New Doctor

My old Doctor called me to tell me that she had misinterpreted the hydrosalpingogram test results. She was unclear as to whether or not I actually had a hydrosalpinx (enlarged tube).

My mother-in-law Denise called her long-time friend and gynecologist Phillip Brooks, and he referred her to a Reproductive Endocrinologist that he sends his clients to. We made an appointment.

Dr. Rosen's office is in Beverly Hills, and in a small building that was easy to park at. On the door it says "Expect to Expect". Immediately I liked him better, and he has 20 years of experience. He was warm, communicated very effectively, and was efficient.

He looked at my test results from the x-ray hysterosalpingogram and told me that the fallopiantubes were absolutely normal in the x-rays. He said that the fact that I got a post-procedure infection was just "bad luck" because they're so rare. He said that although my tubes looked good in the x-rays from the procedure that because I had contracted an infection I might have damage as a result of the infection. The only way to know this would be to do a laparascopy.

After he looked through my other test results and discussed the game plan, we went in to the "table" room and he performed a vaginal ultrasound. He said that he couldn't see my tubes, and that was a good sign. If he was able to see my tubes it would mean I had an enlargement or infection still. It doesn't mean I am out of the woods, just not currently infected. He was able to see that I had an egg follicle on my left side ready for ovulation, and he was able to tell the size. He said everything else looked as it should be. I did have a couple of fibroids, but he said they weren't in a location that would cause any issues for pregnancy.

The next test was a Postcoital test. He sent me home and instructed me to have sex and come back the next morning to examine the cervical mucous (fluid) under the microscope. I followed his instruction and came in the next morning. He took a sample and looked at it and told me that there were no "swimmers" in the sample. We failed. He said there was a possibility we had done the test too early, and I came back 2 days later to repeat the test. This time it was the exact day that I had ovulated, and the follicle had already ruptured which indicated ovulation had occured. Failed the test again!

This is actually a good thing, because it means we have one factor defined as to why we aren't pregnant yet. It's not uncommon that in some women we develop antibodies to the sperm. It's a sign of a very strong immunological response, and in essence my body thinks the sperm is bacteria and kills it off. This is just one cause for the absence of the sperm, but because we already know that Evan has a healthy sperm count, it's the best explanation.

I have a progestrone syrum test on Monday to test my post-ovulation progesterone levels, and then we can start IUI. In IUI (intera-uterine insemination) they take a washed and concentrated sample of Evan's sperm and place it directly into my uterus using a cathetar. This prevents the contact with my cervical fluid and puts the little swimmers where they need to be. If this one factor was the cause for infertility, then within 3 months I should be pregnant. If I'm still not pregnant, then we have to have a laparascopy to check the condition of my tubes.

Let's hope the IUI works!