The anonymous donor we previously selected is still available. We have signed up for a shared donor cycle. The primary reason is money. We save about $5,000 by sharing the eggs. As long as there are more than eight mature eggs, we get half. Up to eight we would get them all as we signed up for this donor first and are therefore the primary recipients. usually about 2/3 of the eggs fertilize. This donor has donated 3 times previously and all 3 ended in pregnancies, one was twins. Hopefully, our super donor will continue with her great track record and a lot of people will be very happy!
Now we have to wait for another couple to agree to be the secondary recipients. It seems cruel to have to wait, but what can you do.
Part of me wants to be horribly greedy, pay the $5k and get on with it. I am not a very patient patient!
If only money grew on trees!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thalassemia Minor
I have always known my friend Paula and her family had a low grade anemia, well that anemia has a name and it is Thalassemia minor. If is kinda like sickle-cell anemia, meaning as long as both partners do not have the trait, then it is not expressed as full blown Thalassemia major. However, even carriers of the trait have a chronic low grade anemia. To my friend Paula and her family it means very little in their everyday life. However, when it comes to egg donation, it becomes a very big deal.
The risks are too great according to my clinic staff and they have excluded Alizsha as a donor because of it. Sigh! My friend Paula reminded me of the condition when I spoke to her on the phone late last week and so I did some research over the weekend and then emailed my clinic this morning.
On a positive note, we have not seen Alizsha since her Mom's wedding in 2004, so I will be happy to have her come visit. If her Mom and baby sister can come as well, we can make it a mother daughter weekend and perhaps take a little road trip.
Back to the fertility issues, we are back to square one. We picked out an anonymous donor before we thought about Alizsha, she is still available and we are likely to use her. She was a previous donor with 3 donations and 3 successful pregnancies. She is only 22 years old as well. In her profile she says she wants to return to college and become a nurse and one day maybe even an Oncologist. Well maybe that is a sign, given that I am an Oncology nurse as well.
I know I should be thankful we have a back up plan, but I am a little disappointed. Let's see how everything plays out!
Theresa
The risks are too great according to my clinic staff and they have excluded Alizsha as a donor because of it. Sigh! My friend Paula reminded me of the condition when I spoke to her on the phone late last week and so I did some research over the weekend and then emailed my clinic this morning.
On a positive note, we have not seen Alizsha since her Mom's wedding in 2004, so I will be happy to have her come visit. If her Mom and baby sister can come as well, we can make it a mother daughter weekend and perhaps take a little road trip.
Back to the fertility issues, we are back to square one. We picked out an anonymous donor before we thought about Alizsha, she is still available and we are likely to use her. She was a previous donor with 3 donations and 3 successful pregnancies. She is only 22 years old as well. In her profile she says she wants to return to college and become a nurse and one day maybe even an Oncologist. Well maybe that is a sign, given that I am an Oncology nurse as well.
I know I should be thankful we have a back up plan, but I am a little disappointed. Let's see how everything plays out!
Theresa
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Plane ticket is purchased
I am happy to say that we have secured a plane ticket for Alizsha. She will be flying in the first week of April for her physical assessment and her psych evaluation. Matthew and I are seeing the therapist this Friday. I have to say that this time around seems less scary because I know more of what to expect.
The hardest thing to do is wait....
So far we have waited to see what the MD thought about using Alizsha as a donor...
Next we had to wait to hear what the physician group thought of using her....
Then we had to wait and see if we could find a therapist to see her....
Next we had to wait and see what the therapist thought of her over the phone....
Now we are waiting to see how the psych screening and physical exam go......
All of this before I have to take a single med or see the MD. I actually will not need to be seen until my pre-lupron ultrasound which will not occur until the beginning of May!
Perhaps now is the time I work very hard and make lots of money! To help pay for all this!
Maybe I should take an extra Prozac while I am at it!
Theresa
The hardest thing to do is wait....
So far we have waited to see what the MD thought about using Alizsha as a donor...
Next we had to wait to hear what the physician group thought of using her....
Then we had to wait and see if we could find a therapist to see her....
Next we had to wait and see what the therapist thought of her over the phone....
Now we are waiting to see how the psych screening and physical exam go......
All of this before I have to take a single med or see the MD. I actually will not need to be seen until my pre-lupron ultrasound which will not occur until the beginning of May!
Perhaps now is the time I work very hard and make lots of money! To help pay for all this!
Maybe I should take an extra Prozac while I am at it!
Theresa
Thursday, March 20, 2008
And the winner is.....
The 19 year old donor is the winner!
Well so far so good anyway. Our donor and our NEW therapist spoke briefly today over the phone. The therapist called her a delightful young woman and said she was at a good place in her life and so far an appropriate donor for us. Our old therapist approached the situation in such a negative manner that it is hard to imagine our donor getting a fair evaluation. (who needs an ageist therapist anyway! we got rid of that mess)
She needs to fill out the screening, and get labs with her next period. Then we are back on track. Alizsha is flying here the first weekend in May for a whirlwind trip that involves blood work, antral follicle count, cultures, and psych work-up. then hopefully we are on track for a May transfer! Woot!
Wish us luck!
Theresa
Well so far so good anyway. Our donor and our NEW therapist spoke briefly today over the phone. The therapist called her a delightful young woman and said she was at a good place in her life and so far an appropriate donor for us. Our old therapist approached the situation in such a negative manner that it is hard to imagine our donor getting a fair evaluation. (who needs an ageist therapist anyway! we got rid of that mess)
She needs to fill out the screening, and get labs with her next period. Then we are back on track. Alizsha is flying here the first weekend in May for a whirlwind trip that involves blood work, antral follicle count, cultures, and psych work-up. then hopefully we are on track for a May transfer! Woot!
Wish us luck!
Theresa
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Red tape
Well we are experiencing what is known as red tape. Our MD approved our family friend as an egg donor, however she will have to go through the same physical and psychiatric counseling as any other donor. Seems simple enough right? Now comes the red tape. Our therapist believes that 19 is too young to make informed consent. The ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) says that you must be 18, but they recommend that you be 21 to donate. There are donor agencies that accept 19 year old donors, so the practice is not that uncommon.
Our therapist, whom we happened to like quite a bit, has said she thinks this is a bad idea primarily because of her age, but in addition to that she just seems to believe known donors who are not family members are a bad idea. I have spoke with our donor at length about a litany of issues including possible physical complications including hyperstimulation syndrome, future fertility issues, anticipated relationship with our child etc....I have found her to be remarkably mature and thoughtful in her answers and thought processes.
There are other issues that must be considered, namely time and money. We have already been cleared for egg donation at our clinic, transferring to another clinic would be costly. Also, I do not want to spend so much time wound up in red tape that we delay the process.
I have telephoned 6 other therapists in our area. After explaining the situation to them, I will listen to see if they are all as negative in evaluating our prospective donor. If they all seem quite negative, perhaps we will go with an anonymous donor at our clinic.
Sigh...such frustrations!
Wish us luck!
Our therapist, whom we happened to like quite a bit, has said she thinks this is a bad idea primarily because of her age, but in addition to that she just seems to believe known donors who are not family members are a bad idea. I have spoke with our donor at length about a litany of issues including possible physical complications including hyperstimulation syndrome, future fertility issues, anticipated relationship with our child etc....I have found her to be remarkably mature and thoughtful in her answers and thought processes.
There are other issues that must be considered, namely time and money. We have already been cleared for egg donation at our clinic, transferring to another clinic would be costly. Also, I do not want to spend so much time wound up in red tape that we delay the process.
I have telephoned 6 other therapists in our area. After explaining the situation to them, I will listen to see if they are all as negative in evaluating our prospective donor. If they all seem quite negative, perhaps we will go with an anonymous donor at our clinic.
Sigh...such frustrations!
Wish us luck!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Re-consult with MD
On Wednesday we are having a reconsult with our MD. We have a few questions for him including:
1) Is there any way we can try another cycle with Dawn?
2) Could the results be better if we changed her medications or her protocol?
3) What are the chances of success if we use Dawn again?
4) If we decided to use Dawn again would you support us in our decision?
5) We have a friend of the family who is 19 years old and in college, clinic protocol says the donor should be twenty years old. Is there any way we can use her?
6) What are the relative chances of success if we use the younger donor vs my sister?
7) Would another clinic allow us to use a younger donor or is this an industry standard?
Wish us luck and pray for success!
Theresa
1) Is there any way we can try another cycle with Dawn?
2) Could the results be better if we changed her medications or her protocol?
3) What are the chances of success if we use Dawn again?
4) If we decided to use Dawn again would you support us in our decision?
5) We have a friend of the family who is 19 years old and in college, clinic protocol says the donor should be twenty years old. Is there any way we can use her?
6) What are the relative chances of success if we use the younger donor vs my sister?
7) Would another clinic allow us to use a younger donor or is this an industry standard?
Wish us luck and pray for success!
Theresa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
