My Infertility Story - My diagnosis & treatment journey

There is a saying that goes, “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a carriage.” I looked and looked for my baby in a carriage but he chose to turn up after a decade long of struggling with infertility and I am so happy he did.
I love children so much and as a child growing up I was the baby sitter on Saturdays for children of our family friends who had to engage in domestic duties away from home. I seemed to have been a natural at this even at that early age, as I was able to balance this baby sitting with my Saturday duties. I enjoyed this privilege so much and so at that early age, I knew I wanted children of my own some day. I day dreamed a lot when I was a young girl growing up. I guess this was because of my humble beginnings, where we did not have much and so I always yearned for a better life and that life included a handsome husband, the home with the white picket fence and of course the ‘pitter patter’ of little feet in my home.
Little wonder I was so eager to start having children after I was married, and as soon as a year afterwards, (even though it is recommended that two years after marriage is a good time to start), my husband and I began trying to conceive. I am not sure how ready for children my husband was at that time, but he did not object to this and I was all the more eager as my mother-in-law was becoming quite anxious to have grandchildren as well. Unfortunately, we tried to conceive for a while but with no success.
A little background into the history of my condition, at about age 19, I realized that my periods were irregular and sometimes would not show up for about three months. I was referred to a doctor and the only diagnosis he gave me was that I was not ovulating. He prescribed birth control pills to induce ovulation and so my period would show up whenever I took them and disappeared it I did not continue to take them.
I went back on birth control pills on a more permanent basis after marriage, but of course discontinued them when we started trying to conceive, and so my periods became irregular again. Even though this was the case, I was still very hopeful that I would become pregnant, but no pregnancy resulted. This lasted for about a year after we began trying. At this point we decided to get a doctor’s intervention and we were referred to a one who told me once again that I was not ovulating. He also suspected I might have endometriosis, another common condition that causes infertility. He later ruled that out however, as I was not displaying most of the symptoms. We told him of our desire to have children and he recommended that I go on the fertility drug Climophene Citrate (Clomid), which I did.
Look out for more of my diagnosis in next post.
Irregular Periods:-
Having suffered with irregular periods for quite a while, I know firsthand that it can be a very inconvenient issue to have to deal with. Your period can show up at the wrong place and at the wrong time, causing you embarrassment. It also makes conceiving even more difficult than it already can be. You also cannot shake the feeling that your body is just not performing as it should be.
Are you having irregular periods? Please check out the following link for helpful information:-
http://www.womentowomen.com/menstruation/irregularperiods.aspx
From site:-
“……A textbook period happens every 24-29 days, but in truth what is “regular” covers a wide range.
Cycles between 23–35 days are very common.
A woman may get her period only one to four times a year.
Or she might have periods that occur two to three times in a month and involve spotting or extremely
heavy flow.
Alternatively, she may have heavy episodes of bleeding every two to three months.
Irregular periods are simply what is irregular for you.”


What is Endometriosis?


Endometriosis may have many appearances.
This photo includes white endometriosis,
clear endometriosis, red endometriosis and powder burn lesions.

From site:
“ Endometriosis is the growth of cells similar to those that form the inside of the uterus (endometrial cells), but in a location outside of the uterus.
Endometrial cells are the same cells that are shed each month during
menstruation.
The cells of endometriosis attach themselves to tissue outside the uterus and are called endometriosis implants.
These implants are most commonly found on the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes, outer surfaces of the uterus or intestines, and on the surface lining of the pelvic cavity.
They can also be found in the vagina, cervix, and bladder, although less commonly than other locations in the pelvis.
Rarely, endometriosis implants can occur outside the pelvis, on the liver, in old surgery scars, and even in or around the lung or brain.
Endometrial implants, while they can cause problems, are benign (not cancerous).”

Please check the following site for further information:-
http://www.medicinenet.com/endometriosis/article.htm