An intro and a question - ERA testing (TW: living child)

[jillywilly]

Hi! Can I join you ladies for a little bit? 

I've been kind of an on/off lurker to this board, but never participated, I've been somewhat active on other boards here and back on TCF. Our story in a nutshell is we started trying for a baby at the start of 2013, were diagnosed with male infertility. We went right to IVF, had a great cycle in fall 2014, and we welcomed our little boy, W, in June 2015. 

We had a surprise pregnancy in 2016 that ended in an early loss, tried again for a while on our own, and then did a FET in spring last year. The FET failed, and it hit us hard, and we decided to be one and done for a while. I changed my mind last fall, and now we're prepping for another FET. We have decided to do PGS testing on our embryos - we have seven remaining to make sure that we're transferring a normal one this time, after the last FET failed, my RE seemed pretty convinced that we just had luck of the bad draw of the embryo. So just last Friday, while I was having my hysterscopy/D & C to have some polyps removed for prep for our cycle, my RE mentioned that there is another test they've been doing more and more - the endometrial receptivity array (ERA test). Apparently it tells them if they're transferring too early or too late, but it adds another month (at least) to the cycle, and money obviously. She said it's not a test that she's strongly recommending yet, but wanted to make us aware of it. 

Has anyone had this test done/offered? Was it worth it to you? How painful was it (I've heard it can be pretty bad)? We're leaning towards not doing it, but my H and I have also discussed this really being our final cycle regardless of the outcome - he especially feels like he would be fine with our one child we have, so part of me wonders if this is really our last cycle, shouldn't we give it everything we have? But then financially and emotionally, I also know we have limits, financially, physically, emotionally, and time wise, and this test definitely starts pushing them. 

That... was a lot of word vomit, sorry! TL/DR: Hi! I'm doing a FET, I'd love to hang out with you all for the next month or two and have no clue whether or not I should do the ERA test. 

[lemonliz]

I had the EFT done. It was not expensive. Like $800. And EFT is more expensive than ERA. It’s sort of an ERA but more comprehensive and only done by one lab. I got valuable information back as to why our transfers always failed and I’ll never be able to do a fresh transfer again. Having this info before hand would have saved me tens of thousands and heartache.

As to the pain, yeah it hurts. Not gonna lie. It’s a biopsy. But it’s over quickly.

TL:dr definitely worth it to me. It didn’t cost me even a fraction of what this shitshow has otherwise cost me in dollars and years and in personal sacrifice. But that’s just IMO!

[jense927]

My RE mentioned this to us before but didn't think we needed it yet. I am always leaning in the direction of the more information the better but I also hate any additional delays to an already very long process. lemonliz if you don't mind me asking, what information did it give you about your failed transfers/why can't you do a fresh transfer? I thought the ERA was just a timing thing that you would potentially just adjust the timing of when you transfer. I don't know anything about the test beyond that and I am curious..

[lemonliz]

jense927, I did the Yale EFT, endometrial function test instead of the ERA. Looks at a lot of different stuff and not just progesterone. You can find out more about it on Dr. Kli.man’s website at the university. Just google him and that test. It should come up.

Basically my endometrial glands emit a type of antibody called cyclinE that is supposed to be prevalent in the follicular phase, but which is supposed to all but cease in the luteal phase in order for implantation to occur when another substance that is more embryo-phyllic takes over.

Because I have endometriosis, I continue to emit excessive amounts of cyclinE during the implantation period and no implantation can occur. Kli.man calls it glandular developmental arrest. Just basically means that putting anything inside my uterus has been useless.

In order to hopefully treat this, I have to go on Lupron Depot for 3 months to “reset” my endometrium.

But before I get there I need frozen embryos. So ya know, vicious cycle.

[sally]

I had the ERA test done last month. We've had trouble getting embryos, so for the two we have we wanted to make sure we are at least transferring at the right time. It was more expensive than lemonliz quoted, but I'm not in the US. I didn't find it that painful, but I had been sitting there with a full bladder for over an hour past my appointment time, so there's that. I also took Advil or Tylenol before the test. Good luck with whatever you decide.

ETA: it only delayed us a month, and it also acts the same as a scratch in terms of transferring - I guess there is some evidence that an endo scratch the month before the transfer can help with implantation. You have to do the same protocols both cycles though, or at least I did.

[jense927]

Thanks so much for sharing lemonliz. I feel like I have learned so much during this whole process but somehow there is still so much more I don’t know. I’ll take a look at the website. Thanks again!

[jillywilly]

Thanks for the input! I think the thing that's worst about this whole process is every time you think you've figured things out, there's something else thrown at you, and it's so hard to tell if you're making the right decision sometimes.