NEED ADVICE/STORIES - Under 35, Healthy, IVF just not working

[Anonymous]

OP here...great success stories! Thank you so much posters 23:43 and 15:43. It seems like persistence can pay off and that ,well...miracles do happen despite what science tells us. Really lifts my spirits to hear about such successes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here...great success stories! Thank you so much posters 23:43 and 15:43. It seems like persistence can pay off and that ,well...miracles do happen despite what science tells us. Really lifts my spirits to hear about such successes.

I don't think anyone addressed your questions about NK Cells / Antibodies and I wanted to chime in.
I'm a former SG patient with Endometriosis. I was adamant about being tested for NK and autoimmune issues, and it's not part of SG's protocol. I couldn't get my RE there to agree to ANY of the testing.

If you think (or suspect) that it could be an issue, you can make a free phone consultation with any of the RE's at SIRM and they will order all of the testing for you. Beware, interlipid therapy is expensive if that is what is suggested, but it can make a world of difference ... I'm now 37 weeks pregnant.

Good luck, I know how frustrating this all can be. I wish you the very best.

[Anonymous]

Great info poster 6:46. I (OP here) too begged my RE at SG as well as my OB/GYN to test me for immune issues and they simply won't. Gave me the run around about immune issues not affecting your ability to get pregnant and they don't do anything to help you even if it turns out you do have immune issues. Bunch of crap in my opinion. Wish someone around here would think outside the box just a little!

I'm going to follow your advice and do a phone consult at SIRM. It can only help me at this point. We've already paind $30K+ in fertility treatments...if intralipid therapy could help me, I will definitely consider it despite the costs.

Where did you get your intralipid therapy done?

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to chime in for whatever it's worth (I'm a PP who posted about going through IVF 9 times to conceive our kids at SGF). I also asked my RE at SGF about the immune testing and as you've said - he gave me many reasons as for why he wouldn't do it. I also told him I was doing a second opinion with a SIRM RE and he told me that RE would recommend the testing - and they would find something because they always do. Did the second opinion - that SIRM RE recommended the testing - I was scheduled to go up to NY to have the testing done and ultimately decided to bag it because as you said - my RE wasn't willing to change anything with my protocol even if the testing showed something because he believed so strongly that it wouldn't affect my outcome.

We were in the shared risk program at SGF so in a way I felt my hands were tied. I couldn't find another IVF PGD shared risk program so I needed to stick with SGF. As someone else mentioned the testing was expensive (I think a coupel thousand dollars) and wasn't covered by my insurance so I couldn't really justify doing it if ultimately SGF (who I needed to stick with) ultimately wouldn't take that data and do anything different.

I'm not saying to not have the testing done. I'm just saying to look at everything - if you need to stay local for whatever reason and your local RE is saying he won't even look at the test results - might not be worth spending the money to have the testing done. If you'd consider going to SIRM based on what the results show - might be worth looking into.

[Anonymous]

Just found this link to a test that if adopted by doctors can help us, patients, avoid multiple failed IVFs.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/ivf-success-test-determine-pregnancy-chances/story?id=11200847&page=1

[Anonymous]

Poster 11:55...great post. I'm the OP and I totally agree with you. Not sure if the immune testing is worth it because I too feel like my hands are tied because of the SG's shared risk program. And my insurance won't cover the tests as well.

How many cycles did it take you to get pregnant with your first child?

Thanks for your perspective, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way!

[Anonymous]

Hi - 11:55 poster here again. I think what is so hard about IVF (as if anything is easy with it) is I was always looking for a reason or explanation as to why my cycles weren't working and sometimes that's just how it is - there is no explanation. One RE told me that IVF cycles are like the changing of the tides of the ocean - everyone is different. I had just turned 30 when we did IVF (DH had just turned 31) and we were doing IVF for MF (my DH has a chromosome issue which gives us a 50% chance of a Trisomy 13 or 14 baby so we were also doing PGD).

It took 4 IVFs to conceive my first child. First cycle was BFN, second cycle cancelled for poor response, third cycle was ectopic and fourth cycle worked. Each time we changed my drug protocol and I was amazed at how different the results were as far as number of eggs yielded, quality of embryos, fertilization numbers, etc.

We went back to IVF when my first child was 6 months so I had just turned 32. We used the same protocol we used to conceive my first child and it yielded my worst cycle ever. Total devastation. I want to say the first time around it yielded 15 embryos - the second time it created 2 embyos. So IVF #5 was a negative, IVF #6 was a chemical, IVF #7 was a negative, Frozen Transfer was a negative, IVF #8 was another ectopic and then IVF #9 was my twins. Again we changed my drug protocol every time.

It's so hard not to doubt yourself, doubt your doctors and always want to have an answer for why things are going the way they are. I honestly think the reason we were successful is partially due to changing our drug protocol and partially due to luck. I tried changing my diet, accupuncture, yoga - for me - those didn't seem to affect our outcome.

Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for your perspective and for sharing your story poster 11:30. I (OP) definitely agree with so much that you have said. Maybe I just need a different protocol. My Re wants me to try Ganirelix instead of Lupron next cycle. Hopefully the protocol will yield eggs that will finally implant!