How RFC diagnosed us
My fertility journey began with an unfortunate loss. I had gotten pregnant three times and experienced three miscarriages. Each miscarriage was different but still ended up with the same heartbreak. Miscarriage wasn’t uncommon in my family. My mom had experienced several miscarriages but never found out the cause. To add on top of that, my brother and his wife also experienced difficulties conceiving.
It was clear that there might be some genetic factors at play, so my brother and his wife decided to seek the help of a fertility specialist. That’s when they went to RFC and my brother got his sperm tested. The results of his semen analysis revealed that he has Balanced Translocation, a condition where two genes from two different chromosomes exchange places in a way where no genetic material is gained or lost. Essentially, two DNA genes swap places in a way that causes infertility.
Once we knew what my brother had, it was obvious that I could be suffering from the same thing. We knew what to look for so I did genetic testing and it turns out that I also have Balanced Translocation, and it was the cause of my recurrent miscarriages.
Now that I knew what the cause of my losses was, my husband and I decided to also seek the help of a fertility specialist. We ended up also going to Reproductive Fertility Center, just like my brother and his wife, and met Dr. Lin.
Dealing with Balanced Translocation
My husband and I were really excited to meet with a fertility specialist, especially now that we knew why I kept miscarrying. We were excited to see what could be done, but we were also really nervous. We were eager for a solution but scared of what we might find out.
We told Dr. Lin about my medical history as well as my family’s medical history and he took it from there. He started us with an egg retrieval so we could assess the quality of my eggs and identify if any eggs did not carry the Balanced Translocation trait. The retrieval went smoothly and we retrieved around 17 to 18 eggs. But things took a quick turn, and we learned that none of the eggs were normal. They sadly all had the Balanced Translocation trait. We were discouraged but decided to try again. We did a second round of egg retrieval but unfortunately, we had the same disheartening results. All those eggs were abnormal too. After two attempts, Dr. Lin explained to us that because of my condition, I had poor egg quality and that there was a high chance that we wouldn’t be able to make any embryos with the eggs we retrieved.
Having undergone two rounds of egg retrieval just to find out that none of my eggs were viable enough to make healthy embryos was the most frustrating part. It may sound silly, but I had no problems getting pregnant. The problem was keeping a pregnancy, and I couldn’t do that unless I had healthy eggs. Having those miscarriages really took a toll on me, both physically and mentally. I still carry the memories of those pregnancies with me to this day. For that reason, we held out hope that we could overcome the challenges of this condition and that one day I would carry a full-term pregnancy.
Dr. Lin emphasized that attempting additional egg retrievals would have a low probability of producing any healthy eggs, so he suggested we consider using donor eggs or adopting embryos. After a lot of long conversations and thoughtful consideration, we ultimately decided to go with egg donation instead of embryo adoption. It was clear to us that the problem wasn’t my husband’s sperm count, but it was the quality of my eggs. We ended up partnering with an agency to find our egg donor and start the next step in our fertility journey.
My IVF experience using an egg donor
After making the decision to use an egg donor, we were provided with donor profiles to select our egg donor. We thought we were going to be overwhelmed with choices and options, but the donor database was super efficient and we were able to select a few candidates for our preferred donors. Surprisingly, Dr. Lin denied our top choice. It turned out that she had donated too many times already. This was a shock to us, but we greatly appreciated Dr. Lin’s openness and honesty. We could tell he was prioritizing our best interests and our long-term success over expedience, and that meant a lot to us.
We carefully decided on an egg donor and started the IVF process. Luckily, our chosen donor lived close by, so it made the whole process much more convenient. Everything about the process happened more quickly and smoothly than we had expected it would. I had a lot of concerns about the success of using an egg donor and going through IVF because of my previous miscarriages. After all, I had never carried a pregnancy to full term before.
We wouldn’t have gotten through the process if it wasn’t for the compassionate and supportive help of the staff at RFC. Leahanne, one of our coordinators, was there the whole time and she guided me and my husband through every single step. Without her and RFC’s hard work, our experience wouldn’t have gone as quickly and smoothly as it did.
Time passed us by and before we knew it, we had completed a full egg retrieval and fertilized all the donor eggs, resulting in five embryos. We implanted one and eagerly waited for my pregnancy results. The suspense was intense, but fast forward to today, and that embryo we implanted is my son who’s now 2 years old! It was a success! We recently just did our second embryo transfer in June, and now I’m 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2!
I’ll never forget when we found out that I was pregnant. My husband and I were beyond excited, over the moon really, and experiencing a rush of different types of emotions. We were so thrilled, but also scared because I never had a successful pregnancy before. The first trimester was the most nerve-wracking for us. Luckily, we had an amazing support system to lean on, and got through it.
How infertility changed us
Experiencing infertility firsthand opened our eyes in a life-changing way. It made my husband and me more attuned and compassionate toward the fertility community, shedding light on the hardships and realities that result from infertility. We‘ve been able to provide support to others in our circle who are also navigating infertility. When you’ve walked this path yourself, it instills in you a deep sense of empathy and humility towards those going through similar experiences.
My advice to others going through infertility
Going through infertility, I’ve learned so much that I didn’t know before. I learned about acupuncture and how it can be a beneficial part of your fertility treatment. If it’s feasible and within your means, I highly recommend trying acupuncture. I did acupuncture treatment and it really helped me! This journey is challenging and overwhelming and acupuncture can really help your overall well-being.
I also came to realize that a big part of infertility and IVF is cost. My husband and I came up with some creative approaches to raise funds for our journey. We initially started by announcing to our friends and family that we were recycling old cans and bottles to raise some money for our treatments. We graduated from that and then started a T-shirt fundraiser using a website called Bonfire T-shirt Fundraising. This website was really helpful for us, and it’s definitely worth considering for other couples seeking creative ways to raise money for their fertility treatments.
Crowdfunding is also a great way to raise money. Someone very close to us started a crowdfunding campaign for us when we realized how costly our fertility journey was going to be. We are so appreciative and touched by what that did for us. With the support of our friends and family, and the resources and fundraisers mentioned earlier, we were fortunate enough to realize our dream. Many couples pursuing IVF aren’t just concerned about whether or not to go through with the treatment, but also how they’re going to manage the cost of it. I hope our experience can provide some guidance to those in similar situations.
Overall, my most important piece of advice for those going through infertility is to always be an advocate for yourself. This means not being afraid to ask questions. Infertility can be challenging and overwhelming, filled with numerous factors to consider and decisions to make. So, be your own advocate, and don’t hesitate to ask the questions that come to mind. Your questions, whether they be big or small, play an important role in understanding your fertility challenges.
How my family and I are now
My family and I are doing great! Thanks to RFC, my husband, son, and I are excitedly waiting for baby #2 to arrive. We really couldn’t be more thrilled. We feel so touched to have had an amazing support system throughout our journey. During our fertility journey, we also started a fundraiser called “Everything Happens for a Reason” because we truly believe in that. We were meant to follow this path and go through the hardships we went through, so we could welcome two beautiful boys into our lives.
Our whole experience at RFC was so special. Our coordinators Paula and Leahanne were amazing! They were there for me from the beginning, by my side through both my egg retrievals and IVF cycles. Tara was another incredible support throughout our journey. She was one of my nurses and I adore her! Seeing her at every appointment really brightened my days. And of course, Dr. Lin. He was absolutely phenomenal and we couldn’t have done it without him.
Everyone at RFC was beyond amazing with their help, care, and support. My brother and his wife were also able to overcome their challenges with Balanced Translocation and build their family with the help of RFC! We learned that my sister and mom carry the condition as well. Through RFC’s help in discovering this diagnosis, we were not only able to address our own fertility challenges, but also help many of our family members. We discovered that our nephew has the same genetic condition, and we strongly suspect that my niece may also be affected. Without RFC’s help, our family would have faced significant difficulties in having children. My whole family is immensely grateful to Reproductive Fertility Center for helping create our families.
