Sharing an Email

I got an email about an easy way to show our support for National Infertility Awareness Week. Here's the email: Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know about a new campaign MyDestinationFamily.org has just launched with RESOLVE--a Twibbon for infertility awareness leading up to National Infertility Awareness Week at the end of the month. I'm not sure if you have a Twitter or a Facebook, but if so, we would love your help supporting this campaign and spreading the word either with your friends. Here is the link to more info: http://www.mydestinationfamily.org/twibbon/ In the last day we have already gathered 74 supporters, so we are so excited about this. Please let me know if you have any questions and we look forward to staying in touch! I added it to my Twitter-easy! My FB was having a little bit of issues but I'm going to keep trying until I get it work. Hope you all join the twibbon wagon!

The Dentist

Okay, so after my phone call with the acupunturist and my insurance company, I gathered myself up and headed to the dentist office. Really after the last two days, I was looking forward to the dentist. I walk in and see a big 'ole prego behind the counter. I sit down and wait to be called back. Guess who? Prego Mama. I sit down totally irritated about the phone call from earlier and know this prego belly was going to be just inches from my head. She asks if I've had any change in medical conditions since my last appointment. I say no. She asks how my gums are doing. I have horrible gums, I really need to floss more. I remembered Josey's post about how the fertility meds made her teeth bleed and I mentioned I had been on fertility medicine back in November/December. She said, "Oh yes that'll definitely have an affect, I've done that too." WHAT?!? This Prego Mama-to-be didn't just look at her husband and get pregnant? You mean she's a success story!?! I couldn't help myself so I asked what clinic she went to and she told me. We talked off and on, well as best you can with all that stuff in your mouth, about infertility and our treatments. She said they'd been trying for 1.5 years too and after 6 months with the doctor and IUIs (I don't know if she meant 6 IUIs or a couple IUIs and seeing the doctor for 6 months), she finally got pregnant. I was smiling on the inside thinking this turned out to be alright. THEN... She starts to tell me about my gums and when I'm pregnant. Insert eye roll now. How when I'm pregnant, I will have all these extra hormones in my body and my gums will get really bad and I might need to have them cleaned 3 times/year instead of two and just to call if I'm worried. Blah, blah, blah! THEN as I'm checking out and leaving, her departing comment, "Good luck! I hope you get pregnant!" Right in front of the receptionist that has no idea what we'd been talking about. A simple nod and simple was all I could do to keep my eyes from not rolling in the back of my head.

Follow-Up on Acupunture

I decided I'd look into it. The "other clinic" has helped me find a fertility acupunturist in my area, as in less than 20 minutes from my house. We've been communicating via Twitter. They didn't know anyone in the immediate area but they got some recommendations for me-how sweet! I called this morning to get info and they were busy. They caught me a little off-guard when they called but here goes our convo: I answer the phone with the generic "Place of Employment, this is A." Acu Place (AP): Where is this? I repeat it. AP: Well, that sounds like a fun place to work! This is Dr. AP's office. So you want to have a baby? Me (totally off guard): Um...yes. AP: How long have you been trying? Me: About a year and a half. (First time I've verbally said this aloud, its so much harder than typing or reading that and I could feel the tears coming) AP: Oh, so you've done all the tests and it's you, not him? Me (whispering bc both my bosses are in the cube next to me): No, we have male factor. AP: Oh, like low count? Me: Umm...yes (in my mind I was thinking VERY LOW) and yes, we've done all the "tests" and actually already done a fresh cycle of IVF. We plan on doing a frozen transfer in the fall. AP: Okay, let me check with the doctor real quick. She then starts talking to the doctor AND I CAN HEAR THE WHOLE CONVERSATION!!! Basically, she told him I sounded like a "young girl" (what am I 12???) and his response was, "Well I can increase his count but it'll take some time!" She gets back on the phone: Okay, yes we can work with that. The doctor would like to meet with you. Me: Umm...I heard your whole conversation and it's not for my husband but for me. We already have the embryos so he's not really, uh...participating this time around. AP: Oh, ok. My daughter is about to be a surrogate so I kind of understand the whole IVF thing. (in my head I'm thinking, yeah...I hope someone does there since that's supposed to be like your specialty). Me: Ha, ha-yeah. (That's my response when I got nothing). Okay, well as I asked previously, do you know if you accept my insurance? AP: You'll have to talk to your insurance company and call us back. We hung up and I called the insurance company. After being on hold for 5 minutes, I found out that-SHOCKER-they don't cover it! Like what did I really expect? So all in all, after a really crappy weekend, a busy and not fabulous Monday, this conversation just kind of sent me over the edge and I spent my last half hour at work fighting tears. It sucks to say out loud how long we've been trying to think it may never work and then the doctor sounded irritated in the background and the nurse/secretary (or whoever it was that called) sounded like a dingbat! Think that sounds bad, just wait for my next post about the dentist!

Male Infertility Research & Acupuncture Question

Researching male infertility online is frustrating. DH hasn't had a vasectomy and he doesn't have azoospermia. I laugh when I read about someone having male infertility and their sperm count is over a million. I know it's low but we've never had a million in a count, not ever, not once. The highest we ever had was 980,000 and the lowest 9,000.

There's so much information out there about infertility and IVF but it seems like I can never find exactly what's up with us. I want to know that it worked for another couple exactly like us.

Favor: Tell me everything you know about acupuncture and FET. I keeping reading more and more about women who are doing this before their IVF and FET and I feel like I'm missing the boat. I am worried about needles being stuck in me. Did your doctor prescribe it or did you just decide on your own? Please share your experiences! Thanks ladies.

Surrogate Surprise

At my job, I deal with my kids and their parents. Last year, I noticed one of the moms was pregnant. It was a little odd since the youngest was already 8 but I figured they just wanted another and went for it. Today, I saw the mom for the first time since last summer. I asked about the two oldest kids and how they were doing. Then I asked, and how old is your youngest now? She gave me a confused look. Then she gave this, OH! look and said, "Well..." and my heart sank. I was thinking, OMG! I just asked how her baby was doing and she must of lost it or something happened. I'm such a horrible person!

I was trying to figure out how to recover when she said, "Actually, it was my sister's baby. I was just carrying it for her, I was a surrogate." Whew! The baby's fine-thank goodness! And how cool is that! I asked her if she did it in the area and she said yes. I then asked where at, but first I stated sorry if this is too personal, and guess what. Know what she told me? A TOTALLY DIFFERENT clinic than any of the others! I just have to laugh, how funny is that! So now, our current clinic included, we have 5 different options. I looked him up online and the website is very informative but included some pictures I could have done without. I'm really hoping we don't have to look too intensively at any of the other clinics. Praying for strong totsicles and thankful for ladies like the mom today whose willing to help us infertiles bring babies into the world.

Webchat

The other clinic (with the doc that's not board certified) has a monthly webchat. I thought I'd hop on and check it out. It was SO interesting!!! However, it was like 20 women bomboarding the poor guy with all our questions so it was a bit slow. Anyways, here are some of the questions and answers I asked.

What do you do after a failed IVF? (Failed meaning no pregnancy)
After a failed cycle, I review the circumstances, the stimulation, length of the stimulation, egg quality, embryo quality, ease or difficulty in transfer & any other circumstances that might have impacted the result. I also consider running this battery of tests which I call both the "recurrent pregnancy loss panel" or "implantation failure panel"

Remember my ET story about my SUPER full bladder? Well I asked if he thought that had any effect on the result of our IVF?
At the end of the day, we will never know. We can only guess. I think it's very important for you to be comfortable during the transfer. In fact, most of the data about acupuncture revolves around transfer day. Generally speaking, the more difficult the transfer, the less likely success.

Are you board certified? (What can I say-I just straight up asked!)
I am board certified in OB/GYN, I have been practicing IVF since 1993, was first involved with IVF in 1985, and apprenticed with one of the world's leading fertility specialists for 10 years.

Fee for storage included in price or not? 2nd opinion included in $175 consult?
Freezing & storage is an additional fee of $500-$600 and it includes one year of storage. Then we transfer to a company called Reprotech whom we have found to be most reliable and reasonably priced. And as far as the consult, if you have insurance and a diagnosis that I can code without going to jail (heh), I'll bill it to your insurance.

One per month?
We currently only have one batched cycle per month.

What is batching?
Batching of cycles is a technique that has developed in the fertility world that seems to bring a lot of benefits. Patients prior to cycle are put on birth control pills when they start their period. Some remain on it for just 3 weeks, some up to 5 weeks. Everyone stops on the same day, so they are "batched" together. This has benefits for the patients and is helpful for the work in the clinic, the quality control in the lab.

Success rates?
Not everyone gets pregnant, unfortunately. Our success rates will be published in Jan of 2012 by the CDC - that is my understanding. Having said that, I would say we are doing above the national average, especially with poor responders, where our results are astonishing.

IVF success with male factor?
Male factor represents over 30% of our patients and I would have to say that it is probably in line with the rest of our success - that is, above the national average. We routinely perform ICSI. We have made beautiful embryos and pregnancies from TESE sperm. I feel that we can offer the best possible care for just about any male diagnosis.

Random comment: I have hundreds and hundreds of PCOS patients. I also have been using Metformin in this part of the world longer than anybody because I fought with WU's department chief in the 1990s over its use! I have the first Metformin babies in this area. I am a big believer in its liberal use - of course, as long as there's no history of kidney disease.

Egg donor?
General rules for egg donors are under age 32, BMI under 35 because "obesity" is often associated with PCOS, which is associated in turn with poorer egg quality.

See interesting, isn't it? Some things I liked, some things I didn't and some things I was indifferent on.

Liked:
*Follow-up after failed IVF.
*Egg donor.

Disliked:
*Frozen storage-don't like moving the tots around but that's just me.

Indifferent:
*Batching-not sure I'd want to be on BCP for 5 weeks.
*Board certified answer.

The random comment has nothing to do with me but the doctor he fought is at my current clinic. I know longer really look at success rates, as you know Dr. Val's figures are always 50-50 and we always seem to be on the bad side of the 50. And, of course, not everyone gets prego but the "poster kids" are the ones that do. I thought his answer about my full bladder was an interesting one...

It was eye-opening, gave me info to think about and some questions that my current clinic hasn't been able to give. I did follow up with the egg donation thing and I'll do a seperate post about that later.

Side note: Three periods post IVF and I'm still irritated. First cycle was 31 days, second cycle was 26 days and the cycle that FINALLY started today, 30 days!!!

And Yet ONE MORE Clinic!!!

My second grade teacher just shared news with me that her son and DIL got pregnant through YET ANOTHER clinic in our area. She knew we were stuggling and didn't tell me! I found out through a comment someone left on her FB page. She said she didn't want to tell me because it was right when we got our BFN. This is the first "known" avoidance pregnancy announcement and it really hurt BUT at least now I've found out about YET ANOTHER.



I looked at their website, requested pricing and found out that Dr. Dub-ya likes golf, tennis and chess. Yes, this was on his website. Also on his website, right on top where you can't miss it, "Board Certified Reproductive Endocinologist." Looks like he's at the OTHER hospital in town-seriously, there's like 5 major hospitals if not more.

Whew! I'm exhausted. Good thing I don't have to worry about this for awhile and hopefully won't EVER have to!