Paige's Story: Endometriosis, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, and IVF
My IVF story starts in February of 2020, but in order to understand how I got here, let’s back up a little bit.
Paige's Story: Endometriosis, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, and IVF
In 2017 I was diagnosed with endometriosis after having an emergency appendectomy.
In 2018, almost a year to the day that I had my appendix removed, I had ablation surgery to remove the endometriosis adhesions. When I woke up from surgery my doctor recommended that I come off of birth control immediately and start trying. After almost 15 months of trying and nothing to show for it, and a new city later (military life), I had my first appointment with the fertility specialist. This started the 3-month fertility workup that included countless vials of blood drawn and a hysteroscopy to make sure my uterine cavity was in good shape.
In February of this year my husband, Kyle, and I sat down with our doctor for our treatment plan.
In addition to endometriosis, my diagnoses are diminished ovarian reserve, an ovulatory disorder, and a partially blocked tube due to a giant cyst. The doctor suggested the following two options: 1) keep trying the “old fashioned way” with the assistance of ovulation inducing hormones, and 2) IVF. I knew immediately that I wanted to pursue IVF. I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted from months and months of trying.
Let’s fast-forward through all of the shots and mood swings and move on to the egg retrieval.
13 eggs were retrieved, and 3 of those ended up becoming 5-day-old 4AA embryos. As transfer day approached, we were feeling super nervous but also very hopeful. One embryo was implanted and after the dreaded two-week-wait I received a phone call saying, “You’re pregnant, my dear”. All. The. Tears! There was so much joy in those 4 words. About 2 weeks later we found out that the embryo had split, and we were expecting twins…TWINS!! I was thrilled and also a little frustrated that we didn’t try IVF sooner if this was the way it was going to go.
I had about 3 weeks of food aversions, tender nipples, and shortness of breath just by walking up the stairs, and they were the happiest 3 weeks of my life. At my 8-week ultrasound I heard the words everyone is afraid to hear, “I’m so sorry. They haven’t grown since last week and we can’t find a heartbeat on either one”. We were devastated. I ended up having a “missed miscarriage”, which essentially means my body thought I was still pregnant, so after 3 weeks of waiting for my body to pass the twins and the pregnancy tissue, I had a D&C. This was right in the middle of COVID-19, so Kyle could only go in the hospital with me long enough to register before the surgery. When I got back to surgery prep, I was soaking the hospital gown with my tears and the nurses bent the rules a little bit and let Kyle come sit with me for a few minutes before I was taken back. After the D&C I thought my body would get the hint, but it didn’t. I ended up having two more birth control influenced withdrawal bleeds before all of the pregnancy tissue passed. Finally, after about 6 weeks, I was clear.
Now we are gearing up for IVF cycle #2 filled with fear, anxiety, but most importantly, hope.
2020 has brought devastation and grief to my family, but I continue to hold out hope that God has a plan for all of this. In the meantime, if our story and heartbreak can help others, I’m all for it.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.