Help with PGD, just triggered for 2nd cycle and FS has given option to cancel

[Tigerkat]

Hi All,


I'm doing PGD as hubby has Muscular Dystrophy, which we found out after my son was diagnosed last year. I'm soon to be 38 and DH 39, we had one stimulated cycle 4 eggs, 2 made it to day 5 and both affected. Now on 2nd cycle and not the results we were hoping for so far. Boy this is an emotional rollercoaster!!!
We have 3 follicles at a good size and I have triggered tonight for EPU on wed morning 7am. The FS has told me I have the option to cancel the cycle for a small fee and can try again. However to keep in mind that last time we had 4 large and 3 small folliles and this time we have 3 large and 3 small, so he doedsnt expect my body to do much differnet next. So I could be cancelling a cycle only to have 2 large follilces next time. I feel sick making these decisions. I think I'm going to go ahead this cycle, but not 100%.

I was wondering if anyone out there or if anyone knows someone doing PGD that has had a low egg count and had a few stimulated cycles, i would love you to share your experience with me as I am totally confused, nervous, anxious etc etc. I havent really opened up to anyone this time around as it was to painful last time telling everyone it didnt work.

X

[ferrals5]

Hi tigerkat
We done a PGD cycle in november last year and although i had good numbers 24 follicles and 8 eggs fertilised we ended up with 3 that made it to day 5 and two of those were grade 3 so could not be tested the 1 remaining was a grade 2 so we had it tested and unfortuneatly it was effected with our disorder but we had the choice of cancelling and doing another cycle but we chose to continue whatever the outcome as we had already paid the bulk of the money and i am worried about my age (36 next month) so decided i dont have time to waste i am disapointed with the outcome and now we can not afford another PGD cycle so are left with no choice but to let nature decide we have a 1 in 4 chance so the odds are in our favour.
I am not sure what i would do if i were you but if money was not an issue and you are getting low on egg reserve due to age i wouldnt want to miss an opportunity.
Good luck with your decision.

[Tigerkat]

Hi Ferrals4,

Thanks for you reply and advice, I cant believe there was nothing for you to implant after starting with 8 eggs. You must have been shattered! It really is just luck I guess, they can give you all the drugs in the world but in the end those little eggs with follow natures way. Well age does scare me, as I will be turning 38 before I know it. However we havent paid anything and it will only cost us a few hundred in stead of thousands for this cycle. We are pretty sure we are going to go ahead, as I keep thinking if I dont do it this time and we have the same number or or less next time I will keep asking for what would have been. if this doesnt work, this is our last time and we will be seriously thinking about trying naturally, we have 50% chance of passing it on. Fingers crossed we dont get to those decisions.

Thanks for your reply and I wish you all the best trying naturally. I will let you knwo how I go, we find out next monday.

X

[gemhope]

Hi tigerkat,

good luck for tomorrow and monday. if I were you, I would absolutely go ahead with this cycle and do the egg pick up because as you said, you may only continue to get similar egg numbers in future cycles. I also have low ovarian reserve and we gave up the idea of pgd affter realising that we simple won't get the egg numbers to do this. We did pgd once, and have an affected frozen embryo, which we plan to transfer in the near future (husband has a cancer syndrome, but is adult onset and can be quiet manageable and possibly avoidable with the right management). I emphathise with you because i know that PGD does limit/can limit opportunities for having a good embyro to transfer. But if you have decided to have it, then only having 3 eggs this time is no reason to cancel the cycle - you have to take every opportunity you can. Just something extra - are you fully informed regarding the status of affected embryos at your clinic (ie, the ethics committee afflicated with each clinic has different rules regarding the potential later use of affected embies). While this hopefully never becomes an issue it is really important to know just in case you are ever faced with the eventuality that the only embryo you have is affected. I don't know about the genetics of MD and whether it's a dominate gene, but in our case the gene was a dominate one so each embie has a 50% chance.

I wish u all the best.

x gemhope