Surprise! Of the 4 conditions that my results tested for, I have 3 of them. Wow! Talk about a curveball. Curveball because my OB previously told me he doesn't think I fit the profile of someone with immune issues and because, as Dennis' logic goes, how much odds can a couple really take?
Well, I guess fate had other plans.
First, I have an autoimmune condition VS my husband's (or any other unrelated person) genetic material. If the last ivf did implant for a while, the uterus becomes a hostile environment for it soon after, because my system reads his DNA (which is half of the embryo) as foreign and should be attacked. The solution for this is to do a LIT treatment - lymphocyte immunology treatment or paternal lymphocyte treatment. It involves getting blood from the husband and washing it to isolate the white blood cells. Then infuse this into the wife so that her system can be taught to accept his DNA as "friendly" and not hostile. The immunologist I saw today says that she thinks I'll reach normal levels after at least 2 sessions. And once I do reach the minimum of 80% on this test, I can proceed with the IVF.
The treatment cost is quite significant too but I don't wanna dwell on it, simply because we'll do it anyway. No use pining over the money.
Second, I have autoimmune against... Myself! The manifestation of this is blood clotting -- no wonder my legs often feel painful especially when I get my period. It means my blood coagulates as an autoimmune reaction. The treatment for this will be aspirin and daily heparin shots which I'll administer on myself.
Third, I have thyroid issues. This needed some deep-diving which led me back to the lab today to get more blood drawn out. At this rate, I think my hemoglobin count must be so low already with all the blood draws!
Another test which I'll get in 2 weeks' time will count by natural killer cell count. This is the mother-fucker autoimmune condition of all -- I pray I don't have it. It makes one not able to be pregnant at all and the treatment entails massive amounts of money -- and that says a lot because in our 3 years of infertility, I think I've grown a tolerance for this kind of spending. I pray I don't have it. Please please please.
I'm so tired. Seriously. What else is out there for us to conquer before we have a healthy baby in our midst?! Dennis breaks down every time we face a challenge and I myself don't know how much longer I can put up a brave front. The fighting spirit that we wring out painfully from our hearts gets a bad bad beating throughout every cycle that doesn't work and every condition that gets uncovered. This is bordering on traumatic, to be honest. And I don't know how much stronger we can remain to be for long.
Then again, it must be even more painful to lose hope. So we live to fight another day. LIT session 1 will be this Saturday. Fight!
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