A blog about babies: the babies I lost, the babies I never had, the baby who made me a Mama.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Past and Present; or, How to Handle a MTHFR

Thanks to everyone who commented or e-mailed me with your advice on last Friday's post. Your suggestions were invaluable and have helped clarify some things for me. I'm so grateful to have a community of women who have been in this position to turn to when things become challenging.

Lawyer Guy is going to find out the max allowance for the FSA today, which should help clarify matters. He's also going to confirm that fertility treatments are permissible expenses (I'm sure they are, but we want to be extra-sure). Additionally, a friend of mine from my message-board support group (who is currently pregnant) offered to mail me several unused gonal-f pens of hers, enough it seems to get me through one round of injectibles+IUI. Given all this, we're leaning really heavily to putting $5000 or so in the FSA (or whatever the max is) and trying to do at least one, maybe two IUI cycle with injects. If the meds are free for the first it will be quite reasonable to pay for both, and I agree with all my bloggies who said it's a good way to test out my response to the stims before the high pressure of an IVF cyle commences.

Obviously, this is all contingent on the outcomes of the next few cycles and our conversations with Dr. W. But I feel like I have some perspective on the situation and a plan, and that always helps.

Also giving us some clarity (though not as much as we'd hoped): Dr. W's office called with the results of my RPL testing today. I tested positive for hetero MTHFR mutation, but everything else was normal. The nurse said that Dr. W is not concerned about the hetero mutation and doesn't fall in the camp that associates it with higher risk of pregnancy loss. The only snag is that the lab didn't test my homocysteine levels, so I need to have another draw to test that when I go in for monitoring for my January Clomid+IUI cycle.

While I'm a little nervous about the hetero MTHFR, I'm beyond relieved that I have no translocations or abnormalities on my karyotyping (and that LG is also free of them). Hetero MTHFR seems to be very common, and I've seen many women identified with it who have healthy pregnancies, so I'm going to hope that it won't cause any harm and that my homocysteine levels come back normal-- or, if they don't, that there's an easy fix for that.

Other than some reflection on hypotheticals and a smattering of test results, not much is happening reproductively right now. I should be getting back together with Pissy in a few days. I think she'll be happy to see me again, but you never know with her. I'm still buried under a mountain of student essays to grade, and after I finish that comes the preparations for Christmas, and then our New Year's trip to the Bahamas, and then AF right when we get back. And then it's 2011 and a new year and a new cycle, and this time a new year is going to actually signify something new for us, dammit.

16 comments:

  1. Glad the test results were reassuring. 2011 is going to be a great year for you and LG. I know it.

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  2. On to 2011, I say! Always so much to think about, but sounds like you have a good plan in place and lots of support for making the big decisions.

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  3. I'm glad that RPL results came back looking good and are nothing to be concerned about. 2011 is going to bring great things for you :-)

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  4. It matters which mutation you have. The AC is what I have and is considered the least worrisome. I am relieved that everything else came back looking good. It is good to not have anything else to worry about as you move forward.

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  5. I agree -- on to 2011!! And something new!!! I'm all about looking for something new.

    Glad the test results seem pretty good.

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  6. Yes, hopefully December will fly by for all of us (besides those with babies). I'm glad you're getting some free meds and have a clean bill of health to move forwards...

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  7. Hi Sloper, just catching up!! I totally agree and think 2011 will be a great year for you and LG! And you got tons of great feedback from your last post, and so great about the free meds! Sucks having to think about this stuff, but so important to be prepared...so good work! I also think knowing how you respond to injects before IVF is super important so its great you can get at least one round in, and make an informed decision depending how that goes without having to dig into the fsa to do it.

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  8. Yes, PLEASE can we move onto 2011? This year was the suck, and I'm ready to get on with new things. Thinking of you, and I'm glad that the test results are not something to be too concerned about moving forward.

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  9. I'm hetero MTHFR too. My doctors said it is not often a concern unless you are homozygous for it. Even if your homocystein levels are normal, you can always ask your doctor if they will prescribe you Folate for your own peace of mind. Mine did under the notion, "it can only help, not hurt." I hope you get your sticky baby.

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  10. i wouldn't sweat the mthfr at all. i've never heard of a hetero person having issues in pregnancy. i'm excited for you and LG to get some relaxing time in the sun to start off the new year. 2011 is gonna be your year! you're gonna look back a year from now and be in a complete different place :o) xoxo.

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  11. This all sounds good and hopeful, Sloper! 2011 is where it's at, girl. Good things--very good things!--are around the bend. :)

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  12. I'm so glad there are no red flags on the RPL testing :)

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  13. So awesome that the testing came back with no red flags, very reassuring!

    Bring on 2011. It is your year, Slopie. End of story.

    xoxo

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  14. I'm glad you're feeling some reassurance and hopefulness again! 2011's gonna be our year, girl. You just wait and see.

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  15. I'm glad you've been able to gain some clarity. These are such hard decisions to make, with so many moving parts and variables. I do think that doing one or two IUI's before injectibles makes sense, and then you can see how your body responds to the big guns.

    Pissy. Sigh. I have my own pissy to contend with next month I do so hate her freaking guts.

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  16. Hi, I work with Neevo. I've been reading your blog. Maybe I can provide additional insight? MTHFR diagnosis is a genetic condition. Perhaps the biggest implication is that folic acid may not be effective in raising/protecting your folate levels. As you know, folate is vital pre-conception and throughout the pregnancy. This web page explains how L-methylfolate (as found in Neevo) bypasses the genetic limitations of MTHFR. http://www.neevoprenatal.com/MTHFRPoly

    This chart of the methylation cycle that shows just how and where the MTHFR enzyme limits processing of folic acid into active l-methylfolate. http://www.neevoprenatal.com/MethylationCycle.

    I hope this helps. I wish you luck!

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