In
my post titled Phillips News & Summer Highlights, I wrote a little about
how we were starting to work with the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha. It has been a long process, but this last
weekend we were flooded with several more pieces to the puzzle of our wait for
a child and my personal health. We have
been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many of you all in providing
encouragement, prayer, meals, hugs, financial gifts, and understanding as we’ve
walked through this step in the journey.
Your support has helped us to endure and to just keep doing the next thing. We are so grateful God has placed such a
wonderful network of loving people in our lives, and we wanted to update you
with the new information we’ve been given and with some of our next steps. Disclaimer: I don’t really filter much. Read at your own risk.
I’ve
known for a while that something was off, which was why I was so unsettled with
the idea of trying IUI. My doctor said
that infertility is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong – that
having a baby is not a good idea until the underlying issues are addressed. We now know that I have plenty of underlying
issues. On Friday, I had a diagnostic
laparoscopy along with several other tests that were performed while I was
under anesthesia. On Monday, we met with
my doctor to watch the video of the surgery (bizarre!) and discuss the findings
along with my previously known issues and the bloodwork results from the thorough hormone
evaluation I had done back in August.
During the surgery, they also took some cultures and biopsies, but we
won’t have the results from those for a few weeks. With the information we have right now, here
are the presenting issues:
Hypothyroidism
I was diagnosed
with this back in 2016, but I still experience many symptoms of thyroid
problems. My current doctor added a slow
release T3 medication to my current medication and is still working to
determine the optimal dosage for that.
Endometriosis
During my
surgery, they found extensive endometriosis along with some adhesions (scar
tissue).
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
The ultrasound
before my surgery revealed some ovarian cysts.
Although I am missing some of the classic symptoms and signs of PCOS
(such as being overweight, having way too many days between periods, etc.), I
do have enough indicators (such as enlarged ovaries, elevated levels of certain
hormones, acne, etc.) that my doctor believes I have this condition as well.
Low Progesterone
My hormone
evaluation indicated that, as my doctor put it, my “progesterone stinks.” The levels are far too low, which puts me at
risk for things like infertility, preeclampsia, and miscarriage.
Cervical Inflammation
They said they
saw signs of inflammation in my cervix during the surgery, but the results from
the cultures will tell us more.
Miscellaneous
I have a small
cyst on one of my fallopian tubes, and I also have an extra little useless fallopian
tube attached to a main tube (what in the world?!). It isn’t really hurting anything at this
point, but it’s not helping either.
People
have been asking how I am with all of this.
I am a little overwhelmed at finding out just how much is going on in my
body, but I am also not overly surprised.
I am relieved to know that I am not just a wimp and that issues I’ve
faced aren’t just all in my head. I am glad to finally have some more concrete
answers as to why I haven’t been able to get pregnant in the past (nearly) four years. I am frustrated that it has taken this long
to get a diagnosis for so many major issues.
I am thankful for a husband who is completely supportive, caring, and
sweet. I am anxious and hopeful for the
next steps, which presently include the following:
I was supposed to
do this during the same trip as the diagnostic laparoscopy, but my body didn’t cooperate,
and it was going to run into Christmas. The
scheduling for this is very dependent on where I am at in my cycle, so it makes
it hard to plan for it in advance. It
will help the doctor to see what is going on through the ovulation process. They want this to be done at their facility
in Omaha as well.
Second Surgery
If the issues
had been minor, my doctor would have corrected them during my laparoscopy. However, because the problems are so varied
and so extensive, I need to have another surgery. It will still be minimally invasive (five
incisions), but it will take about eight hours, including the time to stitch
everything up to prevent scar tissue. I
will likely have to stay in the hospital at least one night and stay in Omaha
for several days. The recovery time will
also be longer.
Bloodwork
I have to have a
blood test for insulin resistance because insulin resistance is often
associated with PCOS. I also need to
have my prolactin levels re-tested. They
were elevated when I tested back in August, but a repeat test is required to
make sure it wasn’t circumstantial.
Hormone Treatment
My doctor will
start me on some form of progesterone, but probably not until after the second
surgery. She said the injections would
be the most effective but that we can discuss other options (I am not too keen
on needles).
We
appreciate your continued prayers as we navigate the difficult scheduling, financial
preparation, trip planning, and emotional craziness that comes with all of
this!
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| Pre-Op |