Saturday, October 8, 2016

Depo/Doctor Update

Thursday was my doctor's appointment.

I don't have more answers, just more questions.

I did end up doing another Depo shot, in the hopes that maybe this one kicks the bleeding to the curb and it was an anomaly. We'll see what happens with that.

The concern about the polyps was taken seriously, and the long low bleed was definitely a point of concern. I had a pap smear to rule out my cervix as the cause (I've never had any cervical abnormalities, minus in my 20s suffering from a "friable" cervix that bled with any kind of trauma and had to be cauterized more than once, which I would classify as a trauma in itself). My doctor doesn't think that's it, but said he'd be remiss not to check anyway.

I had to take a pregnancy test just in case, as the spotting isn't just tinges of blood but has what I demurely call "material" in mixed company and "vaginal confetti" at home (ew, I know, gross). I wonder if part of it is the Asherman's trying to shed, or if it's something else, but it's distressing. However, in calling it "material" I earned a urine HCG check to make sure I'm not somehow miscarrying some sort of miracle baby (I'm not). That was loads of fun. They didn't tell me the results and I didn't ask, because...well, you know why. Obviously that's not it.

So, to rule out polyps or other uterine abnormalities, I am to see if the bleeding stops and if it doesn't (it hasn't so far) schedule a saline sonohistogram. OH YAY. I fucking hate SSGs. I have a very twisty cervix that hasn't had the opportunity to be more accommodating through childbirth (thank you SO much for bringing that up), and I get very, very crampy from all the tests that push saline up in your nethers. Not to mention the wonderful traumatic feeling I get from thinking about doing a test I did during a wildly unsuccessful infertility treatment period.

Then I had to remind my doctor that NONE of my HSGs or SSGs ever revealed my polyps. That those were clear (minus my last HSG which revealed the jagged edges of the Asherman's at the top of my traumatized womb) only during hysteroscopies. At least previously...because they were always way down at the bottom, near my cervix but not on my cervix. Good times.

And that is when he said regardless of the outcome of the SSG, we'd probably end up doing a hysteroscopy. Which is where my eyes started slowly leaking.

This will be my SIXTH hysteroscopy.

In general, my doctor is incredibly sensitive. He feels genuinely awful that I've been through such a wringer. He said that he would refer me to a specialist who does the most hysteroscopies out of anyone in our area, who does them in his office with twilight meds so that I wouldn't have to go to a hospital, who would be sure to take care with my battered uterus.

It is worth it to figure out what the hell is going on. I am just so sick of all this shit. I feel like my reproductive system has been a lie this whole time -- my periods supposedly a promise of fertility that was violently broken, my ovaries recalcitrant and stingy with releasing the eggs that fill my zillions of antral follicles thanks to PCOS. I wish I could just shut it all down without major surgery, without horrible consequences. I feel so betrayed, and I feel like my body is just shoving my reproductive inadequacies in my face with this constant need to protect my panties.

They did not do any bloodwork, something I would like them to remedy when I call because I'm still bleeding. I have no faith that it will miraculously stop, and even if it did...shouldn't we find out why that happened in the first place? I am scheduled for my saline sonohistogram already because there were Saturday dates that disappear quickly and I'd rather not miss school. I mean, it's tempting, as people miss a whole day for one appointment all the time and this is traumatic, but if I'm going to have a freaking hysteroscopy I'll need to take a day so we'll just save it for that. Why not spend my Saturday imaging my broken uterus.

That's the update, if I can even call it that. One more go-round of Depo, more exploratory measures, a pregnancy test that was a joke, and a whole lot of feeling the funk of a body that just won't quit making me feel like shit. I can only hope that these things bring the answers to the surface. I can't take much more of this nonsense.

14 comments:

  1. So much suck. Really sorry you are going through all these procedure again, with no guarantee it will find the answer or fix anything. I have a SH this week. So much to look forward to!

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    1. Thanks... ugh to the SH. I hope yours goes smoothly!

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  2. I'm not going to lie and say that I know what you're going through. I don't and can only understand on the barest of levels. But from that barest, I know how traumatized I was (am) that my body was failing me and causing problems. It is horrible. And I'm so sorry that instead of answers you are leaving your appointment with more questions.

    Am thinking of you as you progress. May the next appointments lead to answers and solutions.

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    1. Thank you...all I can hope for is an answer I can live with. Because this business for so long? Not feeling real happy about it. I feel like a normal uterus doesn't pull this kind of nonsense. :)

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  3. I think I would always go straight for a hysteroscopy over a SSG. I just have so many women in my RPL group who have had completely clear SSGs but so much revealed on a hysteroscopy. I've had one, but under general anesthesia, so I don't know to the full extent how much this is gonna suck. I do hope you get answers about what is going on, though. I'm so sorry that even after giving up on your uterus it's giving you trouble.

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    1. I'd say my uterus gave up on me, because I did all a body could to make that organ do its job before it ultimately stopped being able to grow a lining. It's an important distinction.

      I so agree with you, but they won't do a hysteroscopy without an SSG because even though my medical file is inches thick, they have to see what they can see first with that test. Maybe because of insurance? I was sort of hoping when I told them NONE of my polyps were visible on an HSG OR SSG but all were visible in the hysteroscopy, they still insisted on the SSG. Sigh.

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  4. I wish I could wave a wand and get you the answers, or, better yet, relief. I am abiding with you through this suckage, Jess. xoxo

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    1. Me, too. Thank you for your wand wish though (which is hilarious because...wands in my future!) Thanks for abiding with me. It does suck and just drains me.

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  5. This freaking sucks! I am so sorry Jess. Damn it all. I wish there was a way to find out what was going on without doing all the invasive tests (all over again). But I agree you do need to try and figure it out because bleeding for so long is just not healthy. I do wonder how much of it could be the Depo, though. Lots of prayers to get you through this trying time.

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    1. Thank you -- that's how I feel, too. This freaking sucks. Although I dropped an f-bomb which I don't do often here, so I guess it's clear how mad I am! They were confused because usually the unusual bleeding with the Depo starts that way and then peters out, and mine started, petered out, and then just kept on going. This was my 5th shot. Shots 1-3 were better and better... and then BAM! No stopping. Argh. Thanks for your thoughts!

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  6. Here's hoping the tests (however sucky) lead to some concrete answers and solutions. (((hugs)))

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    1. Thank you -- I sure hope there's an answer out there somewhere.

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  7. Oh Jess I hope that you get answers soon. What a shitty situation. :-(

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  8. I'm too sorry, Jess. My heart aches for you. :( Hope all that is planned goes smoothly and safely for you.

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