Too much to process...

Well, I went to my post op appointment on Dec. 22nd and found out a lot of information. Sorry it's taken me so long to post, but with Christmas and Ryle coming back in town, we have been super busy! This is actually the first time I have even been able to sit down and just get on my computer.

Let me start by saying a big thank you to Megan, William, and Bryan for taking me to Baton Rouge while Ryle was is Iowa working. I always hate going to the clinic alone because they tend to throw a lot of information out there at you and it's a lot to take in. Megan is the best - she even went to the back to talk to the doctor with me!

Well he went over all of the things that he did in surgery. And the biopsy confirmed that it was endometriosis. There are four stages of it, and I was a 2+ (almost a 3). I asked what he thinks my best chance of getting pregnant is, and his answer was both surprising and overwhelming! Basically you have a year from the day of your surgery to get pregnant, because it will end up coming back. Your best chances are in the first six months. After that, the chances go down dramatically. His suggestion to me would be to do a "watered down IVF", which is still an IUI it just involves a little more. But all of the hormones and medications they put you on will feed the endometriosis. So it's like a double edged sword - you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

He would start me on a birth control pill and with another drug. I'm almost positive he said Lupron (which I looked up and found that it can be used to treat endometriosis). Then we would move on to Follistim and Menopur injectables. I have never used any of these. We would then do an IUI. I know that I am leaving some detail out, but can't seem to remember what it is. Basically this cycle will cost any where from $1,500-$4,000. OUCH! I just wasn't expecting this. I guess in the back of my head, I was hoping he would just tell us to try naturally. But I should have known better - I have too many other issues going on (PCOS, high LH levels, etc.)

I will call the clinic when I start my next cycle and I will go in for some bloodwork. He wants to recheck my LH level to make sure there wasn't a lab error last time. He said he has never seen one this high that early in a cycle before. Mine was in the 40s, he said the highest he has seen was in the 20s. Your LH level tells your body it's time to ovulate. And if I'm ovulating on cycle day 4/5, then my eggs are not having time to mature.

They are also wanting to start the IUI cycle in January - my six month window will be up before you know it! But we have to find a way to come up with the money soon. This clinic is different than the other one - in Shreveport, you pay as you go. In Baton Rouge, you pay up front.

Needless to say, when we left the clinic, I was very overwhelmed. It was way too much information for my brain to process. I called Ryle to tell him all that I could remember, and he said he could tell that my mood changed. I was just "down" - didn't know what to think/feel. But I know that we will find a way to get the money. Some how my amazing husband always finds a way. I would be lost without him.

I hope that answered everyone's questions. I feel like I'm leaving out lots of information, but I just don't know what it is! Our Christmas was great and I will post a blog about it soon. Have a great week and thanks for reading :)