I go Friday morning to have the HSG (hysterosalpingogram) done. That's the test where they shoot dye into your uterus and then xray it to see how much scarring there is and if it is blocking the tubes. I'll have the films sent to the specialist and I'm hoping that they'll give me a set to bring to my current ob. So. I'll update you all with what I find out on Friday because I WILL be asking the tech questions. I saw what a normal xray should look like so I'm hoping I'll be able to make heads or tails of the films if/when I get them. My appointment is at 10am so if you could say a prayer, I'd appreciate it.
Much love,
Tami
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
The things they say
I really need to start writing down the cute things that Savannah says. This is definitely a scrapbook page.
We were driving in the car yesterday talking about birthdays. I said that Daddy's birthday was next. The conversation went like this:
"So, should we go out to dinner for Daddy's birthday?"
"Sure," she says.
"Where should we go?"
"I don't know, Mommy."
"Well," I say, "Where is your favorite place to eat?"
She replies matter-of-factly, "The table."
*snort* What a goof...
We were driving in the car yesterday talking about birthdays. I said that Daddy's birthday was next. The conversation went like this:
"So, should we go out to dinner for Daddy's birthday?"
"Sure," she says.
"Where should we go?"
"I don't know, Mommy."
"Well," I say, "Where is your favorite place to eat?"
She replies matter-of-factly, "The table."
*snort* What a goof...
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
My new ob...
I went and saw the in-network ob/gyn yesterday. I don't have much confidence in him at all. Luckily, he won't be the one treating me for Asherman's.
First, he was stuck on the fact that I nursed Savannah for so long. He mentioned that I still had milk in my breasts so that could affect my hormones. This is after I already told him that my prolactin levels were normal. Having milk in still in my breasts is not uncommon at all. There are women that haven't nursed for YEARS and they still have milk. Duh!
Then, after the exam, I went to talk to him in his office. He is requesting an HSG, but mostly because I told him to. He then proceeded to tell me to go ahead and continue trying to get pregnant. Are you kidding me? If I do have Asherman's, which there is a 99.9% chance that I do, I should not be getting pregnant. From Ashermans.org: "You would be at a higher risk of miscarriage, placenta previa, placenta increta, bleeding during pregnancy and stillbirth. It is recommended that women with Asherman's NOT attempt pregnancy until they have had their scar tissue removed. This is why it is advisable to use birth control until you and your doctor are confident you are scar-free."
I emailed the specialist to tell him that I did request my records be sent to him, so he should receive them within that next few weeks. I then told him that I'm hoping that this new doctor refers me straight to him as soon as the Asherman's is confirmed. He said that he'll call the doctor to try to "smooth over the transition process." I have been blessed!
Anyway. I'm sort of in limbo for the next few weeks since I can't even get the HSG for at least another 3. Once that gets done, assuming the radiologist does a good job with it, and the Asherman's is confirmed, I will go see the specialist. I'm praying (yes, praying. That's a post in and of itself) that this all happens pretty quickly after that and I will be pregnant by my birthday in February. I couldn't think of a better birthday present... :D
First, he was stuck on the fact that I nursed Savannah for so long. He mentioned that I still had milk in my breasts so that could affect my hormones. This is after I already told him that my prolactin levels were normal. Having milk in still in my breasts is not uncommon at all. There are women that haven't nursed for YEARS and they still have milk. Duh!
Then, after the exam, I went to talk to him in his office. He is requesting an HSG, but mostly because I told him to. He then proceeded to tell me to go ahead and continue trying to get pregnant. Are you kidding me? If I do have Asherman's, which there is a 99.9% chance that I do, I should not be getting pregnant. From Ashermans.org: "You would be at a higher risk of miscarriage, placenta previa, placenta increta, bleeding during pregnancy and stillbirth. It is recommended that women with Asherman's NOT attempt pregnancy until they have had their scar tissue removed. This is why it is advisable to use birth control until you and your doctor are confident you are scar-free."
I emailed the specialist to tell him that I did request my records be sent to him, so he should receive them within that next few weeks. I then told him that I'm hoping that this new doctor refers me straight to him as soon as the Asherman's is confirmed. He said that he'll call the doctor to try to "smooth over the transition process." I have been blessed!
Anyway. I'm sort of in limbo for the next few weeks since I can't even get the HSG for at least another 3. Once that gets done, assuming the radiologist does a good job with it, and the Asherman's is confirmed, I will go see the specialist. I'm praying (yes, praying. That's a post in and of itself) that this all happens pretty quickly after that and I will be pregnant by my birthday in February. I couldn't think of a better birthday present... :D
Friday, August 11, 2006
Asherman's Syndrome
Make sure that you have read my previous post before you read this one. It is a continuation...
So, after bawling my eyes out, I decide that it is just stupid to have to wait 2 months to figure out if I have Asherman's. I need to know now. So, I call my midwife and leave a message saying that I want an ultrasound done (which I had actually already learned is not the way to diagnose Asherman's but it was a start) to see if Asherman's was a possibility. The next day I received a call from her and she got me in for an ultrasound and to see my ob/gyn.
Before going in, I went onto my new life line at the Asherman's support group and got the name of a wonderful doctor in Los Angeles that specializes in correcting Asherman's. I actually emailed him before I left telling him my story. Without even seeing me, he believes that I do indeed have Asherman's.
Anyway, I go into my current ob's office and they do the ultrasound where they find that my uterus at it's thickest point is only 3mm thick when it should be at least 8mm at that time in my cycle. I was also ovulating at the time which was good because it proved that I am ovulating.
My ob/gyn says that she wants to schedule a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) where they shoot dye into the uterus to check the lining and detect scaring and to see if the fallopian tubes are open. This test needs to be done on the 12th or 13th day of my cycle, which I was actually on at the time I was there. However, they couldn't do it that day, so I'll have to wait until next cycle.
I go home and decide that I should actually go into my clinic since they can refer me to an ob/gyn to do the procedure so that I don't have to pay any out of pocket. My current ob/gyn isn't in my network, so I'd have to pay 20%. My only concern now is getting insurance to pay for the specialist.
I call and get an appointment with my clinic, which I went into today. The doctor that I saw was not familiar with Asherman's but she did give me hope that my insurance will pay for the specialist. She gave me a referral to a local, in network ob/gyn of which I got an appointment for this Monday. Our hope is that this ob/gyn will confirm the diagnoses and then refer me to the specialist.
The reason I am so set on this specialist is because he has done 1000 Asherman's surgeries over the past 30 years. Less than 10% of his patients need more than one surgery. And the ones that do need more than one are usually the ones that went to another doctor first. If a doctor is not familiar with the procedure, they can actually make it worse. This is one fight I will not give up on, even if I have to pay for him out of my own pocket...
So, I will try to keep this blog updated as much as physically and emotionally possible.
Thanks, and much love!
Tami
So, after bawling my eyes out, I decide that it is just stupid to have to wait 2 months to figure out if I have Asherman's. I need to know now. So, I call my midwife and leave a message saying that I want an ultrasound done (which I had actually already learned is not the way to diagnose Asherman's but it was a start) to see if Asherman's was a possibility. The next day I received a call from her and she got me in for an ultrasound and to see my ob/gyn.
Before going in, I went onto my new life line at the Asherman's support group and got the name of a wonderful doctor in Los Angeles that specializes in correcting Asherman's. I actually emailed him before I left telling him my story. Without even seeing me, he believes that I do indeed have Asherman's.
Anyway, I go into my current ob's office and they do the ultrasound where they find that my uterus at it's thickest point is only 3mm thick when it should be at least 8mm at that time in my cycle. I was also ovulating at the time which was good because it proved that I am ovulating.
My ob/gyn says that she wants to schedule a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) where they shoot dye into the uterus to check the lining and detect scaring and to see if the fallopian tubes are open. This test needs to be done on the 12th or 13th day of my cycle, which I was actually on at the time I was there. However, they couldn't do it that day, so I'll have to wait until next cycle.
I go home and decide that I should actually go into my clinic since they can refer me to an ob/gyn to do the procedure so that I don't have to pay any out of pocket. My current ob/gyn isn't in my network, so I'd have to pay 20%. My only concern now is getting insurance to pay for the specialist.
I call and get an appointment with my clinic, which I went into today. The doctor that I saw was not familiar with Asherman's but she did give me hope that my insurance will pay for the specialist. She gave me a referral to a local, in network ob/gyn of which I got an appointment for this Monday. Our hope is that this ob/gyn will confirm the diagnoses and then refer me to the specialist.
The reason I am so set on this specialist is because he has done 1000 Asherman's surgeries over the past 30 years. Less than 10% of his patients need more than one surgery. And the ones that do need more than one are usually the ones that went to another doctor first. If a doctor is not familiar with the procedure, they can actually make it worse. This is one fight I will not give up on, even if I have to pay for him out of my own pocket...
So, I will try to keep this blog updated as much as physically and emotionally possible.
Thanks, and much love!
Tami
Where to begin...
I honestly don't know where to start. Should I use the "worst fears realized" line? Should I start with my sob story? Should I start with just the facts? I guess I should just start at the beginning...
After Savannah was born, my midwife told me that I had a short umbilical cord, so instead of placing her on my chest, she could only reach my stomach. I had a hard time expelling my placenta. It came out in pieces and the midwife was forced to piece it together to be sure she got it all. She called it "sticky placenta."
About 30 minutes later, Wayne was holding Savannah when the room started to spin and I blacked out. It seemed as though my uterus was hemorrhaging, and I was put on an IV and given pitocin. I had to stay in the hospital for an extra day to get my blood levels back up.
Three weeks later I woke up to a wet bed. I had begun to hemorrhage again. Wayne grabbed our newborn and myself and we headed to the emergency room where they performed and ultrasound. It seemed as though I had a retained placenta.
A few days later I went into the ob/gyn that worked in the same office as my midwives. She performed a D&C (dilation and curettage) in her office noting that there was only a 5% chance that I would hemorrhage. Well, I began to hemorrhage after she finally was able to remove a very stubborn piece of placenta.
I was again rushed to the ER where a balloon was inserted into my uterus in order to stop the bleeding. I was in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights (away from my then three week old baby, mind you.) I was put on super strong anti-biotics in case any infection had occurred over the three weeks that the retained placenta was in my uterus. I was pumping every two hours since I'd be damned if this would affect my milk supply for my daughter.
Fast forward 2 years. I was trying to prepare my body to TTC (try to conceive) again, but had yet to get AF (a period) back. I did have some spotting, but I figured that AF wasn't back full force yet because I was still nursing my daughter. So, in March of 2006 I weaned her at 2 1/2 years old. I waited a few months, and still just spotting.
At this point I start to get a bit concerned, not that anything major is wrong, but that my body is having a hard time regulating my hormones, so I take a trip to the midwives. I tell her my concerns, and how I haven't gotten AF back. Her first thought, although she didn't say it formally, was Asherman's Syndrome. How she explained Asherman's is that the inside of the uterus is covered in scars, which to my thinking, would be easily explained by my after-birth experience.
We talk about other reasons, like hormones, but this Asherman's Syndrome is stuck in my head. She sends me off saying that I should chart my cycles for two months to see if I'm ovulating and then come back in to see an ob/gyn since she isn't qualified to handle such things.
The whole hour drive home I cry my eyes out. She made Asherman's (which in my gut I knew I had) was irreversible and that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant again. So, the first thing I do when I get home is research Asherman's and found this:
From www.ashermans.org :
"If the patient has had a D & C and this was done between the 2nd & 4th weeks after delivery, she has a very high risk of developing Asherman's Syndrome, a risk which is probably increased if she is breast feeding (due to low estrogen) and which may be diminished if some steps are taken soon.
If retained placenta is suspected, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE AN ULTRASOUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If there is a significant amount of retained placental tissue (the finding of a "complete and intact" placenta at the time of delivery is not 100% accurate), this is an accident waiting to happen!"
This all but confirmed it for me. Retained placenta. D&C three weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding at the time. Yah. I was sure.
I was very lucky to have found an online community through www.ashermans.org and joined immediately even though I have yet to be diagnosed. They have flooded me with a wealth of knowledge to where I actually feel that there is hope that someday, in the not so far away future, my womb will once again be fruitful.
So, this blog will more than likely be filled with updates on my prognoses as well as treatments. I'm actually going to do some updating right now, but I will start a new entry.
All of your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.
Much love,
Tami
After Savannah was born, my midwife told me that I had a short umbilical cord, so instead of placing her on my chest, she could only reach my stomach. I had a hard time expelling my placenta. It came out in pieces and the midwife was forced to piece it together to be sure she got it all. She called it "sticky placenta."
About 30 minutes later, Wayne was holding Savannah when the room started to spin and I blacked out. It seemed as though my uterus was hemorrhaging, and I was put on an IV and given pitocin. I had to stay in the hospital for an extra day to get my blood levels back up.
Three weeks later I woke up to a wet bed. I had begun to hemorrhage again. Wayne grabbed our newborn and myself and we headed to the emergency room where they performed and ultrasound. It seemed as though I had a retained placenta.
A few days later I went into the ob/gyn that worked in the same office as my midwives. She performed a D&C (dilation and curettage) in her office noting that there was only a 5% chance that I would hemorrhage. Well, I began to hemorrhage after she finally was able to remove a very stubborn piece of placenta.
I was again rushed to the ER where a balloon was inserted into my uterus in order to stop the bleeding. I was in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights (away from my then three week old baby, mind you.) I was put on super strong anti-biotics in case any infection had occurred over the three weeks that the retained placenta was in my uterus. I was pumping every two hours since I'd be damned if this would affect my milk supply for my daughter.
Fast forward 2 years. I was trying to prepare my body to TTC (try to conceive) again, but had yet to get AF (a period) back. I did have some spotting, but I figured that AF wasn't back full force yet because I was still nursing my daughter. So, in March of 2006 I weaned her at 2 1/2 years old. I waited a few months, and still just spotting.
At this point I start to get a bit concerned, not that anything major is wrong, but that my body is having a hard time regulating my hormones, so I take a trip to the midwives. I tell her my concerns, and how I haven't gotten AF back. Her first thought, although she didn't say it formally, was Asherman's Syndrome. How she explained Asherman's is that the inside of the uterus is covered in scars, which to my thinking, would be easily explained by my after-birth experience.
We talk about other reasons, like hormones, but this Asherman's Syndrome is stuck in my head. She sends me off saying that I should chart my cycles for two months to see if I'm ovulating and then come back in to see an ob/gyn since she isn't qualified to handle such things.
The whole hour drive home I cry my eyes out. She made Asherman's (which in my gut I knew I had) was irreversible and that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant again. So, the first thing I do when I get home is research Asherman's and found this:
From www.ashermans.org :
"If the patient has had a D & C and this was done between the 2nd & 4th weeks after delivery, she has a very high risk of developing Asherman's Syndrome, a risk which is probably increased if she is breast feeding (due to low estrogen) and which may be diminished if some steps are taken soon.
If retained placenta is suspected, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE AN ULTRASOUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If there is a significant amount of retained placental tissue (the finding of a "complete and intact" placenta at the time of delivery is not 100% accurate), this is an accident waiting to happen!"
This all but confirmed it for me. Retained placenta. D&C three weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding at the time. Yah. I was sure.
I was very lucky to have found an online community through www.ashermans.org and joined immediately even though I have yet to be diagnosed. They have flooded me with a wealth of knowledge to where I actually feel that there is hope that someday, in the not so far away future, my womb will once again be fruitful.
So, this blog will more than likely be filled with updates on my prognoses as well as treatments. I'm actually going to do some updating right now, but I will start a new entry.
All of your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.
Much love,
Tami
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