Dear Dr. Corsello, When I was approximately twelve years old, I started my
period and was never regular. I had cycles that ranged from
every thirty to forty-five days. I bled very heavily with clots,
and on many occasions I would have to be in bed for a week or
two because of the severe anemia due to the heavy blood loss.
When I entered the seventh grade, I was put on birth control
pills to regulate my periods and remained on them for
approximately ten years. During that time, I saw many
gynecologists who attempted to help me get off the pills and
have regular periods, to no avail. Eventually I took myself off
the pills because I was then ready to for marriage and
motherhood. I was also interested in finding the reason for my
inability to have normal menstrual periods. From age
twenty-three to approximately twenty-seven, I saw fifteen
gynecologists and fertility specialists.
At about age twenty-five the diagnosis of Stein-Leventhal
Syndrome (polycystic ovaries) was made and I underwent major
surgery. They sliced my ovaries and removed substantial
adhesions. This was supposed to lead to "normal ovaulation
and pregnancy." I cannot even handle the memory of how much
pain I suffered. After surgery I completely lost my ability to
have period on my own. I had to undergo D&C’s,
laparoscopies, and a most feared laparotomy, all to no avail.
At age twenty-seven, I had completed law school and moved to
New York. I again started my search for other fertility
specialists, since my fiancé and I had decided to get married.
We married the following year and my husband joined me in the
search. Together we went to the Fertility Research Institute and
worked with the top specialists in the country, trying to
address my problem. In each instance they insisted my
infertility could be addressed by the use of drugs. They
first started with low doses of Clomid and then increased
it to the maximum level ever given. Ovulation, however, could
not be induced, no matter what they did.
We became very frustrated and disillusioned and abandoned
this route. I worked with several general gynecologists for
about five years, and again underwent another laparotomy. A
fibroid tumor and significant adhesions were removed. After
surgery I was put on Pergonal. I remained on Pergonal for
approximately six months and became violently ill. I suffered
from migraines most of the time and from all other side effects
normally attributed to Pergonal. I had to stop and was told I
would never get pregnant on my own. At this
point I underwent artificial insemination. Another
failure! After twenty years of struggle I gave up
the idea of motherhood.
Approximately one year later, during a routine physical
examination, I was told I had an extremely low white blood count
and needed to see a nutritionist. It was at that time that I
read an article about Dr. Corsello’s work and decided,
somewhat skeptically, to contact her. Dr.
Corsello evaluated my entire medical history, my nutritional
history and did very sophisticated tests such as a full
immunological screen, a stress profile and full thyroid
evaluation. The conclusion was that my immune system was not
functioning properly. My diet was terribly poor in nutrients
such as essential fatty acids, vitamin B-6 and other
antioxidants necessary for proper hormonal metabolism. This was
coupled with very high stress, since from
an early age I had a fierce desire to succeed in a male
dominated field, which made me high strung. Poor nutrition,
chronic stress and a probable genetic predisposition, caused the
ovaries to stop and start production of hormones, which probably
led to the polycystic condition.
I recall having brought up the idea of vitamins and other
natural treatments and changing my diet, to various gynecologists.
None of them seemed to believe that those changes were relevant to
my condition or would have any effect. The last specialist in
fact, became outraged at such "nonsense."
At the Corsello Center I was immediately put on a
Bowel
Cleansing Program since I also suffered from
constipation. The fiber and vitamin C cleaned up my intestines
from the residual of toxins and overgrowth of yeast. One of the
nutritionists at the Center, Barbara, a registered nurse who
became my coach and my faithful companion in this difficult work
of changing my lifestyle, threatened me with "death" if
I ever touched a piece of candy or fast food ever again!
A food allergy test showed I was allergic to milk products and
other foods that I ate frequently. I was put on an individualized elimination/rotation
diet, which I still follow. A course of biofeedback
taught me how to control my response to stress, so that it
would not affect my bodily functions. I was also immediately put
on intravenous infusions of the missing nutrients. Incidentally,
I had very low zinc and magnesium levels, both minerals extremely
important in the process of hormonal balance and reproduction.
On my second evaluation, after I had "cleaned up my
act" and begun to change my eating habits and practice
relaxation techniques, Dr. Corsello promised that, not only would
I begin to have better menstrual cycles, but that there was a strong
possibility that I would become pregnant. I remained
skeptical. Twenty years of struggle had made me afraid to hope. In
spite of everything, however, one day it happened! My period had
begun to regulate, so when I missed one day and had a strange
internal sensation, I called Barbara and told her that I thought
the "miracle" had taken place; and, in fact it had. I
continued to get my weekly intramuscular shots of folic acid,
B-12, B-6 and intravenous infusions of minerals and vitamins. I
continued to adhere to a good diet and had a rather easy
pregnancy, in spite of the fact that I worked full-time.
My son was born a healthy, wonderful child, to two
of the happiest parents in the world!
After thirty years of irregular and painful menses, ten years
of birth control pills, two laparotomies, fibroid surgery, two
laparoscopies, D&C’s, three years of Clomid treatment, six
months of Perganol treatment -- all of
which were unsuccessful, I had finally reached my
goal. I have only to thank God, Dr. Corsello and her staff for my
success.
(Name
withheld at patient’s request) |
