Positively PCOS

Dr. Gold and her nurse, Sandy, performed the ultrasound and quickly determined that the follicles had not grown at all in the last two days.  Sandy left the room and Dr. Gold told me that we might have better luck next time. I was dumbfounded.  I had it set in my mind that this was going to work.  Remember?  Two cycles and we were going to be pregnant.  This prompted me to ask questions.  What happened?  Why does the cycle need to be terminated?  What are you looking for to make it a “good” cycle?  What size do these follicles have to be?

She began by explaining that treatment is unique to each person.  We were trying to achieve the growth and maturity of an egg.  One egg is held within each of the follicles, which look like blisters on the ovary.  A normal cycle will produce just one follicle a month and release an egg.   In addition to an egg, there is fluid within these follicles.  Once the egg matures, the matured egg needs to release from the follicle, get fertilized, travel down the fallopian tube, and implant in the uterus.  The eggs needs follicle stimulating hormone (FsH) in order to grow.  That is what the Fertinex™ is providing to them.  Under normal circumstances, your pituitary gland regulates the release of this FsH.  She said that my body weight (approximately 140 pounds) did not lead her to believe that I would require a higher dose of the Fertinex™, one amp for six days.  However, my ovaries did not react as well as she would have thought.  Why?  We did not know yet.  Each person has completely different tolerances and reactions to every medication.  She said that our goal was to get the follicles on my ovary to approximately 18-20 mm in diameter.  Follicles that are much smaller than 14 mm are sometimes not large enough to create a matured egg.  Therefore, my cycle was canceled because the follicles were too small.  So my doctor gave me a new prescription for 2 amps per day of Fertinex™ for the next cycle.  She also asked me to save the Profasi™ that she prescribed earlier for the next cycle. 

This was the first indication of having evidence of polycystic ovaries, which eventually led to the diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  At the time, I did not understand the terminology or the diagnosis.  I didn’t even realize that my symptoms had a name.