[HopefulinCO]

To answer the first question, I don't think we can ever say never but the chance of conception "naturally" with azoospermia is really pretty low. The fact that they were able to find sperm on biopsy means that there is some being made, so there is a chance of conceiving a biologic child through assisted technologies. And again, it's always fun to try the old-fashioned way! The other question to ask your or DH's doc is how the cancer treatment will affect his fertility. If he has to do chemo, that may also worsen your chances of conception

As for what IVF is like, it's not nearly so bad physically as you might think. I think all the REs are a little different, but I had to have bloodwork and a saline contrast ultrasound (they inject saline into your uterus through a tube they put through your cervix and look at the uterus through the ultrasound) first. Then I started on OCPs and was on them for maybe a month or more (I think this is all on my sig because I can't remember the exact length of time for all these meds). Then I had a baseline ultrasound to be sure I could start my injectible meds. I was on Lupron (an ovulation suppressor) for about 2 weeks, then added the stimulant medications (also injectible). They do periodic ultrasounds and bloodwork (once every day or two) during that phase to see how you're progressing and adjust your medication doses accordingly. When the follicles containing the eggs are getting to around the right size, they'll have you do an HCG injection, which gets the follicles to mature and eventually release their eggs. However, with IVF since they're collecting the eggs, they don't want your follicles to release them and instead will put you under anesthesia and use a needle through your uterus to withdraw all the eggs from the follicles. With a situation like yours they would probably do ICSI, where DH's sperm (presumably obtained by another biopsy) would be directly injected into your eggs. Then they grow them in the lab for 2-5 days before they transfer them back to your uterus (through a small catheter through your cervix). Mosst RE's will have you on progesterone to support the pregnancy after the embryos are transferred back - that's either a vaginal suppository or a daily shot. Then you wait for 2 weeks and take a pregnancy test.

The hardest part I think is the emotional part - you invest so much time and energy and money and desire into the process that it's pretty stressful. The sub-q injections, which for me were the Lupron and the stimulants, weren't really painful at all, though one of my stimulants burned a little going in. The intramuscular shots, for me the HCG and the progesterone, were only tough toward the end. I was on progesterone for about 8 weeks total and by the end of the 8 weeks my behind was a bit bruised.

I'm not sure what you've been going through with adoption, but that's my IVF story. I was lucky in that it worked the first time, so I'm pretty positive about it. I think it's a very personal decision and you should definitely talk to your RE, particularly with your specific situation because a lot more may be involved in terms of retrieving the sperm. Good luck whatever you decide!