Science AMA Series: I’m Loralei L. Thornburg, an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a high-risk pregnancy expert at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. AMA!

Hello Dr. Thornburg.

This is a little long, but based on the scenario below, I would like to ask a question.

Last year I had a D&C because I had an endometrial stripe. Shortly before the surgery, I was prescribed Reclipsen. The doctor said it would regulate my hormones. I asked her if this was a good idea because I was over 40, obese, and had an unconfirmed blood clot in my calf in 2008 (at that time, the hospital said my calf tissue was so dense they couldn't see the area, but based on the symptoms, they believed I had a blood clot). She said it wouldn't be a problem. I ended up with a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism with such a heavy clot burden that I've been told I am very lucky to be alive.

I've undergone all the blood testing/typing and have no factors that would have caused the clots. It was determined it was provoked by the birth control...and later confirmed after I developed another clot in my arm after a doctor blew a vein in my hand when giving me an iron infusion (I'd had a 36 day menstrual cycle, so heavy it's often referred to as a 'homocide' or 'murder' scene by women in Zarelto Facebook support groups. I'd been placed on 200 mg of progesterone for 10 days to stop the bleeding when this happened, which confirmed to the hematologist both clot incidents were provoked.

At the time the doctor scheduled the D&C, she was actually pushing me to have a hysterectomy, which I thought was unnecessary, and while I'm 44 and haven't had children, I'm not yet willing to end the possibility (though biology/physiology may make that choice for me in the not so distant future...I've not yet become perimenopausal, but I know that is yet to come).

Given both clots were provoked by hormones...given that and my age, I know I would be considered a very high risk pregnancy. What is your experience with pregnancy in individuals who have had prior life-threatening blood clot episodes? Given my age and prior history, if the opportunity arose, would I be able to carry to term safely? Or would you recommend against this?

As much as I would like to carry a child to term, I have always been open to adoption.

I know this is a medical question you may or may not be able to answer, but after what happened with this doctor, I have been afraid to go to the gynecologist. I finally went to one seven months after the surgery because of the bleeding issue, but that's it.

/r/science Thread