FET Consult & WTF

So yesterday was the FET consult & our WTF appt. I am amazed at how fast 3 weeks has flown by. Glad to have the wait behind me & looking forward to putting on my boxing gloves & fighting another round.

So first was the failed IVF consult. After reviewing everything, Dr. B said she was disappointed in our outcome & couldn't have asked for better results from this IVF cycle based on my age & the protocol she used. We ended up with 2 high-quality embies to transfer & 4 frosties & she was VERY happy about that. So with so-called "perfect" embryos, why did it not work?

Dr. B explained to us that even though the embryo's can look "perfect" they may not be chromosomally perfect & the only way to know that is to do PGD testing. Unfortunately, we opted not to do this testing since it added an additional $6000 on to the bill. She also told us that for women my age (>38yo) that 90% of the eggs that are left have chromosome abnormalities. So of the 11 embryos we had to start with then only 1-2 embryos would probably be viable & result in a live birth. So I pray out of the 4 we have left that we have a couple of "non-chromosomally-challenged" embies to transfer since the other 7 didn't make it. There has to be at least one good one, right???

I also asked about checking for auto-immune issues & doing RPL blood-work. Dr. B checked my chart & said I had a partial workup done in the past at the clinic I was at before which were all normal results & she agreed it would be a good idea to do a full workup for both the auto-immune & RPL. Just incase there is a piece of the puzzle we are missing.

So this morning I stopped by the clinic on my way to work to have those drawn - 13 vials worth! The results should be back sometime next week. Dr. B also said that regardless of the results, she would put me on Heparin or Lovenox injections after the FET just as a precautionary measure. Her reasoning was that the AI blood-work doesn't test for ALL auto-immune disorders & 5 years ago a lot of these disorders were unheard of. In 5 more years there will be even more auto-immune disorders being discovered. So to cover all bases & since it can't hurt, she is going to have me do the blood-thinning injections & continue them through the 1st trimester if we are lucky enough to get pregnant. So we will have to just wait & see what the results are & go from there.

I asked about possible uterine problems & Dr. B informed us that more than likely this wasn't an issue. My HSG was normal & my lining was excellent. The transfer was smooth, with no problems & no bleeding.

Dr. B also had reviewed our remaining embryos with the Embryologist & said we have 1 expanded blast, 1 blastocyst with <10% fragmentation & 2 blastocysts with <20% fragmentation. She suggested we transfer 3 embryos & her reasoning was after looking at all their data/statistics from past years they have never had someone my age get pregnant with triplets after transferring 3 embryos. Twins? yes Could I be the first at my age to conceive triplets? yes My chances of triplets? slim

So that pretty much covered all my questions. Now we wait to see the results of the blood-work & go from there. Bottom line is I have diminished ovarian reserve & my eggs are crappy-quality. That's it. Oh & I'm old ;)

Now onto the FET cycle. We will begin this round when AF gets here which should be sometime next weekend. I ovulated on CD 11 this month which is about 6 days earlier than usual so AF may be arriving sooner!? Another waiting game...

Looks like the FET cycle will be MUCH easier than a fresh IVF cycle! Once I get AF I will receive my calendar with definite dates but we are estimating the FET to be around the 1st or 2nd week of June. I will have to take BCP for a couple of weeks along with Lupron for 4 weeks (the devil) & Estrogen patches until PG is confirmed. And not only will I have to do the IM progesterone shots again but I have to do the suppositories as well 2x's/daily! Ugh - a sore ass AND a messy hoo-hoo :( NICE.

I am planning on starting the acupuncture back up when I get my calendar. I think it really helped with relaxation & besides, I miss my Acupuncturist :( She is SO sweet & SO down-to-earth. Love her.

So that about sums up the appointment. Lots of things covered, questions were answered & yet another plan in place. I am feeling good about it. This game ain't over just yet...