I'll first start with our story.
My husband and I were married in June 2009 in San Francisco, CA. In September we decided to start trying for a family. I went to my gynecologist for a pre-conception visit, everything went well and I started my prenatals. The first few months were stress free, just casually trying. After 3-4 months of trying, I added ovulation predictor kits to my routine. I was getting positives every month around ovulation. After a few months of this without a positive pregnancy test, I started tracking my basal body temperature. My temperatures looked great! Low temps until ovulation, then high until menstruation - just like it was supposed to look. Temping, temping, temping, still no pregnancy.
I went back to my gynecologist at 10 months trying to conceive. I had an ultrasound, which showed a cyst on my left ovary and a hydrosalpinx on my right tube. A hydrosalpinx is a fluid filled, dilated tube. It is thought that the fluid within the hydrosalpinx could be toxic to embryos. Six weeks later at my follow-up ultrasound, the cyst was gone, and my fallopian tube looked normal. I started Femara my next cycle. Femara is a fertility drug that is similar to Clomid - an ovulation stimulator. Femara is off-label for fertility as it is a breast cancer drug.. After four months on Femara with no results, I stated seeing a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). I had lots of hormone tests, all of which came back fairly normal. Progesterone, 19; Prolactin, 9; Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, 1.3; Anti-Mullerian Hormone 7.6. My RE ordered an ultrasound. The hydrosalpinx had re-appeared. I was told my ovaries and uterus both looked good, antral follicle count 26. I was then sent for a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to check for tube blockages. The HSG was painful. The x-rays were taken and the doctors left the room to discuss. I was trying to make out what I saw on the screen. It certainly did not look normal. There was a small line to the right (my uterus, it turns out) above that was a large black spot. There was nothing on the left side of the screen! I was told that I have a unicornuate uterus and a large hydrosalpinx. A unicornuate uterus occurs when one of the two mullerian ducts does not develop in a female baby. Each mullerian duct creates 1/2 of the uterus, and 1 fallopian tube. By 20 weeks gestation the mullerian ducts have created both, and the uterus will fuse together as one. With a unicornuate uterus only one mullerian duct develops, therefore, only 1/2 uterus and 1 fallopian tube develops. I do have both ovaries.
So this is where I am now. I was told by the ultrasound tech that I could not carry past 28 weeks with a unicornuate uterus. My doctor on the other hand does seem hopeful. We will first have to deal with the hydrosalpinx. My assumption is that my doctor will want to remove the tube and move to IVF. I meet with the doctor again next week to discuss all of this in detail.
Unicorniate Uteri is a rare condition, and I hope that my story can help someone else. I will keep updating my blog as things progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment