As I am sure you have already guessed, I have been diagnosed with Asherman's Syndrome. So.....What the heck is Asherman's Syndrome?! The image below kind of shows you.
On the left is what my uterus looks like and on the right is what it should look like.
Basically I had my first D&C (2005) and after my loss about a year ago (2008) I had to get another D&C. Through this process I developed Asherman's Syndrome. Most likely it was caused by excessive scrapping in my uterus. There are only a few ways to develop AS and they all have to do with surgical procedures due to miscarriages, fibroids, cysts, etc.
What happens is scar tissue develops inside the uterus. As you can see in the image on the left, there isn't much room inside there for a baby. This is because the scar tissue grows and starts flattening the uterus like a pancake. When this happens not only is there no room for a fetus to implant but there is no blood supply to keep it alive.
As you know, there is no blood supply where there is scar tissue. This means I was producing healthy babies but they were getting no blood supply to the placenta causing me to miscarry. So this explains why we saw strong heartbeats and what appeared to be healthy babies....they were!
So what's next?
The truth is we aren't for sure. We have no idea how bad the damage is until we get in there and see. For now, this is what our schedule looks like for the next couple of months....
1. Blood work-- I have to get some blood work done to test for Antibodies. This is not related
to AS but the Dr. wants to be certain there is nothing else standing in our way.
2. Sono Hysterogram done-- This is where they inject saline into my uterus so they
can say, "Yes, it is definitely Asherman's Syndrome". The results of this test are
immediate because they are right there on the monitor for us to see.
3. Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)-- This is where they inject dye into my system so they
can see how extensive the damage is. It is rated like Endometriosis and has 4
levels of severity. It can also start in one area and branch out to others like
ovaries and fallopian tubes, etc. Again, immediate results.
4. Laser Laparoscopy-- This is where they go in through my belly button and zap all the scar
tissue with a laser. Cool huh?
If everything goes okay and looks okay.....
5. Wait 2 months-- UGG! I think this part will be the hardest for me. The Dr said it will take this long for my body to heal and be strong enough to take on a new pregnancy.
After that, it's on!
3 comments:
Good Luck Jenni!! Keep us posed, you are in my thoughts!
I am thinking of you... I hope the news is positive. You are a GREAT mother!
Definately in my prayers. Keep us posted. I can imagine all of this being stressful, but now in a way you get to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Again, it was great hanging out with you guys last weekend!
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