I have finally talked Dave into looking into the possibilty of IVF. I have called my insurance company and found out that they will pay up to $5000 (per lifetime) for one round of IVF; this includes labs, radiology, surgical procedures, harvesting of eggs and implanting of embryos. It does not cover the storage of embryos.

Sooo my questions are:
1) How much more OOP will it cost us to do this. I realize that each person is going to be different and that will make the $$ fluctuate..but I am just looking for an average so I know what we are working with.
2) Other than possibly getting pg; what are the side effects of the meds?
3) Does it hurt? Any of it?
4) What are the chances of it actually taking place on the first try? Am I wasting money and getting my hopes up for nothing?

Please share your experience; the more details the better. I want to get a good idea of what I could be possibly looking forward to.

Thanks in advance for your participation. :biggrin:

:yippee: :bawl: :bighug: Unfortunately I can answer any of your actual questions (maybe when it comes down to going through the actual transfer), I just wanted to drop off my excitement for you!!!!!

1) I'm sure it varies. I don't remember exactly what we paid since I didn't cut the check. Maybe 10-12,000. Not sure if that included meds or not. It wasn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
2) My side effects from meds were hot flashes, bloating & low energy. Maybe some headaches. Nothing major for me. The bruising on the a$$ from the injections really sucked.
3) Myactual IVFs didn't hurt. The part that hurt a bit & sometimes more: 1) injectable meds (esp the one that's oil based...Progesterone?) & 2) some of the tests. I don't really count the blood work as hurting. The actual IVF didn't hurt at all but the mock IVF did a little.
4) The chances of success depend on your individual situation. This is the success rate at the center I went to but it's different depending on your age, diagnosis & a host of other variables http://www.2reproduce.com/IVF_Success_Rates.php You might want to check out the rest of their site as they do have a lot of information available.

You can, and should IMO, research local options. Your doctor may be able to give you some of the information you are seeking based on your history.

We went through 3 full IVF cycles & one frozen. The services of the frozen cycle were free since I won a free IVF in a raffle :lol: The first IVF resulted in a blighted ovum, the frozen in nothing, the second in a pregnancy where the baby had extremely serious problems (almost no brain, major liver problems, organs not where they were supposed to be...) & the third in Amelia. Given our history, for the third, I insisted on doing ICSI so we could do our best to assure that there were no problems. When I talked to the tech, she said that she was surprised at the results of the ICSI as she would have suggested "putting back" different embryos than the ICSI recommended.

The first IVF resulted in a blighted ovum, the frozen in nothing, the second in a pregnancy where the baby had extremely serious problems (almost no brain, major liver problems, organs not where they were supposed to be...)


Are these normal things that can happen? What is a blighted ovum? What is an ICSI?

Ack! I meant PGD (we did do ICSI, to but that was something we had done all along).

From my doc's website:
PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis): This technique is also a variation of IVF involving removal of a polar body (genetic material next to the maturing egg), or a cell from the dividing embryo for genetic analysis to avoid the transfer of genetically abnormal embryos or embryos carrying a genetic abnormality linked to the sex of the offspring (generally the male).

ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection): This is a variation of IVF in which fertilization is achieved by direct injection of a single sperm into the egg. It is utilized when the male partner has a significant sperm problem, or when IVF is planned and there is another significant concern regarding fertilization. ICSI was performed in 50% of ART cases in 2001.

Blighted ovum http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blighted-ovum/AN00418 I think they are fairly common, even with unassisted pregnancies. As for what happened with my second IVF, nobody involved (including several genetic counselors) gave any indication that it was IVF related. Maybe luck of the draw or age related or something else? Maybe, though, it was related to them selecting an embryo that wasn't the quality they thought from looking at it. No clue. Mind you, the clinic I went to has a great reputation.

:yippee: :bawl: :bighug: Unfortunately I can answer any of your actual questions (maybe when it comes down to going through the actual transfer), I just wanted to drop off my excitement for you!!!!!

I'm with Kristen to give you lots of virtual hugs through this. You have been in my prayers for years that a new baby might bless your family. :hug99:

I didn't do IVF, but did do three rounds of injectibles and IUI (interuterine insemination). I believe the majority of the drugs prior to implantation are the same with the two procedures.

Prior to any of it, I had to have several diagnostic tests (HSG -- where they check to see if fallopian tubes are open, which probably doesn't make a difference with IVF since you'd be by-passing the fallopian tubes in the process), a sonohistogram (filling the uterus with saline and an accompanying ultrasound to check for physical abnormalities of the uterus. I had a polyp which then had to be removed surgically). I'm sure there are a lot of other things too. For us, I believe the diagnostic testing was covered, except for copays, by insurance.

The medications had minimal side effects for me -- maybe a making me a little hormonal/headachy -- but at the time, I chalked it up to stress. The sub-cutaneous injections weren't bad at all -- just a little nerve wracking the first time we did them. The final "release" injection was intramuscular (HCG, I think) and that smarted, leaving a tender spot for a few days. I didn't do progesterone injections (I did suppositories instead), but I believe those are intra-muscular as well.

Our labs were covered by insurance (all bloodwork) and some of our ultrasounds (sometimes 2x per day late in the cycle) were. Meds ran between $1500 and $2500 (each of my cycles had a different protocol, and in some instances, different meds. My last cycle was during 9/11/2001 and I had to buy the drugs locally because FED EX wasn't flying and I couldn't get them from the discounted mail order pharmacy).

Wow thanks for all the information Kelley and Pam! I really appreciate it! Anyone else please let me know your experiences!!

Kristen and Shannon thank you so much!

Insurance covered a lot of my IVF but I think it would have been in the $10-12,000 range.
I hyperstimulated from the medication. My ovaries were huge and my estrogen levels through the roof. Not pleasant. I was lucky I didn't have bad hyperstimulation! The injections weren't fun but they weren't terrible either. I think the hardest part was just the huge time commitment and the constant stress and worry! The progesterone injections were super yucky and more painful than the stimulation meds. My egg retrieval was done with anesthesia but I was in a fair amount of pain afterwards. After 24 hours I felt much better.
I was able to get my drugs from a local pharmacy that specializes in IVF but I think many people order them online.
My pre-IVF work-up including HSG, genetic testing, other blood work, and sonogram.

I'll think of other things when I'm not so tired!

Amanda

So here is the BIG question. Since I only have one shot at this...is it worth it? I mean do people actually get pg on the first try of IVF?

I think sometimes it does work on the first try. I think Amanda got pregnant with Nathaniel on the first try, right?

Based on average success rates, I think you have a 50% to 60% chance of becoming pregnant on any given round of IVF. It seems worth it to me.

BTW, refresh my memory...Did you guys ever try IUI?

My IUI worked the first time for us (though I eventually miscarried at 11 weeks). Have you guys ever tried non-injectible drugs like Clomid (which did nothing for me, but does work for some people and is hugely less expensive/invasive than the injectibles).

Making that first appointment is scary. I would really advise you to bring DH if you can. There will be things he'll have to do (have his swimmers tested, have blood tests.) prior to any treatment. It was hard for me to listen to all of the issues and options and really retain everything, so having a second set of ears there was a good thing. I did have a preliminary talk with my OB/GYN (several, in fact) before she referred us to the RE. She did some of the initial evaluations, and because they were done by her, they were covered by insurance. She also monitored me during my Clomid trials.

Again, forgive me for not remembering your whole story, but do you know the cause of your IF? Did you have trouble getting pregnant with David? The reason I ask is maybe there's a solution that's less costly than IVF. Also, I've heard stories (like my cousin) who underwent various treatments for years (in her case, two years) only to eventually learn that she had zero infertility issues but her husband had a sperm count of zero. She has two year old twins now, but had to use donor sperm to make it happen. They spent a lot of time, money and heartache because her husband wasn't tested early enough in the process, though they don't regret the efforts becasue they're so thrilled with the results.

BTW, refresh my memory...Did you guys ever try IUI?

No we did not try IUI. My insurance doesn't cover IUI at all.

My IUI worked the first time for us (though I eventually miscarried at 11 weeks). Have you guys ever tried non-injectible drugs like Clomid (which did nothing for me, but does work for some people and is hugely less expensive/invasive than the injectibles).
We did try 6 months of Clomid a couple of years ago with no luck. My doctor offered them to me again; but we decided not to do them. I went into a deep ugly depression after and we decided it wasn't worth it to chance it.


Again, forgive me for not remembering your whole story, but do you know the cause of your IF? Did you have trouble getting pregnant with David?

I went off the pill in January 2001 and was pg with David by March. There was absolutely no difficulty conceiving him. Then October 2003 we decided to go for #2. This time it took a bit but we finally got pg in March of '04. I had an eptopic pregnany. I went in for a D&C (May '04) and ended up losing my right tube. (Long story of denial but I was 9 weeks pg when I finally had the D&C) We started trying again in July '04. We tried for almost 2 years before I decided to talk to my doctor about it. I had the HSG (dye test) to make sure my remaining tube was free and clear and it was. Dave was tested and all his swimmers were good. I was given the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility". Shortly after we decided to try clomid, which obviously didn't work. I have charted, temped and all that crap for years with nothing. My doctor has made the comment that it seems to be a timing issue and heavily recommended IUI; however after checking with the insurance company and finding that they don't cover it we decided not to go that route. I told dh then that my ins. covers up to $10K (at the time) for IVF and he said that he didn't want to conceive that way. So I had to drop it. Which brings us to here....It's been a very sad and emotional journey and I am just ready for the ride to end...preferrably with a baby in my arms.

Neither did mine -- but the actual IUI proceedure was small beans in terms of the cost. I don't rememeber exactly -- I think it was around $350. Obviously the medications, bloodwork and monitoring added a lot to that bill -- but if you'll have several thousand dollars in out of pocket expenses for an IVF, it might me worth considering.

This is stuff the RE can help you sort through. Like I said earlier, my RE said he preferred to send everyone straight to IVF if it weren't for the money issues because it gave him more control in the outcome (you risk higher order multiples because and IUI can't control which eggs become fertilized and implanted, which you obviously can control with IVF since the fertilzation occurs outside the body and the implanting of a limited number of embryoes is an option).

I jumped in before your last post.

Wow, you've already been through the works, haven't you? I'm very sorry -- no one deserves that sort of struggle. We were married seven years and had four years of actively TTC on our own and with various levels of intervention before we wound up with Connor and Lilly, so I definitely know your pain -- the financial, physical and emotional tolls of all of this are significant. My fluke was that Brendan was relatively easy to concieve -- I got pregnant the first time trying when C&L were 16 months old (what was I thinking?!?) and ultimately miscarried and then got Brendan the first time out of the gate. It was baffling that what was so hard wound up being so easy with him. You're having the same situation in reverse, and it stinks. It really does.

Hope you didn't think my posts were too pushy. I didn' mean to sound that way. :justahug:

No I didn't think you were pushy at all Kelley. I appreciate you taking the time to understand my story and I thank you for your input and support. I like the idea that IVF can "control" the risk of multiples. Ideally I only want one..but I would take multiples. Don't know that I would make it through with my sanity....but heck, I barely have it as it is. :lol:

Sanity is overrated, honestly. :lol: I'm only a couple of hours away. I could drive up there and hold the extra babies if it comes to that. :)

This is soo very true!! Where are you again?

I got pregnant on my 1st IVF.

Amanda

I'm in Palm Beach County, halfway between Boca and Palm Beach.

So when I was in Sunrise back in April I was in your neck of the woods. :lol: Wish I would have known. Maybe we could have met up. There's always next time.

Melissa, I have no medical advice, just wanted to offer hugs, like Shannon and Kristen, as you are going through this. I'm praying that the end result will be a little baby (or 2) in your arms. :hug99:

Perhaps you could talk to Veronica about he IUIs, since that's what they did for both pregnancies?

So when I was in Sunrise back in April I was in your neck of the woods. :lol: Wish I would have known. Maybe we could have met up. There's always next time.

Pretty close! Sunrise is about 30-45 minutes south of here. I don't make it to Tampa Bay often, but Orlando is on our radar. :)

We are at Disney at least once a month. Maybe we can meet up there one day.

Sounds good! :)

So here is the BIG question. Since I only have one shot at this...is it worth it? I mean do people actually get pg on the first try of IVF?
I haven't finished reading all the responses, but wanted to answer this.

Yes! My girlfriend went through IVF (ICSI) because her husband had severe issues with his sperm. She had boy/girl twins from the first round. :)

ETA: Now I've read the entire thread. I had IUI before I got pregnant with Graham and it only cost me $150 for the actual injection of the sperm. I had 80% coverage for the clomid and the Sperm Analysis and "washing" was covered. I guess it was because I didn't pay for anything. But then, I'm in Canada.

If it is a timing issue, you should check the price of IUI. If it's as cheap as mine was you might want to start there.

Good luck! I'm glad Dave finally came around!

How's it going, Melissa?

I went to talk to Dave about it the other night and he said that he was in a bad mood and didn't want to. :sigh: So now I am just waiting.....always waiting. I wanted to talk to him before making the appointment so I could coordinate it with his day off.