My dear friend was told today that she will never have children. The doctor told her that she has "no egg follicles" (based on an ultrasound) and her estrogen reading was 5. She still has periods, but the doctor told her that they were not 'real' and that there was absolutely no chance of her conceiving. They are doing some more tests to check for the cause, but were vague with her about the specifics, only indicated that it could be a sign of some immune disorder.
She's gutted, as was planning to start 'trying' this summer. She is perhaps in denial about the diagnosis, and insists that they must be wrong. It sounds like they were pretty awful - they just told her this news and gave her a leaflet for a fertility clinic and didn't counsel her at all or talk about other health issues - I thought for sure they'd have talked about hormone therapy? (She wasn't there for fertility concerns, just for a general checkup, and she's really in shock about it all.)
I'm worried as a quick google search brings up ovarian cancer amongst other things...I'm also confused as the Mayo Clinic site says that "as long as you're having periods, pregnancy remains a possibility" but the dr she saw ruled it out altogether. I suppose I am also angry because they seem to have treated her like a womb, rather than a person...No discussion at all of the impact on her own health, only on the infertility aspect, IYSWIM.
I'm not really sure what I am asking...but I am confused about the "absence" of follicles, I thought that it was more that one could have 'empty' follicles rather than no follicles? ALso about the 'false periods' point...Maybe I am just looking for something hopeful to say to my friend.
Thanks.
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can you help me help my friend, and also to understand about egg follicles and low estrogen?
2 replies
brdgrl · 28/11/2012 01:38
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