Getting pregnant without knowing I had PCOS (although the doctors did)

by Anonymous

(Ed. note: This is a heart-felt story of a woman whose doctor did not tell her she had PCOS.)

I was 19 years old and married to a sailor. I had very irregular periods if any at all. At 16 my mother took me to the "best" OB/Gyn's in the Bay Area. They put me on birth control pills.

I ended up wanted to get pregnant at 19 because my husband was leaving to go overseas. We of course had been trying for 2 years (when we married) and nothing happened.

My doctor sent me to a doctor who was a "fertility specialist" I'd never heard anything about it, but I went to see him. He did what seemed like a million tests on me including "blowing out my tubes" (don't know the medical term) and cutting off a wedge of my right ovary.

Nothing worked. So he put me on a dose of Clomid. I was given 10 pills. I had to take my temperature each morning and log it, and hope that it would "dip" at one point.

My husband was on duty on the ship one morning when my temperature actually dipped!! I called him with an emergency call saying he must come home immediately. Remember I was only 19. I told him my temp had dropped and he needed to get himself home right then. He told something to his commander and he ended up taking off the next 4 days.

I remember how stupid I felt with holding my feet in the air for 20 minutes after sex. We tried to make it funny but in the end it caused our marriage to end. I actually got pregnant on this first try. But 6 weeks later I began to bleed. I was put on bed rest and had to be given this very painful shot for the rest of my pregnancy.

We stayed together for 7 years, but the stress of going thru this fertility work up really was the beginning of the end of our marriage. When two people who are seemingly healthy aren't able to do the most common thing that the lowest form of "life" is able to do, and that's to procreate, it puts a big damper on your sex life!! We tried many more times but never could get pregnant again.

We adopted soon after the last attempt. This was not a good experience because not all members of our family were willing to accept an adopted baby.

When we divorced I ended up going to work for the very doctor who helped me get pregnant. I found my chart in the basement one day and that's when I saw written all over it "Patient suffers from PCOS, is likely never to have a child"

Then also in that chart was all the information of when I had to have the total hysterectomy due to peritonitis from a D&C due to some irregular bleeding. I made the mistake of reading the pathology report.

And in that report was stated "Many ova" I've never been able to get over that.......knowing there were "many ova" they were able to see under the microscope during the pathology examination, and I felt like everyone of them were my children.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but to me, it was actually seeing what could have been children of mine if I hadn't had that hysterectomy. Although there was no other choice due to how badly I was infected.

So I cherish my little boy who now is 39 years old. He was born at 7 1/2 months pregnant and he weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. and was 18 1/2 inches long. They said he would have been very big if I had gone full term.

I often wonder now that if I had been told I had PCOS way back when they first diagnosed it, would they have done other things to help me get pregnant? Or was it just too early in the "infertility information??" Now I am looking at 60 years of age in January.

In 2005 I went to Maui for a wonderful vacation and on the 3rd day I could literally not get out of bed. My feet were so swollen, my fingers couldn't manage to let me put my rings on them. I had obviously blown up like a balloon. And for what reason? When we got there I was so happy and in 10 days I was wheeled back onto the plane by wheelchair and from then to now I have suffered from putting 2 pounds on per day and because I was thin when this started my doctors aren't concerned that this could have anything to do with the PCOS.

They say since my ovaries are gone, I couldn't possibly have PCOS anymore. I brought articles to him and he wasn't interested. I begged him to check my cortisol levels or my insulin intolerance but he said he already checked me for the Cortisol...although I never heard a thing about it.

And no one has talked about insulin intolerance.

I'm actually very lucky because beside of having one biological child, I adopted a little girl and raised a step son who lived with my 2nd husband. We have been married 31 years now, and he has gone thru so many physical problems with me.

My triglycerides were 900 at one time.....they are around 350 now. My cholesterol is 300.......I had the double stranded dna test for Lupus and it came out at Strongly Positive. The numbers were 169 and the normal high was 39. So 2 dr.s think I have Lupus and 2 doctors say absolutely not.

I've seen every doctor I can imagine but all I wish is that I could find a doctor willing to look into this fluid retention that won't go away.........check my cortisol levels for real. And also my insulin intolerance.

But I risk losing my doctor who really is a wonderful doctor except for this one problem. Lately, my gall bladder stopped functioning and was removed, I have severe carpal tunnel in my right arm. I've had 7 back surgeries and many other surgeries due to injuries.

I doubt this will ever be published but it felt good to write it out. It's true that depression can come along with PCOS......I also have RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) due to being hit by that truck. That also causes depression.

The smiles on my grandchildren's faces are what keep me having a sense of humor and never wanting to leave them. Thanks for your attention.

Sincerely, A fellow sufferer of PCOS.

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