I had my Dr. consult today over the phone and I am pretty excited. I started our conversation by saying I wanted us to figure out next cycle since I am 99.9% sure this one didn't work either. As I suspected he started talking about injectables. He explained that I would still take the letrozole on CD 3-7, but on CD 6-9 I would take the injectable. I said that could work, but I wanted to discuss other options. I asked him about my sperm sample from last cycle, and asked his opinion about the low count (by the way, I've called it motility, but it really is count). He did agree that it seemed low. He asked me if I wanted to change donors and I said no way, this is my donor. I said based on that, and the fact that I didn't want to keep trying w/ so-so odds, what would he think of going w/ IVF?
He was totally supportive!!! He said that we could certainly do more IUI cycles, but the odds still remain lower than IVF. He said the odds for me are: IUI w/oral meds about 15%, IUI w/ injectables 25-30%, and IVF 65%. He is not a Dr. that pushes you into anything and lets you decide what's right for you based on facts. Given those odds, the choice was easy for me, IVF it is!
The thing that makes this decision so easy for me is that I am sooo thankful I have fertility insurance (up to 20k lifetime max). My previous employer did not have it, and it is a much larger company than this one. I think the stars just aligned for me. I do think, though, that even if I didn't have insurance and had to pay out of pocket I would still end up in the same place (just think a little longer and harder about it).
He then started walking through how it all will work and what we need to do.
- Birth Control this month (so now I can go to Thanksgiving out of state at my uncles house if I want)
- During 3 weeks of BC, schedule a hysteroscopy. They use small IV sedation (in their office) and put camera in uterus to view and take small biopsy. They do this to stimulate the uterus for the following month transfer.
- Take meds for 8-10 days to grow many eggs
- During those days get ultrasound and blood draw often
- Still use HCG to ovulate
- 36 hours later retrieve eggs (says only takes 20 minutes)
- Once they have eggs, they inject sperm into them to fertilize them
- Grow them for 3-5 days
- Transfer 2 best ones & freeze the rest (chance of twins 25%)
My other biggest fear is I still have some pretty significant problems w/ my lower back. I do have chronic pain. It is manageable (for the most part) and I don't take anything for it, because when I have taken prescription meds in the past, the transition back to w/out meds is harder than if I hadn't done it at all....but to possibly carry a baby, and then run after one? It just worries me. And reminds me so much of my mom. She had chronic pain for almost as long as I can remember...her knees, her back, her internal pain from cancer, her ulcers, just so much for one person. I think about all she suffered with and she was still an amazing mother to the core....I know I can do it. It's just going to be hard---in many ways, I am guessing.
For those of you who are in perfect health out there....send a shout out of thanks....it's just so important.
I did ask him about cycle day 3 labs. He said that we did them last year, he did some other test 2 months ago and things looked fine. He said we could do the labs, but he feels comfortable if we don't. Hey, fine with me. I don't usually go on blind faith and want to see the numbers for myself, but I have enough other things to think about. I also told him that a Dr. awhile ago said I have a uterine septum, which can create higher rates of miscarriage. He said he didn't see that during my last exams, but they will look at it during the hysteroscopy.
I didn't ask him about switching coordinators. I'll give her one more shot, but the next thing that gets messed up I'll just reach out to her nurse manager and talk to her about it. She is great...would like to just have her!
End of update. Start of new plan.
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