Friday, June 11, 2004

I often felt desperate as medical practitioners offered up:

"Have you considered adoption?"
"I'm sure he has antibodies; it is very common post-vasectomy reversal. You won't be able to conceive without IVF/ICSI"
"We won't treat you unless you have your fibroid removed"

I was a wreck from the time I found out about my fibroid until 18 months later when I changed gears completely by:

Trying another RE who it turns out I love
Started going to acupuncture weekly
Started going to counseling several times a month
Got us on more vitamins and supplements
Reduced my stress level
Went for chiropractic (which helped with an old back injury)
and then we tried, and tried, and tried, and tried, and tried, and tried every cycle as much as we were able to fit in prior to ovulation

I'm amazed that we did it but here I am 6 days late and the tests say it is a done deal. Don't give up hope and if you want to stay natural just know that it is a game of odds and that it just might take time.
I'm off to get my next blood sample. The nurses were total flakes yesterday. My doc said on Wed to call on Thursday to find out if I should do supplemental progesterone. I had to call twice and I didn't hear back until 5pm yesterday that I should but by then they couldn't call the order in until today. I've been using my natural progesterone cream in the meantime. My mother had low progesterone when she was pregnant with her first baby so I think it might be a genetic thing that we aren't such great producers of progesterone.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

We'll tell one grandma over Father's Day weekend since she'll be in town (she will be so excited since my partner is her favorite and she's been wanting lots of grandkids to spoil). My parents I think I'll wait until the end of the month when I'm in New York for a family wedding.

I got my blood work back and my HCG (beta?) is 435 and my progesterone was 18.4. I'm waiting to hear if they want me to supplement progesterone but I can feel the extra hormones -- especially in my bbs which are feeling a little fuller and less sore than what I experience normally with PMS. I told you all back
when my CD21 test came back low in November that my suspicion was
that low progesterone was part of my issue. The elevated progesterone so far actually makes this pregnant part easier than my PMS -- my breasts are full but less sore and my mood is better. Normally I go from grouchy and sore to feeling hot in my lower abdomen and weak when I get my period. Are you sure my period isn't going to show up on my unexpectedly? Should I keep running around with sanitary products in my handbag?

I saw my acupuncturist this morning as well and told him that my
fibroid was smaller. I didn't tell him about the pg and asked him to
check my pulses (this is something that you have to find a good
acupuncturist to do but it is amazing what he can sense from both
wrists). He checked first on the left, then on the right and then he
looked at me and asked "are you pregnant?" I've been going for
treatment since January and it has really helped calm my system down. I tend to be a bit frenetic and very sensitive -- work and emotional stress knock me down quickly and I get sick a lot because of it. With acupuncture I feel a lot more even. We're going to give treatment a break for a few weeks while my body adjusts to the pregnancy.

Because of my fibroid and TTC I've gotten quite attuned to the
different pains and sensations in my lower pelvis. I would have
fibroid related pain on the right side, a couple inches to the right
of my belly button in a vertical channel. Last night and today I feel a sensation more in the center but just to the left of my belly
button. Not pain but something is going on in there and it feels like the front, side and back of my uterus that are involved. In
acupuncture they say that things are being reorganized.

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

I'm just back from the RE. He said it was too early to see a gestational sac and it is really early still. I told him that we were pleased just to see that our equipment works!!!

My fibroid was a bit smaller too no 9cm measurements this time. It was only 6x7cm.

They did a blood draw to check my progesterone and HCG. I'll have the latter in an hour or so. Progesterone will have to wait until tomorrow.

I told them that I wasn't sure if they would show me the door since we got a positive pg on our own and they said no, that's not how they work. The doc was pleased about the positive pregnancy test just by itself. I thanked him for making me feel like my fibroid wasn't a life sentence and that in that he helped alleviate my stress and that surely that influence helped out as well. He said he would happily take credit. I also asked him to please tell the UR in the same clinic (the one who did the reversal) that he had another success story.

My partner is so excited he's already telling me what to eat and not eat. Let's hope it is a keeper because we are so ready for this change in our life.

I just wanted to add that I too used every last positive posting about MFI successes to have hope even though doctors sometimes made it feel like there wasn't any reason for any. If there is anything I can do for any of you to help make you feel better supported please let me know.
I tell you I don't really feel that different. My breasts are a touch fuller and less sore than normal, I'm late, I had a touch more of acne on my chin (but I get a little of that during PMS usually), slight crampy feelings and feeling full like just before my period. I kept asking my partner "what if we are?" and he would say "do you think you are" and I would say "I don't feel like it but I've never been before".

The expected due date falls right around my sister's birthday in February and she's in training to become a doula. When I told her she said that she'd have to come back from France (she's going to be teaching there next year) to help attend the birth.

Things that may have helped (other than luck, God and timing):

Iron supplements
Acupuncture
Happier about work, more fulfilled
Meditation
Giving up hope
Chiropractic adjustments (to help heal my back from falling down the stairs 2 months ago and also problems from a car accident 4 years ago)
Lots of prayers from family, and friends

With my fibroid my uterus was already estimated to be comparable to a 4 month pregnancy (crazy I know) but I'm thin and it is amazing how much extra stuff you can fit in the abdomen without it showing. If this holds then I imagine I'll start showing sooner rather than later. Risks with the fibroid are:

Blood supply to the embryo/fetus/placenta can be compromised since fibroids are so demanding. This can happen even if the placenta isn't placed over the fibroid and can result in miscarriage.

The fibroid can go through rapid growth because of the pregnancy hormones. This can cause the fibroid to outgrow its blood supply and some of the fibroid tissue starts to die and this is supposed to be quite painful. I've heard of women having to be on bed rest and narcotics for 1-3 weeks because of this. Still, some fibroids don't grow during pregnancy, and some even shrink.

The fibroid can cause premature labor which can result in a preemie or in a pregnancy loss. There are no guarantees.

I'm feeling lucky though somehow. Let's just keep praying that it’s all good.
So today is full of all kinds of good news for me and my partner. We
just got our first pregnancy test positive, confirmed by the doctor's office just a little while ago (my pregnancy hormone level is very good). We've been trying, actively trying, for over 2 years. My partner had a vasectomy reversal in 1998 and we had a sperm morphology issue as well. This happened though completely naturally, the old fashioned way.

I already had an appointment scheduled with the RE (reproductive
endocrinologist) today to check on the size of my fibroid since I've
been going for acupuncture treatment since January. I was worried
because the ultrasound wouldn't be accurate since my period hadn't
arrived yet (with its corresponding drop in the estrogen level). The
fibroid in February measured 6 x 6.5 x 9 cm, today it measured about
6x7. Who knows what's up with it but at least it didn't get larger!!

We are really excited that the "equipment" works and have our fingers crossed.

I don't feel pregnant at all and honestly, I even told the doctor,
when you have a heavy period and it doesn't arrive when you expect it you feel like you are walking on eggshells until it does. I guess the biggest thing is that my PMS symptoms are backing off and I don't feel hormonal or yucky. So far my impression is that this is all a good thing hormonally.
It is 6:00AM and my partner pushes me to move over and mumbles that I'm too hot. Too hot I think, that's kinda odd if I'm just about to get my period. So I take my temp and it is 98.6 - really high for being woken up an hour and a half early. So, I figure 34 day cycle, temp a little warm, still no sign of my period, I guess that warrants a pregnancy test. So I go down the hall to the bathroom and do. And I watch the paper fibers being saturated and it looks oddly bluish and it settles into two very clear blue lines. That's right, my first positive.

I have no idea what we are up against at this point because of my fibroid but I wanted to share. We have been trying for over 2 years, unprotected sex since February 2000 as well. This seems amazing and I don't really feel different. Not really. I guess that visit to the doctor will be for something else this afternoon.

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Our UR didn't check for antibodies until we asked. That was frustrating to say the least since one RE (the male head of a university fertility center in our area -- who fired me as a patient b/c I didn't want to have abdominal surgery) I was talking with assumed we had an anti-body issue without any tests being done.

My partner likes to think that the doctor's know it all and I was raised to question doctor diagnoses (my dad went to medical school and was in practice as a dentist so we had a different perspective on the medical system). He's open to my research but one RE (a woman) told him a year ago in Feb that he probably always had a morphology issue and that it was genetic and there was nothing to be done about it -- yet the UR works in the same clinic and he is optimistic for us in spite of the bad morph numbers. (We don't have antibodies thank goodness -- we've got enough working against us).

Here's the fact sheet from the ASRM site about Diagnostic Testing for Male Factor Infertility
Still waiting. I did ovulate a little late this month on CD 17 instead of 15 like usual. Work stress or the stress of my mother visiting I'll never know. I don't think I'm pg though but I'll keep a candle lit just in case I'm one of those people who can't tell their pg. I'm so sensitive to my hormones that seems unlikely. I do feel wacky moody today, holding it together as a professional at the office but feeling weepy and the like -- signs that aunt flo approaches.

I do have this ultrasound scheduled tomorrow and it won't be accurate at all unless I get my period. When the hormones drop at the beginning of the cycle my fibroid shrinks and that's what we use as baseline. It takes a couple days for the effect though. I think it is still growing although I don't want it to. I'm fighting messed-up DNA at this point in time though; that just keeps replicating itself. Blah! I'm still shooting for trying the IUI with the fibroid in place. Don't want to go through major abdominal surgery if I can help it.

Monday, June 07, 2004

My cycle average length is 30 days but the longest one since I've been charting was 33 days. I could be hours or minutes away from it starting though. Here's to cycles longer than 30 days though.

Saturday, June 05, 2004

The psychological burden of fertility

Infertility I think, from a psychological burden standpoint is so hard to take. Will we or won't we? Can we or can't we? Actually I know people who don't even plan on having children who still struggle with their fertility.

One friend of mine thinks this is due to the fact that out of any of our instincts the desire to reproduce would be one of the strongest since that is what perpetuates the species. Watching the birds nesting in our yard and how they do it year after year in spite of the grueling feeding schedules I think that is probably true.

I called the fertility clinic on Thursday and got the SPA test results which are completely normal (a good ratio of sperm penetrated the ova showing good functioning). I've got an ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday to check up on my fibroid. I had continued growth from September 2002 through February 2004; I would love to see that there was no growth but that might be too much to ask for.

My partner is feeling really good about the IUI prospects and he's getting psyched up for me getting pregnant soon. It is kind of cute but it feels so far from reality to me. It feels like winning the lottery, you can't even imagine what it is like until you do it. There are sooooooo many pregnant women and new babies in town right now that I'm constantly gazing after. I try not to make it too much of a head trip but it is hard to not think Why not me?

Thursday, June 03, 2004

SPA Test Results (poor hamster)

I just got off the phone with our fertility clinic and they gave me the results from the SPA test (the hamster egg test). The results were 5.8 and less than 2.x is failing. She told me that we were normal.

They didn't check morphology this time (I tell him he's got to ask for these things or else they forget) and his count is 36 million and he had 57% motility. Not too bad.

I would love to know if there was any change in the morphology due to his supplements but no such luck this time.

Then, I heard the oddest story today. This woman couldn't get pregnant and was going to have a hysterectomy (maybe for pain). Since she wanted to have a baby they did some procedure on her to remove endometriosis. She had odd adhesions maybe covering her ovaries. They cleared out the film that was blocking the passage of the egg and low and behold she got pregnant with quadruplets -- and this was totally natural, no medications. How crazy is that?

The only other boy tests I can think of us having done is the SCSA test (thanks for reminding me) which I'm waiting to hear back from the UR about, and then maybe more blood work since his FSH was a little high at last check a while back.

Here's for small blessings!

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Nothing much happening here. I've gotten so used to the not being pregnant signs that I know nothing is going on with me this month. I only wish we had a hint of something EVER. Sometimes it is hard not to feel sterile through all of this. (I'm just tired and cranky from PMS right now). My partner still hasn't called the doc to set up the appointment to review the SPA test results. Maybe next week while AF is visiting, that would be a great time don't you think

I did speak with my friend of 20+ years this morning and she had just finished nursing her week-old twins. It was nice talking to her and seeing how she was doing with this new life phase and responsibility. I could hear one of the babies over the phone making little squimy whimpers. I'll see them later this month.

Please God let something work for us.

Monday, March 08, 2004

Interesting facts about estrogens

Estrogen, that is too much estrogen without enough progesterone to counterbalance it, is theorized to cause disease such as fibroids and endometriosis. Here's a complilation of information about estrogens.

"over 30 different forms of estrogen have been described; the most common forms tested are estrone [E1], estradiol [estradiol-17 beta,E2], and estriol [E3]"
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/estrogen/glance.html

"The majority (over 90 percent) of the estrogen present in a pre-menopausal woman's body is made in the ovaries. A smaller additional quantity of estrogen is produced by the adrenal glands and peripheral tissues such as fat, liver, and kidneys by converting androgens to estrogens. Estrogen hormones are also formed in the placenta during pregnancy."
http://www.dhyansanjivani.org/Estrogen.asp

"Increasing FSH levels during the late luteal phase leads to an increase in the number of FSH receptors and ultimately to an increase in estradiol secretion by granulosa cells."
http://www.endotext.org/female/female3/female3.htm

"Estradiol-17b (E2), a steroid hormone, is the most active estrogen in the body. In circulation, E2 is primarily bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)."
http://www.dpcweb.com/medical/reproductive_endocrinology/estradiol.html

"Estriol is produced predominantly in the liver as a metabolite of estrone and estradiol."
Is Estriol Safer Than Estradiol?

"For the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, estrone originates primarily from maternal sources such as the ovaries, adrenals, or peripheral conversion (57). Later, the placenta secretes increasing quantities of estrone from the conversion of circulating maternal and fetal DHEAS. The placenta continues to be the major source of circulating estrone for the remainder of the pregnancy (53). Estrone concentrations are less than 0.1 ng/mL during the follicular phase and may reach a maximum of 0.3 ng/mL during the luteal phase of a normal menstrual cycle. Following conception, estrone concentrations remain within the luteal phase range through weeks 6-10 of gestation(54). Subsequently there is a gradual increase to a wide range of 2-30 ng/ml at term (53,54,57) (Figures 6 and 8)."
http://www.endotext.org/female/female13/female13.htm

Estrogen Dominance Syndrome
by Ronald Hoffman, M.D.
Conscious Choice, September 1999

Saturday, March 06, 2004

About Keloid Prevention Post Surgery

When I was facing surgery I was freaked by the prospect of having a
scar; I did cancel my surgery so I've not had to deal with that yet. My father who went to medical school told me that they use steroid shots in the scar, even a year or two later and it can help soften the scar and make it less noticible. It is mentioned in the first article link below as the oldest treatment but it does have some drawbacks.

You probably are looking for anectodotal things that others have experienced but at the very least here are a few links for you to look at. You should talk to your doctor, and if your surgeon isn't interested in treating you then you might consider seeing a dermatologist or plastic surgeon instead. I don't know how that kind of post-op care works with the myo surgeon, plastic surgeons specialize in minimizing scarring though. Maybe others could offer more informed advice.

Keloid and Hypertrophic Scar

Keloids And Hypertrophic Scars - AOCD

Keloid

Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids: A Multi-faceted Approach

Prevention of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids by the Prophylactic Use of Topical Silicone Gel Sheets Following a Surgical Procedure in an Office Setting

Sunday, February 29, 2004

A message to another woman with fibroids

I have low progesterone as well, I haven't had my DHEA tested though.

Low progesterone is linked to several things which can happen in any combination (and I'm sure there are more than I'm listing here):

* poor ovulation -- the follicle doesn't develop as well as it should and the remaining corpus luteum doesn't produce enough progesterone. also, progesterone is produced by the ovary prior to ovulation which helps to mature the follicle granulosa cells and helps set the stage for ovulation to occur. If you are low progesterone I suppose that this process can be somewhat compromised.

* annovulation -- your aren't ovulating and therefore aren't having the corpus luteum available to produce progesterone. The more cycles without ovulating the higher your estrogen to progesterone ratio rises furthering the imbalance. Polycystic ovaries can also cause annovulation I think.

* stress -- when you are under prolonged stress your adrenal glands go from producing adrenaline to producing cortisol. Cortisol is made in the body from progesterone and I've heard mention that this reduces the availabilty of progesterone in the body. Also, cortisol will bind to progesterone receptors in the body so that they aren't able to do their progesterone related actions.

Working too much, not eating regular meals, consuming too many simple carbohydrates and sugars -- basic the equivalent of running your body on empty (and we all know that feeling) -- creates additional stress in your body and stresses the adrenals and further promotes adrenal exhaustion and cortisol production. If you get tired easily then this might be a contributing factor.

This page/site is rather interesting in how it talks about symptoms of low progesterone/estrogen dominance, and other endocrinological imbalances:

http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/cond/C8769.html

Things to do:

* Eat regular meals
* Make sure you are getting enough nutrients from your diet and supplement when needed
* Cut back on caffeine (bad for adrenals) and simple sugars (don't give in to the sweets in the late afternoon -- eat something healthy like nuts if your energy starts to lag)
* get enough rest -- sleep deprivation is stressful on your body
* drink 6 glasses of water a day
* consider consulting with an herbalist, naturopath or chinese medicine practitioner for assistance with a customize herbal regime

Also, I used natural progesterone cream for a few cycles with some good results (even mood, less sore breasts among other things). This may be beneficial although treatment with progesterone has had mixed results in randomized medical trials and might for some women be linked to increased fibroid growth.

This actually goes back to my cake metaphor for hormones (I think I posted a couple months ago about it on the uterinefibroids list), a cake takes all of its ingredients in their proper measure, adding more salt won't make up for too little sugar -- it only makes it worse. Our hormones are a complicated, individual "symphony" (I think that is what Dr John Lee referred to it as). The more stories we hear from the list members and from the studies we read, etc. that while pregnancy can make fibroids grow, that for some other pregnant women they shrink. Fibroids are thought to be a condition of peri-menopausal women and yet we've seen young women of 19 and 20 show up with fibroids in our groups. Obviously there is a lot at play and the more we each learn the more we start to realize that our behavior and lifestyles have contributed to our hormonal imbalances which in turn has helped activate our genes to start developing fibroids.

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Uterine Cramps and Pelvic Pain

Fibroids cause pelvic pain, here's what I know about uterine cramps and their physiology from a variety of sources...

From an RE...
Prostaglandins cause uterine contractions. Ibuprofen can be taken regularly to reduce prostaglandin formation but won't help if contractions and pain are present since the prostaglandins are already causing problems. If you are trying to conceive though you shouldn't be taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs as they can impair ovulation and possibly implantation (there's no winning is there?).

From naturopathy...
Arachidonic acid is involved in the production of prostaglandins and is found in animal products. Reduce animal products consumption such as meat and dairy products, increase essential fatty acid consumption (such as flax seed oil). As ibuprofen interferes with the liver it is not advised.

From acupuncture...
My acupuncturist says that the weird crampy fullness in my belly is related to blood flow not going the right direction. Acupuncture can stimulate blood flow to go in the correct direction.

From my personal experience...
Ibuprofen won't stop cramps from fibroids. Hot water bottles do help with the pain and discomfort. Food and gas passing through your colon that is having to negotiate around the fibroid can also feel like cramps or cause uterine area discomfort -- as can a full bladder. Acupuncture can help with pain. I just had an amazing treatment this morning BTW, and I can't feel my fibroid at all right now and I feel really energized, almost lightheaded and lighthearted. My practitioner said that my blood was swirling around the fibroid and that instead of flowing in the right direction it was coming back around where it wasn't supposed to.

From the web...

There are links between progesterone and ararchidonic acid but I haven't totally made sense of them yet (I'll continue to research and see if I can make more sense of it for us).

I do know that progesterone stops contractions of smooth muscle (see: http://www.rnceus.com/hormone/progest.html and http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/placenta/endocr
ine.html)


Arachidonic acid is also linked to tumor formation as well (scary but here we all are with our tumors):

The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Cancer
http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Cancer/good6.htm

Skin carcinogenesis, inflammation, arachidonic acid metabolism, cancer prevention
Susan M. Fischer, Ph.D.
http://sciencepark.mdanderson.org/documents/sfischer/fischer.html
(note that they are interested in applying this research on skin tumors to prostate cancer)

This page has links to a bunch of studies that are available through Amazon.com about arachidonic acid:
http://www.health.xq23.com/arthritis/Arachidonic_acid.html

Thursday, January 08, 2004

Abdominals not cut, Myo not panacea for fertility problems

ARE THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES CUT DURING MYO?

I was worried about my abdominal muscles being damaged during myo (which have yet to undergo) and I asked the surgeon about it. She told me that they do not cut the abdominal muscles, instead they just push them to the sides, and I imagine they brace them there.

They do cut through some connective tissue and the abdominal fascia, a membrane that holds your internal organs together, but they stitch the fascia closed at the end of the procedure (I'm not sure if they reconnect the connective tissue -- I haven't seen mention of that anywhere) What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibroids includes a detailed description of the procedure that you may with to refer to.

MYO TO IMPROVE FERTILITY

The ability of myomectomy to improve fertility is not definative at this point in time (this is confirmed in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibroids by Dr Michael Brody, an ob/gyn and former RAND medical researcher). There have been annectodal stories of success by patients and doctors but current research has had flaws that limit its usefulness in determining the appropriateness of this procedure to treat infertility, especially if other factors exist that may be contributing to the infertility (male factor, blocked tubes, endocrine issues, etc.) This is partly why I have been reluctant to undergo this procedure for my largely asymptomatic fibroid, we have a known male factor.

Gynecologic Myomectomy
"Myomectomy is also performed frequently in patients with infertility with the presence of fibroids (Vercillini, 1998). Studies supporting myomectomy as a fertility-enhancing procedure are uncontrolled and do not use life-table analysis; nonetheless, a number of authors recommend offering myomectomy to women who are infertile after other causes of infertility have been eliminated (Hutchins, 1995;
Nachtigal, 1989; Verkauf, 1996).

Several papers suggest that patients with fibroids who are undergoing assisted reproductive technology procedures may have lower success rates compared to patients without fibroids. Stovall et al (1998) noted decreased fertility rates in patients with any myomas undergoing in vitro fertilization or zygote intrafallopian transfer. Eldar-Geva and coworkers (1998) noted decreased success in patients with intramural and submucosal myomas but not in those with subserosal myomas. Ramzy et al (1998) noted no change in fertility, but this study specifically excluded anyone with large, submucous, or intramural myomas that distorted the endometrial cavity. Importantly, note that no randomized studies document that removal of these myomas
improves success rates."


TABLE 1 - ACOG CRITERIA FOR MYOMECTOMY IN INFERTILITY PATIENTS
Procedure:
Myomectomy* (68.29) (CPT Codes 56309 [laparoscopy with removal of leiomyomata], 58140 [abdominal approach], or 58145 [vaginal approach]

Indication:
Leiomyomata (218.0-218.9) in infertility patients (628.3), asa probable factor in failure to conceive or in recurrent pregnancy loss
(646.3)

Confirmation of Indication:
In the presence of failure to conceive or recurrent pregnancy loss:
1. Presence of leiomyomata of sufficient size or specific location to be a probable factor
2. No more likely explanation exists for failure to conceive or recurrent pregnancy loss

Actions Prior to Procedure:
1. Evaluate other causes of male and female infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss
2. Evaluate the endometrial cavity and fallopian tubes, e.g. hysterosalpingogram
3. Document discussion that complexity of disease process may require hysterectomy

Monday, January 05, 2004

Almost two years and facing Clomid/IUI

We've been trying for two years but we haven't used protection since 2000. We had the reversal before we were ready to try. It has all been an exercise in patience and faith.

I'm a bit scared of doing Clomid, we really don't want multiples. Couldn't they just do a trigger shot and IUI?