Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
1076696 tn?1283029725

Un-cancelling an IVF cycle--what are the odds?

I'm being sort of sarcastic about asking about "the odds" in my question title, since our lives always seem to revolve around some RE telling us our odds are 1% or zero.

I posted about this in the roll call thread, and I've been thinking it over and over all yesterday afternoon and all night. I had a mammogram last month before starting IVF treatment, but only learned yesterday that they discovered, well, basically the same abnormal results I've been getting on mammograms since I was 19. It was the same thing discovered when I started IVF elsewhere a year and a half ago.

Yesterday the RE's nurse said the best of the worst-case scenarios would be that they freeze any embryos I get from IVF next week until further test results come in from a breast ultrasonograph, and implantation would be delayed a month. The RE who phoned me later in the afternoon is the one who says my chances with IVF are definitely zero anyway. He wants to cancel the cycle because he says he has to follow the mandate to "do no harm." He says there's no point in freezing embryos because they wouldn't be any good after freezing anyway.

My thinking is that, if there is something drastically wrong and I need to start some sort of prolonged treatment, then there's no baby in my future in any case. But if it turns out that nothing's wrong, I'll have lost two months (and incidentally the thousands of dollars that led up to this). The RE told me to stop injections, but I did them last night anyway.

I'm waiting out the two hours until I can phone the clinic and ask about continuing the cycle. I was able to reschedule the ultrasonograph for Monday (probably the day before egg retrieval), so the results will probably be in the day before a 3-day embryo transfer, and presumably we'd know what's what.

Do you think I'm deluding myself? Should I just forget about it for another two months? My next birthday is in January, and I can't bear the prospect of another birthday going by while I'm sitting here doing nothing.
10 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
1076696 tn?1283029725
They say they're multiple cysts up to 4cm and "no solid mass detected" on the right, and fibroadenomas (benign), multiple cysts, and "no suspicious mass detected" on... the other right. Unless I have two right breasts, there's a typo in the report. I have an appointment with my GP Tuesday to clarify.

I'm less sore today, though I still feel a little bit as if I've been beaten up by a spoon. A smaller spoon, today.

The RE is now deciding whether this means I can start IVF again. And how soon. And how much more it will cost. Well, then. Well. I don't even know what to say.

It's very cold, but it's a sunny day in NY. I hope that's a good sign for all of us.
Helpful - 0
760556 tn?1255705081
The MRI is much more difinitive, It can distinguish tissue matter better than a sonagram. Women at a high risk for Breast cancer are almost always getting a breast MRI and possible biopsy with MRI. The sonogram should be able to tell if the area of concern is cystic or solid but if it is both cystic and solid it is harder to make a diagnosis and a biopsy is needed. I would ask your Dr. if you are a candidate for an MRI.
I hope your results come back a big NEGATIVE.. I will be thinking about you.
Thank you for your sunny thoughts with the Dr. I hope they can give me some hope.
Helpful - 0
1076696 tn?1283029725
I'm supposed to have the sonograph results by tomorrow. Do you think they won't be as useful as an MRI, then? The notification after the mammogram results also said I should get a biopsy, but my doctor's office only gave a prescription for the sonograph. I guess I'm living the whole debate over whether or not regular mammograms should be recommended for women under 50.

I'm still in pain from the sonograph. Not major pain, and not as bad as when I had a biopsy done when I was in my teens, but I've been uncomfortable and generally sore, with some twinges of real pain, ever since. I feel like I've been punched around :P

Best of luck to you in NY tomorrow. Bring warm clothes and boots--it's cold and rainy here and it might snow, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for a metaphorically sunny experience with Dr Zhang.
Helpful - 0
760556 tn?1255705081
I am so sorry to hear about all you are going through, but unfortunately, the saying is "better safe than sorry". I work in the medical field and have a lot of patients with breast cancer. I actually had a patient that was pregnant when she found she had breast cancer and had to abort her baby because the cancer was far too advanced for her to wait on treatment, she was only in the 1st trimester. I am not trying to scare you, many patients go through biopsy after biopsy with negative results but you have to do what is best. I am just curious if any one has suggested that you have a Breast MRI as well as the ultrasound? Ok enough with that, on a positive note, I also had a patient who brought her baby in for a procedure (stomach problems, no big deal) her baby was conceived by Dr. Zhang at New Hope fertility she was 41 and her FSH was 20, she told me all the other RE's gave her no hope so she did lots of research and found out about that clinic. She did natural cycle IVF, they retrieved one egg, and froze that embryo with Vitrilization (a better freezing method) for 1 month to prepare her uterus, and it took! She now has her beauitful baby and that price tag was only about $3,000.00. I know she is only 41 but her FSH was pretty high at 20.
I can't believe that theresamg just posted about Dr. Zhang because after meeting that woman I am actually flying out of FL tomorrow to go to NY to see Dr. Zhang. The woman that I met also lives in FL and she flew back and forth to NY just for them. I am 42 and had decided that the odds were too low for me to spend thousands of more dollars for nothing, until I met that woman. I felt that meeting her was a sign (you have to have something)
Also, if all else fails, there is still a donor egg. There is a great website called IVF Vacation that helps you go to Prague, Czech Republic to do IVF with and without donor eggs and the price tag for a donor egg is rediculously lower, about $5,000.00 compared to the 25 to $30,000.00 price tag here. The only downfall is that all the donors are anonymous(you can request blue eyes, brown hair etc.) and all are Caucasion, but it is hope! The United States is not necessarily best when it comes to Health care and advancements in medicine (money is too high on our contries priorities). All that being said,  I absolutely hope for the best for you!!  Just remember as long as we are not in menopause yet, there is a chance.
btw, your sarcasm and negativity when telling your story sounds exactly like me, I thought I was writing it!! lol
Good Luck!!!
Helpful - 0
1076696 tn?1283029725
Thank you for the link. I'll give it a read. I guess it's not so much having so little hope of ever having a family, as knowing that doctors have decided I'm not worth bothering with.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,
I'm not sure what you decided to do, but I wish you the best.  I  have always had concerns about treatment, but might pursue it nevertheless.  Please don't feel that all your options are exhausted, even if you can't continue.  There is also natural cycle IVF and minimal stimulation IVF.  These types of procedures are done by Dr. Zhang for example.  He was the RE of the 49 year old woman who had a child healthy child with your own ages after treatment with him.  
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhatta/in_vitro_mom_ova_comes_odds_vbEW3TIMNUajinMphp7ntI
While I appreciate the accomplishments and gifts of western science, I also believe firmly in the power of evolution and the wisdom of the body.  
Take good care of yourself.
Helpful - 0
1076696 tn?1283029725
RE #3 says at my age any eggs or embryos will be too low quality to survive, and although she tiptoed around it, she told me the mammogram shows such a large mass that there's no chance I can do an embryo transfer this month.

They can't freeze them, so they won't retrieve them, so odds are pretty high that I'm out of chances for having any children for good.
Helpful - 0
1076696 tn?1283029725
Both of you are no doubt right about being cautious. Thank you for your thoughtful replies.

At 19 I had large cysts that had to be drained. Since then I've had two ultrasounds and three mammograms--one at age 31, one at 41 before starting IUI/IVF again, and now this one at 43 (I turn 44 next month). There may have been another one in there somewhere that I've forgotten, but I think there were only regular breast exams by various doctors. It would be just my luck that the previous IVF treatment caused this to turn into something awful. I would have another 2 or 3 days of meds before retrieval if this cycle continued.

RE #1 had wanted me to use donor eggs anyway, and said there's no way for a 44-year-old to have a successful pregnancy with her own eggs, never ever happens, absolutely not. He's the one who says my eggs or embryos wouldn't be viable after freezing. RE #2 was very encouraging about IVF with my own eggs. I haven't been able to consult with him on this issue, because at this clinic you get whichever random doctor is on duty.

I've spent a lot for this cycle (still under $10,000, but creeping toward that number), and some of it would carry over for the next cycle (genetic testing, donor specimen--I'm assuming the clinic will store that). But some of it will have to be spent again. No price too great, right? (Until we run out of money, that is...)

I was able to re-reschedule the ultrasound for this morning. I guess what I'm most afraid of is that something is wrong, and it has to be treated, and the treatment is something that destroys those last few eggs, and then because the RE wouldn't freeze any eggs or embryos I've given up my last chance forever. But for all I know, 3 more days of meds would be a huge risk.

I tried to turn over a new leaf this past month and be a positive, calm, centered person. The pessimist in me is saying, "I told you so."
Helpful - 0
1027304 tn?1333973406
Miranda9 makes some good points.   I would have to agree with alot of it.   I'm 42 and having issues myself, so I completely understand how important each and every cycle is and we don't like to lose one.    I too started taking injectibles at quite a hefty price tag, since none of my meds or services are covered by insurance.   there never is a guarantee that we will get a baby out of the thousands of dollars we are spending, and that makes it so unfortunate.     Hopefully though you aren't having to pay for any of the IVF (which is the biggest price tag) if they aren't able to do it.     And....why ARE they taking your money and letting you do this if there is zero chance.   I would think THAT in itself would fall under the "do no harm" oath.     I would think though that if you've been having "inconclusive" tests from mammograms for so many years, that there should be documented medical evidence that nothing is changing and what that abnormality really means.   If not, someone has dropped the ball somewhere in your medical team.

Good luck to you, I sincerely hope this works out for you, but to prepare yourself...I would, expect the worst, but hope for the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Alice,
I would be really afraid of going through with it.  I'm sorry, I know you don't want to hear that.  I do not think that fertility clinics are transparent about the potential side effects of all these hormone medications that they are prescribing to women. I have heard of a couple of women who had abnormal mammogram results after going through multiple IVF processes.  I DO see a link there.

It's interesting that your Dr. would take money from you to do IVF, yet not believe that your eggs would be good enough for freezing.  There is something wrong about that picture.  My own RE would not even consider me as a good IVF candidate, because of my age. He's given me the 1% spiel as well, btw.  

You were very young to have needed a mammogram at age 19.  I don't know whether the abnormal results means that they have always been this way, or did your abnormal results come back from your IVF a year and a half ago?

I don't know your age but I believe that one, two months will not make a difference.  I re-married last April and I was so afraid of having another chemical pregnancy that I didn't want to TTC in March.  I was really stressed about losing that month but my RE reassured me that it wouldn't make a difference.  (I suppose because of that 1% chance).

I've had 5 losses in my life, 4 of those with my DH, most recently, this past September.  I don't have a child and I know what you are going through.  
I hope and pray that you will find out that everything is okay and that you find out that it is just a benign cyst.
Helpful - 0
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.

You are reading content posted in the TTC Over 40 Group

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.