Letter

Dear A and D

We are writing to provide you with a summary of your last treatment cycle.


On Wednesday, 18th April 2012, 9 oocytes were collected and we were able to inject 6 of the oocytes. The other 3 oocytes were not suitable for injection.

The sperm for insemination of the occytes was prepared from a testes biopsy sample.

On Thursday, 19th April 2012 the oocytes were assessed for fertilisation. 5 were fertilised normally. 1 was fertilised or non-viable.

Subsequently - 1 embryo was transferred. Unfortunately none of the remaining 4 embryos were frozen as they were considered unsuitable for freezing.

If you have any queries regarding any of the results of your treatment, please do not hesitate to contact the embryology laboratory at [clinic].

Yours sincerely ...

Again, it seems the written communication from the clinic is not the best. This letter says that we don't have any frozen fertilised embryos after all, so if this current attempt is unsuccessful we will have to start all over again with a third IVF cycle. No one had specifically told us either way and it was a surprise to know that all four remaining embryos weren't considered "suitable", whatever that means. We were so pleased about the large number of eggs (oocytes) collected. This is not positive news and I would have liked the letter to have offered a clearer explanation or for one of the clinic's staff members to contact us and explain. I might call the laboratory and ask, as the letter suggests. At least the letter didn't arrive the same day as the pregnancy test, which is what has happened in the past, though I'm not sure the day before is any better!

Yes, perhaps I'm a wee bit emotional. We have been feeling particularly hopeful of late and although I like to expect the worst and hope for the best, that attitude isn't always easy to maintain. The good news is that my breasts aren't sore anymore but I'm still having to wear a larger bra. More tomorrow ...