PCO

[Tugsgirl]

Today we had our consultation at the fertility clinic. Bloods were done. Semen was frozen. I had a Transvaginal Ultrasound. Turns out I have PCO. 36 years old and not diagnosed until today despite going to the doctors and being under a gynaecologist for fertility tests over the last 12 months. I don't know how to feel. Is this a big deal? I don't know much about it other than what I know from quick Google searches

[Pookie1230]

It's a common diagnosis and it may be why you didn't get pregnant right away but it won't stop you from getting pregnant through ivf.

[misswinky34]

Hello it's not the end of the world 😊 it depends on the extent of it, it may just be a case that it's stopping you ovulating, which can be corrected with drugs.

Have you has progesterone tests done? I feel your frustration, as usually that's one of the first things they will rule out. Transvaginal ultrasound I think was one of the very early tests they did with me and I don't know why they haven't picked up on it sooner 🤔 have you had the other outwardly symptoms like the male patten hair growth / weight gain/ etc? ( I didn't which is why they said mine was never the syndrome (just the pco bit which affects the ovaries) I had weight issues, but still do 😐 (They found my pco very early in my teens.)

After the ultrasound they did a hysterocscopy and basically inflate the uterus and flush dye through the whole reproductive system to check that the semen is free to travel to where it should , without any tubal blockages etc.

They May also suggest ovarian drilling, there's a lot of ladies on here have had this done. It's not as bad as it sounds.

There is things that can be done to help you. And there's lots of women I followed on you tube with all spectrums of pcos who are on a ttc journey. Like I say sometimes like they told me IVF will be the only route, sometimes you just need femara to make you ovulate.

I'm 36 and we are 22+3 and we haven't had IVF even though they said they was our only option 🙏❤️ XXXX

[Tugsgirl in reply to misswinky34]

Congratulations!!! You've given me hope.

I have bad acne. Have done since 14 years old. I am ovulating. I have a good egg reserve. However my period is a very very light flow. I have bad pmt though, that's always made me feel very rough. I also had a miscarriage when I was 28. Yesterday I was told this was probably the reason for it. I've been back and forth to the GP for years with my skin. I even told my gynaecologist about the pain I get with little bleeding. He wasn't concerned. My GP never suggested pcos though he put me on EVERYTHING else except roacutane (which I refused). Previously I've had internals, hysteroscopy, Lletz, biopsy, Hysterosalpinogram (⬅️ last year as part of fertility tests) and an ultrasound when I miscarried. I've had varying reasons over the years for the above tests but no one ever mentioned pcos to me until my IVF consultation yesterday. I guess I was so bummed because we thought we'd only been dealing with MFI for all this time (my OH is a paraplegic) but it turns out it's just as much an issue with me! I had my suspicions that something was wrong because of my joke of a period every month but I didn't suspect pcos. X

[Hidden]

Hunni big hugs to you x know how you feel x my hubby and I have been ttc for 5 years x we had all the tests done -unexplained x long story cut short -I have gynae issues with my cycle x it was my gynae who said he thought my cycle issues were caused by no ovulation x he put a letter to my GP(who has been amazing) that I needed to see fertility specialist (gynae even specified the clinic-where he works). Iron deficient anaemia caused by blood loss by heavy periods x Last Thursday was our first consultation with leading fertility consultant x turns out I'm PCOS x my consultant put me on a low GI diet and has prescribed me 3 months of clomid and has given my GP permission to re issue another 3 months worth should I need it x if your tubes are clear and you said hubby sperm is fine then I think but don't quote me you'll be precibed clomid x it is a shock when you receive news you were not expecting x as a result of my PCOS I'm borderline type 2 diabetes that shocked me x no you're not making too much of a deal over it x your last consultant should've known you had PCOS x like mine should've x it's not fair it's our lives they just don't care x for 4 years I blamed myself for it not happening x every month you don't conceive you break your heart x so its not you being unreasonable and it's justifiable why you'd feel like that x for me I'm so grateful to know why we've been struggling x the fact there is a solution makes me feel more positive x my hubby said to me past is gone can't change it just have to go forward and look to the future x whilist PCOS isn't curable with treatment many women can conceive x it's not the end x at least they know what it is know and that brings you closer to having your baby x wishing the very best xxxx

[Tugsgirl in reply to Hidden]

Aww thank you so much!! I must admit that we came away from the clinic feeling like we can do this! (after the initial shock I felt) We were at the clinic all day yesterday. OH, because he has a spinal cord injury, has problems with volume and motility so he gave a sample yesterday. The lab said it was very good for IVF or ICSI they were pleased with it. So he felt encouraged with himself and I was discouraged with myself. But you're right. They say now that we know what we're dealing with all is good. I was just so shocked I guess. When my tubes were clear on the Hysterosalpinogram last year I just assumed... So now I'm taking inofolic. I have to cut a lot from my diet and be careful in future because of the diabetes risk and be aware I'm at an increased risk of endometrial cancer. (I've already had high grade pre cancer of my cervix so this concerns me). Anyway CD 1 should be Sep 18th ish and then I've got to ring the clinic to make an appointment to get get my meds and treatment plan. Apparently they're doing a short protocol (I don't even know what that means haha) xx

[dragon-fly1984]

Hi I know how you feel I had a scan before being referred for IVF last February, and my gynaecologist neglected to tell me that I had a syst on one of my ovaries just told me that I had polycystic like ovaries what ever that means, luckily I've been referred for another scan, my first cycle of IVF didn't work could be down to the PCOS but don't give up hope if the clinic know about your condition then they will bare that in mind when treating you, good luck xx

[Tugsgirl in reply to dragon-fly1984]

Thank you. I hope so, we only have one shot at this! Good luck to you too 😊 X

[dragon-fly1984 in reply to Tugsgirl]

Thanks, we only had one shot to due to postcode lottery, but luckily we've moved to an area where you get three goes, but have to wai twelve months before we can be referred, hope everything goes well for you xx

[Tugsgirl in reply to dragon-fly1984]

The postcode lottery sucks!

[misswinky34]

TUgs

That was similar with us, we were in the middle of them looking into me when they asked for a routine SA to be done with my husband. He had a stomach operation in 2010 and we thought nothing of it until his analysis came back low ( under 3 million) with very low motility 😔 Thought it might have been a duff sample but second one a few months later was even worse. Then that was it. They pretty much stopped everything with me, so we were classed as secondary infertility male factor. They assumed it was an absorbtion issue following his partial stomach removal plus dramatic weight loss that caused it.

In the mean time, my blood work comes back and my thyroid function is all to cock. serum blood tsh was over 4 and it needs to be 0-2 to concieve. So they said that along with the pco was probably another cause. My cycles are anything from 23-36 days and always were like that. It was a bittersweet situation for us as lee had harboured so much guilt about his sperm he ended up with depression and it the process nearly ended our marriage 😔 Turns out we were both a little bit broken!

So fast forward a year and they started me on thyroid meds Which are for life as its a autoimmune disease and sent us packing saying with dh sperm it would never happen. we didn't have 10k and didn't qualify for funding so that was it for us. Had a go with opk and spent a good couple of thousand in digital opk tests 🙄 Over them years and In February when we got our lowest point we held hands and said lets stop. And we did. Got rid of everything out of the House, OPKS, thermometers baby stuff gave it all way. Then in May, 2 weeks over my longest cycle and boom ! ! BFP actually 18 of them 😳 (At one point I filled a pint pot up of urine and did about 9 at once because I simply didn't believe it)

No medical reason for it, the odds were less that 5% for us. But lots of little prayers and the grace of God and were here.

You've mentioned you've got a good egg reserve. Fantastic!!

See what your partners sperm comes back at, and even if it's poor- it's not the end! We're living proof of it. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wishing you your rainbow soon 🍀👶 xxxxxx

[Tugsgirl in reply to misswinky34]

Wow misswinky34! That's amazing! Congratulations! I feel like a fraud compared to all the trauma you've been through.

OH has had two previous SA's done and both showed that motility was between 9 and 4 % below average but all other stats including count were great, especially considering his spinal cord injury! And yesterday they said he'd produced a good sample too 😊

I'm feeling quite down about it all this morning. Just finding it hard to be positive. Thank you for the reply X

[misswinky34 in reply to Tugsgirl]

thats not too bad 9% 😊 But I know how you feel, I felt like that too. Hopeless at times. Then my dads like well your 36 your not as young as you were.. 🙄 That's the spirit dad.. 😬 Then when I got my maternity notes I'm classed as a maternal geriatric 😱. Charming lol. Just giving you the heads up when you DO get pregnant you will have that insult to come 😂.. Did you ever get any successful treatment for the acne? My acne is bad on my back always has been and the scarring really stops me wearing backless tops (that and the boobs heading south lol) and I've always had long hair to try and cover my back. Nothing's really ever worked for me with that. Cortisone first really touch it and I've just learned to live with it, doesn't do much for send esteem tho 😕

[Tugsgirl in reply to misswinky34]

Nope nothing's ever worked. I've always been so sensitive about my acne, it's on my face. It flares up badly around ovulation and period and looks so sore and angry. If it wasn't for makeup I'd never leave the house! I was all out of options with the doctors; they were going to refer me to a specialist with a view to starting Roacutane but I said no, it's not for me! So I've just put up with it best I can.

Oh yes, my friends too have left it late to become mums and been classed as geriatric 😆 Not the most sensitive of terms given our struggles to ttc X