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[Trusting]

rph--AFM=As for me, Hope the stimming is going great and the u/s gave you great news!!!!

kay--how are you feeling any symptoms yet??? when is next check up?

Kamina--I think it is very good to get opinions from different doctors, I think most of the ones here in the states are so paraniod about getting sued they do not even inform you of things they could have done better for fear of patients taking that information and sueing them with it saying they could have done this or that differently!!!! Hope the talk is goes good and you get some interesting and helpful information.....

greekchick-How is everything??????

AFM--eagerly awaiting news from san antonio military hospital...........

Blessings to all,
Trustng

[greekchick]

hey ladies i just got back from my doctor hes happy i av around 11-13 folicles gota go bk on friday for another check he thinks mon/tue my egg retrievail and my blood is 512.74 today not sure wats it surpose to be at this time....

[Kamina]

Trusting - I hope you get good news from the hospital.

Green Chick - Yeah you have lots of nice follicles!

I am on CD 21 so still waiting to start my cycle.

Today I pray for poor Japan. I am thankful that I have my family and friends with me right now and can enjoy them. I am thankful I have no other worries than pushing a needle in my skin. After seeing what they are going though, it has put a perspective on what is important. To have everything taken in an instant.... I also pray that the nuclear reactors remain under control. We already are unable to purchase idodine at any of the stores here in California. I'm going to try a few others today.

[Kamina]

Well girls I am off to my seminar with Dr Zouves in San Bruno.

He will be speaking for about 90 min to help those understand why they might not have bee able to get pregnant. He is going to go over: improving ivf/egg donation technology, Male factor infertility, immunological implications, repeated ivf and miscarriage,
blastocyst and 3 day transfers, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, the mind body connection, body mass index.

Ciao Bellas

[Trusting]

Kamina--that sounds like it will be very informative, let us know what interesting things you find out!

[Waitingkay]

Hi ladies,

Greeekchick - great number of follies,and you will be surprised even more follies may turn by ER! Hope you are feeling alright with the Gonal-F, I like you used the pan but my numbers of E2 were much higher (too high) and I felt bloated already then.

Amanda - Praying for you to start sooner than we thought, let us know when you hear from the hospital!I felt a bit queasy yesterday but it could also be because I'm so vigilant about symptoms. Not really morning sick, nothing nearly bad enough to vomit etc...I hope my beta levels are okay, cause the increase in beta is responsible for M/S and I only got mine checked up twice last week. I should sms my RE next week (he reads sms's then rings himself the patient, oddly enough) and then we'll have an U/S scheduled next week prolly Wednesday. Praaaaaay for me, I hope everything is okay and we get to hear a healthy strong HB. First time for us both ever.

Kamina - yep, sounds really interesting. If they say anything about male infertility that you happen to remember let me know. Getting more knowledge about it is prolly the best idea. I think if it wasn't for this new IMSI technology we were willing to try we may have still been wondering what's next now.

Do you ladies plan on telling ppl fairly quickly when you get your BFP's? I only told my mom and some friends abroad that knew we were struggling for a long time. We now wonder if to tel DH's family right after the first U/S (what DH would like), or after the 14'th week when critical tests are over. What do you girls think? I'm afraid they will be able to SEE FOR THEMSELVES. I'm so bloated still ppl ask me if I'm pregnant. I understood from ladies on the "Pregnant after treatment" thread this is normal for many after IVF, that the being bloated only will leave after the birth. So I' not capable of really feeling normal now, or scan what is pregnancy related and what's not. The reason I don't want to tell my DH's family is first of all my ill intending SIL, and then just the fact they always ask too many intruding questions and I tend to be rather private and it goes on my nerves and then I let DH hear about it. Unlike many other countries I've lived in, in Israel ppl think they do good by asking their family member everything and anything. For better and for worse. Words of wisdom?

K

[Kamina]

Kay I pray that your U/S will come out ok.
If your husband wants to tell his family then I guess you cannot stop him. He is excited. The first time I told very early because it was my first time. This next time I will not tell until I pass my first trimester. Except for you guys.
I think you should do what is in your heart. I think your biggest problem is with the SIL. But then again, she is always going to be a problem for you. If it is not this, it will be some other subject. Until she goes through more life she will be clueless to others. Just tell her once the baby gets here. But everyone else, do what feels right to you.

Hello Trusting- The seminar was super. I got there at 6pm and did not leave until 10pm. His lecture turned out to be more than 2 hours and he stayed and answered everyone's questions after, hence 10pm.

What I learned highlights.

Most couples who go to him have usually been through the fertility mill. Many have been told that there is no hope, that they just cannot have children. So most of his cases are pretty tough cases. He is the only doctor. He works 7 days a week 365 days a year. (he no longer does surgery or delivers babies, his only focus is this) He has a support staff of 40.

BMI - Body mass index can affect IVF pregnancy rates. Overweight women are at greater risk of miscarriage. I need to lose like 7 lbs....

Thrombophilias and Pregnancy - a disorder that causes blood clotting.

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - Most common problem is the embryo 95% of the chromosomally abnormal embryos are abnormal as a result of a problem with the egg. A second problem is problems with the uterine structure, hormonal or immunological issues. Immune treatments: IVIG (expensive) Intralipid (IL) another option that uses egg yolk and soybean.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing - eggs are tested for certain genetic conditions prior to be placed in the womb. They remove a single cell from a 3 day old embryo and test it for chromosomal disorders. You can select a egg that is less likely to have chromosomal abnormalities. The risk is about 1/1000 for damaging the embryo.

Egg Vitrification - new flash freeze of eggs. the previous slow freeze method only 6% of eggs frozen would survive the freezing and thawing process. Today Vitrification over 90% of eggs survives. This is the method they have moved to 2 years ago.

How to prepare - BMI. stress reduction, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, no smoking, treat immune responses

State of the Art Lab - He uses his own lab and has a embryologist on staff. The lab has a state of the art air system. no toxic or volatile chemicals in the lab and the control the temp and pressure and air quality. The staff always works in pairs to combat mistakes being made. Each couple has their own incubator so you are changing the environment of another couples eggs by opening and closing the door. His lead guy is very anal about the lab and the temp and the eggs.

Male infertility - they can can now just go through the scrotum and retrieve the sperm if the counts are low and just place one sperm in one egg. All the men fainted. (just kidding) but even the doctor mentioned all the men looked pale after showing how to retrieve the sperm. lol.

There was over 2 hours of information disseminated so I will just stop here.

[Trusting]

Kamina--thanks for the great information!!! It is great that the Dr. took that much time to answer questions, to me that says he really cares! What do they mean by treat immune responses??? I'm not familiar with what that means and have any of you used acupuncture???

Kay--Can't wait to hear the news on the u/s. I don't know exactly how I feel about telling everyone I was very open to all our family about the process we were/are going through so I think that I would have told everyone as soon as we found out but I think every situation is different and I wouldn't want my condescending sister-in law breathing down my neck the whole pregnancy. I would assume that if you tell the rest of the family she will definitely find out from one of them.....very hard to know what is the best answer.

rph--how is the stimming going?????

greekchick--how was your second u/s????Are you feeling bloated and like you are on emotional roller coaster?? that is how I was feeling toward the end of the process right before my E/R.

AFM--still waiting......

Blessings to all,
Amanda

[rph]

Hi everyone!

Sorry, I've been staying off the boards because I was scaring myself--I was comparing how many eggs everyone got to mine, noting all the positives I've met so far were male factor and my problem appears to be my egg quality (who'd have thought at 31?!), and just stacking everything up to cause me to doubt our journey--I know we all do this--swing up and down, and I guess I can just blame it on the hormones!

Kamina-
The seminar sounds great! Are you definitely switching docs or not sure yet?

K-
I think only you can decide to tell or not--I'm not even telling people (except a very very few) that we are doing the infertility treatments. My sister got pregnant, told everyone, then miscarried. She had to deal with months of people coming up to congratulate her only to tell them she had lost the pregnancy. She said it was difficult because she had to deal not only with her own grief, but everyone else's. Then they did IVF for 4 years and everyone knew, was always talking about when and if they would get pregnant. I, like you, am very private. I just felt like people were really intruding on her life (however well-meaning they may have been), and she had to deal with their emotions on top of her own. I decided none of that for me--but it can be isolating and lonely not having anyone to tell. When/if we do get our BFP, I'll probably be so excited I won't be able to hold it in anymore and tell everyone anyway!

Greekchick-
I think we'll be doing the ER about the same time. I'm either Sunday or Monday! My acupuncturist says coconut water is great for bloating. Last time I boiled a cabbage and drank cabbage water and had very minimal bloating and discomfort afterward. Everyone thinks it sounds disgusting but I was not uncomfortable like a lot of people on the boards are--granted I didn't get my BFP, but I felt fairly decent!

Amanda-
When will you hear back if you can do another round before you leave the states? I am doing acupuncture, at a place that specializes in infertility. They work with a number of doctors in the area and even come to the center on the day of the ET to give you a treatment both before and after. It's been really nice for me, in terms of relaxation, and I've had fewer symptoms with these 2 rounds of IVF than I had with my injectable IUI when I wasn't doing acupuncture. They say a lot of people go to them and then get pregnant naturally on their own, though you know, every doctor you go to tells you how much better their techniques are than everyone else.

AFM: (thanks Amanda): Waiting to hear my estrogen levels, then HCG tonight or tomorrow--really hoping for tomorrow cause doc wants my eggs to grow, but if estrogen didn't increase then it's time to trigger. So transfer Sunday or Monday!

[Trusting]

rph--just a quick note to let you know I'm praying and thinking about you....Lord may this be the time that you grant rph's prayer and that you allow the life only you can give to grow within her. Let us know how it goes or went if it was today.

greeckchick--How are you, give us an update.......

Blessings to all,
Trusting

[greekchick]

hi ladies just giving you a quick update on things i went for the ER and they got 15eggs and 11 were grade A 9 fertilized and i have them put back in tomorrow but no idea how many to put back yet any advise?this is my 1st time ivf as its my hubby with the problem so any tip on what i do after after ET ?thanks ladies hope ur all well...x

[Trusting]

greeckchick--each person is different--I had three transfered and none took but Dee who used to be on here just had one and she is going on her 8th week I think so she is doing good. If you are comfortable with the thought of twins go for 3 or 4 if they will let you do that many I forget where you are located at some places have a limit to what they will allow you to transfer......Congrats on the great fertilization report are you going to freeze the rest??????? I was ordered to be on bed rest for 4 days after ET but I think Kay and Dee just rested the day of and day after (I Think) so i would just make sure and not overdue yourself with stress or activities the following two days of ET.

Blessings to you,
Amanda (Trusting)

[Waitingkay]

Hello ladies,

Sorry for taking so long to answer, I have been extremely busy helping my mom's French cousin and his wife renew their vows after 30 years of (only civil) marriage! It was a lovely ceremony:):):)
I am not feeling particularly ill, just EXTREMELY tired the whole time, sleeping many hours, but by far less nervous and unpleasant to be around as I was the few months prior to this cycle. My U/S was postponed for tomorrow instead of Wednesday, so we still know nothing, of course hoping that even though I don't have morning sickness, cravings, nerves and even my bloated belly went away mostly, that we will get the happiness of seeing a happy healthy heart beating in there...

Greekchick - I think like Amanda says, you will also have limitations on how many you actually CAN transfer. In most countries, such as in Israel and I would assume Greece, you will only be allowed to transfer 2 if it's your first round IVF, if you are less than 40 yo, and in particular since you don't have any physiological issues yourself. I got to transfer 2 the first trial, 1 the second (only because only 1 has survived the thaw among 7!!!). This round, RE figured the problem must have been that because of the morphology of the sperms the embryos initially implant but being chromosomally abnormal they then cease after a while (hence my two previous chemical pregnancies). So this time we were permitted to put 3 back and even though we have been through IMSI which is supposed to screen the sperms on a much higher resolution, it seems like only one has finally made it. As for the rest - here they normally say that a prolonged bed rest isn't a good idea because blood flaw is important to get things started and going also in your uterus. So for us they recommend rest the transfer day and the day afterwards and in general not to do to much work out and stuff but that is also related to absolutely prevent dehydration after the hormonal treatment.

Praying for you all, afraid before tomorrow,

Kay

[Kamina]

Trusting - it looks like some women have immune system that attacks the baby instead of nurturing it. I use to do accup. but hated the needles so I stopped.

rph - Yes, I am considering changing docs. My doc does not seem to have time. He also delivers. Dr. Z only sees infertility patience but he no longer does labor and delivery. I hope your estrogen level are good.

Greenchick - great news on your number of eggs.

Kay - cant wait to hear about your first U/S

Im on CD 28 and have stopped taking the bcps and still waiting for my cycle to start. Ho Hum..

So I have decided to treat myself to a spa treatment tomorrow. Massage facial and pedicure at Burke Williams. One of my clients got me a gift certificate that I am finally using 2 years later....

[Kamina]

Ralthand - see by Kamina » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:21 am for my update.

Today was my CD 1. Usually, I spot but now I am no longer spotting. I just woke up and Aunt Flow was right there when I went to the bathroom. I called the afterhours line and got an appointment to see the on call doctor for an US.

She found that I had a 17 follicle. But she said it was the same follicle I had before so I can start my protocol. Tomorrow I start on Femara. Also for those of you who have to pay for Femara they are running a special where if you go to Femara.com you can get your Rx for $10 versus $20. Just go to the site and you will see the coupon. Well I am heading to the pharmacy right now.

I am very happy, yet apprehensive to be starting my first injection cycle.....