What Is Going On...

As I have said before, if you are around me for more than five minutes you will know that I am an open book. That being said, I wanted to share about our visit with the Reproductive Endocrinologist. Overall, it went as well as it possibly could, and we were very pleased when we left. So, if you do not care to know about the details, you can stop reading here. If you are more like me, and love details, then please keep reading! :) Kyle and I were at the doctor for almost 3 and half hours, and all but thirty minutes of that he was with us. He did about an hour interview with me, and asked tons of questions even going back to my birth. After this interview, he decided to do an ultrasound given all the information I had told. The ultrasound confirmed that I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also know as PCOS. There are 3 criteria for PCOS which are:

1. Irregular cycles or no cycles

2. Physical evidence of male hormones or lab value of high testosterone

3. Multiple small follicles confirmed by ultrasound

You only need 2 of the 3 for to be diagnosed with PCOS, and I happen to have 2 of the 3. In fact, I have about 3o follicles on each ovary. The doctor is concerned that if he gets everything functioning properly that I will have multiples just because I have so many follicles. You should have seen the look on Kyle's face when the doctor told us this news! It was priceless! Kyle said, "like Jon and Kate plus 8"? The doctor said probably not that many! We all laughed! The doctor wants to do several other test, but the options for treating PCOS in order to try to conceive are:

1. Weight loss: weight gain only enhances PCOS, and some patients will begin to ovulate regularly once they lose weight. Isn't it great when your doctor tell you to lose weight?!?! 

2. Clomid, Metformin, or a combination of both

3. Other medications

4. FSH injections

5. Laparoscopy/Ovarian Drilling

Given my medical history, the doctor would like to do laparoscopy surgery first. Birth defects of the uterus are associated with birth defects of the kidneys 30% of the time. Since I was born with a kidney defect, the doctor wants to rule out any possible causes before I spend lots of money on medication each month that might not work. Also, while in surgery they will check my tubes, and if necessary they will do ovarian drilling. Yes, I agree, could they not have come up with a better word for that? Basically, they will burn off all the small cysts on the ovaries. This does not cure PCOS, but it may give you a window of 6 to 10 months where Clomid may work, and one could conceive. All that to say, I am having surgery tomorrow morning. Kyle and I are very pleased with this doctor, and he is a Christian too! We are thankful that he is being proactive, and he did tell us we have a good chance of having a biological child. That was the best news we could have received! I know this was a lot of details, but so many of you have asked how the doctor's appointment went. I definitely could not have shared all this with you if it weren't for my sweet mother-in-love. She was so kind to go to the doctor with us, and even took three pages of notes for us. Yes, you can be jealous. She really is that great!  Please pray for me in the morning. Pray for safety during the surgery, and that the doctor would have wisdom in the operation, and that he can clearly define the problem if one does exist. Thanks for sharing in this journey with us! We are grateful for you and your prayers!