Post-Op Appointment

Today was my post-op appointment with Doc. It went well. He has a resident that attended the surgery that I got to meet for the first time today; she was nice. 

He showed me a lot of pictures from the surgery. It was insane to see how much larger my left ovary was than my right ovary, due to the cysts. After they completed the surgery, it was back down to a much more normal size, although still a tad larger. I also saw a photo of the one other spot he found endometriosis, on the back side of the left ovary where it had been attached to the pelvic wall. (The other ovary was attached to the wall as well, but there was no endo there.)

It's interesting that all the cysts and problems were with the left ovary. I have always had pain there. Two and a half years ago I had a ruptured cyst in that same ovary - WORST PAIN EVER. So I know I am prone to having them there, and most likely will get them again in the future. I can just pray and hope we can conceive before anything returns.

I mentioned to Doc that I had been having very painful cramps intermittently since the surgery. I told him I thought this was supposed to relieve my cramping, and I am worried everything has already grown back. He said that was unlikely, but did not offer an explanation of why I might be having the cramping. He did tell me to come in on my next CD 3 for an ultrasound so he can look for any growth. Praying it is nothing but healing cramps!

Speaking about my next cycle, I was supposed to start a few days after the surgery and never did. Doc also said this was normal because of the surgery and because of me being on birth control last month. He said I should be in a cycle right now, and that if I don't have a period in three weeks to call him.

Doc said that although my endo was more severe (stage 3) that everything else was perfect. Fallopian tubes, uterus, everything in the right place, open and clear of any obstruction or endo. Normally he recommends that endo patients go right into treatment, but he said we could try on our own for 3-6 months because of my age and the above factors, and because we have no male factor issue.

I said we would try one more month on our own - but that I am ready to move forward with treatment after that. I said we would do whatever he recommended for me, even IVF if he thought we should go straight to that. He said he wants to start off with Clomid+IUI.

So here is where I am at:

• No trying this month - come in on my next CD 3 for an ultrasound just to check for cysts.
• Trying on our own for one month this summer, which should be good since we have a lot planned in May/June.
• If we are unsuccessful, we will do Clomid+IUI sometime in late June/early July. 

I am feeling at peace about all of this right now. Of course, we would love to be successful on our own, but I also feel confident about the doctor's plan. (Naturally, it also needs to be God's plan for our dreams to come true, and that is something that is still unknown.)

The road of infertility is scary. I know we could either be coming to the end of our journey, or just beginning it. The unknown is a frightening thing - but my God tells me I do not need to fear, He is with me!

I will probably be taking a break from blogging, because I am sure nobody wants to read about my vacations, or forays into knitting and quilting. I will pick back up soon, though! I am still going to read along on others journeys and try to keep up my commenting.

Have a great summer!

P.S. If anyone has to do this surgery in the future - do not be afraid. It really was not that bad. I am pretty much completely back to normal, and have been for a few days. If you find yourself having to do it and would like to ask me questions about it, just post a comment and I will be happy to talk about it!