Things are still looking good: Turns out I had 19 eggs, 15 of which were mature (M2).
16 of them became 2PN embryos (i.e., they fertilized)!!! All my M2 eggs, barring one large "cyst" fertilized. Heck, even my immature eggs (M1), a total of 2, fertilized.
That is a total fertilization rate of 85% (93% for M2 and 100%, for M1), which is at the upper end of the ICSI range (70-85% of total eggs). Compared to the last IVF, where the overall fertilization rate was 29% (75% for M2, and 0% for M1), this is awesome.
I also asked my RE to try an experiment: to dilute, aliquot (i.e., divide), and refreeze the sperm, and see how many survive per aliquot. This would be interesting, and may work for repeat IVFs, and is a great way of thwarting the evil sperm banks, who charge a fortune per vial, and for every service they can dream up. While this would not be advisable for IUIs or ICIs, it may work for IVF. This was my backup plan if I decided to go for natural cycle IVFs.
Now begins another stressful period- waiting to see how many will make it to blastocyst.
I also have OHSS, and yesterday was absolutely miserable. Today is slightly better, but I'm still as weak as a kitten.
But I've been wanting to say this for a while: despite everything I have gone through, I am a lucky person, when it comes to my family. My parents are the most amazing, selfless people. I met a woman recently at the fertility clinic. She was older, unmarried and wanted to freeze her eggs (no insemination). She told me her mom stopped communicating with her once she started going ahead with the IVF process. My mom, on the other hand, gave me all my injections (even the trigger at 3:30 am, due to which she had a mostly sleepless night), has drawn blood for me at home to send to the path lab, and was allowed into the OT to hold my hand when they put me under. And she has done all this without complaining, ever. Even though my plan wasn't her plan for me. I hope if I get children out of this journey, that I will be able to manage even a fraction of what my parents have done for me.
16 of them became 2PN embryos (i.e., they fertilized)!!! All my M2 eggs, barring one large "cyst" fertilized. Heck, even my immature eggs (M1), a total of 2, fertilized.
That is a total fertilization rate of 85% (93% for M2 and 100%, for M1), which is at the upper end of the ICSI range (70-85% of total eggs). Compared to the last IVF, where the overall fertilization rate was 29% (75% for M2, and 0% for M1), this is awesome.
I also asked my RE to try an experiment: to dilute, aliquot (i.e., divide), and refreeze the sperm, and see how many survive per aliquot. This would be interesting, and may work for repeat IVFs, and is a great way of thwarting the evil sperm banks, who charge a fortune per vial, and for every service they can dream up. While this would not be advisable for IUIs or ICIs, it may work for IVF. This was my backup plan if I decided to go for natural cycle IVFs.
Now begins another stressful period- waiting to see how many will make it to blastocyst.
I also have OHSS, and yesterday was absolutely miserable. Today is slightly better, but I'm still as weak as a kitten.
But I've been wanting to say this for a while: despite everything I have gone through, I am a lucky person, when it comes to my family. My parents are the most amazing, selfless people. I met a woman recently at the fertility clinic. She was older, unmarried and wanted to freeze her eggs (no insemination). She told me her mom stopped communicating with her once she started going ahead with the IVF process. My mom, on the other hand, gave me all my injections (even the trigger at 3:30 am, due to which she had a mostly sleepless night), has drawn blood for me at home to send to the path lab, and was allowed into the OT to hold my hand when they put me under. And she has done all this without complaining, ever. Even though my plan wasn't her plan for me. I hope if I get children out of this journey, that I will be able to manage even a fraction of what my parents have done for me.
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