Wednesday, April 13, 2011

No Cycle Shall Be Without A Purpose

Today was WTF day with Dr. T.  Let me back up...  Monday, AF arrived... only 23 days into the cycle. That's a new record, by far, for short cycles.  The cycle after IVF2.0 failed.

That should say SECOND FAILED IVF

  • I didn't cry.  I did blink back tears 2 - 3 times, but I didn't cry at all... this is progress.  Or numbness. Or getting used to feeling so hurt and lost.  But I didn't cry!
  • No cycle shall be without a purpose.  This is my request.  Whether it be a cycle reserved for testing, an IUI cycle or an IVF cycle, every cycle from here on should have a purpose.  Basically, if not a cycle for testing, every cycle will have greater than a 0% chance of conceiving my baby.
  • My IVF2.0 embryos were GOOD!  They were superior compared to IVF1.0 embryos.  The two 'runts' that we didn't transfer were blasts at day 6 (and the 4 superstars we transferred were nearly at Morela stage on Day 3).  
  • My Egg Quality. I absolutely should be able to get pregnant with my own eggs... it's just a question of how many times it would take.  Enter a comparison by my doctor to Celine Dion who had 6 IVF's before conceiving/delivering her twins with her own eggs.  Sure... because I have the same resources as Celine Dion.
  • Donor Egg Options.  Dr. T knew I had met with the DE coordinator last week so the conversation started with how this would be a good choice (70% live birth rate) for the most immediate results.  I didn't post about my DE Coordinator meeting yet, the waiting list is approximately six months.  Bottom line, I'll get on the list as I digest the idea while I continue to move forward with my own eggs.
  • Donor Embryos.  Dr. T also recommended looking into donor embryos, as there are good success rates and it's significantly less expensive.  My clinic does not have a donor egg program at this time but we talked about clinics that do.
  • My Uterus.  One of my biggest questions is about ruling out any potential problems with my uterus.  At this stage (6 IUI's and 2 IVF's), Dr. T agreed it's time to investigate potential problems with my uterus.  An endometrial biopsy is in order.
Next Steps:
  • Endometrial Biopsy this cycle.  I started Femara tonight, CD3.  We will use this cycle for the testing.  It will be minimal hormones, and a procedure to take a small sample from my uterus around 10 days after Ovulation.  It will be around 10 days to have the results.  I have more research to do about this process, I'm sure it will be the subject of another blog post.
  • IVF3.0 Immediately following this cycle.  In the interest of my determination that every cycle has a purpose, we'll go immediately into an IVF cycle after this 'testing' cycle.
  • Backup IUI cycle.  Should IVF3.0 fail, rather than taking a month off, I'll go into an IUI cycle.  The reason for the time off is that my RE goes by the practice of having 3 months between retrievals... so if I'm not stimulating or suppressing for a purpose, I'll have an IUI.
These are the highlights.


13 comments:

  1. This sounds like a wonderful plan! I'm looking forward to hearing more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are a strong, brave, determined mama to be. I know you will get there one day, and I hope it's sooner rather than later!

    Wishing you the best!

    xox

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the idea of learning from each cycle. You seem like such an advocate for yourself in the medical arena. I admire that very much. It sounds like you have a plan and I will be here cheering you on each step of the way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a good plan and a great doctor. Wishing you all the very best, I hope your dreams cone true soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. BB, you are being so strong. I haven't done nearly what you have and am already ready to cry foul. Hoping and praying it works sooner rather than later.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Going about two plans simultaneously sounds good. And if I'd had insurance coverage, I certainly would have done another IVF before moving to DE. I guess I wonder what your RE thinks is going on if she's saying that embryo quality is good but she also transferred 4 embryos and none of them took. Does she think a uterine issue is the likely culprit? What will she do about that? Just some questions that come to mind...

    Here's to success on the next cycle!

    ReplyDelete
  7. As always - I find you very impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your mantra that every cycle will have a purpose. As I've said before BB, you are destined to be a mother and I have no doubt this plan is the path to your dream. And we're all here to cheer you on, every step.

    Here's to answers and a huge BFP!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That is fantastic! I have 3 plans working right now. Determination is the key and I know you will be pg soon!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm so sorry, but it sounds like you have some great options with lots of hope!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds like a great plan.. being proactive is so important. I wonder why they didn't freeze your Day 6 blasts.

    ReplyDelete
  12. "No cycle shall be without a purpose." This is a great attitude! Mind if I borrow it? ;)

    P.S. I've nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award. If you haven't already been nominated, please visit my blog and grab your "prize." :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I just saw that M nominated you already, so I guess you are doubly nominated. My post is at: http://afamilyoftwo.blogspot.com/2011/04/versatile-blogger.html for the details.

    ReplyDelete

Unfortunately due to an overabundance of recent spam I have turned off Anonymous commenting.