In praise of laparoscopies: mine worked (endometriosis does recur)

[Betsybet]

For anyone struggling to conceive and with no obvious reason for it not happening, please, please ask your consultant to perform a laparoscopy. Robert Winston - thank God I read his book - always recommends one if all other causes have been eliminated and there is no obvious cause. My first consultant ignored my high hormone levels for nine months then referred us straight for IVF - where they told me my results meant I was borderline for treatment in the same hospital... I changed hospitals, requested a laparoscopy, and endometriosis - virtually symptomless - was discovered. I had it lasered and, one marriage break-up and new relationship later, conceived ds aged 37.

Last year we tried for as second baby, but a year on nothing was happening. My GP referred me to a consultant and I managed to get seen for endometriosis rather than fertility - which means weeks of blood tests, sperm tests etc before they'll even see you. The only symptom was some discomfort on intercourse - not a lot, but I knew it was a symptom, but I just didn't think it was painful enough to warrant attention.

My consultant did a scan, which showed a cyst on my ovary, that she felt sure was a sign of endometriosis, and when she operated she found lots, which she lasered.

I'm now pregnant! Only 5 weeks but very exciting after over a year with nothing happening.

My point is - always, always press for investigation through laparoscopy if there is no other obvious barrier. (Especially as there's often a wait of up to six months for the op.) I had to ask for mine each time, because I was symptomless, and this is such a shame - all hospitals should use the Winston ethos. I know it's a General Anaesthetic and an op, but when it makes it possible to fall pregnant naturally, it's so brilliant.

And my second point is - endo comes back much, much faster than I thought - I had masses second time round, and had assumed that being pregnant somehow cured me (this is a myth) or that it would take years to recur. Ask your GP/specialist about best ways to avert - pill, coil etc - if you think you might want to conceive again, or have the next one quicker than I did!

[Lynsy]

Hi Betsybet
CONGRATUALTIONS

Thankyou for posting this. After a year of ttc and thinking that the problem was with dp, I had a laparoscopy in september that found I have severe endo, like yourself mine was syptomless so came as shock when they told me. It wasn't treated at my first laparoscopy due to my gyne being off sick and the surgeon not being qualified enough to treat me (very unfortunate), so I have just had my 3rd and last hormone injection to down regualate my body into the meonpause so this will dry out my endo and I am due to have another laparosacopy at the beginning of feb where the endo will be treated, and after that it's back on the ttc rollercoaster. I am really hoping more than anything that the laparoscopy will treat the problem and we will get pregant naturally and quickly,as like you say I am not sure how long we will have before it comes back and I am already starting to worry.

Thankyou for posting and giving me some hope, and I hope you have a healthy and happy pregnancy.
x

[helenlouisey]

Congratulations Betsybet, I had a similar thing happen to me, TTC to conceive for over a year, all tests showed nothing particularly wrong with me or DH, so had a laparoscopy and I had severe endo, my only sympton was not being able to conceive. I had the endo lasered and fell pregnant 3 weeks later :-)

How long did you leave between your first lap & starting to conceive the 2nd time? Reason I ask is I had a very difficult pregnany (another story, things are never simple with me !!!!) & so have been advised to wait at least a year before TTC our 2nd child, I am very worried that the endo will have returned by then as will be about 20 months between the original op & us starting to TTC again.

Good luck with your 2nd pregnancy

[Betsybet]

Am so interested to read these messages because while I am thrilled with results :-) I do feel cross that I have had to request my laparoscopies (from three different consultants, of whom the latter two were sympathetic) and I wish more medical attention was paid rather than simply referring for IVF. So much simpler and cheaper!

Lynsy - please, please don't worry. It IS annoying when they don't treat on first op - same happened to me, had to wait five more months - but I really do think you will find it has amazing results. When you've been TTC and can't find anything wrong, then they find the endo, it's such a relief, because - for whatever mysterious reason - it does make it really hard to conceive. And however much you have, it should be treatable as long as you have a good and really thorough surgeon - mine found lots on the back of my abdomen, and my ovaries were stuck down etc etc. I'm sure you're going to be amazed.

Helenlouisey - things are never simple with me either. For complicated relationship reasons, it was over two years after my laparascopy before I was TTC. I went on the pill in between to try to suppress recurrence. It took about eight months to conceive, then I miscarried, then conceived again three months later. Then after ds arrived we waited about 16 months before TTC again, and of that I was breastfeeding solidly for four months (ie no periods). SO... yes, I do slightly wish we had started much sooner, as a colleague of mine was strongly advised (I was never given this advice). But, I just don't know what recurred before I even had ds; I just assumed that because I GOT pregnant (twice) it was all fine. It's all a mystery. Are you on the pill/coil or trying to suppress in any other way?

I wouldn't panic - obviously your horrid pregnancy is the best reason to wait a bit and I would hope a year wouldn't wreak too much havoc... It doesn't grow while you're pregnant or breast-feeding with no periods I think??

God, for a well-informed, reasonably bright person, it's so annoying how much about it is shrouded in lack of information/knowledge. Perhaps I'll start a campaign.

Good luck both of you!!

[Betsybet]

Ps I found some useful information on the endometriosis society's website, esp about the enduring myths - eg pregnancy cures it, a view still offered by many GPs; and the general difficulty in having it diagnosed, even though infertility itself is a symptom of it. And, as they point out, lack of symptoms is in no way related to severity or otherwise.

www.endometriosis-uk.org/

[SparklyPseudonym]

Betsybet - Thanks for posting. We've been TTC#2 for 15 months now and after a m/c at 11 weeks, I've been keen to begin further investigations. My periods range between 28 and 40 days and usually begin with brown spotting followed by a day or 2 of heavy bleeding (passing clots) and continue with brown spotting/cramps throughout the month. My GP tested my hormone levels at 21 days and they were fine- I also ovulate every month but at different times. A friend of mine with endo has been suggesting for some time that I may suffer from it too but without looking at the symptoms I niavely though that you HAD to have huge amounts of pain during every bleed. Since reading your post and logging onto the link above I've discovered that I have many symptoms and will be pushing for a laparoscopy.
Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing.

[Betsybet]

Hello SparklyPseudonym, so glad it was helpful - and good luck, really hope you get some joy.