"Unexplained infertility"Looking for answers...

[jwilly]

Hi there!

This is my first post although I have been lurking this forum for a while now. I think that I finally have too many questions to research on my own (this feels like a big step...Lol). Early last year I was referred to an OBGYN/FS to take a look at an ultrasound that my GP could not interpret.

Back story: I was sent for the ultrasound after suffering from pelvic/stomach pains for most of my teenage and adult life. My GP thought I may be suffering from PID due to an infection, and that the pelvic pains could be stemming from that. Luckily, this was around the time that my hubby and I began ttc and kick started our process early on.

The ultrasound showed what looked like "chronic free fluid around the ovaries", but no one has yet to explain what this means. I was also told that the fluid seen in my ultrasound could indicate tubal damage. I was totally crushed. Although we had only been trying for a few months at the time, my FS sent me for an HSG, where we found out that my tubes were clear (yay!).

Fast forward a year, and we have still not fallen pregnant. CD3 and CD21 bloodwork came back normal, as well as hubby's SA. At this point, we have been told to check back in with our FS in another 6 months-1 year and we will proceed with a lap & discuss the next step. I know that we haven been trying for as long as many other people, and we have been very lucky that we had the majority of our initial testing done within the first year of ttc, but understandably this last year has felt like a LIFETIME.

I guess I am wondering 1) has anyone had an ultrasound where "free fluid" was found in their ovaries?? My FS never explained what this could be.... It appeared on two separate ultrasounds 2) I hate to self diagnose, I feel as though the reason for my chronic pelvic and stomach pain is endo. It would explain so much, including the infertility. Should I push for a lap? Or wait to 6-12 months? 3) Looking for success stories, either ttc with endo or success after a year of trying. I feel like since our last appointment I have lost a lot of hope that I had been holding on to, and I feel like the process is at a standstill right now. Hitting that one year mark and officially being "infertile" has hit me really hard.. I guess in my mind I have decided that it isn't going to happen for us naturally, so why waste time.

Oh boy.. This ended up being a lot longer than I had intended! Thanks sooo much in advance!

 

[Lues]

I'm afraid I don't have much specific help for you. But I wanted to acknowledge that feeling of posting being a big step. It certainly was for me (and I was WAAAAAY more behind the 8-ball than you).

I can give you a success story of after a year of trying. It was three (long) years of TTC for me. I'm six months pregnant now. (HUGE yay!) But don't let that three years freak you out. I was in denial for sure and wish I had gone to get help sooner. I was pregnant within about a year of when I first started to get the help I needed.

And my only other suggestion would be to follow your instincts (at least those backed by your research). Hear doctors out for sure, but if YOU feel something may help (I mean, with valid science backing you up of course) I personally say to push for whatever you want. It's your body, your life and any good RE is going to at least listen and discuss your thoughts.

But mostly I wanted to acknowledge that feeling that posting was a big step. It can be. It was for me. Welcome and good luck to you.

 

[jwilly]

Lues that is so great to hear! Thanks so much for getting back to me, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

 

[Destiny08]

Hi!
I know I'm quite late to this post, but I wanted to stop by to give a kinda success story! Lol I fell pregnant very easily and unexpectedly with my first. And struggled with my second. It just...didnt happen. So after 2 years of trying (everyone was reluctant to help as I already have a child) we eventually got someone to look at it. I had been convinced I had pcos. And after 2 years I got an ultrasound that confirmed that I do. So I was put on metformin. After 9 months we still had no success so they upped my dose of metformin and at 11 months almost to the day after I got help (so 2 years 11 months after we started trying) I got pregnant I'm 9 weeks now though sadly it seems im miscarrying (will find out for sure tomorrow...)

Long story short, get seen to as soon as you can if you have reason to believe you have endo, insist upon being seen. It would've saved me 2 years of struggle!

good luck, and I hope you get your BFP soon

 

[jwilly]

Destiny, thanks so much for sharing & for the advice! I agree that sometimes it is best to get the help and save the time. I have realized that if we weren't TTC right now, I probably would have already been sent for a lap to help with the pelvic pain. Now that we are TTC it seems that they want us to "wait it out". It seems unfair...

I'm so sorry that it seems you are miscarrying. praying for your little bean

 

[Destiny08]

Yea it's awful. I have a friend who was diagnosed in her home country with PCOS but here (the UK) they want her to be at least 26 (she's 24) and have been trying for a baby for a year before they'll treat her for it. And being on the NHS, the only way she can bypass them is to pay privately.

They confirmed today I have miscarried, so I'll be back on this forum more regularly again!

 

[Whimsical88]

J willy I think sometimes we have a 6th sense and if you feel somthing wrong, press your OB to run a few more tests.
Destiny so sorry to hear about your miss. We all here for you to vent and chat. How you feeling?

 

[Destiny08]

J willy I think sometimes we have a 6th sense and if you feel somthing wrong, press your OB to run a few more tests.
Destiny so sorry to hear about your miss. We all here for you to vent and chat. How you feeling?

Thanks. I'm ok really- I have my moments where it gets me, but I believe the actual miscarriage was on Friday when I had a lot of pain and bleeding so I spent the whole weekend crying and coming to terms with it. Still don't feel like doing anything or going anywhere though. I'm exhausted, though they say thats normal.
I'm also desperate to start trying again! But I'm not allowed to have sex or like, go swimming until a week after the bleeding has stopped. So all I can really do is wait

 

[jwilly]

Destiny so sorry for your loss. Waiting would be so hard, I would want to jump back in right away.

Whimsical I totally agree. I think we know when something is wrong with our bodies, and I find that is the hardest thing to explain to our doctors!

 

[Whimsical88]

destiny the day i had my mc i knew and i cried the whole day and was in some horrible pain and i felt like i had contractions at 5+wk mc. it was like my uterus cramping and stopping and cramping and stopping and just got quicker and pain worse. i cried the whole day. after that day i just got number. i think till today i am a bit numb. but im better now. so i can understand how you feeling and everything. just take it easy and let your body heal and the get back on that wagon and try try try

 

[Whimsical88]

j if you feel like you not getting help from your current OB. try someone else.. i feel some OBs think they know it all. and that becuse they have so many women that come cry infertility and shortly after they pregnant they just tend to ignore you.

 

[jwilly]

Thanks Whimsical, maybe i will look around for someone who will take us more seriously. I don't want to be the person who has to sit and cry and beg at every appointment for her to take some action. It would be nice to have someone who wants to actively try to help us!

 

[Whimsical88]

J i think when it comes to baby making....you really want someone thats helping you and not someone that feels like she is blocking your way. I really can imagine your frustration when you try try and try and nothing and when you go to someone meant to be a professional and helpful but just brushes you off. That too young nonsense is quite a pain. Nobody but you can and should decide when to have a family. I really hope its a simple fix for you....fx

 

[jwilly]

Totally agree. Thanks Whimsical!

 

[Whimsical88]

Let me know how things are going.

 

[jwilly]

Hey Whimsical,

Just wanted to pop and and let you know that this month was our month. I woke up this morning to my first ever bfp!!

Even though we are obviously thrilled, it still feels so surreal. I spent so many months doing everything to try and help us get pregnant and now.... it just feels so strange. Thanks for all your support. Let me know how things are going for you!

 

[Whimsical88]

J OH MY GOD......I AM SO THRILLED FOR YOU...... how are you feeling? how far along are you? hows DH taking the news? i and truly so glad that it happen naturally. it may have taken a while but it happenand thats all that matters.
when is first doc appointment?

 

[jwilly]

Thank you so much!!! I am still so shocked. Its amazing how you can go so many months with nothing, and then all of a sudden it happens!

I am only about 4w3d right now. I had a strange long cycle last month and didnt ovulate until cd25. If i go by my LMP i would be over 5 weeks now, but I wouldn't have conceived until two weeks ago... so I'm not sure where to calculate from. I have a drs appointment tomorrow so i will find out more

DH is super excited. I caught him completely off guard! He was thrilled.

So far i have been combating a little bit of nausea and my bbs are quite sore, but so far that is it. I am taking any pregnancy symptoms happily

How are you doing Whimsical?

 

[Whimsical88]

the doc will let you know how far along you are. you have all the pregnancy symptoms and im hoping and crossing fingers that everything goes well for you.
miracles do happen. it just takes time and has to give you a surprise....
i am going throuogh alot of "i dont know what the hell is happening at the moment" moments.
i will try to give you the abridged versiion.
last month i go my period on a wednesday. on the monday it finished. tuesday night i poured out blood (sorry TMI but no other way to say). then wednesday no bleeding but at night the same extreme blood loss happen. then thursday nothing, night nothing and then friday afternoon i started bleeding again. Sat when to gynea he put me on tranexamic acid 500mg and never bleed from Sat morning.
so now i had AF come Thur, period was fine and tonight i think that bleeding thing will happen again because my uterus and ovaries and all are quite sore so really not sure what to make of it and what to do. just have to wait to see if it happen again and then go to gynea again and see from there.
also my forth day period at night i get severe blood loss and a huge clot always.
really i dont know what the hell is happening and dont know what to do

sorry for the long post....

 

[jwilly]

Oh no I'm so sorry for all the confusion that you have been feeling! That seems so stressful. Does your doctor know what is going on or why you are experiencing the heavy bleeding? I hope that you get this figured out soon!

AFM, yesterday I had a doctors appointment where she got a negative urine test. I was sent for blood work (should get the results today), but took another test this morning and it doesnt seem to be getting any darker. I am keeping my fingers crossed but I have a feeling it will be bad news today!