The Over 40 Crowd

[erjumper]

Caroline,

I felt so good reading about you. This was our 4th and last IVF with 2 previous positives that ended in miscarriage. I've read so much about the high aneuploidy rate in 40 and over eggs resulting in early misses and I was convinced that my eggs are just too old. And there you are! Had my 3rd HCG today and it was 951 after being 241 just 2 days ago so my MD still thinks more than one. I needed that badly but i'm still anxious about first US 2 weeks from today.
And to everyone in the 2ww. I had cramps and bloating and thought I was getting AF every time I had a positive! And yes, you can get sick as early as 12 days post retrieval. I still feel sick all the time but thanks to saltines and water and Zofran on my tongue I am not vomiting any longer. Incidentally I think I like feeling sick. It's very reassuring to me. Can't wait to hear about everyones BFP's!

[Katie12563]

Caroline: Yes, you give me hope too...C section Booked, what lovely words!!!
Erjumper: So glad you are alittle sick It is a GOOD sign I believe.
I wasn't sick at all the last time I was pregnant and after I lost the baby I felt like it was a sign that all was not right. You see I got pregnant in college and on a scale of 1 to 10 my "all day sickness" was an 11. I am praying that like you if I get a positive I will be very sick again. Can you believe we actually want to be sick ?~*~*SO HAPPY YOU MAY BE HAVING MORE THAN ONE~*~*~*

[debbieed]

Hello All,
Still going crazy with this 2ww.
Had some af type pains yesterday but they seem to have gone now. I'm hoping that they were my little embies bedding in. Well, am trying to convince myself that's what's happening.
Will just be glad when this 2 weeks is over.

Take care all

Love
Debbie

[Nuala]

Hi Caroline,

Thank you so much for sharing the info on your clinic and cycle. As this is my first IVF and not sure if they will offer me more than one shot because of my age it is heartening to see your result and know your treatment so I can discuss whatever options they may or may not offer me if this is cycle -ive next week.

When you say you downregged and stimmed at the same time for 10/11 days was this the total length of your protocol and was EC after 11 days?? When I downregged I did it over 19 days and stimmed with 450 of Puregon for 7 days then with 6amps of Menopure for 5 days. What were your doses/drugs. I jabbed Busereling for DR from the beginning starting with .2ml for 7 days and then .1ml. I grew 6 follies but two didn't grow large enough. There were 4 good ones for Ec and they got 4 eggs from them which all fertilised. I failed and had three transferred. My FSh is 8 so they seem to think my reserves are fine just my age is going against me.

Hope you are enjoying your pregnancy and thank you so much.

Nuala

[DebraP]

Nuala, just to compare.

My last DR took 5.5 weeks as the long Easter holidays meant extending it for ages, I use Synarela so sniffed one dose 3 times a day. I then had 10 days of 300ie Puregon. The cycle before that only used 250ie so perhaps this next cycle will be more again? I had 7 follies + 7 eggs all of which fertilised but 1 was 'double dipped' so discarded. I had 3 transferred (one took) and 3 frozen. I was 40 whilst preparing but 41 by time of tmt in early April.

hth
Debra.

[Nuala]

Hi DebraP,

Just wanted to say thanks for that. Hope you're doing well today.

I've been feeling ill since mid-morning and nothing I do is taking it away - hope its a good sign or maybe just a bug ::

Nuala

[cmg]

Just a quickie to say good luck with the last few tortured days of the 2WW to Nuala, Katie and Debbie. Just listening to you worrying about every symptom brings back how awful it is. There's no point in me saying try not to analyse every symptom because it's impossible not to, isn't it? Wishing you all BFPs

Also thanks to Sharon for sharing your story about deciding whether or not to use your frosties. I'm glad you've come to a decision you're comfortable with - when are you going to use them? We have a holiday in France booked for the end of Sept so if we do anything it will be after that. I get the sense that DH is coming round to the idea of using them but he wants me to be certain too. I do have days when I wonder if I can face it all again, especially when I read about other people's 2WWs. But I don't want to turn round in a few years and wonder whether just maybe one of those frosties would have worked. BTW at my clinic they leave them for another day before freezing so I think they are at least 4 cell, poss more. I know they were really good quality though, which is positive. Very best when you start your treatment.

Randa, just wanted to say I've been following your tribulations with your DH in some bewilderment as he doesn't really seem to have grasped the reality of the facts does he? I can understand him approaching it all in terms of odds and probabilities etc - a lot of it is about that and I think it's one way that some people (possibly especially men) can feel some control over the situation. But his logic seems faulty - is he aware that every time he "banks" instead of transferring he's reducing the chances of that embryo being successful? In one of your previous posts I think I remember you saying that the doctor had said to you on the quiet when he wasn't in the room that you needed to sort this issue out. To me it sounds like actually the doctor should be saying that when he's in the room - maybe he needs to hear it from someone "in authority". I can understand your frustration and I wouldn't apologise about using this as a place to vent your feelings - it's part of what we're here for. Hope you get things resolved soon.

Hi to everyone else and sorry I've lost track of things but I'm really busy and only pop in about once a week.

love Caroline (the other one)

[Sand]

Caroline - I'm envious of your forthcoming trip to France. I LOVE France, but haven't been for a couple of years. Enjoy !

I'm down in your neck of the woods tomorrow (business, not pleasure !) ... although I love Bath, it's such a blo*dy long way !

Sandra x

[randa2006]

I'd also like to extend my well-wishes for you all in the late days of your 2ww. I'm so jealous as I've never had the 2ww, but I know my day will come. Baby dust, baby dust! Come on BFPs!!!!!!!

Thanks, Caroline, for your comments on my situation with dh and the "banking" instead of transferring. Yes, he does know that it decreases our odds going FET instead of fresh and that doesn't sway him at all. You hit the nail on the head with your point about control. I love him, but I knew when I married him he is a control freak.

And Debra, yes, we only have two years left and he is still wanting 3 children!! Math doesn't work unless we have a multiple birth or I change my mind about allowing us to try past age 45 - and sadly, I think that is what he is hoping for.

HEY EVERYONE IN THE OVER-40 CROWD!!! Have you heard or read the book titled "The Sexy Years" by Suzanne Somers (2002)? YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!!! Seriously, this is an eye-opening bit of science about our hormones that I wish I had read years ago. With menopause just around the corner for us, you need to be armed with this information so you'll make good choices about your tmt for the following 40 years.

The net of the book is this:
1) Synthetic hormones (made by the drug companies) BAD!
2) Natural bioidentical hormones (from plant extracts) GOOD!
Most gynos have no clue about the good ones. Only endocrinologists (which we all go to for our fertility issues) know about this stuff.
Please do yourselves a favor and get this book!

Hope everyone is having a great day!
Love,
Randa

[DebraP]

Randa, that might have to be a postal purchase vs. my asking at the library (the librarian is a good friend of MIL)....please don't say menopause is just round the corner. Isn't it hereditary (like piles, varicose veins, wrinkles and other lovelies???). I think my mum hit it at 52...that's not round the corner, just yet

The control thing is interesting (albeit frustrating for you). Even if we recognise it slightly in ourselves, others can see it at 100 paces. Wasn't today/15th AF day? funny what we know about each other isn't it? Have you decided what to do?

Caroline. Enjoy the holiday, it's always so good to have something booked + waiting on the horizon. Good to hear DH may come round. Perhaps the holiday will help cement your feelings?

Good luck 2wwers. Your time is nearly here! just a few sleeps to go. Nice to think that, odds are, there are going to be some very happy people on here in a week's time.

I thought we'd changed our minds this weekend and reverted to going for a final FET and then retiring from the tmt-arena. We both suddenly felt it's been going on for too long and we're tired of it all. I summed it up over dinner, thinking I had it straight when he chimed in with 'and if it doesn't work, we'll go for another fresh cycle before the end of the year'. Which neatly told me he's not finished yet. Back to the current plan of fresh and if nec. frozen after that. THEN calling it quits.

Off to find a physio tomorrow. I was cycling again today with my 28lb passenger and my knee went 'ping' very quietly. I've ignored it since injuring it in January, let's hope I'm not too late to get it sorted.

take care
Debra.

[CarolineP]

Nuala

Yep - I down regged and follically stimulated at the same time. I had one injection of .50 of buselin + 450 (6amps) of Menupur each evening for approx 11/12 days and then on last evening added the Profasi jab to hatch the eggs and collection within 36 hours of Profasi jab. It is a very short protocol which suited my circumstances (slow responding folicles). I have never known my FSh levels in any of my treatments.

CarolineP

[randa2006]

Debra, you got me. "Round the corner" was a bit strong for our group.

The book does speak to women who are approaching though. Forty+ is when the levels start to change and that's when we need this information to be proactive rather than reactive. Actually, looks like we should have all had a baseline taken of our hormones in our early 30s. Would eliminate some guess work that's ahead when we try to recreate that unique formula that is different for everyone and will keep us feeling normal long after our bodies stop producing crucial hormones.

It really makes sense to think that, primitive man/woman were designed to die after their hormones stopped. Yet, due to modern science, we now live twice as long as our hormones. In order to feel good and stave off disease, we have to replace them - NOT bandaid the symptoms which is what snythetic (drugs) do. They don't replace at all, but just take away the moods and such. The author still has her monthly period at 57 years of age! Not that I'm crazy about keeping that going, that was the one good thing about menopause. However, it's a small price to pay to keep nice skin, your memory, sex drive, sleep normal, stay thin, no vaginal dryness, high energy.... and the whole list that goes with the change. MEN go through this too! That's what causes a host of problems for them that no one is addressing (big gut, loss of virility, loss of hair, no energy....).

MIL's friend is the librarian? Yeichs! You must feel like all your reading choices are getting the "big brother" glance.
Trust me. This book is worth purchasing anyway.

You are so fantastic about remembering things! Yes, my af is supposed to start tomorrow. Did I miss yours coming? Weren't you a couple days ahead of me (12/13)?

Sounds like you and dh have your answer, and I must confess, it's what I was hoping you would decide.

I will miss Sept by a few days though, as the docs couldn't get a spot for me until Oct for EC. I still start downregging with this af (like you right?), but my ec will be Oct 11 I start stimming Sept 28. They say they will watch for a cancelation and move me forward if possible. It's silly, but Sept is when I conceived both of my daughters. So I was really looking forward to going for it in Sept. Oh well! It's all in God's hands anyway, right?

God Bless!
Love,
Randa

[meandmine]

Yes, good luck to all the 2ww's for next week (Katie, Debbie and Nuala - hope I haven't missed anyone else) - keep up the PMA. We are all rooting for you for those BFP.

Caroline, since your last post you sound a lot more positive about your decision on whether to go ahead with FET. Whatever your final decision all the very best for the future.

Sharon x

[meandmine]

Sorry Caroline, you asked when we would be starting again - all being well, FET beginning of October. Start down regulating on 23rd August.

Sharon

[debbieed]

Hello All,
You are all sounding so positive, it's lovely to read your posts. You are all so strong to put yourselces through this. This is definately going to be my last time as I really couldn't face going through this again.

Still no signs of anything with me - but I don't usually have signs of af - she just usually shows up. Still banking on that happening on Wednesday so will be REALLY anxious then.

Trying to take it easy but today I have a lonely day - DH is in work, my Mum and Dad are away and all of my friends are in work. Just myself and a book to keep me going today. Still, I guess it will soon be over.

Trying to keep a PMA, honest.

Take care all

Love
Debbie