MARCH/APRIL BUDDIES

[michelle_in_scotland]

Hiya,
Just a quickie before i start to read through the posts.

Jules good luck for today (not that you'll need it, you'll be fine)

Take care all and talk to you all soon.
Lotsa love

Michelle
xxxx

[souris]

Hello everyone,
You all seems so nice that i hope you don't mind me joining.!
I am in Azerbaijan, going ahead with my first ICSI/IVF.
Totally scared.... My AF should arrive any day now and it feels like my heart is going to explode because I am getting nearer and nearer to the Big day, and in a month or so I will know if I am pregnant and I am scared of both results!!! (yes, a little bit confused!)
I also gave up smoking, which is not easy( but not impossible) so it makes me a little bit more tense!
Thanks to this web site , I am not alone anymore

Souris
25
dh vasectomy following by succesfull sperm retrieval

[DebraP]

Souris....welcome and you defintely take the prize for most exotic location of this little group of buddies at least.

You're so right with the mix of emotions and feelings. Sometimes it's almost better in the run up as you've still got some distance from the waiting for results.

Good luck with treatment. You've had good results so far with DH's side of the deal.

If you don't mind my asking, how is (in)fertility dealt with in the media and society in Azerbaijan? Is it openly discussed and acknowledged? is information on clinics and treatment openly available? is there any state support for infertile couples? The rest of us are in the US, Australia and various parts of Europe so your input might be really quite interesting.

Debra

[souris]

Hi debra,

A lot to say about Azerbaijan! It is not Europe, it is developping very fast but still a lot of work to do....
I did not come here especially to resolve my fertility issues. I have been living here for a while now.
And I would never have imagined finding a clinic up to "european standards". Because infrastructures are very poor here, I have feared all my time here having to go to the doctor!!

And one day I was talking to a friend (local girl) who told me about the "presidential" clinic. I went there just to see and I have been amazed with the equipment (better that anything I have seen in the UK) the techonolgy etc...
My doctor is Turkish, he speaks fairly good English (the lingo is the main difficulty, it is usefull if someone local can guide you through the procedures).

I do feel that infertilty is a taboo subject here, especially male infertility. Only this specific clinic has the adequate facilities, staff and knowledge to deal with it. And if it was not because of my friend, as a foreigner, I would never have known the existence of this clinic...

It is also reserved to the "elite" of the Azeri population, or the expatriate, because of the price. For us foreigners, it seems resonable:
sperm retrieval +ICSI+ medication for me + scan+EC+ET+keeping embryos+sperm forzen for 3years min= $4000

The only thing I do not like here is the lack of communication.
I can ask questions to my doctor, and if I do not insist, all I will get is: "Do not worry, all be fine". Which is good ! but it does not answer my questions (and I have a Lot!).
But I have his mobile number, I can contact him anytime, he is very nice. Most of the nurses do not speak English but they are so nice with me that I do not need to understand them.

Well I shall stop this long post now,
Hope to speak to you soon
Take care, all of you
XXX
Souris

[dperry]

Welcome, Souris. It strikes me that all IVF treatment is mysterious and scary because you are thrust into new, complex world, but your experience is even more mysterious than average since so few people in your clinic speak English! Anyways, it's great that you found us. I'm very grateful myself, since without this group I would have nobody but DH to talk to about this amazing and uncertain experience!

By the way, I started stims yesterday--600 IU daily of Gonal F (this seems realy high, but it's the Dr's orders). I guess I don't "downreg" like everybody else.

Cheers,
Donna

[leigh]

Hi
Starting iui easter weekend. Got to visit nurse on monday to get injections etc. Said appointment would last hour and half, why so long, does anyone know what I should expect? Also what is AF? Good luck to you all.

[souris]

Hi Leigh,
AF is Aunt Flow, abbrevation for Periods.
I am very very new here and I have to say that all the terms are a bit confusing... But I am getting used to it now!

I am also very surprise : after reading your stories, I noticed that your treatment seems longer that mine

On second day of my period, I am going to my doc for an internal check. From that day I start my treatment for 16 days. On the 16th day it is Egg C day. 1 or 2 day for fertalisation and then my eggs are put back!
So if I start my AF this monday, around the 20th of April, I will know if I am pregnant. Does it seems right to you?

lots of love
souris

[DebraP]

Souris, your treatment/protocol does seem super quick! Do you know how long you downreg for? I also have my treatment in a foreign language which is a pain in the a*se as I often have to rely on DF to tell me it all again afterwards.

I'm on the world's longest protocol right now. A month of downregging - extended due to Easter - I start Puregon/stims next Tuesday (22nd) and then have a scan on 31st, if all looks good, EC on 4th, ET on 6th or 7th. I'll have a few days off then back to 50% work the following week.

Leigh...the abbreviations can be tricky. Have a look at the top 'sticky' thread of the General Forum, lots of the terms are explained there. I guess the 1.5hr apt. will take you through the protocol, explain the timetable, what to expect, maybe show you around(?).

Donna. I'm not on Gonal F so can't say I know what other doses should be. I'm on 300IU of Puregon which is necessary due to my extreme old age (41 this month) and raised FSH.

Good luck everyone,
Debra.

[julesg]

Hi All

Michelle - thanks for the message - only two more sleeps and it is your turn

Souris welcome to the board

Well I went to the hospital yesterday as you all know I was so nervous. It went ok although they did have one suprise for me - I am downregging with injections this time not sniffing (spray ) I was a bit shock by that I think they would have let me sniff if I insisted (can't spell). In the end I deceided to be brave and inject. The nurse was really lovely and although I did inject for stims last time she ran me through the whole procedure and I did the first one there. So that is it - downredding here we go.

Even though I hate the injections it is easier than sniffing three times a day. Scan is 7th april and then we will see. I am on Gonal F this time (menopur last time) 75IU a day - much less than you Donna - but last time I overcooked (as I like to call it) so I am starting low, it may get increased later.

One question I have now though is when I start stims do I do the two injections at the same time in the same leg or at diif times of the day??

Hope everyone else is well

Keep in touch - no is the time we will really need each other
Love and hugs
Julie

[michelle_in_scotland]

Hi girls,
How are we all doing?

Souris - welcome to the board and our not so little anymore group.

Jules - Glad your appointment went ok, i really don't envy you the injecting to downreg. I feel so lucky that i only have to have the one injection of Prostap on Monday and that will be it as far as my downregging goes.
My appointment on Monday is at 10.15am, i'm excited but very nervous at the same time.
Feeling a little bit fragile today, we were at a wedding reception last night and i had a few too many Fat Frogs, that will be the last of those for hopefully a very long time.
We are going to a concert up in Glasgow tonight, Michael is a huge (now don't laugh!!) Kylie fan, she's the "other woman" in our relationship, he's loved her since the sad old days when she first started. This is the first time he's been able to get tickets for her concert and it's his first ever concert aswell so he's really excited about it. This one tonight is the opening night of her tour so it might be quite good, i'm not a Kylie fan myself but her later stuff is ok, i'm just going along to keep him in line, lol.

Hope everyone else is keeping well.

I'm back at work tomorrow so don't think i'll get a chance to log on but i'll be here on Monday and let you all know how my injection went and to tell you all about Kylie (if you want to hear about her that is, lol).

Take care all and talk to you soon,
Lotsa love

Michelle
xxxx

[Toni]

Hi Julie

Glad everything went okay at the hospital and wahey - away you went!!! I dont know about the first injection, but I do know for Gonal F its supposed to be at the same time of the day everyday (I was told within an hour) so i guess it may depend on what time you inject the first injection.

i cant imagine 2 lots of injections everyday - sounds painful - but if u have the Gonal F pens they are so simple and easy to use. Juts make sure you change legs every couple of days cos i didnt and it really started to hurt after a few days!! I would swear by Gonal F tho, so i think its a fab sign you are on it - but thats just cos i had a lucky result last time!!

only just been back at work this week myself after having the flu and having 6 weeks off with exhaustion (!!!). hope everyone else is well - Kelly how are things going at Care??

Love as always

PMA to you all

Toni xx

[LittleP]

Hi Jules

I was on Gonal F and I had to take both injections at the same time - one in each leg. My legs soon took on various shades of the rainbow, very pretty

Good luck with it all.

Take care

Little P

[julesg]

Hi All


Michelle - wow Kylie is the "other woman" in our relationship as well and we also have tickets to go and see her in April in Manchester so I will look foward to hearing how it went. The only problem I have right now though is that if everything goes to plan the Kylie concert will be the day after ET - any advise from anyone about whether this would mean I couldn't go One injection you lucky so and so!!!

Toni glad you are finally feeling better - you take it easy and look after yourself and those babes I think Gonal F will be good for me then - good omen that

Love and hugs
Julie

[DebraP]

Jules...the injections sound awful. I love my Synarela! I don't mind the Puregon as I use a conveniently placed roll of tummy insulations and can't feel a thing.

I used to laugh at Kylie until I lived in Sydney in '98...I quickly discovered she was a goddess - and this was just before she became trendy. I'm not sure what to suggest re. the concert. In normal life people ttc would go to concerts but if you'd be jumping up and down, dancing etc. personally, I'd not do it.

hugs
Debra.

[Tracii]

Hi All, I am back from holiday and wanted to drop a quick note before I read through the discussion.

I started Synarela on 16.March (Wed.) which was my 17 cycle day. Amazingly I had no problems with the meds and altitude (skiing at 3000meters) and right now only experience sore BBs. I thought for sure I would be dizzy.

I am waiting for AF to arrive today - I then will get an ultrasound on the 4-6 cycle day around 24 March - and will start with purogen shots. (any helpful hints I am not very good with needles )

If all goes will around 10-14 (30/31 March) cycle day the eggs will be harvested and 2-3 days (2/3 April) later the fertilized eggs will be put back in .

Needless to say I am getting very anxious and nervous that it just won't happen. We have decided for 2 fertilized eggs knowing the higher probability of twins but want to ensure the probability of getting pregnant is higher.

How is everyone else??