I'm New Here

[maddoxbd]

Hey All,
I am new to this site and new to the whole invitro thing.

Me- 23
DH-27
Natural Preg #1- MC 6w3d 12/3/07
Natural Preg #2- MC 4w3d 4/8/2008
Diagnosis- Paternal Reciprocal Translocation (a chromosome abnormality)
73% chance of MC for every natural Pregnancy

So we are doing the PGD with IVF to get our precious little one. We have our first IVF consult next tuesday we have already had two PGD consults. We don't really know what to expect yet but I'm excited for the possibility of twins or triplets. Anyone know what the chances are? Or have multiples as a result of IVF?

I'm looking forward to getting to know you ladies!!!

Bethany

[Riley1178]

I have also had 2 m/c and found out that my husband also has a translocation - 5 and 20. We are doing ivf with pgd as well. My egg retrieval is on Wednesday - my u/s yesterday showed 12 follicles so I'm hoping for that many eggs. I'm so worried about not having many embryos by day 3 for the pgd. I'm trying to stay positive though. When we did our genetic counseling, they told us that the m/c rate was really only about 30% and it seemed like they tried to change our minds about the ivf/pgd. I figure my m/c rate is 100% at this point and I am going to do whatever I can to avoid that! Good luck at your consult and hopefully you'll begin the process very soon!

[maddoxbd]

I am so happy to find someone that is going through this as well. (that sounds mean but it's not meant to be) I just felt sooo alone in this. Where are you doing your pgd? When we first spoke to just a regular genetic counselor they told us that the translocation (5 and 6) wouldn't have anything to do with the miscarriage because no one on his side has had a problem having babies, and to just try again because two miscarriage is "normal" and I'm young. UHHH it made me sooo mad, but when we spoke to the genetic counselor from the PGD place she said that she has more and better information because they are actually doing the tests on embryo's everyday. She said that with her tests about 73% of the embryo's with a male translocation are unbalanced and would result in a miscarriage. We are doing our PGD in Chicago, we live in indiana, we are doing the IVF here but they are coming down to do the biopsy and all....

12 follicles sounds promising!! I hope you have good embryo's for day 3 and I hope that you have all of them for day 5. How many are you planning on putting back? Is this your first IVF cycle? Did they give you your chances of getting preggers with this? How long did it take for you to get pregnant the first two times if you don't mind my asking. Our stories are just sooo similar. It didn't take me long to get pregnant with my first two so I'm hoping that means that the IVF will take the first time, and now since we are "fixing" the problem with the PGD hopefully this time I will actually get to hold my baby!!!

How long did it take between getting your first consult and actually starting the process? Did you get your insurance to pay for the PGD?

I'm sorry I am bombarding you with questions, you are just the first person I've met that has this or has even heard of it for that matter.

Keep me posted, good luck on wednesday!! only two more days!! I will be positive for you!! I will be your own personal life cheerleader!! that way if you start to lose hope there will still be plenty of good thoughts out there for you!!! I know it's so hard to stay optimistic!!!

[Riley1178]

Okay that is a lot to reply too but that is okay! I went off the pill in May 06 and got pregnant on the 2nd cycle which was our first try. At 11 weeks, while on vacation in Greece, I started spotting and went to the hospital there. They said the baby stopped growing at 8 weeks and it was a "missed" miscarriage so I had to have a D&C. We started trying a month later and I did not get pregnant. Finally in October 07 I got pg again but I miscarried a few days after finding out. I had an exploratory lap done in November 07 and they foudn some endo and that I had scar tissue in my uterus from the D&C so that was cleared. I asked for a referral to a specialist in January and was seen within a week. He did a ton of blood work for the m/c and found the translocation. I also had an hsg and found that I had a uteran polyp. At an u/s the next month it appeared that the polyp had gone away so we did the ivf consult and had our med calendar to start meds the end of May. I had my u/s the day before meds were to begin and the polyp was seen again so we cancelled the cycle and I had surgery to have that removed. Then we started everything the next month. Oh yeah, I went on bcp as soon as we found out about the translocation because I didn't want to miscarry anymore. Lets see...oh, the genetic counseling... We went to the university of Michigan for that which is supposed to be so great and it wasn't. They told us that because there were no babies born in my husband's family with birth defects that our risk of birth defects due to the translocation wasn't really any higher than the general public. That made no sense since his translocation may not be genetic - he coudl be the only one with it! They coudln't find any literature about his specific translocation so they coudln't tell us much. They gave us a 30% m/c rate like I had said. We thought it was a big waste of time. The RE still thinks our plan is the best so we are continuing with it. I go to Dr. Ayers at IVF Michigan - they contract with a lab for the pgd but I don't know who it is. My insurance won't cover the ivf or pgd so we are paying out of pocket for it all - it did cover all of my meds though which is better than a lot of people get. Don't worry at all about the questions - I'm pretty much an open book and will tell you anything you want to know! It is nice to know that someone else knows what a translocation is! Most people look at me all confused when I try to explain why my husband is normal but many of our embryos may not be! I may have missed some of your questions so I'm sorry if I did! I will let you know how everything goes tomorrow. I"m just so nervous that we won't get many embbies and that they may not find any normal ones. This is our first ivf. We are hoping to transfer 2. We are willing to use embryos that are balanced - do you plan to use balanced ones or are you only willing to transfer normal ones? Keep me up to date on your process as well!!! I hope you can start everything quicly!

[maddoxbd]

Good Luck today!!! let me know how it goes!! you are in my thoughts!!

[Riley1178]

We got 11 eggs today! I'm happy with that since I only had 12 follicles. Now we just have to wait for the fertilization report which we will get sometime tomorrow. Please continue to think good thoughts for us that all 11 will fertilize!!!

[Riley1178]

10 eggs were mature and 7 fertilized. I'm so worried that isn't enough! I'm hoping that the 3 that didn't fertilize failed because of an unbalance translocation so that the 7 that are left have a better chance! I'm so nervous - the transfer should be monday if I have any good ones...

[maddoxbd]

EEKS!!! i'm sorry i was out of town for work, But you should've had your transfer yesterday!! how did it go?? what was the reason for the 3? did you find out? I'm sooo excited and nervous for you!!! YOU COULD BE PREGNANT!!! YAY!!! Yay for BABIES!!! let me know how it went!!! I have my first appoint for iVF with my doc today at 3:30pm I'm nervous but excited!! I got a letter from the insurance company saying that they would pay for it! YAY!! I hope things are going well and you are feeling pregnant!! how many did they transfer?? I can't wait to find out!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!! you will know if you are preggo in just a few short days!!! YAY!!!

[Riley1178]

Yesterday was the worst day of my life... We went for the transfer and found out that we had no embryos that were normal. Only 3 made it to day 3 for the pgd. Those 3 were all unbalanced but to make it worse, they had many other genetic abnormalities far beyond the translocation. The dr saidhe didn't really know how to recommend we proceed because he needed to talk to a geneticist first. Basically there was something gentically wrong with my eggs as well. I can't even believe this. My karyotype was normal and I"m only 29 so there was no reason to suspect that my eggs were bad. Basically we are just expecting that we can't have our own babies. I've been crying constantly since we found out. What are the chances that I would have genetically bad eggs and jason would have a translcoation???? If there is just one problem you can hope that you find the one good egg or sperm but if we are both "bad" the chances are SO slim that the good sperm could find a good egg ya know? I sure hope you have much better luck. I would still like to stay in contact and know how everything goes for you - you are the only person I "know" that has the translocation and is doing pgd. I don't remember if I asked this already but what state are you in?

[maddoxbd]

Mandy!! I am soo incredibly sorry. I can't even imagine what you are feeling. I don't know if i could handle that kind of complete devastation. I don't even know what to say. Except that I am soo sorry. I cried when I read this. If you need anything I will definately do whatever I can. We went to the doctor today and it looks like we are going to start everything with my next period, which would make all the transfers and everything in september.

Definately keep me up to speed on what is going on, and I know it's soo hard to keep your hopes up so I will keep mine up for you, maybe the problem with your eggs is something that can be fixed. You never know, the doctor doesn't even know yet. I will just keep hoping, in the mean time if you need anything to help you get through this horrific time please let me know. You have already been through so much more pain and devastation than anyone should be expected to handle and still stay sane! I am so sorry.

We live in Indiana by the way. I hope that you do stay in touch you are the only person that I know going through this as well. My email is maddoxbd@hotmail.com let me know if there's something I can do. Even if you just need to vent I will let you yell at me.

[michalah]

I am not currently undergoing any ivf procedures, but my husband and I have had one m/c at 6 wks and a stillbirth at 20 wks. We have only gotten pregnant twice in two years, and our second baby most likely had a chromosomal problem. The doctor I had at the time was not extremley helpful, and not well informed. I am looking on the internet for any info on what could cause all of this. One of the things i have found is Reciprocal Translocation. It has been suggested to me by a doctor that my husband and I not have any genetic testing as it is not practical for us, since we have only lost two. My question is this, for you ladies who have been tested for Reciprocal Translocation: Is it expensive? Did any of your insurances cover it? What is the procedure exactly? I would like to decide for myself if it is practical for us, as I do not trust what has been told me by these two doctors. Thanks in advance for any help, and I'm sorry if I'm on the wrong site, but I could only find this one site with where there were women who have gone through this.

[lynniecat]

Riley1178 --

I am so sorry for you! I hope you get more positive news....and if it comes to donor eggs or sperm, its not the end of the world. I know people who have done both of these things and they LOVE their little ones and never think twice about it!

I know its hard though, I definitely understand as I am at the end of my rope too! I just can't make any good eggs!

[Riley1178]

michalah - I'm so sorry for you losses, I know how hard it is. The genetic testing is a simple blood test. I can't believe your dr won't do the testing! My RE had no problems doing the testing after 2 m/c and I'm so glad that he did. My insurance did pay for the testing so I don't know how much it is if you have to pay yourself. Good luck!