Overcoming Endometriosis With Dr. Propst: One Couple’s Story

After trying for eight months to conceive, Lindsey Hollmann-Butz and her husband, Zach, sought out fertility testing from her OBGYN. The results were normal, but Lindsey still thought there could be a hidden problem. After all, her sister had suffered from endometriosis, a condition in which the lining of the uterus starts to grow inside of the pelvic cavity. It can run in families, and it is a common cause of infertility in women.

Hoping to get answers, Lindsey made an appointment at Texas Fertility Center in Austin, where she would ultimately move forward with fertility treatment under the care of Anthony Propst, MD, at TFC’s Round Rock fertility center. She was hoping to try intrauterine insemination, or IUI, but was soon to discover that her path to pregnancy would be more complicated.

“I had communicated that I think I have endometriosis, but I had been on birth control for a long time, and that was really helpful to reduce symptoms, so it wasn’t until I was trying to get pregnant and it wasn’t working that it was really looked at more seriously,” Lindsey says. “I had an easier time living with this than some women, and that’s why it took so long.”

Too often, women suffer for 10 years or longer with endometriosis symptoms before getting a diagnosis. While this condition cannot be diagnosed with a simple test, a comprehensive fertility workup at Texas Fertility Center was quickly able to determine that it was the likely cause of the couple’s inability to get pregnant.

About 10% of women develop endometriosis in their lifetimes, but up to half of women seeking infertility treatment have the condition. Can women get pregnant with endometriosis? With the right fertility treatment, the answer is yes.

“In Lindsey’s case, our tests showed she was ovulating, and her tubes were open, but she had cysts and scarring around her ovaries that would prevent her from getting pregnant,” Dr. Propst says. “We knew she needed surgery to remove the cysts, but that could affect her ability to get pregnant in the future. So, we decided to do IVF first, to make embryos that we could use after the surgery if she needed them.”

Banking embryos – just in case

The couple’s first IVF cycle produced 12 eggs and three embryos, and the couple decided to move ahead with a second cycle just to be on the safe side. Once they had enough frozen embryos stored to provide a good chance at pregnancy, Dr. Propst performed Lindsey’s surgery to remove the ovarian cysts and scarring caused by the misplaced endometrial tissue inside her pelvis.

“Dr. Propst was really good about explaining that when you remove a cyst, you end up removing part of the ovary, which means I could have less follicles and less eggs,” Lindsey said. “I really appreciate that he wanted to prepare for every outcome and play it safe. I think it was the right move.”

During the laparoscopic procedure, Dr. Propst was finally able to see the extent of the damage. Lindsey was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis, the most severe stage of the disease.

After the surgery, the couple tried to conceive naturally, again without success. They soon decided it was time to transfer one of their embryos. When the first transfer didn’t result in a pregnancy, Dr. Propst and Lindsey worked together on additional infertility testing and an anti-inflammatory protocol. That collaborative approach led to success.

Just over one year after her endometriosis diagnosis, Lindsey was finally pregnant.

“Dr. Propst was incredible,” Lindsey says. “Zach and I had a lot of questions, and we wanted to really understand things. It is scary, because you have to put your trust in someone you’ve never met before, and I had a lot of anxiety and wanted to sure we were taken care of and making informed decisions. Dr. Propst really showed up with a lot of patience for us, and we genuinely felt like he gave us a lot of space to ask questions. He was very willing to collaborate with us, which was important to me.”

Grateful for Dr. Propst and the team at our Round Rock fertility center

For other women suffering with endometriosis, especially those who wish to have a baby, Lindsey has a valuable piece of advice. “Advocating for yourself is the biggest thing. I was lucky to have had caregivers who taught me how to advocate for myself. You need to understand what is going on, and write out your questions so that you remember what to ask when you are in the office. There are fantastic providers like Dr. Propst and his team who are specialists in this, and they know so much.”

Dr. Propst says that now that Lindsey’s cysts and scarring have been removed, it’s possible the couple could conceive again on their own. To other women who suspect they might have endometriosis, he recommends keeping a journal to track symptoms, talking to an OBGYN for an opinion, and getting help from a fertility specialist if you struggle to conceive for six to 12 months.

“We came here feeling sad and defeated, and it made such a difference to have a friendly staff and a doctor who was very collaborative, had a great sense of humor, and was willing to spend time with us,” Lindsey says. “It has been an amazing journey. I also feel solid that I picked the right life partner, as Zach has my back and supports me. Infertility can feel really lonely and overwhelming, and I had two really great advocates in Zach and Dr. Propst.”

Learn more about this couple’s story at https://www.kxan.com/news/simplehealth/it-took-a-team-one-couples-path-through-endometriosis-and-the-doctor-who-helped-them-find-answers/.