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A happy story about pregnancy and endoFrom: anonymous@obgyn.netTue Jan 15 22:47:38 2008
I promised myself I would write this because there were many times I felt so afraid that I might not be able to have children and knew that was what I wanted and I know there are many women out there with the same fears. It would have helped me to read about something like this back then, so I want to share a positive experience. I am 35 and have had very severe menstrual pain since I was 16 - the kind that made me throw up, get chills, turn green, pass out and generally wonder if I might die. I have been to the ER a number of times, and spent countless days laying on the bathroom floor or in the bathtub in pain. I always knew I wanted to have children so I was terribly afraid that I never would be able to get pregnant (especially since I never got pregnant in my younger, reckless days). Over the years I had numerous diagnoses including adenomyosis and endo. Two years ago I began to have persistent cramping and developed two cysts on my ovary, which three drs told me were endometriomas. They said that from the looks of the ultrasounds these cysts would not go away on their own. One fertility dr told me that I should get surgery so I began to look around for a surgeon who would guarantee that I would not lose my ovary. No dr would guarantee this, since they said that if there was bleeding, or if anything looked cancerous they would have to take out the ovary. I went on the pill and managed the remaining pain with medication. I went often to acupuncture and this made a huge difference by regulating my cycle (I had used it to regulate my cycle in the past as well and while it did not cure my pain, it did result in more regular periods). One fertility specialist then told me that I might not be able to get pregnant, that if I did get pregnant the placenta might mot detach properly, and that I should get a dye test to see if my tubes were blocked. I decided to wait it out and pass on the medical procedures and instead take vitamins and go to acupuncture and take good care of myself, but I was terrified. In February my partner and I decided to stop using birth control (I had gone off the pill a couple of months earlier) and by March I was pregnant! I was shocked. The ultrasounds showed no signs of my ovarian cysts. I was still very scared, because I realized I had become convinced that there was something wrong with me down there. every time I felt an ache I had to remind myself that it was a good thing, not a bad thing. I had to shift my entire perspective on my body. After I managed to stop being afraid I finally was able to enjoy my pregnancy and in October gave birth to a wonderful, healthy and happy little girl. We went to a birth center and were lucky enough to have a natural labor with zero complications or medical interventions. I felt all the while that the pain I had experienced over the years helped to prepare me for laboring with my daughter, and labor was (although incredibly painful) one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Now my little baby girl is sleeping beside me as I write this. I hope those people who read this board and have fears about the future and about getting pregnant will not be entirely overcome by these fears and will, if the time is right, try to get pregnant naturally before trying other means. Then if it does not happen, move on to whatever technology and intervention is right for you. I would have gone through with surgery, IVF and whatever else I could find had it not happened the way it did. I am not a medical doctor, and this is just my own experience, but I know how fear and pain can be overwhelming. I certainly felt hopeless myself and never could have imagined that this would be the outcome. But remember that sometimes our bodies are stronger than we think they are and sometimes the doctors do not have all the answers. Be well, Lisa
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