Finally, the day I have been holding my breath for. My ultrasound scan! Will there be follicules? Can they reach my ovaries?
Our appointment was scheduled for noon and I was cramping really bad so we decided to call a cab. We called a cab around 11:30, and after 10 minutes it became clear there were no taxis in the area – meaning we had to walk. With some pretty strong cramps in 96 degree weather all uphill twenty minutes away to get to the clinic.
Needless to say, by the time we got to the clinic I was drenched in sweat (for some reason Kai never sweats) and 10 minutes late. We shouldn’t have worried, as soon as we got there Jenny greeted us with a big hug and a “Welcome to the refrigerator!” Yes, their office is VERY air conditioned, very nice.
We checked in at the front desk and waited a few moments and then had a surprise. Chrysa, the lab co-director wanted to sit down and speak with us.
“I review all patient’s files and noticed that you have opted to freeze eggs instead of embryos – you are both here, you seem happily married – we wanted to ask why?” She then went on to explain that there is a much higher success rate with thawing and transferring embryos than there is with thawing, fertilizing and transferring eggs. Her heart really just wanted to make sure we weren’t going to need to go through all of this again if the eggs did not actually survive. I appreciated this.
This is something we talked about for a while as we were deciding to go this route – and it came down to the moral question. If something were to happen and I could not carry the embryos – what would happen to them. As a Christian, we view these embryos as life, and honestly as a person that has been trying to get pregnant for so long, it is beyond that. Those little embryos are the closest we have come towards raising a family of our own. So, this is a big question.
This is a question that I think everyone faces as they are coming to the decision of IVF. The morality of IVF. In this moment in time, it is a few months after the Pope condemning IVF and surrogacy specifically.
In these moments it feels so UNFAIR. Most people never have to make these decisions, never even need to THINK about these decisions, yet here we are having to make hard choices we never asked for. I truly think the right answer is going to be different for everyone – and I think it is foolish to believe that God can only work in one type of journey and not others. It is without question that life comes from God. I am sure the frustration of all fertility clinics is that even with all of their hard work and technology the outcome is akin to flipping a coin. Life is from God.
We told them the morality question we were puzzling through, and additionally that I am concerned because of an Adenoma in my uterus that I would not be able to carry a pregnancy in the first place. The decision was made for Kai and I to have time to think about it and consider the options, while they also monitor my uterus to see if it seems like it could hold a pregnancy with minimal risk as the endometrium grows over the next month. They were very patient, understanding, and not pushy. Their goal was to give us all the facts and help us to make the best decision for us.
It was after this meeting we did the ultrasound scan. The set-up of the room was great, I have never seen something like it before. There was an office, with a single large desk and big comfy chairs and the ultrasound area was behind the office and protected by a wall that went 3/4 of the way across the room, so it felt very private and like a comfortable space for such a personal thing.
Dr. Anthi did the ultrasound while Jenny stayed close to me to help translate if there was need, Chrysa stayed at the desk on the otherside of the wall taking notes about the exam. Honestly, I felt so cared for and heard. These three women working together to figure out the best option for my health and the future of our family.
The great news! My left ovary looks accessible and there are 8 follicles seen on the ovary, I am not sure how many of these will develop into eggs, but this was a very encouraging first scan. My right ovary seems to have about five follicles and is hiding behind my uterus, so I am not sure what that outcome will be but hoping for the best.
To be quite honest, I was very concerned the cysts would prevent them from getting anything and it seems like that is not the case, which is so encouraging!
The scan itself was a typical transvaginal exam – anyone that has had infertility issues has probably had dozens of these. The room was comfortable and there was a screen above the bed so I could see what they were seeing, which was really nice because I have always been curious and if you are not pregnant they don’t show you whats going on at all the other clinics I have been to.
They prescribed Puregon to begin the ovary stimulation and I will continue the Arvkap throughout the stimulation. My next appointment will be in 5 days (they were going to do 4 but the 4th day is a holiday where the labs will be closed).
Once again, I am so thankful we found this clinic. So far, it has held up to it’s reputation of being a stellar clinic with caring staff that know what they are doing.