Friday, December 3, 2010

SIRM Consult

Happy Friday Internets. Your pixelated skin is positively glowing today!

I can honestly say I am feeling...fine. I think I've bounced back from this loss faster than my first two cycles. I'm getting good at this.

Not something I was hoping to excel at. Maybe Ballet, violin, or synchronized swimming? But no, I excel at processing pain and moving on. I think it may be my Irish Heritage. Nobody I know has been dealt with more pain in her life than my Mom, and she has to be the most gracious and warm (and stubborn) person I know. If shitty things happen, you just deal with it and move on. That'll be a fun topic for a gloomy day. But today is Friday so lets celebrate.

I had a good consult with SIRM yesterday. Dr. Fis.ch can sure talk, let me tell ya. But I liked what he had to say so it was all good.

He thinks I probably have some variation of PCOS. He thinks the A/ACP is a great protocol for me, but would not do estrogen priming with it like I did last time.

He would put me on birth control, and start out with a FSH only protocol at the beginning of stims and then add in some LH towards the end. (This is the opposite of what happened last month, my RE started me out with 225 Follistim, 225 Menupur and when my E2 started skyrocketing he dropped the Menupur. So I got LH at the beginning when its more likely to damage my follicles, instead of at the end when they need it more.) He also gave me a COMPLETE Biology lesson on why you do not want too much LH at the beginning of a cycle, especially if you have PCOS. It was interesting, but I was running out of ways to say "uh, huh" whenever he paused to make sure I was still listening. :)

He also said he would absolutely not recommend Donor Eggs for me at this point. I am young, and though it may take a few tries he is confident with the right protocol that good eggs can be produced.

I am going to bring all of this up with my RE. I hope I can anyways, I have a tendency to clam up when I feel like I might be critical..I don't want him to think I am criticizing him personally. I need to keep the goal in mind. This is about me getting pregnant...not his ego. Right? Right!

I think going to SIRM may be higher on our list than CCRM right now. I know CCRM's rep is great, but their prices are prohibitive. We are a straight up middle class couple, with very little extra cash to go around. We would definitely have to take out a loan to pay for any extra IVFs. SIRM would be a lot cheaper than CCRM and I think probably a better experience than my current RE. Plus they have some packages that help lower costs.

However, if my RE will take these recommendations and go with it, I may be convinced to go with him again just because it would be so much less disruptive with my job and would be incredibly less expensive than traveling anywhere else.

For right now, I feel closer to making a decision. Wish my WTF meeting wasn't so far away. I am anxious to KNOW NOW and get prepared.

With preparation in mind, I am going to get back on a diet I did at the start of this year that helped me lose 20 lbs. I could stand to lose 10-15 more before I'd be at my "ideal". I am also going to start my weekly accupuncture sessions. I miss them, and I definitely think they helped with this last cycle.

Ta-Ta for now!

5 comments:

  1. You sound alot more upbeat. Glad that you have decided against DE for now, I also believe its possible with your own eggs, you just need to get the meds right - I know its a bit of hit and miss but the meds play a far bigger role than we realise.

    If your current RE has issues with you seeing someone else or you get the feeling he is upset etc then leave straight away. Its what happened to me and I totally lost confidence in my RE. Egos need to be put aside.

    Good luck with the diet!

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  2. Great news that things are still looking hopeful for using your own eggs and staying with a clinic closer to home. Doing it the easier hard way is definitely preferable!

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  3. It's good to hear you are in a better place, and I'm glad you got some good info from your consult. We will be checking out SIRM in IL. Doesn't hurt to have a new set of eyes look at my multi volume chart!

    Good luck with the diet. I've decided to start now too and not wait until the new year. At least diet is something I CAN control.

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  4. so glad you had a good consult. i shopped around for IVF #2 and as soon as i met with SIRM, i cancelled my other appointments. i just really liked them. which one will you go to if you end up there?

    good luck! and good luck with the diet too. i lost some weight after changing my diet at the recommendation of my acupuncturist. i have liver qi stagnation so to address that and be more fertility-friendly i avoided alcohol, fried foods, spicy foods, diary, sweets and ate lots of legumes and protein. i've been sticking with it for about 10 weeks now and i do feel better.

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  5. I just had a 2nd consult with Dr. Sher at SIRM-it sounds like you had an eye opening experience as well. We have a FET in January and if doesn't work (ugh) we will likely go to LV in March for a fresh...good luck!

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