Feb/Mar 08 Cycle Buddies

[kbat]

P.S, I didn't mean to "scare" anyone w/ fsh levels. I am just telling you what my RE said. When considering leaving this clinic for yet another (long story), I did contact another clinic and they said anything under 12 was normal (this clinic says anything under 10 is normal). I did once put a post on here because I was super worried based on what this re said, but there are lots of success stories w/ people and high fsh levels. If you go under search and but kbat under author, you may come across the post--I think I named in something like HIGH FSH. There were people who did o.k. w/ high fsh numbers--even higher than 15 which my re seems like she wouldn't go through w/ it.

[kbat]

the post I originated on 9/23/07 was called anyone w/ high fsh numbers and success stories.... There were some good success stories. I am sure that if you do a search out there for high fsh numbers you may come across something more recent. I think for me it may explain why I am a poor responder--high fsh I believe is a sign of low ovarian reserve. But like I said I've seen on this board success stories. So PLEASE don't worry about it.

[IrishHope]

exactly...my post earlier about how I found my RE thru a family friend whohad really high FSH levels and low ovarian reserve hence the whole "look for a surrogate" path but has gone on to have 2 healthy girls and is now having a very normal pregnancy w/ twins using her own eggs!!

I think it is easy to compare yourself to others numbers and get nervous but every body is so different...do what your doc feels is best and go with your gut!!!

almost Friday...Yeeeeaaahh!! no football though this wknd!

[JustJenis]

LOL No worries here.. I promise. I learned YEARS ago that I was far from normal. Also believe that there are things I can't change and things I can. I don't stress over what I have absolutely no control over.

I just posted my FSH levels to show the difference in age and situation. That it's not always just one factor. Ya know?

No harm done here guys!

*HUGS*
Jenis

[MiracleBaby1]

IrishHope & Runner Kate -

I was terrified of the progesterone in oil shots too...DH even more so because he was the one who had to give them to me. It really is not as bad as it seems, I just finished doing them for 2 weeks.

My nurse did give me a couple of pointers that really seemed to work :

1. Apply an ice pack to the area 2-3 minutes before the shot (you will hardly feel the needle going in.)

2. Right before the needle goes in and while the medicine is being injected keep your foot off the ground and wiggle your toes on the side you are getting the injection (from what the nurse said, if you do this, it is almost impossible for you to clench your butt cheeks and it will make the injection go into the muscle that much easier...it did seem to work.)

3. Apply ice to the area after the shot

I hope this helps!

[Mrs. G]

Mrs. G... I don't know all the drugs to be honest. Nor do I know the order as of yet. I go in Feb 11th for the injection class and then start them on Feb 13. I do know that Feb 1 I start the Estrace and that I am not on BCP. I asked about that and my nurse told me that I didn't need them. I have ALWAYS been 28 day cycle even when i was sick. I've been doing the Ovulation chart and that again have been regular. Hey.. I was on them for 10 years.. I'm ok with not taking them again LOL
Jenis

Oh ok gotcha! Yeah we only did BCPills the month prior to my IVF then I started Lupron, then went on Follistim. From there we did HCG trigger and then progesterone. I had also been put on an antibiotic and then of course a couple pain killers for the retrieval. So that's a lil jist of what to look forward too if you didn't know already.

[LB]

I am leaving tomorrow morning for Santa Fe to visit my sister and the boys so I won't be posting for a few days - I am sure I will miss so much. Just found out 2 others are pregnant with their second - I am trying so hard to be happy for them (ok, for one of them, the other one is the wife of a friend of DH who is a train wreck and does not deserve her one child, much less 2!!) but inside I am like "2, I just want 1!!!" Although I had lunch with a friend this week who has the opposite problem - can get pregnant but can't carry the baby - she miscarried at over 5 months and had to deliver the baby - it was awful!! She had surgery to hopefully fix her weak cervix, but is still super nervous to do it again. She too is desperate for a little one - I feel so bad for her!

Does everyone's RE give them their numbers? My RE just tells me if the bloodwork looked ok so I never know what my numbers are. I do know the follicle count because I can see that, but was just curious how everyone else always seems to know their numbers.

Enjoy the weekend and try to stay warm!!

[JustJenis]

Mrs. G... How uncomfy was the ER?? I had a hard time with my Saline Sonogram and i"m thinking the ER has to be worse than that. Does the ET hurt at all??

LB... HAVE FUN! Don't worry about us.. we'll ramble on for days.. you know us My RE will tell me if I ask and sometimes tell me Ohh you have... whatever.. we can work with that. I'm in the Medical field and have been through so much in the past that I ask about EVERYTHING. I don't retain it... but I ask LOL! My Nurse is great. She will tell me anything I wanna know.

Ok all.. Night Night!

*HUGS*
Jenis

[kbat]

The e/r I find isn't too bad--you are put under and won't remember the actual procedure. I've never had to take anything after to help w/ the pain.

As for e/t, the 1st clinic didn't give me anything and this clinic will give you vallium (which I didn't take b/c I had to go by myself that day and had to drive home). It was a little uncomfortable, but I think it was more because by then I really had to go to the bathroom (they have to do it on a full bladder, so I think that's where the discomfort was from.)

[RunnerKate]

JustJenis, I'm don't get the bloodwork #s either. Should I ask for them or is it just something else to obsess over?

Did my first Lupron shot last night. I thought the needle would just slide in, but you actually have to push it a little to make it break the skin. It burned a little after it went in, which I wasn't expecting. Nothing awful, just felt like a bee sting.

My very sweet hubby said that when he was little him mom would buy in Star Wars figurines after he got these very painful allergy shots and he wanted to do something similar for me. So, last night he gave me my favorite chocolate treats from Trader Joes and some berries. How sweet is he?

[JustJenis]

Hey Kate!

I don't know. There are certain things I would like to know and those I ask. But I'm not going to give myself things to obsess over.. cause Ohh I will! I'm very much type A.. not that I think that's a good thing.. but I tend to over analyze this and worry about that.. when I know dang well I can't do anything.
When I start the stims I wanna know how I'm doing... what I need to do to make sure I don't mess anything up. I wanted to know my baseline ultrasound as well. Only having one ovary I wanted to know how many follies were there without stims. I was HAPPY to know 8 were there.
I would say pick your battles. If there's something you don't understand ask.. but if you can't truly effect the number.. why give yourself the added stress?

OHHHHHH Trader Joes!! I use to go there all the time in Seattle.. here in icky jersey.. we don't have those places. Ohh i Miss Seattle!

*HUGS*
Jenis

[IrishHope]

LB - I think my clinic will just tell me generically "things look fine or not" and not give me numbers and I have been wondering if I will push and ask or not...I may just if I'm lucky and hear "everything is good" just go with it...I am TOTALLY type A/OCD which can be good but can be bad so if I hear all is ok why search the web and read stuff to second guess it or compare to someone else and feel nervous...I'm going to try anyway...

my nurse called early this morning with some good news...we were waiting for my husband's results from his cystic fibrosis blood test...I am a carrier and she said he is NOT!!! huge relief as two of my sisters are and one of my brother in laws is and one of my nephews has a mild form of CF and my DH sister is a carrier so we thought for sure if I was - and his sister is he would be but we dodged that bullet...for those who don't know how it works we would both need to be carriers to have a 1 in 4 chance our baby would have CF...but if only one of us is a carrier (me) the baby can't get the disease...I guess my poor little nephew who was Baby Boy #5 for my sister the 1 in 4 chance ran out but his prognosis is great for a full life/normal future...

so for today we feel "up" as we had to wait 8 days for results!! one less thing to worry about...

[cathann]

Irish & Jenis ~ Thanks! I really have put it out of my mind, at least until Monday when we meet with the nurse. I'm sure that she wouldn't have started me on the path that she did if she thought it was a problem.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!
Cathann

[JustJenis]

Cathann.. good thing is your nurse.. she's not picking your path. Your RE is. She's merely there to help you understand things and convey your protocol too you. She's your pal through all this Just write down what it is you want to know and when you go in on Monday.. ask!

You're doing great! Remember, one day at a time.

*HUGS*
Jenis

[kbat]

Really hoping things will work out for me. If my husband were to switch jobs it would most likely be in March and he's not willing to tell them to delay for a couple of weeks while we finish this business up w/ the old insurance.... He's a total workaholic and he's worried that if he tells them he may have to a put it off they may reconsider. But nothing is final w/ this job. So, in the end I am just hoping the financial office at my clinic goes ahead and tries to get this approved w/o paying much mind to what my nurse says (she says I need to do another day 3 b/c after 40 they require it every 6 months. And while I believe that's correct, I had my last Day 3 on Sept. 28 and 6 months would be march 28--and if they approve it before then they may give me a couple of months to finish up the cycle. I think she's being way too cautious--try to get it approved--the worst they will say is that I need another day 3 b/w b/c the other one is almost 6 months old and there would still be time to get it done w/ my next A/F in mid-Feb. This nurse once told me that Ovidrel was no longer covered and when I told her that wasn't true so said she was right. I had remember that for co-payment it went from Tier 2 to Tier 3, i.e. instead of $25, it's now $40). When I called the insurance to see who was right, I discovered I was right and not the nurse. If I can get an approval before my next AF I may be able to sweet talk the clinic into doing it for mid-Feb. citing that my insurance would probably be different if we wait until March. I don't necessarily mind paying the 20% if our new insurance is out of RI--I just don't want to delay the cycle w/ waiting for the new insurance to kick in, then waiting for aprroval from the new insurance, etc. And I am a little worried that it may happen when I am in the middle of the cycle

I know that things always work out in the end--they always do., I am a total major worry wart and I tend to obsess over things when it's not really necessary. Then I look back and wonder why I put myself through all the worrying for nothing. And in the end it's out of my hands. I know it'll work it's way out--just anxious to get this started and done.