Diabetes, IVF and the hope

[SueBParticipant]

Hi there

Just wondering if anyone out there has been through IVF with Type 1 and had success!?
My husband and I have just started our 4th cycle of IVF after 3 failed embryo transfers over the last 7 months. The failures are immensely difficult to cope with but I try to stay philosophical in that there must have been something not quite right for it to fail.

I have been IDDM for 27 years this January. Pretty well controlled over these years if I do say myself, but not perfect- who is? The IVF hormone treatment leads to all sorts of weird highs and lows. My endo basically told me to hold on for the ride because everyone reacts differently, but to test often which I have. First cycle my BSL was really normal throughout the treatment then after embryo transfer was at times super high (22!). We got a negative result on that one and I do blame my BSL for that one.

You have this terror, on the two week wait for the p test after transfer, not knowing if you are pregnant or not, if your BSL is high at all (for me high means 10 or more) that you may damage the baby if it is in there growing. It feels so incredibly crucial to be perfectly controlled but with the hormones I have been higher than normal and I feel a bit out of control. I so need to be in control, that is my nature.

The next cycle I had some bizarre highs (like 12.8 before breakfast??) and lows (1.8 2 hours after dinner) and we got a low positive pregnancy result but then a negative.  Number 3 transfer was the best controlled I had been but still a low positive followed by a negative.

It’s weird to go through this to just get pregnant in the first place- knowing it will be the same when i do get pregnant  (and I will say when not if). I have my 4 injections a day for diabetes; but now add two nasal sprays, another injection per day (so total 5!), related supplement tablets and all the blood testing. Then the egg collection anaesthetic to contend with, post op bloating and pain etc.

I just wish I didn’t have contact lenses to add to the morning and night time routines! My endo advised against one of the insulin pumps as they are difficult to get used to and it woule be too much to cope with on top of IVF stuff.

So on I plod feeling like a pin cushion. Has anyone else been on this roller coaster and come out the other side smiling? Will I get to be a real mum (I am already a step Mum) or more importantly will I get to create another little person with my darling husband who I love so much?

Sue

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