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Hi Anna,

I have a friend at work that concieved and she had endometriosis. It took her two IVFs. Now she just went though treatment for it and is about to start trying for a second baby.

She keeps telling me that I need to ask my doc for a laproscopy to check for endometriosis. Think I am going to ask next time. I am kind of scared of that procedure but it will be worth it if it gets me farther.

Good luck and let me know if you have more questions, I can ask her.

Take Care

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Anna,

I have Stage 4 endo - and gave birth in November after four years of trying. Now, granted, two of those four years were unsupervised, so don't panic about that.

I have terrible endo AND I also have PCOS. Yea! I never thought it would be possible, but THANK GOD it was!! We were very lucky in that we did not have to go the IVF route, but it wasn't an easy road. I have doctors that believed enough to work WITH ME to get me pregnant. Until I met these doctors, I didn't have a snowball's chance in hades of having a baby. That makes a tremendous difference.

SO, yes, it IS possible to have endo and have a healthy baby!! You just need to find doctors willing to work with you and who believe that it IS possible!!

Let me know if I can do ANYTHING to help you - I have tons of info if you need it and I'm willing to share.

BABY DUST TO YOU!!


HeatherMac

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I took a doctor's advise 2 yrs ago and went for a laparasocpy to remove endometriosis. It was not a wonderful experience and i was really devastated when i was told by another doctor (which i have consulted for my infertility) last week that i must undergo another round of laparascopy in order to try for IVF.

Anna, what a delight reading your msg.

At least, there is hope. Thanks

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I have stage VI endometriosis. I have always had painful periods, I remember asking my grandmother to call 911 as a teenager - because the pain was so bad. My parents thought I was being overly dramatic and told me that most girls had cramps. Over time I compensated and began taking motrin several days before my period until several days after. Very gradually I had more and more problems with constipation - I attributed it to my diet. I met the man of my dreams at age 26. He was 38 and perfect.

I developed a sudden sharp twisting pain while driving to see him one day in 2001. I had to pull over in a cold sweat. I thought that I had a ruptured appendix but was not vomiting or having fever. I insisted that he take me to the ER. After several hours of waiting and 3 grams of Motrin it passed. I left the ER convinced I wasn't dying and got an ultrasound at my OB's the next day. An endometrioma (collection of endometriosis on the ovary) had ruptured and the whole thing twisted on it's blood supply. I was scheduled for surgery and over the next several days loss my appetite and had a continuous dull pain.

The week before my surgery he asked me to marry him. I said yes.

I lost an ovary, a tube, and a section of small bowel that had been partially obstructed by the scar tissue following my "minature implosion".

Recovery was 6 weeks. I remained on Lupron for 18 months, to "cool off" the endometriosis. We began trying as soon as my periods became regular again.

I've had two more laproscopic procedures to "take down" more endometriosis. I've had two hysterosalpingograms (painful injected dye studies) to evaluate the patency of the remaining tube. I've had an endometrial biopsy, and a hysteroscope (filling the uterus with water). I underwent LUNA, cutting the nerves to the uterus that transmit pain during my last lap. It has helped - instead of a 2 grams I only take 600mg of motrin 7 days a month.

We've had two failed IUI's. We are still battling the insurance comapany but now we're biting the bullet and are in the process of our first IVF cycle, we'll pay for it somehow. I am set up for retrieval and transfer the second week of Februrary.

This has been hard on me and hard on our marriage, but somehow it has made us closer.

Some mornings I'm pissed off with the world. It feels like the there is a pregnant person on every corner. We've tried to keep things private - sometimes I think it backfires. People are so crass - they say things like: "Don't you want kids??", or " Do you know if you can have kids or not??". People that I merely associate with at work will ask me things like this over the water cooler. Don't mean to sound bitter, it's probably the hormones.

I am grateful to still have a chance, to have a beautiful husband that says, "I didn't marry you to have kids, I married you because I love you."

Keep going Anna and when it feels like you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and think of me.

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HI everyone. I am scheduled for surgery in April. I have stage VI endo and my doctor already told me he sees me having to have IVF to get pregnant after surgery.

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Oops I think I posted too soon, hadn't finished my message.

Hello everyone,
Thank you for sharing Heathermac and your awesome delivery, it sure brings us hope.
Brittonbrunson, how difficult things have been for you, so good to have a great DH. I will be thinking of you for this month.
I don't have endo, had a laproscopy and this excluded this. I do know of people who have been successful with IVF and have had endo, first time too. SO hang in there.

I was meant to go for another IUI this month, but my U/S showed a polyp on the top of my uterus, something not detected when I had my previous investigations?? It is all a bit frustrating now, as I wait for my next period. I want to have it removed before we progress.
To top if off it looked like I didn't ovulate or had already.

Until next month,
Allegonda

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I've had endo for the past 15 years. Married at 27 and had 1 lap and a beautiful baby girl when I was 31. It was a wonderful experience after 4 yrs trying for a child. The endo came back. Had a second lap when my girl was 3. Been trying for a 2nd child for the past years. Have not been successful yet. Still trying. I will be 38 in June. Still in time for a second child yah!? In the meantime, I have changed my diet to a vege based. Reduced dairy and caffeine intake tho I luvvv coffee, more vitamins. I am targetting to get pregnant by Jun 06. Pray hard and relax! Ommm!

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I was diagnosed with endo when I was 22, that was in 2001.I had 1 lap and 6 months of lupron and We tried to have a baby for almost 3 years. we tried the natural way, we tried IUI 4 times, and finally IVF, which gave us our little girl, she turned 1 on april 4th. It is expensive , we had to take out a second mortgage but really worth it.I am on continues birth controll pills but the pain is comming back, I am so tired of the pain, even with no period. I want to have another baby but can't afford IVF again so trying natural is the only way, I am not looking foward to the trying, the pain, and the monthly dissapointment, but at least we have 1 wonderful baby, I know its hard but don't give up I am glad I didn't.

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Allegonda,

I truly wish you the best of luck and tons and tons and tons of baby dust!!

Keep us posted in your progress - I'm rooting for you!!


HeatherMac

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Does anyone recommed a good diet for women with endometriosis? Or foods to avoid??

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Brightheart,

There is a great book called: "Endometriosis, A Key to Healing Through Nutrition" by Dian Shepperson Mills and Michael Vernon.

The diet talks a lot about avoiding wheat, cow's milk, citrus, red meat, fermented foods, vinegar, yeast and mushrooms...the focus is more on eating a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, and the right kind of grains.

It's actually a lot like South Beach, but it gives descriptions as to how the foods you should avoid affect your endometriosis...for example, many of the foods you should avoid actually increase your estrogen levels, which can increase the pain and suffering from endo. Cholesterol is a hormone, and when your diet is fatty, your cholesterol goes up, when your cholesterol goes up, so does your estrogen. When your estrogen goes up, your endo gets worse.

You can order this book from any online bookseller...which is how I found the book originally.

I did read somewhere that it takes the average woman with endo over NINE YEARS to get an accurate diagnosis and get help for the endo. So I sincerely hope that you're able to some relief from your endo soon!!

Again, I hope this book helps and I wish you healing for your endometriosis.


HeatherMac

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my sister has been diagnosed with endometriosis last summer and her doctor is giving her [url=http://www.drugdelivery.c
a/s3801-s-ZOLADEX.aspx]ZOLADEX
[/url]shots for it. she is at the same time trying to conceive. but for that i am not so sure what her doctor has been telling her about her condition, whether it is the right thing or not. i just hope that she gets healed and that she can conceive soon.... she has been suffering a lot because of the health condition.she has noticed that her condition has improved a little bit with ther shots she had been getting.

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hi,

how are you! it was nice to read about you!
my age... 35...... not fat for my height ( 138ponds.)

i am a vegetarian and i used to have bad pain and nausea since teenage years ..........took no medication than just herbal teas

than 6 years back i got married and................i also could not conceive after marriage so went to the doctor who found out first that i have one closed tube .

so she suggested i have laproscopy to open the tube. but later they were able to open it without laproscopy .
still the found out i had endometriosis too ......so during laproscopy they tried to remove some of it ...........it was in 4 th stage.

after that she recommended ivf ...........but to us that was too costly so we opted for drugs .

i took clomid once and had 3 growing follicles but than the endometrium was not thick enough and the nurse for got to tell me about taking asprin.
now i only have two cyts from clomid and doctor says i need to give a gap so the cysts go away.

she says i should try letrazole next .........i did reasearch .......and it says this drug could cause an abnormal baby. so ....?????????afraid

but if i wait more ( its already 5 months since laproscopy) than endo will grow back.
so i am just confused wheather to go for a loan and get ivf done or stick with medicine .
but
who ever i talk to seems to have had success only with ivf sooooooooooo?
do give ur suggestion.

i have already stopped coffee and tea totally its been 2 years. and am eatinf tofu and pumpkin seeds .
some one also suggested eating one garlic clove before ovulation each day ...........so i have tried that also and now i tried the clomid too.
but just am afraid to try too many medicine as the have side effects.

best wishes

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[quote author=Anna Leonard Bowen link=board=13;threadid=1815;start=0#13483 date=1135318735]
Anyone one out there who has this and conceived?? Thanks!!
[/quote]

Yes, I have mild edometrosis. They burned two spots back in 2000 off the fatty layer of my intestines. I don't know if I had it anywhere else. I am sure I did, but I just got pregnant. My husband and I did IVF, so keep your head up. It will happen in God's time. It took us six years and we have been married going on ten.

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I just found out on Thursday the 19th of October that I have endo. They did a lap. on me and took all that they could off. They said I should be able to get pregnant in the next two-thee months! Keeping my fingers crossed.

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Mrsmorales -

*** TONS OF BABY DUST TO YOU ***

Please keep us posted!!


HeatherMak

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