TTC at 35+: Age Is Just a Number! Part 2

[jesseybell]

miel - I am crossing my fingers for you for good betas.

APhiJill - I am so sorry AF arrived :(

[melissafromnc]

miel Do you chart or use a fertility monitor? I think it's most important to know how many days past ovulation you are, not that you should be three weeks or whatever. If you o'd late then you'd expect lower numbers. Also while I'm addicted to hpts I think they vary a lot in quality and sensitivity. There are a couple of charts floating around with that information. But betas give you hard cold numbers so that is much better. Wishing you the best of luck with your beta.

jill So sorry this wasn't your cycle. Have you talked to your RE about something different? I think you were doing clomid, right? That is the most evil of all drugs. Might be good to mix it up a bit.

OCNative Which nurse coordinator do you have? Sandra? Susan? One of the others? Here's a run down on your drugs if you haven't already heard: lupron is to suppress ovulation (so you don't o on your own); estrace is to build up your lining, medrol is a steriod - often given when the docs will be using assisted hatching or for us older women, it decreases inflamation; progesterone will be added in later because you won't have a corpeus luteum which produces progesterone and you need that to convert your lining and support the pregnancy until the placenta takes over progesterone production. Valium is for transfer and you do want to be relaxed! They'll give you much stronger drugs for anesthesia at retrieval. I find it easiest to inject all the subq shots into my stomach (stings less than my thigh). Best of luck to you!

bastille Always nice to see you here. But I wanna see you irl too!

[melissafromnc]

jesseybell You snuck in while I was writing. So very very sorry for your loss. Take good care of yourself.

[miel]

Jill Sorry about AF. :(

Melissa So how are you doing? What's next on the agenda? I hope you are well!

Jerseybell Thank you. I hope you are doing OK.


miel Do you chart or use a fertility monitor? I think it's most important to know how many days past ovulation you are, not that you should be three weeks or whatever. If you o'd late then you'd expect lower numbers.

I can't chart temps because I don't have a regular sleep schedule. I do check for CM all the time. I was using OPTs but just to see if I was ovulating. I couldn't afford the good ones. Also, the last time I got pg. they said I didn't ovulate. This makes me suspect that I do ovulate really late in my cycle. I can actually feel the prep for ov and sometimes the mittleschmerz but I only felt the prep last month, not the mittleshmerz.

I hate to say it but this may have been one reason I didn't get pg. I just BD from day 10-day 20 or thereabouts when I haven't managed to test or the OPTs come back negative. But perhaps I ov even after day 20? I say this because the month I got pg and this last month there were some days I might have conceived.

I will find out my beta tomorrow. I know it is irrational but I just don't think it is anything. My boobs are sore. That is my only symptom. But I just don't feel pg. at all and I guess this makes me think that it is not going to work out. What is wrong with me? I guess this is due to my recent experience but I know it seems strange. The hormonal roller coaster does bad things to my frame of mind. But I know that is no excuse.

[ejs]

miel, have you tried the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor?

[Jill1228]

I see my ob-gyn on Friday. I think they will up the clomid (I was on 50mg) and I am guessing they will add metformin

This was only the second cycle on clomid

[melissafromnc]

miel The CBE is super easy to use. You can get one on craigslist or ebay and reset it. All you do then is poas once a day. It might seem a bit pricey but it's cheaper than buying lots of ovulation predictor tests. Also it measures both estrogen and lh so you're more likely to catch your surge. If you surge in the afternoon/evening you'll likely miss it with opks. And you should just BD every OTHER day, not every day. That's what most REs recommend because you get better sperm concentration that way. Not that you'll need to keep going after this month (I'm hoping you get great beta news) but just a few things to try if you need to.

jill I have friends who were reallly helped by metformin. Does your ob-gyn monitor your cycles so you know your response? I know a few do but many don't have the necessary equipment for that which is why they like to just prescribe clomid. Here's hoping the third time is the charm.

[ejs]

Melissa, thanks for explaining it for me! The CBEFM was so successful for me that I recommend it to everyone. My BF was just about to start Clomid, but she really didn't want to. She bought the monitor off of ebay and got pregnant using it. Another friend just bought one.

I know that it won't necessarily work for everyone, but I figure it's worth a shot.

[miel]

Melissa I'm getting one of those anyway because I can't get any more fertility treatments for 6 mos. due to my 2nd chemical pregnancy.

Beta was 54 so it is chemical. I'll wait to see what they say about my test today but there's no way this will be a go.

[miel]

Melissa I forgot to say thanks!

Also, I dunno...maybe you are right about the concentration. I was told that I could BD once a day and should definitely BD once a day when I was ovulating. My H has an extra high count. I can't remember what it is though. He could be a donor, for sure.

But this is our main method from now on...so I sure hope it works. I will do more research on the timing. I like trying to BD every day because then I guess I feel I have my bases covered in case I miss a day or go too long.

Anyway, Beta did not double. It pretty much stayed the same. So it's not a keeper. I knew that anyway. I think the progresterone may actually be helping me from the previous PPD-like problems I had? I actually slept last night.

[melissafromnc]

mielSo sorry about the beta results and how this cycle turned out. Why would your doc say no treatments for 6 months due to a second chemical pregnancy? I've never heard that before. As for the bd timing, even with good or outstanding numbers most REs recommend every other day, especially if it's over a longer time period than a couple of days. Sperm lasts for a couple of days and it's just important to bd before you ovulate. After you ovulate, it's too late. It takes a while for the sperm to get to where they are going and to lose their heads/ go through necessary chemical changes.

Also have you thought of having immune testing? Bastille knows a ton more about this than I do but there are some easy-ish things you can check for (Natural Killer Cells, various antibodies) that might have easy fixes and prevent further chemical pregnancies.

ejs Isn't the fertility monitor the easiest thing ever? Soooo much easier than temping/etc. Even if it doesn't work it gives you lots of info and is super easy. I remember back in my naive days when it seemed like a lot of money. That was more than five years and 100k ago so sure seems cheap now. ;)

[miel]

Melissa Once again, you are a genius.

I have immune issues. They cause chemical pregnancies? I didn't know that! I just thought that immune would only cause problems later down the line. I assumed it was not immunity because it was so early on.

The only place I know of is Beers. If Bastille is reading this, is there somewhere else I can go? Beers won't take insurance.

My problem is not my doctor but my insurance company. My doctor may help me out with that perhaps and try to argue for me. I just can't afford anything.

A couple of other things. It's hard for me to justify perhaps but I honestly think I can get pregnant. Or I have an OK shot anyway. But I'm not happy my odds go down without help. Another thing is that I don't feel so sure that two failures in a row are a big sign of something. If 30% of (even pre-35) pregnancies end in miscarriage early then I think the evidence is still out on whether I have a big huge problem.

But I need to investigate. I'm just trying to not freak out.

[miel]

I post here alot. I hope I am not a post killer!

I will stop posting if I am!

ejs I'm sorry I didn't see your message before. Thank you. :) I just put a bid on a used one on Ebay. I know that might seem kind of icky but they are just so much cheaper!!!

[jesseybell]

ejs I'm sorry I didn't see your message before. Thank you. :) I just put a bid on a used one on Ebay. I know that might seem kind of icky but they are just so much cheaper!!!

I know people who have gotten used ones of Ebay. I am another who swares by the CBEFM. It worked twice for me. It is so much easier to POAS every morning than try to interpret OPKS.

[Jill1228]

I got my CBEFM on ebay brand new for $125 (included a box of sticks)
My friend Chare swears by it. She was on her break from Clomid and used the FM and is now 16 weeks 5 days pg

[miel]

I have to see if I won!

My hcg rose. I have to go through the whole: Ectopic or not? drama again. Phooey!

[melissafromnc]

miel Bastille knows so much more about this than I do but treatment for immune stuff really depends on what you're dealing with. If you have a MTFR mutation, for example, you need to take high doses of folic acid. I think baby aspirin as well. I don't know if you know but Dr. Beers passed away. I think his long awaited book recently came out though so that might be a good place to start. Sorry for the drama. Hope you get a clear result soon.

jill Good luck with the monitor. It's soooo easy.

As for me, I took my last bcp last night. I'm hoping for a baseline us and bw within a couple of days. Tentative transfer (fet) on December 18th. Guess I'm actually close to cycling.

[OCNative]

miel so sorry about your betas and this cycle. {HUGZ}

aphijillsorry about AF

melissafromncsorry for my delayed response. I'm not in here often. I had Sandra, and then now its Claire, clinical nurse coordinator.
Thanks for the comments on the drugs. I feel so clueless. I probably just don't ask enough questions.
Good luck to you as you progress to your possible transfer on the 18th.

Me: copied from ivf thread to update
Let's see... I was on 10 units Lupron starting Nov. 11.
I had my baseline u/s and blood test on the 20th and he gave me the go ahead for the stims, and he counted the follicles to the nurse. I heard something like 7 or 8 on each side?
On the 24th I started 2 Bravelle, and 2 Menopur. And Lupron dropped to 5 units.
Yesterday a.m. they did estradiol blood test, and they called yesterday and said it's rising appropriately, and it was at 64?
I am so clueless on all these numbers. No clue how I am doing...good, average, bad?? I guess they would tell me if there was a problem.
Tomorrow a.m. another estradiol test.
They are estimating my ER and ET somewhere the week of Dec. 3-9.

I guess I am doing okay as far as side effects, or lack thereof. I feel tired today like I want to rest my eyes. And I got enough sleep, so maybe it's the meds.

The shot with the Bravelle and Menopur is so uncomfortable, like a weird burning and undescribable feeling. Maybe because there's quite a bit of liquid in the syringe. Ugh.

My stress level is a bit high right now and I am trying hard to relax. Work is kicking my butt.

Thanks for listening, and for all the support here.

[miel]

Good luck OCNative

[OCNative]

Thanks miel

Me
Thursday morning I went for estradiol level blood test and u/s. A different doc than my RE did the u/s. She counted not all the follies I guess. Maybe just the larger ones? It sounded like 6 follies on each side that were around 6-9 in size. The doc said that things are growing nicely and at the same pace, slowly. The nurse mentioned that there are other follies, but she didn't not the measurements.
Then they called with my estradiol level, which had jumped to 170. They kept me on the same dose of meds.
Sunday I go for blood test and u/s.

[Jill1228]

aphijillsorry about AF


huh? :confused: hon, don't jinx me. I just started a 2ww :):p

[miel]

Good luck on your 2WW then APJ!

Baby dust!

[OCNative]

APhiJill Oh jeez, my bad. I am so sorry. I think I was behind in here, and saw an older post by you. I am sending you tons & tons of positive thoughts and good luck for your 2 ww.

[melissafromnc]

OCnative I saw on the ivf thread that you have triggered and have retrieval soon. I just want to wish you the best on Thursday. The nurses up on 7 are great, they'll take super good care of you. Do you know who's doing your retrieval? Dr H or Dr C? Hope you get some great follicles.

As for me, I've now had two big ol' shots of estradiol valerate (e2v). I only have to have shots twice a week at this point so it's not too bad. I have bloodwork this Friday then bloodwork and ultrasounds next Monday and next Friday. I head to Philadelphia on the 17th where the lovely Liana aka teendoc will let me hang at her awesome new house, play with her adorable baby and take good care of me. Mostly I'm looking forward to have her give me the IM shots instead of myself. ;)

Hope everyone else is well.

[pocahontas]

Oh Melissa...that is so cool that you will get to go to Philly and hang out (and I saw a pic of Teendoc's baby...she was a cutie although I haven't seen one since birth.) Have fun and good luck!

[miel]

Ooooh! Exciting times OCNative and Melissa!!!

Sending you tons of good thoughts and baby dust.

[OCNative]

melissafromnc Ended up with Dr. Rosen.
I was just reading about him on the UCSF website.
Good luck with everything, and safe travels to you.

Thanks miel

Me ER yesterday. I got a bit nervous when I was sitting in pre op. But my main nurse was so great. So I was expecting one doctor in particular, not my main doctor, and then yet a different introduced himself and that he would be doing the transfer, Dr. Rosen. I guess they all switch off.
So, they brought me in and started the sedative, and that's all I remember.
My blood pressure is normally on the lower side, not bad or anything, but after the procedure it was reading even lower, so I was there for a while resting, and the nurse brought juice and crackers.
They said 13 were retrieved.
I overheard the lady in the recovery next to me that she had 19 retrieved.
I was like, oh no, I hope 13 works.
DH was funny...he said, good, they got a baker's dozen.
I am anxiously waiting for my fertilization report. I have not a clue what the odds are of how many fertilize etc. I know everyone's body is different.
Most likely my ET will be Sunday, and they'll confirm that when they call with the fertilization report.

[OCNative]

:(
Bad news: one of the doctors just called and gave me my report.
I had 13 eggs and NONE of them fertilized. She said it was surprising, but it can happen.
Most of what she said was a blur, since I was trying not to cry on the phone.
She said there was a high level of immaturity..
I think she said 4 were mature, but the sperm didn't get in to any eggs.
She said they will get me in to Dr. F early next week, and likely he will have ideas for what to try next and tweaking my protocol.
They said the cycle looked good and they used standard operating procedure based on how my cycle looked.
I've been crying for an hour now, and DH is trying to make me feel better.
I don't even know if I can go back to work and function.
I feel like it was such a failure because I don't even get to do the ET.
I don't even know if we can do it again, because of the cost.
My parents gave me a chunk of money and we took out a loan for the remainer. We're kind of tapped out.
DH says that we need to talk to Dr. F first, and see what are his ideas.
And we can try on our own, while we're trying to find finances.

[melissafromnc]

ocnative I'm so very very sorry about your cycle. I had one cycle (at a different clinic) where we only retrieved two, one was immature and one was parthenogenetic (it started dividing on its own, before fertilization). It was so devastating not to make it to transfer. I cried and cried for a very long time.

You aren't a failure, even though I know you feel that way right now. This was not your protocol. Just try to be kind to yourself. I hope Dr. F has some words of wisdom for you. You should ask him about ICSI - intracytoplasmic spermatic injection. That's where they take one sperm and inject into the egg. It helps improve the odds for fertilization. It could be the zona pellucida (or something like that) was too hard on the eggs (I think it's a bit more common in us more advanced women). Also Dr F might want to try an antagon protocol instead of a lupron next time (you don't take lupron shots but add in shots of antagon or centrotide later to prevent ovulation). Some REs think antagon cycles are better for egg quality/older women. But Dr F totally knows his stuff.

Do you have a fertility monitor? I think it might be worth getting one if you're going to be trying on your own again.

I'll be seeing Dr F on Monday and Friday morning. I'm thrilled Sandra was able to schedule me with him.

pocahantas I got to meet little Miss Zara back in August and I'm looking forward to seeing how much she's grown. teendoc keeps her LJ and her blog updated so check there for more gorgeous pics.

miel Thanks so much for the good wishes. I'm just happy to be trying again.

[miel]

Oh ((((((((OcNative))))))). I'm really, really sorry. That is so many eggs. It does seem unfair. You can try on your own and I hope so much you can afford another cycle. It just sounds like bad luck. Maybe you should try the thing that Melissa mentioned but I don't know much about IVF.

Really, really sorry.

Melissa Say 'hi' to Teendoc for me. I saw the pictures of Zara way back when and she sure is a cutie.

[OCNative]

Thanks for your thoughtsmelilssafromnc I guess I need to understand that they learn your body as they go. I just thought we would get it on that first try.
Dr. F didn't think icsi was necessary I guess because DH's sperm looked really good.
We'll see what he has to say. I just emailed Sandra so we can get our appt.
I guess a fertility monitor would be a good thing. I don't even know if there's a point to us trying on our own.
Glad you got your appts.


Thanks miel

[OCNative]

Me
To top things off I came down with a horrible cold on Sunday and feel miserable still today.
All of Friday went by and I didn't hear from a nurse or Dr. F. The dr. who called me said someone would call about getting me into see Dr. F.
Yesterday the nurse called and said she would have Dr. F call me. I waited all day with my cell phone next to me. At almost 6 p.m. I went to take a shower and of course I missed his call. He left me his direct line and his email address. I called right back but got his vm. I left a vm. I don't know that I want to email him, but if I don't hear back by later today, I guess I will. I really want to hear his feedback.

[OCNative]

Wow, I guess I'm the only one around here these last few days. ;)

MeJust spoke with Dr. F. He said he was disappointed as he knows we are about the ivf not working out. He basically said what I already knew. 9 of the 13 eggs were immature. He said the sperm was binding well and trying to get in. He said the 4 that fertilized did so abnormally, letting too many sperm in. He said he knows it's difficult to understand. He said these aspects of my case are unusual. He said he was impressed with how I reponded to the drugs and how many eggs I had.
He said he would support us doing it again if that's what we decided. He said there are a couple things he can do differently, i.e. do a 38 hour trigger hcg instead of 36 hr. And do ICSI. He said each cycle is different and I could end up the next cycle with eggs that do mature. But he said there is not guarantee on these things, i.e. how many eggs, and how they mature.
He said its a personal decision, emotionally and financially.
I asked about donor eggs because I was curious. He said I would likely have a better chance, and he feels strongly that my uterus could handle a pregnancy.
But DH is opposed to donor eggs, and I am not sure how I feel about that either. The doctor said the donor egg thing is a very personal decision.
If we can figure out how to finance things, we can start after I get my next period. But I highly doubt we could get the money by next month.

[melissafromnc]

ocnative Glad you finally got to talk with Dr. F. Do you know amygrrl from here? She's a Stanford girl and might be good for you to talk to (she did icsi on her ivf). If you want to talk donor eggs ever, please feel free to contact me. I was a donor and I've used donor gametes as well. It is often a long process to get "there" but it is a very successful route to parenthood (95% of women who attempt up to 3 fresh DE cycles will have a take home baby, with any one cycle having a 50-85% success rate, depending on clinic). I wasn't ready until the first cycle I didn't make it to transfer. That was the straw for me but everybody is different. Men often have a different journey entirely. My husband was always open to anything because he just wants to be a parent, however that happens. Dr F is right, it's an incredibly personal decision. But the good news is you can make it at any time: age is NOT a factor at all.

If you're interested in reading more about donor issues, just to educate yourself, I have a couple of books I'd be happy to loan you. There are also some really helpful message boards and blogs (including my own little blog).

miel: I'll totally tell Liana y'all said hi. They just got their final adoption papers so have a lot to celebrate!

My update: I'm well on my way to PA/NJ. I had a lining check ultrasound and bloodwork yesterday and all looked GREAT. My lining is at 7-8 and triple lined. Just what the doc wants to see. I can't believe I leave next Monday!

[ellybelle]

Keeping everything crossed for you, Melissa!

[OCNative]

THanks melissafromncI appreciate your thoughts. No, I don't know who amygrrl is.
Honestly, I don't know how I feel about the donor egg thing. DH is against it.
He feels what's the point if the baby is not 100% our DNA, as he put it.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[melissafromnc]

ocnative None of us grow up thinking "hey, I can't wait to have a child using someone else's genes." What you and your dh are feeling is pretty normal. But for a lot of us there comes a time when we really grapple with becoming parents, and with whether being a parent is more important than sharing dna. For some people, it's not and they choose to live child free. For others they realize there can be lots of ways to parenthood and they can't bear the idea of not being parents. There are a variety of losses that you have to mourn and the dna connection is one of them. For some people, it's really important for them to be pregnant and that's not a loss they can get past. DE is a really great option for them. For others they want to control the prenatal environment. Others don't care as much about any of that and adoption is more appealing. It's all totally individual and there is no right or wrong.

One thing that many couples who choose DE over other means often think about is the contribution of both people. With DE the man contributes his genes, the donor hers, and the recipient carries the pregnancy which is a huge contribution. There's even a field called epigenics that focuses on the influence the recipient has on turning on and off various genes (it's kind of cool to think that even if someone pursues DE they'll influence the genetic expression in their child).

I have a close friend who's husband was totally against DE. He had no respect for donors (even though he knew I'd been one years ago). He and his wife did 7 ivfs. SEVEN. All but the last were totally self-pay. His wife was devastated and ready to consider donor but knew he wasn't. After the 7th, he realized he really wanted to be a dad and that was the most important thing. My friend thought she'd have to live child free and was not ok with it. Their beautiful daughter was born this summer. They are both thrilled.

I'm not writing this to try to convince you, just to share with you more about why and how some of us (several on this board in fact) come to terms with donor gametes. I really believe every couple has their own path. You'll know what is right for you and when. It never hurts to start thinking of Plan B or C or even Z.

ellyThanks for the good wishes!

I'm waiting to hear back from my NJ clinic but I'll likely start progesterone, medrol and doxycycline tomorrow night. The embryologist should call us on Saturday to talk through the thawing, set up a transfer time, etc. These embryos are from a really good batch (3 births for 3 attempts) so I'm feeling somewhat hopeful.

[miel]

Yeah, I'm totally pro DEs after being really ambivalent myself. Mainly because I fear exploiting donors. My H was freaked out by it. Now he is completely OK with it. I think it's something you have to think through, not something you know right away is right for you.

I would do it NOW in a heartbeat if I could afford it and once I am sure that my problems with mc are about egg quality and not about my body's being messed up.

Wow Melissa. You are really close. This is very exciting!! Good luck!!! Wow, such great news about the embies too. I actually have goosebumps.

[OCNative]

melissafromnc Thanks again, I totally appreciate your thoughts on DE. I know we don't know much about it and really haven't thought it through, and what's the main important thing for us. If/when we actually have the funds to try ivf again, we would have to decide which route to go, my eggs or donor.
Dr. F didn't say that there was no hope for me and my eggs, but he did say that with DE chances would be better.
Good luck to you. Great news about the embryos.

Me
I spoke with an ob/gyn acquaintance. She told me that we should definitely try on our own until we can do ivf again. She said there are many cases where women get PG the cycle following an ivf cycle. I guess I'll believe anything at this point.
She suggested the Clear Blue Ovulation predictor kit. I found it online on amazon.com. She said she'd help walk me through the steps on testing with that and simultaneously with opk tests. Meaning, do the one in the a.m. and the other in the afternoon. She said I should order an ovidrel trigger shot to have handy in case I don't get an LH surge and she/I can trigger me. I guess I've got nothing to lose.
Since I'm irregular in my cycles, who knows how to get this right. Since my infertility is really unexplained, I can't make sense of anything.

[melissafromnc]

Quick update from me: Transfer was today. Yesterday the lab thawed 4 embryos, 3 survived. All of them lost some cells. An 8 cell became a 2 cell, another 8 cell became a 4 cell and a 6 cell became 5. The lab must have done a great job because today those were a 4 cell, compacting morula and an 8 cell. Cooper believes in bedrest (I don't really) so I'm taking it easy today and tomorrow. Teendoc is giving me my shots and Zara is even cuter. Life is pretty good!

[pocahontas]

It all sounds VERY cool and more importantly...positive! Go MELISSA! :)

[miel]

Yay Melissa. Rest and relax. I can't wait to hear about everything.

[stars]

Just popping in to wish Melissa babydust :) If you read this while in philly, please tell teendoc hello!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday and a wonderful 2008!

[Jill1228]

Definitely send Teendoc my regards! I am sending you BFP dust

[Bastille]

Melissa - Everything crossed with hope and many prayers for you, your DH and embies!!

[Kimmiebride]

Many prayers for Melissa! Good luck and Hi to Liana and Zara too!
Kimmie

PS hi Bastille!

[margiepgh]

Melissa - I'm sending good thoughts your way for a positive result to you cycle.:) When are you planning to test?

Happy Holidays to everybody!

[Maxicat]

Melissa I just wanted you to know that I am thinking about you. Good luck.

[margiepgh]

I have a bit of news to share. After about two months of taking Fertility Blend.......

I got a BFP on a HPT this week.

My first very faint second line came at about 12 DPO and now at 17 DPO the line is much darker. I'm very much in the cautious mode given my age (44) and my m/c last year, but I just had to tell somebody. Also, I had a little bit of spotting this week, that seems to have subsided. I'm not planning on getting betas or doing anything just yet, but if things still look OK in about a week, I'll probably call the OB.

[pocahontas]

EEK! :eek: I'm so late but a cautious CONGRATS to you, Margie! You so deserve this! H&H 9 months! :D

[Jill1228]

I have a bit of news to share. After about two months of taking Fertility Blend.......

I got a BFP on a HPT this week.

My first very faint second line came at about 12 DPO and now at 17 DPO the line is much darker. I'm very much in the cautious mode given my age (44) and my m/c last year, but I just had to tell somebody. Also, I had a little bit of spotting this week, that seems to have subsided. I'm not planning on getting betas or doing anything just yet, but if things still look OK in about a week, I'll probably call the OB.

Well well well...you got a BFP on my birthday! Congrats to you! Sending SBVs your way

[margiepgh]

Pocahontas, Jill - Thanks for the congrats! I'm just taking it day by day on this one.

Jill - Happy Birthday!!:D

Melissa - How are you doing? Have you tested yet?

[Maxicat]

Has anybody heard from Melissa?

[Fireside Girl]

Melissa had a beta of 2. I'm sure she's really hurting.

Margiepgh,
Congratulations.

[melissafromnc]

margie Congrats! Hope all is going great with your pregnancy.

jill Happy Belated Birthday! Hope it was a good one.

As for me, thanks fireside_girl for posting my news. I couldn't get in here with all the drama that was going on and the boards being down. We did get a negative beta. It does totally bite. Four women attempted pregnancy with these embryos and only one incredibly unlucky one (me) didn't have success. We don't have any more embryos (or any others that have been donated to us) so unless something dramatic changes soon, we're just proceeding with domestic adoption. We did get the news that our homestudy was officially signed off on December 24 so that is one bright spot in all of this.

I did get to hang out with Liana and Zara lots and lots, and that was fab. I also saw an old friend from WC days, not sure if any of you remember her but her name then was firsttimer. I even got to meet her adorable little girl.

Wishing everyone here a very happy new year! May 2008 bring all of us our dreams come true.

[Maxicat]

Melissa I am so sorry to read your news. That does totally "bite". I have been thinking about you and wishing a brighter outcome for you. However you get there I am sure you will be a loving and positive influence on your child.

You are in my thoughts,
Kim

[miel]

Oh Melissa. I was hoping for you so much. I can't believe it. DAMN &*^% luck! It does bite HARD. I'm glad to hear about your homestudy and the adoption going forward. I hope it goes fast too! Do they ever? Probably not but I hope yours goes as fast as they ever go.

Anyway, I'm just so sorry this one didn't work out.

[Jill1228]

Melissa, that sucks to the nth degree! Crossing fingers for a fast adoption

[amygrrl]

ocnative - i don't know if you are still around, but yes, i did IVF with ICSI at stanford and i was 35 at the time. i highly recommend giving it a shot. when we did ivf, it was after 6 or 7 failed IUI's. because ivf is so expensive and health insurance would only cover 1 cycle, we decided to cover all our basis and get as much info out of that 1 cycle as possible. so we decided to do a split cycle. we retrieved 9 mature eggs and the plan was to fertilize 5 in the dish and use icsi on the other 4. interestingly, out of the 4 we icsi'd, i think all 4 fertilized and looked good. out of the other 5, 1 egg was a dud and didn't fertilize at all, 2 let in multiple sperm, 1 was immature, and 2 fertilized correctly. we put back the 2 best, one icsi and one dish, and i became pregnant with a singleton. we let the remaining grow in the dish to freeze. 3 made it to freezing as grade A1 (stanford's best rating for blasts) blasts are are waiting for us at stanford.

the issue might very well be something that can be overcome with icsi. and i think the procedure provides a ton of helpful info.

[miel]

Hope everyone on this board is well.

Just coming back to say: Done with miscarriage and putting a month or two hold on TTC for now. Miscarriage without D&C and I am so glad I did this. But I will say I am going to remember that experience for as long as I live. It definitely stays with you. D&C is probably less traumatic in some ways. But I am glad I did it the way I did it. I did not need a D&C.

I may have some problems with insurance. Get this: The cut off for treatment is fsh under 12 and I am fsh 12.2. SUCKS! I have to talk to the doctor about it all. I think I have a shot at lowering my fsh below 12. I have to get tested every six months.

Since I can get pregnant I do think that part of my issue could very well be the immunity thing. I do have an autoimmune disorder and I read this list of indicators one should get tested for autoimmunity and I had almost everything on that list. The problem? Insurance won't pay for some of it and doctors (for some inexplicable reason) have some kind of problem with autoimmunity. It is an established fact it causes miscarriage but they are for some reason reluctant to treat it. The nurse said to me at my RE when I asked about whether it was a reaction from immunity that 'we don't believe in that.' ???

I like the nurse alot but can you believe that she did not know that ibuprofen increases the risk of miscarriage? So strange. How could she not know this?

So if I don't get insurance for the IVF then I will just go ahead and see if I can somehow get something for immunity issues. Then, if I do, I will TTC naturally and hope for the best. If it is immunity, then nothing is going to help and I will waste my money on donor eggs if I go that route. But of course, the treatments are mostly unproven and just increase your odds. They are still a bit bad.

[miel]

Margieph How are you doing?

Has anyone heard how Melissa is doing? I hope she is OK.

[margiepgh]

miel - I'm sorry you had to go through another m/c. :( The insurance situation totally stinks. I don't know much about the immunity issue, but maybe you could try posting a thread on the infertility board.

As for me, I'm at about 9-1/2 weeks, but I'm not quite ready to call myself a graduate yet. In fact, nobody IRL except DH even knows. Although I've had two appointments with the OB's office, I haven't had one beta or ultrasound yet. I have first trimester screening on the 2/15 (nuchal fold + blood work).

[nycgirl1998]

Hi Everyone,

I feel terrible - it's been ages since I've checked in over here :(
Work has been crazy busy ever since we got back from our vacation in London last Autumn. We had started to TTC then "unofficially" with no luck. Then came the holidays and year end closing at work, so it's been a bit nutty to say the least. Now, DH is just recovering from ACL surgery, so he's on the mend and doing well! We are still trying, so we'll see what this year brings!

Hope that everyone is doing well over here - I'm just now trying to catch up on everyone's posts :)

[pocahontas]

Hi Everyone,

I feel terrible - it's been ages since I've checked in over here :(
Work has been crazy busy ever since we got back from our vacation in London last Autumn. We had started to TTC then "unofficially" with no luck. Then came the holidays and year end closing at work, so it's been a bit nutty to say the least. Now, DH is just recovering from ACL surgery, so he's on the mend and doing well! We are still trying, so we'll see what this year brings!

Hope that everyone is doing well over here - I'm just now trying to catch up on everyone's posts :)

NYC...are you working with an RE yet? Usually for women our age when they've been trying longer than 6 months with no luck they like to consult an RE to cover all bases...just wondering if you'd gone that route yet?

[nycgirl1998]

Oh no - we haven't been seriously "trying" for 6 months! Sorry if that's what it sounded like from my post. What I meant was we tried while we were over in London and then life just got so busy that we weren't officially "trying" during the holidays, etc. I'm not obsessing about it as my cousin just got pregnant and she's 42 - and I've got about 5 coworkers who are between the ages of 38 and 42 who are also pregnant and conceived without any problems. We're still in the stage of "if it's meant to be, then it will happen on it's own." If not, I wouldn't mind going the adoption route either:)

[ellybelle]

margie I'm keeping everything crossed for you! Let us know how the screening goes on Friday.

I'm just checking in as well. DH and I were dealing with some marital problems that we're starting to work out. We've agreed that we don't want to deal with the stress of IF treatments and hormonal rollercoaster right now (our marriage is more important than having another child, and keeping that going for S. is more important than giving her a sibling). So we are still trying in a semi-relaxed way, and will probably look into adopting a toddler or preschooler next year if our TTC efforts don't work out. While I'd love to have another little one around the house, we're going to leave it to chance and luck for the next few months.

[ellybelle]

Pocohantas and Melissa Thinking of you both, and sending comforting thoughts....

[margiepgh]

Elly - Sorry to hear about the marital problems. Hope you and DH can work things out soon.

As for me, the nuchal translucency test was normal, but the blood work increased my odds for Downs at 12 weeks from 1:17 to > 1:10. So I went ahead with the CVS. Based on the FISH results, everything looks normal. I get the final results in about a week.

[tsmom]

Margie, In this thread we are all used to waiting but I know this is a really hard time to have to wait for results. Thinking good thoughts and sending prayers.

[Jill1228]

Right now I got quite a few things hanging on my mind. Anxiety is riddling me
Still no peak on the FM. I am thinking that by next cycle if I am not PG, i should see an RE.

Since we would both have to be tested, I am worried because I know that Dave would have an attitude

"There's nothing wrong with me. I am not going to whack off in a jar. It's embarassing" :rolleyes:

Yeah like what i am going through is not? :mad: I am afraid to even bring it up to him. I just hope he will work with me

[ellybelle]

margie Thinking of you while you are waiting. It's really hard, I know. Keeping everything crossed for you.

As for me, everyone in the house got some nasty stomach/upper resp. bug last week. Just in time for me to O. Great. I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

[pocahontas]

Melissa if you're still reading. {{{HUGS}}}

Margie...I hope they get back to you with the good news that things are fine because I am just believing for you that it will be nothing but positive!

[margiepgh]

Thanks everyone for the support and good thoughts. I got the final results from the CVS today and they were normal. It is a big relief. I also found out the baby is a girl. :D Today I am 14 weeks, so officially in the second trimester.

[jesseybell]

margie - That is wonderful news!

[ellybelle]

Yay, margie!!

I remember coyly asking the person who called me about our CVS results about the "Xs and Ys." Can't believe it was nearly 5 years ago.

[Jill1228]

In the 2WW
If we don't get lucky this month, I have an RE appt on 4/4
I would SO love to cancel that appt

[jesseybell]

APhiJill - Crossing my fingers for you! I got to cancel an HSG appt with DD. It was the total fear of having the procedure done that made me pull out all the stops.

[Jill1228]

Margie, glad you got good news!

I was able to get an earlier RE appt. My big problem is Luteal Phase and lack of progesterone. course AF started just as I was leaving the house for the appt :rolleyes: We will be doing IuI. I started with 100mg of Clomid yesterday CD 3-7. I have the u/s on 3/24 to see if there is a mature egg ready to go

I have to admit I am anxious about this IuI. I know the odds are against me and that scares the shit out of me. I know to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. No idea how to do that? I don't want to think negative thoughts but then again I don't think it is a good service to me to be overly optimistic

Of course Dave is worried about the cost and it will begin a slippery slope. The "you will stop at nothing to get a baby". The money does scare me. I am just scared all over. Scared that my body will fail me. Scared of how I will react if my body fails me. :(

Ok, go ahead and get the dudes in the white coats to take me away :(

Infertility hurts. :( Infertility sucks!

[Maxicat]

APhiJill I just read your post and I wanted to tell you how much I understand your pain. I went through 2 rounds of IUI with heavy stims then had one cancelled because of the lack of response. I had 3 different RE's tell me I would never carry a baby to full term. The entire time my husband had worried about the cost but I knew it was worth it. The cost was almost unbearable, both emotionally and financially.

I now have a 17 month old little girl who is my everything. The other day she said the words "fire truck" and then made a siren sound, I almost cried with joy.

The thing is, she came to me when I wasn't looking. I had gone thru all the stims and acupuncture, yoga, IUI's and therapy I could handle. In December 2005 I looked at my dream in the mirror and told it "good bye".

December 2005 when I decided to move on, I was only able to because I knew I tried everything in my power. You have to.

In January 2006 I got pregnant naturally, without any drugs or yoga or IUI. I can't explain why or what happened, I just think it was....

Good luck to you and all the other wonderful ladies on this board.

[miel]

Yay Margie!!!

Thanks for your story Maxicat. So encouraging. What is it with toddlers and their love of fire trucks?!

[Jill1228]

Maxicat, I love your story :)

After the crazy week I had, I deserve something good to happen. To tell the
story, I will post a few posts from the TTC with charting thread

Day of the Ultrasound/Coming back from Toronto (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1682510&postcount=230)

Day of IuI (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1683285&postcount=254)


Ready to really throttle damn husband (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1684121&postcount=266)

[Bastille]

Hello -

Margie - how are you doing? Your pregnancy is such an inspiration!!

Bastille

[Jill1228]

My IuI was unsuccessful. :( Due to DH's job situation we are going to have to put TTC on the back burner :( So right now we are not trying or preventing

[margiepgh]

APhiJill - Sorry to hear that the IUI was unsuccessful and that there are some issues with DH's job situation :( Take care of yourself.


Bastille - I'm still doing well. I'm at 20 weeks now and just last week told the people I work with. Results from my 19 week ultrasound were normal. :)

[pocahontas]

APhiJill - Sorry to hear that the IUI was unsuccessful and that there are some issues with DH's job situation :( Take care of yourself.


Bastille - I'm still doing well. I'm at 20 weeks now and just last week told the people I work with. Results from my 19 week ultrasound were normal. :)

Margie...do you know what you're having?

[margiepgh]

pocahontas - I'm expecting a girl.:)

[ellybelle]

Congrats on your little girl! You're inspiring me, margie -- I guess I can wait until fall before getting rid of all the baby gear.



APhiJill -- Sorry about the IUI. :(

[Jill1228]

Margie, congrats on the girl
I am sad about the IuI being a bust. Right now we are not trying and not preventing. So if it happens, it happens

[pocahontas]

pocahontas - I'm expecting a girl.:)

OH! HOW EXCITING! :) CONGRATS!

[miel]

Does no one post here anymore? I'm feeling kind of blue and lonely.

Things are not going well. My cycles are all screwed up. I think this is the end of my borderline fsh. :( So sad. I guess insurance will not pay after all.

I screwed up in my choice of insurers.

[pocahontas]

I'm still checkin' in on this side of things until we get a BFP and I can graduate out of here (again. :rolleyes: ) UGH! Sorry you are blue, MIEL...I know that "blue" feeling well when I think about the fact that I already graduated once and really haven't got much to show for it. :( Sorry about picking the wrong insurer too. I have a friend who had the RIGHT insurance and was going to my clinic and RE and loved her as much as I did but right before she was ready to do an IVF cycle her job changed...and with it, she had to pick a new insurance. She called the Financial Counselor at my clinic to verify her new pick was one that my clinic used...to which they answered yes. Well, come to find out...Financial Counselor was WRONG. :mad: My clinic doesn't participate with the ins. she chose (and had they told her that...she DID have another option she could have chose.) Now she's pissed because...she's 41, not getting any younger and wanted to do IVF last year (after having 2 m/c)! But she has to wait until open enrollment in November to change ins. (AGAIN :rolleyes:) and then start a cycle. So it will be January 09 before she can even get the IVF ball rolling. It really bites for her. So I know how unhappy you must be. :(

MARGIE...hoping you'll check in here and let us know how you're doing since I'm sure you're in the 3rd tri by now! :)

[miel]

Poca What are you doing right now?

I chickened out for a little while after my last mc. Those really cause me some major problems! I just couldn't face another one. Of course, I'm regretting it now. :(

[pocahontas]

Right now, I just got the go-ahead for 2 IVF cycles paid for by my ins. I am really blessed to have good coverage. (Most state employees here do.) I had been on hiatus after I lost my son because I had to have a myomectomy to remove some fibroids. And that required 3 months post-op of no pregnancy. So we only got the green light at the beginning of May that we were cleared to even TTC again. We planned to try on our own a month or two (maybe 3)...just while we were waiting on my ins. authorization. Since we didn't know how long it would take we'd just TTC naturally in the meanwhile. But it didn't even take the 6-8 week wait they usually say it will. We got word the last week in May that we could start. So I figure I'd live by my mother's saying, "If it ain't broke don't try to fix it!" :) (Or maybe it was "don't go re-inventing the wheel". LOL ;)) IVF worked for us the first time, so we figure we'll run with it again. I just turned 38 and honestly, I feel so "past my prime". I know it's young by some folx standards (at least my RE says so as does my mom who had me at 39 :rolleyes:). But I really hoped to be able to have more than one and the longer I wait the less chance that I can at least have 2. So that's where we are...

So what do you think you're going to do next about your situation?

[jesseybell]

I am around - waiting on AF so we can try again. I've got 2 1/2 months until I turn 38 - I hope to be pregnant by then. 7 months ago after the m/c my doctor told me it was okay to wait until spring. But now I am starting to panic about my eggs being that much older. While there was no "typical" chromosomal abnormalities found with the fetus, I still worry.

I'll be cheering you on pocohontas!

miel - Sorry about your cycles and about your insurance. I hate freaking insurance. It cost me nothing to have my DD (and also to loose the second pg). I hate to know how much it will cost if I get pregnant again.

[miel]

Hey you guys!!!

It's so good to know you are around and working on this stuff.

So glad to know Poca that you have great insurance.

I wish I were still 38!!! :)

Hey Jersey, don't worry about your eggs too much. All it takes is one good egg.

Right now my fertility seems to be fading fast. But I still have hope. The doctor put me on levox--thyroid meds. It is supposed to prevent mc. But maybe I went hyper. Hyper can change your cycles. Anyway, my cycles are messed up. This has never happened!!!! Waaaaah!!!!!

OK, just a little self pity there. I wish I weren't such a pessimist about everything. Infertility drives everyone crazy I'm sure but I'm always so bad about things that involve the future and worrying about the future.

Anyway, I'll try the natural route ASAP. Unless my fsh and estradiol are over the cutoff, I'll try IUI in August. I'm gone out of the country in July so can't do it then.

I will find out my TSH levels on the 20th. The reason the RE put me on levox is that it seems to help with women who have Anti thyroid antibodies. It helps us avoid miscarriage, apparently.

[tsmom]

I still check in, not to ttc sorry to say but we are done, but to cheer you guys on and see how everyone is doing.

Thinking good thoughts for all of you.

[miel]

Thanks Tsmom!!! Your good wishes mean alot. Maybe I will throw in the towel at some point. But I'm just not there yet.

[hiphopgirl]

I thought this group was all gone and pregnant. I figured I was the only one left in this age category. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. I turn 37 in less than a month. I've been told that is still young, but it certainly doesn't feel that way right now.

miel - I'm sorry about insurance. I'll keep my fingers crossed about your TSH levels. Do you know your FSH levels? I couldn't tell based on your comment.

pocahontas - I'm so jealous of your insurance. You know I'm cheering you on with this cycle. I hope you only need the one IVF.

[pocahontas]

pocahontas - I'm so jealous of your insurance. You know I'm cheering you on with this cycle. I hope you only need the one IVF.

Thank you ma'am! Cheering is good. :D I will definitely keep you posted, but I'm hoping the same thing as you since it only took one cycle last time to do the trick! Let me know if you want me to add your stats to the front page since you are a member of "The Club" ;)

[margiepgh]

MARGIE...hoping you'll check in here and let us know how you're doing since I'm sure you're in the 3rd tri by now!

Just stopping by to cheer everybody on! I think all of you are still young since I got pregnant with my first at 39 (and had him at 40) and am pregnant with my second at 44! I'm at 29 weeks now and all is still going well. I just passed by glucose screening test, but found out I'm slightly anemic, so I need to take iron pills.

[jlo2be]

Margie - that's such wonderful news. I'm really happy for you.

It's been a while since I checked in over here. We did an IVF cyce in February that produced a BFP but the sonogram at 6w6d showed an empty sack. I decided not to do an D&C and let it pass naturally. That process finally started at the end of April. My last beta a week ago was still 163 so I go back next week for a beta recheck and sonogram to make sure I'm finally finished. It's been a very long, trying stretch and I'm not sure I can go through it again. But dreams die hard, so you never know. :)

[Jill1228]

jlo2be, I am so sorry :(
margie-great news!
Well when I get back home, we are doing IuI #2.
If g-d forbid the cycle is not successful, we will have to seriously discuss IVF

[pocahontas]

Just stopping by to cheer everybody on! I think all of you are still young since I got pregnant with my first at 39 (and had him at 40) and am pregnant with my second at 44! I'm at 29 weeks now and all is still going well. I just passed by glucose screening test, but found out I'm slightly anemic, so I need to take iron pills.

YAY MARGIE! Good for you! Can't wait until you post the good news that she has arrived. So does that mean your due date is late Aug? Or early Sept? (I have 2 friends due a day apart...Sept 9 and 10 and I think they are like 28 weeks now.)

JLO...sorry about the m/c. :(

[ellybelle]

Hi All,
Just checking in. I have an appt. with my OB/Gyn to get FSH/estradiol levels tested, and then to talk about options at this point before DH and I talk seriously about it again. He'll be out of the country next month anyway, so I'll be using the time to relax, get in shape, get some acupuncture treatments for pinched nerve, sciatica and fertility issues (if nothing else, should help improve my mobility and blood flow to my pelvic region ;)

Then A. and I will revisit the issue and decide what we want to do.

margie Glad to hear things are going so well -- congrats again! Just don't go picking up any 4 year olds in the next few weeks ;-)

[ellybelle]

jlo Ohhhh, man! I'm so sorry. Take care of yourself, 'kay?

[miel]

Margie Yay. Dang, that is inspiring!!!! Honestly, that cheers me up so much. Hooray. I'll be thinking of you.

Jlo ((((((So sorry)))))). Please do take care of yourself. I'm really, really sorry.

I did the natural route myself. I know about dreams. I'm not giving up until I turn 46, I've decided unless my mental health utterly gives out due to the hormone swings if I have to many mcs. I guess I just want to be able to know for sure it wasn't going to happen. I picked this arbitrary number to sort of prepare myself for a long haul. But of course, I hope it won't be that long. It's just kind of how I deal with things. I always expect the worst. It actually doesn't make anything easier!!!!! I don't know why I do it!!!!

[Jill1228]

update in stats
age 41
DH 48
TTC since: Had a missed m/c on 12/12/06. Started TTC again in July 07. One failed IuI in March 08. Taking a TTC break and will be doing another IuI in July 08

[miel]

Wha?

I freaked because of irregular cycles and I just privately tested my FSH for my own peace of mind and it was 6.4.

Isn't that crazy? I have high FSH.

Anyway, I can't do the CCCT because I'm going to Mexico. I've had a lot of insurance trauma that I've never discussed here. But if I can keep this FSH and I don't get pregnant then I should qualify for some kind of fertility treatments on insurance.

[miel]

Oh my God this is weirdly traumatic.

I'm doing injectibles. I'm freaking out about it. First, I missed the first night and did it in the AM. Was that really bad? I think I just got nervous. Not about the shot but about my fear of the drugs. And also the fear of the miscarriage that could happen.

I mean, I laid down with my daughter and fell asleep. I wasn't trying to miss the shot. But in an unconscious way, I was.

I'm freaking out. My cycles are bad. They are short. I am not regular. I am going to have a mc. This is my fear.

[pocahontas]

Hmmm...missing a shot by a couple hours, probably not too bad. Taking it a whole 'nother day? Probably not too good. I think honestly you might really wanna revisit how badly you want this because it almost seems as if your fear (both of them) has overtaken your desire right now (unconsciously as you said). And that can't be a good thing when TTC. Just MHO. Maybe right now isn't a good time. :confused:

[miel]

Actually, I didn't wait a whole day. It was the morning of the third day. I got the shots in the night of the second day. So instead of injecting myself that night, I injected myself the next morning. Early. Then I looked on the internet--the typical starting time is the 3rd day but the 4th and 5th are also acceptable starting times.

It was weird that the doctor did not make it clear what day I was supposed to start. I am going to call them on Monday and ask if it is OK if I started the third instead of the second day. But according to the website, you are supposed to start the third day. So that is kind of strange that they did not tell me to wait until the next day. I got my ultrasound on the second day and the medicine on that same day.

I DO want it badly. I'm scared of the medication. If I thought for sure I would get a baby out of it, I wouldn't hesitate. What I'm scared of is not that I will get a baby but that I won't, will screw up my cycles, get the crazy side effects (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome), have a miscarriage, etc.

Speaking of which, I am not so good at giving myself the shot. It was very hot and my leg was sweaty and my hands were also. My hand slipped and I think I got everything in there with the third shot but I can't be 100% sure. So yes, I'm kind of a screw up generally perhaps.

I don't think I can quit because I am an apprehensive person in general and if I didn't charge forward in spite of all my apprehensions I would not do much in life. I think that it is usually better for my to ignore my misgivings in most situations. In this case, I really am SO afraid of miscarriage--not just because of how sad it is but because it causes me to lose it for at least a month or so.

Anyway, if I waited for my fear to go away, I would just never do anything ever. Usually, what I do is just try to ignore my fear even if it makes things more difficult for me. Like, I was afraid when I read the insert and I was unsure that I would be able to do the shot correctly. So I waited a little bit. Then, my daughter wouldn't fall asleep. So I laid down with her and fell asleep by accident and didn't wake up until 5:30 a.m. the next morning. But if I hadn't been apprehensive, I would have just given myself the shot. Actually, if I had done that I might have given it to myself too early, according to the information I got off the internet.

Anyway, I think sometimes you have to question how bad you want things if you aren't on track but other times you just have to be like 'suck it up and get back on track' and in this case, this is what I think I have to do.

[pocahontas]

Well, then in that case, I am GLAD that you are back on track! :)

[Jill1228]

We did an IUI on the 19th. This one went MUCH better. It was on 150mg Clomid, 1000mg metformin and an HCG trigger. I had 2 follies waiting. DH's post wash count was MUCH better.

Let's just say the last IUI was a clusterf*ck
I am on the second half of the 2WW. Wish me luck

Miel, I am hoping that this IUI is successful and we don't have to do injectables. Mainly because of price and my being scared of needles.

I wish you luck this cycle Miel

[miel]

Thanks Pocahantas. What is up with you these days?

Jill...I am wishing you a ton of luck. You don't have to talk about the last IUI but I did wonder what went wrong.

The needles are not scary at all. It is just more complicated. I guess it makes you take the fact you are on medication more seriously but the needles are so thin you will not really feel the injection. It's not like having blood drawn, e.g.

But you are going to have success this time so you don't need to know that!!! :) :) :)

[pocahontas]

Thanks Pocahantas. What is up with you these days?


Not much...just plugging along on summer vacation. Did you end up talking with the RE (or a nurse) about the timing of the shots? Wait...didn't you say you were going to Mexico? :confused: Or is that already done? How is that going to work with doing the IUI?

BTW: I just wanted to congratulate fellow member JENNZ since it hasn't been said in here and wish her a Happy & Healthy 9 months! (Thankfully, we'll get to add another graduate to the front page because it was looking kinda bleak for awhile! :() Oh and JESSEYBELL who is pg with #2! :)

[Jill1228]

Congrats to JennZ and Jesseybell!

Ha...my last IUI.

If you are doing an IUI, the male partner has to prove that he has had an HIV test within the last 6 months. If not, they have to get an order for one (this comes into play).

I booked a trip to Toronto for my goddaughter's christening. When the RE booked my IUI u/s, it was for Monday at 9. I wouldn't be back until 2PM.

So the flight was Toronto, LA, San Fran. Flight was late leaving Toronto. I was late getting to LA. I had to change terminals--which meant I had to go through security again. The line was hella long and I missed my connection to San Fran. I got put on the next flight. I was damn near tears. My doc said he would wait for me.

I get to SFO and one of my bags did not make the connection. My RE's office is about an hour away from the airport. I get there around 4:30p

Next morning, DH gets there to pay his debt to society and he can't because he doesn't have paperwork on file. My doc's office forgot to inform me of this. By this time DH is pissed and is ready to say f*ck this. Yeah we got into a huge fight :( We got the stuff done but by this time he was so pissed and irritated, he could barely make a donation.

He later said he had to pull up a REAL good memory...and I don't want to know about it

Needless to say, the count sucked. So I think with the fubar flight and stress did not help matters

[JennZ]

BTW: I just wanted to congratulate fellow member JENNZ since it hasn't been said in here and wish her a Happy & Healthy 9 months!

Thanks, Poca!! :)

Jill,
That IUI does sound like a total mightmare!! Hope this one did the trick!

miel,
Good luck this cycle!

[miel]

I hope you are having a nice summer Poca.

I did my trigger shot tonight. No problem with the timing. I only have one follicle though. But it is maturing like it is supposed to.

I won't qualify for IVF now because of the weak response to the gonadatropins. Unless I have a better response in the future. But of course, hoping that won't be necessary as I hope I will be pg. and it will stick.

I get the IUI tomorrow and the next day.

Wow, Jill that is very irresponsible of the doctor not to set that up ahead of time. It also doesn't really make sense to me...if the person is your husband you could not claim the IUI gave you HIV could you?

My DH has not HIV test on hand. We go in tomorrow. Wouldn't they have said something about this? Weird.

If it doesn't work for that reason I'm going to strangle someone.

[Jill1228]

Miel, best of luck today

I just got a BFN. :( Time to reassess

[margiepgh]

Just an update on my early arrival.

Lauren Nicole was born at just 33 weeks on 7/17/08 weighing in at 4 lb 9 oz and 18 inches long. After three long weeks in the hospital, we finally got her home last Thursday. She's had the normal preemie issues (immature lungs, jaundice, feeding issues), but had a relatively uneventful stay in the NICU and progressed quickly to the Level II nursery. She's doing great at home.

I'm not sure how to upload photos, so here is a link to her hospital picture (she's much cuter in person :).

https://www.cherished-memories.com/nursery_viewimage.cfm?CFID=11170617&CFTOKEN=79364385



This second child was a long journey for me (3 years and one miscarriage), but yet it was still happend at age 44. Although I done with child bearing, I'm still checking in and sending good thoughts that all of you will get BFP's soon.

[pocahontas]

Awww...I think the link is half eaten because it came up with an error. :( But I do wanna say, CONGRATS! I am THRILLED I get to add you to the graduate section! :D

[jlo2be]

Congratulations, Margie!! :D

[Jill1228]

Congrats Margie

[tsmom]

congrats to you Margie!

[ellybelle]

Congrats, Margie!

[Bastille]

Margie - what wonderful news. You are a true success story and an example I am sure many of us would love to emulate. CONGRATULATIONS!

[miel]

Congratulations Margie!!!

:) :)