Thursday, March 4, 2010

This time last year....

This time last year we were starting the IVF process. One year ago this month we were going through testing and making sure that we were able to go through IVF. We had no idea what we were getting into. I thought it would be a difficult, but manageable process. We had no idea how sick I would get. One year ago, we were innocent and thought that IVF would be something that was going to be a minor inconvenience. Little did we know I would develop severe OHSS and be hospitalized for three days. We had no idea that I would have so much fluid in my belly, I would have difficulty breathing. Who knew I would actually WANT a paracentesis to drain the fluid out of my stomach, because the pain from that was less than the pain from the fluid?

I find it pretty funny when people ask when we will do IVF again, like it is nothing. They ask like EVERYONE has 12,000+ dollars for the procedure, plus the 4-5 thousand for medications. This doesn't even include the hardships on my body that IVF does. Most people think that IVF means we go to the doctor's office a few times, a few fertility drugs, everyone you know joking about you being the next octomom or Kate Gosslin (which is really not funny, people that do that), and BAM... pregnant. It isn't guaranteed. In fact for my age group at my clinic, the success rates are around 60%. So, you pay 17,000 dollars for IVF and medications that aren't covered by insurance...then have a 60% chance of getting pregnant. That is a 40% chance of NOT getting pregnant, and losing 17,000 dollars. Most people don't know this. I was once one of those people. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but after all of that...it worked. We made two beautiful baby boys.

2 comments:

  1. I didn't know that the odds were that low. I mean 60% isn't "low" low, but wow. Such a gamble.

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  2. Oh girl, do I hear you!!!

    John said last night that he thought if we got pregnant again, the innocence would be lost.

    Seriously? LAST NIGHT was the first time he thought that???? I sort of laughed at it, if it wasn't so sad to hear him realize it.

    If people only knew, huh? Thinking of you!!! :)

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