Dec/Jan 08 Cycle Buddies

[laglenik]

esperanza,I am from Barbados and hubby is from Grenada...thanks for the warm welcome from everyone.

[esperanza]

laglenik--great to know a sister from the Caribbean is in this forum!

Amy, I am actually from Venezuela, from a coastal city named "Maracay"...I know what you mean about Bonaire! I'd love to go there right now and just relax, it's getting freaking cold uphere

Have a great week everyone.

[esperanza]

oh! forgot to mention, dh is from Haiti

[washingtonda]

Just wanted to check in and let everyone know that I start BC tomorrow. I'm on the 28 day cycle with them just to accommodate the time that my lab is closed for the holiday.

I am curious to know if anyone in this thread is from the Maryland/Washington or VA area.

I live in MD and wanted to know if any of you were close or if we could possibly be using the same clinic.

Well hope everyone is doing well on this fine Monday. I can't wait to get started. I wish all of us much, much success.

Will keep you posted on what's happening next.

Thanks to all who are letting us know that the shots are a piece of cake. I guess that's the scariest part and making sure we do them right.

Just a quick update on me and DH: I'm 38. I have three teenagers, (19, 17 and 16) from a previous marriage. Had tubes tied in 1991, had tubes reversed in 2006 and they are said to be still block. DH is 45. No children. Semen analysis showed low sperm morphology but doc thought all else was excellent. This is our very first IVF with ICSI cycle.

[tali]

Hope everyone had a great holiday - Ours was nice and mellow. No traveling, got to spend it with good friends and it was our puppy's first thanksgiving He got to play with a big dog (fun to watch)

For some reason, my cycle seems ages away - I called my RE nurse today to find out if they have an actual schedule for me. Right now, all I know is that I will start stims on 12/26. I think having actual dates will help me. Hopefully the month will go by quickly, we have friends coming to visit from the cape in a couple of weeks and just getting ready for the holidays should make the time go by quick.

Sending lots of baby dust and positive vibes to all. Here is to lots of BFPs for all of us.

Tali

[Pummalaemma]

hello everyone,

wow, what a great response. i am so happy we can go through this together and welcome to Amy, Keisha, Doreen, Wunny, laglenik.

Amy: just wanted to let you know that i also have done one ivf cycle in Germany since i am actually from there, but now i live in the US, let me know if i can answer any specific questions about my experience there. where do you live? i just read your other post, when i did my ivf in germany i also used the puregon pen, it's basically the same thing as the follistim pen, same size, same color, just a different name.

Keisha: my tentative retrieval date is Dec. 10, with transfer on the 13th, so we are going to be pretty close. i have used the follistim pen and it is actually really easy to use, just dial up the desired dose and inject. all done ... don't worry, it will be very easy.

Doreen: yeah, i agree, it would be great to create a list with everyone one it and where they are at. do you know how to do that? sorry, i don't, not yet ... if my baseline us does not look good on wednesday, we may be on a similar schedule, with retrieval date of jan. 14th and transfer on the 17th, but i hope everything looks good and i can go ahead now ...

angie: my tofurky was great, with vegetarian gravy and all kinds of treats, i even had a small glas of merlot. yummy ...

Wunny: sorry to hear your news about the 2 m/c and your ectopic. as you can see from my info, i have had a similar experience.

Tali: thanks for you positive thoughts and support, it's great to have you here. yeah, i know what you mean with actual dates, i feel the same way. i am sure the next month will fly by and then we'll all be under way with our next treatment.

Colesmom: do you still have your cyst? i hope mine will be gone by wednesday; i just talked with my mom yesterday and she said she had one also, but it had to be removed surgically, but i guess that was 30 years ago. i also wanted to let you know, that i also have a four year old boy. isn't it a great age, i just love it. good luck with your mock transfer on dec. 6th.

esperanza: i am glad you had a good time in Boston, what a wonderful city, i just love it.

laglenik: i am glad you joined us, there is so much support out here, so i hope you won't feel scared and alone anymore after joining this group. i waited for a long time to join and regret i didn't do it any earlier.

as for me, i am just waiting till wednesday and hope my baseline us will look good. much baby dust to everyone.

Pumma

[LB]

Welcome to all new members and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I stopped bcp on Friday and now am just waiting for AF so I can do my baseline tests and then start the stims. I have not been on anything up until now so I am definitely nervous for the shots - that big box of medicine is very intimidating - I had to have it delivered to work so it could be signed for and one of the secretaries offered to open it for me - to which I quickly replied that I could handle it!! With all of those needles, who knows what she would think!! We took a class at our doctor about mixing the meds and they gave us a dvd so I guess we need to have movie night soon so we don't mess that up!

Pumma - I am sorry to hear about your cysts, but glad it only pushed you back a week. My husband and I estimated ER around mid-December, but I guess it all depends on the tests.

Can someone tell me what a mock transfer is? My doctor has not mentioned that.

I am still feeling overwhelmed and am worried that I do not have the right attitude - I am excited but scared for the results - I really need to start thinking positively. I feel like everything so far as been bad news, so I am afraid to get my hopes up! I have started acupuncture and have another session tomorrow so hopefully that will help! Hope everyone is well and good thoughts to all!

[ICSI GIRL]

UNBELIEVABLE i had this HUGE long book typed, w/ personals to all and somehow clicked on something or did SOMETHING and BAM --- all gone!!!! damn-it!!

Anyway.....because of that, this will need to be a quickie -- so very sorry ladies

***WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEWBIES***

PUMMA --- better you than me w/ your TOFURKY you get on w/ your bad self girl!!! ha, ha, ha......OK - so, baseline scans on wednesday for ya?? got everything crossed!!

LB/LISA --- mock transer = piece of cake!! PROMISE in a nutshell, is a trial run for doc to make sure that there is nothing "special" needed for your ET.....for example, i have a girlfriend that has a tilted uterus - which resulted in doc needing to do something just a little different w/ her to make sure little embies perfectly placed when i had mine ---- it literally took less time than any annual exam i've EVER had! you'll be fine......

to all you other lovely ladies --- HELLLLLLOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to cycling w/ you all and getting to know all of you better

must run -- boss is calling!

[Pummalaemma]

Angie: yep, wednesday will be the day. my AF started today, so i am hoping it will 'wash' everything out, including those nasty cysts, otherwise i'll just cycle with you my girl. not bad either

LB: yeah, i know what you mean, it can be quite overwhelming. i felt the same way the first time i did this, but just take it one day at a time and pretty soon you'll know exactly what to do. i am similar when it comes to not getting my hopes up. i am usually doubtful on whether it will work, so i won't be so disappointed if it does not. but we are all here to support you, so hang in there. let us know how you are feeling and what the doctor said.

hello to everyone else.

Pumma

[hellokitty]

Hi Ladies,

Amy2410 - Thanks for the information. I think the pens are very similiar. I really like to see the med actually go in but I don't think you can do that with this pen, right? I am goofy enough to think that it may go some place other than the inject spot, yep thats me goofy !!

washingtnda - Glad to see you have started your bc pills. That always let me know how real this thing is about to become. I did a short protocol of the bc too because of my clinic hours. But I prefer it this way, I'm so anxious to get everything started, too!

Tali - I'm with you, I like to see my schedule of things to come. DH does too, he likes to know when to make himself a little scarse. He's a pro now.....about the 3rd day of stims, I kinda grow horns..LOL! I'm sure they should have your protocol now.

Pummalaemma - Thanks for the encouragement with the pen. My nurse forgot to order the pens for me in my supply, so it seems a little scary because I haven't really played with it. She sad that she will give it to me on this Friday. I'm hoping our stimming times are still going to be the same. I have to admit it helps when others are going through the same thing. Love DH but sometimes he can't relate. He ends up saying hey, go talk to the girls to see what they think....gotta love him!

LB - The box of meds always freak me out but then it usually turns to excitement and I can't wait. Like the ladies said, the mock transfer is a piece of cake. It lets the RE know what they will be dealing with ahead of time when he puts the embies back.

ICSI GIRL - You always made me laugh on this board. Keep the PMA coming!

laglenik - Hi, I'm new to the thread too and had the same needle phobia. You will become a pro.

As for me, I can't sleep for some reason. I think I extremely anxious this go around because of the new meds and protocol. I even tossed in acupuncture this time around. It's very relaxing all day but at night, I pop up lot a jack in the box. I guess I can't wait for the stimming part to begin. Well, I guess I will try to get some sleep.

Baby dust to all

[summerbaby]

Hi Pumma, I'm in SW Germany, but go for tmt in Austria. Where did you have tmt when you lived here? How long have you been in the US? Hope AF does everything right and that you'll start cycling very soon! Hope your cyst is gone, too! Work on that PMA in the meantime!! Look to the positive - your embies will need you to focus on them and their growth and your BFP! Think positive and this could be your time!

Keisha, you actually see the dosage winding down as the meds go in, and when it gets to zero, count to 10 and then take out the needle.
Good luck to you!

Tali, did you get your plan yet? My clinic also gives me everything just in time and not too far in advance, so I think that is pretty common. But, I know what you mean about having some dates to get excited about..I've been waiting since July to begin and that seemed like an eternity!

LB - best of luck with your upcoming tests! My meds come via the mail as well and the pharmacy puts as the return address: toto lotto (the lottery) - so, I guess they have a sense of humor...

ICSI Girl - too bad about the loss of your long post!! you always write with such emotion and feeling and make me smile and laugh all at the same time. It is great to have you here to root everyone on and we'll be there for you too!!!

Hello to everyone I've missed. Hope you are having a great day. Sending out lots of positive good thoughts and baby dust to all of you,
xx Amy

[hellokitty]

Amy2410 - Thanks for letting me know that. I feel MUCH better about it. Totally clueless on this pen thingy.

[Pummalaemma]

Amy: wow, i went to an ivf clinic in augsburg, also in southern germany/bavaria. hm, i am thinking right now, do you have your treatment in innsbruck or i guess salzburg, but that would be SE???? how long are you going to be in germany and why are you there, where did you live in the US, perhaps you said that already. i moved to the us in 1995 and then came back to germany for a couple of years.

Hellokitty: yeah, i agree with the DH comment you made, i just read something interesting in the current Parenting Magazine, that it's a myth that your husband has to be everything including soul mate, best friend, etc. that was interesting to me, i always thought that. anyway, that's what we are here for. let me know how things are going.

Hello to everyone else, not long before we'll all start.

Pumma

[colesmom]

Pumma, I have had cyst on my last ultra witch was 2 weeks ago. I have had cyst and endometriosis 15 years. I have had surgery to remove both 3 times. Just comes back. My doc seams to think ivf will work with it just fine. I think he mentioned that my cyst come and go. I get them during ovulation, He believes this makes me a good egg producer. As long as it is the same kind that I have it will be absorbed on its own. there are different kinds of cyst. I would guess it`s just the common cyst. Maybe we will be good egg producers, then it will be worth it. I will be starting my BC on the 12th.
Theresa

[esperanza]

Hello everybody,

I just talked to my nurse about my protocol; she said A LOT of things that I can't remember right now. The most important thing is that I may have to start stims right when they go on vacation (they take the week between Christmas and New Years off) and she is concerned about the whole monitoring process.

However, I do have an option; because my doctor doesn't have all the necessary equipment for the procedure itself (e/r, e/t) he works with a clinic about 2 hours from here (which dh and I already visited to sign all the forms, etc). Our plan was to do all the monitoring in my doctor's office and go to the other clinic just for e/t, e/r. What my nurse told me is that perhaps I can do part of the monitoring there. It would imply a 2 hours drive each way, but I told her that I am willing to do it. My reason for wanting this to take place in early January is that I am on break from school then. I do not want to go through this whole process in the middle of the semester, between school, work, and life I would go crazy. Besides, I will have more time to rest and relax then. Both dh and my brother will be on break too, so I can drive with either of them to the clinic.

In any case, she said she would consult it with my doctor today to hear his opinion, and she encouraged me to talk it over with dh today and get back to her tomorrow. I suspect dh will be supportive of this as he CAN'T wait to have a baby in his arms

Anyway, this is a long note, but I am at work and I felt the need to share this with somebody. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers!