Katharina Buczek
After visiting the doctor, Joanna found out that her egg count was low. She was then referred to a fertility doctor this past summer, where she underwent numerous blood tests, labs, and ultrasounds.
At first, Joanna’s doctor recommended she undergo Intrauterine Insemination.
She became “cautiously optimistic” and really believed she would finally become pregnant. But, it did not go as planned.
“I started the first round of meds but, after completing them and having the follow-up ultrasound, my doctor found that I didn’t respond well at all,” Joanna said.
“He was also concerned about some other findings during the ultrasound and, because of this, I was scheduled for a diagnostic laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.”
Joanna underwent the surgery in October 2021 and discovered life-altering news– she was born with a unicornuate uterus, a rare genetic uterine condition.
“I was born with only half of my uterus, the right side, and just my right fallopian tube,” Joanna said, “Only one in four thousand women are diagnosed with this condition.”
Besides this, Joanna’s doctor also found out that her ovaries are very small. Her left ovary is also very high and almost reaches her ribcage. Due to the location, Joanna’s doctor was unsure if it was even producing eggs.
Anyone receiving this news would likely be devastated– just like Joanna was. She shed many tears and took to google to read about other stories similar to hers.
Then, she finally had an IVF consultation. After taking her medical history into account, Joanna’s doctor recommended banking eggs immediately.
“Because I likely won’t produce as many eggs each cycle, we will do multiple retrieval cycles to increase our store,” Joanna explained.
