. M.
I might even ditch the clogs for a day, just for you. But I'd have to buy new shoes, and 10.5 is a difficult fit. Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm just finally checking in, Mrs. M. And I am glad you are writing all this down to share with us. I have someone close to me just starting on infertility diagnosis. I hope I haven't stigmatized her, but I hadn't really thought about it.
My husband had a laparoscopic hernia repair and now he has 3 belly buttons.
So is there any chance that with the polyps removed, you might fall pregnant on your own? That is, if there were acting as IUDs... I suppose that in addition to being obstructive they secrete hormones or something. Well, I'm sure your doctor will take another pregnancy test before starting over with the treatments.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Group Hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[Kiss]](graemlins/kiss.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Andrew's aunt and cousins were in their car and I was in mine as Andrew struggled to extract himself from his uncle's snares. I lost my temper and I did something I have never done - I leaned on the horn. Andrew was shocked and his uncle was unfazed, so I leaned on it again. This time Andrew ran to the car and got in. Finally we were on our way.![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
and ![[Hail]](graemlins/hail.gif)
Mrs. M - ![[The Wave]](graemlins/thewave.gif)
![[Party]](graemlins/party.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
