Under the Knife

I had NO idea what to call this blog post but I did want to share this part of my journey here since I have had so many people supporting me and reaching out to me throughout this journey.

I mentioned in my last post, after my most recent doctor's visit, that I would have to have a surgical procedure done to close off my fallopian tubes in order to keep the fluid that is created in them, out of my uterus. This fluid has been described to me as "toxic" to both my eggs and any sperm that are introduced as well as similar to oil in that if the doctor was to implant a fertilized embryo into my uterus, it would be very difficult if not impossible to implant along the uterine wall.

The process for rectifying this situation, is by inserting a clamp on the fallopian tube at the point in which it meets the uterus. Bluntly, this is a tubal ligation. However, I like to use the medical term of bilateral tubal occlusion because it doesn't sound as if I am electing to have the procedure done. Trust me when I say, if there was any other process I could do, I would.

1. I don't love the idea of having surgery (who does?) and
2. I'm completely distraught over the idea that I am not going to have the option of getting pregnant naturally after this is done.

All this being said, I have now been told by 2 doctors that my chances of getting pregnant without any intervention, would be almost impossible.That coupled with the fact that we have been trying to conceive for over 2 years (with breaks for the health issues I've encountered), leads me to the decision that this is the best course of action for us to proceed with IVF. I have prayed about this over and over and really have achieved a sense of peace about this procedure.

Worst case scenario (according to Dr. Fritz) is that he gets in there and finds way more scar tissue than he expects. If that's the case, and he can't get to the tubes. He will stitch me back up and not do anything. He assured me that it's OK if this happens, we can still move forward with IVF, it'll just make the journey that much harder. As he puts it, we want to "tip the balance as much in our favor as possible" before starting the process. I'm praying for nothing less than a perfect surgery and for everything to be better than he expects. From my lips, to God's ears...

So, tomorrow, Thursday, May 2, I will be heading over the Ambulatory Care Center at UNC to have an outpatient, laparoscopic surgery done by Dr. Fritz. The surgery should take less than an hour and I should be fine by the weekend, only having "discomfort" as he calls it. We'll see. At least he's giving me some prescriptions in case the pain is more than he's expecting it to be.

There are thousands of women every day that are going through the very same thing if not something much worse. It still can feel lonely at times with no one to share your feelings, etc. with (aside from JGIII of course-although he's probably tired of hearing me talk about it lol).

As always, I am grateful for each of you that has taken the time to read this and support me along this path. For those of you that have reached out to me, either in the comments or on Facebook-a huge thank you. I know that I am not alone in this journey.