I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Just when I thought I had a plan in place...

I went for my water sono today (and btw it did not hurt one bit). The Dr. who I haven't met before said if he was writing a textbook he'd use my pictures as they were as normal as normal gets.

So then he looked over my chart and we had a chat.

Some of you may remember my 9th IUI didn't work and I *think* I may have been accepted into a grant study for either IVF or mini IVF. My insurance doesn't cover IVF at all.

Anyway the Dr. basically told me I am unexplained and that most paitents who are unexplained really have endometriosis and that if I have laparoscopy surgery and they find something I should just try on my own for 6-12 months because everything else with me looks perfect.

So I said what about my immune issues? (hashimotos, MTHFR, NKa, ATA...) and he said "that's all BS". And then told me how and why it's BS for 5 minutes.

He then told me the facility that's offering the grant program isn't a good one anyway why else would they give away free IVF and that if I don't get pregnant they'll probably come up with expensive tests and bill my insurance and that's the scam.

So I told him because I just blew all my money on a stupid house that has a lot of empty bedrooms (and gutted it too) that I don't nor will I have 12k just laying around for a while and I see this as my one chance to get IVF OR I could continue with IUI's that don't work.
And he said "Or the 3rd choice the laparoscopy surgery".

Now I am probably going to Ovulate Wed or Thurs, DH and I were just going to BD. Then next week I am going to the grant place and if my sono shows I O-ed I will probably get assigned my IVF treatment and start meds that night.

So really I don't have time to do the surgery, I am kind of annoyed no one mentioned this to me before ever.

So I will take everyone's advice on what to do and sorry this is SO long!

I have always had perfect periods, yes I get cramps when it's at my heaviest, usually 8 hours where I feel like cr@p, I get monthly O pains, but I don't think it is excessive pain. No one in my family has this to my knowledge.

And not to be stupid but my friend had this done and her scars are bad, also I know people who said it was the most painful thing ever after.

Could I have Endo with no symptoms?

Everything else with us on paper except those immune issues is perfect. DH has 120m count and 78 motility, I had a great HSG, the Dr. said my tubes looked beautiful and my lining is usually a 10 and always 3 layered.

I am now doubting my plan and confused. Feel free to tell me anything!

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

You can have endo w/ no symptoms and my scars from my lap are so tiny you don't even notice it! Recovery was about 2 weeks and I was back to normal. I understand you're frustration, no one wants to hear they should wait longer to have more things done and I think its wrong for one practice to talk negative about another. Not all REs believe in immune issues... I say do your own research and/or go for a 2nd opinion.

If you go ahead with the grant how many times can u do IVF under it? You can always do the lap if for some reason IVF doesn't work the first time?

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

i would get more opinions from other doctors ..imo immune issues ARE NOT BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

before i do surgeries etc.... i would keep looking for answers while you see if you get to do the ivf.

even if you get to do the grant for ivf...i still would want my immune issues to be treated.

i dont know the doc you are seeing...but it makes me very leery!

gl

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Well I used to see Dr. Braverman who diagnosed me with the immune issues, I still am immune monitored under him though. And my new practice is LI IVF, but the Dr I saw today is not my regular Dr. there, my normal Dr. I like, she never said immune issues are BS but she did saw there isn't evidence...which is why Dr. B is immune monitoring me.

At the grant place, New Hope Center for Fertility the cordinator who I met with said something to the effect of Hashimoto's and it being a immune issue and yes it could definitely have something to do with it. So it seemed he believed it too.

And I read on another board that all these girls that have done the NH study were very pleased with them and so many of them got pregnant. And some came from different states like FL just to get into this study.

So far besides the vitamins I am on intralipids is the only immune reatment I am getting so Dr. B will give that to me.

And I don't think NH is running a scam, they really believe in mini ivf and think they're trying to prove it's easier to do and just as effective. It's not a new drug and they said I'd be treated just like any other person there.

You get to cycle with them until all of your eggs are gone! So if you have 10 eggs from convential IVF you go till they're done and if you do mini you will probably only have enough for one or two cycles. And if you get pregnant you get to move your eggs and store them anywhere you'd like for later.

I found their facility to be beautiful clean and organized (so far).

ETA - If I do a lap now I will miss out on the IVF grant. And say they find nothing, then I would really be screwed. I feel in my gut I don't have endo, he is basing it on the fact I am unexplained. I have no signs and no one has ever mentioned this to me before.

My friend has lap scars and they are very noticable, like dark and a bit smaller than a dime.

Message edited 11/21/2011 7:17:25 PM.

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

I had my transfer at New Hope and my dr worked in conjunction with them! I LOVED my dr and it is because of him that I have my twins!

While I was there, I met a woman (much older) who had cycled with 1 embie and had a 7 yr old son and she was going back for one more round of a mini-IVF. She was so hopeful!

Good Luck!

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

My opinion is to go with the Grant at NH. It seems like the other doctor you saw today might have been the one trying to get your money (or keep your money). If the grant doesn't work you can do the surgery after. I wouldn't skip the possibility of being included in a free trial. Good luck :)

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

i would do the ivf...if it doe snot work then maybe look into the surgery but before i woudl go for surgery i would do the ivf

good luck

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Thanks guys my gut is saying to continue on with NH.

It's just upsetting because I could have done this surgery a month ago on the off chance I do have endo, and then try to do this on my own.

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Since you got into this program at New Hope, I would do it. If it doesn't work then I would look further into having the lap. I had endo and had no symptoms. I have had 2 laps and have very little scars. With the first one I had none, but the second surgeon did it differently and have 2 small ones by my bikini line.
If you aren't paying anything at all for the IVF at New Hope, I would try it!

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Posted by gina409

i would do the ivf...if it doe snot work then maybe look into the surgery but before i woudl go for surgery i would do the ivf

good luck

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

I'll just chime in on the dr trashing another dr/facility. In all the places I have been to, not one doctor did that in my meeting about another doctor I had seen. It is totally unprofessional! I would definetely get another opinion.

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Posted by gina409

i would do the ivf...if it doe snot work then maybe look into the surgery but before i woudl go for surgery i would do the ivf

good luck

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

Well he isn't actually MY doctor, he just did the water sono and we got to talking so he went over my chart with me.

There are tons of them in the practice and my actual doctor told me she was fine with everything Dr. B had put me on except the intralipids which is why he now monitors my immune side of it.

But I agree, about the bashing, it is rude and makes you feel bad.

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

I had unexplained IF.

MY RE (who is also a gyn surgeon) explained that he COULD do a lap to look for endo (which could have no sx)... but he said that it's hard to completely remove & more than likely if he found something on a lap... the next step would be IVF.

The RE did not really look for immune issues. There is a LOT of controversy in the literature about some of the tests and the interpretation of them (esp NK cells). Speaking to friends & colleagues: Dr B seems to be one of few who actually does the whole immune workup. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.
BMJ article

We did a trial of IUI & then went on to IVF. You do have immune suppression through your IVF tx.

IVF worked & I got preggo the next time easily which my Ob says is very common if you have had unexplained IF the first time round. He swears it's some kind of "re-setting"... but that's not scientific at all.

BTW: I totally understand the feeling of a with empty rooms. You'll fill them.

Re: I need advice and opinions bc I am confused!

I sent you FM, but I wanted to add that my LAP scars are minimal. I have one inside my belly button that you can't see. The other 2 are incisions smaller than a dime in very discrete locations covered by a bikini (below my left hip bone and on the border of where hoo-ha meets lower belly, where a c-section would be)

And it wasn't any more painful in recovery than my ER.