The Baby Ruth Blog: Test Results, Etc.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Test Results, Etc.

It's a nice day in the Northwest! It's kinda sunny and we went to church, then ate lunch out on the front porch. It was hard to just drive right past our favorite Thai place today, but we managed to resist and made sandwiches and salad instead.

So I got the test results back for the labs I did so far...drumroll please...
FSH= 8.6 (Anything under 10 is pretty darn good)
Estradiol= 65 (Under 80 is good here)

Plus, I found out that Dr. Amato wants to do the surgery to remove the polyp. It will be done by hysteroscopy( see http://www.sharedjourney.com/define/hysteroscopy.html for more info)

I'm not sure when it's happening or if it is covered by insurance yet, as I've been waiting for a call back from OHSU. So far, I've learned more helpful information about this procedure from my friend Gretchen and the internet than I have from my actual doctor. Apparently, polyps have been known to effect the implantation of embryos. Who knows how long I've had it, seeing that my last reproductive endocrinologist did not perform the saline infusion sonogram or anything like it to test the inside of the uterus. We are both annoyed about this, yet hopeful that maybe this small adhesion is the cause of our infertility. Perhaps we can have it removed and become parents without IVF! Of course, we'll discuss this with the doctor at our pre-op and see what she thinks.

Thanks for your prayer support and taking this journey along with us!

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Our Infertility Journey

Like many young couples, we thought that we would decide it was time to have a baby and it would just magically happen. We were the "perfect" ages..in our mid twenties, and we had been married for 3 years. It's embarrasing to admit, but I was so excited, I even bought some miniature Baby Ruth candy bars to hand out for when we would make our big announcement to friends and family! (Cute, huh?)

Well, after a year or so we began to worry. We were both tested and the doctors could find nothing wrong with either of us. I had a history of bad mentrual cramps, so I requested a laparoscopy to search for endometriosis, and nothing was found. We went through a couple years of the unsettling diagnosis of unexplained infertility, were treated with Clomid and underwent five unsuccessful IUI’s.

In the Fall of ‘07, we began to see a reproductive endocrinologist. After making sure that Bryan was tested more thoroughly and finding that he was very healthy indeed, our doctor performed another laparoscopy on me, and he found stage-two endometriosis. Because the clinic was outside of our medical insurance network, we had to pay for the procedure out of pocket. The specialist felt that after the laser procedure, we should have a good chance of conceiving naturally, so we knew that we were making an important investment. Unfortunately, many months of trying to conceive passed and nothing happened.

In May of ’08 I followed my dream of starting a support group for women who were going through a similar journey. It had been a long, hard, lonely five years as a barren woman! Through the support of our church, I was able to find eight other women who desperately needed someone to talk to. It has been a miraculous, life changing experience to have this group to laugh and cry with. We have come a long ways emotionally and spiritually together and have become great friends.

With the encouragement of the support group, we started to consider IVF. Our specialist felt that this was a very logical next step as well. After months of praying and discussing the financial side, we scheduled our IVF for October 2008. We decided that we would take out a loan from our home equity to cover some of the expenses. The doctor was able to harvest ten eggs, five of which fertilized. In the end, he transferred two six-day blastocyst embryos, and we all felt very confident! Despite so many things going for us, the babies did not implant and our dreams of becoming parents were crushed once again.

Just recently, in the Spring of 2010, we began seeing a new specialist and had some more tests done. Thankfully, an ultrasound helped the doctor discover a tiny polyp on my uterus that needed to be removed. After surgery, the biopsy revealed endometrial hyperplasia, a condition when left untreated can result in cancer of the uterus. We are so thankful that it was caught before it could cause trouble. To treat this condition, I was prescribed with a three-months of progesterone. With one month down and two to go, we are certainly looking forward to the next step in our journey.

I hope that by sharing this, we can connect with our friends and family on a deeper level. I know that many have been concerned, but not known how to show their love and support for us. It's a difficult subject, but if there's anything I've learned, it is to be open and honest, not ashamed. When we share our hearts, we can reach out and encourage others. If you have read this and struggle with infertility, or another battle, don't be afraid to talk to someone about it. Life is a roller coaster ride, but we're all on it together, so buckle up and let's go!

The Baby Ruth Blog

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Test Results, Etc.

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