The results are in and they're... mediocre? Everything is working mostly as expected. I still have eggs, though fewer than a younger woman would. The Husband still has swimmers, though fewer healthy ones than a younger man would. We're just... old. Three years older than we were the last time around, which was already on the older side by childbearing standards. We've been advised to get more aggressive on the ART front because my lower egg reserves might not hold out for long.
There's also the possibility of a uterine polyp - totally benign - which wouldn't be the root of our problem but would still require minor surgery to remove. If I do get pregnant without removing it, it could cause complications. And another complicated pregnancy is pretty much the last thing I'll ever need. Remember the Echovist? The delightful waterboarding of the uterus that was SO MUCH FUN last time? I have to have another to confirm if there is a polyp. My doctor is going to do it himself and has sworn that it won't hurt a bit if *HE* does it. I might bet him $1,000,000 and see if he's still as confident.
If there's a polyp I'll have it removed (day surgery) and then the fertility treatment begins in earnest. We faxed off a list of fertility drugs to my insurance company to see what/if they'll cover because the drugs are VERY expensive. I'll be drugs for me (likely Clomid) and IUI using washed sperm to make sure it's only the finest swimmers being sent exactly the right place at exactly the right time. If there's no polyp we go straight to treatment phase right now.
Oh, and the intervention means a 25% chance of multiples if a pregnancy occurs. Yes that means a 75% of not multiples, but still! We need to decide if we're OK with the idea of having THREE kids when we were trying to have two. When it was theoretical i.e., *IF* I need fertility drugs the chance of twins increases, my feelings were much more clear. Now that it's closer to reality (1 in 4? Holy shit!) I'm a little less certain. The idea of three kids isn't the scary part - it's having two babies and a preschooler at the same time. Looks like we have some thinking to do.
4 comments:
Hi, I'm a new follower, but have plenty of ART experience so I understand the choices and the cost and the turmoil this all causes. Good luck with whatever you decide.
neeroc, thank you for stopping by. This is a club nobody wants to belong to but I'm glad it's one that people actually talk about now. Or maybe they always did talk about it, I just wasn't listening. Anyway... good luck to you too when the stars align for the calls you have to make.
Best of luck! I'm rooting for you here in Minneapolis - and please know you're not alone!
Thank you, Laura. We're going to go for it and assume that if we end up with twins, it was meant to be. Also, we will buy stock in several liquor ventures, because we will need it.
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