The doctor ordered a hysterosalpingogram or HSG test which is an X-ray test that looks at the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes and the area around them. During a hysterosalpingogram, a dye is put through a thin tube that is put through the 'girl part' and into the uterus. Because the uterus and the fallopian tubes are hooked together, the dye will flow into the fallopian tubes, if all goes according to plan.
Unfortunately, the dye test was inconclusive for me, showing that I had some blockage on one fallopian tube and completely blocked on the other. We were then referred to a reproductive endocrinologist and given a low percentage rate that it would even be possible for us to conceive. This was just the beginning for us.
I was in cosmetology school at the time all of this is going on and during one of my breaks in between clients, I called the Institute for Reproductive Health in Cincinnati, Ohio and scheduled my first appointment. Scared, nervous, anxious, driving 45 minutes away from home, we went to our first appointment with Dr. Burwinkle. He was a friendly family man that was easy to talk to and understand. He had received my results from the HSG test and explained to us that the options we had were limited but it would be hard to know for sure until he opened me up to see what was really going on with the blockage! SURGERY? I had a laparoscopy back in 2010 and during that surgery, they found scar tissue build up which caused excruciating pain in my abdomen but I was never told anything else was wrong. At least I knew what to prepare for with this type of exploratory surgery.
The doctor wanted to review my results from post op reports from my past surgeries (laparoscopy-2010 and appendectomy-2012) to see the extent of the previous scar tissue and damage and told us about the intent to look at my tubes with another laparoscopy surgery. He said my fallopian tubes may be too damaged to fix and may have to remove one of them because when they are blocked like the test showed, they hold a toxin that can be released to my uterus which is dangerous. We were told IVF was going to be likely in our situation. OMG, that is like a minimum $8,000!! He also told me I have polycystic ovarian syndrome and could see follicles on my ovaries from an internal ultrasound.What the heck was that? We felt defeated but continued to pray and hope for the best.
Okay, so surgery. We were ready to find out if we could repair or unblock my tubes but first, my husband had to get checked to make sure his swimmers were swimming! I can only imagine how awkward that is for a guy to go into an office (mainly of women receptionists and nurses) to say they have to jerk off into a cup!! Haha. Everything came back normal, in fact, his swimmers were strong! Although we were referred to an endocrinologist, my husband still wanted a second opinion. We met with Dr. Peterson which was quick and to the point. Her advice was to go ahead with the surgery.
August 22, 2013- Surgery results were a little different than we had expected! Doctor explained to my husband that my tubes were completely open...he said I had endometriosis which 'ate away' a large portion of my internal walls and caused my right ovary to fall into a 'pocket' which is very, very rare. He put it back where it was supposed to be and removed what endometriosis and scar tissue he could find. He expressed that we should be good to start trying with some success after I fully recovered! The doctor still advised that he wanted me to take fertility meds because of the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). I had to do more research on this condition! Turned out, I needed to be more concerned about PCOS than anything else because it was one of the leading causes of infertility and 1 in 10 women have this incurable condition.
September through January we tried Clomid, the fertility medicine that causes the pituitary gland to release hormones needed to stimulate ovulation....nothing happened. We then started adding Femara to help with estrogen levels and added a "trigger shot" or Ovidrel which was a $200 shot I had to inject into my thigh or lower abdomen. Let me tell you, giving yourself a shot is not fun and I feel for diabetics. The shot was injected to stimulate the release of an egg during ovulation. I would go back to the office once a month, still driving 45 minutes, to get internal ultrasounds to check if my ovaries were close to dropping an egg for ovulation and was advised on timed intercourse. Have you ever been told when to have sex? It is a stressful chore that minimizes the males performance due to being under pressure. Between having to be on a schedule and the hormones running through me, I was an emotional wreck and so drained from trying and trying. I am not a patient person when I want something and this was just not happening fast enough for me! I felt defeated. Of course, everyone who knows you're trying for a baby will tell you to relax, it will happen when it's meant to be, etc. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR THAT WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING SO BAD!!
My husband and I decided in March of 2014 to stop everything....So there we were, letting go the stress from spending money on medicine, trying to have sex on a time frame, emotionally and physically exhausted and less hormonal, we just lived our lives. It also took a toll on our relationship so we needed to get back to square one and focus on being husband and wife.
July 20th, 2014 at 5:20pm I decided to take a pregnancy test because I was late (I had been pretty regular since my surgery). POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!+++++++++ I screamed "OH MY GOSH" my husband was in the other room and we had just got back from playing sand volleyball. He asked what was wrong and came into the bathroom. I showed him the test and he asked what it meant...I told him we were pregnant and it was the best day of my life, hard to believe and took awhile for it to sink in.
If you, or someone you know, are also dealing with any of these issues, please know that God works in mysterious ways and will make miracles happen when they are needed! God sure blessed me with a loving husband, a healthy baby and friends and family that have been so supportive during our troubled times. A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped support us and the outcome was well worth the struggle.
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