Last year August, I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts. I have always strived to be as healthy as I can be and so this came as quite a shock to me considering that my periods had always been regular. What I should have done back then, was to go to a doctor who was experienced in laproscopic surgeries and someone who would do a great job at it. Instead, I decided to get it done with the first doc (Dr. Vathsala) I met with. She was middle-aged (around 50..) and she seemed to have 35+ years in gynocolgy and obsterics. While I did go to an experienced doc, I did not go to a doc who was versed in latest technologies. I was immediately put on fertility treatments after my operation. No questions asked if I could wait or if I really wanted a kid at that moment. No questions asked if I was fertile or not ( I had never tried for a baby till then...). Instead the husband and Iwere told we needed to conceive as soon as possible to avoid further occurance of cysts. It was a conservative mindset, perhaps our first warning that we were with the wrong doc. The very fact that she was ready to put us on fertility meds without waiting to see if our bodies were fine and if we could conceive properly, that really should have been my first clue and I really should have not continued with the doc...
Instead, I bargained for extra time of 5 months where in Iwould try to conceive normally and if not, I would get back to her for more fertility meds. I was later told by others that people wait for a minimum of one year before trying to conceive naturally and then come to the conclusion as to whether or not one is fertile. I did not know that I could be fertile and still develop cysts on my ovaries. It was a period of misinformation and ignorance coupled with blind trust on the doctor who had operated on me. I did not want to change doctors assuming that since she was familiar with my case history, my different warning signals needed to be ignored. And which other doctor would take me in when I had already started consulting another one (turns out, quite a few doctors are open to the idea that I had consulted someone else and wanted a second opinion..)
I ended up pregnant. It was a natural process. In hindsight, I should have consulted a couple of doctors and decided on whom to go to for the actual beautiful process of pregnancy and childbirth. I did not do that. I decided to trust the doctor who had done my operation. She put me on 18 injections of HCG taken biweekly through out the first trimester , twice a day for four months of progesterone and folic acid. I had my doubts as to why I was taking all these medicines. I thought pregnancy was a natural process and one need not interfere so much. I was told that I had cysts so mine was not a normal pregnancy and that I could never ever hope to have a normal drug-free pregnancy. I believed this as well.
18 injections later, realization struck. My NT scan came out fine. But I was told to continue with the harmone tablets and I was put on calcium and iron tablets inspite of still being in the beginning of the fourth month. I finally realized I needed to take a second opinion on whether or not I could have a drug-free pregnancy. Today, I consulted Dr.Latha Venkatraman - someone who is quite well known in her field. And she convinced me that pregnancy is not a health condition that needs to be treated with medicines. She has given me hope that I can have a drug-free pregnancy once again. She has cut all the other meds I was taking and asked me to take only Folic Acid. I do not know whether to laugh or cry for the amount of drugs I have already put into my body so far. Iam happy I finally had the courage to change the doctors at the right time. Ihave two more trimesters to go and I am at a happier place.
I write this to give all those of you who suffer from PCOS and endometric cysts some hope. Not only can you get pregnant naturally, you can have a normal drug-free pregnancy as well - do not let any doctor convince you otherwise and inject you with drugs like I let them to.
Please learn something from my episode!
Instead, I bargained for extra time of 5 months where in Iwould try to conceive normally and if not, I would get back to her for more fertility meds. I was later told by others that people wait for a minimum of one year before trying to conceive naturally and then come to the conclusion as to whether or not one is fertile. I did not know that I could be fertile and still develop cysts on my ovaries. It was a period of misinformation and ignorance coupled with blind trust on the doctor who had operated on me. I did not want to change doctors assuming that since she was familiar with my case history, my different warning signals needed to be ignored. And which other doctor would take me in when I had already started consulting another one (turns out, quite a few doctors are open to the idea that I had consulted someone else and wanted a second opinion..)
I ended up pregnant. It was a natural process. In hindsight, I should have consulted a couple of doctors and decided on whom to go to for the actual beautiful process of pregnancy and childbirth. I did not do that. I decided to trust the doctor who had done my operation. She put me on 18 injections of HCG taken biweekly through out the first trimester , twice a day for four months of progesterone and folic acid. I had my doubts as to why I was taking all these medicines. I thought pregnancy was a natural process and one need not interfere so much. I was told that I had cysts so mine was not a normal pregnancy and that I could never ever hope to have a normal drug-free pregnancy. I believed this as well.
18 injections later, realization struck. My NT scan came out fine. But I was told to continue with the harmone tablets and I was put on calcium and iron tablets inspite of still being in the beginning of the fourth month. I finally realized I needed to take a second opinion on whether or not I could have a drug-free pregnancy. Today, I consulted Dr.Latha Venkatraman - someone who is quite well known in her field. And she convinced me that pregnancy is not a health condition that needs to be treated with medicines. She has given me hope that I can have a drug-free pregnancy once again. She has cut all the other meds I was taking and asked me to take only Folic Acid. I do not know whether to laugh or cry for the amount of drugs I have already put into my body so far. Iam happy I finally had the courage to change the doctors at the right time. Ihave two more trimesters to go and I am at a happier place.
I write this to give all those of you who suffer from PCOS and endometric cysts some hope. Not only can you get pregnant naturally, you can have a normal drug-free pregnancy as well - do not let any doctor convince you otherwise and inject you with drugs like I let them to.
Please learn something from my episode!
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