Biopsy results...

So, yesterday was the big day. The big appointment with the oncologist. The big, scary, appointment with the oncologist.

The night before was crazy. I think it was probably a good thing that I was busier than hell, otherwise I probably would have spent the entire night obsessing. On Friday night, the students at my school held a 30 hour famine. They didn't raise money or anything, all they did was stay up all night and not eat. I don't get the draw of starving oneself, but apparently they wanted to do it... so we gave them the chance. They converted the gym into a giant play room. Giant highjump mats to lay on, two TVs (one with a Wii, one with an Xbox Kinect), a giant screen for movie watching, several corners of piles of blankets and mats, the laptop cart (one for every student there) and the couches from the lounge. I set myself up with a laptop to do some planning work, and settled into the couches. The kids had a blast and they were so awesome. At midnight someone else came in to take over and we went home. The drive was crazy with the bad roads (here there has been so much water that the roads have heaved up and there are piles of road everywhere which are hard to see in the dark). We got home around 1:30 and I didn't get to sleep until after 2. So then, surprise, surprise, I was wide awake at 6 and hyperfocused on the day ahead.

Naturally, the doctor was 20 minutes late. He's ALWAYS late! I asked at 11:20 if he was in the clinic yet, or if he was still on the way, and the receptionist pointed to the parking lot. He had just driven up. So, at 11:30, I get called into the office and he comes in with a big smile on his face. He said in his deep Spanish accent... "I have great news for you".

Truth is that they had my chart open on the table in the room before he came in. Naturally, since I"ve been so focused on this hyperplasia issue since the diagnosis, I knew the words to look for. Before he told me, I saw on the chart that it said "no evidence of hyperplasia or carcinoma".

The doc told me that he was VERY impressed because it usually takes much longer than three months on the medication to clear up hyperplasia, and that complex hyperplasia with atypia is very hard to control with medication and usually results in hysterectomy. So, he kept saying that he was very impressed and so happy.

Then he said that there was another issue to deal with before we were completely in the clear! urgh. Of course. It couldn't be that easy! Not that any of this has been easy.

He told me that I have something called squamous moruluar metaplasia. Basically, he said that what it means is that there are mature cells in the uterus that are not endometrial cells. He likened it to having cells from your mouth in your nose. He said that it's not a big deal because it's mature cells which means that they have likely migrated and duplicated, but that since they are mature and benign, they aren't a concern. He said that it was cervical cells that are residing in the uterus. He said that there aren't a lot of cells there and they aren't affecting my cycle, and the rest of the tissue was completely normal, healthy endometrial tissue - so not to worry about it.

He put me on another month of progesterone, just to ensure that the hyperplasia is gone and to try to eliminate the metaplasia. He said that one month of the progesterone, to go back ASAP to see my obgyn and talk to her about what type of things we need to do to get pregnant as soon as possible. He suggested that she do blood tests and hormone tests and ultrasounds and to probably put me on medication to promote ovulation. He also did a pap to rule out cervical cancer, but when he was doing it said that he didn't see any indication that there was anything wrong there. Not to mention that I've had five paps in the last year and all have come back perfectly clear. Can I add those up and not get one for the next ten years? Yeah, I didn't think so!

He told me to go back to see him in six months. He said that if I wasn't pregnant by that time, that he would need to do another biopsy to ensure that the hyperplasia hasn't returned.

So, I hate that I have to be on progesterone for another month. I hate that we can't start legitimately trying this month. But I guess that practice is important before the big game. I'll keep charting and tracking and doing what I'm supposed to do in hopes that it happens anyway, but know in the back of my mind that I"m probably going to have to wait until at least July before we can actually conceive.

But I think that I'm ok with that... I'm ok with one more month... because, it's only one more month of waiting!