A lot happened yesterday. Here is a quick and dirty list.
- Had my consult with Dr. Sher (we will now call him Dr. Super Smart)
- Decided to go to Vegas for the August 22nd cycle
- Cancelled my meds for the cycle I was supposed to start next week
- Told Dr. BFP we’re through
- Got wanded by an incompetent male to make sure I’m cyst free, and I am
- Told my boss I’d need time off and confirmed it’s all paid!
- Gained a whole new conundrum regarding embryo banking
The consult was incredible, Dr. Super Smart spent an hour and ten minutes going over my entire medical history and filling me in on my options. He is very confident he can get me pregnant the first round using the A/ACP and intralipids infusion. We won’t need to use CGH because my haggard ovaries don’t effect the age/quality of my eggs, just the number available. He thinks for every two blasts we get that at least 1 will be chromosomally normal.
It was all super positive until he moved on to tell me I need to talk to Blue about how many kids we want because after getting pregnant and then breast feeding my ovaries may be completely done for.
What he suggests is that if we don’t get enough eggs the first time around for two babies that we freeze them all and don’t transfer any. Come back a month later and do another round where we actually transfer. He calls this embryo banking. With this scenario I could take my time between kids and even have my ovaries removed if the pain is bad enough.
I think it’s the smart thing to do, problem is that it means I have to wait a whole extra month and a half to even try to get pregnant. In the scheme of things that’s really short but to an impatient infertile who is totally sick of waiting it is TORTURE!!
Luckily he said we can wait and see how I respond to meds (he is quadrupling my Foll.i.stim dose) and then decide what package to buy before egg retrieval. The problem with that plan is that we have to prep for a transfer which means tickets and hotels for 12 days instead of 5, intralipid infusions, and a sonohystogram at home (rather than during egg retrieval for free.)
What do you think I should gamble on in Vegas?
Option A : Trust a single round to produce enough embryos for 2 babies
Option B : Pay up front for 2 egg banking cycles, first transfer in October
Option C : Plan for A but make the call at the last minute if B is necessary
That's a tricky one. Is there a discount for paying up front for 2 cycles??
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a positive experience with Dr. S! I reallllly wish I was moving ahead w/ the August 22nd cycle too :( My name is still on the damn list! We could be BFFs in Vegas!!
ReplyDeleteBut anyway, I vote for Option C. That way you aren't pinned down to either. Is Option C ok w/ the clinic?
I'd say option C.
ReplyDeleteI say C....then you have the best of both! Glad you like him!!
ReplyDeleteWe will just miss one another :( I'll be there in a week and then in September.
I am so excited for you and your new plan! It sounds very good and he was thorough. I am sure it will be a much better experience then with dr bfp, while he is nice he is a very odd non-communicative man.
ReplyDeleteI vote for c
I am the worst decision maker....so indecisive! I like Option C though. Doesn't it feel good to actually have options now?? Hoping for you!! :)
ReplyDeleteI'd go with option C. I'm super jealous that you're going to work with Dr. S. He's amazing!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Can't wait to hear about your upcoming cycle!
Lindsey... I emailed you! Not sure if you check that email ever... the one on your profile at TWW!
ReplyDeleteI say option C with everyone else. I can't wait to hear every detail of your cycle!! :) So excited for you!!!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I'd probably go with C, but do what you think is right.
ReplyDeleteSounds like this doc is helping out so many women!
I can't wait to read about your experiences with Dr. Sher. I would go with B or C.
ReplyDeleteI really kind of love the idea of embryo banking. My only fear would be what going through 2 rounds of hormones could do to your endo. Did he have any thoughts on that?
ReplyDeleteHey, I put together this post after I went to Vegas for a cycle. Thought you'd find it handy. Good luck!
ReplyDeletehttp://bravingivf.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-to-do-in-vegas-in-between-ivf.html
Oh, and I was planning to do a 3-cycle embryo banking with Dr. Sher, but called it quits after the first went very poorly. Now we're on to donor eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe way he positioned embryo banking is that you're never going to get a better response than you have now, and so if you know you want more than one kid, it's your best chance at getting enough embryos to make that possible. (Of course, my response is particularly low - in 5 IVFs, we never had more than 3 embryos to start with, and never had anything to freeze.) So we figured, make the most of what we can get right now, and try to get a bunch (we were planning to do CGH testing, given I'm 36 and only about 30% of my eggs are expected to be normal, and I had two miscarriages due to chromosomal abnormalities.)
Anyway, maybe more detail than you wanted, but I've written up all my cycles and consults over on my blog and would be happy to chat offline if you'd find it helpful. My email address is bravingivf at gmail.