Anybody IVF progesterone ring study in Texas?

Discussion forum for those particularly interested in IVF and embryo transfer including frozen embryo transfer.
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IndieBlue
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Post by IndieBlue »

StayingPositive: When you begin the study they will give you a pink book that has 3 sections. Medications that are allowed and not allowed, a log for medications that you take and a log for health related changes or incidents. You write down in it when you take a Tylenol or anything else, even vitamins, why you took it and what strength it was...etc. On the Health related section, you write down things that go on in your body. If you have a Sinus infection you write that down and it gives you a 1-3 scale to write down how severe it was, and if you took anything for it.

I'm guessing that this is so when the study is over they can compile a list of side effects of the meds/progesterone. If you have headaches everyday before starting the progesterone, the fact that you have them everyday after the progesterone is assigned to you will mean nothing. But if you never have a headache and then get them everyday after progesterone is assigned....that is a side effect of the Progesterone and would need to be noted on their product.

Same, I'm assuming with the medicines. They want to rule out any medicines interferring with the progesterone at the end of their study. So they make you log everything. You may not get one until you are actually starting the medicines? I know that I got mine the first day, after signing consents...but again....I'm not 'in' the study yet. I have to finish all the 'pre-study' checklist before starting the study...and that includes the psychological study.

Stress: Thanks for the compliment. The reason I don't want the psychological is #1 the cost and #2 is the fact that I've already done so many visits with a psychologist for our adoption....so I feel like I've been evaluated enough to last me a lifetime LOL I will do it though...and like you said I'll forget about it soon enough :)
Me: 34 DH: 37
Tubal Factor IF
1st IVF cycle May/June 2008
Beta #1 6/18 BFN
2nd IVF cycle July 2009
Chemical Pregnancy at 7weeks
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IndieBlue
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Post by IndieBlue »

KNR: Praying for you on your trip and for your first US.....I have a good feeling about it!!! April does seem like your lucky month!!!
Me: 34 DH: 37
Tubal Factor IF
1st IVF cycle May/June 2008
Beta #1 6/18 BFN
2nd IVF cycle July 2009
Chemical Pregnancy at 7weeks
StayingPositive
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 3:44 pm

Post by StayingPositive »

Thanks for the quick response ladies...

Knr~ April definitely sound like your month! It is wonderful when everything falls into place. Praying for you also this week and during your wait for that BFP!!!

Indie~I already began my meds on April 4th and am moving to the stimulation meds today. Wow!!! I should have received that book a long time ago. That is so comforting. Well, when the study people ask for my book at the end I'll just have to tell them I never got one...
stressball
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Post by stressball »

Saty+: this time you got it right...this should be your attitude towards their mistakes...good job...Hold Indie's and other people's hands in the study and we will all make it...

Indie: I did not know you have adopted a child before...tell me more...

Knj: enjoy the trip..
TTC since Jan04
32, DH 36 low count, motility
natural IUI 3, -VE
injectable IUI 2, -VE
1st IVF May june 07: bfn
fet: july:bfn:
2nd ivf April 08 BFP
whynotus
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Location: charleston sc

patch?

Post by whynotus »

Well, I guess bedrest is making me a little crazy. Does anyone remember hearing anything about a patch? Because I seem to remember my coordinator mentioning something about it the day after retrieval, but I forgot to ask about it and now I have no idea when or if I should be applying one. Nor do I have my special study bag (it went to school with my husband this morning).

I've been working two jobs (one full time, one almost full time) and I've been secretly looking forward to 48 hrs of bedrest. But it is waaaay too much time for my brain to come up with things I should be doing!

I second stress - I'd love to hear more about adoption.
Knrjack
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Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:09 pm

Post by Knrjack »

Sorry girls for the me post. I have been having watery discharge today and really tired. What do you think???? Do you think tomorrow they will say TRIGGER? What needle do you use for the Trigger?

I don't know if we will have WIFI in Reno or not but will try to get on if I can. If not I will be on for sure on my Princess Days.
Karen (33)
http:/www.jackson1995.blopspot.com

IVF#1 ~ BFN
Male Factor & Poor Eggs.
whynotus
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Location: charleston sc

Post by whynotus »

knrjack - I didn't have any watery discharge. In fact, mine was quite the opposite for the week before trigger, and not like any I usually have (thick, jelly-like, sorry if TMI). They told me that was normal from the drugs. But I'm sure everyone is totally different.

Good luck! A girl I met at the clinic highly recommended icing before trigger. I didn't, but if I did it again I would ice! But it wasn't too bad, just sore for a day or so.
Knrjack
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Post by Knrjack »

Thank you Whynotus. I am sure I am just over thinking all of this. I am officially in freak mode. he he. I think because I like to have control over things and I am obviously not here anymore.


My dad is coming tonight to house sit for us and watch the poochies. So that will be nice.

I will definetly ICE my buttocks for sure. Anything that will help.
Karen (33)
http:/www.jackson1995.blopspot.com

IVF#1 ~ BFN
Male Factor & Poor Eggs.
IndieBlue
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Post by IndieBlue »

KNR: They say that icing the area and then maybe a warm compress afterwards will help? You use the 1 1/2 inch needle so that it makes it all the way in to the muscle. If you turn your feet inward (like you are pigeon toed) it will relax those muscles and it won't hurt as bad :) Glad you are on your way to ER...YAY!

WhyNotUs: LOL on the TMI. I'm actually fighting with something since the saline ultrasound. I'm very very sensitive and get a yeast infection any time that anything is not 'normal' but after a diflucan it's still there so I have an appointment Friday with my gyne to see if it's something else. I dread all the different hormones....and I pray that they don't put me on antibiotics, did you ladies have to take any? Those always mess up my hormone levels down there. As far as the patch, don't they sometimes do one for Estradiol/Estrogen? That is the only thing I can think of. I'd call and make sure that I wasn't supposed to have those on hand? They haven't mentioned it to me though. Glad you're getting some rest...sounds like you need it!!!

Stress: Yes, we have 3 adopted children :) All from Foster Care in the US and all adopted as older children :)
Me: 34 DH: 37
Tubal Factor IF
1st IVF cycle May/June 2008
Beta #1 6/18 BFN
2nd IVF cycle July 2009
Chemical Pregnancy at 7weeks
beccatx
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Location: Texas

Post by beccatx »

Good Morning everyone.

Indie- that's so awesome you're the mother of 3 children and they were adopted when they were older- what a blessing for them and you.

Knrjack- Don't stress- you're right- you are not in control, so just let go and let God handle it. :)

Whynotus- I signed a paper saying I could return to work the next day! I was looking forward to the bedrest, but my clinic believes that the studies show no benefit from bedrest and actually normal activity ( nothing vigorous or straining) is the best "normal" condition. I personally think taking it easy seems like the best plan to me! I am a school librarian, so I am just going to take it very easy with lots of sitting on Thursday. Of course skip the gym and do my princess behavior in the evening! My tranfer is today :)

I never heard of a patch btw.

Girls- you'll trade the pink book in for a new book when you get the progesterone....it's bigger and wants more info! I haven't even opened it. I try to ignore all minor discomforts and never take medicine if I can help it!
IndieBlue
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Post by IndieBlue »

Becca: I read that about the book trade in...LOL I was wondering about how different that one would be. The pink one is kind of hard to remember since I ignore a lot of my minor aches and pains too. They check it every visit though, and she told me that if they wrote down menstrual cramps...etc in my medical history that I didn't have to note it each and every time? I still note it, but on day 1-3 it's not that bad, days 4 and 5 I cramp a lot....so again, you have to write it down with dates and put a 1 and then change it to a 2 on the other days, seems funny to be writing it down.

Glad that you get to return to work, but at the same time, sorry that you're not able to rest as you'd planned. I'm a SAHM so I'll have plenty of rest days since our last day of school is April 25th :)....but then again, it'll be May so our pool will be open and they'll be wanting to swim all day....guess I can wait till my husband gets home to let them do that on those days. I don't think I can swim or take baths for a while after ET? I didn't see anything about that in the notes but I've read that with other ET procedures?

Oh and did I read on another post that WhyNotUs is a Biologist? Nice....so you're probably very interested in this whole procedure from a completely different aspect too?
Me: 34 DH: 37
Tubal Factor IF
1st IVF cycle May/June 2008
Beta #1 6/18 BFN
2nd IVF cycle July 2009
Chemical Pregnancy at 7weeks
whynotus
Member
Posts: 41
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:25 pm
Location: charleston sc

patch

Post by whynotus »

First - let me try to undo any damage I did by asking about the patch. My clinic told me they usually use it in normal cycles, and I must have remembered reading about it from a packet they gave me loooong before the study. So no patches.

Indie - yes, I am a biologist. But I am a molecular evolutionary biologist/geneticist, and I am not an expert in endocrinology or the reproductive system, so I am still learning. I think my clinic has decided I know just enough to be dangerous, but almost everyone in this position becomes an expert in reproductive endocrinology by the time they are done, right?


Indie - I've had more antibiotics than the study requires, and have been lucky enough to avoid those problems. 10 day course of broad-spectrum antibiotics earlier in the study (not related to the study), IV antibiotics 1.5 weeks ago for polypectomy, more IV antibiotics (which everyone gets, probably) for retrieval, still more for transfer day. So far so good.


Beccatx -isn't today transfer day? Good luck! Yes, I've read that studies seem to show no difference between bedrest and just reduced activity. But... here's my very unscientific reasoning for following my clinic's protocols (and they are very strict, saying again and again that bedrest means bathroom breaks only, and told me yesterday I could not take a shower!). Since I had a day three, and not a day 5 transfer, those poor little confused embryos are bouncing around for awhile before settling in. It is normal to have cramping afterward, and I have minor cramping when I get up. I'd rather know I did everything as told to reduce my irrational thoughts if things weren't positive. It's just the way I am... everything by the book. It drives my husband crazy. That said, I did get up to get my knitting, grab the phone, get some water and let my dog out yesterday. DH was not able to take the day off.

Any progress reports from the rest of the troops? Bedrest officially ends for me at 3pm. Can't wait for that shower.
Knrjack
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Post by Knrjack »

I just got back from my 1st ultrasound. 35 eggies so far. 17 on the right and 18 on the left with 6 at maturity they want. They want me to stimm for another day in hopes for the ones on the line to move up to maturity as well. They think I will have around 20 good ones at retreival. That is good right? Did another E2 blood test as well. I will go in tomorrow for another ultrasound and E2 blood test and they say I shall Trigger tomorrow. So I will be leaving for Reno tommorrow morning. OH, I also asked how my lining looked for transfer quality. They say a 6 tripleline is ideal. I have a 9 triple line, in which they say is EXCELLENT for sticking. YEAH.

So I didn't go into work so I can pack, clean, get dad groceries and relax. I AM GOING TO RENO BABY My dad got in last night to house sit and watch the doggies.

I am taking my 3 days of princess days as well. I have them so might as well use them.
Karen (33)
http:/www.jackson1995.blopspot.com

IVF#1 ~ BFN
Male Factor & Poor Eggs.
whynotus
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Location: charleston sc

Post by whynotus »

holy crap, knrjack, that's a ton of eggs! That's awesome! Maybe you'll have some to freeze, too! Congrats!
IndieBlue
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Post by IndieBlue »

Awww, KNR....so glad you're on your way!!! I'll bet your so excited and with such great results too!!!

WhyNotUs: Neat job, the evolutionary part...does that mean you are an evolutionist? Just asking for clarification, not trying to debate LOL I went to college for Mechanical Engineering, but again I'm a SAHM :), not a lot of time to use those engineering skills LOL, but I sometimes break out the skills and draw something for the kiddos, since I was in college right at the days they were changing from drafting boards to CAD (computers). Comes in handy when the husband decides to renovate something around here too....;) Glad that you don't have to add on the patch, that would be one more thing to remember. As far as the antibiotics...I'm so against taking meds that I'm trying to kick this 'issue' on my own. I'm going to have to kick the probiotics up a notch when I start all these meds...guess I'll have to note those on my pink book too LOL I'll bet you'll be glad to be out of the bed.
Me: 34 DH: 37
Tubal Factor IF
1st IVF cycle May/June 2008
Beta #1 6/18 BFN
2nd IVF cycle July 2009
Chemical Pregnancy at 7weeks
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