february friends?

[Mo71]

Hi girls,

I am pretty devastated right now. My ET has been postponed because of Hydrosalpinx (fluid in one of my blocked tubes). Now I was waiting for the fluid to disappear and to get my period again to start with the FET. My last scan two weeks ago was great, everything normal, no fluid. Now I finally got my period, went to the next scan yesterday and one of my tubes is blown up like a sausage again.

I would need an operation to either remove the two "loosers" or at least block them at the ends to avoid that fluid's dripping into my uterus. The doc who examined me months ago didn't want to do either because my abdomen is all stuck and scarred from pervious OPs. He said it would be impossible to get through with an endoscope.

What are my options? None. With these tubes my chances are even smaller than small to become pregnant, and if it would work another mc is very likely to happen. Probably that was already the reason for my last mc.

There goes my hope again. Besides, I don't have much time left for my FET, in a few months I am leaving this country again and I can't take the embies with me. I would have to go back here for another transfer.

It's so frustrating. At the moment I just can't see any way out of this.

Moni

[ogr1]

oh honey i am so so sorry.. this is all so messed up..
is there any way to talk with a couple of other doctors? maybe they would have some ideas..

but try and remember that you do still have your embies so soon as you get this figured out you will be able to do you fet..

you will be in my thoughts and prayers..
becky

[debbieed]

Hello All,
sounds like things are not going so well for some of you.

Suki, welcome to the board and best of luck. I know what that waiting is like - it does sometimes feel like we are just counting days. Unfortunately I find that I am like that through the whole thing - just counting days for this then counting days for that.

At the moment I am counting the days until I can begin my injections. Not too long to go now as I sart on Tuesday Bet I won't be smiling when I am having them!

I've been sniffing synarel now for 3 weeks and am having horrible hot flushes. Not looking forward to having them when I really do go through the menopause!!

Other than that nothing much to report at this end.

Minnow - how are things going for you? Hope things are ok.

Love
Debbie

[minnow]

hello to all.
moni, i'm so sorry that things are so disappointing for you. the more i hear about IVF the more i realise what a roller coaster it is and how difficult it is to retain a sense of any control over our treatment and the wanted outcome. i really hope you find a way through this.

Debbie - the hot flushes sound horrid. roll on tuesday even if it means injections! hopefully then, some of those symptoms may subside. i will certainly not miss the bitter taste of the Synarel either!

as for me, injections are still going fine. bizarrely, the first was the easiest and subsequent ones have been a bit uncomfortable, but nothing really to worry about. the most stressful part for me is actually dealing with filling the syringe and getting the dose right. silly really, but i am a bit useless with it and seem to have tiny amounts of liquid escaping from the bottle. no real side effects to mention. for the first time today, my stomach feels a bit bloated and uncomfortable so maybe something is happening inside there.

although i remain positive, i feel like this is the last week before an exam and i find myself worrying that i have not done enough to prepare for it - even though i am reasonably healthy. my husband is carrying on with life as normal, so i am encouraging him to cut out most of the booze for this last week and drink masses of water, even though i think that will only help his sperm in 3 months time!!

take care all..

minnow

[suki]

Debbie,

You are too right in saying that you are constantly counting the days...

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

[debbieed]

Hello All,
Hope things are ok with everyone.
Minnow - when do you next go to the clinic? If you're starting to feel bloated then things must be happening. Don't worry about doing things wrong with the injections - you're probably doing great. When is your EC due? It must be soon now. I won't miss the tast of synarel either - it is the most disgusting thing. I very quickly forgot all of the unpleasant things after my first tmt though so I'm sure you will forget quickly too.

I know how you feel about the last minute panic. I feel the same and also nagg dh about not drinking etc. Not that a couple of glasses of wine occasionally is going to stop things working. It's so easy to get paranoid about everything so try to stay as calm as you can (easy to say - impossible to do!).

Have fun all and don't forget PMA, PMA, PMA

Love
Debbie
I'm now looking forward to Tuesday (not long to go) and I will feel like we are really on our way.

[minnow]

hi.
just returned from first scan after start of stimulation and all is looking good! they seem to be very pleased with my response and identified 12 follicles, which are grouped well and looking good. no idea whether that's a good amount or not, but sounds fine to me if most develop well. what a relief! had begun to imagine that i might not be responding, so this gives me the lift i need. still continuing to feel absolutely fine physically and apart from the odd panic, mentally i am fairly positive too. they have said earliest egg collection would be friday and latest would be tuesday. i think they see monday as most likely day. so it's just a matter of holding on for another week and hoping these little follicles continue to do well! drug dose remains the same and next scan on weds.

had my first IVF dream last night, where i had an absolutely enormous stomach/ glad to say that's not the case......yet!

hoping everyone else is doing ok. debbie - this time tomorrow you will be on the next stage. really good luck with those injections!

all of the people I read about who are testing today are very much on my mind. sending everyone very very best wishes.

xx

[debbieed]

Hello All,
Minnow - great news with the amount of follies you have. I had 9 at the same stage as you last time. They then collected 6 eggs - 5 of which went on to fertilise then they transplanted 3 back to me. The other 2 didn't develop so we weren't able to freeze any. You do sound like things are going well. Keep hanging on in there with the PMA and you'll be fine.

I can't wait until this time tomorrow (mad I know) but then I will have had my first injection and I will be on the next stage. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

PMA

Love
Debbie

[debbieed]

Well girls,
First injection done so I now feel like I'm really on the way. It wasn't too bad - the thought is always worse than the actual!
Apart from the drugs I'm feeling grotty today - think I'm going down with a bug that's doing the rounds at work - sinuses feel bunged (not so great when I have to keep sniffing!). Still, have to keep smiling I guess - next clinic appointment is on 22nd and that's getting closer.

PMA and best wishes to all.

Love
Debbie

[DebraP]

Minnow, 12 sounds great to me. I've never had more than 10 so you're streets ahead!!

Good luck all you February Buddies!
Debra.

[dperry]

Hi Minnow, Debbie, and anyone else going through an IVF cycle this month. I just started stimulating today with Gonal-F (same as you, Debbie, I think) and it suddenly hit me--I'd like to talk to other women going through this! So I searched the web and came up with your forum. It seems like there's room for me (with so few others going through IVF this month). Please tell me if I'm in the wrong place!

Anyways, I'm TOTALLY new to message boards and chatrooms, so don't know the lingo too well. I'm also new to IVF. I must admit I was confused about the sniffing and Synergel and some of the other drugs that I've never heard of. I also wasn's sure what some of the acronyms meant--ET is embryo transplant? AF is getting your period? EC is what?!?

As for myself, I have the most incredibly complex regimen ahead of me--by next week I'll be giving myself three different kinds of injections along with aspirin and multivitamins. In plain English, I'll be having my egg retrieval in about 12-13 days, my embryo transplant (ET?) about five days later, and will know if I am pregnant one week after that. Is this at all similar to your timelines?

Like I said, I'm new to IVF--we had an IUI in October but that didn't work. We just moved to Chicago and our new doctor asked why we had bothered with the IUI since the percentage of live births per IUI for my age bracket is 8%,while the percentage of live births per IVF is 28%! Felt kind of frustrated that our previous doctor had not been forthright about this, but that's over. Now that we've started treatment here, I can't help but feel a little excited.

I went through the Clomid challenge test last month and my FSH was a tiny bit high, but still okay for going through with the procedure. Still, it was a bit of a shock to see the chemical proof that I am getting OLD and my eggs are running out! We've been trying for 2 1/2 years and want a baby very badly.

Sorry for rambling, but I guess that's what obsessed women do! Good luck to you all and I look forward to hearing how everything goes!

--Donna[/i]

[Dagny]

Hi Donna

Welcome to the board. You have indeed found the right place and there are many women going through treatment the same as you.

Some doctors are not very forthcoming with information like your last one which is annoying but your new doctor sounds like he knows what's what.

If you are unsure of the terminology of things like ET - Embryo Transfer etc there is a 'Sticky Thread' always at the top of the page with all that you need to know. If there is something not there don't hesitate to ask.

Best of luck for your TMT (treatment!)

Love Dagny xkx

[minnow]

hi Donna and welcome from me too! it's great to have someone else on board and i look forward to hearing all about yor progress. sounds like you and debbie are only a day apart in the process which should be great for both of you. make sure you use the board to ask any questions and get whatever support you need. this is my first IVF attempt and my first introduction to message boards - but i am finding this incredibly supportive.

i am on the Gonal F stimms too, but the multi dose variety which means i only have to inject myself once daily and only one mix to make up. dont worry about how complex it sounds though - amazing how expert most people seem to become after only a matter of days. i too was given the same advice about IUI which rather surprised me as that is ehat i had geared myself up for. it made sense to me to go straight for IVF but it is much more expensive!

i have just had my second scan on day 9 of my stimms. all looking good. 12 follicles at the same stage which have grown well in the last 2 days and now 2 or 3 more have appeared which are obviously much smaller. i had a blood test to check my oestrogen levels and am waiting for the result later this afternoon. at the moment, egg collection (EC) will be on Friday, monday or Tuesday, depending on what they decide. i had to pick yp my trigger shot and pessaries too, so i'm def not far off! at my clinic they tend to do egg transfer 2 days later. pregnancy tests normally happen 14 days after transfer f I'm correct. i'm v excited to be at this stage and remain positive. i have felt remarkably well throughout the process, although EC may change all that!

debbie - sorry to hear you're feeling crap. really hope that's picking up now. bugs seem to be everywhere! also relieved to hear the injections weren't so bad for you..you're right, the thought is definitely the worst bit. let us know how you're getting on. imagine those lovely follicles growing!

thanks everyone for the encouragement about the follicles - seems v selfish to have been a bit disappointed with 12, i just had imagined there would be more. now of course i have shifted and am delighted with each and every one of them!!

best wishes and positive thoughts to all.

[minnow]

hi again girls. just a quick update. hospital has just phoned to say that levels on blood test are good and so egg collection will go ahead on friday!! feel completely nervous for the first time and my heart is beating away. naturally i am very excited but also anxious that my little beloved follicles wont be ready by friday! so last stimm just taken, last suppression sniff at 19.00 and then the trigger shot comes at midnight.

am delighted that we will now be able to go away on weds to manchester and harrogate for a few days as planned. we will be able to chill out and relax which will surely do us the world of good.

also, as a point of interest.. i have been having acupuncture over the last year and have stepped it up to once a week during IVF. when i saw him today he said that there is some research which suggests acupuncture before and after egg transfer (i.e. on day itself) is showing positive results. so when my little embies (fingers crossed we will have some) go back in on monday, i am going to try and treat myself to that too. it is not cheap, but i really attribute my feeling well throughout this to the effects of the acu.

look forward to hearing from he rest of you later...

[debbieed]

Hello All,
Minnow I'm so excited for you - not long to go now.
Welcome Donna - it does sound as if we are not too far apart in terms of dates. I have my next clinic appointment on Tues 22nd and am hoping for EC(Egg collection) week commencing 28th Feb. Unfortunately there is a lot that is uncertain before then (not feeling too optimistic today I'm afraid). My clinic also does the ET two days after collection then testing 2 longggggg weeks later.
It is lovely having you all there for support - thanks for being so great.

Love
Debbie