1st IVF in August - Any possible cycle buddies?

[julianna26]

ICSI GIRL - Yes, very exciting to get dates. I start the shots a week from tomorrow and I hope it's a breeze. Even if it's not, I just have to concentrate on the little one and focus on the end result, right?

Ceiba - You will do great on the injections. I have faith in you. From what I've read, the Lupron (belly or thigh, I think) isn't bad but the progesterone (muscle) shots (is your Dr putting you on those a little later in the cycle?) are the ones that slightly hurt. But the tips from all the girls on this forum who have been through it (YOU GUYS ROCK!) have been really helpful for me and I hope it makes the process easier. I start my shots 5 days after you so we can keep encouraging each other. I have read hilarious stories of DHs chasing their wives around the house and wrestling them onto the bed to give the injections!!! I hope I am not that bad... LOL. One other tip I forgot to mention which sounded good - having DH do it and looking the other way and taking deep heavy breathing the whole time. I've heard then you are concentrating on breathing and can't even hear or feel the injection. WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!!! LET US KNOW.

Jill - I'm really sorry I didn't realize your consult was postponed but hang in there and keep busy and time flies. Some days are very slow for me and others fly by, but before you know it, you will be getting the BFP and all this will be worth it!!!!!

hopealways and meggs1012 - Hope AF comes soon for you guys and you can join in on the fun. HA HA... Keep us posted.

To anyone I forgot, BEST OF LUCK and STICKY STICKY BABY DUST to everyone!! Have a great weekend! Me, I'm going to be one of those crazy nerd freaks standing in line to get the last Harry Potter book and sit and read it all weekend. Love these books, stories are so cute even if you don't like magic and helps take my mind off everything.

[emm]

34 year old in London, England about to imbark on first IVF cycle (hormones starting 24 July). I'm thrilled to be getting the opportunity to try, though realistic that as I have high FSH and small overies our chances are lower then average.

Anyone ever been in the same position with high FSH (15.0)?

Any IVF buddies really appreciated.... just to talk regularly, pass on helpful hints and tips and generally someone to make me feel that I'm not in this alone (only my finacee knows).

Thanks and good luck to all the lovely people in this forum

Emm

[ICSI GIRL]

Emm: WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME So nice to have you

don't know how long you've been reading these boards (lurking) --- but i think you will find them to be an amazing support network!!! i have and i've only been a member for a short period of time.....

i will start my stimms on 7/26 ---- i actually go for my baseline u/s & b/w on 7/24....so i'll be just a couple days behind you.....my estimated ER & ET week is aug 6........we'll see!! am very anxious, excited, nervous, etc!! nature of the beast i suppose.......

sorry can't help w/ FSH --- don't think i've even had mine tested as of yet (maybe on 7/24??)

have you started any of your shots yet??

nice to have you emm.......sending baby dust your way!!!!!

[ceiba]

Thanks for all the tips on getting through the injections. I think I'll be one of those wives being chased all over the room! Seriously, I think I will have my DH give me all of them, even the ones I'm supposed to do myself. I think it will be much easier- kind of like how it's easier when someone else rips off your band-aid than when you do it yourself.

So for now we're just waiting from Monday to get started. I think those of you who are going on vacation and relaxing before all this starts have the right idea! Actually, Sunday is our first anniversay, so we're going out to a nice dinner and I'm drinking lots of champagne while I still can!

Happy thoughts to all of you!

[meggs1012]

ICSIGIRL- We live about 20 minutes north of Lansing....so not too far-thats pretty cool. Doing our doctoring in Grand Rapids-Dr.Young/Dr.Dodds....LOVE IT THERE! It makes it very reassuring when you hear such great things about your doctors.

To ALL:- I soooooo will be chicken to do the shots-I am telling you-I have gotten better with needles after all that ive been through, but now i have just decided to be positive and be like Oooooh they'll be a sinch : ) hehehe....we all know im trying to just talk myself through it. Still no AF and Im on CD 33-ahhhhhhhhhhh....why is it when Im ready and waiting for it, it seems like it will never come-im just dying to call the dr's and get a move on with this all! Shhheesh.

Ok, heading to the Detroit Tigers game today with friends, goin out and staying in Detroit for the night-will be so fun, so im like everyone else and getting it all in while I can!!! CHEERS

MUAH
Meggs

[ICSI GIRL]

meggs1012: very jealous you got to go to tigers game on saturday! weather was perfect for it!!! we went to one a couple weeks ago --- is always a great time, win or lose!

good to hear you love your doctor --- that is such an important part of the process.....

honestly - the shots aren't THAT bad.....you'll do fine!!

ceiba: happy 1st anniversary hope you had a nice dinner date w/ dh! and ya know -- far as your champagne drinking goes, i specifically asked nurse erin if ok to continue drinking (moderately -- like a beer here and there) during MEDS (prior to ET) and she said all research indicates NO affect on meds/ivf prep whatsoever --- so drink up before ET!!! CHEERS to us all!!!!!

julianna26: when do you start your stims again?? i think you said this friday?? (the 27th)??? just asking cuz i'm starting mine 7/26..... so we'll be VERY close if that's the case.....is always nice to find somebody almost same dates!!

Jill: good luck at doc appt on 25th!!! is sure to be exciting..... that 1st visit.....all those questions.....the anticipation......i know about it!! so enjoy it!! let us know how it goes......

as for me --- i go tomorrow for baseline us & bw......stims start 7/26 (on thursday)....next week starts the every/other day appts for us/bw monitoring ---- then hopefully er/et week of august 6!!!!!

BABY DUST TO US ALL IN OUR VARYING STAGES!!!! [/b]

[julianna26]

ICSI GIRL - Yes, I think our dates will be very close! I start meds on 7/28. Getting pretty excited. So we will be only a couple days apart. YEAH!!!

My weekend was nice and relaxing. Always a pain to go back to work, but unfortunately necessary. LOL

ceiba - Hope you had a great anniversary!! How did things go for your husband when he had to do his part? My husband complained but after a couple days, he said it wasn't too bad. Lot of swelling, though, down there...

Jill - Good luck for your appt on Wed! I'll be thinking of you.

meggs - So how was the game? Did you drink up? Lol!!!!


To those I forgot to mention, I hope you are all doing well and hanging in there! I've got a little over 4 days to go before I start my meds...

SENDING STICKY BABY DUST TO EVERYONE! TALK TO YOU SOON!

[kbat]

I know a lot of you guys are relatively new at taking the shots, but once you start doing them it's not so bad. There are websites that have videos and I still have to watch them for a "refresher" course. I will be taking some different drugs b/c my insurance dropped a couple so I have to take the alternative. The one that I will be most "nervous" about is the progestrone one. I usually have done the suppository 3X a day. But starting w/ this one, I will be taking the shot, which my husband will have to do b/c it's done in the behind. Once I start, think it'll be a quicker cycle than the others. I usually have taken the pill to start, but this time I am not doing that. Once, I get AF, I will start the LUpron microdose. I decided to switch back to my original clinic. I was at this clinic to begin w/, but then the doctor I had went to the hospital. I pretty much followed her b/c the new doctor that the clinic had wasn't approved through my insurance. They really couldn't say when she would be approved. But after so much unsuccessful tries and the fact that I was never really crazy about the original doctor (no personality/bedside manner/never really explained anything, etc.), I decided to go back to the clinic. That doctor is approved through my insurance and she explains things better and has more bedside manner.

Good luck to everyone

[nannybear]

Hi, Ladies,
Sorry haven't been on here in awhile. I had a sonohystagram on Wed., July 11th (saline solution through cathetar into uterus, vaginal ultrasound to see uterine wall and lining) Dr said everything looked perfect.

Then left for vacation/camping of which the first 6 days were perfect and the last 5 were totally miserable - it poured down rain, but am home now and at least dry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a nurse consultation in the morning and will receive my meds tomorrow also. Should start Af on Friday, July 27th, so shots should start on July 29th.

Julianna26 I ice with a small package of frozen peas for abount 5 minutes before progesterone shot and then use a heating pad for 15 minutes after (this is what nurse told me to do) it works very well. The first time I took PIO I ad a reaction to the oil and itched for days after stopping the shots.

ceiba How did your Lupron shot go today? I am also 34. My Dr. doesn't schedule retrieval or transfer ahead either. I have bw/us on day 3 and then have them daily from day 8.

I went through the post and tried to gather as much info to make a list and this is what I came up with. If anyone wants me to add something or update it just sentd me a message.

Jill_n_Mark BCP July 16th nurse consult July 25th

julianna26 meds July 28th ER Aug 24 ET Aug 27 PT SEPT 10

ceiba Lupron July 23rd Follistim & Menopur Aug 6th

nannybear meds July 29th

snowsseven meds Aug 7th

kbat Lupron Aug 5th

ICSI GIRL Lupron July 18th Gonal F & Menopur July 26th

nicoles99 meds Aug 6th ER Aug 18th ET Aug 21

cyclone Lupron July 25th ER Aug 23rd

emm meds July 24th

meggs1012 waiting for AF

hopealways waiting for AF

sarahc August?

[meggs1012]

Hey girls! How Tuesday going for everyone?!?!? Kinda gloomy here in MI today-so far anyway, still dont think that its going to rain in which we need soooo bad, but Im likin the sun-heading to the West coast of the state this weekend to do some boating on lake Michigan w/ some friends-cant wait!

nannybear got AF~ Woohoo-start Meds August 11th!

Julianna26....boy did i ever drink up at the game-i barely remember going to bed! It was a great game too by the way, so it made it even more fun! Then the next day we went to see our friends that just had a baby last monday-awww....so itty bitty!


Hope everyones doing just great!!!!

Meggan

[ceiba]

Hi everyone,

Sounds like you all are having a great time before delving into the baby-making! Juliana, thanks for that list. It's great to see how many of us are going through this together. And check out the male factor thread (DH age 53...) to read all about my DH's sperm extraction...

So I did my first Lupron shot yesterday. I still can't believe that I actually gave myself a shot! I'm so chicken about needles, but it really wasn't that bad once I got it over with. That last second before the needle went in was nerve-wracking, but then I hardly felt a thing. It's such a great feeling to know that I can do this, and that we're finaly getting started on the whole process at last. Of course, then came the hard part- practicing the booty shots for later. The nurse who came over to train us had my DH give me a real shot of sterile water in the behind using the 1.5 inch needle, so that he would know what to do when the time comes. And even that wasn't too bad, although of course the progesterone in oil will feel very different than plain water, I'm sure! I hope he remembers all this in three weeks or so- at least I will do it all over again in about an hour so I won't have a chance to forget how its done.

Okay, hope everyone is happy and well and thinking good baby thougts!

[cyclone]

Hi everyone,
Hope you all are having a great week.


Ceiba-- I am so glad to hear you say that the lupron shot wasn't that bad and that you were able to do it yourself. I start lupron tomorrow and my husband is out of town on a business trip so I will have to do it myself. It will probably take me an hour to talk myself into actually doing it

I'm sure I will feel much better this time tomorrow after I have one down.
It helps knowing that there is someone so close in cycles with me!!

Wishing everyone luck!!
Melissa

[ICSI GIRL]

well gee -- where do i start??? is SO nice to see everybody hangin' out and having a good summer!!!

nannybear: THANKS for list update!! hope all went well w/ your nurse consult bring on AF so this process can get started!!! don't remember another time in my life wishing AF to come!! (well ---- there was that one time in college --- ha, ha, ha )

meggs: YEAH on AF's arrival!!! you are just a little social butterfly aren't you?? or maybe it's more that i'm a home-body by nature... of course living on a lake plays a part w/ that as well....in summer we usually hang pretty close to home --- water skiing, tubing, boatride as the sun sets, jimmy buffet cd playing, beer in hand.....aaaaahhhhhh have a good time this weekend!

ceiba: WAY TO GO ON YOUR FIRST SHOT!!!!!!!!! i know what you mean about 1.5" needle --- is pretty intimidating to see it....but honestly, is nothign more than an itt-bitty prick!! hardly felt anything at all when dh did mine at inject teaching --- hoping it stays that way!

cyclone/melissa: sorry i missed you before --- so first i'll start by saying WELCOME to our craziness!!! How did your first shot go???

Julianna: ya know - i was looking at the summary list of everybody's schedules and eventhough we both start meds just a couple days apart -- we must be on different protocols cuz your ER/ET is aug 24/27 while mine is currently on tap for week of Aug 6 -- BUMMER DUDE was looking forward to having somebody so close in cycle...... oh well -- guess i'll just have to lead you all thru it!! ha, ha, ha

jill: good luck with your nurse consult today!! hope all goes well... i know how excited i was for this appt!!!! let us know how it goes

[meggs1012]

Hey girls! Hope everyones doing great!

Angie- Well, if I were you and lived on a lake, i would be just like you because thats what I LOVE! What lake are you on? Thats great! We have a 32' travel trailer that we camp with like every other weekend/week so thats always fun-we go with my sister/brother in law, their 4 kids (all under 7) so thats pretty crazy.

Hope you ALL enjoy the rest of your week, those of you that are "shootin up"-Good work! Keep it up : ) Those of you waiting, keep getting by day by day for that first poke-thats all im trying to do!

~Meggs

[Jill_n_Mark]

Well Good Evening Ladies!

My nurse consult went good. I have to admit this is going to be overwhelming with all the meds. When I did the IUIs last year, all I took was Gonal-F. With the IVF, I will be on Lupron, Gonal-F, Repronex and POI shots. I got my calendar and below are my estimated dates:

7/30 - Lupron, 10 units for 5 days then decrease to 5 units for 14 days
8/10 - Gonal-F, unsure of units for 8 days
8/14 - Repronex, unsure of units for 3-4 days
8/18 - Ovidrel trigger (this is the estimated date of trigger)
8/20 - ER and ET - will also start POI shots day of retrieval

The nurse said my pregnancy test will be 12 dpt. I am so excited now...more so than before I do have one advantage...my mother is a nurse and will be giving me all my shots Right now, I am just hoping my meds come in on time. Since I have some insurance coverage, I have to go through a specific pharmacy and they have not gotten approval yet

Are any of you being prescribed an antibiotic too? I have to take Doxycycline for 5 days at first of stims and then 5 days after ER. This is to prevent infection in the uterus.

Well, I will let you all go as I got home late tonight from work (had to make up time from appt today) and I am tired. Talk to you all soon as this journey is getting underway!

*****Tons of baby dust to everyone*****
Jill