WTF Appt #3

We met with Dr. W yesterday. It went well, in that I didn't cry, even when he started the conversation asking about Fluffy.

Why didn't our last IVF work? Why did we get less eggs and embryos? Why didn't the good embryos transferred stick? He didn't really know. 

Only conclusion: Old eggs. He didn't recommend doing PGD or any other testing.

Here are the options he presented:

1. Donor IUI, with Clo.mid "kick" - could do this next cycle. 5-10% chance of getting PG. Cost: $600-$700
2. IVF: Antogonist (again) with a slighter higher Folli.stim dose than last time (225IU). 35% chance of success, 40% with donor sperm.
3. Donor Egg IVF: Higher cost ($25K), 60-65% chance of a baby with donor egg + Mr. Jem's sperm; 75% chance with donor egg and donor sperm. My reaction? With donor egg and sperm, shouldn't we "just adopt?" He pointed out that with adoption, you don't always know if the mother is taking good care of herself (not drinking, doing drugs), and that at least I'd have control over the pregnancy part of the equation. Hmm...

So, what to do? What was his recommendation? Dr. W didn't think there is one clear option. I don't want to "waste" time with a long series of IUIs, given my age (40).

We are definitely looking at getting a second opinion. I've already reached out to Dr. Zou.ves in Foster.City, CA. I'll let you all know what he says. Two other recommendations from a trusted source: CCRM (of course) and Dr. Jefferey.Fisch in Las.Vegas.

I'm starting to get mentally ready to cycle again. We will be traveling in September (to Oregon to see my parents and to MA to visit Mr. Jem's parents), so we'll need to cycle in late September, early October.

Onward and upward!

WTF Appointment tomorrow

We are going to see Dr. W tomorrow (instead of next week). Kind of excited to get this over with. Both Mr. Jem and I are NOT excited about going back to the clinic and are considering going elsewhere for future ART procedures.

In cycle news, it's CD8 and my "O" monitor had me POAS this morning. It's sad but I just sent and Out.look calendar invite to Mr. Jem for CD14 so it would be on his calendar at home so I don't get the "I don't know when you ovulate!" argument this month. Sigh. Who would have thought I'd be sending a meeting request to my husband to do the deed. Pathetic!

On a happier note, I joined up with a local Resolve group in the SF East Bay. Five of us from the group got together last Saturday and a had a hypno.therapist come do a guided meditation/relaxation exercise. She specializes in fertility. The idea is to eliminate the stress in your life to increase your chance of conceiving! Boy did I feel relaxed and good afterwards. I definitely recommend it. 

~Jem

It's amazing

Been a bit down in the dumps (wha? Really??!!). The weather her in NorCal has been gloomy and cold (50 degrees, grey skies, windy).

This afternoon the sun came out.

And I listened to this song.

It's Amazing by Jem on YouTube

It IS amazing!

~Jem

CD1 - She's heeeeeere!!!

Oh, yeah, AF is here. With a vengeance. I want to curl up in a ball under my covers all day kinda vengeance.

No real surprise. Just glad I didn't POAS, as that would have been a waste of money.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programing.

~Jem

CD31 - symptoms

Nausea, headache, irritability... Hmmmm. I wonder what it means!? 

Squeeze the tatas... no tenderness.

Conclusion: regular pre-AF symptoms. Only question is, "When will she arrive?"

CD 30 - No news

Has it really been a whole week since I posted? Time flies when you are actually working (gasp!) rather than posting. I also re-discovered Twit.ter, so I've been a bit consumed with exploring that whole world. I now get what all the fuss is about. It's very cool. I do have one IRL friend who twe.ets WAY too much. I know that I don't need to let the whole world know where I am at all moments. Not judging, but Geeeze!

On the IF front, no news. It's CD 30, and I think I O'd around day 18. that means I have a couple of days more to wait for CD1. I'm 100% sure that this cycle is a no-go. I have no symptoms, except my regular pre-menstrual crap: irritability, and wanting to eat everything in front of me. B00bies NOT sore. Before IVF, my cycles were regular, 30 days on the dot. Since. Not. Is that normal?

Oh, I did reschedule our WTF appointment. Dr. W is on vacation this week, busy all next week. So, the appointment is for Thur August 26. Hope our other cat doesn't get sick like last time.

Okay, I better get back to work now...

~Jem

CD23

Okay, I had one beer at the game (see last post). No problem there. It's after the game, that I may have over-done it. Ended up sharing bottles (3, I think) of wine with 3 other colleagues on the roof of the building where VP lives (right by the ballpark). And eating soft cheese, too!

Granted, this is so early in the process, that I'm sure I didn't do any harm. What with all the crack-whores who get knocked up, you'd think it wasn't a factor, at least for implantation! Who knows, tho. Mr. Jem's sperm.count is so low (25K) that it may not matter.

We didn't make it to the WTF appointment we were supposed to have the other week, because we had to take Fluffy to the vet. Right then. I finally feel like I could face the smiling Dr. W (not smiling in a good way, more like an insincere "I need to smile at them when I'm tell them complete crap and give them the impression I can help them get pregnant." smile). 

While at the clinic I'm going to ask for my file when we go so we can look for a second opinion. 

We'd love RE recommendations in the San Francisco bay area... if you don't want to post doctor or clinic names in the comments section, feel free to email me at ambivalent dot womb at gmail dot com (but with "." where I wrote out dot).

~Jem