Hello, ladies. Just wanted to introduce myself.

My husband and are on CD6 of our first cycle of IVF and I'd love to make friends with other IVF'ers. I have PCOS, though we don't know why I haven't conceived yet. We timed things right every cycle for almost two years. That's 13 cycles of definite ovulation, including 4 medicated cycles, two with Clomid, one with Femara and IUI, and one with a Clomid/Femara combo. Nothing worked and we've been diagnosed as PCOS plus Unexplained Infertility.

Currently, we are in Prague in the Czech Republic and moved here last month for IVF. We are from the US and most recently were living in Florida, though we sold our house to pay for our treatment.

We've been told we have a 40-45% chance a cycle to conceive with IVF, so we are keeping our FX'd that it will work. For the first time I'm thankful that I have PCOS because my doctor says it's much easier for PCOS ladies to get a good number of eggs. Right now I have 21 follicles growing, so seems about right!

The last month has been like this:

July 16- Started on Provera to induce period due to longer cycle.
July 24- Arrived in Prague on my 9th day of Provera.
July 25- Intake Appt & U/S - Intake went well, but U/S found a cyst on my right ovary.
July 29- Started spotting but never got period. Spotted until Aug 4.
August 1- U/S found that cyst was still there. BW showed estrogen was too high to have proper period.
August 5- U/S found cyst getting larger. Doctor decided to rupture the cyst.
August 6- Doctor rupture the cyst. OWWWW!!!
August 7- U/S looks good. Got an injection to trigger AF.
August 11- AF finally arrived!
August 12- Started on IVF meds. 300iu a day of Gonal-f
August 16- Went in today for U/S. Found 10 follicles on my left ovary and 11 on my right. All ranging from 9mm-12.5mm. Very good news!

Tomorrow I start on Orgalutran to prevent ovulation and then go back in for an U/S on Monday (August 19). Our doctor thinks we'll trigger on either the 19th or 20th and do the ER on 21st or 22nd. We're planning to do a Day-5 Transfer of the one best blastocyst and freeze the rest, however many might make it that far.

If anyone else would like to share their story, that would be wonderful.

Good luck! I'm in the UK and we have our consultant appointment at the ivf clinic mid-September. Not really sure what to expect but I guess we will find out soon! I'm not on here that much anymore (too depressing thinking about ttc) but I stop by every so often. Keep us updated on how your ivf goes!

Thank, Mrs B. I hope your appt goes well.

I know what you mean about the depression. For me, that feeling has eased a bit now that DH and I are getting into the first cycle of IVF. I'm feeling a lot more hopeful (and social) now that we're actually doing it. I hope it goes the same for you and you get some relief!

Thanks To be honest I'm pretty numb to everything now... don't really have many feelings towards the whole thing (partly because when I do I just get down!). You never know, maybe once I start ivf I will feel better, like you do. Hopefully!

How you getting on with the drugs so far? That concerns me with ivf... I get fairly grouchy when I'm simply tired... no idea how bad I'm going to be to live with when I'm pumped full of ivf drugs!! :P

The meds actually aren't bad. I was very worried as well, but it has been a breeze so far.

I had a dreadful time on both Clomid and Femara- insanely sick, vomiting, hot flashes, flu symptoms, insomnia, mood swings (my husband called it psychosis...), the whole shebang. After a few cycles of meds, my doctor told me that the best thing to do would be to move to injectibles with either (another) IUI or with IVF since injectibles, though much more expensive, have fewer side effects. Since there wasn't much difference in price between IUI in the US and IVF in CZ, and since the success rate for IVF is so incredibly much higher, we decided to travel for IVF.

Today is day 6 of stims and I feel great. No side effects at all besides getting slightly weepy on the second night for all of five minutes. Well, and (TMI) so much EWCM that I need a tampon. But no hot flashes, no sickness, no yelling, no side effects at all really. Off and on I feel some slight pressure where my ovaries are, which should increase over the next few days before egg retrieval, but so far, it's a cakewalk. DH and I even BD'd yesterday without any pain and may do so again today. (Since ER/fertilization is this coming week, he needs to "clear everything out" today, and then abstain until collection.)

I'm using the Gonal-F pen @ 300iu a day, and it is so easy. It doesn't hurt at all. In fact, half the time I don't even feel it. I'm adding in another injection today to suppress ovulation and the needle is the exact same size as the Gonal-F ones: Super tiny!

I'm glad you're finding it okay! It makes a change to hear that instead of the horror stories that seem to be all over the net! I've never been on any fertility drugs (in the UK, for unexplained infertility, the only treatment they do is go straight to ivf) so I'm not sure how I will react. Super tiny needles sound good to me... not looking forward to the injecting myself part!!

bunyhuny - Hi, How you doing? Im on similar boat as you. In fact we are on the same stage. I am currently doing IVF and I started the Gonal F injection on 7th August. I started Cetrotide injection from 12th August. I am taking both these injections daily. One in the morning and one in the evening. I had a scan on 16th August like you, the doctor said I have 3 follicles on the right and 6 on the left, the size were 10mm due to which now my Gonal F dosage has increased from 150 to 225.

My next scan is on 21st August which is 3 days away (I cant wait to finish with these injections and move on to the next stage)
I agree with you, Gonal F injection doesnt really hurt, sometimes you cant even feel it. Just once I felt it and it hurt bad but I think it was the way my position was.
Best of luck with your IVF, I hope you have a BFP and everything goes well. Keep us updated, good luck with your scan tomorrow. x

Mrs B - I was so scared actually I still am, of needles! I hate them! I hate injections. My husband gives the injections to me. Its not really that bad, I think the thought of needles inserted into the skin is more scary then the actual process.

As for depression, I know what you mean. Dont stress too much, take it easy. Iv had so many momments in my life were I was moody,angry,depressed,heart borken - Well I think we all have been. With me, taking all these medications and injections sometimes gets to me mentally. Sometimes I just cry over nothing - It just feels like a pressure and Im just so scared of if it doesnt work. Its a tough journey for all those who are TTC. Its alright to let out the tears and I think we have an excuse to be moody at times! :-P

Mrs B.- The injecting myself bit was definitely scary the first couple times I did it, but I got used to it with doing my trigger shots during my medicated cycles. The triggers we big needles into muscle, and those were definitely a bit scary. Then I had a progesterone shot I had to do a couple weeks ago and that one was really big. After all that, the teeny tiny Gonal-F needles just going into muscle are pretty much nothing at all. You'll be fine. I've found it easier to do them myself. DH was going to do them the first time and I chickened out right when he was about to do it. Just grabbed it from him and stuck it in as fast as I could. I was so surprised when it didn't hurt!! The great thing about doing it myself is I can control how fast I'm injecting the medication in. A lot of nurse inject too fast and that can make the shots hurt, but if you do it yourself, no pain at all, at least with the Gonal-F.

YearningHeart- Oh that is so neat that we're at the exact same place! Though, it does sound like you were started at a much lower dose than me. It always took me 10 days of Clomid or Femara to get follicles, so my RE started me on a high dose to make sure I'd respond well. If you have to do another cycle will they start you out on a higher dose? Oh, and which one is Cetrotide? Is it one of the anti-ovulation ones? I started on Orgalutran yesterday. The needle was slightly bigger than my Gonal-F one and I was a bit skittish with it. Didn't go fast enough and only got the needle part way in, kind of just poked myself. Anyway, I shrieked, pulled it out, realized what I'd done, and started laughing at myself. DH looked at me like I was crazy. So funny. Next try I didn't hesitate and it just went in, didn't feel it at all. Strangely, once I got the medication in and needle out, I could feel the medication under my skin. It felt icy and hot and itchy all at the same time. Stayed that way for maybe 15 minutes. So weird.... Is the Cetrotide like that?

*Update* Nothing new to report today. The pressure I was feeling in my ovaries on Friday and yesterday has subsided. The only thing I've noticed is some slight breast tenderness, but that has been going since I started the Gonal-F. Can't wait for my scan tomorrow. I'm really hoping to see some good follicle growth!

bunyhuny - Yeah I did start at lower dosage, I started at 150 then went up to 225. Sorry I didnt understand what you meant by 'next cycle'. I have PCOS, my right tube is blocked and I have been TTC for many years, looking at this the doctor put me on IVF straight away. I didnt have any clomid etc.

I hope my IVF does work out, if it doesnt then I will move on to IVF again the 2nd time. My eggs will be frozen in this IVF round, so if this IVF fails I will not need to do the injections/medications again as I will have eggs hopefully.

Cetrotidehas similar effects, the area goes red,ichy and sometimes looks like a rash for little while. Gonal F injection does not hurt but I find Cetrotide injection a little painful. I hate that injection!

Good Luck with you appointment tomorrow. I look forward to your update. xx