1988-1994: My period starts at 11 years old. I have horrible pain for 3-4 days every single month. I miss lots of school.
1995: Sophomore year in college, the doctor puts me on BCP after a 21 day period. I get depressed.
2000: I go off the pill in hopes of finding a natural solution. A naturopath puts me on raspberry leaf tea. My depression lifts.
2002: I meet the love of my life (or that's what I thought at the time) and go back on the pill. I get depressed again.
2003: I finally realize that it's the PILL that's making me depressed. I stop taking it that cycle and feel like the sun has come out from behind the clouds after a solid year.
2004: My periods become unbearable. In desperation, I seek out acupuncture even though I'm a broke grad student. I break up with the boyfriend.
2004-2009: My period pain is reduced to one awful day, and after that, I feel fine!
2010-2012: That one awful day of my period gets worse and worse. I vomit, I get so weak I have to crawl to the bathroom. I have to stay home from work in bed for a solid day. The next day, I have no abdominal pain, but I'm very weak from vomiting and blood loss.
Spring 2011: Diagnosed with an adenomyoma, a lemon-sized growth in my uterus. Doc decides that since I want to have children, it's not worth the risk of pelvic-scarring that surgery would bring. He prescribes rectal valium for pain and anti-nausea suppositories for the vomiting. Fiance and I start trying to conceive. I work at a Catholic school, but we're getting married this summer and some babies are born early, right?
Summer 2011: DH and I get married!
January 2012: Six months of trying has borne no fruit. First trip to RE. FSH: 17.8, Antral follicle count: 8
March 2012: Consultation with RE. FSH levels make no sense given that my periods and ovulation are as regular as the moon. Follicle count is also better than she would have expected. Perhaps endometriomas on my ovary are impeded ovarian function? Laprascopy is contraindicated because it risks further damage to my ovaries.
April 2012: More tests: Tubes open. Uterus has one endometrial polyp.
Hypothyroidism. Start low-dose synthyroid.
May 2012: Diagnosis: Diminished Ovarian Reserve
May 24, 2012: Hysteroscopy. Polyp is no more.
September 2012: Consult with Dr. S, world-famous endo surgeon. RE is full of shit. Decide to remove adenomyoma and get laparoscopy.
November 2012: Surgery: Adenomyoma Removed. No evidence of endometriosis. Benched from TTC until February 2013.
