We are due to see the consultant in 2 weeks to catch up on my IVF process and what the next steps are. Being the organised and impatient me, I've been doing some research on-line and its not looking good.
From my earlier posts you probably realise that I have been diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), meaning exactly what it says on the tin - I am running out of eggs. The trouble that I have with IVF is that from reading various websites from reputable clinics - the experts just cannot agree on what the best drug regime is for people with DOR. The problem being that you have to try to balance the drugs that will most boost your follicles with the potential problem of those drugs increasing testosterone levels (which for a normal patient are fine but for a DOR patient can lead to egg and embryo quality issues).
I have also discovered that with DOR you are also at much greater risk of any pregnancy resulting in miscarriage.
Looking back I also now appreciate that 5 weeks of a heavy duty drug regime really did take its toll on me. I was tired, moody, nautious and generally feeling rubbish. My natural cycle is still totally messed up and actually leaves me in some serious pain every three weeks or so. Bleurgh.
Chris and I are planning a break to get away from it all for a while - we are about to book a trip to the US - with a few nights in NYC for our 7 year wedding anniversary and then fly down to Colorado to see my big brother and his wife. He lives in Denver so we plan to ski and hang out. Having a holiday doesn't say we aren't going to go for IVF, just that we feel we need some space and time to chill out and relax. Chris has unhelpfully been on the receiving end of disapproval to this plan already (from his mum). Apparently we are choosing a holiday over a child. If only that was the choice placed before us!
There are many IVF patients that choose to keep their treatment secret - often until they are fortunate enough to have a success story to share. The effect of which is that people only hear success stories - most people know someone that has had IVF success. They probably also know people that have had unsuccessful IVF but just don't know it because those stories aren't shared. IVF is not a miracle cure with guaranteed results. It is a serious medical procedure involving serious drugs and an operation under general anaesthetic. The stimulation of your ovaries also significantly increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer. So its not a choice of a holiday or a child.
On top of all that, it is also expensive. We were fortunate enough to have one cycle provided by the NHS at a cost of just £40 (prescription charges). The government last week pulled all funding for IVF in the UK and there has been an outcry on the IVF blogs and boards. For me, if it is a choice between carrying on treating cancer patients (or in fact any other patient in pain or with a physical medical need) or funding IVF - that is no choice. Patients with a physical illness or in pain must be prioritised. But equally, I also think that non-essential surgeries such as sex-change operations or any other cosmetic surgery to treat psychological issues should not be funded by the NHS whilst cancer patients are subject to a post-code lottery as to whether or not they get life-saving drugs.
Party political broadcast over.
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