SIRM: Sher Institite Conference

Today I attended a talk given by Dr. Sher and learned a lot. It was an interesting forum of people seeking information and who have been trying treatments for years. He introduced IUI in the United States and has been changing the face of IF treatment since. Books, blogs, awards, TV interviews, and a long legacy of physicians he's trained. (I had of course never heard of him, but now see his name posted all over this forum).

I was initially drawn to the conference by the free IVF cycle giveaway- they did a drawing at the end, but I got a lot out of it and ended up signing up for a free phone consultation this Thursday at 7pm. I was incredibly impressed by his knowledge and accomplishments and what seems to be a genuine desire to help people- even those who couldn't normally afford treatment.

I left slightly discouraged by some of the information he provided that leads me to believe IUI may not work for us. He VERY strongly suggests women do NO MORE than 3 IUI's. He said if pregnancy doesn't occur after three the chances of IUI working are slim and if pregnancy does occur on the 4th or later cycles, the damage to our uterine lining from the medicine will dramatically increase the risk of miscarriage. When he does IVF he prefers to freeze the eggs and let your body rest for 1-2 months while they do testing to ensure the quality of the egg and so your body can recover from stimulation. Oh, and he suggest we have a blood test done to check for Activated Natural Killer Cells that will prevent implantation regardless of the quality of the egg. A lab called Reprosource sends a kit for the blood work. Oh, AND he mentioned women using vaginal viagra (yes, that viagra) to increase the lining of the uterus.

He compared reproduction to farming... you need a healthy seed (egg), quality soil (uterus), and a farmer that knows what season and what fertilizer is best. (An RE who understands your body and what medicine to use).

I'll let you know how our conversation goes on Thursday and where we decide to go from here. We're not ready for the IVF investment, but may not want to face IUI failure either... ugh!!!