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Fertility: she froze her eggs in Spain
“It all started with a simple consultation with the gynecologist. I had irregular cycles and periods that kept coming back. Worried, my doctor immediately told me that this disorder could be a sign of ovarian failure early. The tests she ordered for me confirmed the diagnosis. I had fewer and fewer oocytes, my chances of pregnancy diminished over the cycles. According to her, I was a priority to carry out oocyte vitrification (freezing my eggs for in vitro fertilization later). A few days later, I was received at the hospital to take stock of the upcoming protocol. And there, twist: my doctor tells me that she made a mistake. I should not have done the test which revealed the drop in my fertility, because anyway, thehe law does not allow me to freeze my eggs **. In France, only women who are going to undergo treatment (chemotherapy) that may alter their fertility, and recently those who donate oocytes, have the right to freeze their eggs. Concretely, either I tried to have a child as quickly as possible, or I took the risk of never being pregnant. An impossible dilemma.
An alternative was offered to me, to go to Spain to freeze my oocytes
There, vitrification is possible for all women who want it at a high financial cost. I did not let myself be put down, I went to see specialists to ask their opinion. They confirmed to me that in fact French law prohibited the storage of oocytes in my case. My situation was new, I had discovered something that I should not have known, or at least not at that time. Usually, this test is done on a woman who shows signs of infertility and is trying to get pregnant. She can then go directly to IVF if the results are not good. It was not my case at all. I was single, I was not lucky enough to have a partner with whom we were in the process of having a child… I could have swept all this information from my mind, said to myself “too bad, we’ll see later. », But no, it was out of the question, I was not going to risk becoming menopausal before having children.
If it is necessary to go abroad to hope to become a mother one day, I will go …
My specialist directed me to the clinic in Valence, which is very advanced on these questions. To facilitate the procedures, he agreed to start the follow-up in France by prescribing exams. The idea was to stimulate my ovulation so that I could then collect my oocytes at the right time. Ultrasounds, blood tests, injections… I followed the protocol by organizing myself as best I could so as not to be absent from work too much. I put aside the emotional, I was determined to see it through. I flew to Valencia with my mother, a week before the end of the puncture treatment. I was very well received at the clinic, finally, I felt legitimate in my approach and it felt good. I was clearly explained the whole procedure of the intervention, I was reassured. I continued the blood tests and injections for a week. D-day arrived, the doctors took my oocytes under general anesthesia. Unfortunately, this first attempt was unsuccessful, the puncture did not collect enough oocytes.. I had to redo the protocol twice, that is to say the follow-up in France and the puncture in Spain. The doctors finally froze 22 oocytes, which are now waiting for me quietly in a freezer in Spain for the day when I would be ready to start a family. In reality, retention is free for 3-5 years, and then it becomes chargeable. The freezing process comes at a high price, not to mention the costs incurred by all the trips to and from Spain.. In the end, the total cost was around € 15 for three punctures. Without the help of my family, I would never have been able to pay such a sum! Today, I feel relieved to have made this decision. I am 000 years old, still no man in my life, but I am a little freed from the stress of the biological clock! Of course, I would rather get pregnant naturally, from a boy I love. But if that doesn’t work, I always have a fallback. “
* The first name has been changed
** In France, if you agree to donate some of your oocytes, it is now possible to self-conserve for yourself, up to your 37th birthday. The revision of the bioethics law under debate could allow all women to keep them.