Sunday, March 01, 2015

March, Endometriosis Awareness Month & My Diagnosis


When I had my laparoscopy done in October of 2013 the doctor showed me a few pictures of some very small spots that he removed that he called endometriosis.  The impression I got from his explanation is that these spots were not the direct cause of my infertility.  Endometriosis is classified in four stages, Stage I—Minimal, Stage II—Mild, Stage III—Moderate, and Stage IV—Severe.  These stages are based on the severity, location, extent, and depth of the endometriosis.  After my surgery I was not classified as having a particular “stage” so based upon that and the impression I was getting from the doctor it had to be pretty minimal.  Dr. G, my previous doctor never gave me a specific diagnosis as to the cause of my infertility. 

Once I met with my new doctor’s PA at our first appointment, after reviewing our medical history, she said it appeared that we had “unexplained” infertility which is what I have figured over the last year and a half of treatment.  But after our new doctor reviewed the notes from my lap surgery, he believes that I actually have Stage II—Mild endometriosis.  I’ll be honest, I was kind of shocked!  I really had no idea that it was that bad.  When I say bad, I should explain, I have no debilitating pain from endometriosis.  It’s a chronic disease that affects millions of women and some have to endure flare-ups and pain that I can’t imagine.  Some follow special diets in order to prevent these types of things from happening.  For me I’ve never experienced one symptom in my life that would indicate that I had it.  By bad, I mean I guess I had no idea what was going on in there since I didn’t have any of these symptoms.

After speaking to Dr. LdM at our consultation, I realize that my endo is more of a problem than I thought.  Now he wants me doing a Lupron Depot as part of the IVF protocol and wants to do the hysteroscopy to make sure everything is clear in my uterus.  It really kind of saddens me that my previous doctor did not express more of a concern for what I really had going on in there.  Now that I know this is more than likely the culprit, I have to raise more awareness of this terrible disease.  Not that I hadn’t before because I thought it didn’t directly affect me, but now that I have a clear answer as to what my issue is, I feel like I need to better educate myself and advocate for awareness. 

There is something else that seems to be causing an issue as well.   It stems from some poor choices back in my college days, and that is the damaging effects of chlamydia.  Luckily it was found and treated very quickly, but chlamydia can damage the cilia that carry the embryo through your fallopian tubes.  There is really no way to tell how much damage was done, but the lesson that I’ve learned is that those poor choices really can come back to  haunt you in ways you’ve never thought possible.  I guess I am thankful that I didn’t walk around for months with this awful disease; I believe it was only a couple short weeks, and I guess I can’t say enough how important women’s health is once you are sexually active.  I can thank my mom for making me see a gyno once she found out that I was which was at a young age.

I guess I’m kind of rambling here, but what I’m getting at is that endometriosis is very serious and it’s very common.  It’s the leading cause of infertility in women and if you are concerned about it, definitely ask your doctor.  I feel as though I’ve never really been given a true answer as to what the causes of my problems are.  Now I feel assured that it’s definitely a combination of the endometriosis and the damaged caused by the chlamydia. 

In honor of Endometriosis Awareness Month I’ll be sharing a little more information throughout the month on the blog to better educate myself and my readers about the seriousness of this disease.  The color that represents endometriosis is yellow so if you’ve got it, flaunt it this month and show your support! 

11 comments:

  1. What an honest post! I hope this helps others that may stumble upon it. You are strong & brave, and your time is coming; I just know it!

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  2. I have stage II/III endo and did have a lot of pain from it. I'm always fascinated by the different diagnosis/protocols that people get because CCRM was going to put me on the Lupron Depot too to suppress my endo. But I never had anything to transfer. Then at SDFC, the doc said they think the Lupron Depot does more harm then good and doesn't believe my endo will prevent a good embryo from sticking. Then once I had good eggs from my donor, our embryo took on the first try without Lupron Depot shots. It's just so crazy how you get different perspectives from different docs/clinics.

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    1. Great job E! It's amazing how a new doctor with a fresh set of eyes and a different level of expertise can impact a diagnosis or lack thereof. We ran into the same thing. I went from being treated by the book to a doctor who has since identified my issues and has helped us conceive. We're so blessed to be in good hands.

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  3. Glad you are being awareness friend!!! Looking forward to learning more as well!

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  4. Wow girl! I'm so glad you found another Dr who has really seemed to make sure your health is first priority. I'd be sad/upset if my last Dr didn't put as much of an emphasis on the endometriosis as they should have too. Hopefully now that you and your Dr understand the situation more thoroughly you can get back on the right track and have amazing things start to happen!

    <3, Pamela
    Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  5. I'm so happy that you were able to get the proper diagnosis and to have a doctor that takes it seriously!!! I know that your journey is helping so many people!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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  6. Sometimes it feels good just to have a proper diagnosis and feel like you can do something about it, I remember that feeling when my new doctor finally diagnosed me with PCOS. The unexplained infertility can just feel so helpless and frustrating, but it feels like a different chapter when you have something to work with. Good luck tomorrow!

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  7. Wow. Thats actually really refreshing that you actually have a diagnosis...I imagine "unexplained infertility" is a much worse mind game. Very excited for your future!

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  8. Such an honest post! So glad that you were able to figure it all out!

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  9. i was diagnosed with unexplained infertility - went thru 2 years of IUI/IVF. They finally did a laparoscopy and were astounded to find Stage 3 endometriosis. I, like you had NO symptoms. Once they cleared as much out as they could I did a final FET and got pregnant right away... glad this doctor is taking it seriously!

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  10. Such a great post! I'm so happy that things are looking forward and super excited for what's to come! I'm in love with those onesies. Off to visit that site right this very second!! xoxo

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