Post by Faith on Jul 21, 2007 16:14:01 GMT -5
Here's a story of hope... During my last year of college I started experiencing excruciating debilitating pain that almost caused me to lose my student-teaching internship. After feeling a lump near my left pelvis I decided to go to the health center on campus and they told me I need to go see a radiologist... I did not have health insurance at the time and I was an emotional wreck. The school ended up paying for it and I was diagnosed with fibroids: I had one the size of a grapefruit and two the size of lemons. Additionally, I had a cyst on my right ovary and... It was determined I would need surgery and after qualifying for Medicaid I was linked up with one of best obgn in Buffalo, NY. I graduated May and had the surgery in July; three months prior to the surgery the cyst erupted sending me to the emergency room...
A few years later after moving to Missouri I started experiencing amenorrhea again... This time I was diagnosed with severe endo that threatened to cost my right ovary. In addition I was sent to see an oncologist to get tested for the dreadful ovarian cancer based on elevated levels of CA125. All this decided to happen after I was finally in my career, happily married, and had a place to call home ... In short, my test was negative for cancer, and I proceeded to find someone to perform the surgery I desperately needed--this is when the real headache began...
I went from one doctor/expert to the next and I was no t comfortable with any of them. Finally, I settled with a highly reputable ob who to my surprise told me I did not need surgery. He said that having had a prior surgery, it would put my life in jeopardy and that the risks would outweigh the benefits. Since fertility was almost a concern, he told me that IVF would be our only hope. We did not have the money for invitro and I was determined to try and make it happen on our own. Why I kept seeing this man for two years, I don't know. He told us to keep trying nonetheless and after repeated failure to conceive he sent my husband to get a sperm count--of course the results were low and my husband would need treatment . We did not give it a second thought and continued to focus on me. I remember crying during visits when I told me what my odds were of conceiving on my own and he also continued to push invitro. Finally, I brought up having a laparoscopy again and he angrily dismissed it remind me of the risks. I became discouraged and asked my my options were for pain--he to my dismay told me I should have a hysterectomy... This was the last straw for me and I decided to go back to my doctor in Buffalo. In short, my insurance company agreed to pay ( I had no idea you could have surgery out of state) and we drove 12 hours to Buffalo, NY last June. I had the laparoscopy to treat endo and all went well. I had my post op with Dr. Dread in here in Missouri and he told me that the surgery was a waste of time and I could live to regret it. He again brought up the IVF issue and asked me what I thought... This time I didn't cry, I just told him that our baby will be a miracle baby since we could not financially nor emotionally afford invitro. Not knowing what to do, I simply stopped seeing ob's here and just left everything in God's hands. Wouldn't you know that to my surprise I got a positive pregnancy test in September--I remember going to the emergency room to get a blood test done to confirm it...
We had some scares during the pregnancy and the baby had to be delivered at thirty five weeks due to Vasa Previa (carries a 100% mortality rate if not detected prior to delivery). The delivery was rough since they had a hard time stopping my bleeding and I was again threatened with a hysterectomy (one of the risks of cesareans)--I received two units of blood in a transfusion...In closing, Kaelin Ann was born at 17.5 ins and weighed 5lbs 10ozs... She is now 11wks at 22ins and 12lbs... I did experience postpartum and rejected the drugs and went to counseling instead. We are so grateful and I [/img]find myself just staring at this miraculous child with God has blessed us... There is always hope and never just accept what some of these so called experts tell you...