IVF over 40 Buddy Group........Membership Drive

[Sisi1]

Linnecat,

My protocol does not include estrogen priming but that does sound like something I should ask about. I suppose I am a bit concerned about oversupression having been through last month's experience. Would you say there is no danger of that?

Also my Lutheal phase tends to be long, like 16 days (oh, I know, it just goes on FOREVER) so I suppose my days would have to be moved around a bit.

I have been using ovulation tests and temping for a year now so I always know what is going on (although right now I am not quite sure if I am getting ready to ovulate or AF is coming). I feel tender brests and bloated both normally a sure sign of AF and my temps have been unusually low this cycle? However, with a bit of luck I may be back to normal again.

Then I have to figure out what ovary is ovulating and then I can get started again.
There sure is a lot of planning that goes into one well prepared cycle!

Thank you very much for the EP suggestion, I think it is something I should persue.

How are you feeling these days?

[AKMom]

Good Morning Ladies,

It is only 8 degrees here and I am not only sick of the crappie weather, but tired of lack of sun! Blaaa.

AF is still here. I am surprised actually. I have read some about getting your period in the middle of the long lupron protocol--it can be confusing at best. But my doc says to start my stims tonight. I will lower the dosage of Lurpron from 1cc to .05 cc's; 150UI's of Gonal/Foll and 75UI's of repronex. I have an US and blood check on Monday the 16th. Time is ticking by, it is strage, it seems to fly by in respect to my age, but it seems to stand still during the IVF process.

Well, there are obvious benefits to having a younger DH, but he down side is experience in the ways of how a woman ticks. Funny thing, you give up some things for others. DH is not as understanding when I am tired, or have gain a couple of lbs, (with this IVF thing), but that is okay.

I will keep you guys up to speed, I am a few days behind SueQ (how are you by the way???)

Tam---little boys WILL find water, even the smallest of puddles and so do little girls, but they just hate to be wet...


Kelly--Thanks again for all you do—you are great help to all. Did you get that “pit” cleaned up yet??!?! Dontcha hate how that happens? IT goes from immaculate to a mess in a minute! UGHHH!

L8r Ladies.

KAT

[SueQiwi]

Kat~I am glad you will be joining me on stims! They are making me a little nutty and grumpy--poor DH keeps getting in trouble. I am on a very high dose of puregon--300units--good for low responders. I can feel my ovaries grinding away! Don't know if you saw my post yesterday-but I went for a scan and they saw 5 follies between 10 and 15mm. I felt discouraged as I thought all these Chinese herbs I've been taking would create more eggs this time. I go for another scan tomorrow.

Kelly~Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe I will have a few last minute follies to bring up the rear!

Lynnie~Thanks for your support. I suppose 5 follies aint all that bad for a low responder like myself!

[Renee Del Ponte]

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[Renee Del Ponte]

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[AKMom]

Aloha Renee...Nice looking family. I am so happy for you.

Kat

[natashamom]

Hey Renee,love the pic,you and your family are gorgeous!

Natasha.

[lynniecat]

Sisi-

I read an article that said many women who are told they need donor eggs are able to get pg with their own eggs with EPP.


I did Lupron flare, lupron flare, antagon and EPP in that order for my cycles.

Interestingly, I had a cyst on my first cycle that was producing the same amount of estrogen as I had during the epp cycle. They do the E2 on day 1 and with both cycle 1 and cycle 4 my estrogen was elevated. In the first case, they removed the cyst and they we did the cycle (but obviously I had some estrogen priming) and of course in the last cycle the E2 was supposed to be elevated.

Both cycles got me preggers!


Ask your RE about doing EPP this time instead of plain antagon. Kelly is doing that protocol too (though her clinic has a different protocol than mine) but still the same idea.

The estrogen shuts down your natural FSH production. This makes the follies extra sensitive and hopefully extra responsive when you start you stims!



Renee --

I am feeling ok, but I have heart palpitations that are horrible and I have started feeling sick to my stomach in a very odd way. I did not have much of this before ... and it was only in the am.

Now its back and all day long! I feel faint and dizzy a lot too. They are checking my thyroid. I wonder if its hyperthyroidism. I have a goiter and my hair started falling out a year ago. No one but me notices as I have so much hair to begin with, but its totally freaking me out. I was thinking it might be the IVF hormones, but who knows!

I am also very hot all the time and the bed is soaked with my sweat each night. My muscles feel very achey. WHINE!

Oh and I have not been measuring. I feel fat though as my belly is bigger but it just seems like two giant jelly rolls! UGH. I need to look pg, not just fat LOL!


Very nice family picture!!! How are you feeling???? Any morning sickness. Its great you are 8.5 weeks and the baby is looking to be on schedule. They always say once that heart beats the success rate goes WAY UP! I still can not believe you got pg naturally! That is so so so awesome! Let us know when you want to have a 40+ IVF get together in Hawaii!

Sue-- How are your follies doing. You know, i would have my 5 and always hope I woudl get more, but never did, but my quality was always good, so I can not complain. In this case, its true, all you need is 1 and us older ladies just do not have as many, but that does not mean ours are low quality. Despite what our FSH or other tests show. They love to give us odds, but I think we all have a chance!

AKMom -- I thought you were supposed to get your period during lupron. I do not think lupron should normally affect it. Its just to down regulate those follies so they all are on equal starting grounds and ready to run!
Its awesome you are starting stims! Good luck and may your follies make you proud!

[AKMom]

LynnieC

You are right, you are supposed to get AF on lupron, except...I didnt know that, imagine my shock, i thought i did something wrong. But as it turns out, every thing is okay and on track.

I started my stims today, i am so tired ladies, I dont feel like I have much room to complain since this is my 2nd try on stims, but geez it hard to manage all the stress, the side effects, my family and my work. I think I will go to bed early tonight (9:30). Or at least try. I have not been sleeping well, I fall to sleep with no prob, but I find myself waking throughout the night.

Ladies: I have some questions:

Does egg retrieval hurt?
How many days be4 ER must we stop having sex?

Same questions for ET...

Thanks,

KAT

[Liam'sMommy]

First, thanks for all of the kind words. Even though they are nice to hear they really are not necessary. I like sharing what i have learned. I just hope i don't come off like a know it all.

A couple of you have asked what my profession was before i became a SAHM. I am a RN. I have a bachelors degree in psychology and one in nursing. I have been an ER/Trauma nurse mostly. But because of my IF journey i really would like to work for a RE someday. I think i research this stuff more than most because of my medical background. So it really doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

Renee, i can not stop laughing about the Italian Stallion comment. But i don't really understand what the heck you are talking about. You are very pretty and the boys are very handsome. Doesn't it make you sad that Rocco is growing up? Liam is really starting to look like a little boy now. The baby is just slipping away. It makes me want to cry. I may never have another child so it really gets me down to think about him getting older. I am sure you can relate Tammy.

Lynnie, you are cracking me up too. 2 giant jelly rolls!!!! How far along are you now? When is your next scan? I am concerned about you. If your thyroid isn't the cause ask your doctor to send you to a cardiologist. I think you might have POTS. It commonly develops during pregnancy. Here is a linkhttp://knol.google.com/k/blair-grubb/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/z0Lsji-N/oPFBfQ#.

Sue how did the scan go today? Good i hope. GROW FOLLIES GROW.

Natasha, i reread the post about beta number one. You are right it isn't really high because it is on day 14 post transfer. I thought it was earlier than that. What was your second beta?

Tammy, my guess is you just missed your surge with the opk since you only tested once a day. How is your little guy doing?

Kat, you never did tell us how many follies you had on you baseline scan. I have got to know this stuff. Following you and Sue's progress helps the time go by so i need details.

Sisi, Lynnie is right. You should really consider doing EPP.

NY, i know you are getting back in the ring. When do you plan to cycle? We are all thinking about you and hope to see you back in the group soon.

Okay, that is it for now. My son is acting pretty much like this right now I will catch anybody i missed and update the list when he goes down for a nap.

HUGS, Kelly

[AKMom]

Hello

I have a call into my nurse to learn the results of my baseline scan. Forgive my ignorance in all this, I am still even learning all the abreviations. I will let you know Kelly. Hi to everyone else.

Wishing it was Friday.

Kat

[Liam'sMommy]

I forgot to tell you that ER is not painful.

[natashamom]

That`s the ting,I never had sec` beta,they didnt need it?...

Now sh`s telling me I`ll have my first u/s Feb` 18th!

FET was with 2 blasts...

[AKMom]

Howdy

My nurse called me back. When I asked about by my u/s she said it was great that my follicles (didnt say how many) were great they were all under 5mm. so that is good.

Thanks for the info regarding ER not hurting, what about the uhhhmmmm sex part? what about ET...does it hurt?

Glad I got you ladies to help me get thru the medical terminology and nervousness. I dont want to be a PITA (Pain In The A##) an acronym we use around our office from time to time.

[AKMom]

Howdy

My nurse called me back. When I asked about by my u/s she said it was great that my follicles (didnt say how many) were great they were all under 5mm. so that is good.

Thanks for the info regarding ER not hurting, what about the uhhhmmmm sex part? what about ET...does it hurt?

Glad I got you ladies to help me get thru the medical terminology and nervousness. I dont want to be a PITA (Pain In The A##) an acronym we use around our office from time to time.