Biopsy Day

We got a call yesterday to say we had 4 top quality and 3 good quality!

Today we had some good news, given that we are against the odds because we can lose embryos at each stage, we had our 7 'frosties' thawed, and only 1 has not survived. So add this to our 7 fresh ones, we have 13 to be biopsied.

I was so pleased when they told me that they were able to biopsy all 13 embryos, and all had survived. So tomorrow is the big day for PGD testing. Should hear Saturday, there's a small chance we might hear late in the day Friday.

Tomorrow is going to be tough!!!

Hubby knew I was feeling a bit 'lost' yesterday. Its a weird feeling, waiting for phonecalls with such important news and knowing the fate of your little embryos are in the hands of others. He arrived home with a lovely bunch of roses. :)

Cycle 3 - Fertilisation results

Of my 12 eggs:

1 wasn't fully developed
1 didn't not survive the ICSI injection
7 fertilised !!
3 have not fertilised

We will get a call tomorrow to tell us the quality, the biopsies will be done on Thursday along with our frozen ones (depending how how survive thawing, there will be up to 7 of those)

The PGD test will be done Friday, we are likely to find out the results on Saturday.

I'm so pleased we have a good number this cycle, as it helps our odds, and also as there is a risk that 3 day old embryos will not survive thawing (15%) it's better to have out larger number in this last fresh cycle.

Today I started the tablets (Progynova) and Clexane injections. Oh well at least my poor tummy had a break for 2 days !!

Egg Collection 24th Sept

I'm gobsmacked! They collected 12 eggs! Turned out there were 12 follicles, and all of them contained an egg. This good number has to improve our odds, so I'm really pleased. Of course we now need to see how many fertilise. Last time it was 50%. Hoping better this time. But at least of it is 50%, then we'll still have the 10 we need.

This Egg collection was fine, like the second one. Went to theatre a little early. Was back in ward about 30 mins later, and walking out just over an hour after that after a much welcomed cuppa and custard creme biscuits !!

Another drug regime now starts ....

• Crinone Gel (progesterone) morning and night (vaginally - lovely!)
• Progynova (oestrogen) tablet three times a day,
• 75mg Asprin in the evening
• Clexane (blood thinning) injection in the evening.

Waiting for that all important phonecall ...

Round Two!

It has been a while since my last update, not down to lack of activity! I have just completed another IVF cycle. I don't want this blog to be cumbersome for anyone to read from the beginning, so I don't plan to repeat things I've already experienced and blogged before.

I had my egg collection yesterday. The main difference with my protocol on this cycle was taking the growth hormone from the start. I was also switched to a higher dose of Menopur and lower dose of Gonal F a couple of days earlier. My trigger drug was Pregnyl last time, but Ovitrelle this time. I preferred it because it was in a prefilled pen!

There was a slight concern again that the follicles were small. Perhaps mine just like to put on a spurt at the end! My last scan on Sunday showed 5 follicles on LHS (one was too small) and 2 very small follicles, maybe 3 on RHS.

Egg Collection was a breeze this time. I felt completely fine. I'm a little bloated/swollen, but no pain at all. We got 8 eggs collected, which was a wonderful surprise. I was hoping for more embryos this time. 4 have fertilised (last cycle was 3). We'll find out the quality tomorrow and they will be frozen Friday. Fingers crossed for 100% survival rate !

Until tomorrow ...

Three Embryos!

I'm uncomfortable, I feel like I have period pains, along with the after effects of a stomach bug/food poisoning. You know that feeling when your stomach muscles ache because you have been throwing up so much ?!

Other than that I'm fine. No bleeding, and have taken no painkillers since leaving the clinic.

I had a call today from one of the embryologists. Three of the four eggs have fertilised! He said this was a good rate. I'm slight disappointed about the one that didn't, but so pleased to get three. I'm not sure what the chances of them surviving to Thursday when they freeze.

I also spoke to my PGD nurse, Karen Fordham this evening. It's so nice talking to her about doing this, as opposed to the years of conversations about why we still don't have funding !

I said I realised the number of embryos was low, and she said it wasn't a surprise and it was the reason for doing the IVF now, rather than waiting for the PGD workup to be complete. . She agreed we needed more and also agreed I can do another cycle straight away. I need to have a period first, and then can start again on the one after that (March).

Hubby asked me if I really want to go through it all again. I don't see not doing another cycle as an option! If I don't, it kinda puts to waste what I've done so far. I have heard the odds for PGD are 1 in 10. Meaning we need 10 embryos to get one, good quality, free from TCS embryo. (and this doesn't take freezing/thawing into account).

I will do it again, who knows, might get more embies next time!