In limbo

[Jill9]

Hi,
I am an almost 33 year old TTC for 2 years and 4 months. I have been diagnosed with Endometriosis, PCOS and I have Bipolar Disorder. I have done 1 cycle of IVF and have tried Clomid for several months. We have 2 miscarriages (between 6 & 8 weeks).
I am incredibly frustrated and unsure where to go next. We have been seeing a fertility specialist for 12 months and seem to be stalled. I was diagnosed with PCOS and Endo in 2005 and have since had 4 more transvaginal scans. I was laughed at by a gynaecologist who said there was absolutely nothing wrong with me. I have a lot of pain associated with my endo, especially with bowel movements and bloating of the abdomen.
I seem to be ovulating, and my hubby’s fertility is OK (tests done, plus karyotyping results were fine). We are wondering if the endo is causing the miscarriasges?? Should we attempt another IVF or ask for surgery first? (My IVF cycle was not great - 15 eggs/ 10 embryos and then only one to implant - none good enough to freeze).
I am lost as to what to do next. We live a large cattle station over 500KM from Adelaide and we are not getting much from our current specialist there. We travelled over 1000km to have tests and then they can't see us for 3 weeks to get results! My hubby is losing hope and I feel like a complete failure – letting him down. I don’t want to keep on with the ‘trial and error’ approach due to my age and that I am becoming emotionally drained; the feeling of lose and frustration is hard. Has anyone tried successful endo treatment? Or carried a pregnancy with endo?
My prayers and thoughts are with you all XX

[trying2help]

I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. I was touched by your post, and I signed up to this site simply to be able to respond to you.
In short, yes, Endometriosis can cause miscarriages. So can PCOS. You are also at a higher risk for ectopic pregnancies.
Endo/PCOS are progressive, just like Bipolar Disorder, so they get worse as you age. As far as conception goes, that means that the older you get, the harder it will be to have children.
Don't forget that the fertility problems aren't just fertility problems, they are due to the Endo/PCOS, so these must be "treated" first. I'm assuming your doc has you on Metformin? PCOS keeps you from ovulating regularly, if at all, and Metformin is often used to help you ovulate. Your Gyno can tell you more about it.
What they do for the Endo is basically surgically go in and burn it away, which temporarily leaves you Endo-"free." It sounds horrific, I know, but it isn't as bad as it sounds! Some women have this done multiple times if only to try to alleviate the pain. Just make sure your doc knows you want children, for it can sometimes lead to the decision to do a hysterectomy, depending on how bad your Endo is.
And yes, you CAN have children with Endo (before hysterectomy, of course!). I have PCOS, Endo (stage 3), and Bipolar Disorder as well, and I have two children. The youngest is here only because of a combination of the two things listed above. It took some time, though, and many tears and prayers.
Please don't give up. And you are NOT a failure! You are worth more than just how many babies you can have.
I wish you the best. God bless.