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[Trusting]

Hello All,

I am currently going through my first and hopefully only IVF cycle. My Egg retrevial date is January 21st and Embryo transfer is scheduled for Jan 24th. I am military wife and my husband is currently in Afghanistan but we needed to proceed with the cycle since we will be changing duty locations when he comes home from Afghanistan which means we will have to change Fertility Doctors and we don't want to wait that long. I am 34 and husband is 37 we have been struggling through infertility for nearly 7 years. May the Lord bless us this cycle as well as everyone else.

[Waitingkay]

Hi Trusting,
I'd luck to wish you brilliant luck with your first IVF cycle. Though not quite a military wife myself, my husband is abroad on many occasions due to his work, sometimes twice a month. During our cycle (the only one until now) he was away during the stims injection days and what was even worse, during the dreaded 2WW I think joining this forum is really the best, everyone is experiencing more or less the same and most definitely wishing exactly the same and can help you when you feel like nobody else understands what you're going through.

[Trusting]

Thanks for the welcome Waitingkay,

I am so excited and it is all I can think about. Are you currently in a cycle now? My SIL and MIL are coming to be my support and take me to my E Retrevial and E Transfer. Is the E Retrevial Painful I've heard some really scary stories about it?

Trusting (Amanda M)

[Waitingkay]

Amanda,
I can't imagine why anyone would tell you scary stories about the egg retrieval. Though the way to approach this may be individual, objectively, the physical pain is nearly nonexistent - mostly (pls excuse if I'm being too graphic) a woman is expected to bld minimally if at all and it all goes away within one hour or so. Because the anesthesia is for such a short duration, I personally woke up pretty cheerful - and what made it even better, was when the doc came in to say I had many eggs successfully retrieved. All in all, the egg retrieval for me was a very optimistic and promising stage. But the risk is also to be found in precisely this optimism, cause while I do believe being positive can help your body, one shouldn't have too high expectations. Eventually people GET pregnant from IVF, it just doesn't always happen immediately because the RE don't always find at once the right protocol suitable for unique you. Make sure you have someone helping you afterwards with having something to eat and relax, try not to think about it too much. The supporting hormone depositories (I assume you'll be getting them) help you feel like you are doing the best in preparing yourself and your womb, making it a snugly space for the baby! The best you can do is to pumper yourself through this, and not sit in one place all the time like I did after my ET and during my first 2WW. After my first cycle which included ET of two fresh good quality embies and my 1 FET (one embryo made it through thawing among 7 - it can happen) that both ended in a chemical pregnancies, I am expected to start the antagonist sometime after January the 20'th. So My next retrieval will prolly take place sometime late February Trusting, I'll be right here - I have all the understanding for you, happy your SIL and MIL are coming along since your hubby is away. Keep strong and positive, the egg retrieval is a good stage, it makes all the unpleasant feelings during the hormones injections more tolerable because you start seeing results. XO

[Trusting]

Thanks Waitingkay,

I appreciate the wisdom and encouraging news. I had one woman tell me that the ER was so bad she will not do another cycle just because of that! I am very grateful to hear that it is not that bad. I look forward to hearing how your cycle progresses. I go tomorrow morning for my first u/s to see how many follicles I have growing, I just started my Repronex on the 9th and I know I won't know too much tomorrow but it is a step closer to success!!! I do have the vaginal suppositories as well as the progesterone and oil stuff that I will be injecting later on in the process. I am doing the Lupron injections in the a.m. now and will stop that once I take my trigger shot. There is so much involved with this process that you would never think about until you have to go through it!!!

Thanks again and I look forward to keeping up with you,
Amanda

[Waitingkay]

Amanda,
I honestly think the worst is behind you for this cycle, when it comes to physical unease. For me the stims were an absolute nightmare and the ER, ET and suppositories afterwards were much simpler to tolerate. My transfer was also day 3, it has quite a few benefits - among which - when sent to cryopreservation on day 3 the embies seem to survive it better (though no guarantee). i am also looking forward to stalking your story and be here when you're going through the 2WW! These are loooong two weeks. Then again, IVF will eventually work. By the way, I even remember going out to eat with my DH the same day of our ER in October. I think I felt a bit weird that's all, but most of it was me being attentive and scared just for knowing I went through anesthesia and some kind of a procedure while I was asleep. To not go through the cycle again because of ER is a first for me, my hesitations before this time are mainly the hormones, but perhaps because the first time I hyper stimulated, the next protocol will ease things up for me.

[Dee24]

Hi Everyone.

Im new to this.... I am 33 and my hubby is 37. I start my shots and patches Tuesday, and I would love to chat with someone who knows what I am about to go through. They have us plan to do my first cycle the first week of Feb!!!!! Anyone out there who would love to chat...I need a shoulder right now:-(.......anyone there?
Thanks
Dee

[Trusting]

Hi Dee,

I can't offer too much knowledge as this is my first IVF cycle but I have been through two previous cycles of stimms with timmed intercourse. I will be checking in here everyday to share and just to see how everyone is doing. What kind of cycle are you going to be doing what drugs are you using?

Wishing you all the best,
Amanda

[Trusting]

Waitingkay,

I had my first u/s today and that part went good she said it looks like I have 18-20 growing yahoooo!!!! They called me this afternoon and said my estradiol level was way low (82) and they are doubling my injections of Repronex to twice a day with five vials each time wow thats alot!!!! I know it is only day three of injections so hopefully this agressive move with the Repronex will get that E2 level up there where it should be! I had to give myself my injections today since my friend was at work when they called and said I needed to do a shot right then. It took me 15 minutes to talk myself into it. I have been doing the Lupron injections every morning but those ones have a much shorter needle!! When it comes to those long ones for the Repronex it just seems scarier!!!

Hope you had a good day!
Amanda

[Waitingkay]

Amanda,
My first time to inject myself alone was when DH was abroad on business, and it was scary. I think it took me more than the 15 min. it took you, so you are doing quite alright! I hope your E2 levels go up, but not too up. Mine were so high cause I hyper stimulated and the expert DH and i went to see last Monday said quantity goes over quality so although the hyper stimulation meant 23 eggs, if your lower E2 levels mean you'll have a lower number of eggs but of better quality then I really hope this for you! Eventually, it only takes one good egg...I don't know how you feel about it, but DH and I are actually longing for twins. And we know all the risks involved, and the hard work..yet we would so want it after the unsuccessful trials...I read on this forum from many gals that had like 4 transferred (good quality too!!!) and only one or worse none made it to either implant at all or stick around. We so wish we'll have 3 super good ones with the IMSI technology, and that we'll get to keep 2! I'm starting to get excited...sometime after Thursday next week, (which is when I check my LH level that should surge right before ovulation) I'll be starting my hormones again, and awful as hormones may make one feel, they take you one step closer to your baby each injection, each day...thinking of you and wishing you luck and smiles even while looking at this long needle.
XO Kay

[Trusting]

Waitingkay,

I have heard that as well that it is not so much the quantity but the quality, I really hope that this increase in meds worked to give me the jump they want to see but hopefully it does not compromise my quality! We are right there with you, we want twins desperately! We have talked about all this so much over the years and we both feel the same, twins would be the greatest!!! I think that perspective of one step closer to baby(s) is the only reason it didn't take more than fifteen minutes to do that shot yesterday. I was so worried about getting those meds in there to do what they needed to do that I was able to just get it done! I can't wait till my appt. tomorrow to see how my levels are and see those eggs growing!!! That is great to hear you'll be starting next week it is so very exciting to move on to the next step in this process. Each time we go on to the next thing I get more and more excited!!! One day closer to a miracle!!!!

Hope you had a good day,
Amanda

[Waitingkay]

Hi Amanda!
There's something about low E2 on the topic IVF, thread titled "Ghost or anyone...thoughts", they say something about not to worry too much if numbers are low.
We had a lovely day, I managed for a change not to think too much about what we lack, but more about what we have...lovely cuddly day. Feel a little weird, my SIL (well she's married to DH's younger brother) I don't think you read what I wrote about this previously when I first joined the forum not long before you did. Anyhow, she's 9 years younger and just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last Saturday. We went to visit them but didn't talk any more during the week. It was a difficult visit for us, really fighting the tears you know, just looking at this "oops" baby so tiny and pretty. I tried calling my SIL today, thought this pain shouldn't come between DH and his brother, and although this SIL and I are not best friends I thought I'd try to ring and see if we can come for a visit, also thought to get a nice present for the baby. She wouldn't even answer when she saw I called. Unbelievable that even though people know how difficult it must be for us right now to put aside our feelings and just be happy for them they still don't appreciate it one bit. I was really trying to think what was best and thought that even if it was difficult for me at the moment that there's a new baby in the family, that in the future when our children will be born they'll be cousins and I won't care at all who was born first...I thought the best to overcome the pain in seeing the baby right now is to make ourselves used to it, and let my DH have a relationship with his first niece. never mind
Can't wait to have my blood work Thursday and start my hormones afterwards!!! Every day brings us closer to our sets of twins Amanda!!!
Wish you too a lovely day.

[Trusting]

Waitingkay,

Thanks for the tip on the IVF board it really helps to see other going through the same stuff!!! My day started out pretty good my hubby called from Afghanistan while I was waiting in the office to get my blood drawn and u/s so it was great to talk to him for a few minutes. I kinda felt bad telling him I had to get off the phone when the nurse came to get me but what else could I do. It would have been weird to be on the phone during the u/s I would have felt like I was missing something that was on the screen or that she wouldn't tell me as much if I was on the phone. Anyway it was great to talk to him and catch him up on everything.
It is very difficult being around so many pregnant women and new babies. As happy as I/we are for them it is very hard to be face to face with them. especially like you said the "oops" babies or even my friend who knows my entire 7 year struggle she is seven months along and when she found out she came over and was telling the whole story about how this wasnt the right time and she couldnt believe this was happening to her now!!!! I wanted to throw her out for being so incensitive but I bit my tongue and just let her vent about having the one thing I would practially give my life for! I can't believe your SIL wouldn't even answer the phone!!! I hope that by now she has at least called you back but that certainly doesn't dismiss the fact she didn't answer in the first place! Some people say the most rude and uncaring things sometimes another friend of mine actually brought up a conversation about wanting to make some bucks by being a surrogate mother for some family that would pay her a good amount for going through the process of being pregnant again since she has already had two they would have to pay well to go through that again, I just don't think they think about what they are saying!

My E2 was up to 294 which is not quite the jump they were hoping for but going in the right direction for sure they are keeping me on the 750 ui of Repronex a day with the .5cc Lupron every morning. Hoping for some good E2 numbers to go with my 19 follicles that are currently growing by monday. I'll certainly be praying for your blood results on Thursday. that is the day my SIL and MIL will be here so they can take me to my ER on Friday. Really good to hear that you had a good day with your hubby it is always so wonderful to have those days! Especially when u can take your mind off what we are wanting so, much those BFPs!

Have a wonderful day,
Amanda

[Waitingkay]

Amanda,
I can't really begin to imagine how it is for you to get a phone call from your DH exactly during your u/s..I suppose it's a mixture of being proud of him and excited to to let him know all at once yet wanting to listen to him and support him...I'm always worried for DH when he is away on business but it can't be compared of course. May this difficulty only give you more strength and success on your home base mission with your DH (your sweet baby..and hopefully babies). How often can he normally ring you?
I'm excited for you for your ER, maybe you won't be available to write while your SIL and MIL are visiting and right after clinic procedure, but I'll be thinking and praying for you. It's such a fantastic thing that women really reunite on forums such as this one and really want what's best for each other, all sharing the same desire.
I echo everything you told me about friends who really mean no harm yet say THE most insensitive things. My SIL has in fact NOT called back. Funny cause DH got a call from my MIL inquiring if we've been visiting his new niece, I think she's tense this might keep them apart and it was awkward for him to tell her we were the ones to actually make the effort, we called we wanted to be there, but got no answer. We'll see how this goes. I truly hope your E2 levels will be just right, how have you been feeling? My E2 levels just before ER were sky high and I was very swollen and in much pain - too high means hyper stimulation and no fun, was instructed to drink tones and not do any work out...I think all the work out I did that time and the 2WW was using my hands to grab comfort food that hubby was buying:) Now I'm working out again before having my hormones. I went jogging 3 times this week and think this helps me first of all mentally!
Wish you a pleasant Sunday and keep my fingers crossed!!!
Kay

[Trusting]

Waitingkay,

Oh my is it uncomfortable to sit down for more than 10-15 minutes straight, my insides feel like they are bulging out of me! I either have to lay down or stand up! I surely hope that my levels are up tomorrow so I can slow down on these Repronex shots twice a day. I can't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable I will be by Friday, and especially during the u/s's this week!

My hubby gets to call every other day right now he told them what we are going through so his chain of command ensures that he gets to call at least every other day to keep up with how things are progressing. He is so wonderful and caring, he really didn't want to do the cycle while he was gone but we are on orders for another post and if we didn't try it before we have to move we would have to start all over with a new fertility doctor and that whole process usually takes 4-6 months so I didn't want to put it off and he definitly agreed but just wished he could be here for it.

I can't wait until you get started next week too! Hoping all is well and you had a great day in the Lord!
Amanda