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Genetic Counseling
The day of the appointment arrived, and we were ready to learn more. Getting to the appointment was a bit frustrating. Nick is still working on third shift at this point, and he barely woke up in time to get ready and go. We arrived a couple minutes late and completely spaced grabbing masks. Back…
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The Report
While waiting for our genetic counseling appointment, I reached out to my IVF nurse to see if I could get the full report on our embryos so I could share it with the counselor. “The report shows the genders of the embryos. Is that OK?” she asked. That’s fine I said, internally thinking, “Why wouldn’t…
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The Results
We both went in on June 13, 2022, for our karyotype (or, as Nick says, carrot top) tests. The test info on Kaiser’s website said it can take 1-2 weeks to get results. The phlebotomist who drew my blood said results could be in later that week. As of June 27, 2022, I hadn’t seen…
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The Regroup
Before we started IVF, we watched an online class the clinic sent out. It went through the whole process, from beginning to end. I found it surprising when they said they hope to get at least one or two viable embryos after the egg retrieval process. “Surely we would get more than that!” I thought…
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Grieving
There’s really no other way to describe how we felt after this news other than grief. We were so sure we were going to be pregnant in just a couple of months. It never even occurred to us we might not be. It was grief for the potential baby we weren’t going to have. Grief…
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The Gut Punch
It’s a work day, and I’ve gone with a coworker to help pick up a print order and grab some lunch. He’s talking with the vendor when I get the call: _________ Nurse: We’ve received the results of the genetic tests on your embryos, and, unfortunately, they’ve all come back abnormal. We’re so sorry. Me…
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Embryology
After the egg retrieval process, the mature eggs are immediately fertilized in a lab through the intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI) process and grown to the blastocyst stage before being genetically tested and frozen. The morning after the procedure, we got our first update from embryology. There were indeed 19 eggs retrieved during my procedure. Of…
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Weird, So Weird
IVF is weird. You essentially take a process that, for the majority of couples, is free and fun, and you make it the exact opposite: incredibly expensive and full of medications, injections, and uncomfortable procedures. And while you and your partner are definitely in it together, for most couples, it’s very one-sided. At every step,…
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IVF
OK. We can get this process started. Exciting. Nerve-wracking. Frustrating. Scary. It’s so confusing to have so many different feelings at once. How do you hold space for all those conflicting emotions? Excited we might be pregnant in a few months. Scared and nervous we might be pregnant in a few months. Frustrated that it…
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What Do You Mean It’s Not Covered?
I really didn’t want to do IVF, but it seemed like it was our only option now. I’d been worried about the prospect of IVF being our only choice ever since our first doctor’s appointment at the clinic. It’s expensive and invasive, and I did not want to go down that road. I was mostly…
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IVF That 