15 Oct Jacklyn’s Journey: Overcoming Fibroids and Endometriosis on the Path to Motherhood
Jacklyn’s story is one of perseverance, frustration, and ultimately hope. Like many women, she spent years navigating a maze of heavy bleeding, ineffective treatments, and dismissive OBGYNs, all while trying to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. Misdiagnosed and told to “watch and wait,” she faced an uphill battle before finally receiving the care she needed. This article chronicles her journey through delayed diagnoses of fibroids and endometriosis, multiple ineffective treatments, and how finding the right specialist at CIGC helped her overcome these challenges through the LAAM procedure.
2016: The First Sign Something Was Wrong
Jacklyn had always known something wasn’t right with her body, but it wasn’t until 2016 that things took a turn for the worse. She was 29 years old, experiencing extremely heavy bleeding, and not ready to have children, so she opted for an IUD at the advice of her OBGYN.
“I had tried other contraceptives before, like the ring and the pill, but since I knew I wouldn’t be ready for children for a few years, they recommended the IUD,” Jacklyn recalls. Soon after the IUD was placed, she began noticing something was wrong. She experienced discomfort and spotting between her cycles for months, with a darker discharge than usual. Despite voicing her concerns to her doctor, she was continuously reassured to give it time and that her body would adjust.
“I kept going back to my doctor, telling them something wasn’t right, but they just told me to wait,” she shares.
This pattern continued until 2018, when the pain became excruciating—so severe that Jacklyn could barely stand. She rushed back to her doctor, and after two years of suffering, she had the IUD removed. Unfortunately, no one suggested screening for fibroids or endometriosis before or after the IUD was recommended.
2018-2019: Trying to Conceive and Facing More Challenges
By the time Jacklyn had the IUD removed, she and her partner were ready to start trying for a baby. However, despite their best efforts throughout 2018 and 2019, nothing was working. Jacklyn was not only struggling to conceive but also experiencing increasingly heavy bleeding and constant pain.
She visited her OBGYN multiple times, raising concerns about her fertility, but each time, the response was the same:
“They kept doing the regular screenings and telling me everything was fine, but I knew something was wrong,” she recalls.
Determined to get answers, Jacklyn kept pushing to be seen by specialists, but it wasn’t until the end of 2020 that she was finally referred to an OBGYN who recognized that something was seriously wrong. After further screenings, Jacklyn was diagnosed with hydrosalpinx—a condition in which the fallopian tubes are blocked with fluid. “They told me my fallopian tube needed to be removed, but they still couldn’t tell me what caused it,” Jacklyn recalls.
2021: A Diagnosis of Endometriosis
In January 2021, Jacklyn finally received a diagnosis that shed light on her years of pain and heavy bleeding—endometriosis. Her doctors explained that the endometriosis had likely attacked her fallopian tube, causing the hydrosalpinx. Jacklyn underwent surgery to remove her right fallopian tube and to clear up some of the endometrial tissue.
“I felt great for three or four months after the surgery,” she says. Her doctors cleared her to start trying for a baby again, but once more, the attempt to conceive was unsuccessful. At the same time, her symptoms began to return, and she noticed extreme pain on her right side along with her usual heavy bleeding.
2021-2022: Exploring Fertility Treatments and Facing Fibroids
By the end of 2021, Jacklyn decided to seek help from Shady Grove Fertility Center. After conducting fertility-related scans, her doctors recommended she try IUI or IVF, as she only had one fallopian tube remaining. While preparing for the IVF process, Jacklyn continued to experience heavy bleeding, and during a routine scan, her ultrasound tech noticed fibroids.
“They told me I had fibroids and that I should probably have them removed to increase my chances of getting pregnant,” Jacklyn recalls.
However, when she discussed this with her fertility doctors, they dismissed the idea of removing the fibroids. “I talked to my doctors at Shady Grove, and they just kept saying, ‘You’re fine, we’re not going to remove the fibroids, we’ll just get you pregnant.’”
2023: The First IVF Attempt and Heartbreak
In April 2023, Jacklyn underwent her first egg retrieval, and by June, she had her first IVF transfer. Tragically, this attempt ended in failure. “It was devastating,” she shares. After grieving the loss of her first IVF attempt, Jacklyn started thinking more seriously about the role her fibroids might be playing in her fertility challenges.
Frustrated that her fertility doctors weren’t listening to her concerns, Jacklyn decided to take matters into her own hands. She began researching alternative treatment options and found The Center for Innovative GYN Care (CIGC).
Finding CIGC: A Turning Point
During her consultation with CIGC, Jacklyn finally felt heard. Dr. Mackoul, a leading surgeon at CIGC, confirmed that she had fibroids and explained that removing them could significantly improve her chances of getting pregnant.
“During my consultation, Dr. Mackoul said, ‘You have fibroids, and you should get them removed to increase your chances of getting pregnant.’ But I told him that the doctors at the fertility clinic were telling me something different,” Jacklyn recalls. Despite this, Dr. Mackoul reassured her that if her second IVF cycle failed, she could return, and he would remove the fibroids laparoscopically through the LAAM procedure.
A Successful IVF Cycle, But New Challenges Arise
Thankfully, Jacklyn’s second IVF attempt was successful, and she became pregnant. However, at 12 weeks, she faced a new challenge—fibroid degeneration. This condition occurs when the growing uterus cuts off the blood supply to fibroids, causing severe pain.
“The pain I felt during fibroid degeneration was worse than giving birth,” Jacklyn recalls.
Because she was pregnant, she couldn’t take pain medication, so she endured a week and a half of constant, unmedicated pain. “It was terrifying,” she says. “I thought I was losing my pregnancy.”
Though she went on to deliver a healthy baby girl, Jacklyn lived in fear for the rest of her pregnancy, knowing that fibroid degeneration could happen again.
Postpartum and the LAAM Procedure
After delivering her baby, Jacklyn knew that the next step was addressing her fibroids once and for all. She contacted CIGC and scheduled her fibroid removal surgery using the LAAM (Laparoscopic Assisted Abdominal Myomectomy) technique at Visionary ASC in New Jersey.
The LAAM procedure is a highly specialized and minimally invasive technique that allows for the precise removal of fibroids while preserving the uterus. Unlike traditional open surgery, LAAM combines laparoscopy with small abdominal incisions to ensure the fibroids are completely removed, minimizing the risk of recurrence. This procedure is particularly beneficial for women like Jacklyn who are planning to have more children, as it significantly improves fertility outcomes by eliminating fibroids that could interfere with pregnancy.
One of the greatest advantages of LAAM is that it is an outpatient procedure, meaning it is safe, simple, and performed in a day surgery setting. Recovery is fast, with most patients able to walk around within hours of the surgery.
“The day of the surgery was easy, and I was walking around the same day,” Jacklyn recalls. “Two days later, I was able to hold my three-month-old baby.”
For women who have been diagnosed with fibroids and are considering IVF or other fertility treatments, LAAM offers an effective way to address fibroids before undergoing these more intensive procedures. Removing fibroids through LAAM can significantly improve a woman’s chances of a successful IVF cycle by clearing the uterus of obstructions and ensuring a healthy environment for embryo implantation.
Jacklyn’s Advice: Advocate for Yourself
Reflecting on her journey, Jacklyn has this advice for other women:
“Don’t waste time with OBGYNs who don’t listen. I feel like I wasted so much time on doctors who didn’t care about me or my journey. Be your own advocate. Trust yourself, and don’t settle for an OBGYN who isn’t willing to hear you.”
Jacklyn’s journey is a testament to the importance of advocating for your health and seeking second opinions when something doesn’t feel right. Her perseverance through years of ineffective treatments and dismissive doctors ultimately led her to the care she needed, and now, with the help of CIGC, she’s on the path to achieving her dream of expanding her family.
If you’d like to learn more about Jacklyn’s journey or are interested in learning how the LAAM procedure can help with fibroids, contact us today at The Center for Innovative GYN Care.
Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjjrAVCsWd4