Homestudy Update

We had our home visit yesterday for our home study update. Our social worker told us numerous times that he has only had to do 2 - 3 three updates for couples who without referrals with our agency. He went on to say that he does not understand why we do not have a referral yet. We are going to seriously look at our profile and pictures and see if we need to change anything. We've been live on the web site for over 10 months and their average wait time is 4 months so we are way over the average. I don't understand what is so unappealing about us but I plan to figure it out. I really hope and pray that we do not have to wait too much longer.

One Last Ditch Effort

I finally heard back from my RE's office. My FSH level was 9.4 and my estradiol level was 49. The FSH is a tad higher than he likes (he prefers under 8.5) but its not abnormally high unless its 10 or higher. Also, since they only saw one antral follicle on the US, they do not recommend IVF. My last option is to have additional surgery to attempt to remove the adhesions that are causing my ovary to be trapped against the pelvic wall. I have a consult with a surgeon next week to get his thoughts on whether additional surgery is worth it. This doctor is supposedly a phenomenal surgeon and a lot of doctors send their more difficult cases of pelvic adhesions and endometriosis to him. My RE said that if we can free the ovary and elimimate most of the adhesions that I will at least have a chance of conceiving with an IUI cycle. I figure its worth the consult. Wish me luck!

News Is Not Good

I went this afternoon for my day 3 bloodwork and my day 3 ultrasound. I am still awaiting my FSH and estrogen results but the US did not look good at all. The RE (not my regular one but the other one in the practice) had a hard time finding my ovary and was only able to find one (1!) antral follicle. He advised against IVF, saying that my chances were 3 - 5%. With those chances, I don't think that I can spend the money on the IVF meds. I might see what my blood test results are and go back in next cycle to see if my RE has better luck but if the results look the same, it will probably be the end of ART for me (unless we pursue donor eggs and that does not appeal to me at this point). I am not as sad/upset as I thought I would be. I think that I knew in my heart of hearts what the US would show. I am so blessed to have D (and the more I learn about my f'ed up anatomy, the more I believe that he truly is a gift from God). I know that we will have another child one way or another when the time is right. I just hope its sooner rather than later!

Follow-Up Appointment and Adoption Update

I met with my RE today for my follow up from the lap. He showed me the pictures of my uterus and all of the scar tissue and adhesions that were there. What a mess! The good news from all of this is that he said that my uterus is about 80% of a normal sized uterus. I do not have a left ovary at all and he was unable to find my right ovary due to adhesions and/or scar tissue. He was afraid to start cutting the adhesions in a hunt for my ovary because he would have been doing it blindly and he was afraid that he might cut other important vessels, etc. The bad news is that with my ovary stuck behind scar tissue, etc., the chances of a pregnancy without IVF are VERY small. He thinks that any eggs would likely get stuck behind all of the scar tissue and not make it to the tube. Due to this, Follistim is no longer a viable option. If we are going to continue to pursue ART, we will be moving to IVF. I have a couple of concerns about doing it given my f'ed up anatomy. Not only is it a really big expense (meds are not covered), there is the physical/emotional aspect of taking all of those hormones. With only one ovary and being almost 38, I am concerned that I just won't produce enough eggs to make it worth the trouble. I am going to go in for a scan and FSH level on CD3 next cycle. He wants to make sure that he can still find the ovary with US.

Question for any readers: Do you know anyone with only one ovary that successfully tried IVF? How many eggs can one expect to produce per ovary (I know this varies based on a lot of factors but some of your experiences would be appreciated). Thanks for any responses or thoughts on whether this is the right choice for us.

On the adoption front, the girl that my dad knows is interested in pursuing adoption. We hope that our agency will get in touch with her soon to get more information. Our updated home visit is scheduled for the end of the month and we just got our FBI clearances.