Not in a hopeful mood like last time, we just returned from the clinic were we cancelled the first IVF cycle. With only one follicle in my ovaries, and not even the expected size after 8 days of hormonal stimulation, the doctor says there is no point in proceeding this cycle. The news is devastating, even though we knew all along that my ovaries weren’t doing great.
The doctor asks what we think of an egg donor, since this alternative is included in the price of the treatment. Unfortunately, we don’t quite agree on this point. Same as when we considered adoption, I have no problem with not sharing any genetic material with my child, but my husband is still reluctant about that point. Even though, it’s MY genetic material that wouldn’t be part of the child.
Our next step will be to follow closely on the next natural cycle and see if my body produces a useful egg naturally. They can then extract it and keep it frozen. We can do this several times before we go to fertilization, which is when the first IVF cycle would be considered spent. For our lives, it means that my time here in Colombia for now won’t include an insemination, just an egg extraction in the best case. It means we need to plan our schedules and return again in a few months after I’ve completed a few work trips in September and work commitments in October.
Even in my realistic mind, I was almost convinced that two cycles would end in a successful pregnancy and we were going to return with one more life in tow. The reality check is hard and it leaves an open-ended question about when and how we will become parents. Because we will…
A Stork's Journey 