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Liz,
Hi! Gee, it has been a month since I have talked to you and a month since my surgery! You said in an earlier posting that something scary had happened.....I hope everything is ok on your end?! What happened if you don't mind me asking?
I am feeling much better now...totally back to normal physically, but my mind is going crazy!! Just alot of decisions to make right now on what course of action to take to ttc. My DH is scheduled next week for another analysis. We had to wait about a month for an appt. because the chick that handles those was going on vacation for 3 weeks! Ugg! Based on those results we have different options as I said before. NOW, my RE wants us to participate in a study group for IVF. If we participate the cost would be about half the price they normally charge so we are concidering that option very carefully. We could try other methods first, but I'm worried if we don't take this oportunity now then we will not (financially) be able to do the IVF in the future if that is what we need!
Again, I hope everything is ok on your end. Hope the baby is doing good! It was nice to hear from you again!

Talk to you soon,
Rebecca

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Hi Rebecca,

It is so good to hear from you. I am glad you are finally 100% physically back to normal, that is great news.

That IVF study sounds quite intersting, a nice opportunity for you. Did you get details as to how exactly the study works? Just curious. :)

As for me I am doing good. At 18 weeks I had a level II ultra sound (my ob wanted me to have one because of the previous m/c and also the loss of my one twin with this pregnancy). At the level II they discovered that the baby has what they call Choroid Plexus Cysts. They told me that it can be a normal varience but it could also be a soft marker for a chromosome abnormality (ie Trisomies). I was devested and of course have been worrying myself sick. I cried for the first 3 days straight but I think I am getting stronger and more confindent that our little one is just fine. They found no other markers or problems and told us that everything was structurally normal. She had her hands open which is huge since trisomy babies cannot open their hands. Her heart also looks good and with trisomies 90% of the time they have a heart defect. I have done a lot of research over the past month and it seems to be quite common with a very high success rate of healthy, happy babies when only a cpc is found with no other markers. I go for another u/s on Friday to check on things and make sure everything is still ok. It was quite a scare for me and dh. Its hard with everything that we have been through to now have one more thing to worry about. I have finally accepted the fact that I am going to worry everyday of my life until I hold our little one in my arms and then I am sure I will find something else to worry about, it is just my nature. I also had a quad screening which came back negative.

My belly popped out and I can really feel and see the changes which is another reason that I am so positive. I feel the baby on a daily basis and she definatly makes her presence known. lol I think she is trying to tell me she is a fighter. :)

So did you dh go for his analysis yet? How long does it take for the results? If I remember it is about a week at my office.

I hope all is well with you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Take care,
Liz

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Liz,

I'm sorry to hear all you have been through lately! I can only imagine how hard that was to hear! How is DH doing with the news? I hope all goes well at your u/s on Friday. Please let me know! I will keep you in my thoughts! I too believe she is a little fighter and will be just fine! Like you said, it is a good sign that she does not have any other makers. Will you doc request more frequent ultrasounds to keep an eye on her development? What is a quad screening?

Yes, we got the details of the IVF study last week. In the first phase you have to take 3 different injections taken at different times. 50% of the study group will start taking drug #2 on DAY 1 along with drug #1. The other 50% of the study group will be starting drug #2 on DAY 5. Everything else will be exactly the same. All of the drugs and procedures are commonly used (no experimental drugs). The reason for the study group is that some clinics ONLY give drug #2 on DAY 1 while other clinics give drug #2 ONLY on DAY 5. They are hoping to show that both ways are equally successful. In turn, they will then direct their attention on determining with sub-groups (i.e. patients with PCOS, blocked tubes, or etc.) benefit more from one way or the other.

My DH went for his analysis on Monday morning. The office said I could call in 2-3 days for the results. So I will call Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

I think we have pretty much decided to try the IVF. But sometimes ignorance is bliss. I have been doing more online research regarding IVF and the average is 2-3 cycles before it works! I was hoping to have a baby after the first shot! I'll just try to stay positive!

Talk to you soon,
Rebecca

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Hi Rebecca,

I hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas.

Sorry I have not been on in awhile, I have been so busy my head does not stop spinning. lol

I had my u/s on Friday. Everything is wonderful She is doing wonderful. The cyst is no longer there and she looks great. All her measurements about a week ahead of her date, which is wonderful. She moves all around giving us quite a show everytime. It was huge weight lifted off my shoulders seeing how well she is, it was honestly the best Christmas present I could have received.

How did dh's analysis come back? Do you know when you will start your ivf study?

Some women are very fortunate to conceive on their first round of ivf others it does take a couple of months. Keep positve and hope for the best, that is really all you can do right? We can do everthing perfect and yet it is ultimatly not up to us.

I hope all is well and I hear from you soon.
Liz

I almost forgot the quad screening is a blood test that gives you an idea as to what you risk of having a baby with a chromosome defect may be. The test is just a screening so of course there is a great deal of room for false positive and false negatives. My resuls for instance came back >1 in 5000 for nural tube defect, 1 in 491 for down syndrome (that is due to age), 1 in 2264 for downs syndrome (from the blood test) and 1 in 2619 for trisomy 18 risk.

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hi Liz,

My brother in law's wife had one of the markers for down syndrome too (calcification of something i forget) So they were of course worried but their son turned out perfectly normally he is actually as cute and well behaved as a gerber baby. I hope that helps it must be kind of common take care

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Alison,

Thanks for sharing with me your brother in laws experience with a soft marker. It is amzing how many times things that this come up with a positive outcome. I think I will worry until the day I hold her in my arms but it is a lot better then it was.

Thanks again for your insight.

Liz

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