First PGD Appointment

Today we had our first PGD appointment at Care Nottingham.

WOW is all I can say!!!

Again, to echo my last post, God is good! (Why does this always surprise me so much?)

1) We not only have the unlimited funding already in place, but we are also funded for subsequent children. Like... WOW. It was a completely jaw-dropping moment; I don't think I've ever been so amazed in all my life!

And the news keeps getting better...

2) We can get going right away. The info sheet we had from Care prior to the appointment prepared us for a 3 month wait after this appointment. The couple we met on Sunday had a 6 month wait (at Guy's Hospital London) after their first appointment. We can get going... now?

3) The odds of it working are WAY better than we were led to believe previously. Care do "Array CGH" (Comparative Genomic Hybridization). They have been doing this for PGD for the past two years (replacing the FISH procedure). I guess the FISH procedure led to the 1/5 statistics we were quoted at Leicester Royal. With CGH, Care had 50% success rate in 2010, and 30% last year, leading to an average of 40%. And for those that produced a healthy embryo and reached implantation, in 2010 80% succeeded, and last year 55%.

So I worked out (such a stats geek!) that on our first go, we have a 40% chance of it working, a 32.5% chance of it producing a good embryo but not implanting, and a 27.5% chance of there being no viable embryos (that will not happen in Jesus' name!).

With the NHS funding, we get two funded cycles to see if we produce viable embryos.

The only not so great news - my ovaries. The PCOS is severe - my antral follicle count is 70+ (a high count is 30+). Because of this, I have been put on metformin right away. Then in July I am going to have drugs to bring on a bleed, then take the Pill for a month to bring on another bleed, and we will cycle on day 18 of my cycle after that. I'm going to have the Short Protocal, and daily monitoring (because of the high count).

In regard to my ovaries, 2 Corinthians 12:10 keeps coming to my mind: "When I am weak, then I am strong." His power is made perfect in my weakness. Your will not mine, Lord.

Having such a high antral follicle count seems to have good and bad aspects:

• "When there are an average (or high) number of antral follicles, we tend to get a "good" response with many mature follicles. We tend to get a good number of eggs at retrieval in these cases. Pregnancy rates are higher than average." 
• "High count, watch for polycystic ovary type of ovarian response.
  Likely to have a high response to low doses of FSH product.
  Higher risk for overstimulation and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
  Very good pregnancy rate overall."

(http://www.advancedfertility.com/antralfollicles.htm)

If I get severe OHSS, the cycle will be cancelled, and embies frozen on day 1. I am pretty resigned to getting mild OHSS with such a high count (perhaps I shouldn't be, and should be walking in greater expectation of miracles!), but I am pretty hopeful that they will be able to keep it mild with the constant surveillance and extra attention they will give me.

Such a high count basically means (I think) that I am extremely fertile in IVF terms (yay me!!) which is much better than having limited fertility... So it may take us a while to get there but get there we will. 

I have been on a more PCOS friendly diet for a few weeks now. It make me feel better if nothing else.

Thank you Lord so much for all your kindness and graciousness.

I LOVE that we might have the Prophet and Light!!!!