Friday, January 23, 2009

First shipment in...

So, the Saizen arrived yesterday. I am somewhat thankful for that since I've heard that it is really hard to get. I guess the Federal government does not approve of its use for infertility. It is supposed to be prescribed only for those with HGH deficiencies. So, our usual pharmacy wasn't allowed to dispense it! I had to call my nurse who called another random mail order pharmacy and they were willing to do it. The nurse said this always happens...jeez, doesn't that make you nervous? But, I've heard all good things about it and unlike all the other stuff I am on, this one decreases fat and increases muscle (ah beautiful right?). Pair that baby up with my steroids and I'm going to be bulking up in muscle AND fat:-)

But, something occurred to me yesterday. Now that I am getting close to cycling again I was online and thought I'd look up fibroids. Apparently during my one day workup in August, CCRM found a small fibroid on the back of my uterus. My RE checked it out during the hysteroscopy and declared that it wasn't in the way and wouldn't affect implantation so we should just go ahead and forget removal. Apparently removing them can sometimes cause more problems than it solves. However, for the last few months I've had lower back pain and I thought I'd research if the fibroid could be causing it. Well, according to Dr. Google, Yes, it can be causing it. Then I read further about fibroids. They can cause lower back pain and disturbances in the bowel. They also grow with estrogen so tend to grow quickly with pregnancy and, shocker, they can cause you to not be able to carry a baby past a certain month. I immediately called CCRM and talked to my nurse. She said that my RE will do the hysteroscopy during ER since I am not transferring this time and if they see that it has grown or is likely to interfere, that they will schedule surgery to remove it a few days after ER. This sounds like a solution, right? But then, recall that the surgery center is NOT COVERED by insurance. I'm not sure that if I do need surgery they will allow me to do it at home. And, maybe I don't want my GYN doing it and would feel safer if Dr. G did it. Can we afford it? I feel like calling up the financial department to get an estimate just so I don't freak out...and I probably don't even need the surgery. But, part of me worries that my "normal, female" fetus couldnt' get decent blood flow because of my stupid fibroid! eeek. Oh well, I think I am just stressed. Stressed and on a budget.

Anyway, things are moving ahead I guess. If anyone has experience with fibroids, please comment and give me some info. I'm going to assume that my RE knows what he is doing and if he doesn't think it will interfere with pregnancy, then we will leave it. If it has grown a lot then we will price out surgery and see what we can do. By then, we will hopefully have a bunch of embies growing in the lab. In the meantime, maybe my back just hurts because of all this snow shovelling I am doing?

10 comments:

kayjay said...

I have a big fibroid that sits on top of my uterus and it measures about 3.5cm. With all the treatment I've had, it has never grown in size and when CCRM check it out (Dr. G did my hysteroscopy), he concluded, like all my doctors always have, that it does not impinge on lining of the uterus. I asked Dr.
Sch about it repeatedly and he said that removing it is not necessary b/c it doesn't come into my uterine cavity (although it is close) and that the surgery to remove it is very invasive and the healing time required is 2 months. He did not recommend doing it even though mine is considered big and there is not much space between the fibroid and my uterine lining.

It's hard to know what to do...all of the doctors have told me that this fibroid has no impact but since we haven't been successful so far, I always wonder too. I also get horrible kelloid scars on the trunk of my body (instead of healing over flat, the skin puckers and puffs up into a bump that never goes away) so if I can avoid any surgery in that area, I tend to shy away from it.

Anonymous said...

Sue,
Thanks again for all your comments. You are a sweetie. I meant to tell you my husband is not taking the bar. He is building a bar-room in house. (Man cave). I actually got into law school after college and never went ;). I dont have experience with fibroids but personally if money is stressing you out...can't you have it removed where you currently live?
I am so happy you are starting up again. You have so much strength!!! I admire you.

Linda said...

I have a couple of fibroids, but they're outside the uterus. Dr. Schoolcraft doesn't think they'll bother anything, and both Dr. Schoolcraft and my OBGYN told me that it'd be to just leave well enough alone and not risk any chance of scar tissues.

I'm glad to hear that you're cycling again. I'm currently doing preparations for a FET cycle in February. I'll be keeping an eye on your progress and wish you the best of luck!

Jill M. said...

It's always something isn't it! Can we purchase a break here??? What kayjay said is encouraging! I replied to your post regarding this on IVFC.

I'm worried about possibly having endometriosis as I have lots of spotting. I was wondering if I could get a lap right after ER while I'm still out. Then like you, they are out of network and who knows how much that would cost. But we would still get out of network benefits, and we could count the cost of anethesia to make up for some of our cost. We would get the best RE doing the procedure and while we're already out. Hmmm...

Good luck to you! I hope and pray that a small fibroid was not your cause of m/c! Hugs!

Anonymous said...

This post is right up my alley.

First of all, for IVF #2 I was put on Saizen and it really improved the quality of my embryos from satisfactory quality to excellent. It works!

Second, I had a 9cm (HUGE!) removed in 2003, way before I ever started TTC. I had it removed immediately as it was causing me to have to urinate 3 times per hour. I thought I had a UTI and was just gaining weight. LOL!

There is no way I could have ever gotten pregnant with that monster in me. Unfortunately, my RE believes that the surgery led me to have scar tissue which is why I can't conceive. However, nobody has ever been able to prove this, and I just went straight to IVF. I am otherwise unexplained.

Seems like your damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Since your fibroid is a lot smaller, you aren't really in the same boat. I'd opt to have it removed though just for piece of mind.

G/L

Not Your Aunt B said...

Glad you got the Saizen and hope it works for you! That is crazy about the fibroids. I had no idea that removing them could make things worse. Geez!

Josée Martens said...

Yay on getting the meds. If everyone (not just ccrm) is saying not to touch the fibroid... then I personally would leave it alone. But it is so hard to sit there and think about this stuff. Dr. Sch tells me not to touch my endometrioma in my ovary but if i get really bad results, I am thinking of having it drained and treated by Dr. Sher. Ugh. What we won't do to have this family!

DAVs said...

Hooray for Saizen. I'm seeing good things about it. I'd ask for it myself...

I have something that is *possibly* a fibroid. At CCRM they thought it was for sure a polyp and sent me home to have a polypectomy. But no polyp could be found, only something in the myometrium that wasn't really impinging on anything. I know it's tough not to worry about all this other stuff.

I can't wait to follow your progress!

Lost in Space said...

So much to think about. I don't have any experience with fibroids, but think your approach to have it checked out during ER sounds great. If it will ease your mind a bit to at least know how much the surgery will cost, I would give them a call. It may all be unnecessary, but it sometimes helps me to have some kind of plan going in "just in case".

I'm starting my Saizen injections tonight and also had to get it from a different pharmacy than the other meds. Only 4 pharmacies to finally get everything I need for this cycle. Wouldn't a "dealer" just be easier? LOL.

Anonymous said...

I discovered I had fibroids during a hysterescopy and it was suggested as a possible cause for me not conceiving. My RE didn't even bother checking if my tubes were blocked because he figured implantation would have been very difficult due to the type and location. He suggested myomectomy.
I had the procedure done at my local OBGYN, who said my uterus was the size of a 3 mth pregnancy. 4 myomas (fibroids) were removed, ranging from 7cm to 3-4cm.

Prior to surgery my symptoms were very heavy bleeding to the point I was anemic, frequent urination, huge clotting, and extreme pain/cramping at time of period.

It's now being 6 months since my surgery and I haven't gotten pregnant yet. I will return to RE next month if I'm not pregnant for another hysterescopy.

I would say, if your drs. don't think it's necessary, then don't have it removed.

[without insurance as mine was, at the RE the cost was 19,500 for hospital alone, not including drs' fee]
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/myomectomy/UF00016