It was summer of 2006. I had just bought a new Red Grand Prix and was so excited about it. Driving around in my hometown, Novi, MI, all of a sudden, something didn't feel right. Imagine the worst cramps of your life... and multiply that by 10. I keeled over in pain and had to pull off into the Blockbuster parking lot on Novi Road (first parking spot on the right...weird I remember that). My sister, Laura, had to get in the driver seat and I sat bent over in pain in the passenger seat. What was going on!? The pain subsided after a few Ibuprofen and a heating pad. That was just the beginning of it.
It was now 2007 and I was in my Junior year at Central Michigan University - Fire Up Chips! I had seen a doctor for the cramping before and was able to get a stronger pain medicine to help alleviate the pain when it occurred. She also put me on a birth control pill that would help control the cramping I got during my cycle. But, it took a turn for the worse. The pain was so bad that even with the medicine, I couldn't bare it. My mother drove all the way to school to come pick me up and take me to see the doctor back at home. After getting in to see her, performing an ultrasound on my uterus, we found multiple cysts had developed on what looked like my right ovary; one was 10 mm in width. I was scheduled for emergency surgery the next day.
After the surgery, the doctor told us that the cysts were not on my ovary - phew!! - but actually on my Fallopian tube. The pain I was feeling was from the cysts twisting and turning on the tube. Ouch is right! She said that the cysts had caused a lot of damage and they had to remove my right tube. My first thought and question was "Am I going to be able to have kids?" The doctor and nurse reassured me that I still had both ovaries and one working tube, so my ability to have kids would be a little harder but I would be able to do it on my own.
This was just the start of my struggle with infertility. I was 20 years old and had no idea what was to come 12 years later when I was actually ready to start a family.
Until next time...JR
Comments