Well, it's been a long week and I needed a little break before sitting down to re-hash it all out:)
First let me start with my last appointment follow up. On Monday I had my last and final talk with my current doctor on the outcome of my IVF cycle. He said that I had only 2 good eggs from 3 follicles that they were tracking. (It's funny that he told me they were both good, because I remember him saying initially that the first egg wasn't great quality) Anyways, he said that my immunology looked really good. He was really surprised that it was so good with me being a Type 1 diabetic. He said there should have been a 60% chance that it wouldn't be good because of the diabetes. He also said that my uterus was great. My lining was 13mm....perfect! He thinks the reason that I didn't respond well to the medications was because of my previous endometriosis. He feels that a good chunk of my ovary was removed in my surgery in 2009, but mostly that the endometriosis probably damaged my ovaries a lot before I even had the surgery. Without the surgery that I had I probably wouldn't have conceived my beautiful daughter. So he thinks that it would be best to just try on our own over the next few months. They say that you have a "rebound" effect where your body responds well to fertility the first few months after a failed IVF cycle. This is because your body has taken all of the fertility drugs, aspirin, antibiotics, etc. If in 4 months we are not pregnant, he said he would do another IVF cycle with us, but that we shouldn't expect better results than the first time....meaning that we will only produce probably the same 2-3 follicles. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't fertilize the next time, but just that we would be spending a lot of money for very little increased odds....He even went as far out to say that we could possibly even consider DONOR EGGS.....but this is honestly not something that I am even will to consider at this point. I still have faith that I'm just not done on my own yet....call it a gut feeling.....
My 2nd Opinion!! I really enjoyed meeting my second doctor...we'll call him Dr. L. Dr. L was so personable. Not that my other wasn't....you know when you just have more of a connection with someone? Well Dr. L told me that if I had gone to any other IVF facility in the area where I live, that he might think they didn't do something right....but he said coming from the doctor that I went to....if he couldn't do it, than he wouldn't have better results.
The first thing he said when he came in the room is basically that he doesn't think doing another round of IVF would be worth it. He measured my ovaries. After the surgery the left one is 2/3's the size it should be and the right one is at about 80%. He said my uterus looks great as well! The best thing about Dr. L...he DIDN'T make me feel defeated! He brought up the potential too of Donor Eggs or not trying anymore, but neither one of these are options for me right now. Since Clomid didn't work for me he said there is another medicine that I can try in pill form (I keep forgetting the name) and that it works a bit better than clomid. He thinks we should do either this with an IUI OR the best option he thinks for us would be do do the IVF hormones again, but at a much lower dose and only once a day and then do an IUI with this. He thinks we should try this month on our own and then next month do the hormone shots and IUI. He thinks it would be good to do it right after the failed IVF because like the other doctor said, my body is primed and ready to go! Or the 3rd option is just to wait and let it happen naturally. It happened twice before so the good thing that we know is that I can get pregnant....now it's just a matter of how and when....
Honestly, I feel excited to still have options. BUT, at the same time...I am Tired. Exhausted. Plainly....temporarily over it. I just need a break and guess what...I'm going to give myself one! I don't think one will ever Stop wanting it each month and still trying for it...but I just need a little break. My husband and I are going to go on a vacation!! We have the grandparents baby sitting our daughter for a week and we are taking some MUCH needed us time. I'm hoping this will allow us to refocus a little bit.
So now the next big decision is do we start hormone therapy next month again...or just let nature take it's course? One day at a time. I will continue to keep the blog updated and keep posting about our fertility adventure....it's a journey right now, not a destination! :)
