I stopped taking birth control pills in May 2010 after being on them for 10 years. After a couple of long, irregular cycles (60-90 days), my ob/gyn (Dr. C.) decided to do some bloodwork, which ended up showing that I have PCOS. Dr. C. explained the first course of action would be to take a fertility drug called Clomid to make me ovulate. Clomid is taken for 5 days and is usually prescribed for cycle days (CD) 3-7 or 5-9. I was prescribed to take it CD3-7. I did ovulate that cycle, but didn’t get pregnant. In the meantime I had been doing some research, and had found that patients should be monitored with ultrasounds while taking Clomid. Dr. C. had told me she didn’t think this was necessary. I had also read that prior to taking Clomid, other tests should be done to rule out other possible fertility issues. These include a semen analysis and a HSG, a procedure where they check to make sure your fallopian tubes are open. We didn’t have those done either. I decided to forgo using Clomid the next cycle, and seek a second opinion. On January 6th my husband and I met with a RE (reproductive endocrinologist). He didn’t think extra monitoring with ultrasounds was necessary either. He said studies have shown monitoring versus not monitoring doesn’t affect the outcome of treatment with Clomid. He also didn’t feel a semen analysis or HSG were necessary at the time. He suggested we try 3 more rounds with the Clomid first, and if I didn’t get pregnant we would proceed with those tests. Little did we know as we were sitting in the RE’s office, our sperm and egg had already met and I was pregnant! I tested positive on January 14, 2011. We were both excited, but very cautious as we knew the rate of miscarriage is very high (15%-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage). My first ultrasound at 7 weeks 2 days showed everything looked great and the baby was developing right on track. However, over the last weekend in February I started having some light bleeding. We ended up going to the emergency room that Sunday evening and found that the baby had stopped developing at 7 weeks 6 days. At that point I was supposed to be 9 weeks 6 days. I had a D&C on March 1st to complete the miscarriage.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Different
I've always felt like I was different from other girls my age growing up. Coming into adolescence I always seemed to be a little behind others my age. I can remember being in 5th or 6th grade and anxiously awaiting my last few teeth to fall out so that I could have braces like everyone else in my class already did. Most people dreaded getting braces, but I wanted them so badly just so I would fit in. I watched as people came back from their orthodontist appointments every month with a new color combo on their bands. I couldn't wait for the day when I could have green bands on my bottom braces and red bands on top for the Christmas season (and black and orange for Halloween of course!). However, by the time my last tooth fell out and the braces were put on everyone else was getting theirs off and having braces wasn't so cool anymore....
In 5th grade they made us watch the much-anticipated "sex" videos. They separated us out and put boys in one classroom and girls in another. I was so excited thinking they were going to explain in great detail how men and women have sex. As it turns out, we watched some corny 10 minute video on girls getting their periods for the first time and how to use a sanitary pad. Boy was I disappointed! I can't imagine what kind of video the boys had to watch. If they weren't showing us videos on how to have sex, what else would 5th grade boys need to know?! Each girl received a little packet that included a pamphlet and a couple sanitary pads. I came home and put my packet in my dresser drawer, and would get it out on occasion, anxiously awaiting the day I would be able to use them. Most girls in my class had already started their periods by now and knew how to use all that stuff. But not me....
As the years went by with no period, my mom would reassure me that I was normal and just took a little longer than other girls my age. As I would cry myself to sleep on many, many nights, she would always remind me how I had to wait longer than everyone else to get braces, and I was just a little slower with menstruating also and eventually I would catch up. It made me feel better for awhile, but it was always in the back of my mine how un-normal I was....
When I turned 14 with no period in sight, my mom made an appointment for me with her gynecologist. He sent me for a blood test to check my thyroid, which came back normal. He said if I hadn't gotten my period in a year to come back. That year came and went with no period so I went back to the doctor, and he told me the same thing. By the time another year passed, the doctor finally prescribed some pills (Provera) for me to take to induce my first period. I took the pills and finally, at age 16, I got my first period! I continued to get a period after that but my cycles were very long, averaging about 1 period every two months....
I didn't know then, but I now know these long cycles are one of many symptoms of PCOS.
In 5th grade they made us watch the much-anticipated "sex" videos. They separated us out and put boys in one classroom and girls in another. I was so excited thinking they were going to explain in great detail how men and women have sex. As it turns out, we watched some corny 10 minute video on girls getting their periods for the first time and how to use a sanitary pad. Boy was I disappointed! I can't imagine what kind of video the boys had to watch. If they weren't showing us videos on how to have sex, what else would 5th grade boys need to know?! Each girl received a little packet that included a pamphlet and a couple sanitary pads. I came home and put my packet in my dresser drawer, and would get it out on occasion, anxiously awaiting the day I would be able to use them. Most girls in my class had already started their periods by now and knew how to use all that stuff. But not me....
As the years went by with no period, my mom would reassure me that I was normal and just took a little longer than other girls my age. As I would cry myself to sleep on many, many nights, she would always remind me how I had to wait longer than everyone else to get braces, and I was just a little slower with menstruating also and eventually I would catch up. It made me feel better for awhile, but it was always in the back of my mine how un-normal I was....
When I turned 14 with no period in sight, my mom made an appointment for me with her gynecologist. He sent me for a blood test to check my thyroid, which came back normal. He said if I hadn't gotten my period in a year to come back. That year came and went with no period so I went back to the doctor, and he told me the same thing. By the time another year passed, the doctor finally prescribed some pills (Provera) for me to take to induce my first period. I took the pills and finally, at age 16, I got my first period! I continued to get a period after that but my cycles were very long, averaging about 1 period every two months....
I didn't know then, but I now know these long cycles are one of many symptoms of PCOS.
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