Adelyn was the only embryo we had that was considered healthy (no chromosome abnormalities) and did not carry the BRCA gene. She was created from the eggs I had retrieved prior to starting chemotherapy in 2022. We do have 6 more embryos frozen that have either chromosome abnormalities or the BRCA gene. Not great options for another transfer. Why go through this all again to transfer an embryo that knowingly has the BRCA gene? Yes, if we transfer a male embryo they have less of a chance of getting cancer in their lifetime, BUT have the same risk of passing the gene along to their children. YES, we want more children… so what does this mean for us?
Do I have any eggs left that are viable after chemotherapy? Do we get the chance to have another baby? What are the next steps?
I will have to complete what they call an “ovarian reserve” test. This assesses how many eggs I have left and my hormone levels during my cycle. This will determine if I am able to complete another egg retrieval. Unfortunately, this test cannot assess the quality of the eggs. So an egg retrieval may be a waste of money if my eggs were damaged during chemotherapy. If this test determines I have eggs left and qualify… I will then undergo another egg retrieval.
The question I always get: Why wouldn’t you just try naturally instead of going through IVF again? If we tried to have a child naturally, I have over a 50% chance of passing the BRCA gene along to my children. IF that gene is passed along and we have another daughter, her risk of cancer is over 50% and increases with age. Yes, IVF is expensive… but so is getting cancer. I would rather spend the $30,000 now and prevent our children from getting cancer than to try naturally and pay the $30,000 later on cancer treatments and have my children go through the same thing that I had to endure. Looking at the bigger picture is hard, especially when trying naturally is much easier and cheaper than IVF.
So, here we are. Only 2.5 months out from having our daughter and already testing to have another. Why? Because this process of egg retrievals, embryo creation, and genetic testing can take close to a year. With my risk of ovarian cancer increasing every year, they recommend I get a full hysterectomy by the time I’m 35. Nothing like putting everything on a timeline.
Mandafit 