Story of Brooke & Chris

Our journey to parenthood has not been a straight path. After a year of trying, we sought out treatment with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) at Kaiser. After 6 unsuccessful IUI's over the course of a year, the doctor urged us to move on to more invasive treatment, IVF. After about a year of saving up, we met with an IVF clinic that was wonderful! The doctor calmed our fears and clarified my diagnoses. We did genetic testing on each of us and found that although we do not carry any of the same genetic diseases, Brooke has a Balanced Translocation of Chromosomes. We were not sure what that meant at the time and were already in the process of the first phase of IVF- Egg Retrieval.

Egg Retrieval

The first phase of IVF is to do an egg retrieval. During this phase, we were to do injectable medications for 11 days and go to countless appointments for ultrasounds and bloodwork before the procedure. At the procedure, Brooke was put under while they retrieved 17 eggs. She had a slight reaction to the medication and had a hard time waking up, but all was ok.

After learning about our 17 eggs, those numbers dwindled to 10 mature eggs, then 7 fertilized, and 5 made it to blastocyst stage. We were happy with those numbers and so hopeful that everything was going to be great. The embryos were then biopsied and sent for genetic testing. We received a call after about two long weeks and were told that of the 5 embryos, only one is chromosomally normal.

We were heartbroken, but hopeful that our one normal, perfect, grade 6AA baby boy was going to be in our arms soon.

Transfer

Before we transferred, we did an ERA test and mock cycle to ensure that Brooke was receptive to the embryo. Everything came back perfectly normal and we transferred emby in March. Two long weeks later, a blood test determined that the transfer was not successful. Devastated. What was once an exciting and hopeful process turned to dust. We were lost and unsure of what the future held for us.

Where we go from here

After having spoken to our doctor, he explained that Brooke's balanced translocation of chromosomes had affected the chromosomes of the embryos. A balanced translocation is when chromosomes, or parts of chromosomes, break off and switch places with another. It is genetic and something that 1 in 500 people are born with. It generally has no effect on people except for fertility. Individuals with balanced translocations have a higher risk of miscarriages and will find that 1 in every 5 embryo will be "normal".

We've decided to move forward and try again. Now that we know what we are up against, we will be changing up the protocol a bit to give us a better chance of having normal chromosome embryos to transfer. However, with that decision comes a hefty price tag on an already expensive treatment as ZERO of the cost is covered by insurance. 

We've been overwhelmed with the amount of support from all of our family and friends. This process has been an emotional rollercoaster, but with support, we've managed to keep pushing forward without losing sight of what we've wished for so long- growing our family. If you choose to donate, know that we greatly appreciate it and feel honored that you are a part of our journey.