[mom2b]

Hi folks,

I was wondering if we can start a thread of success stories to help people like me understand the chances of success for people with endo.

Endo Stage:
PCOS: If yes, ovarian drilling?
Lap: Second look lap performed or howmany times did you get lap done?
Protocols followed: Naturally trying/clomid/injectibles/IVF.

Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you

Thanks much in advance

[JustPeachy]

Keep up the high hopes gals!! It CAN work!

Endo stage : never heard an official stage diagnosis. My endo is mostly between my rectum and vaginal wall so tough to get to and can never be completely removed.

Laps: Four before my bfp

PCOS: No

Protocol: Jumped straight to IVF w/ ICSI due to male factor issues and successful on first attempt. Tried naturally for a year before learning of dh's issues.

My RE did feel that my endo affected my slow response during my ivf cycle. It took a lot of stims to get me going and we don't have any embies left over. But, I do have a wonderful almost 14 month old son that I care for dearly.

Endo is not a fun disease and it still affects me. But, you can do it. I know it's an emotional roller coaster but hang in there.

[mom2b]

Justpeachy, thanks much for sharing a encouraging story

[PG_Florida]

Endo Stage: IV
PCOS: No
Lap: Nov. 17, '08 (3 hours!!!) and hysteroscopy
Protocols followed: RE said our best chances to become PG would be in the first 12 months after surgery. But my surgery was so involved (w/internal stitches b/c of fibroids), I had to wait 2 cycles before we could do anything. He said we could try naturally for a few months, but he wouldn't suggest more than 4. We tried naturally 1 month, but my cramps & period continue to be so bad that we decided to skip trying naturally and go straight to injections/iui. I'm in 2ww after having done my first round of b2b iuis. Endo is dormant when you're PG or on birth control pills.

[lovingwife]

Endo Stage: Stage 2 on my ovaries, bladder and uterus.
PCOS: If yes, ovarian drilling? N/A
Lap: Second look lap performed or howmany times did you get lap done? Lap done March 2008.
Protocols followed: Naturally trying/clomid/injectibles/IVF. RE suggested IUI w/clomid and injectables. We tried for one month naturally following the lap and got our BFP. We had been trying for 2 years and had one miscarriage.

Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you I didn't do anything special. I really didn't think we'd get pregnant on our own and we prepared to move on to IUI. It can happen! I attribute our BFP to our wonderful RE that performed the surgery. My advice would be to find a doctor who knows what they are doing.

[mom2b]

Good luck PG Florida with u'r 2ww & thanks for sharing u'r story

[mom2b]

Loving wife, thank you for sharing your story. Inspiration to try naturally

[Tabitha]

Endo Stage: stage 4
PCOS: If yes, ovarian drilling? no
Lap: Second look lap performed or howmany times did you get lap done? 3 laps including 6 months of lupron after the first. Third was to tie tubes due to endo in tubes, which probably caused my first IVF to fail.
Protocols followed: Naturally trying/clomid/injectibles/IVF. My RE suggested that we go directly to IVF due to severe endo and adhesions. First IVF cycle did not work, then my RE completely changed my protocol for the second and we now have a baby boy.
Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you. My RE required both me and DH to stop caffiene, alcohol, exercise, smoking (if you do) at least 2 weeks prior to cycle, but we gave up the caffiene and alcohol 6 weeks prior.

I was reading your other thread, does your RE want you to try IUI with injectables? (sorry if I missed it) We definitely would have tried that if our RE would have given us any hope of it working, but in retrospect he was completely correct about the extent of my problems.

Best of luck to you, it is a hard decision. IVF is difficult physically, emotionally but if you decide to go for it, there are plenty of us here who have been through it and will be here to support you. We participated in our clinic's shared risk program, which would have given us a refund if we didn't get pregnant, so that gave us a little less stress in the financial department.

[Kristi77]

Endo Stage: IV
PCOS: If yes, ovarian drilling? NO
Lap: Second look lap performed or howmany times did you get lap done? On December 29, 2008, I had my 11th surgery, Lapo.
Protocols followed: I got pregnant at 19 and had a baby, no problems, no issues, later married and tried for years, after my first started having trupble with periods, painful sex, etc.....I have done injectibles, clomid, lupron.

I do have two children trying despertly for a third, so it does work, it will happen, it just takes time.

Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you: I did stop caffeine, prior to getting pregnant. I don't know if it helped or not.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey

[ladymcneill1104]

Well I dont know if this helps or not. In July 2004 I had a lap for an eptopic. At this time they also removed endo. I did not find this out untill my lap in Jan 2009. My doctor that did the lap in Jan said I had alot of scar tissue around my right tube but was able to remove it and put everything back to normal. He said I also had mild endo but looks like I had endo removed before. He said that is how I probably got pg with my DD. My husband and I have been trying for another baby since she was 6 months old. Her BDay is in July she will be 4. We have done a fill year off and on with clomid I am on metformin and have been since 2007. We did do an IUI of course unsuccessful and now we know why. I also did not respond to the clomid very well. Went to move on to injections and found out the nearest doctor that did injections was 700 miles away. Yes we live in the middle of nowhere south dakota. So now that we had the lap again I am hoping and preying that I get to have nother precious baby. If not because the doc is so far away I will have to except that it was not ment to be. So they think my dd was the result of me having the lap and having endo removed. I got pg 3 months after my surgery only because my DH was gone for 2 months.

[mom2b]

Thanks guys for wonderful stories
Tabitha, my doc wants to try iui with injectibles.
Thanks for the wishes kristi, I totally need it
ladymcneill1104 good luck w/ your trial

[sok]

Hi Tabitha,

I have the same story as yours. I have severe endo and lots of scar tissue around the abdomen (not sure about the stages you guys refer to). Got surgery done in 07 to remove it, then did 2 cycles IVF which failed. As a result of all this, both my tubes got blocked and now I have hyrdrosalpinxes.
Now my RE is telling me to get both the tubes removed and then go for IVF. But its a devstating decision for me to let go both my tubes.

YOu said you had your tubes tied. Seems like it worked for you, that's very good to know. So after tying the tubes, what are the success rates for IVF, considering in my case IVF failed twice with good tubes? And once tubes are tied,is there a process to untie them and do they function like before.

I am scarred to let go of them, coz there's no way can i conceive without ART if both are removed.

sok

[Kellileanne]

Endo Stage: 1 (in 2003, was uncontrolled from 03/2006-03/2007 when we got bfp and now has been uncontrolled since her birth 11/2007)
PCOS: no
Lap: Only one--the one that diagnosed back in 2003
Protocols followed: Naturally, was about to do hsg, bloodwork and sperm analysis before trying clomid.
Other issues: irregular ovulation and lpd

Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you. I worked out 3 times a week for stress reduction. Really helped me feel more relaxed in general--not sure that it really helped but I felt good!!!

[Tabitha]

Hi Sok - I was very scared to get my tubes tied, and at first I said no way would I do it. But then after thinking about it (and calming down) I realized that I wasn't saving anything. My RE is the one who suggested it, so I called my OB to get a second opinion since he had done my lap surgery and had seen first hand the condition of my tubes. He said something to the effect of 'do you burn your ship while still at sea or after you get to shore'. Which made no sense to me at the time, but I came to realize what he meant.

I do not know what the success rates are for IVF after tying tubes, I would think it would depend on many factors. I know that women who have a tubal ligation for pregnancy prevention are able to have a reversal. According to my RE, my tubal ligation is not reversible because mine were cauterized. My tubes were such a mess that getting to them to use clips was not an option.

You say that you have had two failed IVFs with good tubes, but do you know for sure that your hydrosalpinx didn't occur until after your IVF cycles? I am asking because of the possibility that fluid from the tubes that could have been draining into your uterus could have affected your outcome with the IVF cycles.

I wish you the best with your decision.

[charvey]

Endo Stage:Golf ball sized endometrial cyst on right ovary and endometriosis on left ovary
PCOS: If yes, ovarian drilling? n/a
Lap: Second look lap performed or howmany times did you get lap done? Had lap done in Dec. 2006, nothing found, second lap done April 2009 to remove cyst and endometriosis on left ovary
Protocols followed: Tried clomid prior to being diagnosed with endo, did not respond, now knowing due to the endo, moving on to injectibles this cycle.

Any additional tips such as diet or excercise that you feel worked for you the only thing that worked for me was exercising to help with pain. Anything where I was on my hands and knees helped tremendously. Other than that, nothing helped unfortunately!
Good luck with everything.