Consultation Information

I'm FINALLY getting around to updating the blog about the Friday consultation with Dr. T @ RBA! I have been wanting to update since we got back but it has been hectic!!!

Wow! So we were at RBA from 10am (consult was scheduled for 10:30am) until 4pm!!!!! Yeah, 6 hours!!!! It was crazy! But we got SO much done!!! We had our consultation with Dr. T and I must say we absolutely loved him! He seemed very nice, non-judgmental about sex-selection IVF, and full of confidence about my chances. I know that I am safe-guarding myself by being super pessimistic, but he definitely seemed confident that I am going to produce tons of eggs (he was saying 20) and that we WILL get out daughter in the end!

We also met with the genetics counselor (protocol) and decided that Jay would get a genetic screening done for cystic fibrosis and many other genetic diseases that he could possibly be a carrier for. As long as he screens negative, I will not need to get tested. But if he screens positive for something, I will need to also be screened. If we are both carriers to something, we have a 1 in 4 chance of passing it to our child. With PGD involved, we could avoid any embryo with this genetic condition. The odds of us both being carriers of something is low since we have no history and no problems, but it never hurts to know for sure. I hope that insurance will cover some of the test b/c she said it is $400! We sent them a bill, but I absolutely expect it to get rejected and to have to pay out of pocket! lol.

We also met with the financial advisor from RBA. She went over all of the finances involved. I would post them on the Expenses list I started, but I am going to wait until I actually PAY something before I list it as an expense b/c things could change or be added. I'm assuming with everything we want done and with a multi-cycle package (2 fresh, 2 frozen) that we are looking at a WHOLE total of somewhere from $25,000 - $30,000. Ouch! It's going to hurt writing that check! But we will manage.

I also was given a pelvic exam by Dr. T. Was not expecting that one! Thank goodness I shaved my legs that morning! lol. It's funny, but I had NO idea what he was doing "down there". It wasn't until the end of the day with my "IVF nurse consult" that she informed me he performed my "mock transfer"! He talked about my uterine sound and I had NO clue what he was talking about. So I asked the nurse later on and when she described it I said, "that isn't by chance also called a 'mock transfer' is it?" and she said, "yes"! So I was like, holy cow! I had my mock transfer and had NO clue! Geez Louise!

We also both gave blood samples for some routine tests they need to perform before we can cycle. And Jay had to give a semen sample for a semen analysis! Talk about awkward! lol. We had NO idea we would be doing all of those tests on Friday so we were unprepared! Jay was RED in the face when Dr. T told him we would be doing it today (friday). lol.

Lastly we had a nurse consultation where we discussed my protocol "bible". Dr. T is putting me on an Antagonist protocol using the drugs Gonal F (225 iu) and Ganirelix. No birth control (whew!). Of course I'll also be on an antibiotic at the start. Will trigger with HCG. After my ET (egg retrieval) the cycle will be over technically.

We decided to go with CGH for our PGD testing. It is with Genesis Genetic Institute. However, Dr. T prefers a day 5 biopsy with CGH and therefore we will not have the results in time for a transfer that cycle. We will freeze all of the embryos and go in for a FET (frozen embryo transfer) at a later date. I am hoping we can squeeze a cycle in before Christmas holiday (cutoff is Dec 20 at RBA). I PRAY my cycle starts late November so I can get a sweet little Christmas present! That is assuming my first FET works. I hope I'll get more than one healthy female embryo to freeze.

One thing that was unique with Dr. T is that he wants me to freeze half of the eggs I get (assuming I get 15-20+ eggs). Since I am not infertile and young, he thinks I'll get around 20 eggs. And if I get 20 and the majority fertilize (and half are female) he is worried we would have more embryos than we could possibly use. By freezing half and fertilizing only half, we will reduce the number of embryos that we will discard after I become pregnant. RBA is one of the top fertility clinics in the nation for their egg cryopreservation, so they are one of the only facilities that I would EVER trust to freeze an egg (instead of an embryo). I think this will be OK. I'm nervous that I won't respond as well as he thinks, but in that case we will just definitely fertilize all of them. We will see how well my pre-testing blood work turns out. So far my mock transfer was fine. He said I have a uterus in the right position and that there were no blockages. (whew!)

So I have a VERY long to-do list to complete before my September cycle. Oh yeah, and did I mention we are going to start in SEPTEMBER now instead of October? Since there is zero possibility of us getting pregnant with a freeze cycle, we are not worried with how early we start. Rather, we are worried that if we wait until October, there is a SMALL (but possible) chance that our egg retrieval wil be on my sister's wedding! Yikes! That would be HORRIBLE!!! So IF (a big IF) we can get everything ready in time, Dr. T says we can go ahead and cycle in September. Then we will go back for the FET in November, EARLY december, or January sometime! Hoping we can squeeze in a November cycle, but there are weddings and special occasions all happening in November, so it might not happen! And RBA won't cycle in December if you are likely going to need ET after Dec 20. So that might hinder December. But January is FAIR GAME!!!

And I say the to-do list is long, and I mean long... We have to call ARC and work on paying for everything. Call Genesis to setup arrangements for PGD. Find a local RE to monitor my cycle (so I only need to go to Atlanta when it's close to ER). Schedule blood work for cycle day 2 or 3. Schedule a sonohysterogram (SHG) with my local OB. And call our insurance to see if any meds are covered and which pharmacy to use. Otherwise we'll use the cheapest one that RBA knows of. Yikes! So much to do and so little time to get it done!! But worst case scenario, we just cycle in October and CROSS OUR FINGERS it doesn't conflict with weddings!!!

Well, that is all the updates I have for now! (as if that was short). I'll post anything else that I go through as soon as it happens!!! Yay! So excited to get started!!!

Pessimistic Dream!

So last night I had a pessimistic dream about my upcoming IVF/PGD cycle!!! I dreamed that I had my embryo retrieval and only had 3 eggs retrieved total. In my dream (and IRL) I kept thinking that I should have gotten 10-15 eggs based on my age and high fertility. But in my dream (and IRL) I knew that those factors don't always mean anything during an IVF cycle! I was very sad and disappointed! However, on the bright side, in my dream I sent the 3 off to GSN and had 2 come back abnormal and 1 come back normal and the 1 normal embryo happened to be a girl!!! Despite being happy that I had a girl to transfer, I remember being sad b/c I wanted to have at least one "spare" to put on ice in case the first cycle didn't work. B/c in my dream (and IRL) I realize that the odds of being a OHW are slim to none. So I was sad not to have a back-up embryo.

What does this dream tell me??? That I dwell on IVF/PGD TOO MUCH!!!! lol. If I am dreaming such detailed dreams then I really think about it too often! I gotta relax a bit! haha

Consult is THIS Friday!

I cannot believe how exciting this is!!! My consultation with Dr. T is THIS Friday!!! It seems like I have been waiting for months for this consult and now it is almost here!!! DH and I are still debating when we are going to start out first cycle of IVF. It will most likely be sometime between Oct and Jan. I'm leaning towards October only b/c I do not think the first cycle is going to work and I want to get it "out of the way". I know that sounds pessimistic, but I am actually OK with it. I think if I go into it knowing it will take 2-3 cycles that I will be less disappointed if (when) the first cycle fails. And if I magically become a OHW (one hit wonder) then I will be surprised and no less excited!!!

I cannot wait to hear what Dr. T has to say! And I cannot wait to hear my DH asking questions b/c all he ever does is avoid the topic (it makes him nervous!). We will have a decision on when we will start IVF probably within the next 3 weeks! I am trying not to rush the decision so we feel ready to start when the time comes.

EEEEE!!! I'm giddy with excitement!!! I cannot wait to have a tiny baby growing in my belly again!!!!

Price Li$t

Keeping a list of the expenses related to Gender Selection for our dream daughter:

(OOP: Out of Pocket) (I: Insurance)

RBA Consultation with Dr. T = $250 (OOP)

Medications (1st Cycle- Freeze Only) = $2787.80 (OOP, but insurance covered a few meds)

ARC Two-Cycle Plus Package with ICSI = $18,021.15 (OOP)