So we met with the doctor on Monday because he wanted to have a re-group meeting to see where to go from here. Wait, back up a second. The day I found out the negative result the doctor called me that evening and we spoke for about 45 minutes. And through my tears I was still able to ask him some important questions that had been on my mind. I said, here's a thought. In September we were canceled because the birth control pills messed up my cycle, and basically we thought I wasn't even on the right days to stimulate, after we had already stimulated with drugs for 6 days. But the cycle after September we did an ultrasound just to see what was going on and there were something like 9 follicles present. Then the cycle after that, we did another ultrasound and I had something like 5-6 follicles. Then the December IVF cycle we started with 4-5 follicles, but only ended up with 2 by the time it was time to harvest them. Sooo, here's a thought, what if......the drugs you gave me in September stimulated and woke up follicles for the next cycle which is why I showed 9 follicles and concurrently 6 follicles. The doctor stopped talking on the phone and said, "No one has ever asked me that, or thought of that." He also said he hadn't read anything or any studies about this, but that it didn't mean they weren't out there. So fast forward to our Monday meeting.
The doctor says, well here is what I would like to discuss. And I stopped him cold. I said, "don't even start going there with the donor egg conversation, because I have NOT given up on my own egg supply yet and I don't want you to either." He looked at me and said OK. I said here is what I would like to do. I want to be an experiment of sorts for you. I want to make a wager that if we walk into the ultrasound room right now and look at my follicles that I will have 6 or more. I then reminded him again of my theory of taking the stimulating drugs for a couple days the month before you plan to do IVF and how I believe it is waking up follicles for the concurrent cycle. He said ok, let's do an ultrasound and if you have more that 6 follicles right now for this cycle, your theory may be correct, since you just were on the stimulating drugs from this most recent attempt. So I marched into the ultrasound room, Very confident I might add. The nurse coordinator came in and asked what our new plan was and opened the chart to see the notes from the doctor about what we had just discussed in his office. Funny thing was, he didn't write down a single thing!!!!!! She looked at me and started laughing and said, NO REALLY, what is the plan for you guys? I just looked at her and said, well... we have a little wager on a theory that I have, and if my theory proves correct, this will be unlike any other plan you have probably had here.
Paper skirt on and here we go!!!! And how many follicles did I have you ask???? 6!!!!!! Yes, that's right 6 follicles! So the doctor looks at me and says, ok we are going to test your theory. I will do IVF on you again in January with your eggs. And here is what we will do. I am going to give you 3 days worth of stimulating drugs right now and you will inject them for the next 3 days. Then we will proceed in January with an IVF cycle and see if we get more follicles and hopefully more eggs. He said if your theory proves correct, he will definitely take it into consideration when treating "poor responders" like myself in the future. I said, "well when you make it big with your research, name the study after me. And also I want half of the profits!!" Ha ha!!
He said he has never tried this before, and probably hasn't heard of anyone else trying it for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason being that anytime you give a woman the stimulating drugs, the CDC considers it to be an IVF attempt. (And everything has to be reported to them.) Well in our case we aren't attempting anything this cycle, just trying to wake up more follicles for next cycle. So to the CDC it looks like a failed IVF. And this looks bad for the clinic and the doctors overall success rates. Especially since my age group (under 35), has the highest success rate, doctors want good numbers, not failed ones. Another reason this might have not been attempted by many or any is because the drugs are so expensive.
So for experimentation purposes, they gave me some "sample" drugs for free, and I am not in the December IVF group, and no money has exchanged hands. So I guess you could say I am an "under the table" experiment of sorts? And I am totally ok with that.
We started the drugs Monday after our appointment and have done them twice a day since then. Tonight will be my last injection for the experimental portion. Then I will just go on like normal until my cycle starts in January, and then we will start up again with the full IVF.
I am feeling very excited. I like that our doctor genuinely listens to my ideas, and doesn't just act like a know-it-all doctor. I am excited for the possibility that I might have an idea that might help other people in my situation. I am even more excited if my theory gets us pregnant. Maybe I should go to medical school? I know I have mentioned it before, but naaaah, I'll just keep advising the medical community one brilliant idea at a time. Ok, maybe I am getting ahead of myself, but hey at least phase 1 of my theory has proved to be true twice now. That has to say something.
I don't think I will have much to report until we start up again in January. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, or what ever you celebrate, and a Happy New Year! All the best things are coming in 2012, I can just feel it!
Oh, and please please keep those positive thoughts going, cause I know the more people we have thinking good thoughts for us the better! That theory has to be true!
Jenny
73 Needle injections
12 blood draws 31 vials
3 IV needles
