WTF appointment

We had our WTF appointment on Friday at our New RPL Clinic (a recap of my diagnosis is here). Although it took us a 7 hour round trip journey up north it was worth it.

We didn’t wait to be seen. We were given 45 minutes of solid consultation time. We were listened to and encouraged to ask questions. We learned a lot.

Although we left there without any concrete answers we both felt remarkably reassured. He helped us to see that the treatment for a highly receptive (but not selective womb) can’t save every little embryo. We knew that, but sometimes it’s just nice to hear it.

He encourages us to keep trying, wants us to carry on with the progesterone in the 2WW for a few more months. Then have another biopsy as it has proven to be the most effective treatment in resetting the stem cells in the womb that will support an embryo. The progesterone and the biopsy both promote the healing process called decidualization which encourages implantation and brings the womb lining in synch with embryo development. All the things that seem to be going wrong for me.

He also explained a thick lining doesn’t always equal a good lining. That even a thick lining can still send out mixed signals, allowing a good embryo to be unsupported. So I can continue to improve the thickness but this won’t solve all my problems.

He relaxed my concerns about age when I touched on egg donation, saying it will be there as an option whenever I want it, whether I’m 37 or 47 (as long as I’m still menstruating) and so why not give myself the best chances of conception with my own eggs for now.

He cautioned us on the treatment proposed by our other doctors, saying that timing is the most important factor to consider. Blood thinning and reducing NK cells are certainly beneficial for me, but only at the right time in development of an embryo. Too much of these things too early could hinder early development, making miscarriage a likely outcome. The right amount of NK cells is critical to embryo development. Too few can cause problems. Just as blood thinning causes an influx of oxygen to the embryo, too much oxygen too early can cause damage.

So much to consider. But his is a science makes sense to us. It has explained so much about what keeps happening. The fact that these people are pioneering the research from a teaching university is encouraging to me. He has the studies and evidence to back up his argument.

He admitted they are still learning so much about this aspect of RPL and that they are in no way there yet with the science. It pains me to think that in five or ten years they may have a solution to this but in the meantime we have to simply keep trying. In the meantime these treatments might help but they are not a cure. Knowing they are working hard on finding answers is encouraging.

And now we wait. We are deep in the middle of the 2WW. I don’t have a lot of hope for this cycle, I feel a sense of foreboding that 2014 is going to become a lot more complicated. But I’ll try to ignore that for now. Instead I will think about 2014 bringing a new energy, new direction, new hope.