Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Final Appointment (to review results)

So today was the day I went in to meet with the doc and really review my results.

Dr. B was smiling ear to ear, and greeted me happily, saying something like "I told you when you first came in that we really like to see younger patients - you can't get better results than what you got"

So what we already knew was that 31 eggs were retrieved, of which 28 were frozen. Some more data

- the reason there were more eggs than follicles, was just because the little follicles weren't counted, this is normal
- The 3 eggs that weren't frozen were just simply not mature enough to even try to freeze
- Of the 28 frozen, 27 were "spindle positive" - which sorta means mature normal spindles, which is apparently very important. I asked if that meant the other was mutated or something, and Dr. B said it didn't mean that, but that it just wasn't as good/mature and had poorer pregnancy results or something though it could still totally produce a normal baby, but that spindle positive eggs were the very best
- so of the 27 spindle positive eggs - they were perfect - couldn't get more perfect

Now here's the wonderful numbers that almost made me cry. Dr. Noyes, one of the egg freezing pioneers and another doctor at NYU, published research that says that you should use 8 spindle positive eggs for a good IVF outcome. I have 27 spindle positives. 8 is a good solid IVF attempt. That means I have over 3 GOOD IVF attempts. NYU's success rate is between 50-60% per good ivf attempt with frozen eggs (and that's in 2008 - who knows how much better results might be 8 years down the road when I could need these). And that doesn't even take into account that fact that my odds should be better because the eggs are 32.

Dr. B says based on my results he's comfortable saying that my odds are better than 8/10 for a baby from these egg and he could not in good conscience suggest I do another round unless money was no object, because I was just as ideal as ideal could be. And he's a doctor, and he needs to be conservative. Every published anything online suggests the odds are like 20 or 30% per egg retrieval. So for Dr. B to say I'm better than 8/10?! Awesome. And when I do the math, I see 3 IVF cycles, and even with the lower bound 50% success rate, that's still over 88% that at least on cycle is successful. If my odds are closer to 60% per cycle, we're looking at 94% odds that there's a baby in there.

Dr. B. says this is why young people are just the ideal candidates. I got 31 eggs, 27 spindle positive. The typical egg freezer might be 40 and get 7 or 8 eggs, and those may not be spindle positive.

Anyway, I also asked all my other questions - like my nagging uncertainty about whether I had PCOS based on words thrown around- Dr. B. says I don't have PCOS and that I do ovulate. I have Polycystic ovaries and that's it - so I have irregular period and makes lots of eggs, but beyond that, I ovulate, and I'm normal and all that.

And I got to get a full genetic screening in this whole deal, and I'm not a carrier for a single typically-tested recessive disease.

And even though my mother went through an early-ish menopause, there is no indication whatsoever that I am headed down this path - I look like a very fertile 32 year old. So says Dr. B.

Not a bad bit of news no matter how hard I tried to get it! Perfect eggs, No need for a second round, No PCOS, No early Menopause indications, no recessive genes .....!

And they're going to try to send me a photo of an ACTUAL EGG - I'll totally frame it on my wall :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

where I can find your email?