Feb/Mar 08 Cycle Buddies

[LB]

Did anyone see Law and Order SVU last night? Someone stole frozen embryos from a lab - it was a bit out there (the people who stole it were from a group who disagrees with IVF, etc. because they believe all embryos are lives and shouldn't be destroyed if they are not needed) but it was pretty close to home and of course made me tear up. Of course, seeing all the parents drop their kids off at the gym the other day made me tear up, so that's no big surprise - and I am not even stimming yet!

Anyway, Jenis - estrace is estrogen. I am on estrogen pills now myself.

The books we got before we started were The Wayward Stork and The Couples Guide to In Vitro Fertilization. DH read the stork book and thought it was great - it is short but hits the highlights.

We leave Friday to go visit my sister and nephews - 20 months and 3 months. Talk about heredity not always being fair - she and my mother are the 2 most fertile women I know, so of course I assumed I would be too! I am so excited to see them, but it is hard at the same time. I feel terrible for even thinking that. Oh, the wonderful rollercoaster of emotions we deal with!

[kbat]

I've done clomid challenge test, which basically can help determine ovarian reserve. My ovarian reserve is diminished, most likely due to my age. My re said that females are born w/ all their eggs and by the time that you reach child bearing age, you've lost most of your eggs, and as you get older it just gets lower and lower. However, it does vary w/ each person. 2 40 year olds won't have the same amount left. Anyway, that's why I think I don't respond well. My eggs are probably get getting "old" and there probably aren't that many. I know that my last day 3 fsh number was about 11.9, which is borderline and after taking clomid, my day 10 numbers were at about 7.63....

[cyclone]

Hi ladies,

I don't know about where you all live ( I live in Iowa) but it is freezing cold outside. It is supposed to be -7 tonight with windchills in the -20's. I can't imagine living any further North. BRRRR!!

I went and picked up my BCPs today so I am just waiting for AF to start. Hoepfully that comes soon. I am kind of worried because my doc will be out of the office for a week and a half in March and retrieval/transfer will be very close to those days if my cycle doesn't start soon. I would hate to cancel my cycle because he won't be here. They did that to me once with IUI. I had already started my meds and they called and told me to stop because the doctor wasn't going to be there the days I would be ready. Guess I won't worry about that yet and just hope AF comes soon.


Cathann- Our situations are very similar. My husband found out about his tumor in '01 and had surgery right away. He then had chemo and radiation. Now he is also on Temodar 5 days a month. He has been on temodar about 3 years now. He hasn't had any major side effects from it. They are even thinking about stopping it just to give him a break since he has been on it for so long...we are just trying to decide if that is the best thing to do. We were told that if he were to stop the temodar we should wait at least 6 months to a year before we thought about trying naturally but the doc isn't sure on the quality of the swimmers after all he has gone thru. I know what you mean about not thinking about the longevity. When we first found out about the tumor life expectancy was 3 years or so. It has now been 7 years and no signs of the tumor growing or spreading. I try really hard not to think about it, but it is always in the back of my mind. But that is why I hate it when people say you are young if you don't get pregnant you can try again in a couple of years....Who knows if we have a couple of years. Hopefully we will have 30-40 years together but i don't really want to take that chance.

[kbat]

At both clinics I've been at, there are "multiple" doctors. I think they take turns doing the procedures--each doctor gets a day or week or however they work it out--never have I had the procedure done by either re I had--I guess it wasn't "their day" to do it. Is your RE the only one who can do it or are there others at the clinic who could do it? Maybe, A/F will cooperate and come a couple days earlier or a little later to avoid a mishap.


brrrr--it's cold there. It's been cold here too (RI) but not that cold. Lost power last night though and it got cold fast w/ no heat. The other night it was about 8 or so, but tonight I believe it's going to be seasonal--a balmy 20 degrees. Wish I was back in Southern California!!!

[Jill_n_Mark]

Hello Everyone

Just thought I'd check in. I see alot of activity on here and I'm glad we got a great bunch of Ladies to share this adventure with Oh thank goodness someone else was having issues with the time of posts...I've now fixed mine too.

Well, as I stated before...I only have $5k in insurance coverage and after my 1st IVf, I only have about $1800 left. Luckliy, I do not need many meds as I have leftover Gonal-F and Reronex, which are the most expensive ones I will need to buy my BCPs, Lupron, Ovidrel, Doxycycline and POI which are all covered under RX copays

Our consult is Friday and I'm getting excited that it's closer. This cannot come any sooner. I just have to stay positive and believe that it will work this time.

Well, I was just reading up on all these posts. As for the temperature...it's in the 40s and 50s here...not near as cold as you up north.

kbat--My RE told us the same thing about a woman being born with all the eggs we'll ever have. He and I were very shocked for me (28 then) to have had so many eggs and lose almost all of them. 21 retrieved/15 fertilized and only 3 (not that great quality) made to blast.

LB--I have not watch SVU yet, but I am about to. I have it TIVO'd. I am watching my soaps now...gotta love Y&R

***Baby Dust***
Jill

[Mrs. G]

Mrs. G....

Thanks!! We are around the same time. I'm schedule for ER around 2/23 and ET around 2/26ish. So we'll be on the same nail biting time frame

Are you doing anything else this round that you didn't do in the others??

*HUGS*
Jenis

Yey!! That's exciting because believe me I need someone to console with. LOL That is such a hard time frame.

Yes, The last fet i did in December we did lupron, estrogen patches, progesterone injects. This time I am not doing lupron. Doing estrogen patches and progesterone suppositories.

So Im really excited!!! Its alot more comfortable and I think i won't be so stressed because of the needle, I always worry if its in the right area and I can't mess this up.

What types of meds are you taking?

[MiracleBaby1]

Hi Girls!

I hope you don't mind if I join your group. I've been reading all of your posts for a couple of days now, and finally got up the nerve to join in. I'm still a little shaky on all the abbreviations, but I'll do my best.

Here's a little about me: I am 38 and DH is 35, we have been married for 5 years and TTC for about 3. I got pregnant on my own but M/C at 10 wks in July 2006. I was devastated and we didn't start trying again until November with no luck. I first started seeing my RE in May of 2007 at which time I became pregnant (on Clomid) but M/C again this time at 8 wks in July 2007.

This past fall I had 2 failed IUI's and went through my first IVF cycle Dec/Jan. I just got the call this past Friday that it was a BFN and AF started on Sat. I started BCPs Monday and will start Lupron on Feb 12th, looking at about Feb 25th-27th for ER.

The first time I went through this I had so many questions, but now that I've been through the whole thing once before I feel a lot more comfortable with what's going on. I'll be happy to answer any questions for those of you who are going through this for the first time.

Good luck to everyone....let's hope we have our own little baby boom the end of this year!!!!

[IrishHope]

Good morning all

This group is great! I think it will help me and hopefully all of us get thru the next month or so...

I am in Boston and it's cold but pretty typical and sometimes nice crisp air makes me feel "invigorated"...then again I'd love to be at the beach w/ a corona!!

I see alot of you do BCPs before Lupron - my doc is not having me do that - I should start Lupron 2/1 after my bloodtest on 1/31...is it bad I'm not doing BCP? I am going to a doctor referred by a family friend who has been with him for 8 years...she was given very bad news about her eggs and pretty much should have started researching a surrogate BUT my RE stuck w/ her and although she has had about 7 or 8 IVFs she has 2 little girls and is pregnant now w/ twins so I trust him alot!

LB - it is hard to be happy and enjoy children when going thru this. I constantly play "ping pong" w/ feeling happy but mad/jealous...my sister is due 2/20 with her second baby and I am sooo happy for her as she got pregnant after 4 IUIs and all but at the same time I will be in the middle of all my meds and I am nervous about how I will react when seeing her new little bundle...it stinks! I just keep telling myself my time will come...

MiracleBaby1 - welcome! I feel like we may be around the same ER time but again I am not sure since it's my first time and I have no clue how I'll respond or how long I'll have to take Gonal F etc. Hoping I'm the "norm" and it's around 10 days...

Also does Lupron push AF back? I am due for AF around 2/9 and hope it does not stall things...I just want to get "moving"...I took the Clomid Challenge test and all I know is the nurse said I was a 7...and that was good. I have no idea if that was day 3 or day 10 and what any of my other numbers were...I guess as I get further down the road I will learn what numbers mean...

[RunnerKate]

Hi Ladies,

Glad to have you all on board. IrishHope, I think I will be a 4-5 days behind you in terms of AF. We'll see, the Lupron might make things last a little longer.

I had the nurse come to our house last night and show us how to use all the meds. The Lupron, Follistem, and Monipur (is that right?) don't seem that bad. I am REALLY nervous about the progesterone in oil shots. They seem AWFUL.

Today is CD 19 for me...went in for my first monitoring session.

LB, I'll have to check out The Wayward Stork and The Couples Guide to In Vitro Fertilization.

[kbat]

7 is good. I took the clomid challenge test twice. I know that my day 3 numbers are climbing--around 11, then around 11.9 when I took day 3s and/or clomid challenge test.. I was told that anything UNDER 10 is good, between 10 and 15 is "borderline" high and that anything over 15 isn't good and they really don't recommend IVF because chances are it won't work. After taking clomid for the 5 days, I had my day 10 b/w and that number was about 7.63. So my last cycle and this one they are putting me on clomid starting day 2 for 5 days. I should be getting my A/F on Feb. 10. I was hoping that they would just put it in for approval through my insurance, but the nurse is saying that I need to take day 3 b/w every 6 months because of my age. I actually think this correct, however the last time I had the day 3 test was back at the end of Sept. Last time I checked, 6 months from Sept is March and it would be the end of March. With Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA (at least w/ my plan) if they approve it, they kind of give you a deadline to complete it. The last cycle they approved me for around Oct. said I had to complete the cycle by the end of April, which is past the 6 months--what if I waited until March to even do that cycle? This clinic seems more like a money-making factory to me, so I am thinking they just want the extra money by doing the test earlier than I think would be necessary. Oh well, I'm probably wrong. My next period after that should be around March 8 at which time I should hopefully start my next cycle. Things w/ the insurance will be up in the air because my dh could be switching jobs any day now. If he does, I hope it's sooner than later, so we can still get whatever approvals we need before that. That's why I would prefer a Feb start, so we can get it in before the insurance changes--if it does. (I used to be exactly 28 days. Now, I am about every 27-29 days, so I usually have a pretty good idea when it will come.

As far as the BCP, I've done it both ways. The first re I had, had me take BCP each time--I did 3 IVF's w/ her. This re doesn't have me on BCP. I am not sure what the difference is. I remember the first one saying something about surpression and this one prefers to do it more "naturally". And w/ this re, I got the furtherest I ever got while starting this whole process. So in the end, it's probably whatever the re prefers.

Welcome MircleBaby

[IrishHope]

RunnerKate - I am scared of the progesterone in oil shots as well - I have an opportunity to participate in a research study by Brigham & Women's in Boston where if I elect to be part of it they "draw straws" randomly and I will either get progesterone by injection or Crinone 8% gel which is a once a day suppository of progesterone...my RE supports both so i think I will leave it to "fate" and do the study and if I get the gel then no needles for Progesterone...as long as my RE supports both I am ok with it - the injections have been used the longest and are most common but there are other ways to get the progesterone that seem to work as well...I have heard once you get going and do the shots it becomes easier and not as scary!! Lets hope so!

Kbat - wow you have so many things to juggle w/ insurance etc. It usually works out so see what happens...so the Lupron is the less natural way of surpressing I'm guessing...I was on Lupron for 6 mos. (one shot per month) back 10 years ago after my first lap and endo finding...I tolerated it pretty well - hot flashes etc. but I was only 22 so I think you tolerate things easier then but I'm hoping the 10 or so days I'm on it dont' bother me too much - Clomid made me miserable! I only took it for the challenge test and I was bloated, depressed, edgy ...so I am glad I don't have to take that again and am hoping Lupron doesn't make me feel the same way - poor DH if it does!!

why I used a OPK this morning I am not sure since we have to now "not try to get pregnant before the Lupron LOL! I guess I'm so used to using them and then BD'ing and trying to get pregnant on our own it's habit...

[cathann]

Glad to hear that you are all doing well today. I'm sort of in a holding pattern until Monday whe I have my pre-cycle visit with our nurse. Reading all of your posts has made me concerned about my day 3 fsh level. It was really high (based on what I have read here). My doc told me that we could skip the clomid challenge, but now I wonder if we'll have to do it.

No worries, though. I am still super optimistic!

Cathann

[IrishHope]

cathann - don't go by our numbers - if you question it make a quick call to a nurse if it's going to bother you...everyone is different and what works for one or doesn't work is so random and individualized...I just don't want you to worry!! maybe it's a non issue since you are doing ICSI - we are not...in a way I wish we were to be sure the eggs would fertilize but our RE said he feels my husband is fine although his scores for morphology/motility were not super great but he said they were "good" and not to be concerned...I will be a mess if we go thru everything and nothing fertilizes...

[JustJenis]

Cathann.. My FSH was 12 and I'm 32. Although I have a previous history of ovarian cancer and we were sure that my number would have been higher than 12. My RE said that it was good and he was happy with that number. We are also doing ICSI.

Mrs. G... I don't know all the drugs to be honest. Nor do I know the order as of yet. I go in Feb 11th for the injection class and then start them on Feb 13. I do know that Feb 1 I start the Estrace and that I am not on BCP. I asked about that and my nurse told me that I didn't need them. I have ALWAYS been 28 day cycle even when i was sick. I've been doing the Ovulation chart and that again have been regular. Hey.. I was on them for 10 years.. I'm ok with not taking them again LOL

*HUGS* Off to do errands then to my cooking class tonight!!! i LOVE to cook so hubby got me cooking classes for the month of Jan & Feb so that I would have something to put my energy towards and HOPEFULLY not stress.

Jenis

[kbat]

I don't know about the Lupron part--just the BCP part. This re had me do Lupron microdose w/ the 1st cycle w/ her just not BCP