It's all happening so quickly!!!

We're making progress, people! Last time I made a fertility update, I had just met the doctor and was pleased with him. He did some inital bloodwork and found that everything was "normal." I took this as possibly a confirmation that maybe my body really does "just work like this." After having doctor after doctor not willing to try to diagnose me, I was worried that maybe he was just another one to add to the list.

Turns out, he wasn't giving up that easily. He knew all my problems (including 33 days of dysfunctional uterine bleeding) weren't normal. After the 33 days of gory details I won't go into, he had me in for a transvaginal ultrasound. He did what is called a sonohystogram. This is where he injects a saline solution into the uterus. It was pretty neat having a doctor actually walk me through what he was doing. Normally I have an ultrasound tech who isn't allowed to discuss what he/she is seeing. So, as the saline solution is being injected, he spots one of my problems.

Actually, JD wrote an email to his family to share what happened, based on my account of it and did a pretty good job of explaining it. Here's what he said, with my added links:

Yesterday, Rachel had an appointment with her fertility OB, and had a transvaginal U/S (a test that we've been trying to get a doc to do for a number of years - it's a simple test, but they always had a reason to do something else first...long story). The doc did a number of procedures and located a grape-sized polyp in her uterine wall (which is one of the reasons for her bleeding and anovulation). He also wants to confirm his suspicion of endometriosis, but is almost 90 percent sure that she does have endometriosis.

The biggest confirmation that he gave her is a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Long story, short, PCOS inhibits Rachel's cycle, fertility, and also her sensitivity to insulin (which puts her in a pre-diabetic state, and makes it extremely difficult to lose weight). So as Rachel says, she's never been happy to find that something is wrong with her...but there's always a first time for everything. And it's treatable/curable.

We're actually really excited, b/c we both have thought that she had a high likelihood of having PCOS, based on her med history, etc...and we just needed the tests to confirm it. And my charting. Let's not forget the last twelve months of intense charting I've been doing.

We're trying to get Tricare to approve the procedure with her current doctor, rather than having to go back into the military system. If they approve it, there's a high likelihood that she'll have the procedure done in the next week or two. It involves some fairly invasive procedures, and she'll have the polyp removed, and if she has endometriosis, she'll have that removed as well. As far as the PCOS, there are a number of treatment options, both for fertility and the insulin resistance. One is surgical, called an ovarian diathermy, and the doc doesn't know if he's going to proceed with that, or some of the more conservative options.

Ironic is that this (PCOS) is the topic of my master's thesis! I've been working on it for a while, and so it's nice that when I started researching it, and really thought, wow, if this is what Rachel has, it answers a LOT of questions...and then to find out it is...it's encouraging for both of us.

What's even more amazing is that the doc confirmed something that we've known for a long time - there is absolutely no reason (physiologically) why Rachel should have been able to conceive and give birth to Lorelai - given the size of the polyp and other issues, the odds are astronomical against it happening!!! Lorelai really is God's miracle for us...

Well, after all this, we thank you for your prayers, and would ask for prayers in two specific areas: 1) that Tricare would approve Rachel's current doc to conduct the surgery; and 2) that the procedure would be a success, and Rachel would see dramatic results both in fertility and overall health.

He sent this message out at 9:30 this morning and by 11, I had already gotten approval from Tricare. By 3:00 this afternoon, I already had the surgery scheduled. YAY!!!

So, next Thursday morning (October 2nd), if you have a second to squeeze in another prayer, I'd REALLY appreciate it.

At 8am, I'll be getting a hysteroscopy, a laparoscopy and ovarian diathermy. As for the effects it will have on my fertility, there are no concrete percentages of increase he can give me, but the polyp, the endometeriosis, the PCOS.....none of them are supposed to be there, so it will definitely get me back to a better position to get pregnant! I haven't ovulated in a long time and can't get prego if I don't ovulate......so this will fix that problem and that is a good thing!

My Dad is actually able to drive down and take care of Lala while I'm out. He's pretty cool like that.

The recovery shouldn't be bad. After all, I've had three surgeries under general anesthesia and a baby, so I should hopefully bounce back quickly.

While I'm not happy I have these problems, I'm ecstatic that there is an explanation for all of the pain, infertility, weight gain, etc.

So, how you like them apples?