I am going to start buying Powerball tickets. I am NOT playing the right kind of lottery here.
I make an appointment with the Recurrent Loss specialist after I had researched it to death. There are a few causes of "Recurrent Loss". Anatomical errors (bi-cornate uterus etc.), Infection (like STD's etc.), Autoimmune (Lupus Anticoagulant etc.), Blood clotting disorders (Factor V Leiden etc.), Chromosomal Translocations (chromosomes that did a dance and swapped parts), and "Unknown".
So another 35 vials of blood later and an exploratory surgery (yes...I have pictures of my insides....Kevin thought it would make a good Christmas card...I disagreed), and my cause was....TA DA...."Unknown"! I checked out on all fronts.....and so did Kevin. In fact....my ovarian reserve was EXCELLENT....yet scrambled. I even went to a neurologist on the recommendation of the fertility specialist to make sure I wasn't having mini-strokes masked as migraines. My brain even checked out. My one glitch....an MTHFR gene mutation called A1298C....heterozygous (fancy term for I have ONE copy of the gene). This mutation is deemed to be the less dangerous one, and the less dangerous type (I don't have both mutated copies). Therefore...it is considered a "non-issue". Basically we review our options:
1. Gonal-F pen (better than Clomid)- risk....I already produce 17 eggs on my own each cycle....they are fearful I will end up with quads. This is not a good idea based on my history of surgery and being barely able to carry ONE to term. Also....I can't afford 6 children. I don't live in a shoe.
2- IVF with PGD- This isn't a great option as the only test certain chromosomes....and none of which I have a history of triplicating.
3- IVF with CGH- better....they test all chromosomes and implant only the "chromosomally normal" embryos. My dilemma with this option. The drugs I would be exposed to could potentially raise my risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer in the future. All of which I have a family history of. I'm not sure this is a hot idea. Problem number 2- the specialist thinks that there is the possibility that ALL of my eggs will have abnormal chromosomes. So....money flushed down the toilet. For those of you who don't know....some IVF clinics offer a "Insurance" program. You get so many cycles as part of the package. If you are unsuccessful, you get half of your money back. Because of my recurrent losses....I don't qualify for that program....an oxymoron if you ask me. SO.....cost= over $20,000 which if it doesn't work will drain our bank account and leave us nothing to pursue adoption.
4- Egg donor- I'm not sure why this was suggested. I have been pregnant before. I understand this option for women who have not experienced pregnancy and really long for that experience. I have been there twice. I don't need additional stretch marks. I just want to grow my family. If it is down to donor eggs (and additional $4-6,000) I am good with adoption.
5- Russian Roulette- try again. Yes....because when it boiled down to it....when I asked what our success rate would be....we were told 40%. When asked what our success rate would be if we went crazy and played chromosomal Russian Roulette...40% again. Thank you sir....we will keep our $20,000 and not take out a second mortgage.
During this entire process, Kevin and I were also "counseled" that approximately 80% of couples that experience "Secondary Infertility" like US... DIVORCE. And on that note.....we left. Did we really need that statistic? It was like saying....."You know....others have called it quits over this....and that is OK!" Ummmmm....I don't remember my vows having any wording like that.
Upon the recommendation of the neurologist I saw previously, I decided to check out Eastern Medicine and see what they had to offer. I did take up the specialist and started taking more vitamin D, and folic acid.
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