Community post

I should say that I have been told that I have severe adhesions but not endo (?) and that my uterus seems very heavy. I think they suspect adeno. I will get results of histology when I have my follow up appointment.

I think that my adhesions came from a time when I was about 12 and decided to try and do a wheelie on a very heavy bicycle onto a foot high curb. I knew nothing about the mechanics of it - I had just seen other kids doing it. I thought that the wheel would sort of grip the curb and go up if I helped by lifting the handlebars a little. I basically went straight into the curb and the bicycle seat smacked hard into my pelvis.

I went home in agony and told my Mum that I thought I'd done something terrible to my insides and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to conceive. She asked if I wanted her to take a look or go to a doctor. Miserably, I said that there was nothing anyone can do. I felt that the damage had been done.

I have severe adhesions linking the back of the uterus and one fallopian tube/ ovary to the Pouch of Douglas (pouch behind bowel). This makes it painful when I have gas or normal bowel movement and I have terrible trouble at AF.

Are these adhesions where the body tried to repair itself? What do you think?

Can you think of a trauma that explains the start of your issues?

What do you think about what the article says about auto-trauma?

Hi Mammoth,
I read the article. Thankfully I am familiar with the terminology due to my educational and professional background.
I wonder if your bike accident was your trigger? Do you have any family history of the disease?
A lot of the tissue injury and repair stuff they are talking about is very interesting. It is a trauma every month, as they describe, for the uterus to cycle. As cave women we would have avoided this monthly cycling and trauma by being pregnant every year from age 12 until we died usually before 40. Therefore cycling only a few times in our lives.
Not all women obviously have this over reaction resulting in adenomyosis and endometriosis. Just like in autoimmune diseases such as lupus etc, certain individuals are predisposed.
I know for a fact my genetic make up is at fault. My mother had a hysterectomy at 41 (I turn 41 tomorrow). She dug out her histopathology report recently and adenomyosis was the culprit. She had uncontrollable flooding and pain. She had three babies earlier in life starting at age 23 when the pathology obviously had not been as marked. Part of our problem in this era, is that for many reasons we are leaving child bearing too late. But we can't beat ourselves up about this. My reasons are that I did not meet my partner til I was 34 and I spent 9 years at university. My mother completed her education at 16 and met her husband at 19. Different lives in a different world.
I take comfort in one thing mentioned in the article which is that implantation is not impeded. Otherwise ivf would also be useless.
Anyway, take care.
[fingersx]

Thanks for your reply.

When I wrote this, I think I thought I had adeno because of my 'very heavy' uterus. But they had done the lap on the first day of my cycle, so no wonder.

It turned out that I don't have signs of adeno - the culprit affectng my fertility seems to be my hydrosalpinx, which not only blocks the fallopian tube but also leaks fluid into the uterus, sending hormonal messages that prevent pregnancy. Left untreated, IVF would be much more likely to fail and the chance of a natural pregnancy is very low indeed.

I've got an MRI scan in a couple of days and surgery should follow to sort out the hyrdosalpinx and also the adhesions. They might also sort out the cyst on my right ovary.

You make some excellent points such as about how age affects fertility. I didn't meet my husband until I was 29 and we didn't start trying until I was 32. This shouldn't be too old for most women, but I'm beginning to wonder if it was too old for me. But I have no idea what I could have done differently. I know absolutely that he is the one for me. I remember being in floods of tears about 8 years ago, being convinced then that I wouldn't be able to conceive.

I do still have the fear that I won't be able to become pregnant at all (not without grounds - the op to sort out my hydrosalpinx has only 30% chance of working).

Then what to I do? I guess I have to adopt. I guess I'll know in about a year from now whether I can conceive.