NOV/DEC 2009 -- Cycle Group

[lou71]

Hi Ladies,

I'm very new to this board and to IVF. I'm 36 (turn 37 in a month) and we were TTC on and off for 3 years. I have no identified issues but my husband has 98% of his sperm abnormal. Both my DH and I are pharmacists. We decided in July to go straight to IVF for the best chances of success. My first attempt in August 09 was cancelled. The Lupron dose I was on didn't supress me and I developed a cyst. In late Sept I started back on BCPs and then a higher dose of Lupron. My US appt and labs were good on 10/15. No cyst. E2 = 32 and LH 1.4. I started on 450 units Follistim, 10 units Lupron, and 20 units HCG on 10/17. On 10/20, I had 12 visible follicles, 5 of which were between 9 and 13 mm. My E2 went up to 141 and my LH was 0.7. I'm to continue the same doses and return to my RE tomorrow 10/22. I'm extremely nervous and looking for any positive support I can get. I don't personally know anyone who has gone through this but from everything I'm picking up, it's a big rollercoaster ride. I'm also a very private person and have chosen not to share what I'm going through with people close to me. So I came here for "anonymous support". The side effects from the Follistim are pretty bad. I feel flu-like, complete with low grade fever, chills, and generalized aches. Anyone else feel like this?
Thanks for listening.

[turtle0619]

lou71 welcome!! this is a great place to come for support and to know you are not alone. we are all going through this craziness together and it really helps! my cycle was canceled in sept. due to under stimulation....so maybe we can swap some stims....so we can both do this perfectly this time and get out BFP's!!!
it sounds to me like you are doing good this cycle! i know the meds make you feel nuts but just hang in there...i never got to trigger last cycle so i am excited to get to that point this time!!

2010 hey hun its good to see you over here..i'm glad you are trying again! this is gonna be OUR time!!

supergenius i saw you on the sept/oct board and i saw that you and i were very close to each other this cycle so far..i started BCP on the 18th and hopefully will start my stims on NOV. 13TH! i cant wait for us both to get our BFP together! this waiting is tourture!

me2009 welcome!! i was put on metformin by my gyno when they couldnt figure out why DH and i were having a hard time conceiving thinking it would help...well then i found out i had stage 4 endo so even with the metformin i would need IVF. i stayed on the metformin, but my RE upped the dose and it made me really sick....running to the bathroom everything i ate (TMI i know) i kept taking it because i will do anything to get my BFP, but it got to the point where i could hardly leave my house if i wanted to eat that day so i cut back down, and now i'm back to normal....thank god!! i heard metformin is used alot for PCOS. good luck!
how did your appointment go today? keep us posted!

teacher2b it happens to all of us!! i now believe the rudest thing someone can ask someone else is "when are you going to have a baby?" i will never ask someone that ever again! my SIL who is the most fertile woman i have ever met always answers the phone when i call with "are you pregnant???" and she KNOWS what we are going though. i know shes just trying to be supportive and wants me to know that shes routing for me and DH, but come on...every time!! i finally had to ask my mom to mention to her that it upset me when she did that, and when i'm pregnant i will tell her, but until then stop asking!

cheekyone hi! ive seen your posts on this site for awhile, and have been cheering you on...i'm glad you arent giving up...even though i'm sure you are exhausted from everything! i'm excited to get to know you during our new christmas baby bonus cycle!!! woohoo

tohavefun thanks for starting this board! i was with katie over in sept/oct and she told me you are awesome!

to everyone else....lets all keep up out PMA and make this a board full of BFP!!!!!!!

[olim78]

Hi Lou - and everyone else! I too am completely new to this message board - joined about an hour ago in fact - I have spent the last 1/2 hour looking up all of the abbreviations and acronyms (TTC, DH, BFP, BCP etc etc!)

I have had my gonapeptyl injection a week and a half ago and have my baseline scan next week. We have been TTC for a year and half and have both been having acupuncture (me for 6 months and DH for last month or so - does anyone have any views on whether this helps?!). This is our 1st IVF/ICSI cycle - we don't know which one it will be yet (problem is poor sperm morphology/motility). I am trying to keep myself calm and relaxed which I am not very good at and have a very stressful job. At the moment I am worried that the drugs are working and aren't supressing me as I haven't really had any symptoms/side effects - other than the very occasional hot flush and today I have lower back ache - has anyone else had this?

I too don't talk to anyone about our treatment and my family don't know that our treatment cycle has actually started - hence coming here to speak to people who are doing the same thing - it's very difficult to talk to people who are all having babies or who are pregnant.

Anyway - not much else to report as I'm new to all this but if everything works out, should be having e/c and e/t mid November which I think puts me in this Nov/Dec group?!

Good luck to you all!

Me - 31
DH(!) - 30
1st IVF/ICSI - Oct/Nov

[starwishes]

Hello ladies,

So nice to see so many cycling in Nov and Dec. It makes the whole process so much more bearable!
Jenice- so lovely to be cycling with you too!
Welcome to any first timers- I discovered this message board after reading the book, 'Nurturing Yourself Through IVF' by Lynn Daley. The author recommended it - and am so glad she did!
Olim78 - My job can also be quite stressful and I needed something to help me refocus and relax throughout IVF, and this book was helpful for me. She gives lots of tips to help through the process. I read it once when doing my first cycle and now (waiting for my first buseralin injections in early Nov) reading it again - with my highlighter pen!!

Here's to loads of BFPs that turn into successful pregnancies and live births!

[lou71]

Logged back in to check activity and it's nice to see I'm in good company.

Franny- Thanks for your warm welcome. I truly wish you the best this go around. Where are you in your current cycle? I re-read your words to me 3 different times today at work because I'm so nervous and they really helped me stay positive.

Olim78- I too am gearing up for my first cycle of IVF/ICSI due to a DH with low motility/morphology. Started stim 10/17. I absolutely have been having hot flashes and low back ache. Sounds like we have similar situations, even with our DH's and privacy preferences. I wanted to share with you that my bosses daughter-in-law (whom I've never met) had 3 IVF's all BFN before she did accupuncture. She had two FE left and after undergoing accupuncture from a specialist who treats infertility (she's PCOS), had a FET of both and is now expecting twins in December. I don't know if it was the accupuncture that led to their success, but I guess it can't hurt, right?

I'm so nervous for my appt tomorrow. I will be sure to update either way. Thanks again for the support and love & luck to all.

[jandm]

Hi Ladies,
Unfortunately the entire post, with all of the personals that I just finished typing, was completely wiped out. I have read about this happening before and have now experienced it for the first time - urgh!!

For all of the newcomers - welcome!!! I am happy and excited to be able to share this journey with everyone here and I look forward to being a part of it all over the next several weeks

AFM - I went to the RE on friday for a fluid ultrasound to make sure everything was good for us to start our cycle nad we got the big OK. Lupron injections started this am and I am already looking foward to being done with them as they make me so nauseous for the first half of the day. Anyone else have the same issues?

[turtle0619]

lou good luck tomorrow!! i'm glad what i said helped you. thats whats so great about this place...its a wonderful support system for me and i just try to return the favor
i am still early in this cycle....my last cycle was canceled sept 15th, but since i was over suppressed on the lupron when it was canceled i never got AF so i had been waiting forever for her to show her evil face..finally they had to put me on provra to bring AF on, and she finally came last saturday so i was able to start BCP's!! I am on BCP until nov. 10th with a base check on nov. 13th so i am pretty far behind you...i'm sure you'll get your BFP by the time i'm just starting stims!

jandm woooohoo for starting injections (even though they make us all crazy)! last cycle the lupron would give me the worst headaches of my life...i never understood people who couldnt go to work because of a headache, but now i know...i had to lie on my back in a pitch black silent room with something pressed on my forehead just to be able to deal. hopefully since i am doing a lupron micorflare cycle this time i wont get them because its a diluted and very low dose. hang in there girly!! when do you start stims?? ive never had a fluid ultrasound..what is that and why do they do it?

[me2009]

Hi Ladies!

Well did my mock transfere, they did one to map out my cervix and since i had a leep many moons ago, they didnt want any road blocks! (passed with flying colors) and had another water sono as well today! talk about a double wam-bam..lol

we also had our injection teaching...lol my poor husband.."so i get to act like im throwing darts into her butt? " im so going to pay for this... he said.. i was lol the whole time.. me being an RN in the ICU, needles are not new to me, nor they make me icky-feeling..lol but my poor husband...not so much! lol i guess you had to be there... he was so fixated on the "what if i get blood, hit an artery..." doing the IM injections.???? This was so funny to me... i hope you dont think im sick..its the nurse in me with the sick sense of humor!!! lol

anyways...we signed all our consents, all the paper work...blah..

i was at my drs from 10 until about 5ish.. i did take a 1hr lunch break! lots of info and procedures...

im getting pumped and excited... lol and scared... too

ok well hope eveyone has a good week! I will be praying for all of you and the babies that await us!!!!

so my supression ch is next thursday, and start inject on 11/2 and then shortly after that the egg harvest and trans!

Night to all! I am on the west coast for any of you night owls!

[julia_78]

hi everyone
i am new to this forum. just went thru our first IVF cycle last month. beta was yesterday and negative. our cycle started perfect - 21 eggs, 18 embryos, but only 7 morulas left on day 5 and no blast, transferred 2 morulas on day 5 and only 2 early blasts frozen on day 6. we're hoping to be able to do a FET in nov-dec (follow-up with our doctor is early nxt week).
this has been such an emotional roller coaster and hoping that this forum will help me channel some of these emotions so i can keep some kind of sanity as we continue on to this journey.
we've been very open with friends family & even co-workers about what we are going through and have received enormous support from everyone, i have been amazed at how understanding & supportive everyone has been. in a way it also made the bad news even more difficult b/c there were so many people disappointed with us.
looking forward to sharing everyone's journey, and good luck to you all!

[turtle0619]

julia welcome! i'm so sorry to hear about your BFN last cycle. but this is your time!! we are all gonna get our BFP on this board! i know how you feel about telling people...we told all of our family about what we are doing, and i also told afew close friends...its great when i can call someone and talk about things (even though they dont fully understand exactly what we are going though) but it was hard to have to call everyone and tell them our cycle was canceled last month. i'm sure they are not disappointed in you, they are just sad for you. its hard for people to know what to say when they know you want and deserve happy news! i'm glad you are able to try again so soon!

[lou71]

Hello everyone,

Had an US this morning on day 6 of stim. I've got 5 large follicles that my RE feels good about and not sure if the rest (7 smaller ones) will mature enough to "catch up" by the time I have my retrieval. He said it wasn't the best response ever but hopefull we'll get a few good embryos. I'm trying to stay optimistic but I keep thinking that 5 is a pretty poor response. There seems to be so much that can go wrong and ANYTHING can happen. I'm not sure I could handle another cancellation. I go back again on 10/24. Anyone have any advice?

I also found out my RE and his wife had fertility issues and did IVF last year. She had a BFP on the first try and now they've got healthy twins, boy/girl. I choose the clinic due to their positive success rates. You can check the success rates of your clinic here at the CDC site. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ART/FCT.aspx?SelectedYear=2007


Julia - Welcome. So sorry to hear of your BFN last cycle. I'll tell you what I keep telling myself. It only takes ONE. My fingers are crossed for you that your upcoming FET will be the BFP.

Franny- Glad AF came for you and you were able to start BCPs. You may be a bit behind me, but will definitely stay in my thoughts. Cancellations really stink, especially when it was your first shot. Everyone seems to have a bump in the road, but I have a feeling this will be your time too.

me2009 - I had a mock transfer as well last month (before my cycle was cancelled). I don't know if that's standard or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Sending good vibes your way that your cycle goes off without a hitch and you get that BFP.

Now I get to wait for my RE to call with dose instructions and lab results... ugh! I hate waiting.

Love and Luck to all.

[KJGrant]

Hi Everyone,
I was glad to see the thread up and running, I have been off the boards since August, I had a miscarriage after our first cycle, the same day we saw our heartbeat. It was very hard but, I had the strength from all of you and those whom have also suffered losses and continue to be strong and hopeful. Today is unexpectedly day one of a FET cycle, and I don't have my meds argh!! I have yet to talk to the nurses today and I hope I have not blown it for this month. Good luck to everyone and lots and lots of ***BABY DUST ***

[Rosario]

OK guys so many know i lost my triplets 2 weeks ago today due to preterm labor at 21.5 weeks. I have 2 frost babies left from my previous cycle. Although its been only 2 weeks we have decided to jump on the road again. I have my appt with RE on Monday to see when we can have the official go. I am really hoping I can cycle for DEC.

[turtle0619]

kjgrant i'm so sorry about your loss. but i'm glad you are trying again, and are here with us! i see you are in ma. where in the state are you? i'm in new hampshire and i'm at the fertility centers of new england...they have an office right by my home here in NH, but their main office in is reading ma.
welcome and baby dust to you too!

[2010]

KJGrant, Rosario - I am so sorry about your loss...
We have so many ladies starting in Oct-Nov, very good news.
Im now waiting for AF (this is how its called on this forum, right?) after the shot of prostap last week then will go for the baseline check.