Summary

In fact, I never thought of writing this. Within three years, we continued to retrieve eggs, directly culture to blastocysts and then cryopreserved (blastocysts collection) instead of oocyte cryopreservation (eggs collection).In July 2020, my wife finally received the mother's handbook. I really didn't expect...there will be a sequel that can be updated like a blockbuster movie.

My Treatment History

The timetable and a brief descriptions are based on my wife’s manuscript:

Continue to Monitor Immunity data after Implantation

During the period after the implantation, I did not rest at home to prevent myself from being worried at home, so I went to work normally. I was used to exercising. I changed the 4 kilometers from running to 4 kilometers walk. Avoid strenuous boxing aerobic and yoga classes, at first, it is very uncomfortable to walk instead of run because there is no sweat, but for the sake of the future baby, this is a change that must be made.

Since I have an autoimmune problem, my doctor asked me to monitor my immune values such as white blood cells, albumin, D-Dimer, AST, ALT, TSH, etc. every week after implantation.  After hearing the heartbeat of the fetus, the heparin injection was reduced to once every two days, which made me feel much more relaxed and free from daily injections.

The journey of pregnancy is very long, I dare not think too far, I just hope to pass every hurdle smoothly and hold the baby safely.

Brave for Children

My wife is the timidest of the people I know, regardless of gender, age, relatives, friends, colleagues. But with only IVF treatment,  I have seen her perseverance and determination, which is why I am willing to against all odds and took on the challenge with her. As I wrote this article, my wife is over three months pregnant. Perhaps it is because I have experienced setbacks and have prepared myself mentally, or because I have grown older, I am as calm as ever and have few emotional ups and downs.

I feel that instead of looking forward to the outcome of this game, it is better to experience the process. It is uncommon to have people who have had such an experience. We fully understand that only when we encounter adversity and embrace difficulties can we reacquaint ourselves.

Preparation

For IVF, "money" is a very real issue, but it must be faced. In Taiwan, most test tubes cost a lot of money. The amount of egg retrieval/freezing at the beginning of the course of treatment is affordable. However, after you have paid the fee, the cost of the follow-up course of treatment (thawing eggs/making blastocysts/implantation) will be derived. It is estimated that 500,000 to 600,000 are prepared for insurance. Even if the money disappears, it will not affect your life. It is not recommended to catch too little in the budget, which will make you feel a lot of pressure. At the same time, couples also need to have a strong physique and invincible psychological quality.

To put it simply, the couple must have sufficient financial resources and a strong heart, and also have to take into account the hidden cost of "time". Otherwise, the couple will be happier if they maintain their life status.

I hope my sharing can help friends who have the same predicament but no clues to understand more about the process and reduce uncertainty. Instead of just hearing about it, of course, I don't encourage everyone to be like me. After all, your future is in your hands, and you will know what to do next when you take the next step prudently.

Finally, during this period of time, the Stork medical team has been the strongest backing for our husband and wife. Everyone is full of energy, optimism, positivity, enthusiasm, hope, and belief. As well as my immunology physicians who intervened to monitor autoimmunity in the later stage of the course of treatment, he was careful, young, and promising. Of course, there are many people who have not written about it, because space is limited, so I will not thank them all.