Wednesday 2 October 2013

And the good ship ART sets sail

....sets sail that is, for the dubiously happy land of "Anything is better than zero." As in, "Your chances of getting pregnant with IVF are 10%. But 10% is not zero."

But that's OK. Really.

In summary:
4th meeting with Dr. Cotter at The Fertility Clinic. Tests results were reviewed.

I am not a carrier of Fragile X. All genetic and pre-IVF screening tests came back Negative. Negative means Good when we're talking about tests for diseases  and wonky chromosomes.

I am very relieved that I am not a Fragile X carrier. I teach special ed, so I know what Fragile X looks like. It's not something I would knowingly pass on to a child.

Swiped the Visa for $300 and we are now on the IVF waitlist.

Couldn't fill my DHEA prescription because (of course) the clinic pharmacy closed before the end of our appointment. (Since DHEA has to be imported from the US or something, we can only fill the prescription at the clinic pharmacy.) But at least they let me drop it off and I should be able to pick it up early in the morning in a day  or two.

So, we are looking at 3 months on DHEA, and Flare IVF in January or thereabouts. And this is good. Because the plan is in motion. Flare IVF may not work. But we made the decision to try and we are moving forward on the path we chose. That's good enough for now.

The Archipelago (blogroll) has been lighting up with pregnancy announcements lately. And it really, truly makes me happy. Partly because it gives me hope, yes. But more because I feel happy for those ladies who have gotten good news on their long, long road.

But for those of you who are NOT pregnant, I am definitely not either and we are still in this together!

Sometimes I hate the journey of IF and wish it was over, or had never started. Other times I'm OK. Like walking at dusk watching the sun set and moon rise in an autumn sky, being at peace with what the day has brought.

Onward.

20 comments:

  1. Good luck on this new leg of your journey, I will be cheering you on all the way through :)

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    1. Thank you Gypsy Mama. That really means a lot. :-)

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  2. YES! A plan! I'm so happy there's a PLAN and moving FORWARD and I'm hoping that the journey to January is full of good things and isn't *too* painfully slow :)

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    1. I think the next months will go by quickly. There's lots going on in the rest of my life to distract me, and I think I have (for the moment) the right combination of cautious hope without too many assumptions. Just....acceptance. Of course I'm not going to pretend it will be easy. But thank you for the hopefulness. :-)

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    1. Me too! Having some sort of timeline is SUCH a relief.

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  4. I had to trek halfway across downtown Toronto to the one compounding pharmacy that makes DHEA around here. Such a pain that it's available over the counter in the US! Glad to hear about the Fragile X, though. One more thing NOT to worry about, at least!

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    1. Isn't it ridiculous about the DHEA? But 380 (not covered by insurance) dollars later, I have 3 months supply as well as the CO Q10. Husband has been warned that he make wake up beside a pimply, sleepless wife with facial hair and male pattern baldness. It's all good. Yes, very happy about the Fragile X news. I'm humbly grateful for ANY kind of good news.

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    1. Thanks! I really appreciate the good wishes as I know luck (as well as as my ability to face all sorts of crap with forbearance) will be a crucial piece in this journey.

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  6. Best of luck as you embark on this new journey! I agree that I am filled with hope when my fellow IF'ers are announcing their pregnancy's!

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    1. Thank you! the good wishes mean a lot to me. xo

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  7. Wonderful, this is great news! I'm wishing you al the luck in the world on your IVF journey. I love your image of the autumn dusk at the end--like you, I am trying to come to a place where I can be at peace with all that has happened. Being at peace with the past allows you to more fully embrace the future. But yes, some days it is harder than others. I will be thinking of you and hoping to see your announcement in the blogroll in the not-too-distant future!

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    1. Aw, thanks! I hope to make that announcement one day soon too. In the meantime I'm grateful for everything and everybody that is moving us forward on this journey.

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  8. How interesting you need to get a prescription for DHEA. Yes! I am happy that you've got a plan! I totally agree with what you said in the last paragraph. :)

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    1. I know, isn't it ridiculous? But in the bigger picture of things, it's not a big deal and now I have the stuff and we can focus on the present (and the future).

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  9. I hope your travels on the good ship ART are brief and uneventful! It's nice to have a plan - for me, even when we were stalling (and there were many stalls), at least having that plan in place felt like *something* was happening.

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    1. Thank you! I know, a plan makes all the difference - things seem so much more manageable with some kind of plan.

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  10. I'm really excited for you! One step at a time, you'll reach your destination. I'm glad that you don't have to worry about the Fragile X now. The DHEA will be worth it - one blogger I know (Manju) has had amazing results with it. Oh and I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but I really respect people who teach special ed! Perhaps one day you could share some of your experiences. Looking forward to your updates!

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    1. Thanks Ariel! You are so right about the "one step at a time." So far I find I've been able to stay fairly level-headed about the situation (there are good days and bad days for sure). A big part of that is letting go of the belief that one thing will solve all of our problems, but rather looking to make many incremental improvements. Good to hear the positive reports on DHEA. Thanks for the positive comments about my job. I will see if I can think of a blog entry (have to be very careful about confidentiality, of course).

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