TTC for 2yrs. / Just found tubal blockage / referral to RE / Need advice & support

elucas2011

Hello everyone! I am new to the discussion boards so bare with me with this long post. My husband and I have been happily married going on 3 years. In December 2011, we decided we were ready to start our own little family and add a little bundle of joy or two.  In December 2011, I started tracking my cycles and they are pretty much regular (give or take a day or 2 some months). In May 2012, I started taking at-home OPK even though I already knew when my body was ovulating. In August 2011, after no BFPs, I took an at-home Fertility Test and DH took an at-home Sperm Count Test, both were Positive. We continued our efforts and I began taking Pre-natal vitamins. May 2013 came around and still no BFP. At this time we decided it was time to meet with my Doctor. July 8, 2013: Consulted with a new OB/GYN that was a referral by family member that specializes in infertility. A Pap smear was done and came back normal. July 10, 2013: Semen analysis = Very Good July 28, 2013: Progesterone Level Test = 3.3. August 12, 2013: Started 50mg Clomid (Days 4-8) August 29, 2013: Progesterone Level Test = 43.3 **NO BFP September 10, 2013: Went in for Sonogram since no positive pregnancy. Found a cyst on each ovary. 2nd round of Clomid was cancelled. October 7, 2013: Went in for Sonogram. Left cyst was gone but cyst on right side was still present and had increased in size (currently 5.1x5.8 cm which is about 1 cm larger than previous sonogram) and showed thin septations (walls). There was also fluid seen on fallopian tube. October 15, 2013: Met with Doctor. He confirmed that cyst is not cancerous. Laparoscopic Cystectomy and Chromotubation scheduled to remove cyst and check for tubal blockage. November 19, 2013: Met with Doctor for Pre-Op. Advised Doctor that I had been having some intense pain occasionally and some spotting over the past 2-3 weeks; he sent me for another Sonogram to see if the cyst may have ruptured. Results showed that cyst had increased in size again (6.1x5.3x5.9 cm) and another cyst had developed adjacent to it that was 4x3.2 cm. Fluid still seen on fallopian tube. November 25, 2013: SURGERY DAY!! December 10, 2013: Meet with Doctor to go over Surgery. A lot of scar tissue was found (possibly a result from cysts I had in previous years). The larger cyst was an Inclusion (a mass), that was removed. The smaller cyst was fluid filled and was drained. The larger cyst was located between my right ovary and right tube; so when I did ovulate on that side, my egg released into the inclusion and was never able to make its way to tube. Right tube also showed some distortion and isn’t properly lined up with my ovary as it needs to be. Chromotubation results showed that my left tube is fully blocked. Scar tissue had irritated left tube and caused some inflammation. No Endometriosis was found. No further treatment can be received from current doctor. He is sending me to a RE in January for us to consult with for further options. Here are my questions… What can I expect when I meet with RE? What option(s) do you think will be available to us since both of my tubes are not functioning properly? Is there anything I can do to help matters? Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking time to read this. Have a blessed day. Emily

TaylorH84

Hi Emily, Im Sorry you find yourself here but I hope you get the support and advice you need! These ladies are awesome and have helped me a ton along the way. As far as IVF goes, your tubes being blocked should not pose a problem because they completely bypass them all together to do IVF. I have heard of some women having them removed if they're completely blocked because fluid can then flow back into the uterus which can cause problems with the embryo after ET. I don't know if this is the case with you. Things that helped me during IVF was to do acupuncture. It really helped me relax and have less stress through the whole process. I cut out all caffeine, alcohol, ate high protein and veggies, low carb . Took your normal prenatal vitamins, folic acid and CoQ10 is supposed to help with egg quality....who knows really. The best thing I did was join this group of ladies who kept me sane(-ish) through the whole thing. Goodluck with everything!

LSN8308

welcome *hugs* sorry you had to find your way down this path but this forum is a great source of hope, wisdom and a few laughs along the way. i really have no experience with tubal issues so i have nothing to say about that. but in regards to your RE appt, i would definitely try and gather as many questions or concerns you have and write them all down. being informed through this process is one of the key factors in being able to deal with all this IF stress. and if for any reason you dont feel 100% confident in the experience you had with that RE, then look for a 2nd opinion. it never hurts to ask and just go for a consult to different REs because there should definitely be a sense of trust and open communication between you and the clinic.

GL with your journey and do keep us posted!  

kz's_girlygirl

I am sorry you find yourself in this situation.  I hope the RE you meet with is great and you are able to get some answers and set up a plan for moving forward. 

Jumping from TTC with no intervention to having a great deal of intervention takes some adjusting, so be gentle with yourself and know that it is ok to feel angry, sad, excited etc.  There's no right or wrong way to handle these changes. 

My guess would be that they will suggest moving onto IVF since neither tube is functioning.  My right ovary has a double lobe, so any eggs on that side are unable to make it to my tube.  IVF makes that a non issue because you don't need to ovulate  

Good luck moving forward, and I hope you are able to find some support here!  This board is fantastic, and filled with compassionate and knowledgeable ladies. 

twistsandturnsto2

******siggy warning******







I really hope you don't mind me chiming in here. I have tubal issues too, my history is in my siggy. PP are right on in their advice. Give yourself some time to let everything sink in. Tubal IF sucks on so many levels and it might take you some time to wrap your head around the idea.

It sounds like your only option at this point is IVF. I would make sure to speak to your RE about the fluid that was seen in your tubes before continuing any treatment however. When I began with IUI and eventually IVF there was never any fluid spotted in either one of my tubes, just damage and torsion from scar tissue. Right before our 4th transfer, one of the REs noticed that one of my tubes had developed into a hydrosalphinx that was "huge". I did have to have a lap to disconnect that tube before moving forward(I was told removing the tube can interfere with the blood flow to the ovary so it was best to leave it in) but it didn't set us back all that much. The next transfer worked. I cant help but think the fluid was causing my implantation issues/BFNs. I am not saying you need your tubes disconnected per say, I would just make sure to look into the possible fluid issue before beginning anything.

I wish you all the best moving forward and the ladies and the support they offer here are awesome!!!

sweetsurrender9

I had one blocked tube with hydrosalpinx formation.  My doctor (and my second and third opinions) were reluctant to go on with IVF if my tube was still attached, because the fluid in a hydrosalpinx can be embryotoxic.

Your RE will likely want you to have an HSG, or hysterosalpingogram.  They'll inject dye and watch for it to spill out of your Fallopian tubes.  If it doesn't, they'll know that there's a full blockage and they will help you devise a plan from there.

If you've got tubal disease in both tubes, you'll need IVF to bypass the tube thing, unfortunately.  Please let us know how your visit goes.

MrsC430

 Hi Emily! Welcome and wishing you the best of luck in your journey.

 I also have tubal issues, and agree with @kz's_girlygirl that it's hard to go from TTC with no intervention to having a great deal of intervention. Both of my tubes were Hydro - our RE strongly suggested removing/disconnecting them before starting IVF. It honestly took me awhile (and a couple of failed cycles) before I was "okay" with agreeing to the surgery. We're now halfway through another post surgery FET and praying for the best.

 The ladies here are very supportive and comforting - you've come to the right place. Hoping your next RE visit brings you answers and a game plan. GL!

   

candy4mandy

Good luck with your journey

elucas2011

Thanks everyone for your replies. So sorry it has taken me so long to reply. There have been issues with the site or something.

I have 3 more days to wait before I meet w/ RE. Getting excited but still kind of nervous. I am hoping I have other options initially, other than IVF, b/c we do not want to jump straight into IVF unless that is our absolute ONLY option. I have read that their are some types of surgery that can correct tubal problems but I really do not want to go through another Lap either. I have noticed quite a few changes with my body since my surgery this past November that has me wondering if things could have possibly healed itself? For my last 2 cycles I have experienced spotting during ovulation (NEVER have before). Also, my current cycle started Dec 22. I had EWCM for 4 days which is odd to me b/c normally I only see it for 1 day. I had some spotting yesterday (one week post ovulation) and not supposed to start my next cycle until Jan 16. Could it possibly be implantation bleeding? Even though my Doc told us our chances of conceiving were very unlikely since we found tubal problems, it hasn't stopped us from trying. Guess we will find out soon.