IVF Anyone?

[islandgirlsj]

Looking for all women who are going through IVF, and want to chat and find some support here. I belonged to the group on WC, and now, well... I'm having serious issues with that site, and I'm missing having other women to chat about this whole experience.

A little background on me.
I have two children, a 16 year old daughter, and a 12 (almost 13) year old son.

My husband has no children, so after a lot of thinking and planning we decided to try to have a child together. I had my tubes tied after the birth of my son, so going through IVF was the best solution right now.

We just finished out first cycle about a month ago, and were unsuccessfull, and are now in the middle of our second.

I hope to hear from more of you that may be going through the same thing.


~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~
Some Usefull & Helpful Information - Links and such (will be added to as we find them)
IVFer's HCG Levels (http://ivfer.com/hcg.htm)
IVF Pregnancy Due Date and Timeline Calculator (http://www.ivf.ca/calcu.htm)
IVFer's Pregnancy Calculator Page (includes includes embryo measurements, heartrates, and fetal weights) (http://www.ivfer.com/pg_calc.htm)


Meet the Women.... and the stats. :D

alo (aloitius on WC)
Age: 29
DH: 32
Married: 10/01
TTC: 2003
Dx: balanced translocation on chromosomes 1 and 4
4 m/c (3 chemical pgs, and 1 loss at 10 weeks of triplets)
Status: IVF with PGD #1 July 2005
Status: embryos carried genetic abnormalities - Was not able to transfer
any.

amychris03
Me: Amy, 29
DH: Chris, 35
Married: 6/21/03
DX: PCOS, lack musculature along outside of tubes
Ectopic PG: 9/04
Status: PREGNANT
EDD: 3/26/06

angelgirl8
me: angelgirl8, 28
dh: also 28
married: 7.6.03
ttc: 1.04
testing: cd3 and 7dpo blood tests fairly normal
5.04: SA normal
9.04: HSG-tubes clear
9.04, 10.04, 11.04: clomid, IUI, trigger, progesterone
12.04: gonal-f 150iu, IUI, trigger, progesterone
3.04: IVF#1 (all but 1 of the 22 fertilized eggs multinucleated and fragmented; transferred 1 4-celled embryo on day 3)
5.04: IVF#2; added metformin: (18 retrieved, 13 fertilized, 4 low quality embryos survived and transferred on day 3)
6.02.05: Pregnant with TWINS!
EDD - 2/8/06

Astro
Me: Astro age 38
DH: DH age 35
TTC since Sept 03
Laporoscopy June 04
Polypectomy October 04
Diagnosed: unexplained infertility with a touch of endo and fibroids.
Clomid/IUIs/Progesterone since July 04
Pregnant with Twins
Status; Miscarried at 16 weeks. :(

AusMarchBride
Me: Ann (39)
DH: Michael (41)
Married: 16 March 2003
DX: Unexplained IF
IVF#1: Jan 05, unsuccessful
[B]IVF#2: May 05, PREGNANT
BFP: June 14, 2005
EDD: February 17, 2006

CapeCod04
Me: Kate (43)
DH: Aron (35)
TTC since Aug 04
Diagnosis: none really - my fertility problem is old age!
1 unsuccessful IUI
1 whacked out injectible cycle that was supposed to be an IUI
IVF #1 - Sept, 05, Failed. :(
Status: Will wait for new cycle to try again.

Happy1
Me: Nikki, 27 (7/17/78)
DH: Tim, 35 (11/2/69)
Married: 6/08/02
Diagnosis: Male factor
Status: Just starting out

islandgirlsj
Me: Lisa (37)
DH: Ken (41)
Married: April 26th, 2003
DX: Have tubes tied, and had tubal pregnancy which took a tube.
IVF#1: Failed,6/5/05 - We have 10 frozen embries, so we move
onto a FET cycle next.
IVF#2 -FET, 7/25/05 - Failed 8/3/05
Currently taking a break. May try another FET in the New Year.

Jad
me: 34
DH: 33
married: 9/02
Dx: male factor
IVF #1 June/July - Chemical Pregnancy
IVF #2: September/October 2005

Jan1902
me: 34
DX: Severe tubal adhesions/blockage during 10/04 HSG
Tubes cauterized 11/04
IVF #1 1/05 BFN
IVF #2 3/05 BFN
IVF #3 Transfer 8/15/05
Status - Failed


Kat (FKA MIPG?)
Age: 36
DH: 40
Married: 9/02
TTC: 12/03
Dx: unexplained (HSG, SA, bloodwork all fine)
10/04: miscarried at about 6 weeks
11/04 - 3/05: four rounds of Clomid + trigger (and timed BD) -- all BFN
IVF #1: June '05 (transferred two 8-cell, grade 1 embies)
Status: beta was 6/23
PREGNANT with TWINS!
EDD: 3/2/06 - Boy / Girl Twins!

KLo
Me: Lois (31)
DH: Kevin (36)
Married: May 11, 2002
TTC: July 2003
BFP: October 25, 2004 (officially)
EDD: July 1, 2005
IF Info: Bilateral distally blocked Tubes, IVF#1 – Transferred two 8-cell Grade A embryos – Successful!! Pg with twins - one lost at 8wks.
ADD: 6/16/05 - Matthew Michael George
TTC #2 with IVF - some time in 2006

la_bride_2004
Me: 31
DH: 36
male factor
Dec 04 IVF #1- OHSS/ chem. preg
IVF #2 - FET June 1
Status: 8/19/05 DH had varicocele repair surgery, hoping for another
round in 3-6 months

Ladybug777 (formerly Scorpiobride on WC)
Me: Jazmine (26)
Dh: Taft (29)
Married: 6/15/02
TTC: 3/03
DX: Bilateral removal of tubes (8/05); initially dx w/ left hydro but lap showed both tubes dilated; mild male factor
11/04: IUI #1 w/ Clomid- BFN
2/05 & 3/05 : IUI #2 & #3 w/ injectibles- BFN
Moving on to IVF

mrselle ~
Me: Jo (30 on 7/14)
DH: Ed (35)
TTC: February 2003
1/2004 - HSG all clear
5/2004 - Pregnant!!!
6/2004 - Miscarriage at 7w5d
1/2005 - Clomid round 1 (P4 = 22.1 at 2PDO); BFN
2/2005 - Clomid round 2 (P4 = 56.3 at 5DPO); BFN
3/2005 - Clomid round 3 (P4 = 54.7 at 5DPO); BFN
4/2005 - DH SA excellent
6/2005 - First visit with RE
6/2005 - Office Hysteroscopy; Everything looks good
DX - Unexplained
IVF# 1 - Aug. 2005
Status - Had severe OHSS, had to cancel cycle, will do FET in a couple months

Sandybride
FET - August
Status: 9/2/05 - PREGNANT!

Scooter
Me: 29
DH:32
Married:8/01
m/c 8/02 at 5.5 weeks
TTC: 4/03
Unexplained Infertility, possible immune issues
3 cycles of clomid & progesterone
2 cycles of clomid + IUI
1 cycle of letrozole + IUI
using accupuncture & on Folgard & baby aspirin
status: on 2nd cycle of letrozole + IUI
next cycle: Bravelle + IUI, and then moving to IVF
Status:8/19/05 - Pregnant

Sidsou
Ann - 33
DH - 41
DS - Kyle - 8 1/2 months -IVF success story!
male factor infertility
Status:TTC #2 with IVF August/September
Status: Beginning Stims mid Sept

Suzlywoozly
Me: Sue (28)
DH: Jeff (31)
TTC: October 2002
10/02: 1st Lap-Found ovarian cysts and endo
4/04: Started Progesterone supplements and 25 mg clomid
8/04 - 11/04: Clomid and IUI's
01/05: Surgery to remove mass on left ovary. Turned out to be endo which caused my left ovary/fallopian tube to adhere to my uterus
02/05-04/05: Two additional clomid cycles with failed IUIs
06/05: Pregnant on an unmedicated cycle and miscarried
8/05 IVF #1 - 8/25 Beginning Stims
9/05 - ER/ET week of Septmber 12th

~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~

Please email your stats to me, and I will update you. :) Islandgirlsj's email (islandgirl_sj@yahoo.com)

[mrselle]

I was hoping an IVF group would start up. I was too shy to start one on my own. A little background on us:

DH and I have been TTC for 2 1/2 years now. We were able to get pregnant on our own after 14 months of trying, but unfortunately I had a miscarriage at 7w5d. Its been a year since my miscarriage and we still have not been able to get pregnant. We tried 3 cycles of clomid earlier this year and while my progesterone levels were great, none of those cycles were successful. This month I started seeing an RE and have made more progress in four weeks than we have made in 2 1/2 years. I had an office hysteroscopy two weeks ago and fortunately everything looks normal. So, given the amount of time we have been TTC my RE suggest that we move on to injectables or IVF. Our insurance covers IVF at 80%, so DH and I are leaning towards IVF. Unless AF doesn't show (and I'm pretty sure she wil :rolleyes: ) I think we will begin the process late July/early August.

[Scooter]

I've been wondering if that group was going to move over here, too. Did LA_Bride mention moving it? I haven't seen her over here yet. :confused:

[islandgirlsj]

mrselle ~

Sounds like you have already been through a lot to get to the IVF stage.

I have to say that it is even more work here! Ha. But I guess if it pays off, and I'm praying that it will, all of this will be worth it.

I'm doing a frozen cycle this time around, and have heard that many women get pregnant at this stage instead of the first. So I'm just going to go with that theory, and hope for the best! :D

Welcome to the group!!

[islandgirlsj]

Scooter ~
I have not heard from LA bride, although I was going to make a post over there about this thread starting.
I'm way to frustrated to stay over there any longer, I absolutely hate the new format.

Glad you found this thread!! :D

[Scooter]

Islandgirl-thanks! I've been lurking in the thread for months, but wasn't sure if I should join yet. We've still got the rest of this cycle and then 1 cycle of injectibles before starting IVF. But really, if I haven't gotten pg in the last 27 months, I'm not feeling very positive about the next two working out! I'm starting to really look forward to IVF, and am hoping the thread starts up here so I can learn more specifics!

[AusMarchBride]

Is that you chained??

[amygrrl]

ok... i finally found you guys... is this going to be the official new group thread? if so, here are my stats :D

me: amy (35)
dh: dan (33)
TTC since: March 2003
Treatments: 6 failed rounds of Clomid. 1 successful IVF producing Avery Elizabeth born still on June 3, 2005 at 27 weeks from possible cord accident (we love you, baby girl!) along with 3 frozen blasts.
Status: July 25th - Meet with RE to discuss next steps. Possible fresh cycle in Sept/Oct. Meeting with Perinatologist to review Avery's case. Undergoing b/w for a variety of clotting disorders. Meeting with Cardiologist to change arythmia med. and praying for a brother or sister for Avery

[Jad]

Yeah, we can start a group over here. DH will make less fun of me than he does because I still go to the WC three years after our wedding. :)

[angelgirl8]

hi all!

chained...thanks for starting this thread. we should see if coreen wants to move all the thread beginning stuff over here?

[Sidsou]

Hi all from the WC boards! I almost feel bad coming over here, but it's just so much easier to post.

Mrselle You sound so much like me when I started IVF. I have a happy little baby boy now. Feel free to ask any questions!!

Jad It's been almost 4 years since my wedding, so DH makes so much fun of me for still going to "newleyweds" :)

A little update on me, I had been meeting with the RE to hopefully try for baby#2 with IVF (my first baby an IVF baby is almost 10 months now). My FSH levels are much higher than they were before (almost 3 years ago now), so we're trying Clomid to see if my body will react to it. It's kind of goofy since I feel like I'm now starting everything all over again when I had hoped I could just start with IVF. I swear Clomid was the worst drug of them all for me.

I feel kind of bad saying this here (I hope no one takes offense), but in a way I thought you guys might be able to understand better than others. If my body isn't reacting very well, we might not continue with ttc#2. I'm sure you all know how difficult it is going through all of this fertility stuff and how life consuming it is. I honestly don't think I want to go through it all again and miss out on DS. I feel like I'm so lucky to have one baby and want to enjoy him. I think I'm just tired of fighting the fertility battles.

[islandgirlsj]

Awww!
Look at all my WC girls!
I'm so glad to see you all coming over here.

I made that post last night in WC, and then went to bed, then I had the most awful feeling that maybe I should not have done that.
After all, it was an active thread, but I think that the stress of those horrible boards was keeping people away.

I'm glad to see you all over here! :D :D

angelgirl8 - Yes, we could see if Coreen wants to move the stuff over, that would be great, can you send her an email, or somehow contact her?? My internet time at work is scarce right now. :rolleyes:

Sidsou ~ I don't think your reaction to being hesitant about doing another round of IVF is bad. This is such a hard journey, and quite frankly, I'm not sure how many of us get through it. However I wish you the best in whatever you decide, and I'm happy to have you here.

Amygrrl ~ Hun, I'm happy, and sad to see you here, You have been in my thoughts, and I'm sending you lots of love. Welcome to the group! :hugs:

Jad ~ you crack me up, and I'm glad to see you found your way over here!

AusMarchBride ~ YUP! I'm chained63 on WC!! YOU found me!!
Happy to see you here! How are you doing??

[mrselle]

I swear Clomid was the worst drug of them all for me.

I feel kind of bad saying this here (I hope no one takes offense), but in a way I thought you guys might be able to understand better than others. If my body isn't reacting very well, we might not continue with ttc#2. I'm sure you all know how difficult it is going through all of this fertility stuff and how life consuming it is. I honestly don't think I want to go through it all again and miss out on DS. I feel like I'm so lucky to have one baby and want to enjoy him. I think I'm just tired of fighting the fertility battles.

Sidsou, I know exactly how you feel about clomid. It was like the devil to me!!! I took it for three cycles, no breaks in between, and by the end of the second cycle I was a basketcase. After the third cycle my nurse told me that I could take it up to one year. I broke down and cried on the phone. I ended up calling her back and telling her that I didn't want to take clomid anymore.

I kind of understand what your saying about TTC #2. At this stage I feel that if I get one healthy, happy baby I will be fine. Anything more than that will be more than I could ever ask for.

[~queen~]

I'm here too :) QueenofHearts/Sharon on WC. I haven't been able to login on the new WC site and haven't bothered creating a new ID. Glad to see everyone else making the journey :)

[islandgirlsj]

:) Welcome over here Queen!!

I hope to see all of us gathered here, in a forum that is once again, easy to use.

[Scooter]

I gave Coreen a link to this page in her LJ, so we'll see if she wants to be the one to startup the thread again, over in the groups forum.

ps Ann, it's good to see you again, I remember us being in the Charting thread together. HOW long ago was that?! I'm glad to see IVF worked for you--hopefully you won't be stuck on that clomid for too long. I hate that stuff.

[mrselle]

I'll go ahead and give my stats:

Me: Jo (30 on 7/14)
DH: Ed (35)
TTC: February 2003
1/2004 - HSG all clear
5/2004 - Pregnant!!!
6/2004 - Miscarriage at 7w5d
1/2005 - Clomid round 1 (P4 = 22.1 at 2PDO); BFN
2/2005 - Clomid round 2 (P4 = 56.3 at 5DPO); BFN
3/2005 - Clomid round 3 (P4 = 54.7 at 5DPO); BFN
4/2005 - DH SA excellent
6/2005 - First visit with RE
6/2005 - Office Hysteroscopy; Everything looks good
DX - Unexplained
Status - given the option of Injectables or IVF. Will probably go with IVF.

[mrselle]

To those of you who have already done a round of IVF can you give me a little insight into taking the shots (pain, mood swings, weight gain, etc...) I did a little reading online the other night and my stomach was in knots by the time I went to bed. I'm starting to get really, really scared.

[islandgirlsj]

mrselle ~
Maybe you can tell us what you are going to be taking?

I can tell you, that for the Lupron, I get headaches, nightsweats... and tired... really tired.

I did Metformin and Follistim, and although I have heard some that gained weight from these, it was not my experience, although I did have bloating and mood swings.

I know it all seems very overwhelming, and I think you really have to just take it one day at a time, and before you know it, you are at the end.

[la_bride_2004]

I am so, so grateful to whomever started this over here- I HATE the new WC board format, I can't even log in, and I am so buried in classes right now I haven't even had time to figure out what the heck is going on over there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

C

[amychris03]

I'm here! And currently FREAKING OUT! Had the HCG
injection at 2:45 am last night, for a 2:45 retrieval
tomorrow. I got a call from the drs office just now
because the dr has been contacted by several of her
colleagues (whom I assume use the same Pharmacy) that
the batch of HCG that we were prescribed is more potent
than it says, and there have been cases where the women
have already ovulated. So im going in an hour earlier for
the procedure. Im SOOOO scared now. What if its too
late. Not only would this SUCK because we'd be back
to square one, but um HELLO, im the one with the
bad tubes who is at high risk for ectopics. Dont really need
12 eggs in there! So say a prayer for me, if you would that
all is well when they go in there tomorrow...

[islandgirlsj]

amychris03 ~

Oh My Gosh! :eek:
You poor thing! This is not a worry you need right now!

I'm keeping you in my thoughts, and just try to keep calm, as hard as that seems. You need to be as stress free as possible!!

Hang in there, and let us know how it goes!

[Jad]

Drive by to say.....

Amy - :eek: I'd be a little freaked out too. But at least they found out in time. I'm sure if they needed more than an hour, they would have scheduled you earlier. Still. Scary. I know you'll feel better after they get all those great eggs tomorrow, though. :D

Stims shot #1 is tonight! Finally!

[Astro]

Hi everyone. I finally made it over here too. :) So nice to see a forum/thread that's user friendly.

Jad Good luck with the stims.

Islandgirlsj So you're the one formerly known as chained? ;) Thanks for starting this thread.

amychris03 oh my gosh! I'm sure they're calling you in on time, since they bumped it up an hour. Good luck. I've got my fingers crossed for you.

la_bride_2004 hey there. hope everything's going well for you.

To everyone else, sorry if I forgot anyone. Hope we're all cruising, bruising, or relaxing along. Don't forget chocolate is both a vegetable and a milk, so eat plenty. And Icecream sandwiches cure a multitude of issues (according to Jad) ;)

[~queen~]

Angel: I forgot to ask, how are the little ones doing??? I still can't believe you have two! I remember when you were showing your embies and saying how they looked. I hope you saved the pictures! You give me lots of hope this cycle for a 3 day transfer!

Also, we need a new chart of what phase everyone is at. Anyone familiar enough with this code to take a shot at it?

That weird? :confused: It didn't post my reply to AmyChris? (((HUGS))) I would be freaking out too. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you hold on to those eggies until its time to get them out.

[islandgirlsj]

la_bride_2004 ~

I'm glad to see you found our thread!
I have to agree, I could not even STAND to go to WC, and that horrible horrible format! So YAY for this one, and I only hope that the others will soon follow.
I was missing our group!! ;)

Queen ~ Also, we need a new chart of what phase everyone is at. Anyone familiar enough with this code to take a shot at it?

I wish I was that talented, but I have no clue. I can make a post with everyones status though as in the last thread. I think that might help us some.
I will work on it tonight. :o

Astro~ So glad to see you over here! How are you doing? Been thinking about you. Yes, I was chained, but happily free of that name now!

Jad - Good luck with the Stims tonight... it is tough to start, but Eh, you'll get somewhat used to it. (sad enough to say) :cool:

Jan1902 ~ Welcome here! Happy to see you.
Yes, I did jump right back in... it was hard, IS HARD, but I figured why wait right? I am already doing the Lupron shot, just finished BCP's, and I think it is the 8th, I start using the estrogen patches. :rolleyes:
I'm trying to remain postive that THIS is my time.

So, again WELCOME to you all.... and I'm feeling so much better having a group around me again! :D

[AusMarchBride]

To those of you who have already done a round of IVF can you give me a little insight into taking the shots (pain, mood swings, weight gain, etc...) I did a little reading online the other night and my stomach was in knots by the time I went to bed. I'm starting to get really, really scared.

Honestly, I think the fear before you start all the injections is much worse than the actuality. For me, the injections weren't so bad. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking of shooting up for recreation ;) Mood swings were ok too, more of an issue for my DH I think, but he says I wasn't tooo bad. The weight gain does happen, but usually has pretty much gone by the end of the 2ww.

I think everyone's experience is different, but use the thread and the ladies here who've been through it. It was a fantastic support for me through two IVF cycles on the WC boards.

Because I'm in Australia, some of my experiences and answers with particular drugs/protocols are not going to be so relevant as everyone else's here. I'll still post my responses though, because I think the UK is more likely to use the same drugs as here, and it might be useful to someone who's lurking and not posting yet.

Hi to islandgirl, queen, Astro, Jad, Jan1902, amychris, coreen, angelgirl and apologies if I missed anyone. I need to read the last couple of pages and catch up with everyone's status/details.

I'm SOOOO glad everyone's come over here, it feels like home :D

[AusMarchBride]

And a HUGE THANKYOU to islandgirl for starting this thread.

[AusMarchBride]

And now for some shoutouts:

Islandgirl Gutsy effort jumping right back in, but good for you. I've my fingers crossed that THIS is your time too.

Queen Nice to see you. When is your transfer date?

Astro Hi there, I saw you in the other thread too ;)

Jad Good luck with your stim shot tonight, it'll be fine. The needle looks uglier than it is, promise.

Jan1902 Hi to you too. Glad that even with your technological challenges, you made it here ;)

amychris Saying a prayer for you that you have a good retrieval. I know it's hard not to freakout when things seem to go wrong, but try and stay calm, it'll have you in the best position for your retrieval and transfer. Let us know how you go.

Coreen/LABride Great to see you also. How are you doing? You sound frantically busy with your classes.

mrselle Hi to you. Re your question about injectiles vs IVF, for me, I figured that with unexplained infertility, cobined with my age of 38 when I first saw the RE, I decided to go straight to IVF. I'm one of those people who likes control (which you pretty much lose during this whole infertility thing), and I felt that I was ready for IVF and the chances of success were higher with IVF than injectibles. But it was mainly a function of my age. I was concerned that if I tried a couple of cycles of injectibles, and they didn't work and I had to move to IVF, I would have wasted months which I felt was an issue at my age. But it's an individual decision, and what was right for me may not be for you. There's really not that much difference between them(I think), except for the actual retrieval under anaesthetic and the transfer. Talk it over with DH and your RE/specialist.

Scooter Hi there. I've seen you around WC lots, nice that you made it here. Hopefully the injectibles will work for you and you don't need to move onto IV, but if you need to, I hope you can get the support for your IVF cycle here.

Sidsou/Ann (great name!!) Hi there. I completely understand about you maybe not continuing to try for #2. This IVF process is harder emotionally than most things in life. For me, the physical side is ok, it's the mental part I find hard. And I think you do get tired of the whole rigmarole of drugs, injections, doctors appointments, scans, blood tests etc etc. Do what you feel best, you'll know if you need to stop. Hopefully, you'll fall pregnant quickly and then there's no decision to be made.

angelgirl Hi, hope you and the littlies are doing well.

amygrrl Hope you're doing ok. I remember you saying on WC that you and your DH were planners, so good to see you have some forward steps worked out.

I think we are still missing a few posters from WC: MIPG, BastilleBride, aloitius, melissa, kakirk(although I think she's quite busy at the moment ;) )and klsoo. I think I saw that chained posted on the WC thread so people should be able to find us here.

[AusMarchBride]

One question for everyone that I posted on the old thread, but I really would like opinions on it. I wanted to ask the ladies who are cycling a question. If you guys don't want me to post updates about what's happening with me, feel free to say. I won't be offended and will happily post and encourage but just not put down my details.
I know sometimes I found it hard to read about other people's success (happy for them but incredibly greeen with envy) and I want to make sure I don't get up anyone's nose. And seriously, even if only one person is not comfortable with updates on me, I'd rather know and leave out my updates.


And now I'll stop hogging the thread ;)

[amygrrl]

for me, the injections weren't bad at all... of course, all of mine were sub-q, but i gave them in my jelly roll around the middle and had no problems... mostly it was just a pain in the a$$ to keep all the drugs and dates straight... but i made myself a spreadsheet so i could look at any particular day and see every drug i was supposed to take and when.

as for side effects, i did 6 rounds of clomid b/4 the ivf and found the injectibles to be a vacation compared to the clomicidal rage i had with those stupid pills. i did have quite a bit a bloating, however, from the progesterone suppositories... so much so that i couldn't fit into any of my regular clothes the first trimester and had to go ahead and get maternity clothes... yet once they took my off the prog at 12 weeks i was suddenly able to fit into my regular clothes again and wore them for months 4 and 5.

on a somewhat happy note, being the little planners that we are, dh and i had a conversation yesterday about worse case scenerios... the worst right now being that they tell me i can't carry a baby for some reason and we still have the 3 embries in the freezer... we decided we'd then look for a gestational host... so i called my best friend since i was 14 and asked her if she would think about doing it if it ever came to that and she said yes. she's 35 and has 3 kids (the youngest is a year old)... gets preggo VERY easily and has very easy labor and delivery. so at least we have that on our side... although we have no reason to believe that we would need her help, it feels good to know that it's there if it comes to down to needing it.

[amygrrl]

one suggestion... can we have an area where we list our protocols? i think that might be very helpful.

[islandgirlsj]

Okay,
I have moved over as many of the stats from the old thread, to the 1st post here.
I KNOW some of them are not updated, so I need your help in emailing me (islandgirl_sj@yahoo.com) the correct information and dates, and I can make everything correct. ;)

Anyone new, or that I did not transfer over, email me also, and I will get you up on the boards quickly.

I tried to be careful not to overlook anyone, and if I did, my sincere apologies, I'm tired. :rolleyes: Just let me know okay.

Now...last and not least. AusMarchBride I personally would love to hear your updates, it gives me hope that all this works out in the end... and I also love hearing how excited you are, so please... let us know.

amygrrl ~ Hmm... a protocol list other than our stats? How about adding them into our stats, would that work?

Ladies... suggestions?

[Suzlywoozly]

Just wondering if I can join...

Me: Sue (28)
DH: Jeff (31)
TTC: October 2002
10/02: 1st Lap-Found ovarian cysts and endo
4/04: Started Progesterone supplements and 25 mg clomid
8/04: 50mg clomid - Had no follicles
9/04: 100mg clomid - Had 2 follicles and 1st failed IUI
10/04: 100mg clomid - Had 1 follicle and 2nd failed IUI
11/04: No clomid due to 2 ovarian cysts. Started Metformin 1500mg/day
12/04: No clomid due to "large mass" and ovarian cyst on left ovary.
01/05: Surgery to remove mass on left ovary. Turned out to be endo which caused my left ovary/fallopian tube to adhere to my uterus.
02/05-04/05: Two additional clomid cycles with failed IUIs.
05/05: Met with new RE and was told we needed to move forward with IVF.
06/05: Pregnant on an unmedicated cycle. HCG levels are not rising fast enough to be a viable pregnancy.
Current Status: Waiting to miscarry... If nothing by Tuesday the Dr. will schedule a D&C.

I talked to the RE today about my current situation. He said the only way I will ever have a healthy pregnancy is to go forward with IVF & ICSI. We will probably start treatment one cycle after the miscarriage. I am suppose to call his office tomorrow to schedule another consult to meet with him in a few weeks.

[~queen~]

Wow! This is really growing! Its so wonderful to see so many of the old names coming over here. It does indeed feel like home (everybody sing: coom-by-ya)

originally posted by ausmarchbride
I know sometimes I found it hard to read about other people's success (happy for them but incredibly greeen with envy) and I want to make sure I don't get up anyone's nose.

Honestly, I think we all have our moments of feeling like this. I know I did after immediately after my failed cycles where I'm so angry and hurt that it didn't work for me, but then I get past the depression part and start to believe again. And it is at that time that I need to follow someone else's journey; to chart the progress with them, go through their ups and downs because it gives me hope that it can work for me. So please, post away! I think anyone who is having a hard time will just cut back until they are ready to reach out again.

I guess they don't call it a cycle for nothing!

As for going through a cycle... I think the scariest part for me was the ER. I was at high risk for OHSS - but thank God that I didn't get it. But I had so many eggs the last time that I was really uncomfortable. The discomfort in your abdomen far outweighs the discomfort from the shots! The hardest part is the 2ww! Nothing else compares!

[Jad]

Breaking news....stim #1 is done. Thank goodness! My, that was awfully hard. Mostly mentally. I sat there with the needle in my hand for a good ten minutes trying to work up the nerve. Wowee, I'm a weenie. :)

When I finally jabbed myself the first time? Pulled the needle right back out.

Moved to another place and didn't do it right in some way, so the needle kind of bounced off me.

Third time, I finally managed it. And of course it didn't hurt at all. I still had to go lie down and recover, though. :rolleyes:

How many more of these do I have to do? ;)

ETA: Hi to Suzly and I promise to come back with SO's for everyone sometime in the near future. (Maybe this weekend as I've got a big ol' deadline on Friday.)

[AusMarchBride]

Breaking news....stim #1 is done. Thank goodness! My, that was awfully hard. Mostly mentally. I sat there with the needle in my hand for a good ten minutes trying to work up the nerve. Wowee, I'm a weenie. :)


Oh that was soooo me the first time I gave myself a shot. You're not a weenie, it's just you have the normal human reaction of not wanting to intentionally hurt yourself.

Congrats, you did it, they just get easier from here.

[AusMarchBride]

Hi and welcome to suzywoozly, but I'm sorry to welcome you under such circumstances. You've really had a tough time of it.

I hope you can get lots of support from the ladies here. They are seriously fantastic.

[klsoo]

only have time for a quick post right now as computer time has been drastically limited due to overloaded work schedule....

hello fellow wc ivf ladies!

jan1902 i owe you an email, but i don't have the patience to navigate the new wc boards to get your email address. would you mind posting it again?

hope all is well with everyone. thanks chained/islandgirl for initiating this thread.

klsoo

[AusMarchBride]

Hi klsoo Glad you found this thread.

I'm also posting to test my sig :D

[amygrrl]

you are not a weenie!!! while the actual poke never hurt me... don't think i didn't play it up for all it was worth with dh! put it this way, i didn't even need to get my lazy butt off the couch to turn a light on if i didn't want to for the full 3 weeks of shots... :D

[angelgirl8]

argh! i can't believe i missed like 3 pages of posts. let's see what i can remember before i go back to sleep over here!

first, i wanted to reiterate what ann said, but for me too. if anyone doesn't want to hear updates let us know. i will still always be here to read and cheer and answer questions.

amychris...oh no! i can't believe they scared you like that. hope everything worked out sweetie!

jad...i was the same way when i gave myself my first shot. i spent like 5 minutes looking at the needle and my stomach, needle, stomach, needle, stomach, trying to convince my head to stab my body.

mrselle...don't know if i missed this, but if you let us know what drugs you're taking we can let you know about side effects and stuff. in terms of the actual injection, the sub-q shots really aren't that bad at all. really!

[mrselle]

Wow, this thread is moving fast!!!! I am going to have a hard time keeping up, but I am so grateful for all of the feedback I'm getting. :)

AusMarchBride, I'm new to all this, so who knows how I will feel later down the road. But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hearing success stories. It keeps me encourage and builds my faith.

amygrrl, thank you for sharing your experience.

Suzlywoozly, I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage. You are in my thoughts.

queen, I hear you about the 2ww. I can see myself pulling my hair out.

Jad, glad to hear the first night of stims went well. Hopefully it will get easier.

angelgirl8, I don't know what drugs I will be taking yet. I have an appointment next week.

[angelgirl8]

hi

just wanted to add my stats! also i tried to find this thread in the groups area, but i see it's not there. should it be moved it so others can find it?

angelgirl8
me: angelgirl8, 28
dh: also 28
married: 7.6.03
ttc: 1.04
testing: cd3 and 7dpo blood tests fairly normal
5.04: SA normal
9.04: HSG-tubes clear
9.04, 10.04, 11.04: clomid, IUI, trigger, progesterone
12.04: gonal-f 150iu, IUI, trigger, progesterone
3.04: IVF#1 (all but 1 of the 22 fertilized eggs multinucleated and fragmented; transferred 1 4-celled embryo on day 3)
5.04: IVF#2; added metformin: (18 retrieved, 13 fertilized, 4 low quality embryos survived and transferred on day 3)
6.02.05: pregnant with twins, tentatively due on 2/12/06

[islandgirlsj]

This thread is just flying!
Okay, so work is swamped, so I just have a quick post.

Welcome Suzlywoozly, I added you and your stats to the front page.

angelgirl8 Glad to see you! I added your stats as well!! Oh, and Yes, I think it should be moved, but I have to figure out how to do that.... and I'm not sure I have the time while at work. Will have to work on it tonight.

Welocome over here klsoo!!So glad to see you found your way over here as well!!

Jad You GO GIRL! So proud of you making it through your first shot, and by yourself. You are stronger than I will ever be. If my husband isn't there.... were really in trouble! Heh!

Will check back with you all tonight, have a good day!
:D

[kat]

Whew - that was a lot to read when I only have about four minutes.....I ended up just skimming so I'll have to be back later for real shout-outs.

But could you please add me to the thread?




MIPG?
Age: 36
DH: 40
Married: 9/02
TTC: 12/03
Dx: unexplained (HSG, SA, bloodwork all fine)
10/04: miscarried at about 6 weeks
11/04 - 3/05: four rounds of Clomid + trigger (and timed BD) -- all BFN
IVF #1: June '05 (transferred two 8-cell, grade 1 embies)
Status: TBD; beta was 6/23
********

For those of you who weren't on the WC....I'll be telling everyone the results of our first IVF cycle around July 5, because I promised our parents that they'd be the first ones to know (positive or negative) and they're all visiting us on July 4.

I'll be back later with shout-outs!!!

Thanks for starting the new board!

[islandgirlsj]

MIPG? ~
Added you.

And you are driving me nuts by the way, making us wait!
:p
:: hugs ::

[~queen~]

MIPG: You are too cruel! ;) But I understand. I hope it worked out for you!!!

Update on my stats:
Sharon: 38
Robert: 41
Married: 4/12/2003
TTC #1
Final IVF attempt in August, 2005

[amychris03]

I'm back! Retrieval went well, and they got
10 eggs. Is that good? The two people in front
of me got 17 and 18 so I was feeling a bit
inferior. All is well, I had some pretty bad
cramping there for a bit but feel much better
now that I am home and have eaten ;) Im
off to lay down and take a nap!

[Astro]

amychris03 Congratulations! Glad to hear retrieval went well. I think 10 is a very nice number. Not too many, not too few. :D Here's hoping a bunch of them are mature and like to be inseminated. ;)

[~queen~]

Amy: Think quality not quantity! 10 is a great number, especially if they all fertilize normally. :D

[flygirl]

I just wanted to post as a sympathetic cheerleader. I donated my eggs 6 times in my early 20's & I'm very familiar with Lupron & follistim (& there was one more, I think; the trigger? That one left me with major pain in the leg in which I injected). I thought I was the only one to feel so bloated & out-of-sorts. :) It was in the Dr's best interest not to mention that to donors.

Right before my 4th or 5th retrieval I asked the nurse, "I know you can't give any specifics, but how have I been doing?" She smiled & said, "Let's just say there's a reason you keep getting chosen."

I can't begin to tell you how proud & happy that made me feel. My discomfort for a couple of months was nothing compared to what these women had been through with TTC, and my eggs had helped these women be able to carry their own child.

So while I haven't experienced TTC yet, I know physically what you all are going through, and I wish you all the best of luck.

[islandgirlsj]

amychris03
I think you did just GREAT! :D
10 is nothing to feel bad about, you only need ONE wonderful one to get that baby in your arms.

Rest up, and take care of yourself until transfer!!
:o

[AusMarchBride]

amychris 10 is a good number, really. As everyone told me, it only takes one ;) Here's hoping you get fabulous fertilisation results. When do you go in for transfer?? Is it day3 or day5? Rest up and take care of yourself in the meantime.

flygirl Thanks for your post. What a good person you are to have done all that egg donating

MIPG Glad you made it over here. We're hanging out for July 5 you know ;)

Hi to everyone else, hope you're doing well.

[Astro]

AusMarchBride hey there, how's it going?

We just went to our first ultrasound. The RE had said we were going to have one beautiful baby (due to the beta's, that's what they said would happen). It was a bit early (6 weeks 4 days), so they didn't know if they'd see a heart beat....

But they did! My DH was watching and saw it too. :D

then guess what!

Then found another heart beating! :eek: :eek:

We're very excited and nervous. looks like we got twins.

[AusMarchBride]

OMG Astro, that's amazing. Congratulations!! You and angelgirl are a pair of pairs!!

I've had my ultrasound and there's only one heartbeat inside me. My nurse did ask after the ultrasound how many we saw because my betas were so high. I was very happy to tell her that it was only one ;)

[Suzlywoozly]

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome!

Just wanted to quickly say to Astro... A BIG congratulations on your twins! You & your DH must be so happy right now :D

I'll be back tomorrow for some s/o's. I totally emotionally drained and need to go crawl in bed. Hope everyone is doing okay!! :)

[la_bride_2004]

Hi ladies-

I know I am so, so behind. Is it bad if I don't ever want to go back to WC? I like this thread better. Thank you chained- also, I do have the first few pages of the WC IVF thread on word that Kakirk emailed me.

Also, I have been laying low because a lot of stuff has happened and I need to process it. When we met with the RE after the failed IVF cycle, we were expecting to hear about embryo quality due to our male factor issues. Wrong! Apparently I have an odd shaped uterus I was born with. It's still in the "normal" range, but the RE NOW thinks it may be an issue. According to him, I should have operative hysteroscopy or get a surrogate. I was stunned to say the least, then angry.

First, if I was BORN with an odd shaped uterus, why not mention that BEFORE IVF #1, and the frozen transfer? And two, I am 32 years old and have only been through 1 IVF cycle. Why would I go to surrogacy, especially when my uterus looked just fine a few weeks ago when we did the frozen transfer? I have lost all trust and faith in my RE and in this whole process.

I'm now getting a second opinion. My father knows an RE who is head of a major University research program, and he had me call him at home and go over our entire case history. He said he needed my charts, but that the RE that I have been going to is famous for maximizing profits! The new RE thinks there may be NOTHING really wrong with us, and that the first RE just did a great job into scaring us into treatments that we may not have needed.

I will get a third opinion after that, and we will meet with a reproductive urologist again too to see if he thinks we should proceed with the varicocele repair surgery.

So everythings up in the air, I have no idea what we are doing, I am pissed and angry and confused and running out of faith and more importantly, money for all this. I also loaded up on units (I am studying for my CPA exam) so luckily, I am really tired and unable to think straight!

I apologize for not being around much, but I will return when I am in a better frame of mind. Please know I am thrilled the forum has moved and I am cheering all of you on in spirit!

[AusMarchBride]

Ahh shoot Coreen I'm so sorry to hear all that.

You said "First, if I was BORN with an odd shaped uterus, why not mention that BEFORE IVF #1". I completely agree and I don't understand how your RE could suddenly come up with this. Surely when they do all the ultrasound tests, HSGs etc before you even start cycling they would have noticed this.

I understand why you've lost confidence in your current RE, and I'd definitely be moving on to another RE. You have every right to feel pissed and angry and confused. I think you've lost your trust in your current RE, and when that happens, it's time to move.

Major hugs to you. I hope the exam/study eases off soon (and you pass with flying colours). It's sometimes good to be very busy with other things when dealing with all this IVF stuff. I hope you get good answers and support from the new RE. I'm here cheering for you.

[angelgirl8]

coreen...that's so frustrating. i'm sorry. i hope your appointment with the new RE goes well.

astro...double congrats! let me know if it sinks in (it hasn't over here!)

amychris...10 is great! can't wait to hear the fertilization results.

[kat]

Okay, so now I have about 10 minutes (my in-laws arrive today for a ten-day visit, and I've got a carpet cleaner guy in my house while I'm frantically cleaning the upstairs; we just finished some remodeling yesterday and our house was (is?) covered in that icky construction dust).

I'll pick up the replies starting with the posts I remember and those that appear at the bottom of the page when I hit "reply to thread" (too little time to go back and do them all, unfortunately):

amychris, so glad the retrieval went well! I just read something on another board where an embryologist said he thought 10 eggs was an optimal number, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that you get a great fertilization report!

flygirl, I think that's wonderful that you donated so many eggs!

Jad yay for finishing your first (and by now, second) stim shot! Have you tried the Anji meditation yet? Probably not, given your work deadline. Hope that goes well!

Astro, WOW - congratulations on the twins! We have a huge twin pregnancy rate on the WC/Constant Chatter IVF threads, no? It feels like about 90%....

coreen, I agree with angelgirl and Ann: I'd be really upset and frustrated, too. You've done exactly the right thing -- getting other opinions. I hope you find a doctor you can trust so you get some clearer answers.

angelgirl, how are you feeling? Any better? I know it's small consolation, but the toilet picture really cracks me up. :)

Ann, and you? How are you feeling? I, for one, would love to continue to hear from all our pregnant IVF-ers...


Suzlywoozly, Hello!!! Welcome! (I feel a bit odd saying that, given that I just got "here," too :)). I am so sorry to hear about your pending m/c. So many of us, unfortunately, have some idea what that "dropping betas" news is like. Sending hugs your way...


queen, Hi! What's the latest with you? Just taking some time off until August?

A big "HELLO"!!! to anyone I missed. I've read, but can't remember every post (and unless I'm an idiot -- which is entirely possible -- I can only see the last few posts when I hit "reply").



***********

Oops, carpet cleaner guy is about to trap me in the office if I don't get outta here (our office is upstairs & he's about to do the steps). I'll be pretty busy with the in-laws for a couple of days, but will be back soon!


HAPPY FOURTH!!!

[islandgirlsj]

Is it bad if I don't ever want to go back to WC? I like this thread better.

:p Haha.... THAT is exactly why I started this thread. I could not even stand to go over there anymore.

On another note, I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through, I think you definately need another Dr's advise and consult at this point, glad to see that your Dad has such a great connection. I'm going to hope they find some better options for you.
Hang in there Hun. Sending my love and support!!!
:: SQUEEZE ::

Astro ~*~
WOW WOW WOW!! :D
I'm so happy for you, how exciting.
I'm sure this is all a shock right now... but just WOW!
:: BIG HUGS! ::

Suzlywoozly ~
Welcome, I'm sorry I didn't give a proper welcome to you earlier, I was just in a rush at work.
I'm so sorry to hear all that you are going though right now, and I'm just going to send my support that all this passes quickly, and you get back to feeling better soon.
:: hugs ::

~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for me.
I'm crabby.
Seriously. I think it is the Lupron. Last time I remember feeling slightly out of sorts, but this time... I'm a SERIOUS Crab. Ugh. I don't think Lupron is being very nice to me at all.

Other than that, I'm just sitting around waiting for the next thing.
I was supposed to have Aunt Flo start about today, but I don't have any symptoms that she is coming so.... eh, maybe I'll get to enjoy my 4th of July weekend cramp free. Heh.

Everyone hang in there and have a safe, happy 4th of July.
:)

[amychris03]

Thanks to EVERYONE for their good wishes yesterday.
Just got the call that 9 fertilized (but they didnt give me
any more specifics than that??) and I have the transfer at
9:15am on Sunday, but to show up at 8 for a massage beforehand!
How cool is that??? Im feeling better today, just some "fullness."
The dr gave me some Serum Albumin in my IV yesterday which is
supposed to help prevent OHSS. She thought this was a good idea
since I had a mild case last time. This was fine by me as I trust
her judgement, I've just never heard of this before. Anyone else
have this?
----
islandgirlsj
Sorry the Lupron isn't treating you well this time around, I
never had the mood swings, just the headaches and hot flashes.
MIPG?
So when are you coming back to tell us?????
la_bride_2004
Ugh, I am so glad that you got a second opinion, but I
understand how frustrating this all must be right now.
Big ((hugs)).
AusMarchBride
Glad you saw one healthy heartbeat! :)
Astro
WOW! Double Congratulations! :D That is
great news!
flygirl
Wow, that is a really great thing that you did for
others!

[islandgirlsj]

amychris03 ~

That is wonderful news! What a great fert. report! :D

I'm going to be keeping my fingers crossed, and you in my thoughts on Sunday. ;)

[Astro]

La_Bride_2004 Glad to hear you're getting a second opinion. I bet your old RE is getting some seriously bad vibes from an IVF group. ;)
islandgirlsj Sorry to hear the Lupron is driving you nuts. You might want to try the icecream sandwiches Jad suggested. I tried them last night, and she's right. They cure all things.
MIPG? You're telling us on the 5th, right? Here are some hugs to tide you over till then. They're either congratulations or sympathy hugs. Only you will know until the 5th. :)
amychris03 Great news on the fertilization report. Fanstastic numbers. :D
angelgirl8 I hope you're feeling better, or at least able to keep hydrated.

As for us. Thank you all so much for the congratulations. It still hasn't sunk in yet, and I'm not expecting it to for quite a while. We've told a very few select people (immediate family and a couple close friends). It's amazing how many people are going to send us clothes for the kids. These little parasites are going to be in style! (way more than their mommy ever was) :P

It was cute on the car ride home. DH was so happy and excited he was able to go. Since he was watching on the big screen with the RE, he saw the heart beats, yolk sacks, amniotic fluid sacks, and flippers. :eek: :eek: Luckily we had seen the national georgraphic special on the development of a baby, so he was ready for it. All I got to see on my little screen was two dots of rice. Never knew I could care so much about two little pieces of rice.

Still no morning sickness, not too many symptoms. It's driving me nuts because I don't feel any different.... I know I should count my lucky stars, but puking once and a while wouldn't be a bad thing.... would it?

It's amazing how different pregnancies are. No matter what anyone tells you, symptoms are all random. I have come to believe there is no thing as a "normal" cycle, "normal" betas, "average" betas, nor is there a thing as a "normal" pregnancy. Each of ours will be different and drive our control-feak-selves absolutely nuts! Good luck to everyone.

[angelgirl8]

amy...great fertilization report! you usually don't get any more info than just the number fertilized! if i don't end up in here before sunday, good luck at the transfer.

the massage sounds heavenly.

astro...tell me about it with the "normal". for the record, i felt nothing at all for so long that i was convinced every second something was wrong. the nausea hit around 6w2d (not that it stopped the panicking at all). feel good!

[Suzlywoozly]

Just popping in for a quick update... I made an appt. with the RE for July 25th. Hopefully we will get the go ahead to move forward with IVF. I started spotting this morning and went to my OB's for an exam/ultrasound. He said it looks like the very early stages of the miscarriage and he is hoping that I can hold out until Wednesday to do the D&C. If not to call the on-call dr this weekend and request for him to do one. I find it hard to believe that a dr I have never met before is going to be so willing to do a D&C at the drop of a hat. I could be wrong since I have never been in this situation and don't know what to expect! The cramping is getting really bad tonight and highly doubt that I'm going to make it to Wednesday for my dr to get off his butt! Sorry if I sound snarky, I'm just really frustrated and don't understand why they are dragging this out.

[AusMarchBride]

Suzlywoozly I hope this doesn't sound awful, but I hope you can get through this D&C quickly. It must be so tough, I can't even imagine. I'm glad you've got an appointment with the RE and hopefully they can get the IVF ball rolling quickly. Hang in there, sending lots of hugs your way.

angelgirl I've got the nausea thing happening. Very weird, I'm feeling nauseous but ravenously hungry at the same time. I'm actually feeling sick while I'm eating :) . Hope you're doing ok and resting up.

Astro No matter what anyone tells you, symptoms are all random. I have come to believe there is no thing as a "normal" cycle, "normal" betas, "average" betas, nor is there a thing as a "normal" pregnancy. Each of ours will be different and drive our control-feak-selves absolutely nuts
I agree with this, especially the control-freak part :D Hope you're doing ok, twinmama2, and look after yourself also.

amychris That's a great fertilisation report, well done to you and your DH :D What a fantastic clinic you have to give you a massage before the transfer. Make the most of it. I have my fingers crossed for you.

islandgirl Hope AF makes her appearance when you are ready. Enjoy your long weekend and I hope the Lupron headaches take a long walk off a short pier ;)

MIPG tapping feet, waiting impatiently...... :D

Hi to everyone else. Hope all the Americans have a fabulous Independence Day weekend.

[islandgirlsj]

No matter what anyone tells you, symptoms are all random. I have come to believe there is no thing as a "normal" cycle, "normal" betas, "average" betas, nor is there a thing as a "normal" pregnancy. Each of ours will be different and drive our control-feak-selves absolutely nuts!

Could not have said it better myself. I think this is true for not only the pregnancy part.... but the entire IVF journey. Honestly, trying to compair things to eachother only makes us crazy. :rolleyes: :cool:

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
;)

[amychris03]

Hi!! After a heavenly massage (she even showed me some
techniques I can do to help with migraines), we transferred
two beautiful little 8 cell grade B+++++ (she said an A is
perfect and she's only ever given one of those out) embryos.
One of them was compacting and almost in the morula stage
whatever that means! The dr says the transfer went perfectly
and their 6 brothers and sisters are being frozen! Am resting
right now and eating lunch! Oh, and the PIO shot was cake!
I numbed my hip so well I didnt even feel it!

[Jad]

Happy Sunday, everyone! (And speaking of sundaes, I just started freezing a batch of mahon ice cream -- recipe from epicurious -- that I'm thinking may contribute nicely to another round of gingersnap sandwiches. If it makes it that long, of course.)

Sorry, got off topic there for a minute. The u/s report. So far we've got six follies going and a bunch more other little ones. I was expecting as much. For two reasons. 1. The tech was measuring for substantially longer than I've previously experienced. 2. I am a giant basketcase emotionally, which has got to mean my hormone levels are getting up there. Exhibit A. When we were out running errands this morning I kind of screamed at my poor DH, which I *never* ever *ever* do and am feeling horribly guilty about. Exhibit B. Upon returning home, I decided to listen to the meditation CD and cried through the second half of it. Crazy.

*************

Amy - Terrific news and a massage to boot. Nice way to spend a Sunday! Countdown to beta begins!

astro - TWINS! That is so so exciting. I'm just so happy for you. May even start crying again. :D

coreen - Big hugs to you. This process is hard enough, getting different stories from different doctors seriously sucks. But I agree that it does seem like a sudden jump to surrogacy. I'm glad you're going to see someone else, because I really think someone can make this work for you. I feel it.

suzly - Hugs to you too. Hope you don't have to wait until Wednesday. How many of these unfeeling docs are there?

MIPG - Patiently waiting. Had a dream the other night that you told me whether or not the cycle worked. But I won't divulge the results until after you do. ;)

islandgirl - How's it coming with the side effects for you? Hope you're handling it better than me!

sidsou - Don't worry, I don't think anyone here would misunderstand your ambivalence over whether to go through this again. In fact, I would think those of us here would be more likely to understand than someone who hasn't been through it. I think it must be even harder to have to "choose" to do it, KWIM. That said, how high was your FSH? If the doc was discouraging, maybe another would be more hopeful?

Ann - Want us to light some sparklers for you?

angel - How you feeling?

And Hi to queen and mrselle and amygrrl and Jan and Scooter and anyone else who posted while I was off in work-deadline land.

[Suzlywoozly]

AusMarchBride- Thanks. I have to say that this tops it all when it comes to the emotional and physical pain I have endured through the entire IF experience. I hope that we can get things going with the RE in the next month or two.

Amy- That's great news! :D

Well, I finally couldn't take the pain anymore and we went to the er yesterday afternoon. I was actually suprised at how fast they jump when you tell them you are having a miscarriage. I'm sure it didn't hurt that my mom use to work in the er with half of these people! They called the dr that was on call for my dr and he was there in 5 minutes. At first he was going to do the d&c, but after he started the exam, he said the "pregnancy" was stuck in my cervix and that was what was causing all of the pain. I thought I was going to pass out when I looked up to see why he asked the nurse for a pan. My mom was in the room with me and she had the look of horror on her face. So after that, he decided against the d&c and sent me home to finish the m/c on my own. We have to go to the pharmacy right now to get some pill to help me finish the m/c and some painkillers. I really was hoping that he would just do the damn d&c and get it over with, but he was so against it since we are moving on to IVF in the next two months. I don't think I have ever been through something so traumatic in my entire life. I wouldn't wish this on my worse enemy!

Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying their 4th of July weekend!

[angelgirl8]

jad...good news on the follies! and i hear you on the hormones. i got mad at DH for the most ridiculous things towards the end of my follicle-growing phases!

amy...transfer sounds wonderful. and what perfect embryos!!

suzly...i am so sorry for all your going through, especially this weekend. i hope the painkillers are helping with your physical pain, and i imagine nothing can help with the emotional. thinking of you.

[kat]

Oh, Suzlywoozly, I am so sorry to hear what you're going through!!! I can completely understand why you'd just want to put this behind you; the waiting must be torture. We're all thinking of you....

Jad, that's an awesome ultrasound result! By now, you're probably an old pro at the shots, eh? LOL at your crying at the meditation CD -- but at least you made it to halfway through! I never got past the "now imagine you're in a happy place" part (which as you know is about two minutes into the thing) without snoring. :D

Amy, that's really great news about your transfer!! (And I am sooooooooo jealous of the massage! We should all demand the same from our IVF clinics!). Sticky baby dust to you!

*********

Well, I know it's not the 5th, but my mom & sister decided to come yesterday instead of today, so we told them & my in-laws yesterday that I'm pregnant. :D (Were you right, Jad???). We had prepared ourselves for the worst (I had an entire list of questions to ask the nurse if the result was negative, and not one question on the "positive" list -- so when she said "it's positive," I didn't know what else to say. We were in shock for days (and actually still are).

Beta at 10dp3dt was 92.5; two days later it was 238. (Which is really, really weird -- I had said to myself before getting the results that I thought it'd be 240. When I was pregnant the last time (m/c), I also guessed the number within about 2 points (and that time, it wasn't doubling so it was even weirder that I picked the right number).

Oh, how I wanted to post here, though, because I started spotting on Sunday and that lasted until Thursday. That's the way AF usually shows up, and it's also the way my previous m/c started....so needless to say, we were freaked out a bit. I'm still so surprised that it went away -- I know that that happens to other people, but I've had several years of spotting-turns-to-bleeding, so I didn't expect it to go away for me. But now it's been 3-4 days since it stopped, so we're hopeful.

Our first ultrasound is tomorrow (!!!!) -- just looking for a sack, etc. (too soon for a heartbeat, obviously, since I'll only be 5w4d). I'm waiting until then to tell my other siblings (I have four others besides my sister, who we told yesterday). We're not very close, so I'd rather wait until we pass this "milestone" before telling them.

So anyway, that's the result. And y'all are the first to know outside of our parents & my sister (well, and the guy who cleaned our carpets -- I wanted to be sure he wasn't using any chemicals I should avoid). :D I'm just wondering when it'll start to feel real. So far, the only symptoms are fatigue (but that could also be the 90 + degree weather we had last week + all the work we did to prepare for my in-laws' visit) and extremely sore BBs (but that's the progesterone). Not that I'm complaining about not feeling sick, but I don't think it'll sink in until I start to feel something.

Happy Monday!! I'll post ultrasound results tomorrow -- please keep your fingers crossed for us!

[angelgirl8]

mipg?...i was so hoping for good news from you! congratulations! my first u/s was 5w4d and i really didn't feel anything symptom-wise until halfway through 6 weeks. oh and how i regret wishing for symptoms! feel good.

[Suzlywoozly]

Angel, Jad, MIPG & Jan- Thanks for showing your support! I really appreciate it in a time like this.

MIPG- A BIG congratulations to you!! Good luck at the u/s tomorrow :D

Jad- Sorry the hormones are getting the best of you. I hope all those follies grow, grow, grow!!! :D

Yesterday SUCKED! We stopped by the IL's so DH could say hi to his grandma. We called before to make sure that nobody would be there for their BBQ for a while. They said not for 2 hours. About 20 minutes into the visit, the doorbell rings. It was my SIL, BIL, nephew and newborn niece (who I had never seen). I wanted to run out the back door. I haven't seen these stupid people in almost 10 months why the hell would I want to see them at a time like this. First thing BIL does is sits down the carseat and takes the baby out to start passing around. Somebody just slit my arm open now and pour a gallon of salt on it puh-lease! :mad: I told DH that we needed to leave and they wouldn't even say goodbye to us. MIL, FIL & GIL follow us to the front door and I hear BIL & SIL in the kitchen saying "I don't understand what the big deal is... It's not like she was that far along!" :eek: I ahte these people right now! I'm so tired but can't sleep and have been up the entire night. I thought the pain meds would help me sleep but I think they are having the opposite effect. Who knows what we are doing today! :rolleyes:

Hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th!

[Jad]

MIPG? - Yes! You are! I've been waiting to say that. And, yep, I dreamed on Wednesday night that you told me you were pregnant. Depsite how many of my waking hours are filled with TTC stuff, I almost never dream about it. Wierd, huh? I'm so so glad my dream was right. :D :D :D

Suzly - Sorry for the many insensitive humans. Hope you can avoid them all today!

Jan - I'm no help on the accupuncture, 'cause I haven't done it. But didn't want your QOTD to go unnoticed. :)

Heading in tomorrow for u/s & b/w #2. I figure that by tonight's shot, I'll be halfway done with stims if not more. I'm hoping more, because if not? Oh, my the bloating! If I had a digital camera I'd do IVF belly shots 'cause it's definitely a'growin'.

[amychris03]

Jad
That's great that you have quite a few follies growing!
Cant wait to hear whats changed tomorrow. I am still
SO bloated, but it is slowly getting better.

Suzlywoozly
So sorry that you've had such a rough weekend. ((hugs)).
I can not imagine why any family member, IL or not, would
be so insensitive and say that. Ugh, I think I would have
gone in and punched them... Hope you are feeling better.

angelgirl8
Thank you! Im nervous because everyone says they are
"perfect" so Im getting my hopes way to up here. Im
trying not to though.

Jan1902
Thank you for checking on me!! All is well, now just
the dreaded wait. DH will be out to sea for 8 days so
its going to go s-l-o-w!

MIPG?
Congratulations!!! That is great news :) . Cant wait
to hear how the ultrasound goes!

---
So, ok, this 2WW thing just started and i'm already
going crazy! I can't believe they are making me wait
until the 18th to test! It's torture I tell you! I had
the 24 hours of bedrest and then a "take it easy day"
today. Went for a ride in DH's convertible and promptly
got a sunburn from the antibiotics that say not to be
out in the sun ;) Does the progesterone make anyone
else fatigued? I swear I remember this the last time
I was just on the suppositories, I am always tired for
some reason. The PIO shots are going well so far. DH
hasn't left one bruise yet!

[islandgirlsj]

MPIG ~*~
Happy Dance for you!

I'm so happy to hear your great outcome! So exciting.
We need good news in here!
Much ::love:: to you! :D

Jan1902 ~ I'm sorry I can't answer your QOTD. I didn't do accupuncture my first time around. Might be something good for me to think of this time though. :cool:

Suzlywoozly ~
My gosh Hun. What horribly insensitive people. I can't believe the nerve of them saying that to you! :mad:
I'm so sorry you are having so much pain and discomfort right now, and to have to put up with that on top is just horrible.
Hope all this passes real soon hun, and you get to feeling better.
:: squeeze ::

angelgirl8 ~
I'm sorry you are having morning sickness Hun. I guess it is what we all work towards though, and well... LOOK at all you have been through, I have no doubt that you'll make it through this stage just fine.
Hope it gets better for you soon though!
:: hugs ::

Jad ~
Hanging in there? I know the bloating can get quite bad! I swear I looked like I was 6 months pregnant.
Your doing something good in there though, just gotta keep that in mind!
:o

Amychris03 ~
Hey we crossposted.
Yes the 2ww is rather painful isn't it. I think it almost as bad as the shots! heh. I'm sorry the progestrone is making you tired... by the time I was to that point, and I was just doing the suppositories, I was just exhausted period, I have no idea which of the wonderful drugs was making me that way.
I hope it gets better soon.
So tell me... these PIO shots are not hurting you???? :eek: I have heard horror stories about them. I'm already scared to have to do them. *sigh*

Hang in there! At least you are in the home stretch, and we are all sending our ~*~ bady dust ~*~ your way. ;)

[amychris03]

islandgirlsj
The muscle is a bit sore for the next day, but the actual
shot, I dont feel it go in at all! I think its because I
freeze it so well before hand. I got a refreezable gel
pack and ice it for a good 10 minutes before hand.
Then DH massages it for a bit, then I try to walk around.
I think it also helps that do the progesterone suppositories
3 times a day and the PIO shots every other day. It gives
the sides more time to heal, ya know? ;)

ETA: I did almost hyperventilate the first time we
had to do it because I was so scared based on what
I had heard about them.

[Astro]

Drive by post...

MIPG? CONGRATULATIONS! I'm very happy for you.

SuzlyWoozly Dang your in-laws are rude! Hugs to you and sticking my tongue out in a not so friendly way to them.

amychris03 good luck in the wait. I only made it till 12 days before I tried a stick. Hope you can make it the full 14.

Jad good luck at the next check.

As for us. Still sitting here.... I think everything's ok, I know the girls are growing (dang, they were too big to start with), and I feel queasy, I just wish I'd get some morning sickness. So far the babies (we refer to them as Archie and Lilly eventhough we don't know the sexes.... they are characters out of Nero Wolf books that we absolutely love). Anyway, so far the babies have only made me a little tired, get me up constantly to go bathroom, and make my abdomen feel very very full. I'm 7 weeks 1 day pregnant, they're 5 weeks 1 day into developing. :)

Hope you all have a great week. We go for our next US on Thursday evening.

[AusMarchBride]

Quick post from me, running out the door. WIll be back later today to do shoutouts.

Just wanted to say congrats to MIPG, wonderful news. Even though you did make us wait ;)

[angelgirl8]

jan...i'm so glad jad pointed out your question because i totally missed it.

will answer quickly and then go back to feeling super nauseated. for my pre-transfer acupuncture i had it on a friday and my transfer was sunday (3 day transfer). then i had my post-transfer on monday. my acupuncturist said not to be too concerned about the times because stressing over that just defeats the purpose!

[AusMarchBride]

Astro know the girls are growing (dang, they were too big to start with), and I feel queasy This is me too. I have just felt queasy (sometimes very, sometimes only a little) for 2 weeks now but have not actually ummmm "followed through" if you know what I mean ;) Have fun at your next ultrasound on Thursday.

amychris The torture of the 2ww gets harder towards the end. All I can suggest is to try to keep busy. I think the tiredness is probably partly mental/emotional as well as all the delightful drugs. Take care of yourself and get lots of rest too.

Jad Yay for halfway through stims

Suzly I'm so sorry for the unfeeling family members you had to deal with. All you need to do is put their phone number here and a number of the ladies from this thread would be happy to ring and sort them right out. You're a better woman than me because as Jad said, I think I would have punched them too. Many hugs to you and I hope that you are feeling better soon.

MIPG How's the preggo lady?? :D Try not to worry too much about the spotting (says Ann who spent this morning panicking about spotting and got another blood test to confirm everything is still okay, which it is). We feel very honoured to be 5th in line for the news after the carpet guy :D And about the feeling real part, it still doesn't to me, and I'm only having one.

Jan1902 Can't help with your acupuncture question as I didn't do it.

angelgirl Hope those twins are treating you better with the morning sickness

Mrselle I think you have an appointment this week, hope it all goes swimmingly and you can be on the road soon.

Hi to Islandgirl, Coreen (if you’re lurking), Queen, Amygrrl, Klsoo, Sidsou and Scooter. Hope you're all doing ok and enjoyed your 4th July.

Update on me: As I mentioned above, had another panic about some spotting today, but bloodwork has confirmed all is ok. I don't get into my obstetrician until July 29, which is a bit of a wait especially as I'll be doing all the prenatal testing for Downs and other abnornalities because of my age. So that's my next hump to get past :rolleyes: I'm hoping there will be some point during this pregnancy when I'll stop worrying as I'm not normally a worrier. My mother used to do that for all our family, but she's been gone for a couple of years so it looks like I have taken that task upon myself :)

I had an ultrasound last week at 6.5wks, and we got to see the usual blurry ultrasound picture which, as usual, to me it could have been an aeroplane, an alien, a tree, or a house. I could never see anything properly in those early u/s pics, and even when it's mine I still can't :D My DH cried (bless him) when we saw the flickering heart on the u/s, but for me, it's still not real. I know logically that what's up there is inside me, but I can't quite seem to make the connection yet. Ahh well, give me time.

[Scooter]

Congrats to MIPG!

Islandgirl, thanks for adding my name. :) I kept losing this thread because I'm always looking for it over in the groups section. I don't know where I fit in, really, since we still have 2 IUIs (one this week) left before IVF. But let me give you my stats anyway:

Me: 29, DH:32
Married:8/01
m/c 8/02 at 5.5 weeks
TTC: 4/03
Unexplained Infertility, possible immune issues
3 cycles of clomid & progesterone
2 cycles of clomid + IUI
1 cycle of letrozole + IUI
using accupuncture & on Folgard & baby aspirin
status: on 2nd cycle of letrozole + IUI
next cycle: Bravelle + IUI, and then moving to IVF

It's pretty sad but I don't have a lot of hope for these last 2 IUIs, I'm really looking forward to IVF. The money and the PIO shots are the main drawbacks, as far as I can see it. Thanks for adding me to the thread, I hope no one minds me mostly lurking along and picking up info over the next couple months!

[kat]

Thanks, everyone, for all the congratulations -- we're still in shock, of course. Especially after this morning's ultrasound.

Ummm.....saw two sacs this morning, in the "right spots" according to my RE. However, he said that with the spotting and with my history, he "wouldn't be surprised" if we came back later and only saw one heartbeat. But still.

The funniest part about it? Between the shape of my uterus and the two tiny sacs, the picture on the ultrasound machine looked JUST LIKE those pictures people draw of aliens/UFOs:

http://www.crystalinks.com/grayscars.jpg

So, we aren't running out yet and buying the twin strollers or anything, but it certainly looks more like twins now than it did before this morning's appointment....

I'm just happy they saw something. Now we wait anxiously for the next appointment, which is 7/15, at which time we hope he'll find at least one heartbeat.

Gotta run and get some food -- didn't eat much this morning cuz running late for doctor's appointment.....

I'm with Ann -- when do we get to stop worrying??

[amychris03]

MIPG?
Another possible set of twins! WOW! Can't wait to see how
your ultrasound on the 15th turns out!

[Jad]

MIPG - Um, I didn't dream about twins!!! :D :D :D

*************

As for me, it's been a roller coaster day. I had lots of great looking follies this morning (1 @ 18, 2 @ 17, 3 @ 16, 2 @ 15, 2 @ 14, 3 @ 13, etc.), and my E2 level was at 2500. But I also found out that the weekend nurse FORGOT TO TELL ME to start the Antagon yesterday. So I missed a full day of it and now I'm all worried about ovulating early. On the bright side, somehow I had a feeling I'd need the Antagon today, so I took it with me to work. Shot up as soon as I got off the phone with her. I reduced my Gonal-F to 225 tonight and go in again tomorrow. Will likely trigger either tomorrow or Thursday. Assuming I don't ovulate first. :rolleyes:

[mrselle]

MIPG? - WOW!! 2 babies. Congratulations!!!! :)

Suzlywoozly - I'm so sorry you are going through this and I'm sorry your IL's were so insensitive. Some people don't think about anyone's feelings, but their own.

Jad - I think the comment about "IVF belly shots" is hilarious. Once I get started I'm sure my belly will be a sight to behold! Wonderful news about you follies. Hope all continues to go well.

amychris03 - Thinking of you and hoping that the end of this torturous 2ww brings wonderful news.

Astro - Glad to hear everything is going well with you.

AusMarchBride - I hope the spotting goes away and stay away. I hope all goes well at your next appt.

~~~~

As for me, I had my appointment yesterday and its official: We will be doing IVF. AF arrived on Sunday, which is kind of perfect timing....I guess. I'll have my baseline ultrasound July 26 and if all is well, I'll start Lupron July 27 and once AF arrives I get to reduce the Lupron and start taking something else. I'm horrible because I can't remember the names of all these drugs. From looking at the calendar, if all goes well the retrieval and transfer will be somewhere around the week of August 15.

Yesterday the nurse showed us how the do the injections, gave us a rough estimate of when things would happen and.....I had to "practice" giving myself a shot. I was NOT expecting this and me being the wimp that I am, I started crying. But, it wasn't all that bad. Of course I may feel differently when I have to do it every day. :rolleyes: Overall, I feel pretty good about everything.

The nurse didn't mention anything about progesterone during the 2ww. She did mention that DH will have to give me the HCG injection 3 times. She said this will help build up my uterine lining. Do you think this is in place of the progesterone. I'll ask at my next appointment, but I wanted to know if anyone here might have some insight.

[angelgirl8]

ann...so glad you got confirmation of alien baby. i can't imagine it will ever really feel real!

scooter...welcome. as if that's really something appropriate to say. but still, welcome. i'm not sure why this isn't in the group threads? i bet the moderators can move it for islandgirl.

mipg?...possible twins. wow! can't wait until your next appt.

jad...i can't believe the nurse forgot to tell you! good thing you got it in today. glad the follicles are growing correctly, though!

mrselle...i can't think offhand if anyone in here did hCG shots instead of PIO, but i know many doctors do it. i'm happy and sad at the same time for you that you're officially starting. the fear is always worse than the actual giving of shots and retrieval and transfer, if that helps!

____

things are good here. still feeling really sick, but i've gotten me some drugs for that. i was released from my RE today to my obgyn so that's great. very happy with that news.

[Jad]

Well, it's official. I trigger tonight and go in for ER on Friday! Holy cow that was fast. Luckily I made DH give me my shot last night, so at least he's had a little practice. Any advice for my first IM shot? Do I need to ice this one? Is the heat afterward only for PIO?

****************

angel - Hooray for release! And hope the meds give you a little relief. Gotta say, though, you *look* great even if you feel like hell.

mrselle - Actually the shots get way easier when you're doing them everyday. You're on your way! And it really does go by fast.

scooter - Tried to reply twice yesterday while the boards were down. Ugh. But just wanted to say that I joined up while still in the IUI process. While I hope they work for you, if they don't, knowing that IVF is right around the corner can make them a little easier, I think.

Anybody know if Bastille made it over here? Isn't she right behind me in the cycle chain?

[angelgirl8]

jad...YAY for trigger!! i was terrified of the IM shot and really it wasn't too bad. i would ice the area beforehand for the trigger, but you don't need to heat it after. that's just for the PIO because the oil gathers in one place.

[amychris03]

jad
ditto what angel said. Icing helps, but you get
to use a much smaller gauge needle (or at least I did) for
the trigger, and it wasnt bad at all. Seeing as ours was
in the middle of the night, I iced it for like 5 minutes, did
the shot, and passed back out. It wasnt even sore the
next day. Good luck!!!

angelgirl8
glad the medicine seems to be helping and that you've
officially graduated!!

mrselle
Ive known one person that has done HCG instead
of progesterone. It is for the same purpose I believe.
I remember it being frustrating for her because she
couldn't really test early, since the HCG was still
in her system- but she ended up with a BFP anyways
so I guess it's worth the wait ;)

[mrselle]

mrselle[/B]
Ive known one person that has done HCG instead
of progesterone. It is for the same purpose I believe.
I remember it being frustrating for her because she
couldn't really test early, since the HCG was still
in her system- but she ended up with a BFP anyways
so I guess it's worth the wait ;)

Yeah, after thinking about it, I realized that the I probably will not be able to test early due to the HCG being in my system. I'll actually have to wait for the doctor's phone call. Joy. :rolleyes:

[AusMarchBride]

mrselle You know, having to wait for the doctor's appt isn't THAT bad. I decided I was not going to POAS before my blood test because knowing my luck, the HCG would take 10 times longer than anybody ever recorded before to leave my system and I'd get a false +ve and then be hdeously disappointed. And congrats to you, you've done your first shot, even if it was at the doctor's office. I promise, the first is the worst, it just gets easier each time.

Jan1902 Thanks for your dance, it seems to have eased off now. :D I am intending at this stage to do CVS (unless they give me some reason not too). I'll be sent off for the blood test/nuchal fold scan first, but I have every intention of doing CVS. I'm sure that because of my age (39 and will be a month off 40 when I deliver) my risk factor will be high so I'll need to do a further test anyway.

Jad Fantastic that you trigger tonight. All good thoughts winging their way from downunderland to you for your retrieval. And I don't think Bastille is here, but I don't think she's posted for a little while at the other place either. But if she goes into the old thread, she'll find her way here.

angelgirl I'm so glad you got yourself some drugs to help with the nausea. It really is unpleasant. I was saying to my DH last night, I know I wanted this but some of the side effects aint so fun ;) Great that you were released by your RE, it's really happening :D

MIPG Wow, possibly another set of twins?? Incredible. I have my fingers crossed that all goes well for you. I LOVE your picture of aliens, had me cracking up :D

amychris Hope the 2ww is treating you ok, sending good thoughts your way.

Scooter I really hope the IUI works for you, but we'll be here for you if you need to move on to IVF. Feel free to lurk and ask all the questions you want.

Hi to everyone else, hope you're all doing well.

Things are rolling along here, still not real. I see my RE next week for her to sign me off, and then my obstetrician appt is not until July 29. I'll be asking the RE to request all the prenatal testing and we'll see where we go from there.

[la_bride_2004]

Hey ladies-

I popped in tonight and I am THRILLED to see good news for MIPG- way to go!!!!! :)


Jad- Wishing you the best of luck.

Jan1902 Thank you for empathizing with me! 2nd opinion is next week, but I am so burned out from all of this I almost don't even care.

AusMarchBride/ Ann So happy to hear things are going well for you.

angel Hope the nausea passes soon! I too am glad you got some meds for it- I hope it helps.

Scooter Hugs and welcome.

Suzly Sending you hugs- I know a little of what you are feeling. I have no idea why people think an early miscarriage is a "nothing."

amy hugs during the 2WW- I know it is tough.


Hopefully I got everyone! I am thinking of you all and wishing you all well.


Me I'm still not feeling "normal" yet. I don't know if I posted about it, but I started hemorraging with the chem pregnancy/miscarriage, so I had to have a trip to the ER. All is well, but I feel really burned out and resigned now, like maybe I am just meant to have dogs. We've been at this a year and a half now. I have talked to the new RE, based on what he is saying, he doesn't think we need IVF at all and the other RE was just scaring us into treatments. I don't know what to think. I just want my life back, and to get off the roller coaster. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be, you know? I do not want to be a downer, so I am back to lurkdom until I have better news or am in a better frame of mind!

[AusMarchBride]

Me I'm still not feeling "normal" yet. I don't know if I posted about it, but I started hemorraging with the chem pregnancy/miscarriage, so I had to have a trip to the ER. All is well, but I feel really burned out and resigned now, like maybe I am just meant to have dogs. We've been at this a year and a half now. I have talked to the new RE, based on what he is saying, he doesn't think we need IVF at all and the other RE was just scaring us into treatments. I don't know what to think. I just want my life back, and to get off the roller coaster. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be, you know? I do not want to be a downer, so I am back to lurkdom until I have better news or am in a better frame of mind!

Ohhh Coreen, I'm so sorry to hear this. I understand what you mean about the rollercoaster, it really is tough. I think the emotional stuff really hits hard after the end of a cycle, and with your added confusion of different REs telling you different things, it's gotta be so hard.

Is there any sort of counselling/support at your new REs office? I'm seriously the LAST person to ever ask for this sort of help, but my nurse was pretty terrific and really helped me out a couple of times. If I hadn't been able to get help from her, I was considering going to the counsellors that they provide.

If you feel happier lurking, that's fine, but honestly, you are not being a downer and please don't feel you need to stay away because of that. You're posting what you feel, and that's important.

I'm sending you major hugs and all the support I can.

[angelgirl8]

coreen...i'm so sorry you're feeling awful physically and emotionally. i wish i could do/say something to help. just want you to know that i'm thinking of you.

[kat]

Ah, Coreen, I, too, don't have anything helpful to say but still want you to know I'm pulling for you. Please don't feel the need to stay away until you have "good" things to post -- you're not being a downer by telling us how you truly feel. Sometimes it helps to post, you know? If that's the case, please post away even if you think your thoughts are negative.

Jad, I sent you an email, but I'm excited as hell that your ER is TOMORROW!!! Fingers, toes, arms, legs, all crossed (well, at least in spirit).

Ann, can't believe you (and angel) are being signed off to your OBs already -- didn't you just find out yesterday you were pregnant? :D I'm curious about the CVS; given the choice, I'd rather do that than an amnio (cuz it's earlier), but I'll have to talk to my OB about all that. I'm 36 and will be 37 when this baby (ies) is born.

mrselle, As someone who owns (still) about fifteen pregnancy tests at any given time, I thought for sure I would be POAS every morning starting at about 8 days post-retrieval. As it turns out, when push came to shove I was too chicken to do that; too afraid I'd get a weird false positive or something (like Ann). So using HcG might not be a bad thing after all.

Congrats (is that the right word? LOL) at starting the IVF process!

Jan1902, thanks for the well-wishes. I'm so glad that I can finally "answer" my screenname.....for 1 1/2 years it has taunted me (I chose it as an "anonymous" name on the WC shortly after we started TTC, during a month when I was really wondering whether I was pg...and boy did I regret that choice for months!)

angel, sorry to hear you're still feeling sick, but I'm glad they gave you something for it! I've heard the m/s drugs do wonders. Hope you feel better soon!


Hello to anyone I missed!

******

Thanks to everyone for the congrats/well-wishes. In my head I've convinced myself (despite my better judgment) that we're having twins, so now I'm afraid that if we only see one heartbeat on the ultrasound next week I'll be upset. :rolleyes: It never ends, does it?

[islandgirlsj]

Hi all.
I'm sorry I have been missing.
Have been suffering terribly from Migraines, brought on, by part I think, the Lupron, which has just been giving me horrible nagging headaches ever since I started taking it. *sigh*

I had my ultrasound on Tuesday, I started my period, finally 4 days later than expected, and ON the day of my ultrasound (figures.. I hate that!) but everything looks good so far. They said me starting late will not change anything, so that is good. I started the estrogen patches, and on Saturday it will go up from 1 every other day, to 2 every other day. Anyone know if I can expect any lovely side effects from these??
My next ultrasound is on the 18th, and will also start the PIO shots (oh joy)and then they said I should expect transfer about the 26th.
Things are moving along, just wish I was feeling better about it all.

la_bride_2004, I have to agree with AusMarchBride, I hope that you feel like you can post whatever you are feeling here. I do a lot of venting and talking about things that are not good. After all, this is not always a happy place. We WANT it to be, we HOPE it will become, but the road there is hard.

I myself, fight depression each day, ever since our first attempt did not work. I try to remain positive, but somedays just do not go that way.
My husband just yesterday after giving me a shot, that by the way, he did not do very well, and it frigging hurt :eek: and I was crying, told me that we should just stop because he couldn't stand to see me crying anymore. Whether it was over a shot, or the hormones, or the depression. Of course we are not going to just Stop right now... but I dont' think this is an easy road for any of us.

I send you all my love and support through this hard time for you, so please feel free to write what ever you like Hun. We are all here for the support.
:: squeeze ::

JAD!Best of luck tomorrow Hun. Remember to rest and just take care of yourself afterwards!

AusMarchBride So great that you are getting signed off. Wow... time just flies by, and I could not be happier that things are going so well for you!

Scooter ~ Glad to see you back! I updated your stats, so you are officially stuck here now ! Heh

I'm sorry you keep losing this thread, have you subscribed to it? That would help you get back here, and also get notices of any new posts.

** As for moving it to a group thread... I did think about that, and actually sent the moditors a note about it, but we were undecided as to WHERE the group thread would be, as this thread is running in the family planning Group, therefore, it kinda made sense to keep it here.
So Hmmm....
Did you all want to see it just in the main Constant Chatter page, as a group there? Is that what you mean? Let me know where everyone would like to see it, and I will set about moving it. **

MIPG? Wow... we have something going on here! Another winner with Twins! How exciting.
Are you happy about the thought of twins, scared to death.... shocked?
I'm always curious as to what everyone feels when the find out they are having twins, or if they were really hoping for only one.
Either way, I'm very happy for you!!

I know I'm missing some shout outs, and to all of you.... I AM THINKING about you, just running out of time at work. *damm work* :rolleyes: :cool:
I will try to get back later today and catch up some more.

[amychris03]

AusMarchBride
Glad things are rolling along nicely for you! Hope
things continue to go well.

Coreen
I'm so sorry you've had such a rough time lately.
Take care, and know that you are in my thoughts!

MIPG?
No, I dont think it will ever end! Good luck at
the ultrasound, it will be here before you know
it!

islandgirlsj
Sorry you've been having the headaches, I had
some horrible headaches too, that tylenol didnt
seem to touch. Hang in there! I bet they
will feel better when you start to add some
estrogen back into your system. Mine seemed
to anyways!
---
I'm hanging in here. Not much to say really, just
taking it easy and talking to these embies trying
to convince them to stay!

[la_bride_2004]

You ladies are awesome. I just came back from the RE's, and I now have copies of all my records which I have been going through. I'm thinking out loud here; writing clarifies my thoughts:

First, "arcuate uterus" is written all over ALL the records. I have no idea why he didn't tell me about it before IVF #1 (last Dec.)or the FET- he knew this in Sept 2004 when I had my HSG. I feel like I wasn't truly informed of all the risks or possible factors before we began either cycle. Of course, I have been busily researching the arcuate uterus, and the results are conflicting. Some studies say it is a factor, others (the majority)say no treatment is warranted and the arcuate is a normal deviation. No idea of what to think there. I'd like to believe no treatment is neccessary.

Also, in the fresh cycle, my E2 was over 4,000 before I triggered! Scary. I had 17 follicles over 18mm, the five largest were over 25mm. He told me I had 15 retrieved and 10 mature, according to the lab I had 11 mature. Not sure where the missing egg went. Also, he told me my FSH during the clomid challenge test was "high" and unusual for my age (31). I believe he told me it was 13. I'm looking at the lab report, and it was 11.4, which is NORMAL (high end, but normal) for the follicular phase. He did do an excellent job of scaring us.

I'm going to get a second opinion next week (this RE is head of research at a top university, so is not profit minded. My father knows him, that's why we got in so fast. The dr even gave me his home phone number and cell phone number!).

I'll probably get a third opinion from another highly recommended RE. I feel a lot better having all my records in hand. Somehow it's giving me a feeling of control.

Thanks again for letting me vent. I haven't felt this down during the whole process! I suppose everything hit at once.


amy Thanks for your kind thoughts. Sending you embie implant vibes!

island Thank you for allowing me to vent- I really appreciate the support. I have to say I haven't really felt down or angry about this whole process until now. Hugs for the shot breakdown- we had one of those once too. Lupron headaches are the worst!

MIPG Thanks for the support

angel thanks for the kind thoughts.

Ann Thank you too. Actually, I have a 2 great support groups- one through RESOLVE and our mind/body group (about 15 women) still meets every two weeks. It's been a godsend to have all these women to call, bounce ideas off of, or just vent. I don't know what I would do without them! I will get through this, I think the two failed cycles/miscarriages just kind of hit me all at once.

[AusMarchBride]

MIPG How stupid am I. It's just dawned on me after your last post what your screen name means :rolleyes: I cannot believe I've been typing your screen name for this long and hadn't worked out what it meant. I'm doing CVS for the reason you mentioned, it can be done earlier. It's the whole control thing I think, the earlier I know, the better. And as you said, the worry never ends.

islandgirl Yahoo, you've started, although I'm sorry about the headaches. I didn't do the estrogen patches so I've no idea about side effects. Although given that every other drug used during the cycles caused side effects, I think it's safe to assume those will also. :rolleyes: I'm so sorry your porr DH hurt you, and sorry he felt so bad about it. I know my DH always felt terrible on the couple of occasions he hurt me doing the injections. Then I started doing them myself (all of mine were subcutaneous not into muscle so I could do them all). If I hurt myself I only had me to blame ;)

amychris How are you going? Try to keep busy, it's the only thing that helps a little. I think you're testing on the 18th?? Sending sticky vibes your way. Hang in there. :)

Coreen Your first RE needs a good workover from "the boys" (said in a NY accent ;) ). He should have told you about your arcuate uterus (whether he thought it was an issue or not) at the start. I'm so glad you have all your records, I think it helps if you have all the information. I hope your new RE appt gives you a feeling of confidence that you can do this and you will succeed.

Hi to everyone else, hope you're all doing well.

[AusMarchBride]

After all, this is not always a happy place. We WANT it to be, we HOPE it will become, but the road there is hard.

Beautifully said.

[Astro]

la_bride_2004 Please don't hesitate to post anything on this board. I find it so helpful and grounding to read ALL sides/stories.

Jad Good luck with ER tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and positive egg thoughts. :D

Quick note to all (no matter if you're on the upside or downside of the rollercoast that is IVF). Please continue to post what's happening. That's the only way we get a good idea of what reality might actually be for any of us. Some of us have a short ride, some a long ride. There is no normal, no expected. We need to read and feel it to begin to understand it. Some of our RE's are twits (you know which one I'm referring to), some of them are not. None of this makes sense to anyone, but unless we tell each other about it we will continue to become more and more isolated. sorry for the ramble. I just want to make sure everyone continues to post all parts of their stories.

As for us... our RE released us tonight to our regular OB. I'm excited and nervous. As always, I will continue to be here for everyone and keep my hopes up for each of you.

[mrselle]

la_bride_2004, For one year I was told that I have a bicornuate uterus. I started seeing an RE last month. After reviewing the films from my HSG my REtold me that everything looked fine, but she wanted to do an office hysteroscopy to be sure. Turns out that I have an arcuate uterus. What is so interesting to me is that it wasn't detected when I had my HSG, but two different doctors decided that I have bicornuate uterus when I had an ultrasound. Neither of these doctors took the time to review the films from my HSG. In fact, when I asked my last doctor if he should review the films he told me it wasn't necessary. :confused: According to my RE an arcuate uterus is considered normal, does not require treatment, and is not something that would prevent a woman from getting pregnant or cause a miscarriage. (when I miscarried last summer I was told that it was probably due to my bicornuate uterus.....the bicornuate uterus that I do NOT have :rolleyes: ) One thing my RE did notice when she looked at the films from my HSG is that my right tube is open, but she is not 100% sure that my left tube is open.

Have you had an office hysteroscopy? This would allow your RE to get a better look at your uterus.

So, this is my long winded way of saying good for you on seeking a second and third opinion. It will definitely pay off.

[amychris03]

Just a quick fly by to tell Jad good luck today at the
retrieval! I'll be thinking of you! :)

[Jad]

Hi, guys. Just starting to wake up from my procedure this morning. One minute I was awake and aware of what was going on, the next minute I was in the recovery room and DH was walking in. That's some strong stuff they give you!

Anyway, they got 11 eggs. Which seems ok. But then the embryologist came in and said that based on my follicle sizes from Wednesday, she thought only four would be mature. :(

I tried to ask if maybe any more had matured since then but she didn't seem to understand. So. I'm gonna go watch movies and cry until DH gets home. And then just keep my fingers crossed that she was mean and wrong and the fertilization report is good.

********************

islandgirl - Sorry to hear you're still feeling lousy. Is there anything that helps with the headaches? That kind of on-going pain just drives me nuts, so I feel just awful for you.

coreen - Interesting about your records. It does feel empowering to have them, doesn't it? But I'm sure it doesn't help offset yet *another* maybe-it's-an-issue, maybe-it-isn't diagnosis. Anyway, I'm with everyone else, please keep posting. We all have times where we're down and -- for me at least -- it's always helpful to know that I'm not alone in that.

[Astro]

HI everyone. No time for shoutouts. I'm on bedrest. I had major bleeding and cramping this morning. DH and I thought we lost the twins. Went immediately to the REs (I love those guys). The RE and nurse still saw the babies and their beating hearts. Looks like I'm bleeding from around the placentas? The RE said that could continue for quite a while. Next appointment is Monday. I'm hoping these babies are stubborn and sticky. They need to stay there until February.

[amychris03]

Coreen
Wow, that's very interesting, everything you found
out in your file. I'm interested to see what the other
RE's have to say about it. Im glad you are getting
more opinions!

Jan
Chris doesn't leave until Tuesday so I have him around
for a few days ;) I'm hanging in, see below...

Jad
Ditto what Jan said! The embryologist "thought" only
four would be mature but you never know what was
growing between Wednesday and today! Hopefully
you will get better news when they give you the
fert. report, but even if not, it only takes one!! ((hugs)).

Astro
So sorry for your scare! Ugh, that would be scary.
Take it easy this weekend and hopefully you will get
more answers as to what caused it on Monday!

---
So- Ive been having some cramping. Nothing major,
but still. What worries me is that its all on the left
side, which is the side I had the ectopic in before. My
dr said the risk of the embies going into a tube were
very slim, but it scares me just the same. Dont want
to go through all of that again, thank you! So thats
my current worry. For those who had cramping, was it
one sided at all? I guess it feels more where my left
ovary is. I have a tilted uterus also, so Im not sure if
that would play into where I would feel cramping or not.
Thoughts?