Anyway, bummer that CD1 is here (actually CD3 by the time I'm writing) but I'm actually glad my cycle didn't last and last and last. Good riddance, tamoxifen! I'd like my body's normal CM back, please. Sheesh.
A Second Opinion
On October 1st, I saw a new doctor. She came recommended to me by a friend that I met at a mass I helped plan for couples struggling with infertility. This friend and her husband had been trying to conceive for 6 years, had had two m/c's, and found out they were pregnant a few days after the mass. Everything is going well and I just got the invite for her baby shower (still thinking about whether to go or not). I like to think I had some hand in their miracle baby because I helped plan the mass =)
Anyway, my friend highly recommended this new doctor, Dr. S. Her practice is connected with a local Catholic hospital, and it's about half the distance compared with my other doctor (big plus). Also, the waiting room has soothing colors, magazines other than pregnancy and parenting mags, and pictures other than pregnant women and babies (huge plus!)
Dr. S spent a lot of time going over my history, listening carefully to all the tests I've already done. She did a basic exam and then laid out what she thinks are our best options right now:
1. Get the semen analysis done.
2. Have an ultrasound ovulation series to see whether I'm ovulating, etc.
3. Laparoscopy (which she called pelviscopy, but said they're the same thing).
Ideally, these three would be done in that order. She was surprised we hadn't done the SA yet (we attempted in February to no avail) and reminded me how important it is. I know, I know...okay, that's a good reminder to just do it already. Sigh. Not looking forward to that.
The ultrasound series shouldn't be too bad, just time consuming.
The surgery...well, it's a major surgery. I know many others have gone through it, so that's encouraging. She said she usually doesn't recommend surgery to new patients, but we've already traveled pretty far down the IF treatment road. She also said that 60-80% of women with inexplicable infertility have endometriosis, so that's interested. (We're not technically in that category since Mr. M hasn't been tested yet.)
I think this sounds doable (I'm in a positive frame of mind right now for some reason). Three things to do. Just one at a time. No more drugs.
(In the back of my mind, a big motivation for doing this "list of 3" is that I'd like to get close to exhausting our options before moving forward with adoption. I think I'll have more peace of mind knowing we tried to get some answers to our reproductive issues.)
Interestingly, Dr. S didn't seem to think that the polyps were that big of a deal...she said they "could" present problems, but did not encourage another hysteroscopy to remove them. She said you want to minimize uterine surgery (makes sense) and that it's not sustainable to keep surgically removing polyps (makes sense too). She said that if we do the laparoscopy, most likely she'd remove the polyps too - depending on their location, etc. I actually was hoping that someone would offer the more major surgery to me because if I have to have surgery again, why not the whole shebang?
So that's that. We're going to try step #1 as soon as feasible. Step #2 needs to wait through this full cycle because the Tamoxifen is probably still in my system, which means it probably won't happen until after Christmas. And if we get to step #3, I guess before Easter? I like planning with loose deadlines...
At the end of our appointment, Dr. S asked with genuine concern, "How are you doing emotionally?" I didn't say much - did not want to cry - but really, really appreciated her concern. So that's a plus too. I'm very positive about this. My other doctor was fine, but I felt like she was running out of suggestions and I don't mind not driving over an hour to feel like a sore thumb in babyland.
Sounds like a great Dr. and plan! You can get your period and have not ovulated that cycle for ex. a woman w/ PCOS.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we are at a similar spot treatment wise. I'll be praying for you, especially for the SA - that's a special kind of "time off purgatory" right there :(.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like Dr. S. and it seems like she is well organized and on top of things. I always "short answer" the "How are things going emotionally?" question as well - I'm not sure I'm ready to lose it like I would in a doctor's office.
I'm glad things went well with your new doctor. I'm sorry you're going to do the SA...I dreaded that a lot. It can give really helpful info though, so I hope it works out this time.
ReplyDeleteDr. Hilgers has said that 80% of the infertility patients that come to him have endo, which is why he usually recommends a laparoscopy early in the process (along with the ultrasound series and month of blood draws) before starting treatment. It's interesting to hear how other doctors approach things.
Your new doc sounds great! It always helps me to have a plan of action. Hope everything goes smoothly in the coming months, will be thinking and praying for you.
ReplyDeleteOh, man. The fact that she asked you how you are doing emotionally may make her the best doctor ever! So few ever think to do that. So glad that you have a plan that you feel comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteLove this update. Your new doctor sounds like a gem. And I'm so happy you have a plan that you're optimistic about. Honestly, I'm optimistic for you! Sounds like a lot of answers are coming your way. :)
ReplyDeleteYour new doc sounds lovely and thoughtful! Her plan of attack sounds like what I went through - and I know it provides some great answers. The surgery is daunting to think about, but hey, that's step three. Just start with step 1. :-) Eat your elephant one bite at a time. I'm excited for your new treatment plan!!!
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