The results are in, and the winner is ...

Not us.

Boo!! Hiss!!

Ok, so we got the second set of data points that helps to guage the time left on my biological clock. And as you can probably guess from my ever-so-cute introduction on this post, the results weren't stellar.

We had two tests done:

1. Repeat FSH level
2. Antral Follicle Count

The repeat FSH turned out better than last month - hooray! At a "reassuring" level of 9.7!! Under 8 is ideal, but under 10 is nothing to be disappointed about. At least it's better than last months 11.7 - yowza!

Celebration, cheers, excitement, etc, etc...

Then we learned that the more accurate predictor of biological time left for a woman is found via an exam called an Antral Follicle Count (AFC). There is an interesting news clip about it if you're curious. Mind you, this video is a wee bit bias in that the story is written from the viewpoint of a fertility center who is trying to get you to use their IVF technology so that they can get your money ... but still, it gives all you non-infertiles the gist of the test.

The data on the web that answers the question "what do the follicle count results mean?" are below and they are a bit skewed towards a woman's responsiveness to IVF, so it doesn't tell you exactly how much longer a woman has, instead it gives you a range of the potential outcomes so you can see my data in context.

A follicle count of ...
Less than 4: Extremely low count, very poor or no response to IVF.
4 to 7: Low count, concern about poor response to IVF.
8 to 10: Somewhat reduced count, higher than average rate of IVF cycle cancellation.
11 to 14: Normal (but intermediate) count, IVF responsiveness is sometimes low but usually good.
15 to 26: Normal (good) count, should have excellent response to IVF.
Over 26: High count, watch out for overstimulation complications in IVF.

... anyone just skimming this post in hopes that I'll FINALLY reveal our results?! (You're killin' me smalls!)

Ok, so I got a count of 8. The good news is, 8 is not in the low count categories, but it's seriously flirting with the low count. Our RE is recommending that we not wait more than 3 months to get aggressive.

Wow. Even though I saw the writing on the wall last month ... I'm really bummed with these results and a bit in shock and denial ... People, I'm "thirty, flirty, and thriving" not "thirty, ready to have kids, and fresh outta eggs!"

The hubby and I backed out of buying a house last night because of this news. We made two offers, they both got countered with the sellers asking us to close sooner (no issues with our low bids) and we have opted to not follow through on the counter offers and we'll continue to rent. Better to have cash money in the bank than bet on equity that might not be available to us in these crucial reproductive couple of years - and ... no better investment of your money than a child - don't you agree?

Honestly, these test results are a little more hard to swallow than last month. Getting confirmation is rough. It's making me really think what if we can't have children?

I'm having a hard time with my faith right now. If you think of me in the near term, please do pray for me. I want to trust God. I want to believe that He has a plan for me - plans for a hope and a future.