We have had a folder of information about IVF at our house for at least six months, but for a number of reasons I never read a single document. We are somewhat familiar with the process so I already knew the basics, and I kept thinking and hoping that maybe next month would "work" and we wouldn't have to deal with any of the information in the folder. It's funny because I usually research everything, but for some reason I just couldn't get myself to sit down and read this. I guess I was in denial.
But this past week I went to the doctor for my final exam before they ordered all of my medications, and that afternoon I finally sat down with the folder and dug in. Three hours later I had read through every document and I felt very angry and discouraged. It is really difficult to sign 15 consent forms just to try to get pregnant. It just feels so unfair as many people get pregnant without thinking about every possible thing (success rates, cost, possibility of birth defects, etc). Why can't we have that luxury too? In the grand scheme of life I know in my mind that this is not a big deal, but the fact that we have to do IVF, which is difficult for many reasons, and the fact that there is so much controversy and health risk that goes along with IVF, means that it all weighs very heavy on my heart.
Some days I feel super excited that by my 30th birthday in December there is a really good possibility that I'll be pregnant. At the Center for Reproductive Medicine in New Mexico (our clinic) in 2010, there were 78 IVF cycles in women under 35. Of those cycles, 75% had a transfer that resulted in a live birth. Those are pretty good odds! And on top of that, 48% of those resulted in twins! So I think we have reason to be excited and hopeful. But in the back of my head there is that doubt too, because I don't want to be completely shocked if it doesn't work.
November will be a big month for us. Beginning November 3, I will be getting multiple injections a day. November 6 forward, I will have an ultrasound every day to monitor my progress. Depending on how my body progresses, the retrieval will be sometime the week of November 12 and then three or five days after the retrieval the transfer will occur and I'll be on bed rest for two days (the three or five days depends on embryo growth and other factors). Two weeks after the retrieval I will get a blood test to see if it all worked.
We have zero plans for the month of November so that we can see how I feel and go from there (the injections can wreak havoc on the body and emotions). I definitely don't want to "give up" anything, but I'm hoping that the relaxed pace will help me. This is hard for us as we are traveling at least 1/2 the weekends every month and we enjoy getting out and doing things, but we have both agreed that this is worth it.
The way time has been flying, it will all be here so quickly!
But this past week I went to the doctor for my final exam before they ordered all of my medications, and that afternoon I finally sat down with the folder and dug in. Three hours later I had read through every document and I felt very angry and discouraged. It is really difficult to sign 15 consent forms just to try to get pregnant. It just feels so unfair as many people get pregnant without thinking about every possible thing (success rates, cost, possibility of birth defects, etc). Why can't we have that luxury too? In the grand scheme of life I know in my mind that this is not a big deal, but the fact that we have to do IVF, which is difficult for many reasons, and the fact that there is so much controversy and health risk that goes along with IVF, means that it all weighs very heavy on my heart.
Some days I feel super excited that by my 30th birthday in December there is a really good possibility that I'll be pregnant. At the Center for Reproductive Medicine in New Mexico (our clinic) in 2010, there were 78 IVF cycles in women under 35. Of those cycles, 75% had a transfer that resulted in a live birth. Those are pretty good odds! And on top of that, 48% of those resulted in twins! So I think we have reason to be excited and hopeful. But in the back of my head there is that doubt too, because I don't want to be completely shocked if it doesn't work.
November will be a big month for us. Beginning November 3, I will be getting multiple injections a day. November 6 forward, I will have an ultrasound every day to monitor my progress. Depending on how my body progresses, the retrieval will be sometime the week of November 12 and then three or five days after the retrieval the transfer will occur and I'll be on bed rest for two days (the three or five days depends on embryo growth and other factors). Two weeks after the retrieval I will get a blood test to see if it all worked.
We have zero plans for the month of November so that we can see how I feel and go from there (the injections can wreak havoc on the body and emotions). I definitely don't want to "give up" anything, but I'm hoping that the relaxed pace will help me. This is hard for us as we are traveling at least 1/2 the weekends every month and we enjoy getting out and doing things, but we have both agreed that this is worth it.
The way time has been flying, it will all be here so quickly!
I know you guys will get through this - it's tough stuff and certainly not necessarily the easiest time but I have faith you will get a beautiful baby. It's hard to accept all this but you have lots of friends and family here to support you both. If you ever need anything, please let me know.
ReplyDeleteAnd ... at least Micah is a pro at giving the injections :)