Tuesday, March 24, 2009

So Much for Decision Making!

I got a call from the doctors office today. Apparently I never had a decision to make in the first place... Today I was told that the ultrasound didn't reveal any endomitrioma (which I didn't know they were looking for that or that it could be seen through an ultrasound). I was also told I was to stay the course with my BCP and add in the fiber supplements for at least 2 months before they would consider anything else... So all of that worrying and "are we making the right decision" questioning for nothing. So in the meantime I will be speaking with the insurance to see what this will cost if in 2 months that's where I'm at.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Finally a decision...

Well, we've made our decision. After a week of hardly seeing John at all, we finally had a chance to talk. We've decided I will have the laparoscapy. The Dr. said that after a lap he would like me to do Lupron anyway... so after we talk to our insurance (cause I definately choose the wrong package for me this year!) and talk to the Dr. then we will decide when all of this will happen. It may have to wait until next "year" (july/august) when we can change plans or if we're close enough to meet our deductible then we will just go ahead and hope I can do it during spring break so I won't have to miss anymore school. I feel really good about it, so now I can enjoy our vacation in San Diego!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Lupron or Laparoscapy? That is the question..

Well I have spent 5 hours in the doctors office over the last two days having all kinds of people asking all kinds of questions. I also had various things all up in my business... that's always painful (at least for me). Needless to say, today I'm exausted, because then I went back to work because there were no substitutes.

Yesterday I met with the nurse, found out I had an infection, and was told I needed to meet with the Dr. and have an ultrasound. On my way out I was making all of my appointments (which usually you schedule 3 weeks in advance for this office at least!) but they had both appointments open for today so I booked them.

My mom was in town, and I always like having another pair of ears in the room, so she came with me. I finally (after 3+years at this office) met the actual doctor. He's a great guy. He was very straight forward about my options and also talked about IBS being a big cause of alot of my discomfort... I've thought that for a while now. He also said that I have 4 options:
  1. nothing (ok i'm a wimp I guess if some people can live through this with nothing)
  2. birth control pills (aka continue what I'm already doing)
  3. lupron with add back therapy
  4. laparoscapy

He is also trying to get my records from my previous lap 7 years ago... We'll see what happens there. Unfortunately I was 18 at the time and was very out of it after surgery when they were telling me how it went. Plus my mom was clear across the country then (hence why I like lots of ears in the room).

So I don't know what we'll decide. What are your experiences? What would you do? What do you think I should do?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The greatest question... If only the answer were yes

So I love when you go to get a shot, see the doctor, make an appointment, or even a trip to the ER if you're a woman you get the "Is there a possibility you're pregnant?" question. I finally felt so bad at school today that during my prep I called the Dr. office and made an appointment. I go in on Monday, so we'll see how it goes. When the lady asked why I was coming it I told her I was in a lot of pain and that usually that is normal, but this was even worse than my normal. So her response was... is there any way you're pregnant. My response was "Now that would be a miracle..." Any other ways I should have answered that question?

Hopefully I can finally get some answers instead of being switched to a new BCP which is what they've been doing for the last few times I've seen them.

Monday, March 2, 2009

A Little about Me and my Journey so far...

I'm a 25 year old married first grade teacher.

I've know about endomitriosis since I was 14 and couldn't survive some days at school without doubling over in pain. I've also been on BCP since then. When I was 18 and across the country from my family things got worse, and I couldn't even get out of bed on some days. That is when I had my first trip to an RE. 4 months later I had laproscopic surgery, again, with my mom across the country. They found endomitriosis and cauterized all that they found. They told me I had a moderate case. I then went to taking 2 BCP a day and never having a period.

A year and a half later I was then married and wanted children so I stopped taking the BCP on my own without consulting a Dr. My thought was the RE had always said the best "treatment" for endomitriosis was to get pregnant. 4months later with AF never showing i headed back to the Dr. Of course this was just a regular OBGYN new insurance, old RE not on the new plan. I had all kinds of things done with this Dr. Hysterosalpinogram, ultrasounds, among other things that I can't remember what they were called. All on top of the Progesterone and Clomid. A year later there was still no glimpse at us getting close to having a baby. Just me gaining 20 pounds or so.

Also we were graduating college and moving to start new jobs. So I'm still not taking any BCP and go without AF for another 6 months and gaining another 40 pounds. Before finally going to the SCARIEST Dr. office I've ever been to. They run all kinds of blood tests and talk to me about diabetes. I never got the results of those test... I paid over $600 that I shouldn't have and never saw a result. So 3 months later I head to a more reputable Dr. (By this time my employer had switched insurances as well so coverage was great now!) At this Dr. appt I have all the same blood work done, and when the results come I have PCOS with some hormone levels higher than ever seen before at this office. So now it's a double whammy.

I don't realize it at the time, but you can't treat or manage both of these conditions at the same time. By treating one you're bound to make the other worse. I've been treating the PCOS for the last 4 years. So now it's been 7 years since my first laparoscopy and I'm back to being doubled over in public places, having a hard time getting out of bed, and we've added horrible headaches to the mix (I don't remember them from before).

I still haven't made a Dr. appointment, I just don't have the time, nor the energy to make lesson plans, find a sub, and oh yeah... actually call for an appointment. It's time like this I wish I worked at a job that you could call in sick for and not worry about how the day ensued without you.