Dec/Jan 08 Cycle Buddies

[Pummalaemma]

hello everyone,
i know i am a little early, but i thought the wait may be a little shorter if we can share our past experiences. i am doing another fresh cycle in january and was wondering if anyone else out there is too. i just did a fet in late september and my results came back with a chemical pregnancy, but the hcg levels dropped and then they went back up. right now i am getting my levels checked and i am still at 31. so i am sort of in limbo, not sure what is going on, i hope they figure it out soon, so i can start my next cycle and have some more concrete dates. here are my hcg numbers: 16, 7, 18, 31. anyone any thoughts what may be going on? they have said tubal pregancy, wow, i already have my tubes removed, i wonder how that is possible, or some cells are still left in the uterus. anyway, i'd love to hear some input, otherwise we can just chat about our next steps. lots of baby dust to everyone.
pummalaemma

[ICSI GIRL]

OMG ----- HELLO pumma!!!!!! I've been DYING to see something for "JAN-08" and afraid (well, not really afraid) --- to start anything cuz it was so soon..........i will be doing (fresh) round #2 IVF/ICSI in january - so count me in!!!! Also gotta tell ya that my first ivf (in aug-07) was similar to yours in that my beta/hcg numbers did similar thing.....mine started at 15, stayed at 15, stopped meds, it went UP to 22, then took several weeks to drop back down to zero (and can i just say it was HELL having to go back in to RE's office WEEKLY after getting official bfn????? ) Anyway - it did take awhile, but ultimately got back down to 0.....and inside, i was SO hoping for a miracle --- but sadly ended w/ chemical bfn i was SO happy that we had decided not to tell anybody about the whole ivf process....not even parents/relatives......so i wasn't faced with ADD'L torture of having to relay to a ton of people that it didn't work.... ugh!!!!!

Anyway ---- pleasure to meet you and i'm sure we'll be chatting more!! I plan to start bcp's w/ december cycle ---- or actually, now that i'm saying it out loud, i'll probably start them w/ NOV cycle cuz my start date is end of month'ish --- so if i wait to start them w/ dec cycle - it could be well into jan - even feb before er/et and i want er/et in JAN.......SO, that being said ----- nice to meet you cycle buddy!!!!! (oh and fyi - i do a TON of messaging over on the "Awaiting Treatment" thread......LOVE the gals over there!!! so if ever there is a time when i've been MIA --- look me up over there!!)

[Pummalaemma]

hey icsi girl, welcome to this thread. i am so excited that we can go through this together. i can't wait, it seems like such a long wait. anyway, i actually have seen your name before, when i was reading other threads and i guess your name stuck in my head.

for your last ivf cycle, did they tell you why your numbers were positive but then did not go up and what exactly happened. i don't really know what's going on, whether i have a tubal pregancy, i so hope not, or whether there are just some cells left over. did they give you any medication. i have heard about methotrexate (i think that's right) to stop the "pregnancy". i have to go back again tomorrow, hopefully my numbers are going down.

i started bcp on 10/16 and initially was hoping i could start another fresh cycle sooner, but with my numbers not being negative, i'll have to wait until jan. 08, which is fine now, because i have you. yeahh. i live in mn, so we can also go through the winter together ... i'll also come over to your other "awaiting treatment" thread.

oh yeah, i have also not told many people about my ivf treatment, which sometimes makes it very, very hard not to have anyone you can talk to, so i am actually considering sharing my story with them, but i think i am not quite ready.

talk to you soon.
pumma (i like your abbreviation)

[ICSI GIRL]

YEP -- is always fun having somebody to GO THRU this with you i found this board just a day or so before i rec' my first ever "IVF Pharmacy" (Ha-ha) --- i was SO overwhelmed (as i think a lot of gals are on round#1 --- ya just don't have a clue what to expect.....you can read and read and read and STILL not really have a good handle on this until you've been-there-done-that!!) anyway.........glad to have found you as well and you're SO right --- we'll also be able to compare our winter horror stories!! Must admit that i really love the changing seasons.....so unless the roads are crap (and sometimes they are) -- i mostly LOVE the snow!!!!

as for my last cycle.......nope --- they really didn't say much about my beta/hcg numbers.......other than they weren't "doubling or significantly increasing they way they should".......never got to a point of them mentioning any kind of meds to "stop" it.....guess i was fortunate in that regard that my numbers DID start going back down --- just SLOWLY.... i think it took 3 or 4 weeks for it to come back down and i think i asked about whether or not potentially could be tubal and they never really thought that was anything for me to be concerned about (????) so i'm sorry that i can't be of more help in that arena!!!

"they" say though - that round 1 is often more of an 'experiment' (an EXPENSIVE one if i don't say so myself!!!) and that odds increase dramatically for BFP in round #2.......................so i'm goin' with that and ANNOUNCING RIGHT HERE AND NOW THAT WE'LL BE IN THIS TOGETHER --- GETTING OUR BFP'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pummalaemma]

angie, you're my gal!!!!!!!
i don't have time to write more right now, but just so happy to have found you.
pumma

[Henrietta]

Hi Pumma, I am Mikki. I am starting IVF fresh cycle in January 15th to be exact. I have had 6 IUIs all BFNs. So hopefully we can be each others support and anyone else that joins us for January.

[Beaner]

I am also starting a new round in Jan. I am technically still in my 2ww of first cycle, but it was converted to IUI. I am really not feeling like a BFP is coming my way. I should know more by the end of next week.
I guess I will be hanging out with you gals as well.

[Mary T]

I'm doing a staggered IVF cycle in December/January. I just met with the RE last week and am going full force in the coming weeks. I think he's going to start to stimulate me within the next couple weeks and then retrieve the eggs mid December. At that point, we opted for CGH where they look at every single chromosome and will put back 2 chromosomally perfect embryos. That CGH process takes 5 weeks. So I'll have the transfer mid January.

This is my first cycle. I'm awaiting blood tests to determine if have an autoimmune disorder causing my body to miscarry. The RE says I'm a text book case from my hx but the labs will tell for sure. There is controversial treatment for it that I'm going to take if I do test positive.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I don't want to get my hopes up too high but I can't help it.

I hope the next few months yield BFP for all of us and healthy babies next fall.

[esperanza]

hello all!

I've been reading these types of forums for a while, but did not dare to write anything. I must say that they have helped me cope with the pain of loosing a baby and infertility.
After going through all kinds of testing (out of which all came back perfect, including dh, except my tubes seem not be functioning), our doctor has recommended IVF.

Now I am excited, scared, and anxious about doing IVF. We might start our first cycle in January, so I figured I would join you all for support.
Looking forward to reading all of our stories. Sending lots of positive thoughts to you all!

[Pummalaemma]

hello esperanza, Mary T, Beaner, and Henrietta: i am so excited you joined this thread and we can go through this together.

esperanza: this is an exciting time and scary at the same time, i have been through this a few times and i almost feel like a pro. hopefully it will work out for you this time, we are all here for you.

Mary T: good luck with your stimulation the next few weeks, it seems like a lot of shots, so don't feel overwhelmed, as it can feel like it. i did my first cycle in Germany, where i received far fewer shots than here in the us, but i also did not get a bfp. so hang in there. why exactly are they testing for chromosomal abnormalities though? i miscarried this year and they tested the twins for chromosomal abnormalities, which i had, trisomy 11, but then they decided not to do chromosomal testing on the embryos. i'd love to hear more.

Beaner: much baby dust to you, don't give up, hang in there and hopefully it will be a bfp by the end of the week. i never felt like i was either pregnant or not pregnant, i just could not tell, so don't give up the hope.

Mikki: sorry to hear about all your bfn, after so much disappointment, i am sure next time will be your and mine ... do you have your retrieval on the 15th or do they start your stimulation? i also look forward to a lot of support from this group, especially since we have to go through christmas without knowing whether next time will work or not.

here is my update: i went to see my doc last week and did two blood tests. my levels are still at 31 on tuesday and 36 on thursday. so nobody knows what's going on. it's still positive but not a viable pregnancy. i go back on wednesday and do another test, if it is still going up, i'll probably get a methatrexate shot to kill all the embryonic cells, if my numbers go down, i guess we'll just wait until i am at zero again. with the methatrexate shot, i have to wait 60 days do be stimulated again, which brings me right to jan. 1st or 2nd. it seems like such a long time. initially my doctor said, we could start up again in nov. but that was before we know that my hcg numbers would be climbing after falling. so, i am having a really hard time waiting so long for my next cycle, but what can we do. i just usually like to get going and have a certain date i can look forward to. i was also hoping so much, i may have a bfp before christmas, which won't work out now. that was one of the reasons why i started this threat, to have you guys to go through this. so i look forward to chatting with all of you over the next couple of months and share bfps afterwards.

love to hear from all of you, pumma

[esperanza]

Thank you Pumma
It certainly feels good to part of this group

I'm sorry to hear about your rollercoaster. I can relate to the anxiety of having to wait, especially after going through so much. I have my good days and my not-so-good days. The interesting thing is that most of the people around me have no idea of what I am going through; that's why it is important for me to have this outlet. I look forward to bonding with you all.

[Pummalaemma]

hello esperanza, glad to hear that i am not the only one that can't wait to get this going. i guess i just want to know whether this is going to work or not, especially since i am already 38 and i feel like my time is running out. so, i hope the next couple of months will go by quickly. are you on birthcontrol now and taking your baby asprin and multi vitamin pills? i just got off birthcontrol since my hcg levels are still elevated and my doc was hoping with a period my hcg levels my drop, i'll keep my fingers crossed, because i do not want a methotrexate shot and want to get things rolling. talk to all of you more once we get closer to the actual date.
Pumma

[Beaner]

So, I got a BFN. In a previous post I had questioned prometrium and if it made anyone dizzy. As it turned out, it wasn't the prometrium...I have an ear virus. Jeesh. No wonder I felt so incredibly horrible while on progesterone. Will be dizzy still for another couple of weeks still. It was kind of nice though, thinking I was pregnant.

I am not nearly as nervous now doing round 2 as I was a few days ago. The thought of going through this dizzyness again was really stressing me out.

So, January it is....

[Pummalaemma]

Beaner: sorry about your bfn, i really feel for you, but we are all here to support each other. hang in there and we'll do round 2 together in january AND we'll ALL get BFP since we deserve it SOOOO much. i am also sorry to hear about your ear virus, are you on antibiotics now? hope this "bug" will go away soon.

hello to everyone else out there, i hope you are all doing well and i can't wait to start again.

my update: my beta numbers have droped to 4 as of 7 Nov, now i need to wait for my AF to start by the end of Nov and then i'll start bcp and hopefully my stimulation the end of Dec for ER some time early to mid January. Heahh

love to hear how everyone is doing.

Pumma

[tali]

Can i join the group?

I start stims for my 2nd fresh cycle on Dec 26... way to celebrate the new year huh? my husband is already bracing himself for my crazy moodiness while I am on the hormones. I did my first fresh cycle of IVF with ICSI in Oct and ended up with only one follie and was converted to IUI with a BFN. I just met with my RE yesterday and we are going to try the next cycle without Lupron and instead going with Antagon, later in my cycle.

This has been such an emotional roller coaster and I find that it really helps being in a group that is having similar experiences.

Tali