The Over 40 Crowd

[DebraP]

Sharon, I don't do the chocolate/biscuit/cake/crisps thing (once I start, I don't stop and it gets ugly if anyone wants some too) so I don't ever buy anything nice. Tragic but I've learned this is the best way. Poor DF and DD though!! Enjoy those new hormones flowing through your body

Randa, how annoying about the extra US.200 in meds. Poor you. And poor you if you're fighting too. It can't help right now. Great news re. the cyst though, spooky that you felt it pop, euwwww! Fabulous that you've already got 10 follies, you're right it's the the last few days when they grow like crazy.

Kat, we're here and all ears!! It IS really tough and more so for you guys travelling abroad AND having donor treatment. But look at Joy/LondonGirl - it worked for her

Ladies..I don't own the list so feel free to copy, paste and update into your own posts if you like

Randa - started stims 17th, EC + freeze c.28th Sept.
Debra - stims started 20th Sept. EC/ET w/c 3rd Oct.
Jane - stims started 20th Sept. ..........?????
Sharon - started stims...? FET w/c 10th Oct???
Paula - started bcp....? Oct cycle
Kat - started bcp 18th Sept. Fresh/donor cycle end Oct
BigJ - aiming for fresh/donor cycle in November.
Caroline - basking in the sun November FET cycle planned


At this rate, we'll all be pregnant by Christmas (assuming Randa squeezes in her December cycle)
hugs
Debra.

[Paula]

Hi girls, just popping in to say a quick hello. Seems like I haven't written in here in quite awhile. Sorry bout that! I do still think of you all but I think I also talk to some of you on other threads.

Hope everyone here is good and full of PMA!! I feel like i'm to far behind to catch up on you all so I'll just start fresh from here if that's ok with you all.

I take my last bcp tomorrow and then i'm waiting for AF to arrive. Then it's a day 2 blood test for me to see if my fsh is going to be kind enough to let me go again for tmt. Hoping and praying and keeping my fingers crossed.



Huggs
Paula

[meandmine]

Hi girls,

Just updating our little thread within a thread (I love it - great idea and it so helps to keep tabs on everyone's progress - I hate to miss any of you when I post but as you all probably find, it's difficult sometimes to keep up to speed with everyone.

Randa - started stims 17th, EC + freeze c.28th Sept.
Debra - stims started 20th Sept. EC/ET w/c 3rd Oct.
Jane - stims started 20th Sept. ..........?????
Sharon - start stims (HRT) Friday, 23rd Sept FET w/c 10th Oct???
Paula - started bcp....? Oct cycle
Kat - started bcp 18th Sept. Fresh/donor cycle end Oct
BigJ - aiming for fresh/donor cycle in November.
Caroline - basking in the sun November FET cycle planned

Randa - you make me laugh (in a kind way) with your posts - your cyst experience was pretty spooky!! But to have been correct in your assumption that it had indeed burst was incredible. Keep the stress down as much as poss. now - we must be kind to our DHs!! Oh boy, my DH doesn't know if he's coming or going with me these days - I have been shocked at how the downregging has taken a hold of my complete senses and emotions. Ironic really because we need to keep stress and anger at bay at this time but how can we when we are having our hormones drained out of us and then pumped right back again. It's ok girls, I'm kind of laughing at my own thoughts here as I write. It's oestrogen for breakfast for me tomorrow - yippee!!

Looking forward to hearing about your next scan on day 8 Randa - I'm quite excited already for you and keeping everything crossed - go girl!!

Debra, I know I am bad to have choc treats but I have also had melon, pineapple and grapes today and my required water intake so trying to keep some control. You are very good and are right not to have anything in the house - same as us, if it's there it gets eaten the same day!!

Hi to everyone this evening - happy cycling.

Hugs
Sharon x

[DebraP]

Sharon, I might not buy 'bad' things but that doesn't mean I eat heathily I'm afraid. DF is one of life's savers so squirrels his treats away for later. I wear the floor out tracking in and out of the kitchen until my prey is no more!

Your poor DH! mine at least goes to work for 50% of the evenings which means he's spared my bad moods. I'm very aggressive at the moment. If he says something wrong, I'll fly at him. Half jokey but still dangerous! I'll only playfully slap the top of his head or something but still......I bet your DH can't wait for breakfast tomorrow?? I hope the effects kick in quickly so you can both have a nice weekend.

Paula, good to hear from you. You sound 'up' which is great. There are loads of us preparing right now, you've got strong support here.

hugs to everyone....any updates for the list? just cut, paste and amend.

Debra.

[Nuala]

Hi Everyone,

I'm back after my failed first IVF cycle in July/August. The clinic were pleased with my response and so are supporting us for another cycle even though I'm 44 almost 45....

Started BCP on Sept 15 - having baseline scan on 29th and if all ok will start Buserelin shots same day. Having same protocol as last time:

Buserelin 7 days, Puregon 450 7 days then 6 vials of Menopur a night for 5 days...... the MEnopur is so fiddly to prepare and seems to hurt more going in than the Puregon but funnily had more bruising with the Puregon Pen shots...

DebraP so glad to see your cycling again - we're both 44...... I started acupunture 4 weeks ago and so having plenty of support for this cycle.

Wishing everyone else lots of PMA.

Nuala

[CarolineP]

Nuala

Glad to see you back - you are in great company for your next cycle.

Good luck and loads of baby dust to you all.

CarolineP

[randa2006]

Nuala - Welcome back! Yeah, another 44-year-old!!

Sharon - I've actually had cysts pop before, so I knew what it would feel like. Glad I make you laugh - we all need to laugh as much as possible with everything we are going through.

Good Luck, Paula, with your fsh test!!!

Hi Caroline! Only 76 days left til your sweet little bundle arrives! Do you know the sex yet? How are you feeling? You are one of our poster girls you know! LOVE hearing from our over-40s who made it!

Fighting with dh finally over. We made up properly today. His baseball team is in the championship (season is winding down) and after 4 months of nothing but baseball, baseball, baseball, I've had it up to my eyeballs! I'm happy his team is winning, but it has become his life, and I need a little attention right now, ya know! He even made the fatal mistake of referring to the drugs as my drugs, my injections! Doubt he'll do that again anytime soon! This is OUR process! OUR drugs! OUR injections! I'm not going through IVF all by myself!!! Hell, I'm 44 freakin' years old! I HAD my kids back in my 20s and was finished. This was HIS idea!
Gee, do you think the hormones are effecting me?
Thanks for listening, ladies. Tummy feeling very swollen.
Hugs and baby dust!

[CarolineP]

Hi Ladies

I am doing fine - 76 days to go until due date, 8th December but only 70 days until the booked C section on 30th November.

We are going to wait until the safe arrival of the baby to discover the sex.

We are now at the stage of window shoppoing for on the practical side of parenthood - strollers, nursery furniture, feeding equipment etc. We are also trying to work out when and who visits in the early days. Both sets of parents are quite elderly and do not live within 'popping in' distance - therefore involves an overnight stay - DH will have to cope with all of us!

DH and I just started antenatel classes and met up with some 1st time parents - I as very nervous initially due to the 'age' thing but they were a nice group and it was 'my' problem to get over. Due to start maternity leave from work at the end of October.

Thanks for encouraging me to post here - I feel that I have 2 homes on these boards.

CarolineP

[DebraP]

Caroline, lovely to hear your news! I hope the next 70 days are fab!

Randa, glad the fight and baseball season are over. I thought you were 43, have you just had a birthday?

Nuala, great to see you back and fabulous news you'll get support again from your clinic. I'm but a babe at 41 though There's a list of who/what/when, do you want to add yourself to that? just cut/paste/amend, we're in rough date order and you'll see we're all limbering up getting ready to go again soon.

Debra - feeling very positive right now.

[meandmine]

Randa - you and yours baseball - me and mine - prog rock bands - my hubby is is playing with a prog rock band and at the moment having good reviews. I am pleased for them but at the same time fed up with hearing about it. Still, glad he has an interest and i love the music too, just in my time, when I am in the mood. How spooky is that we seem to be in the same boat - bored with our DH's but just need to let them have their fun.
Hugs
Sharon xx

[randa2006]

Caroline,
Thanks for the great update! I LOVED reading all your news and lived vicariously as I read it (imagining when we will be in your shoes).

Debra,
Yes, I had a b-day on Sept 9 NOTHING gets by you!

Sharon,
Good to hear someone else dealing with the distracted spouse syndrome. Thanks for joining me in my pitty-party.

In my defiance yesterday, I forgot to wash his baseball uniform . Since I worked today, he had to wash it. I felt bad. THEN, I get home from work and he has a dozen red roses and a bottle of merlot with a sweet note sitting on the kitchen counter for me.

I guess he's not so bad after all. Maybe I could be a little more supportive of his sport.

Gotta run!
Follie fairy, please visit me tonight!

[Kat]

Hi all
Spoke to my old clinic yesterday and they remembered me (or said they did!) and booked scan as instructed by clinic in Barcelona for 21st Oct (If I have to move it a couple of days nearer the time this won't be a problem but I like to know I've got it organised) - in some ways it feels like the time is going slowly, others it feels like it's going quickly - I've finished the first row of the bcp packet already. 2 rows to go & then it's onto the hormone patches...
Going out for a v posh dinner tonight - a customer of DH's is a chef and works in a really nice place and is giving us a free dinner! We have been before and it is the kind of food that is piled up in a little tower on your plate with some drips of sauce round it, not much food but VERY rich yum yum can't wait to be naughty especially as I've been very good and been eating loads of fresh fruit & veg all week to make up for being a complete pig tonight.
Have a lovely day
Lots of love
Kat xx

[randa2006]

Scan could have been better today. Most of my follicles are still very small, however 4 seem to be growing and are of measurable size. They want me back for a day-10 scan (Monday) and feel that we will be doing the hcg shot then for an EC on Wed, or we might want to cancel again.

The doctor asked me again what I feel our chances are and I told her we think about 5% and she said lower. She said that we are more like 2% and by not doing an FET and choosing to freeze instead we are cutting that down to 1%. She also said that if we have success, I will be the only 44-year-old she knows of in the whole country (U.S.) that has done it.

She wasn't trying to be mean. She just wants to double check that we are sure we want to decline transfer AGAIN. I have decided that I'm not going to anymore scans without dh. I'm tired of being caught in between his plan of action and their repeat attempts at changing our minds. He needs to hear this first-hand. Because when I tell him (and I did, just now), he gets angry and feels that I am asking for this kind of feedback. It also touches a nerve between us because I have been saying since I turned 40 that we needed to move fast on having children and he wanted to wait. I kept telling him that the difference between 40 and 43 was HUGE! And the doc confirmed that again today with info I didn't ask her for.

Anyway, I also asked why they have not given me any lifestyle guidance through all of this to increase our success. She said it's because they only rely on science and there have been no viable tests or studys that show that anything other than maintaining general good health will effect the outcome. I brought up water intake, caffeine, the hot bath controversy, acupuncture, ... and she just said they don't support theories on any of it until there is a study that meets their standards as proof. She did say that they are so curious about the acupuncture issue that they are doing their own controlled study on that. She said that if I wanted to do acupuncture (and I do before the Dec fresh transfer) that it certainly wouldn't hurt and she recommends starting in Oct for a Dec cycle.

Well, I wish I had better news. She also reminded me that my chance of a miscarriage is at least 75%. The numbers are pretty bleak for me, but I knew that already. Just not sure dh truly GETS it.

Thanks for letting me vent. I hope I'm not bringing others in our age group down, but I felt it was important for me to share everything I learned, just as I love it when you all do. One thing is for sure, you ladies in your lower 40s - don't let ANY time go by between cycles if you can avoid it. Months are precious at our age!!!

God Bless.
Randa

[DebraP]

uff...Randa, what tough messages to hear from your Dr. I think it incredible that DH twists this into a 'you're looking for this kind of information' vs. accepting his role in waiting until now + insisting on the harvest/freeze. Will he be there on Monday? is there anyway you can agree to transfer this time? without wishing to be brutal, DH is risking having no kids of his own at this rate. Would he rather continue trying for 3 and getting none vs. a slightly increased chance of 1? I'm sitting here thinking how you must need a hug and/or a very large glass of red right now. So sorry neither are in the pipeline.

Full credit to the doctor for having the guts to tell you straight, it must be very tempting to let things ride for an easier consultation.

I so hope the 4 follies continue to grow and are perhaps joined by a few more by Monday.

hugs and thinking of you,
Debra.

[randa2006]

Thanks, Debra. As usual, you know exactly what to say to make me feel better.

How are you?
How is everyone else today?