I got to talk to my doctor one-on-one this morning about the recent test results and while I am really nervous and scared, I’m ready to move ahead.
To explain a little more about what kind of numbers we were looking for, I’ll explain what FSH level we were looking for. FSH is short for follicle-stimulating hormone and is basically what is secreted to stimulate ovulation. The serum FSH level rises as one approaches menopause. The textbook normal range for a post-menopausal woman is 25-120. I was at 39 which while in the normal textbook range, for someone with no ovaries and not taking any oral estrogen, my doctor still thinks there is a chance that ovarian tissue is present. She has patients with a FSH levels of 39 that still ovulate on a somewhat regular basis.
That being said, we are moving forward with the MRI to confirm and will likely be scheduling my 5th (and hopefully final) surgery following the results. The nurse was going to call to schedule the MRI today for roughly 2 weeks out. I will be starting Clomid within the next several days to start stimulating the ovarian remnants so that they will show on the MRI. I can expect to be a crazy hormonal lady but more than that, I can expect my pain to increase rather dramatically. The tissue is likely to be buried in scar tissue (the left ovary was swollen, bound in thick scar tissue, and wrapped around my ureter) so plumping it up will be painful. If it leads to answers which can in turn lead to starting a new, more-pain free chapter of my life then I will consider the next two weeks worth it.
I will keep you posted if anything changes or how the testing progresses!
as another pain fighter, i sometimes make a distinction about “productive pain”…in a sense, even “regular” folks probably can get the idea with respect to post-gym soreness. productive pain is still pain and still just plain sucks, but i still find some comfort in knowing it has a goal (and a foreseeable end point). best wishes for success (again, fighters know that sometimes seeing a problem is the preferred result b/c it means answers and a target for treatment).