Salpingectomy Photos *Graphic*

The following pictures were taken by two cameras that were inside of me during the entire surgery.  


         This first picture is a shot of my two fallopian tubes and my uterus in the middle.  

    
 Next, they injected contrast (dye) into my cervix and through my fallopian tubes to see if the contrast would spill out through both tubes and into my abdomen.  This would confirm whether or not the tubes were open or not.  I have had this test done twice before, but it is something they like to do during the surgery as well.  The blueish ugly looking thing on your right, is my right fallopian tube, also referred to as the hydrosalpinx.  The tube was completely closed at the end, thus not allowing any of the contrast to exit.  The tube just kept expanding larger and larger as it filled with contrast.

 

This is the final shot from the surgery.  As you can see, the right fallopian tube is now gone.  The left one was repaired and still remains.

 

August 21, 2013: Post-Op Appointment

It had been 19 days since my surgery.  I was nervous for my post-op appointment, but at least the hard part was all over with!  The doctor looked at my incisions, and said that they were healing nicely.  My stitches were slowing dissolving and my incisions were shrinking.  There was only one incision where the stitches were trying to push themselves out of my body.  The doctor said to just let it be and they should eventually fall out or continue to dissolve.  No worries :)  I also told him that I had been in some discomfort on my right side where the tube was removed.  I asked him if was normal or if it could be phantom pain, due to the missing tube  (Yes I am always trying to diagnose myself)....but it was not.  He said that because my tube was burned off of my right ovary, it was most likely my ovary trying to repair itself due to being burned in the process.  My doctor told us that people can get pregnant with a hydrosalpinx tube...but... that mine was so bad, that I would have never have been able to conceive with that "thing" inside of me.  It was such a relief that it was finally gone.  Everything was looking good and we discussed what was next for us now that my surgery was behind us.  Miguel and I chose the route to try naturally now that my tube was  gone.  I really wanted to give my body a chance to get pregnant on its own, and find its way back to normality.  We discussed that if I am not pregnant by November, then I needed to start considering more aggressive treatment.  In the meantime, I would be tracking my ovulation and Progesterone levels on a monthly basis, to ensure consistency, without any medications.  I was going to be doing this with Ovulation Predictor Kits and routine blood work.

There are three things that could cause me to need further treatment: 
1) If I am ovulating properly with high Progesterone, and am still not getting pregnant. 
2) If my progesterone is not consistently above a 12 on a monthly basis.  
3) If I am not ovulating at all.  

Daily Motivation #11

Details On The Procedure

It was going to take about six weeks for me to be back to my normal self.  The doctor ended up doing more work than he had originally anticipated.  There were three incisions made on my abdomen. One incision was in my belly button, another near my right pelvic bone, and the last one around my lower middle abdomen.  They were about the size of a nickel and had been stitched up and bandaged.  The stitches would end up dissolving on their own.  The nurse informed me that the worst of the pain would be caused by the gas they inflated into my abdomen.  When the surgery is complete, they try to remove as much of the gas as possible, but a good amount still remains.  The gas ends up traveling up your back and into your shoulders and neck.  This was pure misery and so painful.  I slept on a heating pad some nights to ease the pain and discomfort.  Every day I looked forward to taking a nice, warm shower to help relax my body.   They gave me Vicodin to take at home for the pain, but once the anesthesia wore off, I never took any of the pain medication.  Not that it didn't hurt, because it did...  I just don't like to take medication of any kind, unless it's absolutely necessary.

The incision that was made in my belly button had a camera inserted into it, as well as a camera that was inserted into me vaginally.  They used the cameras to perform the entire surgery.  First thing first, both of my ovarian cysts were gone!  For this, I was so thankful!  When they went into my abdomen, they flushed my tubes out with dye once again.  This gives them a more distinct idea of what type of condition my tubes are in at the time of surgery.  They also gave me what is called a pelvic block so that my tubes wouldn't start having spasms during the procedure.  There was a tiny polyp that was removed, but they ensured me that it was nothing to be concerned about.  It was so tiny that the lab could barely test it on the slide.  Good news is that my uterus looked normal, as it always did! :)  

My right fallopian tube, which was the hydrosalpinx, was slightly wrapped around and attached to my right ovary.  This is why it was so difficult to see my right ovary in all of the previous ultrasounds.  It was in such bad condition, and they confirmed that it could not be repaired... It had to come out.  The doctor said that I would have never gotten pregnant, as long as this tube was inside of me.  The only way they could remove the tube from the ovary was to burn it off.  This left my right ovary slightly burned which was quite painful during the healing process, as my ovary was trying to heal itself.  My right tube was then completely removed and taken out. 

They thought that my left tube was in pretty good condition, but once they saw it on the cameras inside of me, they discovered otherwise.  My left tube was also damaged, but THANKFULLY it could be saved.  You see.... your fallopian tubes are suppose to move around quite freely in order to catch the egg that is being released during ovulation.  My left tube was not moving.  It was attached to the fat holding up and surrounding my colon, not allowing it to move at all.  They had to cut the tube away from the fat it was attached to, in order for it to move freely once again.  After that, they repaired it as much as they possibly could due to the damage it had endured and the scar tissue it had developed.  After all, this tube was my only hope it I ever wanted to conceive a child naturally.  

Once I was healed, I got the ok to start trying again without any type of medication.  There was a chance that I would not ovulate the first month after surgery.  It had been about 5 months since I had a period, because we were suppressing it in order to get rid of the ovarian cysts.  At this point, we just had to be patient and let my body find it's natural rhythm once again.    

Due to my left tube being previously damaged and repaired during the surgery.... this has now increased my chances of having an ectopic pregnancy.  The moment I find out that I am pregnant,  I immediately have to go in for an emergency ultrasound.  This is to ensure that the pregnancy is occurring inside of my uterus and not in the tube. 

I now have both of my ovaries, and one repaired fallopian tube.  The doctors are now confident that I should be able to conceive now.  This is where my hope lies.

                                    Bloated from the gas inflated into my abdomen

                                                       First look after surgery

                                                     Removing the bandages

                                     One of my incisions a couple days after surgery

 

August 2, 2013: Salpingectomy

The day was finally here.  It was the morning of my surgery.  I couldn't sleep...I had tossed and turned all night.  I knew having surgery was what I needed to do to get one step closer to becoming a mom, but at the same time, I was sad.  I knew this was going to be a positive things, but I would be losing a fallopian tube....a sentimental piece of me, in the process.  I woke up so early that morning.  The sun was barely breaking through the little amount of clouds that were present.  I went outside with Kaia, and just started to think about everything that had led up to this very point in time, and began to cry.  I just couldn't believe that it had all come to this.  My doctor kept telling me that my tube needed to come out, but I had been in such denial...and here I was.  Olivia..(my husband's aunt, who is one of my best friends, and basically a big sister to me).. saw me crying outside in the yard.  She ran up to me and just held me in her arms, telling me that everything would be alright.  She always knows what to say and what to do, to calm me down.  Now that's a gift.  My phone rang and it was my dad returning my call I had previously made to him.  I started to bawl again, telling him I called him because of how scared I was.  I could here the concern in my dad's voice.  He immediately called Miguel, telling him to keep him posted throughout the day, and to make sure they give me something for the anxiety.  

I dried my eyes and went back inside.  The past two evenings I had bathed in a special soap, and now I had to shower again before we headed to the hospital. After my shower, Miguel asked me if I was ok, and I told him that I felt sad and had been crying.  He comforted me and that gave me the strength I needed to keep going.  That day I had such a huge support group at the hospital with me, which included:  Miguel, my mom, my stepdad, and Olivia.  I felt so loved..... After all, I couldn't do it without their support, and the support of others very close to me, who couldn't physically be there.  I knew I needed to do this and I could get through it.  

We got to the hospital, and I was still so nervous.  They called me back to the room to get some paperwork done.  Everything seemed to just happen so fast.  Immediately after my paperwork, they had me change into a gown and socks.  Everyone at the hospital kept telling me that when I do have a baby, it was going to be a boy.  This was because my nails, hospital gown, and socks were all the same color blue!  Before I knew it, they had the iv in my hand.  I laid on the hospital bed alone with my mind racing... waiting for them to allow my family back to visit me, two at a time.  My mom and Miguel were the to first to come back.  They couldn't believe that I was already dressed and ready to go!  Miguel never left my side as the others switched in and out.  As Miguel calmly sat there holding my hand, my mom looked so worried and emotional.  She didn't stay with me for too long, so that Olivia and my stepdad could visit me as well.  

The anesthesiologist came by and said that he was going to go through everything with me that would be involved during the procedure.  I told him "you are exactly the person that I wanted to talk to!" Lol..  I decided to ask about getting an epidural once again, instead of having him put me to sleep.  Of course this was going to be a big fat no for an answer, but I figured it was worth a try.  He told me that the reason why they don't do epidurals for this surgery is because before they start the procedure, they will be inflating my abdomen with gas to lift it.  Therefore, I would not be breathing on my own, and they would have a breathing tube down my throat, breathing for me.  Ummmmm... yea this did not make me feel any better about the situation.  The anesthesiologist was very good with his words and the way he described things to me, to make me feel more secure about going under.  He told me that all of the medications were completely reversible, and that your body naturally reverses them on it's own.  He also told me that waking people up is not the issue, but keeping them asleep.  This made me feel better about being on those drugs.  Dr. Crochet came in and it was officially game time!  We talked very briefly and then it was time to go into the operating room.  So to take the edge off, they gave me a little medication intravenously.  I literally felt like I had at least 5 shots of tequila in me.  My anxiety was gone, and I was ready to go.  I kissed my family and they wheeled me away.

I remember them rolling me into the operating room.  There were so many tools and people everywhere.  The lights were so bright.  I didn't care because my body felt so good.  I didn't have a single worry in the world at that moment in time.  They asked me to shimmy my body off the bed and onto the operating table.  I mumbled,  "There's alot of people and alot of stuff in here".  The bright lights blinded me, and I was out.  

When the surgery was all said and done, the doctor had my family wait in a room to discuss his findings.  He went through each and every picture he took and thoroughly went through his findings and results with them. 

The surgery took approximately 3 hours.  When I woke up in recovery, the nurse was waiting for me.  I didn't feel any pain, but then again, I was still so out of it.  She moved me into a wheelchair and helped me change into my regular clothes before my family could come back to see me.  I kept thinking to myself "What the heck is she doing..."  I remember not being able to see too clearly because I didn't have my glasses.  My family was finally with me again.  I vaguely remember Miguel trying to show me pictures of the surgery and trying to explain them to me, but that is all just a blur.  The nurse told me that I had to try and urinate before the doctor would release me, and if I didn't urinate they would have to give me a catheter to drain my bladder. The up and down, to and from the restroom was making me so nauseous.  I could barely walk, much less urinate.   I definitely didn't want a catheter, so I kept trying to go to the restroom to avoid this, and eventually I urinated.  Thank goodness.

 Now I was on the road to recovery, and was ready to hear the results for myself once the drugs wore off.  I did it... finally!  This was a big step in our journey with infertility.

 

 

 

My Surgery 'Eve'

It was the night before my surgery.  I was doing everything I could to not be stressed, scared, and anxious all rolled into one.  My husband planned a night of celebration for us.  He knew my fears and how emotional I had been the days leading up to this.  He surprised me and made private reservations on a yacht for us to have dinner.  He knows how much I love being on the water.  I remember it as such a beautiful night.  We toasted to my surgery as a celebration.  This was going to be a new beginning for us in this journey.  We were finally going to get some answers we had been longing for.  The yacht was incredibly romantic, and even had a dj!  We ate, laughed, talked about things to come, and watched the sunset over the water.  It was the perfect night.  Im so blessed that my husband is so thoughtful in his ways, and knew exactly how to get my surgery off my mind.  It was a simple, yet perfect celebration.

 

July 31, 2013- Pre-Op Appointment

Here it was... it was a Wednesday, July 31.  I was finally at my pre-op appointment for my long anticipated Salpingectomy.  I was nervous because the surgery was so close, and I am soooo afraid of anesthesia.  We did routine blood work to ensure everything was ok before Friday came.  We then did ultrasounds to see if both ovarian cysts were gone now, from me being on birth control for the past several months!  The left ovarian cyst was gone!  I was so happy!! Now as far as the right ovarian cyst, the tube was far too large to even see if the cyst was still present or not.  With that being said, the doctor planned to assess the situation when he went in for surgery, in regards to the cyst.  We then discussed what would happen during the surgery in much detail.  We went through all of the different possibilities, the risks, and of course the plans for the Salpingectomy in  general.  I was so scared of getting anesthesia done, so I asked my doctor if I could just get an epidural so the area would be numb and I wouldn't have to get put to sleep.  (I had this all planned out in my head!)  He just laughed at me and told me no.  He said that he has to be very precise with this procedure and I had to be completely asleep.   I think he thought I was kidding, so I tried again and told him that I would be really still and would pretend to be asleep.  This was all quite humerus to him!  So as you can see, my plan to not get anesthesia did not go so well. Lol  Now it was time for me to mentally prepare for the big day!
                                                   

Counting down..

Daily Motivation #10

Surgery Scheduled!

My surgery was scheduled!!   My nerves were full force at this point.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these cysts go away before the day of my surgery!


                                                   Surgery Day- August 2, 2013

June 3, 2013: Catching up!!

So it's time to catch up with my gyno, considering he has helped me out so much throughout this journey and I have been under the care of the fertility specialist since the day he referred me.  I went in to talk with him about how things have been going at the Center of Reproductive Medicine, and what plans were in place for my fertility issues.  My doctor was so ready for my surgery to take place, just as I was.  He said that if it was going to be done at a hospital that he had privileges at, then he would do everything in his power to be there to assist with the operation.  If it was not a a hospital with his privileges, then he wanted to be there to observe the operation.  He was so curious to see what the hell was going on inside of me after all of these years.  I felt so blessed to have a doctor that was so caring and willing to help in any way he could.  

 

May 26, 2013

Second Month- Birth Control

         Skipping the sugar pills and going straight into the next pack!! Prepping for surgery! 

 

My dream!

This is sooooo me!!

Daily Motivation #9

May 2, 2013- Starting Birth Control

This would mark the first day of being on birth control.  As a reminder, this is an attempt to get rid of both of my ovarian cysts before my Salpingectomy.  I will take the active pills continuously until my pre-op appointment to check the progress, which means skipping the sugar pills and going straight into the next pack.

April 30, 2013

The Center of Reproductive Medicine

Today was the day that I would be meeting my new doctor....  a fertility specialist named Dr. John Crochet.  Basically during this appointment we would be talking about my issue in a consultation room and then doing a full exam, along with some ultrasounds.  During the consultation we went through everything.  I gave him all of my records and test results that I had been doing with my OBGYN that ultimately led us up to this point, and we discussed the ins and outs of my issues.  Dr. Crochet was under the impression that the toxic fluid in my right fallopian tube, the hydrosalpinx, was possibly falling back into my uterus.  He said that the entire environment inside of me was toxic.  I wasn't even making embryos because of this.  There was no way for my egg to meet up with any sperm.  At this point, there was no way for me to get pregnant with this tube inside of me.  This is exactly what I had expected to hear.  

We then went into the untrasound room.  During the ultrasound he was looking for my ovaries to check the size, etc. of them.  The left one looked normal, but had a cyst on it.  The right one also had a cyst on it, but he could barely even see the ovary because the tube was so large and dilated.  He then checked my uterus.  It had no fluid in it, and looked normal.  This was a good sign!  Next we looked at my right tube, the hydrosalpinx. He wanted to put pressure on it, to see the fluid and how dilated it was.  As he was pushing on the tube, he said.."Wow, I've never seen this on an ultrasound before!  This is remarkable and kind of cool!"  Basically, when he was pushing on the hyrdrosalpinx, you could see the fluid falling back into my uterus.  My uterus was now partially filled with fluid.  This confirmed all of the speculation and diagnosis from previous exams.  This fluid was also going towards my 'good' left tube.  It was killing off any sperm in the area, and not allowing my eggs to develop properly.  This right tube had to go if I were to ever want to get pregnant without InVitro!

Before leaving I went into the lab to get some bloodwork done and check my egg count once again.  I wouldn't get these results until my Pre-Op appointment was set.  

At this moment, I was crushed.  It felt more real then it ever had before.  The doctor told me the fertility medications would be useless at this point.  Instead, he put me on birth control to get rid of the ovarian cysts.  How did I go from thinking "This could be the month!", to being on birth control!??!  It was quite devastating.  I would stay on  birth control until the day of surgery.  I was told to skip the sugar pills and go straight into the next pack, and do this for 4 months.  We would be suppressing my periods in hopes that the cysts would be gone before I went in for surgery.   

As much as I didn't want to have surgery, it was what I had to do if I ever wanted to become a mother one day.  At this point I knew my next step would be to start the birth control, and check my calendar to schedule the big day.

The Journey Continues...

So I'm going about my day, and I get a phone call from my doctor. I specifically remember I was checking the mail when he called me.   He said that there was a fertility doctor that really wanted to get involved with us, and help me out.  His name was Dr. John Crochet at The Center of Reproductive Medicine.  Dr. Crochet had gone to my gyno' s office one day to visit and catch up.  My doctor presented my case to him just to get further information and a second opinion on the issues that I was having with infertility.  After about a 30 minute conversation, both doctors were ready for the next step.  They thoroughly discussed the issues at hand and came to the agreement that I needed to have surgery. 

 They both agreed that the fluid in my hydrosalpinx was the main issue at hand, due to it's toxicity.  My doctor informed me that if I did not have surgery to take care of this issue, it could possibly lead to me having further problems with the rest of my reproductive system.  That was definitely the last thing I wanted.  The fertility specialist confirmed everything that we had been doing thus far with the procedures and testing, were are on the right track.  Both my doctor and the fertility doctor said, "We will do whatever it takes to get you pregnant!"  

I hung up the phone in tears of joy and fear.  My doctor had done so much to help me out and he was still trying to explore every avenue of this issue, and for that I was grateful.  At the same time, I was scared.  I didn't want to have surgery, but I knew that I had to do whatever it was that was necessary for me to have a baby.  My next step was to set up an appointment with the fertility specialist.  I was pretty excited about this doctor's appointment because I felt like it could possibly give us further information about my infertility and this toxic fluid inside of me.  I would now be under the care of two different doctors!  I was continuing to take my Clomid and Premarin.  I did not get pregnant during the month that I was highly anticipating to get pregnant in.  :(   It was now April and my fourth month on the fertility medications.... maybe this would be the month?  I sure hoped so.  For me there was still hope that the medications could work.  After all, I do have one tube working properly!

Emotions and Coping

At first I wasn't sure how my husband would handle all of this.  Men are so different from us woman.  Going through infertility is something that you think would never happen to you.  You don't know how you would handle it unless you are living it.  I was getting so irritated with people saying things to me.  For instance, "Just relax it'll happen."   "You just think about it too much".  "I understand how you feel".  

Nobody understands or can even slightly comprehend how this feels.  Unless you have physically and emotionally fought through infertility personally, you have no clue what it's like. 

My husband is my everything.  He has been very positive and such a huge support system through this entire journey.  He is my rock.  He lets me cry when I need to cry and says just the right things. Of course we have our good and our bad days, but we are in this together, no matter what the outcome may be.  

 I was actually happy regardless of the situation.,, and I was proud of myself for that.  How could I not be happy??? I had a wonderful husband, family, friends, my health, my fur babies.. I was alive!!!  I know I'm strong, but there were days when the reality of the situation would hit me hard.  Days where I felt like my body had betrayed me.  I would just cry until I felt better.  I learned to control that.  My best friend Alicia told me "Let yourself cry.  You need to".  I listened to her every word and it helped me cope.  I would stop myself at times and think... "This isn't so bad.  There are people and children dying out there.  Praying for just one more breath.  It could be worse.  There are people out there who would gladly trade places with me." 

 I had to have FAITH.  This is where the core of my strength lies.  This was happening for a reason, and I knew I was strong enough to go through this.  

My husband knows how my I love being on the water.  It's my sanctuary.  He decided to give me a day at the beach.  :)  I just needed to be near the water, listening to the waves crash, while soaking up the sun.  Nature is bliss.   #Blessed

So what now...

So what now??  I went in for my follow-up appointment with my gyno in regards to my dye study results.  Miguel and I were just wondering what this all meant for us.  My doctor told me that the best way for me to get pregnant would of course be InVitro.  This way we could just bypass my tubes.  I knew this would be the best option but I wasn't ready to just jump into that quite yet.  I wanted it to happen on it's own.  Not to mention I got quoted $20,000 for it.  Most insurances don't cover InVitro either.  The doctor basically told me that the tube needed to come out.  It was an issue in the beginning and it continues to be a problem now.  It just needed to go.  He still kept me on the fertility meds because I told him that even though the tube was an issue, I wanted to keep trying.    The doctor told me to just relax.  He said that people are probably constantly asking me when I am going to have a baby and the pressure can be very overwhelming.  He was right.  He told Miguel and I to tell people "We will call you when we get pregnant."   I started to lie to people and tell them that I wanted to finish school before I had a baby, so people would begin to back off.  It was beginning to be just too much, emotionally, at times. 

The big question was this.... Ok yes I have a bad tube, but at my age and being healthy, why wasn't I getting pregnant with my good tube.  That one should working just fine.   ??????   

I decided to keep trying until I was at the end of the road with fertility medications.  So now we sit back and wait to see what would happen. 

Daily Motivation #8

Daily Motivation #7

Hydrosalpinx= INFERTILITY

And there lies the problem.  My right fallopian tube was actually confirmed as a large hydrosalpinx.  Let me break down this picture to you.  

Down the middle you can see a white thin line... that is the catheter, which is attached to my uterus.  This is where they inject contrast (dye) and watch it go through my fallopian tubes and wait to see if it spills out into my abdomen.  That of course would mean that the fallopian tubes are open.  On the right side of the picture, you can see some white stuff that looks kind of like smoke....that is the contrast spilling out into my abdomen as it exits my left fallopian tube.  This is considered normal and what it is suppose to look like!

Now, compare this to the left side of the picture.  On the left side of the picture you will see what looks like a large white mass.  That is my right fallopian tube.  The reason why it is so large is because it is the hydrosalpinx.  (The hydrosalpinx is a closed fallopian tube that is dilated and filled with fluid.)  The end of my fallopian tube is closed, not allowing the contrast to exit and spill out.  Therefore, it just continues to fill with contrast, making the tube larger and larger.

And there you have it.....    This was the whole existence of my infertility, right before my eyes.

 

April 4, 2013 9:37:49AM

Well this was a day that I was dreading.  After my first dye study I told myself that I would never do that test again...and here I was back in the hospital anxiously awaiting another test.  I was slightly hopeful about one thing.....this was month 4 of being on the fertility medications.  I called my doctor's office and found out that my progesterone levels shot up to a 30.  Can you believe it!!  I was ovulating!!  The medications were actually working :)  My doctor, the nurses, and the radiologists told me that the dye study sort of "flushes" your tubes out, leaving them clean.  I was also aware that most women on the medications I was taking, normally get pregnant during month 4 of taking them.  So with clean tubes, my body ovulating,  and April being my fourth month of being on the medications.. I was sooo excited, because this could be it.  My doctor told me, if I were to get pregnant while on these medications, this would most likely be the month. :)  Lets do this!

Miguel went with me to this dye study.  He looked a bit nervous.  So was I.  When we arrived at the hospital they did a blood test to make sure I wasn't pregnant before the test began.  I mean... really..obviously I wasn't pregnant. I know it's just protocol, so moving on....  Once they had us back in the room, they had the catheter and all of their tools out and ready.  Once the catheter was inside of me and successfully attached to my uterus, they called Miguel over closer to them to watch the screen as they injected the contrast into my body.  The doctor explained to him and I exactly what they were doing, and also showed him what to look for.  The previous dye study detected that both of my tubes were open.  I was praying this was still the case.  I laid there on that steel table, taking deep breaths, ready for it to be over with. 

The doctor said... "There's no spillage coming from your right tube."  I'm thinking to myself...What does that mean?!  I sat up on the metal table and asked him what that meant for me trying to have a baby.  He said, "The right tube is closed, and is filled with fluid.  As long as you have your left tube, you can still get pregnant, but this does cut your chances in half.  Your right tube will not work to get you pregnant at this point."

The test was over.  There was so much contrast left in my right tube, they had me lay there for a while so I wouldn't pass out.  It is water base so eventually your body absorbs it.  I was so sad, I remember I began crying when I got in the car.  My right tube had closed over the past 2 years, and that left me with just one side to try and conceive with. But I had to stay positive, because after all, this could be the month...... remember!  This could happen with one tube!  I had to come to peace that this situation was not in my control.  It never was in my control in the first place.  Whatever was meant to happen would happen, and I had to be ok with whatever the outcome would be.  

I would soon be getting in touch with my gyno to talk about what the next step would be. 

                                                         Progesterone Bloodwork

                                                  

                                                Clomid and Premarin Continues..

                                                                Dye Study #2

Daily Motivation #6

March 6, 2013 4:19PM

Today would be the day that I would get my Transvaginal Ultrasound to monitor my ovaries from being on these medications.  My uterus came back normal. I was happy this was never an issue in trying to conceive.  There was no change on my right side.  There was still a stable complex cyst, containing "debris" there.  It felt like this would never change.  My right tube was still dilated and fluid-filled as it was in the previous ultrasound.  They could hardly see my right ovary due to this dilated tube.  Poor ovary.

Although everything that had been contributing to my trouble was still there, nothing had gotten worse from the fertility medications, so for that I was very thankful.

At this point it was time to get some bloodwork done to monitor my Progesterone levels.  Had the Clomid and Premarin been working?  Was I finally ovulating well enough to conceive?  

Also, we set up another Hysterosalpingography (Dye Study).  We thought..."Well we have a current ultrasound, and were going to have current blood work, let's have a current dye study as well, and piece everything together with all of our most current information."

Fertility Medication: Month 3

Well along came month 3 of being on the Clomid and Premarin. I was getting more excited as each month passed me by.  I knew that month 4 would be a crucial month of being on the medications, so I was ready to finish month 3.  My doctor decided that we should do a recent ultrasound to check my ovaries for cysts.  I was the one who suggested this in the first place.  One of the side effects of being on this medication is that it can produce ovarian cysts, which is not what I wanted.  That's what got me here in the first damn place.  Time to schedule my ultrasound!  

Fertility Medication: Month 2

January went well with the Clomid and Premarin.  I was ready for month two....February 2013.  I was eating clean, juicing fruits and veggies, and working out.  I wanted to make sure I was being as healthy as I could just in case I were to get pregnant.  Kind of sucks that I have such a sweet tooth!  I was going to put off getting blood work this month as well.  I was still in my "relax' mode.  

Daily Motivation #5

Fertility Medication: Month 1

It was January 30, 2013 and I was starting my first month of taking the medications.  It was really not so bad after all.  The only side effects I had were being slightly emotional at times and random hot flashes.  Boy I sure don't miss those, and I don't look forward to this when I get menopause.  Lol  

In the meantime, I was researching InVitro Fertilization.  I just wanted to be educated and comfortable with the idea of possibly doing this, just in case my journey would head in that direction.  Learning about the process was quite interesting.  It just makes you realize how much some people go through to get pregnant.  It takes someone special to endure this.  
 
My doctor suggested that I wait a couple of months before I get my bloodwork done again.  He wanted me to be less stressed about all the appointments and pressure that infertility was causing.  He also suggested that I tell people to "back off" with all the "When are you gonna get pregnant" questions. Hahahah I loved this.  He wanted me to be less stressed so my body could react to the medication.  Miguel and I agree'd.  I just kept pushing forward and began to be at peace with the situation.  I finally had my life and emotions somewhat back under control and I was completely fine with being a little afraid at times.